Find the Best Photographers in Nevada

Lemaire Photography has worked out of its Lakeside Drive studio in Reno since 2008, building an eighteen-year practice that spans family, business, beauty, and newborn photography across the Reno-Tahoe region, including Sparks and Carson City. The newborn work sits alongside senior portraits and branding photography rather than existing as a standalone specialty, which gives the studio’s team a wide base of technical experience — working with tricky lighting, tight timelines, and clients of every age — that carries over into handling the unpredictable, patience-heavy pace of a session with a brand-new baby. The studio describes its newborn approach as centered on the innocence and tenderness of those earliest days, aiming for images that hold up as more than a quick keepsake. For Reno families, having a photographer with nearly two decades of local history means an easier path to seeing real examples of past newborn work before booking, along with a studio address that’s simple to find rather than a home-based setup announced only through social media. Sessions are generally recommended within the first couple of weeks after birth, in line with standard newborn-photography timing. 

Allusive Images has operated out of its Lamoille Highway studio just outside downtown Elko since 2009, and while wedding photography anchors the business, the same team offers newborn and infant portraits as part of a full-service portrait practice that also includes family sessions, seniors, and the school photography contracts it holds across Elko County. That range matters for a small market like Elko, where a dedicated newborn-only studio isn’t always sustainable — Allusive Images’ newborn work benefits from a team that photographs large groups and unpredictable Nevada conditions on a near-weekly basis, translating into steady, unhurried handling of a session with a days-old baby. The studio’s tender, timeless approach to infant portraits echoes the documentary instinct that shapes its wedding coverage: show up, pay attention, and let what’s actually happening — a yawn, a tiny hand, a first stretch — carry the images rather than over-directing the scene. The Elko Chamber of Commerce recognized the studio with its Excellence in Customer Service award, and that same attentiveness shows up in how the team handles the tight, unpredictable scheduling window that comes with newborn photography specifically. 

What began as a hobby for Kelsea Claassen nearly sixteen years ago has grown into a full-time photography business now based in Carson City, covering family, newborn, couple, and wedding sessions. She moved to the Reno/Tahoe region in 2017 and settled into Carson City’s quieter pace after growing up in Santa Cruz, California, a hometown she still travels back to regularly for clients there. That long runway of experience — nearly a decade and a half before it became a full-time job — shows up in a body of work that treats newborn sessions as one part of a broader family-photography practice rather than a standalone specialty. Reviewers on Yelp give the studio a perfect recommendation record across nine reviews, with feedback pointing to her work across headshots, family portraits, and event photography as well as newborn and family milestones. For Carson City parents, working with a photographer based in town rather than commuting in from Reno or Sparks removes one more logistical step during an already exhausting first couple of weeks with a new baby. 

Amber Shore Pictures is run out of Sparks itself, at a studio on Gregory Way, by husband-and-wife team Kris and Ruta Swanson — so for Sparks families, this is a home-market newborn photographer rather than one visiting from Reno. Weddings still make up most of the couple’s calendar, and they’re upfront that only a limited number of family, maternity, and newborn sessions get booked each year for clients who connect with their style. That style carries straight over from their wedding work: quiet direction, thoughtful composition, and a preference for honest connection over heavy posing, applied to soft neutral wraps and simple textured backdrops rather than themed newborn sets. For a Sparks family that already appreciates editorial-style wedding photography and wants that same restrained look for a newborn session, the local-studio convenience is a real advantage — no need to schedule around a drive into Reno. The tradeoff mirrors any limited-availability offering: because newborn sessions aren’t the primary business, Sparks parents should reach out as early as possible in pregnancy to claim one of the few yearly slots before the calendar fills. 

Val and Stephanie Westover opened their first portrait studio in Laguna Niguel, California back in 1994, and the business has since grown to include a family portrait location serving Reno and the surrounding Nevada communities, Sparks among them. That three-decade run gives the studio an unusually long track record for newborn and baby portraiture, spanning everything from a baby’s earliest days through the milestone sessions that follow as they grow. The Sparks-area newborn work sits inside a broader portrait practice that also covers maternity, children, high school seniors, and family sessions, so parents who start with a newborn appointment often keep coming back for each birthday and school-year update afterward. Because the studio splits its calendar between two states, Sparks families booking a newborn session should expect the same advance planning any multi-location studio requires — reaching out early to line up a date within the newborn window rather than after the fact. The long operating history also means the studio has adapted its approach across changing trends in baby portraiture, from classic posed studio work to the more relaxed, milestone-driven packages families ask for today. 

