Good morning! I hope everyone is coping OK during this lockdown. These are exceptional times and we all have to cope as best we can. We have two daughters, 7 & 8, so we are trying to do some home schooling. I was completely freaked out by this to start with, thinking that I had to take on the role of their (awesome) teachers. I had no idea what to do and not much idea about what they had been working on at school, so didn't know where to start. A flurry of links to various websites appeared and that only made me more anxious and confused. Fortunately I have now realised that the curriculum is cancelled and any amount of learning the girls do at home is a win. So, we are focusing on following the activities set by their school and trying to find fun things to do to keep them occupied. We are fortunate that they get on well most of the time and that we have a garden so we can all get outdoors easily. I really feel for those stuck in flats during the lockdown.

Due to social distancing rules, I have had to temporarily close my business, which makes me feel so sad. I had been looking forward to a great year photographing families and doing lots of newborn photoshoots, but instead I am focusing on my own professional development and trying to keep in touch with my followers on social media, so people don't forget about me! 

As part of my professional development, I avidly follow an international award winning newborn and family photographer, Kelly Brown. I wanted to share with you some advice she has given on taking your own newborn baby photos at home, so here we go!...

Capturing those precious moments of your baby throughout their first month will create lasting family memories for generations. And more often than not, we only have the camera on our phones handy during those beautiful, spontaneous moments.

Photographing those first cries only happens once. This is their beautiful beginning, their very first life experiences. And you need to capture it.

I love nothing more than posing a brand new baby and photographing them in my studio. But, being a mother myself to 3 amazing kids, some of my most treasured images have been captured on my phone. Images that show their personality, the mess that they make and the everyday craziness I never want to forget.

Here are my tips to capturing those incredible moments in your baby’s first month...

1. Look for the light. Watch as it falls across your baby. Touching the screen on your phone to adjust your exposure.

2. Take photos in the morning as I find babies are usually happier at the beginning of the day.

3. Get down nice and low to view the world at their level.

4. Babies tend to sleep a lot in those first few weeks of life. So to capture those sleepy peaceful moments make sure your baby is warm, well fed and feels secure.

5. Come in nice and close to capture all those perfect little baby features, their hands, tiny feet, and beautiful faces.

6. Exist in photos with your baby. Take turns with your partner to photograph those special moments when you’re interacting with your baby while they’re awake or when you’re rocking them off to sleep. When they’re older they’re going to love looking back at these amazing memories.

7. Turn off your flash. It can be very unflattering to your baby.

8. Don’t forget to look at what’s going on in the background. Busy backgrounds can be distracting so keep it nice and simple.

9. Edit your photos using apps like Lightroom Mobile for a more finished look.

10. Then share your images. Upload them to social media and share with friends and family around the world.

11. You can also create beautiful video slideshows and remember to print your photos so you have them forever.

12. And lastly, don’t forget to backup your photos for safe storage. I recommend you have one backup in your home, one in a family or friend's home and one online backup too.