What is Newborn Photography and How to Choose Your Photographer in Madrid

Your baby will only be a newborn once.

That sounds obvious, but when you’re pregnant and your mind is full of a thousand things, it’s easy for that to slip into the background. And then suddenly they arrive, the days go by, and that stage when they fit entirely in your hands is already a memory.

Newborn photography exists for exactly that. To freeze time right there, in those first few days, when they’re still curled up in a little ball and sleeping almost around the clock. It’s one of the shortest stages you’ll ever live through as a mother, and one of the ones you’ll most want to remember.

When does it happen?

Ideally within the first 14 days of life, especially if you’d like a more posed session with your baby curled up and sleeping. In those early days, babies still hold that tucked position they had in the womb, and they tend to sleep more deeply, which helps the session flow naturally.

That said, I do newborn sessions up to around six weeks. What changes is the approach: the older the baby, the more awake they tend to be, and the session adapts to that. Just as beautiful, just different.

That’s why I always recommend booking during pregnancy, so everything is ready when the moment comes and you don’t find yourself looking for a photographer with a newborn in your arms and the chaos of those first days in full swing.

How to choose your newborn photographer

This is probably the most important decision in the whole process. And after more than thirteen years photographing newborns, there are a few things I always suggest keeping in mind.

That you genuinely love their style

This comes first, above everything else. Before looking at prices, before comparing packages, ask yourself: do I love their photos? Can I picture my memories looking like this?

Because the photos you receive will be yours forever. And a photographer’s style doesn’t change from one session to the next — it’s their way of seeing, of editing, of telling stories. If their work moves you, you’re on the right track.

That their work is consistent

Go to their website, their Instagram, look through several sessions. Do the photos feel similar to each other? Is there a recognisable thread running through them?

This matters because what you see is what you’ll get. If you find some photos you love and others that don’t quite convince you, that inconsistency is worth paying attention to. With a photographer who has experience and a defined style, you know exactly what kind of images you’ll walk away with. No surprises.

That you feel comfortable with them

A newborn session lasts between two and three hours. You’ll be in an intimate space, just days after giving birth, with your brand new baby. You need to feel at ease.

Pay attention to how they communicate with you from that very first message. Do they feel warm and approachable? Do they explain things clearly? Do you feel heard? The feeling you get before the session is the same one you’ll have on the day.

Experience matters

Newborn photography is a specialism. Working with babies just days old requires patience, knowledge and a lot of practice. A photographer with years of experience in this kind of session knows how to handle your baby safely, how to adapt to their pace, and how to create beautiful images even when things don’t go quite as expected.

Price, in context

Price matters, of course it does. But put it in perspective: these photos will be in your home for decades. Your children will look at them when they’re older. They’re one of the few tangible memories of a stage that passes in a matter of days.

That doesn’t mean you have to spend more than you can. It means it’s worth looking first at style, consistency and how a photographer makes you feel — and then seeing whether the price works for you. Not the other way around.

One last thing

If you’re pregnant and just starting to look, take your time. Don’t go with the first one you find or the most affordable option. Look for someone whose photos genuinely move you, who you feel you could be comfortable with, and whose body of work gives you confidence.

When you find that, you’ll know.

If you’d like to find out more about how I work and see whether we’re a good fit, I’d love to hear from you.