If you’re a new or expecting parent in Marin County wondering when to book your newborn session, this one’s for you.
The best time for newborn photos is between 5 and 14 days after birth, but that’s not the only good time, and it may not be the right time for your family. There are three windows that each produce beautiful photos, and the best one depends on what matters most to you: capturing your baby at their absolute newest, feeling more recovered before the camera comes out, or getting those first little personality moments on film.
As a lifestyle newborn photographer based in San Anselmo, I’ve worked with families throughout Marin County (San Rafael, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Sausalito, Fairfax, and everywhere in between) and I walk every expecting parent through these same three options. Here’s what I tell them.
There’s no wrong answer. Each window captures something different, and all of it is worth keeping.
The Three Windows
Days 5–14: The Dream State
Choose this window if you want to remember your baby exactly as they arrived.
The first two weeks of a baby’s life are akin to a dream state: days and nights woven together with a newness that is so precious and rare. We’ll never experience anything quite like it once this phase has passed. Babies at this age are at their sleepiest and curliest, tucked into that little fetal ball, looking freshly arrived, because they are.
A sleepy baby means fewer long cries. The rhythm and needs are simple and straightforward. You’ll likely get fewer wide-open-eye moments, but in between those sleeps an awake newborn this age is often beautifully calm and quietly intrigued, and that is gorgeous to capture.
Here’s what I want you to know about this window: depending on how your delivery went, you may still be healing. You might not feel like yourself yet. That’s not a reason to wait. I invite you to stay in whatever clothing and spaces feel nourishing. We can photograph in your bed, with your nursing pillow and water bottle beside you. Opening the session to the reality of this phase is a gift to your future self. Some of my most treasured client photos come from exactly this kind of session: raw, tender, completely real.
As a mother of three, this brief window is one I revisit with so much reverence. For the big picture, with all the preciousness of this time in mind, I think you’ll hold these images the same way.
What to know: Book during your second trimester so your due date is penciled in. Once baby arrives, you reach out with the birth date and we confirm for the right day in this window. The sleepier and newer, the better, but any day in these first two weeks is a beautiful day.
2–3 Weeks: Finding Your Rhythm
Choose this window if you want to feel a little more settled before we start.
By two to three weeks, you’ve moved somewhat out of the dream state and into the beginning of an everyday flow as a family. You might be getting a little more sleep. You might have showered today (look at you). You may be starting to feel like re-entering the world is possible. Before this point, having a photographer in the house can feel like too much, and that’s completely valid.
Your baby is still very new, and you are still very much in awe of them. They’ll likely be a little more alert now, which means more expressions, more movement, more connection. The tradeoff: this is also when many newborns begin to wake up more and experience some fussiness. Nothing unusual for a newborn, just worth knowing. And honestly, fussy moments are real moments. Real moments are what I’m here for.
What to know: Sessions at this age often feel more dynamic. Plan for the full arc of a session: a sleep cycle, a fussy cycle, and the calm moments we patiently wait for. I stay for all of it.
4–6 Weeks: Personality Arriving
Choose this window if you want to capture a baby who’s waking up to the world.
By four to six weeks, babies have longer wake windows and are beginning to show little glimmers of who they are: wide eyes taking everything in, the very beginnings of a social smile. Parents at this stage are more rested and feeling more like themselves. These sessions have a different energy: warmer, more playful, more two-way.
The tradeoff is that your baby won’t have that just-arrived newborn look. They’re still absolutely a newborn, but they’re growing fast. (Everyone says it because it’s painfully, beautifully true.)
What to know: This window works especially well if you want to capture sibling interactions, more expressive moments, and a baby who’s present and wide-eyed. It’s also a lovely option if the earlier windows felt like too much to take on.
How Far in Advance Should I Book?
Book during your second or third trimester (ideally around 28–34 weeks). This gives us time to hold your due date and keep a flexible window around it. I take a limited number of newborn sessions each month, so booking early matters.
When your baby arrives, you reach out with the birth date. We confirm the session for the right day in your chosen window. Simple. You can book here or get in touch to talk through timing first.
One More Thing: The Time of Day
Choosing the right week is only part of the equation. The time of day matters too: for the light in your home and for your family’s bandwidth on the day of the session. I’ve written a full guide to that question separately:
Morning or Evening? The Real Answer to When to Schedule Your Newborn Session →
So When Should You Actually Book?
Here’s my most honest recommendation: there is no perfect window. We can’t predict how our little one will be minute to minute, much less day to day. What I can promise is that no matter when we schedule, we will find the moments of light and connection. I have never left a session without them.
Say yes to a time that works for you (the parent doing the brave, beautiful, exhausting work of those early days). Because regardless of which window you choose, your future self (flipping through these photos when your baby turns 10) will be endlessly, deeply grateful you said yes.
Take the photos.
K, love you. Bye. ♥
I’m a lifestyle in-home newborn photographer based in San Anselmo, serving families throughout Marin County. Get in touch if you’re expecting or have a brand new little one. I’d love to hear from you.