Newborns
I have been photographing newborns for a number of years now and when I first started out I found it really tricky to settle them and get natural pictures. I don’t ‘pose’ newborns like some studios do, instead I take beautiful natural pictures of them in your own home where you can feed and change the baby as you need to during the shoot. I want the session to be as relaxed as possible for the baby and parents, I won’t rush you, I only ever book in one newborn shoot a day and it can take anywhere between 2-3 hours. It is best to photograph newborns between 5-10 days old when they are still teeny and curled up and very sleepy in the daytime.
I have a large newborn bag for them to get cosy on and lots of blankets to keep them warm. I love to capture lots of cute expressions with them asleep and awake yawning and sneezing and their little fingers and toes. It is best to have your baby in just a nappy as clothes tend to swamp them. The house needs to be really toasty and warm as they won’t be used to being out of clothes and it helps settle them before I arrive. Ideally a feed just before will settle them too. I absolutely love window light. You will see in a lot of my newborn pictures I position people near to windows. I don’t use flash at all so the shoot needs to be done during daylight hours.
Once I have finished the newborn shoot I aim to get all the pictures edited and the gallery sent to you within 7-10 days. You will receive all the fully edited digital high resolution files via a private online gallery (a minimum of 70) in colour and in black and white so you can print and share as much as you like!
Have a nosey at some of my recent newborn work here
It is best to book in for your newborn shoot a week after your due date. If baby comes earlier or later we can just rearrange it. I am really flexible during weekdays. To book in for your newborn home photoshoot please get in touch via the contact me form.
FAQs
Do we need to do anything before you come round to our house for the shoot?
I don’t need to you worry too much about clutter. You’ve just had a baby, you’ll have baby stuff everywhere! I can work around this. I do recommend you open all your curtains to allow as much natural light in as possible and turn off TVs and lights so the natural colours will be just perfect. I like to take photos in the living room, nursery (If it’s ready) and the main bedroom. So have some neutral coloured bedding on if possible… (don’t worry if not I have some throws)
Feed baby just before I arrive if possible and change there nappy then keep them just in a nappy to get them used to the room temperature without clothes on. Crank up the heating so baby is nice and warm. We might be roasting but baby will be settled.
How long will the shoot take?
Usually up to 2 hours but allow up to around 2.5 hours just to be safe
What if my baby won’t settle?
Sometimes it can take an hour or longer to settle a baby.. but don’t worry! Take as long as you need to feed, change and settle them. I wont leave knowing I don’t have enough photos. On very rare occasions, when babies are just not going to settle at all I can arrange to come back so don’t worry.
What shall we wear?
Neutral colours work best. avoid very bright colours and black (as it shows up fluff and baby sick!) Your baby just needs to be in a nappy wrapped in a blanket but if towards the end of the shoot you want some photos in a little outfit that’s fine too.
Do you use props?
I don’t have props but if you have anything you’d like to use, like a first soft toy which is always nice to show as a size comparison as they get older or a personalised blanket. I will bring some neutral blankets and a big round beanbag to pose baby on but feel free to use any of your own blankets.
Do you pose the baby?
I don’t pose the baby in a way you may have seen some studio newborn photographers do with head in hands or in baskets etc. These are usually composite photos that require a lot of patience and 3-4 hours in a studio. My style is much more natural/lifestyle rather than posed. I love to get pictures of you holding baby, looking at each other, laughing, kissing, baby sleeping and all the little details.
Can siblings get in the pictures?
Of course! If possible have somebody look after them whilst I get photos of baby alone and with parents first and the room needs to be quiet and calm. Once I have these shots we can bring in siblings and get pictures of them with their new baby brother or sister! It can be tricky to get under 3 year olds to stay still with baby so sometimes upstairs on a bed where they can peer over baby and kiss its tummy etc works well.
How much is the shoot? What do we get for that?
Photoshoots are £300 and you get to keep ALL the edited full resolution digital files which you can download via a link. Expect at least 70 photos in colour and I’ll edit them in black and white for you too.
You can order prints, frames and canvases too if you like for example 48x48cm frames are just £55.