After much anticipation I am so excited to announce that Jennifer Willard Photography has been recognized by Accredited Professional Newborn Photographers International (APNPI) as a Qualified Newborn Photographer. The only Photographer with this certification within 150 kms of Kingston, Ontario. It’s so exciting not only for me to be recognized for my skill and experience and approach to safety but also exciting for all of you in the Kingston – Brockville – Belleville – Perth area where most of our clients come from. Knowing that you are hiring someone you can trust with the most precious person in your life allows parents the peace of mind that they are in good hands.
Topics covered in the Newborn Safety Course Include:
- Newborn Physiology
- Newborn Reflexes
- Overheating, Belly Button & Circumcision
- Newborn Circulatory System
- Environmental Factors
- Equipment Considerations
- Considerations for Parents
It was a pretty intense course filled with information. It was good to read and confirmed that I was already following their safety tips because of the 2 day Newborn Workshop I took a few years ago with two of the industry’s top newborn photographers in North America as well as several online courses and in person mentoring. At the end of all of the instruction there was a test which I passed at 100%. Yahoo! I could not move on to certification unless I passed the Safety Course which I was really happy about because it ensured that the newborn photography industry as a whole would be elevated and that all newborn photographers that were certified were using safe posing methods.
After the course I began the task of choosing portraits that met the specific criteria the judges were looking for. This ensured that I really took the time to study my body of work and could find images that reflected my favourite poses that I re-create with each newborn that reflected me and my brand.
The APNPI website defines the certification as
“The Qualified Newborn Photographer (QNP) Certification aims to recognize competence and professional standard for those who earn their living as Newborn Photographers. It is designed to provide a specific title to uphold professional status, and is a basic quality assurance certification now available to Newborn Photographers around the world.”
As a Newborn Photographer in an ever-growing industry, it is encouraging to see the top newborn photographers (really the ones at the fore-front of this newer photography genre) from around the world come together to create an industry standard for newborn posing and safety that wasn’t there before. There are other accreditation governing bodies such as the Professional Photographers of Canada or Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) but to have a governing body that was created by the top newborn, maternity and baby photographers from around the world to hold our specific genre to it’s highest standards, is giving all newborn and baby photographers everywhere hope that our industry will be led into a future that is full of talent but also safe posing practices.
The last couple of years has seen a rise of unsafe newborn posing, such as posing without spotters, posing in unsafe locations outdoors near rivers, posing cradles in tree branches (YIKES! I recommend NOT Youtubing them as they are quite scary). Parents trust that the newborn photographer they choose uses safe posing practices, has insurance, runs a legit business, and has years of experience but that isn’t always the case. It’s important for clients to do their due diligence when choosing a newborn photographer and this new industry standard is teaching those photographers the most important aspects of newborn photography. It’s all very exciting and being certified by your peers that have done all the research in safety posing by speaking to Doctors, Nurses, and other practitioners and sharing that information with the entire Newborn Industry has been invaluable.
After sending my portraits for judging by their expert panel, the waiting game began. And after starting this journey in December, I can say that I was officially certified this week as being one of the most skilled newborn photographers worldwide. Exciting right?!!! I definitely have had a grin on my face since I heard the good news. So while I bask in this personal achievement and share it with all of you, my sights are set on an even bigger professional hurdle…being accredited.
The Accreditation Process is a little bit terrifying! Judges rigorously look at a portrait and dissect every little thing about it (critique is hard for any Artist! ) and give you a mark from 100 being the Platinum Award which is extremely hard to get, to the Silver Award (between 80-84 points) where you have above average skill in most areas. There is no award for anything less. These are the kind of awards that you dream of having one day; being recognized by your peers as one of the best. So I am hoping to work on 12 portraits for the Posed Newborn, Maternity and Sitter (6-8 months old) Categories. This will probably take me some time. If I receive a high mark, and am accredited I am sure I will then pursue the Master Newborn Portraitist Designation.
I’ll never stop learning my craft, exploring different personal goals, and furthering my skills in newborn, baby and maternity portraiture. This is what I love doing and I’m so happy there is a governing body that I can be accountable to so that you can trust that I have your very best interest at heart and will create stunning portraits that you will love for generations.
If you would like to learn more about Accredited Professional Newborn Photographers International please visit them at their website www.apnpi.com
You will see my Profile on the site here: Meet the Photographer
You can find important information if you are looking for a newborn photographer by following this link:
Choosing a Newborn Photographer (questions to ask a newborn photographer before hiring them)
Hiring an APNPI Certified Newborn Photographer
