How to Choose a Nashville Newborn Photographer

Your newborn will only be this tiny for a few short weeks, making the photographer you choose an important part of preserving the beginning of your family’s story. While beautiful images certainly matter, so do newborn safety, experience, and finding someone you trust to care for your baby. If you’re wondering how to choose a Nashville newborn photographer, these eight questions will help you find the right fit for your family.

1. Is Your Newborn Photographer Licensed and Insured?

One of the first questions to ask when choosing a newborn photographer is whether they operate a legitimate, insured business.

Unlike some professions, there isn’t a government-issued license required to become a photographer. However, professional newborn photographers in Nashville should be able to tell you whether they have a local business license (when required in their area) and liability insurance. These are good indicators that they take their business—and your family’s experience—seriously.

Liability insurance helps protect both the photographer and their clients should the unexpected happen, while a properly registered business demonstrates a commitment to operating professionally and responsibly.

Although you’ll hopefully never need either one, asking about business licensing and insurance is a simple way to learn more about the photographer you’re trusting with your newborn. Professionalism isn’t just about creating beautiful images—it’s also about providing a safe, reliable, and well-run experience from your first inquiry through the delivery of your finished artwork.

2. What Training Should a Nashville Newborn Photographer Have?

Unlike many professions, there isn’t a required college degree or certification to become a newborn photographer. That means it’s important to ask how a photographer has developed their skills and what training they’ve completed. Newborn photography is a highly specialized field that combines artistic vision with an understanding of newborn safety, infant behavior, and gentle posing techniques.

Professional newborn photographers continue learning throughout their careers. Training may include hands-on workshops, online education, conferences, mentorships, and safety courses. Because best practices continue to evolve, ongoing education is just as important as experience behind the camera.

As a published, award-winning photographer and a Master Certified Childhood Photographer, I believe learning should never stop. One of the most valuable experiences in my own education was attending an intensive hands-on workshop in east Nashville with renowned newborn photographer Ana Brandt. Learning directly from someone who has photographed thousands of newborns gave me invaluable insight into newborn safety, posing techniques, and lighting. It also strengthened my commitment to creating a calm, baby-led experience for every family. I also regularly invest in continuing education through workshops and online training to keep my skills current and continue growing as an artist.

Newborn photography is unlike any other type of portrait photography. You’re working with a tiny, delicate baby during a very short stage of life that can never be recreated. Within just a few weeks, your newborn’s features begin to change, making those sleepy, curled-up portraits impossible to capture again. There are no do-overs.

When you’re choosing the right newborn photographer, ask about their experience, education, and commitment to continued learning. A photographer who invests in developing their craft is also investing in providing a safe, thoughtful, and exceptional experience for every family they serve.

3. What Safety Procedures Do They Follow?

Beautiful photographs are wonderful, but nothing matters more than your baby’s safety during the session.

Health and Hygiene

Your newborn’s immune system is still developing, so it’s perfectly reasonable to ask about your photographer’s health and hygiene practices before your session. A professional newborn photographer should have clear policies for cleaning props, wraps, blankets, and other studio items between sessions, as well as guidelines for rescheduling if anyone is feeling ill.

It’s also appropriate to ask whether your photographer stays up to date on recommended vaccinations, such as whooping cough (Tdap) and seasonal illnesses, especially if they work with newborns every week. Every studio may have slightly different policies, but your photographer should be happy to discuss the steps they take to help protect your family.

Safe Newborn Posing

Beautiful newborn portraits should never come at the expense of your baby’s safety. If you’ve spent time browsing Pinterest or Instagram, you’ve probably seen newborns in elaborate poses that look almost too perfect to be real. In many cases, they are. Photographers create some of the most famous newborn poses, including the ‘froggy pose,’ by combining multiple images in post-processing Throughout the process, an adult is continuously supporting the baby’s head, neck, or wrists, and those supporting hands are removed later during editing.

An experienced newborn photographer understands newborn anatomy and knows how to pose babies gently, safely, and comfortably. If a baby doesn’t settle naturally into a pose or appears uncomfortable, the photographer should simply move on rather than forcing the position.

Baby-Led Newborn Photography

Every baby is different, which is why we believe in a baby-led approach to newborn photography. Some newborns happily curl onto their sides, while others prefer to stay comfortably on their backs. Some sleep deeply through an entire session, while others need extra cuddles, feeding breaks, or a change of scenery.

Rather than trying to make every baby fit the same poses, we let each newborn guide the session. We gently introduce poses, watch your baby’s cues, and adjust our plans as needed. The goal isn’t to create an unrealistic image—it’s to capture your baby exactly as they are during these first precious days of life.

4. Who Will Be Handling My Baby?

Newborn safety is always the highest priority during a newborn photography session. Before booking your newborn photographer, ask who will be helping to ensure your baby is safe throughout the session.

Some newborn photographers work with an assistant, while others safely photograph babies on their own with a parent close by to lend a hand when needed. Regardless of the setup, your baby should never be left unattended in a prop or on a posing surface. Even sleepy newborns can stretch, wiggle, or unexpectedly change position in just a matter of seconds.