Skiddlydoo Photography already has an established newborn presence in Reno and Sparks, and that same in-home, natural-light approach extends into the Tahoe basin for Incline Village families. Rather than a studio session built around props and posed setups, the newborn work leans on real moments inside the home during those first days — a nursery corner, a parent’s hands, the small details that won’t look the same again in a month. The broader portfolio spans maternity, milestones, and cake-smash sessions in addition to newborns, so families who book early often continue with the same photographer through a baby’s first year. For Incline Village specifically, the in-home format removes the need to travel down the mountain to a studio, which matters for families still adjusting to life with a days-old newborn. Because the business already serves the wider Reno-Sparks-Tahoe corridor, availability calendars fill up across all three areas together, so Incline Village families should expect the same booking lead time recommended anywhere else in the region — reaching out during pregnancy rather than waiting until after the birth. 

Autumn Noel Photography splits its calendar between wedding and portrait work across the Tahoe basin, with a dedicated Maternity + Newborn portfolio sitting alongside its wedding galleries on the studio’s site. Incline Village sits within a service area that stretches from South Lake Tahoe down through Carson Valley towns like Gardnerville and Genoa, and the studio’s own site notes it will travel further for the right booking. That range is typical of Tahoe-area photographers, where the newborn client base in any single small town rarely supports a dedicated local studio, so families are used to working with someone based a short drive away. The maternity-plus-newborn pairing on offer gives expecting parents a way to book both sessions with the same photographer, which keeps the visual style consistent between the two milestones. Because the studio’s broader identity leans toward weddings and couples work, newborn scheduling should be treated as a smaller, secondary offering rather than the main business — worth confirming lead time and availability directly rather than assuming a newborn slot is open on short notice, especially during the busier wedding season months. 

Rachel Gazes built GOT Photography around ten years of work across the Sierra foothills, and while wedding days remain the core of her calendar, she carves out room for in-home lifestyle newborn sessions for families throughout the Reno/Tahoe corridor, Incline Village included. Rather than a studio full of props and backdrops, her newborn approach mirrors the documentary instinct she brings to weddings: she comes to the family’s home, works with the natural light already in the nursery, and lets the ordinary details of those first days — a swaddle, a yawn, a sibling peeking in — carry the images. That in-home format matters for Incline Village families weighing a session against the extra drive time many Tahoe-basin photographers require; Rachel’s willingness to travel into the basin removes that friction. Her broader reputation, reflected in a 5.0 rating across 14 WeddingWire reviews, centers on responsiveness and flexibility, including arranging a family session on just two days’ notice for one client. Families who already know her from engagement or wedding work often return for the newborn stage precisely because the low-key, unscripted style stays consistent from one milestone to the next, without the pressure of a themed prop shoot. 

LaLa Photography Henderson describes itself as “Las Vegas’ Most Loved Baby & Family Photography Studio,” with a studio presence in Summerlin and Henderson, and it lists more than 60,000 families photographed over its history, a scale that suggests a well-established operation rather than a small side business. Newborn sessions are listed as a primary offering, described in the studio’s own language as holding on to “tiny moments you’ll treasure forever,” placing babies at the center of the business rather than as a minor add-on category. Its Henderson location sits on the near side of the valley relative to Mesquite, which shaves a little off what would otherwise be an even longer drive from Mesquite into central or western Las Vegas. A studio handling tens of thousands of family sessions over its history likely has a well-practiced system for keeping a newborn session efficient and low-stress, which matters when a family has already spent well over an hour on the road to get there. For Mesquite parents willing to make the trip and who want a studio with genuine volume and experience behind it, LaLa Photography Henderson’s scale and Henderson location are worth factoring in.

 

Alesha Howell Photography is based in Las Vegas and lists NEWBORN Photography as one of three main service categories on the site, alongside maternity and family photography, rather than burying it in a long list of unrelated services. The photographer describes documenting “all of the important stages of your life, from maternity and newborn photos to milestone sessions,” language that frames the newborn period as one stop in an ongoing relationship with a family rather than a single isolated transaction. Portfolio imagery leans on the Las Vegas desert landscape and light as a backdrop, suggesting a willingness to shoot outside a single indoor studio setup when the session calls for it. Grouping maternity, newborn, and milestone sessions together as the business’s three core pillars means a Mesquite family could plan more than one trip into the valley around the same photographer as their baby grows, rather than needing to find someone new for each stage. For Mesquite parents willing to make the drive and who want a photographer whose business is explicitly structured around these three connected life stages, Alesha Howell is a clearly organized option.

