OK, hoping not to step on any toes and asking questions that have been answered a million times (sorry if I am)...

I have never been to a Naming Day but I have been asked to quote as "semi-official" photographer. Meaning that they know I am not professional, but as friends they have asked me to quote for the job of documenting their baby girl's special day.

So the first part of my question (and I will follow this up with a thorough discussion with the parents)... what is a Naming day? What are the ceremonies involved. Is there a part where the baby sits in the sun with a nice backdrop and get's pictures taken with the parents, like they do in weddings?

Second question. Any handy hints for taking photos of babies? My boy is 18, so it's been a while...

Third and inevitable question, what should a beginner Pro charge for such an event, not assuming discounts for friends (I will apply that when I have an idea of the standard quotes).


Thanks all for your help on this. If it get's too complicated I might just refuse the request, as I do not want to risk the event being ruined by my inability to cover it properly.