At Brown Bunny Photography, someone is always within arm’s reach of your baby. Whether that’s me or a parent assisting with a particular setup, your newborn’s safety always comes before getting the perfect photograph. If a pose requires extra support, we provide it. If your baby lets us know they’re uncomfortable, we simply move on to something else.

When you’re choosing a professional newborn photographer, don’t be afraid to ask how they handle posing, spotting, and newborn safety during the session. A photographer should be happy to explain their process and help you feel completely confident before your baby ever steps in front of the camera.

5. What Is Their Social Media Policy?

Most newborn photographers share images from their sessions on their website, blog, and social media. It’s how families get to see a photographer’s style, consistency, and the experience they create. Seeing real client galleries can also help you decide whether a photographer is the right fit for your family.

Before booking your newborn photographer, ask how they handle your family’s privacy. Will your baby’s images be shared publicly? Do they use children’s names? Can you request that your session remain completely private? Every photographer has a different policy, so it’s worth having the conversation before your session.

At Brown Bunny Photography, we believe beautiful photographs and family privacy can go hand in hand. We never share children’s full names or identifying information, and we never reveal locations associated with our clients. When we share images, we use only a first initial or a simple description like “sweet baby T” or “beautiful Miss A.”

We also understand that every family has a different comfort level with social media. Some parents love seeing their baby’s portraits featured, while others prefer to keep those memories private. We’re happy to honor either choice. Our goal is to create a newborn photography experience that feels safe, respectful, and comfortable for your family from beginning to end.

As you’re choosing a newborn photographer, don’t hesitate to ask about privacy, image sharing, and social media policies. The answer should give you confidence that your family’s wishes will always be respected.

6. How to Choose a Newborn Photography Style You’ll Love

When you’re choosing a newborn photographer, style matters just as much as experience. Every photographer has a unique artistic approach, and the images you fall in love with on their website should reflect the photographs you’ll receive from your own session.

Some photographers specialize in lifestyle newborn photography, capturing your family in the comfort of your home with a natural, documentary feel. Others create studio newborn portraits with carefully controlled lighting, thoughtfully selected props, and beautifully posed images. Some photographers embrace bold colors and trendy themes, while others create timeless portraits designed to look just as beautiful decades from now.

As you browse a photographer’s portfolio, look for consistency. While every baby and family is different, the overall style, editing, lighting, and quality should feel cohesive. If you love what you see throughout their gallery, chances are you’ll love your own finished artwork.

Creating Timeless Artwork

At Brown Bunny Photography, we specialize in timeless, fine art newborn photography for families throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Our studio is filled with hand-knit outfits, luxurious wraps, soft textures, heirloom blankets, and carefully chosen vintage pieces that complement your baby rather than compete for attention. Every set is designed to highlight your baby’s tiny features and preserve this fleeting season of childhood.

My background in theatre lighting and love of Renaissance art influence every session. Light, texture, and composition work together to create portraits that feel soft, classic, and full of emotion. Whenever possible, I also love incorporating meaningful family heirlooms—a favorite lovey, a handmade blanket, or even a childhood toy from Mom or Dad—to make your session even more personal. I especially love blending mom’s maternity session with baby’s newborn session and milestone sessions so that images have continuity when hung on the wall.

Trends come and go, but childhood is timeless. My goal is to create artwork that feels just as beautiful on your walls twenty years from now as it does the day you bring it home.

7. What Products Does Your Newborn Photographer Offer?

There isn’t a right or wrong answer to this question—it’s simply about choosing the experience that best fits your family.

Some photographers specialize in digital collections. After your session, you’ll receive your edited images and decide how, when, and where to print them. If you enjoy designing gallery walls, creating albums, or comparing print labs yourself, this can be a wonderful option.

Other photographers offer a full-service experience. They guide you through selecting your favorite images, designing artwork that fits your home, and ordering professionally crafted albums, framed pieces, and prints. Instead of leaving you with a folder of digital files and a long to-do list, they help you turn your photographs into heirloom artwork you’ll enjoy every day.

At Brown Bunny Photography, we believe your images deserve to live beyond a screen. My hope is that years from now, your children and grandchildren will pull an album off the shelf or walk past a portrait on the wall and remember this season of life.

As I sit at my desk, I can see photographs of my grandmother and mother as toddlers, another of my grandmother laughing as a nine-year-old, and even portraits of my great-grandmothers as young women. Those images have become part of my family’s story, and that’s exactly what I want for my clients. Beautiful, archival artwork that grows more meaningful with every passing year.

Of course, we also understand the value of having digital files. That’s why every piece of artwork purchased at Brown Bunny Photography includes the matching digital image, giving you the freedom to share with grandparents, make additional prints, and preserve your family’s memories in multiple ways.

8. Does Their Experience Make You Feel Confident?

If you’re looking for a calm, baby-led newborn photography experience in Nashville, I’d love to answer your questions and help you decide if Brown Bunny Photography is the right fit for your family. Whether you book with me or another photographer, I hope these questions help you choose someone who makes you feel completely confident during this once-in-a-lifetime season.