I’m sure you’ve probably heard this before, but babies grow so fast. You are pregnant for 9 months, and in just a matter of weeks, the baby is no longer a newborn. Seeking professional newborn photography is one of the best ways to preserve those sweet, slow first few weeks with your infant. You will look back on the photos and remember how tiny your baby was, and how tired you were, and how filled with love and joy.

A responsible and talented photographer will make this process seamless for you and your family. The baby’s safety should be the photographer’s first priority; they will make sure that their studio and props are clean and sanitized, that the photographer is healthy and current with their immunizations, and that the baby is secure, warm and comfortable. They will likely be in trained in how to most safely pose babies. Many photographers will offer a full selection of props to choose from, so you and your partner can sit by and relax knowing your baby is taken care of.

Newborn photography is popular in San Diego, and there are hundreds of family photographers from which to choose. We’ve done the work for you, and made a list of newborn photographers in San Diego who come highly recommended.

ABL Photography

A Beautiful Light Photography (ABL) specializes in newborn photography in San Diego. The photography duo is part of the National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP). Their services are highly-sought, and it is recommended that you book your newborn photography session as early as possible.

ABL recommends booking for your due date 5-6 months in advance. They will build a buffer into their schedule, so you can be sure they will be available to photograph in your baby’s first ten days. The sessions last for about 3 hours and ABL will provide all props including baskets, hats, headbands, and blankets. The newborn session costs $250 and you have the option to save when you bundle a maternity photo session with a newborn session.

If you haven’t already booked, and your baby is due any second — you may still be in luck.  ABL is sometimes able to accomodate last minute requests.

Lisa England Photography

Lisa England specializes in newborn photography in San Diego. While photography has been her lifelong passion, she turned to newborn photography after the birth of her first child. She says “I feel very blessed to be doing something that I have adored for so long. My ultimate goal is to create timeless pieces that your family can cherish for years and years.”

She is an expert at posing newborns in delicate positions, and she styles with props and outfits that add to the shoot without being overly distracting. England is happy to include siblings and family members in the photos. Something that sets England apart from other newborn photographers is that she prioritizes your newborn’s safety above all and every shoot includes an assistant to spot your baby in all poses.

For pricing and package information, you can email England at lisa@lisaenglandphotography.com, or contact her directly through her website.

Sweet Me Photography

Sweet Me is an affordable in-home newborn photography service. They offer newborn photography in San Diego and each package costs $375. The shoot takes place in the comfort of your own home. They have services available across the west coast and pacific northwest.

Sweet Me takes care of all the details so you can enjoy the experience. They provide all the props for your baby – “including lighting, heating, outfits, hats, headbands, bow ties, wraps, blankets, buckets, background). If you have a specific outfit and/or keepsake that you want to include in the session, we will absolutely do our best to include it as well.”

After the shoot, the photos will be lightly retouched by removing any blemishes, redness, or bruises from the baby. Because Sweet Me only photographs newborns, they are true experts in their craft.

Their reviews are consistently fabulous, (89 5-star reviews on Yelp) and one client said,

“I am super happy with my overall experience and very pleased with the photos taken of my newborn twin boys. I highly recommend this company to anyone looking for newborn photos with experienced, and passionate photographers. Super Awesome! The staff was very friendly and helpful throughout the entire process. From start to finish, they kept in contact with me, answered all of my questions, gave me a quote, and explained the process and package.  The prices were lower than most and very reasonable. I looked around and found they had more to offer at a lower price. And they take all the photos in your home.”

Sophie Crew Photography

Sophie Crew is a premier San Diego newborn photographer. She calls newborn photography “the most amazing, rewarding and sweet career ever… capturing your precious newborn babies, and beautifully freezing time just for a second, before they grow any older.”

Sophie has 2 daughters of her own and fell in love with newborn photography 13 years ago when her first was born. She says these photos definitely did not turn out “professionally” but they inspired her to learn as much as possible about professional photography. More than a decade later, she is on the most sought out photographers in San Diego.

Sophie also focuses on maternity and family photography, including cake smash for the  baby’s first birthday. She loves photographing babies when they are just a week or so old, but she is also happy to photograph at a month or older when eye contact is more achievable.

Christy Wallis Photography

One glance at Wallis’ newborn gallery will show you how talented she is.  She was awarded as one of the Top 10 Newborn Photographers in California in 2016 and has received several Creative Newborn Photography awards from Photography Magazine.  Wallis is a member of the National Association of Child Photographers and was named in San Diego A-List for Portrait Photographers and the Expertise 10 Maternity Photographers in San Diego.

