We started out photographing both siblings, as 2 year olds aren’t known for their co-operation or attention spans but Maisie was a breeze, she was happy to show off her baby brother although admittedly, a bit of old fashioned bribery worked wonders when she started to get tired. We always have a ‘spotter’ nearby for safety when we photograph babies of any age or in any pose, but Maisie seemed to instinctively know she should take extra care around her newborn brother and covered him in gentle kisses as we worked which was extremely cute.

Noah had amazing strength in his neck and was able to go into the ‘taco’ pose – head on hands as shown. This shot is again acheived with a spotter who supports the head and the supporting hand is later removed in editing. At all times we stay attentive to potential pressure points in hands and feet, and as soon as the shot is taken we review the positioning, comfort (including baby’s circulation) and constantly review whether or not to adjust the pose. Sometimes we have to work like lightening! However, Noah appeared very comfy in this position and we always work with the baby’s cues – if unhappy, we gently soothe or move on as required. We treat each newborn as a unique individual and recognise that not all babies can go into different poses.

Whilst we always enjoy creating some classic posed shots, it’s pleasing to be given free range to ‘do our thing’ and went for a slightly more abstract shot of Noah’s feet as he was so sleepy. This allowed us to capture his tiny toes and feet in a slightly raised position, allowing his hands and face to remain visible in the background which gives the final image an abstract feel.

We also shot a close up of his beautiful mouth and nose which is a visually striking image, and one of our favourites. This one works particularly well in black and white because of the amazing fine detail.

It’s fair to say that most of our customers come to us for beautiful shots of their newborns, without the fuss of props. It really is a matter of personal taste. Colleagues in the industry do some fantastic prop based work, but we stay true to our appreciation of form and character doing the work in our images. That said, we do succumb to a tiny teddy prop and Noah had one of his own mum brought along which gives the image a truly personal touch, as he cuddled his new ted and looked very peaceful.

Whilst we worked with Noah, we must give credit to the beautifully behaved Maisie who played happily with dad in the background which allowed the shoot to run smoothly. Our experience with newborns tells us that creating a relaxed environment is pivotal in the final results which speak for themselves.

A huge thank you to mum, dad, Maisie and Noah for a lovely shoot.