We recently wrote a post on the importance of having professional photos of your child taken once a year. Of course, we recognize that not every family is able to make that happen, but there are several important milestones that you really shouldn’t miss out on. Every child’s development is different, but this easy guide will pinpoint the times in your child’s life when capturing those milestones is key.

The maternity session.

When you are nearing the end of your pregnancy – usually between 7 and 8 months along – is an ideal time to capture the unique feelings as parents (or parents-to-be) on the verge of welcoming new life into this world. It’s a short-lived time of excitement and wonder, and it’s a season that you’ll want to remember with something tangible.

 

The newborn session.

Be sure to see our blog about the best time to photograph your newborn. It’s got some great tips on how to schedule your newborn session and why certain times are more ideal. After their first few weeks of life, newborns begin to grow quickly. They become much more alert and curious about the environment around them. While this is also an important time to capture (we’ll discuss later), you’ll want to have those sweet memories of your sleepy, curly newborn on film, because it’s such a short time.

 

The smiley session.

These first few sessions seem to come one right after another, but after their first year of life, those mile-markers become fewer and farther between. After the newborn session, you’ll want to watch for when your little one is able to smile, hold their head up, and maybe even sit up. Anywhere from 3-8 months is a good time period to consider having another photo session. There are so many new skills that you’ll want to celebrate, but ultimately, you and your spouse will have to pick and choose which ones to have photographed.

The one-year session.

By the one-year mark, your babe is hopefully able to pull themselves up, stand, and possibly take a few steps. This is a fun, giggly stage to photograph, and one year is a definitive marker that you can put on your calendar. Your child’s personality starts to come out, and one year is a good time to stop and remember all that has changed in just a short time.

The early-childhood session.

The next occasion to photograph is up to you as parents. Their growth starts to slow down, but by taking photographs, you can later see the subtle changes in your child. That’s why we recommend a yearly portrait. However, if yearly isn’t your thing, consider having photos when your child is between 3 and 5 years old – before they start to lose their baby teeth. They’ll just be getting ready to start preschool or kindergarten, and their personality will be much more prominent by this age.

The transitional session.

Your preteen or teenager probably will resent you a bit for this photo, but it’s a good mile-marker between their childhood years and their senior photographs. Along with the first few months, the pre- and early-teen years are one of the biggest times of growth. Your “child” really starts to discover who he or she is and aspires to be. You’ll want to press pause as they finish out childhood and begin to approach adulthood.

The senior photo session.

This is the last photo session before your baby (let’s face it, they’ll always be your baby) finishes high school and heads off to college or joins the workforce. While they aren’t truly independent adults yet, it’s good to seize those moments before you release them to find out who they are for themselves. Even if you skip some of the sessions in the middle, most parents choose to have a senior photo session. These are the photos that your kids will have in their last yearbook, and unlike the awkward photos, they’ll probably want to pass these out to their friends before they head out into the real world.

Whichever milestones you choose to capture, Pure7 strives to make each photo stress-free and natural. Contact us to schedule a session.