Newborn photoshoots take place in my photography studio, a beautiful log cabin in the garden of our family home in Anna Valley, near Andover in Hampshire. The space is designed to be warm and comfortable. The room temperature will be set to around 21C and a small heater is used to heat the area where baby will be lying to 28C, so baby does not get cold when posed.
I want you and your baby to feel relaxed and comfortable so you will be able to feed on demand and change baby as needed. I will provide light refreshments, but you might like to bring lunch or snacks with you so you don’t get hungry. I will play white noise or relaxing music to help soothe baby throughout the session.
Your newborn photo session will take around 3 hours and the reason for this is your newborn will need feeding, cuddles and cleaning throughout the session which is baby led rather than photographer led. The actual taking of photos is only a small part of the experience!
In order to be able to provide you with certain posed images, I prefer baby to be curled up, sleeping for as long as possible during the session. I can of course take beautiful photos of your baby awake, but it is not easy to position baby in specific poses when they not asleep, unless well wrapped. In order to increase the likelihood of baby sleeping during the session, we start by making sure baby has a full tummy, a good winding and a clean nappy.
When you arrive and have settled down comfortably, I will ask you to feed your baby if they need feeding, to make sure they have a full tummy and will be more likely to fall into a deep sleep. I’ll then ask you to change baby's nappy, which will stay on for most if not all of the session. I'll handle baby most of the time, usually only passing them to you if they need a feed or a cuddle. This helps to keep baby settled, as they cannot smell milk on me! I may ask you to give baby extra little top-up feeds to help settle them during the session, if necessary.
So that I can capture your baby perfectly while they are still so brand new, for most of the session your baby will be in just their nappy or their birthday suit. Newborn clothes never fit correctly so we don’t get to see all those beautiful wrinkles and creases.
I have a wide selection of wraps in a variety of colours that you can choose from, along with little hats and headbands, artificial flowers and more. I have a range of props including little wooden beds, baskets and bowls. I will ask you or your partner to help when your baby's in a prop, to ensure their safety at all times.
One of the downsides of photographing baby undressed is that your baby is guaranteed to poop and/or pee on props, blankets, perhaps even me or you! This is just par for the course, something I’m used to dealing with and something I allow for. I have 2 children of my own after all! All of my blankets and props are washed in an eco non-biological detergent for sensitive skin or are sanitised after each session. I have plenty of cloths, wipes, towels and sanitiser to hand.
You may have some particularly special items of clothing or toys that you would like to be included in the photos. Please remember to bring these along to the session if you would like to.
I always include some photos with parents and siblings during my newborn sessions, at no additional cost. Please wear plain clothing to the session yourself, as patterns and contrasting colours can be distracting in the final image. Other family members or friends being photographed should also wear plain coloured clothing and it is a good idea to try to coordinate, such as by all wearing pastel shades or earthy tones. I'll choose either a light or dark backdrop for family photos, depending on your choice of clothing.
It might surprise you to know that the newborn photography industry in the UK is completely unregulated. Photographers like me, who take safety seriously, have to take it upon ourselves to be trained and educated on how to ensure the beautiful images we create, are done safely. I am fully trained in newborn photography and I undergo regular safety and first aid training. I am fully insured with Policy Bee.
I work without an assistant, but at times I may ask you to be hands on, to help with positioning if necessary for safety purposes. However, for the most part I would like you to be able to relax and watch the session take place, use the wifi or do whatever you feel most comfortable doing!
Around one week after your shoot, I will invite you back to my studio for your viewing session, where you will choose which images you’d like to keep forever. I have a choice of packages plus wall art - framed prints, canvases, unique ways of displaying your beautiful photos, including bespoke hand made albums and more. I’ll take payment at the viewing session and your photos will be with you as soon as possible - digital downloads on the day! View pricing info here.
I hope this answers many of your questions. If you would like me to arrange a phone or Zoom consultation to discuss your session, or if you would like to visit the studio in person, please get in touch.
Helen
