Veteran Asheville Newborn Photographer shares a Cautionary Tale about accepting a recommendation alone for your Newborn Portrait Photography
A couple weeks ago, I received a call from an exhausted, heart broken mama…
She had been through so much.
A difficult pregnancy, followed by a traumatic birth and NICU / ICU stays for both mama & baby…
At the end of that difficult pregnancy, this expectant mama booked her Newborn Photographer based off the recommendation of a friend. She was sick and exhausted and she just didn’t have the energy to do the research herself at that time.
Fast forward — mama & her rainbow baby were released from NICU / ICU, both sets of grandparents were in town from out of state (which sadly, would prevent a re-shoot with the grandparents) and they all arrive at the scheduled Newborn Session ready to create some heirlooms for their family…
At that session, they reportedly felt really awkward and uncomfortable, mom said she felt as though she wasn’t being given any direction and it sounded (to me) like they just weren’t being treated as gently as they should have been — given all that they had just been through…. can you even imagine?
Spoiler Alert: They get the photos back and everyone, including the grandparents were really disappointed with them…which is really hard to do because: who doesn’t love photos of their new baby or grand baby!? The chief complaints were that they looked incredibly awkward and un-natural and you couldn’t see baby’s face in most of the photos… which is kind of the point of newborn portraits, no!?
Then, a couple weeks ago, I get a phone call from this sweet mama — she calls me (holding back the tears)… she was so upset (and rightfully so) because by this point, her rainbow baby was a month and a half (not really a newborn anymore), the grandparents were long gone and they couldn’t get that milestone moment in time back to re-shoot those newborn portraits…
Not only that but that other photographer actually blamed (them) for her lack of attention to detail (i.e. — it’s kind of our job to adjust poses for the most flattering angles possible and it’s kind of the point of our job as newborn photographers to actually photograph the newborn’s face and body and all those precious, tiny details that change so quickly!) And, it’s absolutely our job as photographers to preserve these precious milestone moments in time for the families that we serve…
I get it, it’s incredibly difficult to take criticism of your work when you’re an artist.
Theoretically, you put your heart into every session you shoot… I know, I do.
So, it can be really hard to hear that a client doesn’t love their photos.
But, it’s our job as human beings to lead with empathy, love and understanding.
We often forget this very important fact (commandment).
This is not JUST business.
So, when this sweet mama came to me, desperate to salvage whatever memories she could of this very short moment in time, I was honored to be able to give her these beautiful newborn portraits that she definitely deserves!
I’m not gonna lie, I was more than a little nervous… After all, they could just be “difficult clients”….and what if they didn’t love the photos because of their own issues? And what if they wouldn’t be satisfied with my photos either…
But, (thankfully) that’s not what happened at all…. I found these sweet new parents to be incredibly kind, gracious, gentle, people and beautifully loving, nurturing parents! Half way through the session, we took a break to review the photos that we had shot so far on the computer because I definitely wanted them to leave this session completely satisfied.
I was so pleasantly surprised when as we were reviewing the images, this precious mama started crying, choking back the tears as she said: “this is all I ever wanted.”
…. these were the memories that she wanted with her baby girl…
It was SO heartbreaking and SO sweet and I was SO incredibly relieved and happy that I could give these images to her… because she definitely deserve them after all that she’s been through!!
The lesson here: if you can avoid it, don’t just blindly take someone’s recommendation for the important moments that you can’t get back (weddings, newborns, etc.) Just because someone has a pretty website or insta grid, doesn’t make them competent or qualified…. If you can, make the time to thoroughly review someone’s website portfolio, investigate their social media, read their reviews, ask to see a full gallery if you need to… But more than that, talk with them. Be sure that you vibe with them. Be sure they’re relatable, kind, empathetic, loving people because during this moment in your life, you only need that Good Vibes Energy!
It’s important!
Good Luck Mama, even if it’s not me, my wish for you is that you experience a Beautiful, Joyful, Stress Free, Nurturing Newborn Photography Experience!
But if it is me: please mention this post to receive 15% off your Studio Newborn Portrait Session! LOL (see ya soon!)
XOXO -Brittany
