Most parents are familiar with newborn photos and cake smash sessions, and they do make for a fun way to mark big milestones. But think about how much your child grows and changes in their first year. Shouldn’t you capture more of their growth in that magical first year of their life?

A sitter session allows you to mark your child’s growth right in between their newborn photos and their first birthday. Just like it sounds, a sitter session is a photoshoot for babies who can sit up on their own. Generally, these sessions take place when your child is around six to nine months old and are a great way to chart how much your baby has grown and changed in that time.

While newborn photos are adorable, a new baby hasn’t begun to show off their personality just yet. By six months, your child will be more playful and curious, and they will have a variety of expressions to show off for the camera. Chances are they’re quick to smile!

At this age, your child is able to sit up on their own, making them much easier to pose, but they’re usually not able to crawl away quickly. This allows your photographer to capture some adorable images that parents are sure to love.

During the newborn stage, your baby needs much more attention, but a sitter session requires less careful posing and setup. Also, by this point, your child has likely encountered many strangers and won’t be as fearful of the photographer, which should make it easy to get them to smile!

But even though the sitter session is “easier” than a newborn session, it still requires parental involvement. While a newborn session was your chance to relax as a parent, you’ll be on your feet constantly during your little one’s sitter session, helping the photographer to get your baby’s attention and coax a smile out of them.

How do I know if my baby is ready for a sitter session?

If you’re interested in booking a sitter session, pay attention to your child’s behavior to determine if they’re ready. Ask yourself these questions:

• Are they able to roll and crawl easily?

• Do they enjoy bouncing and kicking their legs?

• Are they able to rock and sway?

If the answer is yes, then your baby is probably getting close to being able to sit up on their own, which is a huge milestone! They may have already even attempted to sit up, and if you’ve noticed that, it’s time to schedule your sitter session.

As a parent, you’ve probably noticed how much your baby has changed in such a short time, but a sitter session can provide you with photos to mark those changes and notice the progress your child has made. Many parents love the opportunity to compare their child’s newborn photos to the images from their sitter session and see how their child has grown!

While there are many milestones to capture in your child’s first year, a sitter session is the perfect halfway point between your baby’s birth and their first birthday. You’ll have a gallery of cute photos you can share with family and friends and even have printed into products like albums and wall art.

Just like any stage in your child’s life, and especially their first year, the sitter stage will be gone before you know it as they begin to crawl and even walk. That’s why it’s so important to capture this milestone as it happens, so you can hold onto the memories of your child when they were small.