 

JD Photography NV carries a copyright notice on its site dating back to 2005, making it one of the longer-running photography businesses a Mesquite family could find in the Las Vegas valley rather than a studio still building its first few years of history. The site’s navigation includes a dedicated “Maternity/Newborn” category, with the homepage featuring a section specifically labeled around that combined specialty, so newborn work is treated as an established, named part of the business rather than something added as an afterthought. The “NV” in the business name signals a Nevada-specific identity from the start, rather than a business that expanded into the state later. Because the business groups maternity and newborn together as one category, a Mesquite family could plan to work with the same photographer during the later stages of pregnancy and again once the baby arrives, consolidating two valley trips’ worth of planning into one ongoing relationship. For Mesquite parents who put weight on a business’s longevity when deciding who’s worth an 80-mile drive, JD Photography NV’s two-decade-plus history is a relevant data point.

 

Essie Rose Photography is based in the Las Vegas Valley, and the photographer describes wanting to “specialize in Maternity, Newborn and Baby Portraiture” as a direct statement of focus rather than newborn work being one line among many services. The site talks about the valley’s varied backdrops as part of what shapes her sessions, suggesting a willingness to work outside a single fixed studio room when it suits the shoot. For a Mesquite family already committing to the roughly 80-mile drive into the valley, working with a photographer whose stated specialty centers on maternity, newborn, and baby work specifically narrows the search considerably compared to a general portrait studio that also happens to shoot babies. Because maternity and newborn are grouped together in her own description of her focus, a family could reasonably plan to use the same photographer for both a pregnancy session and the newborn session that follows a few months later. For Mesquite parents who want a valley photographer whose stated specialty is genuinely centered on the earliest stages of a baby’s life, Essie Rose is a directly relevant option worth the trip.

 

MBF Photography operates out of a fixed studio at Tivoli Village in Las Vegas, described on its own site as “The Award Winning Photo Studio At Tivoli Village,” which gives a Mesquite family a specific, upscale shopping-center destination to plan a day trip around rather than a vague home studio address. The site’s navigation includes a dedicated Newborn gallery and pricing section, along with a video specifically titled “In Studio Newborn Photo Session,” so prospective clients can see what an actual session looks like before making the roughly two-hour drive from Mesquite. A maternity-focused carousel image described as “Las Vegas Maternity Photographer” suggests maternity and newborn work are handled as a connected pair rather than separate, unrelated services. Being located inside a well-known retail and dining destination also means a Mesquite family could combine the photography trip with shopping or a meal, making the long drive feel less like a single-purpose errand. For Mesquite parents planning to turn a newborn session into a full day in Las Vegas, MBF’s Tivoli Village studio offers both the session and a built-in reason to make a day of the trip.

 

Michelle Clark is based in Las Vegas, a drive of a couple hours from Mesquite, but she states her specialty in plain terms: “I specialize in newborn photography, but I am too much of a free spirit to keep myself in one category,” which frames newborn work as her actual focus rather than one service tucked into a long menu. Her site carries a dedicated Newborn section in its navigation, and the page title itself references newborn photography directly rather than folding it into a generic “portraits” label. That self-description as a free spirit who won’t stay boxed into one category also suggests a family that wants more than a single newborn session, maternity, family, or other portrait work, could likely find it under the same roof. For a Mesquite family willing to treat a newborn session as a reason for a day trip into Las Vegas, working with a photographer whose stated specialty is newborns specifically, rather than someone who added baby photography as an afterthought, is a meaningfully different starting point. Mesquite parents planning a valley trip around a newborn session have a specialist-first option in Michelle Clark rather than a general portrait studio that also does babies.

 

Abish Tatum runs a studio in Henderson and describes serving “Henderson, Las Vegas and/or surrounding areas,” language open enough to cover a Mesquite family making the roughly 80-mile drive south into the valley for a session. The studio explicitly lists availability for “newborns, milestone (babies), maternity and small families,” grouping the earliest stages of a baby’s life together as a connected set of offerings rather than treating newborns as an isolated add-on. Being described as a “Las Vegas newborn photographer” with a fixed Henderson studio address gives a Mesquite family a concrete destination to plan around rather than an ambiguous mobile setup. Because milestone sessions are offered alongside newborn work, a family could keep returning to the same studio as their baby hits later markers, turning one long drive into an ongoing relationship rather than a single one-off trip. For Mesquite parents willing to travel for a dedicated newborn specialist rather than settle for a local generalist, Abish Tatum’s Henderson studio is a reasonably positioned option on the near side of the valley.

