I have had this blog post weighing heavily on my mind lately. Even more so this past week, when I had 5 different mommas contacting me, all with due dates within the next week, all frantically scrambling to find a baby photographer prior to delivery … ALL because another photographer backed out on them at the very last minute.
Sadly, I hear this story over and over again, month after month, year after year … it’s all too common in this industry. I know sometimes things happen beyond our control, but unfortunately this seems to happen all too often.
The first thing I say to these mommas is … we welcome you, we are here for you.
While most of our mommas schedule newborn portraits early (beginning of 2nd trimester), we always try to get newborn portraits scheduled whenever possible at any stage of pregnancy, even after baby has been born, when our schedule permits…we welcome you!
This week has made me stop and think about the service we offer, what makes us different and why you should choose us to capture your oh-so-important season of life, newborn portraiture. So, below are just 3 reasons, I could think of many more because what we do, what we offer and how we do it is so, so different than many others, but here’s a few things to consider:
1) Service - Have you ever stopped to consider newbron portraiture as a service industry? It may not be the first thought that comes to mind, but it truly is a service. I am from a business background where customer service was first and foremost. I learned at an early age to think like the customer and to apply the golden rule in business, just like in your daily life.
From the first moment you contact us, you will notice a difference. We do not just send a price sheet over, we meet our clients in person or talk with them over the phone for a pre-session consultation, which makes all the difference. We want you to feel comfortable with the person who will be photographing your precious baby. So from the very first moment of contact until your products are delivered, and every moment in between, we strive to provide the best service, the best experience, the best quality in the industry. We like to go above and beyond for each and every client and this is not on rare occurrences, it is a daily effort. We take pride in being the best and delivering nothing less.
2) Scheduling - I can’t say enough about this one, especially given this past week if inquiries I just had. Scheduling is often tricky to new photographers, especially if they do not specialize in newborn photography. I learned years ago that newborns really have a very specific timeframe in which their portraits are best captured, for a variety of reasons.
On top of that, babies rarely arrive on their due date, so that always creates scheduling adjustments as some arrive early and others arrive late. If you are unfamiliar with scheduling newborns, this could mean you have booked a client that you do not have time to photograph within the desired timeframe. This, among a variety of other reasons, could lead a photographer backing out on you at the last minute. This leaves you scrambling for a replacement. Why not just book the best to begin with? Book with one that is well known in the community, has an excellent business reputation, delivers without compromise and produces quality products for you to treasure. These moments are so special - they deserve the best.
I do realize many “price shop” …trying to find the bargain. However, all too often that “bargain” doesn’t pay off … that bargain photographer may back out at the last minute, deliver less than you expected, produce low quality, rush through your session, etc… . There’s an old saying that you get what you pay for and this couldn’t be more true. When you choose to invest in newborn portraiture with us - we dedicate our service, our specialty and our schedule to you. We make every effort to go above and beyond, and to never disappoint you.
3.) Specialty - I often have people ask me if I do weddings- the answer is no. I determined when I first opened the doors of Melissa Treen Photography that I would specialize in baby and family photography, photographing newborns, maternity, babies, high school seniors, child models and professional headshots. I do not photograph weddings because my schedule does not allow for it. My weekends are filled with milestone portrait sessions for our Baby Portrait Planners, seniors and families. The majority of my schedule is consumed with maternity and newborn photo shoots.
I specialize in maternity and newborn portraiture. I have invested so much in time, energy and expense into newborn education over the years, learning how to photograph these sweet babies beautifully and most importantly, safely. I know when to schedule them, how to capture them in all their newness and beauty and what art pieces and products, as a mom, you’ll want from your newborn portrait session.
Because we specialize in maternity and newborn, we have everything needed to produce these type of sessions. We have a ton of props, wraps, hats, headbands, bonnets, etc for your newborn…we also have a baby style closet for milestone portrait sessions … and a maternity wardrobe full of beautiful gowns and dresses for your pregnancy photo shoot. We have tried to think of every detail to help your newborn portrait experience be a beautiful one.
Those are just a few things that make us different. We would be honored to work with you and capture this special season of your life.
We offer an amazing Baby Portrait Plan that attracts an audience as far away as Winston Salem, Raleigh, Durham, Lexington, High Point, Kernersville, Asheboro, Randleman, Trinity, Thomasville, Archdale, Mebane, Summerfield, Danville, Eden, Madison, Reidsville, Oak Ridge, Stokesdale, Hillsborough, Jamestown, Charoltte, and of course Burlington, Greensboro, Elon, Whitsett, Graham, Gibsonville and beyond. It offers a full year of milestone portrait sessions, bundled together at one low price, with tons of bonuses throughout the year, as we love to spoil our clients!
If you are looking for just newborn portraits, we also offer a newborn only option and a mini session option for newborn portraits. We welcome the opportunity to discuss details with you to see which best meets your needs.