Those first few magical weeks of a baby's life are one of my favourite stages to photograph. There's nothing quite like those sleepy newborn cuddles, tiny wrinkled fingers and curled up toes. As I mum, I love looking back at photos of my family when my son was just a few days old. These pictures don't just show what we looked like, but take me back to how it felt to have this amazing new little person in our lives.
When it comes to photographing newborns in Milton Keynes, my aim is to create images that tell your family story in a beautiful, authentic way. My aim is to capture real moments with gorgeous light so I tend not to pose too much or use artificial backgrounds and props. For me, photography is all about taking you back to a moment in time by documenting your little ones just as they are.
Traditional newborn photographers recommend having a shoot within the first two weeks of birth but I like to adopt a more natural approach so I say up to four weeks - it just means your baby may be a little less sleepy. I recommend pencilling in a date around two to three months in advance to ensure I have availability. Babies rarely arrive on time so I'm always happy to bring the shoot forward or postpone if need be.
I used to work for a photography studio and I find babies (and parents) are a lot more relaxed at home so that's where I photograph all my newborn shoots. Having familiar backdrops makes the pictures feel more authentic and personal to you. I don't bring any props or blankets so every newborn shoot I photograph is unique. If there's anything in particular you'd like to include - whether is a blanket knitted by nan or a favourite toy - just let me know.
The session will be focussed around your baby but I also love to capture cuddles with mum, dad and any brothers and sisters. Babies grow so quickly in those first few months. Photographing details like eyelashes, tiny fingers and toes serve as beautiful reminders of how little they once were.
I recommend putting your baby in a simple short sleeve white vest for photos of them by themselves as it's neutral and allows me to photograph hands and feet. It's nice to have another outfit on hand for family shots but not essential. Swaddles and blankets are great for keeping your newborn warm and comfortable and I'm always happy to try a few nappy off shots if you're feeling brave!
Newborn shoots take around two hours allowing plenty of time for feeding, changing and of course lots of cuddles! Before the shoot, I'll request a few photos of the brightest and most used rooms in your home to work out where the best light will be at the time of your session.
Those first few weeks after having a baby are a whirlwind so please don't worry about the house being spotless. As a general rule, I recommend putting away anything you'd rather not see in the photos but I often tidy spaces on the day and move furniture around to create clean backdrops. (Only if you're happy for me to of course!)
Putting white duvet covers on the bed in your brightest bedroom creates a neutral backdrop for the pictures and helps to reflect light around the room. It also helps to make sure the house nice and warm to keep your little one relaxed and sleepy. This is especially important when your baby is just in a vest or nappy. Having a hot water bottle on hand to heat up blankets is also a great way of settling your newborn when moving from one spot to another.
In regards to clothing, go for something you feel comfortable in. Neutral colours look great and don't draw attention away from the moment the way that bold prints and colours sometimes can. If you usually have your nails painted, it's worth having them done before the shoot as I often include hands in close up detail shots to show scale.
After the newborn shoot, I'll go through the images to pick the best expressions before colour correcting and putting them into an online gallery for you to look through. This process usually takes around a week, sometimes two in busy seasons. Once you've picked the pictures you'd like to purchase, they'll be available to download in high resolution. You also have the option of purchasing prints, frames and albums through the gallery too.
I recently moved to Woburn Sands, a village in Milton Keynes on the Bedfordshire/Buckinghamshire border. As a Milton Keynes newborn photographer, most of my newborn sessions take place in the South East of England but don’t hesitate to get in touch if you live a bit further afield – I’m always happy to travel! Travel fees may apply for distances over 30 miles.
I have two mirrorless Sony A7iii's that I take to family shoots. These cameras are lightweight and the live view makes it easy to photograph your little one from lots of different angles. I try to use telephoto lenses where possible for portraits to avoid distortion at the edges of the frame and I always have a macro lens on hand to capture close ups of tiny details like eyelashes in high resolution. The images I take back up automatically to a second SD card meaning there's less chance of any of the RAW files becoming corrupted.
