Newborn Sessions- My story
Those beautiful early days of a newborn are so very intense. After months of preparing for birth perhaps, you are suddenly a parent. If you're anything like me, you may wonder why you spent so much time preparing for birth and not any for this little baby! Yet one thing is certain, you will work it all out in exactly the way you are meant to!
I did not shoot newborns until I met my second child. My first born was a screamer... he was one of the most unsettled babies I ever encountered. And while he had a huge laugh and an intense personality, he still remains very sensitive and precious orchid. Our own newborn photographer had to come twice, for 3 hours a session. He just would not settle and I remember feeling so out of my depth. He would scream for 40 minutes, feed for 60-120 minutes, sleep 12 minutes and start screaming again. ALL DAY AND NIGHT LONG. Turns out he had significant cows milk protein intolerance and silent reflux- diagnosed at 4 months. I continued to breast feed until 15 months and went dairy free myself and slowly, slowly, slowly things got better.
My second born son was an absolute dandelion, he is just happy to be here and thrives. It was a completely different experience for us to our first born. He is the reason I started feeling confident in shooting newborns, I realised they definitely were not all like my first! My first gave me the confidence that I can handle ANY baby thrown to me and my second gave me ample opportunity to practice and enjoy all the angles and beauty of a sweet new baby.
To this day, I am grateful for the opportunity and teachings both my boys provided to me. They are my why, they are my inspiration and they infuse me with the loving and fun energy I bring to every shoot.
I will treat your baby with the love and respect as if it were my own. I will help you in any way you need during the shoot and you can trust me to honour the life you have brought to this world. I may pass on some tips and tricks in settling (you're welcome) and your precious baby will lead the shoot exactly the way it is meant to go.
A little more about what to expect during your session
As you can see from my newborn photos, I only pose in natural ways. I do not use props and nor do I position babies in unnatural ways. I have a small range of simple and neutral wraps and blankets and will bring a large beanbag to your home. If you have significant and sentimental pieces you wish to incorporate in your photos, please have them ready. The beauty of these sessions is that I will come to your home, so you need not leave the house if you don't have the energy to do so. I include all of the family in newborn sessions, so you will have pictures of your whole family, of baby alone, with each parent and perhaps with each or all of your children (if they wish to join in too) and pet(s). Sessions are usually 2-3 hours to allow for set-up and settling and I usually schedule them to begin mid-morning. I recommend ensuring it is immediate family only, please avoid having extended family present (unless you have a significantly helpful parent(s) you want included and definitely ensure visitors are not planning to come.
Some families prefer a documentary approach, where I capture your family doing their everyday thing with baby (and children). If this is you, just let me know. Otherwise I approach all shoots (by default) as a natural semi-studio look, working with natural light and minimal props. The selection of photos shown above will give you an idea of what to expect when you book me for a newborn session. I have limited availability for newborn sessions, therefore I recommend getting in touch during your pregnancy and as soon as you have decided you want to do a session. I always hold two dates for your session, one week after baby is due and three weeks after baby is due. Please let me know as soon as bub arrives so that I can prepare for your session. I recommend doing newborn sessions when baby is 1-3 weeks old to ensure they are peaceful and relaxed. From 3 weeks, babies often commence more cluster feeding and wake up to the world, meaning that sessions are more disjointed and often require frequent re-settling. If you prefer photos of an older baby (eg. 8-12 weeks) just let me know and we can work out the best approach.