Looking For Maternity/Newborn/Kids Photographers? We Found the Best Ones For You

Capturing the journey of your growing baby bump and your growing family is such a rewarding way to cherish the memories and emotions that come with these new experiences. Whether you’re pregnant with the cutest bump, just brought your newborn home, or have a high-energy toddler (or even a teenager), choosing a photographer to tell your family story can be both exciting and overwhelming.

There are so many things to consider when choosing a photographer, starting with styles: natural, formal, candid, or posed, just to name a few. How about location – indoor or outdoor? Home or studio? Budget. Wardrobe. How to pose? And when you have figured out all this, you’ll still need to make sure that this person works well with children, and that their style is a fit for your family.

Beijing doesn’t lack photo studios, and there are quite a few options, but we’ve gone a bit deeper and found the most expat-friendly family photographers in case you ever want to record memories that you and your family will cherish.

David Hanssen

Dave’s Studio was established in 2013 by David Hanssen, and one of their main projects is children and family photography. He and his team have been working with international schools, foreign embassies, international and local companies, and he’s shot many of the most beautiful jingkids magazine covers in the past years. The studio is also skilled with maternity photos.

When is the best time to get a maternity shoot done?
“The best time to show your bump is around months 7-8, but each person is different and best to listen to your body and energy levels,” says Dave.

He also says that it’s important to communicate with your photographer beforehand about the style of images you want and your level of energy. “Expect to be in the studio for up to four hours, including hair and make-up time, with small breaks and wardrobe changes.”

Do you provide props and wardrobe?
“My studio will help to pick out outfits and suggest outfits and color schemes, but we do not provide outfits. Most clients choose between two to three outfits. We don’t put a number on the number of outfits; we will shoot as long as you have energy and until you are happy with the images.”

Maternity packages with Dave start at RMB 4,800 and include ten edited images and prints.

What should parents expect when booking a kids/family photo session?
When it comes to kids/family photography, Dave says that it’s important for parents to prepare “bribes” for kids, such as snacks and sweets for after the shoot is done. They also have a team of professionals to help the children feel comfortable in front of the camera, “We have trained staff to help make kiddos feel relaxed and fun during family shootings. Our hope and philosophy with family sessions is to help with the kiddos and lower parents’ stress with getting the “perfect family” photo and also show that a silly photo that shows your children’s personality is sometimes more memorable than a traditional family photo.”

From the jingkids team, over the years we’ve asked Dave to shoot magazine covers for us that have featured babies, toddlers, families, teens, and even pets at all sorts of locations.  We’ve seen him in action firsthand. He’s got a knack for making kids laugh and feel relaxed all while snapping the photo at the exact right split second.

Do you help families figure out their outfits for their family photos?
“We do help parents with outfit selection and advice on coordinating outfits, as well as family color palette suggestions.”

What’s the most challenging part of photographing children?
“I feel the most challenging part of a family photo session is selecting the images to keep.”

“Dave and his team are laid back, smooth, efficient, kind, entertaining, and on top of that, incredibly talented photographers. Working with Dave will 100 % be a pleasant experience + you’ll walk away with amazing photos to cherish for a lifetime.” says Theresa Parsonage, a client of Dave’s Studio for over a decade.

There's more to this story! This article was originally published on our sister site, Jingkids International

Click here to continue reading

READ: Celebrate Women Owned Businesses at Women Empire Market, Mar 17

Images: David Hanssen, Olga P., Monika Schlosser