She says, “I photograph your baby when he or she is 7-9 days old ideally for the beautiful sleeping shots, but I will photograph babies up to 3 weeks old in this sleep style session.  The session will be about 2-3 hours long and during this time, and you will relax as I safely photograph your baby with my different gorgeous props. My goal is to create beautiful artwork for you to hang on your walls and cherish for a lifetime and to preserve these fleeting moments when you first met your sweet baby. I also will take a few parent shots during the same session. I do photograph siblings as well, but ask you to only bring them for the first 30 minutes only so I can focus on the newborn for most of the session to give you a variety of images. I would describe my style as dreamy, natural and timeless with lots of texture and beautiful light.”

A $250 deposit is required to secure your newborn photography session and will go toward your final purchase. For just $1, you can add on a “belly shoot” which is a maternity photo shoot taking  place outdoors for one hour. Willis has lovely gowns and flower crowns from which to choose.

Plus One Photography

Zeynep Dogu is a San Diego based newborn photographer. She comes from an artistic family in Turkey where her mother was a well-known painter. Dogu originally intended to study sculpture but she fell in love with photography after the birth of her daughter.

She specializes in both maternity and newborn photography and many of her clients are so happy that they return for a second session. One client wrote in their testimonial,

“We have been repeat happy clients, because the quality is like none other. Initially, we did our maternity photo session because I fell in-love with the gallery, and wanted to recreate those same dreamy (sexy/magical) images. Zeynep was so patient with helping me with wardrobe changes, getting us to pose just right, and capturing the right timing/lighting. We got sooo many compliments, that I decided to get newborn photos (which are adorable & whimsical). A year later, we wanted one year/family photos to place on the adjacent wall in our living room. Zeynep did so well with my daughter, and was somehow was able to manage capturing the sweetest moments (despite her being fussy that day). These pictures I’m posting don’t give justice to the quality of the photos. These are wonderful family heirlooms now, and to cherish forever!”

Her studio (should you choose to shoot in studio) is a gorgeous blend of soft comfort, whimsical chic furniture, and cool modern touches like concrete walls. You can fill out this contact form for more information on rates and packages.

Baby Bean Portraits

Sara Kovac is the artist and owner behind Baby Bean Portraits, specializing in newborn photography in San Diego. She loves babies and it shows in her photos; somehow she gets these tiny infants to smile and look completely safe and at ease.

Her website explains, “the best time for photos is within the first two weeks of life, from day 4 to 14; that’s when babies are extra sleepy, haven’t yet developed baby acne or colic, and can be “folded” easily, just like in the womb!  At this age, they are less disturbed for their sleepy portraits, which allows for a greater variety of set-ups and images. Newborn sessions take place at the Baby Bean Studio in the morning, and are typically about three hours long.  Very tiny people are still getting used to being out in the world, so they frequently need extra time for feedings or soothing. Oftentimes, the peaceful nature of the session involves taking short breaks and waiting until Baby is sleeping (or calm) to take her pictures.”

Kovac has an amazing array of props including blankets, hats, baskets, swaddles and more. Her clients are quick to point of both how talented Sara is, and how skilled she is with children. One mother wrote, “Our newborn photo session was absolutely perfect. Sara is a natural with babies and our little baby girl was settled and calm throughout the whole process. The studio is set up perfectly for babies and families. It was a privilege to see how Sara put together such beautiful settings and colors and the care she took to make everything perfect. I am a second time mom and I know that time passes too quickly. To have important moments like these captured in such a beautiful way is priceless. My four year old son adored Sara and she took some of the best pictures of him I’ve ever seen. The attention to detail is so evident in the pictures. They are gorgeous!”

“Mini” newborn sessions are also available, which are shorter amount of time and cost $525. You can contact Sara Kovac directly for full rates and package information.

All Colors Photography

Chris Dowd is the creator behind All Colors Photography. She is a natural light photographer specializing in maternity, newborn, and family photography. Her pictures have a dreamy quality, and the infants look serene and calm. Dowd plays close attention to the light in each of her photographs and is drawn to what she calls “the colors, the spontaneity, the “blur”, the light.”

Dowd specializes in both classic maternity and milk bath maternity photos. If you have not heard of milk bath photography, it is a trend where pregnant women are photographer submerged in a bath of milk and sometimes flower petals. She is also an acclaimed newborn photographer in San Diego. Dowd’s clients frequently describe her as a “wizard” able to pose children and capture their true personalities while dealing with the chaos, tears, and boundless energy.

Her reasonable rates start at  $525 and include one hour of shooting and 20 edited photos.

Sophia Grace Photo

Sophia Grace Photo was established in 2010 by Cecilia Huerta. knows that your first baby changes everything, they give you a new reason to live. She wants to capture these first awe inspiring days for parents to treasure forever.  Sophia Grace Photography was noted Best in Chula Vista two years in a row (2015, 2016), named one of Best Newborn Photographers in San Diego by Expertise.com, and ranked #2 for best portrait photography by San Diego A-List. Sophia Grace Photo  is known for being meticulous, patient, and gentle.  Her clients say, “Sophia Grace Photography is an absolutely wonderful way to capture the moments you want to last a lifetime.  She took my maternity photos and they came out fabulous. I had a great time doing it too. She made it fun and involved my husband.  When my baby boy was born there was no question on what photographer to use. She is wonderful with babies and really knows how to capture the beauty of a newborn.”

