Those two little lines on that test really is a wonderful moment! There's so much to think about, what do babies even need?! It can be an overwhelming time for parents to be, and you'll be told a lot of "make sure you get this" and "don't bother getting any of that". It's very much a personal choice of what you feel like you need to buy to prepare for your new arrival.

Something a lot of parents question is - "do we really need to book a newborn photo shoot?" The answer is no, you don't need to book one! However, if it's something you'd like to book, it can be a minefield out there! You do a search for Newborn Photographers, find the prices vary wildly, pictures of cute little bundles are everywhere, and you just don't know where to begin!

I recommend you decide on a budget first - there's photographers to suit every budget! You don't want to overstretch yourself once you see those adorable pictures of your little one, and feel disappointed that you can't afford to buy them - I've been there myself!

Of course you will most likely find the quality of work will improve as the price increases, but at the end of the day, as long as you have pictures you're happy with, then stick to your budget! We all look at big expensive houses online right? (It can't just be me!) Ones with sprawling lawns, saunas, cinema rooms and fancy kitchens! They're nice to look at, but we know they're out of budget, so we wouldn't consider putting an offer in!

Some photographers, like myself, offer payment plans which help with the affordability aspect of choosing your photographer - if you can't see it advertised as an option, there's no harm in contacting the photographer you like and asking!

The next (and most important) thing to consider is your newborns safety; babies are very delicate, and you must ensure your photographer has had newborn posing training of some sort - it is currently unregulated within the industry, and I hope one day it will be something that needs to be certified before photographers can work with tiny babies. It's not a case of 'fake it 'til you make it' with newborns! You should also ask if your photographer is suitably insured - just in case!

Once you've covered that part, and you have a list of possible photographers, you need to look at their portfolios! Not every photographer has the same style; some do 'lifestyle' sessions, others more posed. Do they have props such as baskets, headbands, little outfits that you like? Do you like the style of their images? Even better, if you know of someone who's used them you could ask them how they found their experience, you could read reviews online too!

After considering those points, it really is just down to personal preference as to who you choose!

Once you've made your choice, contact the photographer as soon as you're able to; a lot of us get booked up quite quickly, and you wouldn't want to miss out on your preferred photographer by trying to book in after baby has arrived, although most of us will try to squeeze in last minute sessions if we are able to!

The recommended time to book your newborn photo shoot is after your 20 week scan, and don't worry if baby is early or running a little late - we expect that, and ensure we only book a certain number of due dates in a month to guarantee we can fit everyone in!

If you've done your research and you've decided to book your session with us, you can use the 'contact' tab at the top of the page to send an email to get things started. We also take bookings via our social pages too!

I hope this post helps you with your photographer search, and hope to meet you and your little one soon!

​Emma x

Oh Jacob... what can I say about him? He was an absolutely adorable little pickle! He brought his Mummy and Daddy with him for his photo shoot and was ready and raring to go as soon as he arrived. That wasn't to say he was sleepy... oh no, not in the slightest! I don't mind if babies are awake, I figure they'll go to sleep eventually and I've only been proven wrong once thankfully!

We started the session whilst Jacob was checking out his surroundings and before we knew it, he had started to doze off - woohoo!

It was going so well, we made sure we kept his little tummy full so that he would be content and stay sleepy long enough to get the one pose Mummy specifically requested. We got a few lovely pictures on the white blanket before I prepared everything.

Jacob was deep in thought, deciding whether he would let me do what I'd planned...

We got him onto his tummy, and even got a couple in this pose so that I could composite Daddy's rugby ball in!

I was quietly confident that we would get the next pose, everything was in position and Jacob was fast asleep - excellent!
The 'Froggy' pose, as it's best known, MUST be shot as a composite - newborn babies cannot hold their own heads, their wrists are very delicate, the position of the neck must be just so. This pose is not easy and ideally baby needs to be very sleepy. I had Mummy help me by holding Jacob's head while I held his arms. We remove 'head hands' first for a shot, then put them back on and remove 'arm hands' for the second. The photo is made up of at least two pictures, and we remove any hands supporting baby in Photoshop afterwards (so, yes, I do Photoshop babies - gasp! I get asked this a lot!). It's my nemesis pose, I just find it so hard to shoot without waking the babies up!
Anyway... Jacob was conked, the white noise was playing... we were ready!

Here's a SOOC (straight out of camera) shot (changed to black and white just because!) of us nailing the first picture. Jacob barely stirred and was quite happy and comfy... until we swapped our hands over and it all went to pot! Jacob was awake, and knew exactly what it was we were trying to do.. and was having none of it! I wasn't overly concerned that he was awake; after all I only needed a picture of his arms! But no, Jacob knew what we were up to and refused point blank to let us finish the pose (sorry Mummy!) We even tried at the end of the shoot in the hopes he'd forgotten... memory like an Elephant this one! So this is the only picture I got, and as fantastic as my Photoshopping skills are... they cannot create arms and elbows from nothing.

Now that he was awake, we decided to move on to parent portraits before we brought in Jacob's big sisters. I wanted to experiment a little with these and before we'd got the more traditional portraits, I did this.

Look at those little tootsies!

This kind of family picture is fab for parents who aren't overly keen on being photographed, because it still gives your baby a photo of you to look back on when they're all grown up - and it's timeless! This photo works beautifully on an Orb too - and would really give your home the 'wow' factor.

We paused the photo shoot at this point, as it was school run time - eek!

This meant that when everyone came back, it was sibling and family portrait time to finish the session. Jacob's big sisters were still only little so I try to work fast (and have bribes ready!) before they get bored and lose interest. The sibling pictures are all thanks to a tiny packet of Skittles (Daddy's favourite, it turns out!)

So there you have it, a whistle stop tour through Jacob's newborn session!

If you're due soon and haven't booked your newborn session in, we do recommend you book in as soon as you can, as we can't always guarantee that we can fit you in once baby has arrived. 

If you'd like more information and a price list for newborn sessions, please click here.

To book your newborn photo shoot, please click here.

I look forward to meeting you soon!

​Emma

The diary of a newborn and baby photographer is a complicated place! Nobody told your baby that they are expected to turn up for their portrait session and while some can’t wait to get here, some are fashionably late. This makes my diary a wonderfully fluid place!

When you first book your session you will be required to pay the 50% booking fee to reserve your due date in my diary. I take a limited number of newborn sessions each month so that I can ensure I can fit everybody in and work around midwife and health visitor appointments once baby is here. Once your baby arrives and you have settled back in at home just give me an email me/message me and we can then confirm the best date and time for your session.

I find the first two weeks is best for photographing newborns, however I can, and do, take on older newborns; they may just be a little less sleepy and not quite as bendy as they are in the first two weeks.

Your portrait session will take place in my comfortable studio in March. Newborn studios are not like traditional photography studios - they are designed to be warm and cosy. I want you and your baby to feel relaxed and comfortable so you are able to feed on demand and put your feet up with refreshments (I even have some new dads who take a quick nap!). I have a kitchen and toilet facilities, and there's a few cafe's, shops and even a nice play park just a 5 minute walk from the studio.

If you have any ideas or preferences for images during your session, please do let me know and I'll try my best! Newborn sessions include family, parent and sibling pictures; if you have a favourite toy or a sentimental blanket (or even have a theme you'd like to try!) please let me know and bring it along to your session.

I hope this article answers the many common questions but if you would like to book or discuss a session please contact me here.

To book your due date in the diary, please use my booking form. My price list is available here.