Accredited Newborn Photographer | Perks of a Full-Service Studio

As an artist, I am always learning new things, and this year, to celebrate my TEN year anniversary of being a professional photographer, I decided to push myself, expand my skill set, and earn my merits as an Accredited Photographer. I am already accredited in newborn photography, and I have my sights on maternity, baby/child, and family photography next.

What is an Accredited Photographer?

Anybody who buys a camera can call themselves a photographer and only a small percentage of those follow the route of becoming a legitimate business, and an even smaller portion of those pursue the art of newborn photography and all of the safety requirements that come with it. While it may be an unregulated industry (versus teachers, contractors, etc.), there is a national body of professionals that holds us to certain standards: PPOC (Professional Photographers of Canada).

In order to become an Accredited Photographer with the PPOC, one must submit a curated gallery of images in the specific category to be judged by a panel of qualified professionals to determine that they are proficient and knowledgeable in the photographic arts, in the specified field.

Officially an Accredited Newborn Photographer

I recently earned my newborn accreditation in February 2022, and after three humbling attempts, I learned that while most of the judges know nothing about newborn photography specifics (one judge asked why they were all sleeping…), they do know much about the technical side of photography (versus the artistry that I focus on for my clients) and I gathered a few tricks in the editing process to take an image from beautiful to award-worthy and will absolutely be submitting into competitions this year.

Here are the ten images that were accepted:

For reference, I have also included the images that were not accepted below to show you just how picky they are when it comes to handing out the accreditation titles these days:

The irony is that many clients specifically hire me for my baby-on-white-on-white images, while the judges clearly did not love that style of mine (judging happens in a dark room with a bright monitor, oops!). It just goes to show that as a professional photographer, my job is to cater the setup and editing to please my intended client for every image, whether that be a parent, a small business, or a panel of judges.

How do I book a photo session?

I’d love to capture your growing family and new baby moments. Use the contact page to send a message to set up a phone consultation so we can discuss details and customize your experience. Maternity Photo Sessions are best had between weeks 27-37 when mom-to-be is still feeling great & has a sizeable bump, and there are many gowns and tops available for use during your session (studio or outdoors). Newborn Photo Sessions are best held within the first 1-3 weeks from birth (I do them up to 9 weeks new!). Family Portrait Sessions are available outdoors or in-studio year-round.

Let’s create ART together!

Pure Natural Portraits
Pregnancy through Baby’s First Year
Almonte / Ottawa, Ontario
(613) 371 – 4594 | hello@purenaturalportraits.com