Newborn Hospital Photography

[Rhonda65]

I'm hoping to get some feedback on an idea I have been thinking about since the birth of my kids regarding babys first photos.

When my kids were born the photographers came around around and took some pics and I ordered a package from their brochure which arrived home a few weeks later. There were good but sort of an anticlimax as we had weeks to take our own shots by now and the friends and family had all seen them and taken their own shots.

Now the kids are older and are at school, I'd like to get out of the house ans was thinking of starting up my own baby photography service in hospitals with a difference.

What I would do would be take the bubs pictures in the hospital and have a van set up where I could go and print them and return them to the mothers an hour or so later. I could do prints but I thought what might be really good would be to do " announcement cards" where all teh babys details such as weight, length, eye colour etc was printed on there and the parents could give to family and friends while they were still in the hospital and when they arrived home.

I could also do prints for framing etc which would be great for grandparents and special friends.
I worked as a photographer before I had the kids so know what I'm doing in that regard but I'm trying to get a feel if other Mums would like to get their new bundle of joy's pics straight away or if they don't mind waiting a few weeks to get them in the post or whatever?

My service would not be any more expensive than the companies I have seen doing this now but instead of waiting weeks for the pics to arrive, you would have them in an hour.

Is this a good idea and worth me looking into or not do you think?
If it isn't, please tell me!

R.

[helle]

I like it. Can I be your apprentice? XP
But how would we book you? would you lurk at hospitals? Or would you be called in the throws of labour or afterwards?

[MrsBexie]

That is a great idea!!!
We got shots done when DD was 8 days old, she is now almost 7 week and we still haven't gotten them back yet, should be tomorrow or Monday fx!!

But if you could get the real squishy new shots and have them within even a day or two, it would be awesome!!! I would definitely do it!

Only prob I see is the family shots if they want them, I hated being photographed after birth! I felt gross and puffy! Lol... But maybe that is just me? Haha...

[Rhonda65]

Hi Helle,

I was thinking of trying to become the " Official" Hospital photographer and just come in every day or 2 and photograph the bubs that were born or the mums wanted photographed in that time. I think it might be hard to get into hospitals and there will probably be a lot of red tape but that would be something I'd have to look at further down the line after I figure if this idea is worth setting up and something new mums would like over the normal way the photos are delivered.

I could do Birth photography if the Hospital allowed it, I have done it before for friends but as great as it is to see, I think people would have to pay me a lot to get out of my warm cosy bed at 3am in the morning and then hang around the hospital for another 3-4 hours until bubs actually arrived!
Cesarians would be better to do as they usually have a scheduled time.


MrsBexie,

I hadn't actually thought of family shots but thats a great point and thanks for mentioning it. I was planning on just doing the Bubs but I could easily do the Mum and Dad shots as well.n I could make that an option they could have or not, up to them. Like I mentioned above, I was planning on coming every day or 2 so if Mum wasn't up to it the first day, she might feel "Less Puffy" ( and downright exhausted!!) the next day when I was there.

As I imagine I would do my " rounds" at a certain time each day to fit in with the hospital, Dad could know when to be there too or maybe I could take bookings in the evening or whatever depending on what the Hospital would be happy with. IF the mums knew I would be there around a certain time, they would have a chance to get themselves ready so they were more happy with the way they looked as well.

Thanks for the feedback so far. It's a great help.

[Rhonda65]

Any more thoughts on this?

[TeniBear]

I think it's a fantastic idea! There's already a service that does this for sick/stillborn bubs (Heartfelt) and I think it's a great idea for healthy bubs too


Sent from my iPhone so forgive the speelung misstacks

[kateo]

I think it's a great idea. I had a still born baby last year. I would have LOVED professional photos of our presious baby.........not even an offer.....just the midwife took some photos.

[TeniBear]

I think it's a great idea. I had a still born baby last year. I would have LOVED professional photos of our presious baby.........not even an offer.....just the midwife took some photos.

Sorry, I know it's offtopic, but the same thing here - it wasn't until I got home and started googling services offered to "people like us" that I found Heartfelt (then the ACOCP) and managed to get them out to Ianto's funeral


Sent from my iPhone so forgive the speelung misstacks

[snowchickie79]

Hi Rhonda65,
Great idea but as someone who works in the Baby sector and have tried doing a similar thing in a different baby area, I'd seriously check this before you make any $$ commitments to it. I'm in NSW and all the hospitals here are run by boards or directors and nothing happens in a hospital without their authority. I tried for almost 12 months to finally get permission to go into the hospital and at the last minute was rejected. I know a photographer who looks after a hospital near me and it took her over 12 months of working with the hospital to get the permission and authority for her to do the exact thing.

So great idea - but check things out thoroughly before you outlay anything moneywise.

[Rhonda65]

Hi Snow,

Yeah, I figured that would be a hurdle to be overcome and would not be easy.

Can you give my any clues as to whom I should speak to at least in the first instance and how I should go about getting approval?

I thought they may want commissions or something but a friend told me in Govt. facilities that's taboo so any help along these lines would be much appreciated.

R.

[Danielle_NZ]

I wonder if you could do it around visiting hours and then it would be a private service not done with the hospital but the mothers / fathers arranging before the birth... as a start... maybe advertise via independent midwifes, or home birth support groups so that when you have something started you could then go to the hospital with examples etc of what you've done, how you've done it and the outcome.

I could see the hospitals having a problem with the "door knocking" approach, interrupting new parents etc

[starangelk]

Fantastic idea - just got to advertise to the "pre birth" groups, ie - ante-natal classes etc etc and then get the parents to call you when they've had LO, pop up in visiting hours and off you go. Fantastic idea!