Newborn Experience
What is a newborn baby photoshoot? Newborn photography is a very specialised genre of portraiture that focuses on capturing beautifully artistic photographs of newborn babies between 7 to 14 days old, whilst they are still super sleepy and foetal.
What Makes Our Newborn Photography Different?
Unlike most newborn studios, we don’t use elaborate props, novelty outfits or unrealistic looking poses. We believe that your baby is naturally beautiful… you simply can’t improve on perfection!
Instead, we combine comfortable poses with richly textured fabrics, beautiful lighting with artistic compositions, gorgeous velvety black & white tones with warm earthy hues. Your precious new baby is the shining star of the show!
Celebrate and preserve the precious memories of your baby’s earliest days in an artful, timeless and meaningful way.
Two for the price of one…
With our newborn experiences, not only do you get me, a passionate photographer with a 30 year professional career, you also get my wife Debbie, an experienced nurse with paediatric first aid training and an all-round lovely human.
Featured Newborn Photoshoot – Benjamin
We recently welcomed 8 day old Benjamin to the studio with his lovely first-time parents. We ideally like to photograph our newborn’s at around 7-14 days old, so Ben was the perfect age.
Before we start any newborn shoot, we first like to spend a few minutes chatting with mum and dad, explaining how things work, having a cup of tea/coffee and generally get to know each other.
We appreciate that for many new parents, the visit to our studio for their baby’s newborn shoot is very often the first trip out together as a new family. We work hard to make sure that this precious time is as relaxing, enjoyable and memorable as possible.
To begin Ben’s newborn session, Debbie started by gently swaddling him securely in a soft and stretchy fabric.We find that swaddling helps to soothe and keep baby comfortable during the first part of their photoshoot, when they can very often be awake and a touch unsettled.
Once Ben was swaddled and settled, Debbie then carefully positioned him on our giant beanbag, which has been covered in layers of gorgeously textured blankets. This ensures baby’s safety and gives them that lovely snuggly comfort.
Aesthetically, swaddled baby also helps to creates a clean and cohesive look in the final images, eliminating any distractions and focusing attention on baby’s tiny features and delicate expressions.
Normally by this stage of the newborn photoshoot, baby has settled and fallen into a deep milk drunk sleep. Think post-Christmas dinner levels of sleepiness!
Now that baby is asleep, Debbie can now move onto the more classically posed newborn photos such on their front, side and the uber chilled-out hands behind their head shot… all of which little Ben nailed.
It’s worth noting that not all newborn’s will be so accommodating. Some babies will take several feeds, endless winding, a couple of dramatic nappy changes, plus a good amount of cuddling before they are sleepy enough to continue the shoot. We’re a very baby led studio so baby is always boss!
Hands and feet are often a focal point in our newborn photography. We like to pay special attention to capturing these dinky details because they are visual symbols of their newness and innocence.
These impressively detailed close-up shots highlight the tiny wrinkles, creases, and dimples, emphasising the newborn’s cuteness.
We find that these features hold a unique charm and beauty that families will cherish as their baby grows, serving as precious reminders of the fleeting stages of infancy.
Kind Words…
“This was our first experience of a newborn shoot as first-time parents and it was fabulous. Recovering from childbirth and having your precious little being out in the world is sometimes terrifying, but Andy and Debbie made the whole experience an absolute delight!
Andy has captured some beautiful moments of our little lady, even showing her personality this early on, and Debbie was incredible at keeping the main star as happy as we’ve seen her. I cannot recommend them enough and will definitely use them for future projects. Thank you both so much.”
A simple, all-inclusive price of £275
We take a £75 deposit to secure your booking, with the remaining £200 balance taken after your newborn experience.
– This includes a 2-3 hour newborn experience at our cosy studio. Enjoy watching Debbie confidently and safely handle your precious new arrival, whilst Andy captures a stunning range of artistic photographs… he’s also chief tea-boy! We supply all the swaddling wraps, gorgeous blankets, cute little shorts and specialist expertise… you just sit back and relax, whilst sharing a rather lovely experience together. We’ll send you our simple ‘How to prepare’ guide before your photoshoot.
– Think you might like some intimate portraits together as a new family? No problem. We’ll gently guide you through the process of how to create the most flattering imagery. It’s not compulsory, we understand you might not be feeling at your best. If you prefer not to feature in the photographs then we can also demonstrate a few creative options that simply incorporate your hands.
– Shortly after your newborn photoshoot, once Andy has taken the time to carefully curate the very best images and perform a basic edit, we will send out the details of your password protected web gallery. This can be enjoyed in your own time, with no pushy in-person sales sessions or hard sell.
– Once you’ve chosen your 8 favourite photographs, Andy will then professionally edit and enhance these images in photoshop* Finally, we’ll then supply you with both a colour and black & white version of each photograph in high-resolution, ready for you to print, share with doting grandparents and simply enjoy forever!
* A quick note on editing: We apply a very thorough but subtle approach to editing… we loathe the over-worked mushy skin look! This compliments our natural style whilst retaining all the gorgeous fine detail that is too often lost with heavy handed editing. It does involve a considerable amount of time Photoshop, but you’re going to be staring at these gorgeous photographs for a very, very long time, so worth every single second!
Optional Extras…
– Choose extra digital photographs for £25 each. This includes full retouching, plus a colour and black & white version.
