Spring arrived today in the tiny form of newborn Ben from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire who came for his baby photography with his proud family. This was a special shoot; we always get the best out of every session but are always very flattered when parents have literally gone the extra mile to travel to our studio. We think Ben’s newborn photo shoot was well worth the drive!
Ben was an inquisitive little man, allowing us to get some gorgeous wide awake photographs revealing his beautiful eyes. Newborns are very strong regardless of how gentle they must be handled, and he knew his own mind when it came to where he wanted his to place his hands. This was great for us, as he wanted them up by his face as he snoozed for all to see, allowing some delicate shots of his hands and fingers looking naturally placed by his cheek.
Newborns are posed ideally within 14 days of birth while they’re still comfortable in the foetal position, and as always, we prioritised Ben’s safety and comfort levels at all times. This is so important, not just for photographic reasons but ethically too. Babies are tiny versions of ourselves and we shuffle and stretch to get comfortable, as does a baby.
We approach each shoot with a plan of the poses we hope to achieve but respect the baby at all times; if they’re unhappy and appear not to want the pose then we try something else, this is important, they can’t speak for themselves. While careful, attentive modelling and soothing guides the flow of the shoot it’s always the newborn who is the pace setter. This is the secret to a successful shoot; listening and understanding each baby on their own merit and striving to achieve safe, comfortable poses.
We always ask our clients to understand that poses can’t be guaranteed because of this ethic, and parents are always in agreement. The results are super comfy images of newborns that are timeless, and provide a visual memory of a very special time.
It’s a real privilege to be allowed to handle precious newborns and we remind ourselves of this every shoot.