What to Expect in Your Southampton Newborn Photography Session:
Deciding to invest in a newborn photography session is a big decision and you want it to be perfect so you can enjoy the beautiful memories of your tiny baby forever. So what can you expect in your photography session with me? Here are many frequently asked questions to help you prepare, book and learn about what to expect for your session.
Do I need a newborn photography session?
As a mother of two I must say that the newborn stage flies by in such a blur of sleepless nights, cluster feeding and colic crying that I feel like the newborn stage is the most important to capture. They will never be this tiny again and I promise you that you will be longing to remember this stage with all your heart and think longingly back to when they fit so snugly in your arms, had little milk blisters on their lips and their body was covered in soft fuzz (Ondine had the hairiest ears, it was hilarious). I constantly find myself wishing that I had a time machine to take me back to the first day I met my little ones and to hold them one more time as a brand new baby. The only time machine we have? Photography. It’s the only way we can relive our beautiful memories and capture our little ones as we grow. It is so worth fighting the new parenthood tiredness and the self consciousness about “baby weight” to record your new family.
What to bring to the lifestyle photography studio?
You don’t need to bring much to a newborn photography session in my Southampton lifestyle studio as I supply outfits for mothers and newborns (although if you’re looking for something to wear, here are some dresses I adore). You are just required to bring anything you’d normally bring in your nappy bag, a few snacks to keep you going and any outfit essentials you desire!
What to expect in your newborn photography session?
My newborn photography sessions are always super relaxed and baby led. There’s never any pressure to speed up the session or make baby do certain poses. My sessions are organic and flow from one pose to the other as we move from spot to spot. If baby cries we stop for a nappy change, a cuddle and a feed. I always get told that I’m so patient and a “baby whisperer” because I never force a feed to be quicker and always say to let baby feed as long as they want. I also have quite a few methods up my sleeve on how to soothe a newborn as I’ve got 8 years of experience settling them in newborn sessions! My goal is to get a large amount of variety in your images with the whole family, mum, dad and baby alone. This way you have a large variety of images to choose from in your gallery.
What is my photography style?
My newborn photography style is meant to feel like you did in those first few weeks in the newborn bubble. I use a warm, moody style to evoke emotion and capture the intimate nature of becoming a new parent. I love earthy tones to create a natural, authentic story of baby’s first days. I love turning everyday life into art so you can remember your beautiful story in those early weeks that seem like such a sleepless blur when you look back that you can barely remember them. I travel to your homes in Southampton and Hampshire and this inspires my work as each home is so different and reflects your unique family.
What if my baby cries during our newborn photography session?
This is often my clients’ biggest worry in a session. They want to put the session off because they feel their newborn is too fussy or cluster feeding. However, the benefit of hiring an experienced newborn photographer is that we can help settle baby for you! After 8 years of experience in newborn photography and photographing over 1000 newborns, I’ve picked up many methods to help soothe a baby. Usually all we need is a warm environment, white noise, a swaddle and a bit of rocking to help baby relax and feel like they are back in the womb again.
Why did you choose newborn photography as a job?
I kind of fell back into photography after loving it as a little hobby when I was in university. I had never imagined doing it professionally. I even remember seeing a poster on the wall of my year 12 art classroom that had all the careers you could do with art. “Photographer” was on it and I remember just scanning over it, not even thinking that it was a possibility. I became a Secondary School teacher because I thought it was the safe bet. However, teaching jobs were almost impossible to get in Canada at the time I graduated so I decided to travel to England to get some teaching experience. After a year or so I realised that teaching was not my forte and decided to look into other avenues.
I examined what gave me joy in life and realised photography gave me a huge rush when I was taking pictures. I first started with actors headshots and while I loved it, I soon discovered newborn photography and while it was a huge learning curve, I fell in love with it. I took many training workshops in newborn photography safety and posing so that it helped improve my work and learned from some of the best in the world. I found my passion in life.
Do you feel being a mother helps improve your work as a newborn and family photographer?
Absolutely. Prior to having children, I specialised in posed newborn photography in the studio. This involved lots of cutesy props, bright colours and headbands on the newborns. I did this for many years until I had children and my work changed dramatically. I realised that while adorable, my posed newborn work did not focus on parenthood and family. It didn’t focus on feeling or genuine moments. It was perfectly posed but rather soulless. I strove to capture motherhood and newborns in a new light, with all the emotion that the first few weeks of motherhood entail. I wanted something timeless that would showcase my clients’ stories and could be passed down for generations.
Is newborn photography safe?
Newborn photography is a completely unregulated industry and there are no formal classes to train individuals on safe posing techniques. Due to this, it is important to carefully choose a newborn photographer for their experience and the high quality of their work rather than just pricing so you can expect that your baby will be safe. Does the posing look awkward or does it look natural? Have they been working with newborns for years or just started? It is important to make sure that your photographer knows what they are doing and knows how to safely pose, spot a newborn, and use photoshop to composite two images together so that hands don’t leave a newborn in an unsafe position.
When should I book my newborn photography session?
I recommend booking as early as possible as newborn photographers do book up in advance. It is recommended to book after your 12 or 20 week scan, depending when you feel safe booking. I often have last minute availability pop up so feel free to contact me any time even if baby is older!
How do I book my session date without knowing when baby will arrive?
Only 5% of newborns arrive on their due dates so how on earth do we schedule in your newborn session? Well, I take this into account and reserve a spot in your due date month, not a specific date until baby has arrived. We book for your approximate due date month and then I have you contact me within 48 hours of baby arriving to schedule in our exact session date. This way it’s less messy if baby arrives early or late! Book here.
I’m having a C-section, what if I don’t feel up to our newborn photography session just yet?
This is another reason we book our exact session date after you give birth, this way we can see how you and baby feel and schedule a later date if need be. The beauty of a lifestyle newborn photography session is that there isn’t any pressure to do the session when baby is under two weeks old, it is more relaxed and less pressure because baby doesn’t need to do any complicated posing- it is purely natural!