– If you’d like to include any older siblings (2 maximum), then we ask for an additional £50 fee to reflect the extra time taken. This fee also includes a further 2 digital photographs, making your collection 10 in total.
– Also, as part of the process, you’ll enjoy access to our stunning range of Luxury Handcrafted Wall Art.
Please Get in touch to find out more and check our availability around your baby’s due date. We look forward to hearing from you!
“Over 800 Newborn Babies Lovingly Photographed”
Andy & Debbie have been photographing newborn babies professionally together for the past 12 years.
FAQ’s
When should I book my newborn photoshoot?
The sooner the better. We’re a high quality, low volume Northampton photography studio with a limited number of sessions available each week… we recommend you book early to avoid disappointment.
If your baby has already arrived, then please get in touch and we’ll try our very best to fit you in. Oh, and a huge congratulations too!
Newborn photography ideally needs take place at around 10-14 days old, whilst your baby is still foetal and sleepy… so please don’t leave it too late! It’s worth noting that we can often get a little longer if your baby’s born premature.
How much time will my newborn photography take?
We are 100% baby led so baby care is our top priority. Your baby’s safety and comfort is prioritised in order to create the right conditions for the photoshoot.
Some babies will arrive super sleepy and barely open their eyes for the whole session while others are more curious of the new world around them.
Please allow 2-3 hours for your session, and possibly a touch longer if your little one is a light sleeper or a sibling is being included in a few intimate family portraits.
Where will my newborn photoshoot take place, would you photograph my baby at our home?
All our newborn sessions take place at our cosy home studio here in Northampton. We much prefer a controlled studio environment where we know exactly what we’re getting… plus you won’t need to worry about how your home looks, or if our bulky equipment will fit in your room!
We have a comfortable seating area for you to relax plus copious amounts of tea, coffee, water, and biscuits!
Is newborn baby photography safe?
Yes absolutely, as long as it’s carried by fully trained and experienced baby photographers… like us! This is something we’re passionate about and would always encourage you to “grill” any baby photographer on their credentials before booking them.
We’ve been photographing newborn babies together for nearly 12 years and, in this time, safely photographed over 800 precious babies. Your newborn’s safety is our No.1 concern and since Debbie has a professional nursing background, we’re uncompromising on this.
When working with your baby we will always stay by their side as their reflexes can often cause them to fling their arms or kick out. We will watch their positioning for pressure points, their expression for comfort and a host of other factors to ensure they are comfortable and safe.
Equally we understand that your baby cannot support the weight of their own head, this being the vulnerable part of their body. It must always be supported and protected from sudden impact or shock.
We respect our tiny visitors in all that we do, which is why all of our baby photoshoots are baby-led. When we handle your baby, we’ll show them the same care and sensitivity as if they were our own. We use a lot of gentle hand placement to reassure your baby that they are safe as they are being gently posed. Babies often shuffle themselves into positions that naturally feel comfortable, and we’ll try and work with this. Some babies love being swaddled, whilst others dislike being naked. These tiny people already have preferences!
Every pose takes time to perfect, some more than others and sensitive babies take even longer! Usually, we will spend 5 to 15 minutes perfecting each pose before even taking a single photograph. This is why your newborn session will typically take around 2-3 hours and your gallery averages between 15 and 30 final images. We aim for quality not quantity.
Our approach to newborn portraits is refreshingly yet deceptively simply. We won’t do anything that either looks unsafe, uncomfortable, disrespectful, or just downright wrong. If your baby looks safe, happy, content and perfectly relaxed then that’s because they really are, simple!
5 Hot Tips When Preparing for Your Photoshoot?
Here’s a few hot tips to consider before attending your newborn photoshoot at our Northampton studio…
Milk, milk, milk… and even more milk.
We’ll need your baby super sleepy and that usually happens right after a full belly… milk drunk! Think of it as a post Sunday roast nap snoozing on a comfy sofa.Enjoy the experience!
This might sound a bit obvious, but worth a mention. It’s all too easy to forget to grab the opportunity to observe and enjoy the shoot. Make the most of your ‘down’ time while we work with your little one, have a hot cuppa and grab a few hands-free minutes while you can! Even unsettled babies sleep eventually, alternatively awake newborn shots are also striking. Parents often tell us they worry their baby will be restless etc but we’re so used to working with newborns it’s really not an issue for us.PLEASE consider a dummy, just for the shoot.
We appreciate that not everyone likes them, but they’re a fantastic soothing aid for an unsettled baby. It can really reduce the settling time and allow more time for newborn photography.Poonami’s happen!
Your baby won’t be entirely naked, as we use cute, knitted shorts to hide ugly nappies, but even the best nappies leak round the sides. Having had two children of our own, we’re a 100% used to poo, so pleased don’t embarrassed.Your Clothes.
If you’d like to be included in some intimate family portraits with your newborn, then please make sure you both bring a set of clothes that you’re happy to be photographed in. Try to match or at least compliment each others colours/tone. Simple, neutral colours work best from experience. Try to avoid heavy pattern or logos that may be distracting in the final images.How Do I Choose A Newborn Photographer?
Can I, or my family, purchase a gift voucher for a baby photoshoot?
Yes, absolutely! Photoshoot vouchers make the most wonderful and personal gifts. Please get in touch to find out more and discuss your requirements.