Portrait photographers: anyone offer birth or day-in-the-life sessions?

[reader0428]

Hi,

I am working on a business plan and marketing materials in preparation to launch my portrait photography business later this year. I've been kicking around the idea of offering a birth session (would come up with a good name for it), where I would cover labor (once the mom gets to wherever she's having the baby), delivery, and up to 2 hours after the birth. A second idea was to offer a "day-in-the-life" session, where I basically hang out with a family for a day and document their day-to-day activities.

I'm wondering if anyone offers anything like this? I haven't seen much of it. If you do offer it, do (paying) clients ever book these sessions? Feel free to message me too...

[CaptainTom]

I've offered "Day in the life of" services and no one has been interested.

I've given them away at charity auctions and people will bid a high price but never book the session.
I think it's an interesting idea but I guess people don't want to be bothered.

[toverman]

There is a market for delivery-room photography, but not all doctors/hospitals allow it. Because babies can come at any time, you'd have to be ready to drop everything and go when it's time. I used to have a job kind of like that, and nobody could pay me enough to do it again.

One program I've heard people have success with is to offer newborn sessions and then regular portraits up to a certain age as a prepaid package.

[reader0428]

Tom - good to know. Maybe that's why no one offers them. :)

Todd-yep, I'm very familiar with babies' unpredictable timing - I've got two of 'em. :) I did wonder how you would "guarantee" being available at the time of the birth, unless you schedule NO other sessions for two weeks before or after the due date (which is not possible). And even though I would charge a minimum of $1,500.00 for that type of session, that's still not enough to give up four weeks of work, obviously. So I'll have to think on that more.

I am developing a "milestones" package for the first year, where the creative fee for all ( or 4) sessions would be paid up front, along with a purchaes minimum for each session. Pretty standard according to what I've been seeing.

[pbyd]

Amanda,
Sorry for being late adding this but after I typed it out the clients started coming in. But, for this is what we have found, we have offered both ideas in the past. The “Day in the Life” session was never booked; I feel that part of the failure was the cost to the client, a full day away from the studio cost more than most want to invest. My wife and I both shoot for “Now I Lay Me down To Sleep” (Home - Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep) and I have found that most of our calls are very late (10 to 11) in the evening. Why is it that babies seem to set their own time. To guarantee a mother you will be at the birth, we found someone had to be open and waiting for the call 24 hours a day and not be involved in any project or session during the time around the expected delivery date. Also, some hospitals have issues that you must clear before you can offer the Mom to be any guarantee to cover the birth. I don’t mean to be negative but you asked.
Wayne
Photography by Design.

[reader0428]

Wayne - I first want to commend you for working with NILMDTS. I have heard of this organiziation before and thought it was a wonderful thing for photographers to do. Since just thinking about doing a session like this andm looking at the photos makes me cry, I don't know that I could ever shoot for them, but it is a wonderful service that you provide.

Also, no apologies on telling it like it is - that's the feedback I want to hear. I figured there was a reason that these types of shoots are not more widely offered, and y'all have helped me understand why that is. For me, photography will be a way to supplement our family's income (my husband is the primary wage earner) so I have a little more flexibility with my time than someone who is running a full-time studio. Not that it can't be done, but it's always helpful to hear about the challenges others have faced. Thank you for taking the time to respond.