 

Annina Kong Photography is based in Las Vegas, roughly 80 miles from Mesquite, but the credential behind the studio is worth the drive for a lot of families: Annina is a Qualified Newborn Photographer certified by APNPI, the Association of Professional Newborn Photographers International, with 10 years of experience specifically in newborn work rather than newborn sessions tacked onto a broader wedding or event business. The studio publishes newborn pricing directly on its site starting at $289, and offers both in-studio and in-home options, so a Mesquite family driving in has a choice between a fixed studio setup or a session at wherever they’re staying in the valley. That level of specialized certification is genuinely rare among newborn photographers in Southern Nevada, most of whom list newborns as one category among many without any formal credentialing behind it. Beyond newborns, the studio also covers children, maternity, wedding, family, and general portrait work, giving a family options if they want to book more than one type of session while in town. For Mesquite parents willing to make the trip into the valley, a formally certified newborn specialist with a decade of focused experience is a meaningfully different option than a general portrait studio that also happens to shoot babies.

 

Patterson Photography is actually based in Mesquite itself, which sets it apart from most of the newborn options in a market this small and remote, where families more often end up booking a photographer 80 miles away in the Las Vegas valley. The business’s Instagram bio lists newborn sessions directly among its services, alongside family, children, couples, and wedding work, and its main site advertises portrait photography for “families, children, friends, couples, pets, and more.” It’s a newer operation, with its own materials dating the business to 2023, so it doesn’t carry the decade-plus track record of some bigger valley studios, but a following of several hundred Instagram followers and regular posting suggests an active, ongoing local presence rather than a dormant page. Being local matters for something as time-sensitive as a newborn session, where a Mesquite family doesn’t want to coordinate a photographer’s 80-mile drive around a fussy, unpredictable newborn schedule. For Mesquite parents who’d rather work with someone already living in town than book a photographer from Las Vegas or St. George, Patterson Photography is a genuinely local, if newer, option.

 

Christina Landini describes herself directly as “a family, maternity, and newborn photographer located in Truckee, California,” naming Truckee, North Lake Tahoe, Reno, and the Bay Area as her regular service communities, and her own published session posts have carried the tag “Incline Village photographer,” showing actual client work done in the town rather than a purely theoretical service claim. Newborn photography sits alongside family and maternity sessions as one of her three core specialties rather than an occasional add-on to a broader wedding or event business. Being based in Truckee puts her within easy reach of Incline Village on the north shore, which matters for scheduling a newborn session in the narrow window right after a baby arrives. Because maternity and newborn work are both core parts of her practice, a family could book the same photographer across the later stages of pregnancy and into the newborn days without switching providers. For Incline Village families who want a nearby North Tahoe specialist with maternity and newborn as her actual stated focus, not a wedding photographer who occasionally shoots babies, Christina Landini fits that description directly.

 

Laika Studio Photography is run by Polina Vayner out of Truckee, right across the state line from Incline Village, and her own marketing specifically advertises “Tahoe newborn photography” rather than treating babies as a side note to weddings or family work. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the International Center of Photography and has been photographing couples, children, and families since 2009, giving her more than fifteen years in the craft. The studio keeps a dedicated cozy indoor space built specifically for newborn sessions, which matters for a mountain-town practice where outdoor shoots aren’t always practical for a days-old baby. A client testimonial describes her as the family’s regular photographer across a wedding, a newborn session, and ongoing family portraits, which points to repeat trust built over multiple life events rather than a single transaction. Her stated style aims for timeless portraits set against the mountains her clients already love, tying the work visually to the North Tahoe region itself. For an Incline Village family close enough to make the short trip into Truckee, Laika Studio offers a formally trained newborn specialist with a real studio space built for exactly that purpose.

 

Jen Schmidt’s connection to Incline Village goes back further than most photographers serving the town: her own site notes she served Incline Village as the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza’s photographer for two years, a concrete professional history in the community rather than a marketing claim of general regional coverage. She’s been making art for more than 25 years, and her portfolio includes a section she calls “Bellies, Birth & Babies,” grouping maternity and newborn work together as one of her established categories rather than a recent add-on. Being described as combining the eye of a photojournalist with the soul of an artist suggests a documentary-leaning approach that favors real moments over stiffly arranged poses, which tends to suit newborn sessions where babies rarely cooperate with a strict plan. Her broader body of work spans weddings, portraits, and commercial photography, so newborn sessions sit within a wide-ranging, decades-long practice rather than a narrow specialty she’s still building out. For Incline Village families who want a photographer with an actual documented history working in their specific town, not just a service-area map, Jen Schmidt brings that local track record.