There are two newborn photography packages available. The first is “Love At First Sight” and for $295, you get a 2 hour shoot that  features just the newborn (no siblings or parents). The second option is called “Capture My Heart” and includes 3 hours of shooting time plus parents and siblings for $395.

Zoetic Photography

Zoetic Photography is run by husband and wife duo, Chad and Lindsay Tuthill. Chad is the “primary’ photographer of Zoetic, but Lindsay has been a photographer for 10 years and even grew up with a dark room in her home.

Zoetic, which means “pertaining to life, living, vital” was founded in September of 2015. With just 3 years in business, the duo has received fame and notoriety among  “The International Association of Professional Photographers, as well as The International Association of Newborn Photographers, Zoetic Photography is officially recognized as one of the best newborn photographers worldwide based on technical skill, creative artistry, and business professionalism. You can also find them listed on the 19 best maternity photographers and 21 best newborn photographers of San Diego chosen by expertise.com. They were also recently given the “Excellence Award” in Maternity and Newborn Photography from Photography Magazine.”

Specializing in newborn, maternity, and family photography and the safety of your newborn is of the utmost importance to Zoetic. Their studio is immaculate and both Lindsay and Chad are up-to-date on their Tdap vaccines and flu shots. There are options for both 3 hour in studio newborn photoshoot and 1 hour lifestyle photoshoot in your home.  Zoetic provides all in-studio props including blankets, furs, wraps, and backdrops.

Zoetic has 19 5-star reviews on Yelp with their most recent review saying “Lindsey and Chad are absolutely amazing. We used them for both our maternity shoot and our a newborn shoot for our son.  They are professional, kind, and fun to work with – and most importantly, the results were amazing. Even when our little 10-day old didn’t want to cooperate, they were troopers and fought the good fight to get some amazing snaps while we napped on their couch.  The photos we have are stunning, and were turned around in a very timely manner. We will definitely be going back to them for family photos for a long time!”

Tiffany Allen Photography

Tiffany Allen and her team of 7 (including stylists, retouchers, and hair and makeup professionals) are all passionate about helping women look and feel their best. Tiffany is “ passionate about helping women see themselves in photos that they love. Since starting her work as a professional photographer, she has spent countless hours listening to women pick themselves apart in photos and it has translated in a passion for her that now extends to helping little girls love themselves.”

The team specializes in maternity, boudoir, and newborn photography. Clients speak not only about the talent of the team, but about how professional, kind and understanding Tiffany Allen and her team of creatives are. They listen well and will have a clear idea of your vision before your photos are taken. One testimonial said,

“We had such a fun experience during both photo shoots, and felt so comfortable to just be ourselves!  Tiffany is such a happy and pleasant person to work with, and she just puts you at ease. She is like a “Baby Whisperer” when it comes to calming down babies, my 5 year old daughter adores her and started calling her Aunt Tiffany, my husband who gets nervous and shy about being photographed was comfortable and able to relax and pose for pictures, and I would call her a new friend. She’s super awesome and I am excited to work with her again.”

Adorable Baby Photography

Kenia Lombard is the photographer of Adorable Baby Photography. She has studied photography for 18 years, and 4 years ago she turned her attention to newborn photography. In the short time, Lombard has learned so much about the art of photographing newborns; she has taken in person intensive workshops with acclaimed newborn photographers including Ana Brandt, Alba Soler and Luisa Dunn, and online courses from different International Photographers like Kelly Brown, Julia Kelleher, Ana Brandt, Luisa Dunn, and Sue Bryce.

She is a member of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and Professional Photographers of San Diego County (PPSDC and she was named Children Photographer of the Year in 2017 by PPSDC.

Lombard realizes that in 2018, anyone with a smartphone can snap pictures of their baby. While this is important, she believes that having high quality images to look back on will become part of a family’s legacy.  Her website offers helpful information that parents can use pre-shoot to make sure it goes smoothly. She suggests that your baby eats a lot in the 12 hours before the session, including immediately before as this will help the infant to sleep soundly during the shoot. She also suggests that you bring an extra bottle and pacifier and if possible, keep baby awake for 1-2 hours before your session to ensure he/she is good and sleepy for the session.”

Finally, it advised that you dress your baby in loose fitting clothes, like a sleeper or sleep sac that will not leave indents in the skin, and avoid onesies or anything else that needs to pulled over the head.

Her photos look delicate and detailed; you will be excited to share these with your friends and family. Her newborn session which feature only the baby are $350 and includes 6 digital prints, and her package featuring baby and family is $550 and includes 12 prints.