Everything you need to know about a newborn photoshoot

Capturing those early moments of your newborn in their first few weeks is something you will never regret. Whilst you can take your own photos, having a professional photoshoot will give you images that are so beautiful, they’ll become artwork in your home, that you see and enjoy every day. These images can help you remember years later just how small your little ones were.

Not sure what a newborn photoshoot is like? To help you out, we’ve created this list of common questions many first-time parents have.

What is the best age for newborn photos?

The ideal time to come in for newborn photos is when your baby is around 7-14 days old. At this stage babies still tend to spend the majority of their time sleeping and are easier to pose in those curled-up poses that everyone loves. Babies grow very quickly and change a lot – they will look completely different at one month than they did when they were firstborn. As they get older they also move more, are less likely to sleep, and are generally not as comfortable being all curled up like they were in the womb.

Although this is the ideal timeframe to get them in, please don’t worry if you’re baby is past this time, or perhaps you’ve had to spend time in the NICU and can’t make it during that time. We have many years of experience photographing babies and a good professional photographer can get stunning photos of your little one at any stage – it just takes a little more patience.

When should I book my newborn photoshoot?

The earlier the better. I would recommend booking during your second or third trimester. Most photographers only take on a limited number of bookings per month to ensure some flexibility about session dates – as we all know babies don’t necessarily arrive as planned. Session times fill up fast, and since you only have a limited window of time in which to get the photos taken before your baby gets too big, you want to be sure that your photographer is available.

The other bonus to booking early with us is that you can take advantage of our FREE maternity session that we offer and capture not only the newest member of your family but the journey to get them here.

What if my baby arrives earlier or later than expected?

Every newborn photographer knows that babies arrive when they are ready. With that in mind, your photographer will hold time around your scheduled session to make sure you and your little one get in for your photos. At the time of booking, we will pencil in a photoshoot time based on your due date – all we ask is that you let us know once your baby arrives and if we need to then we will then adjust that date to suit.

How long does a newborn session last?

All of our newborn sessions are baby-led. This means if they need a break to be fed, have their nappy changed, or just have a cuddle that we allow for this. An average newborn session takes around 2 hours. During this time we welcome you to pop your feet up, catch up on Facebook or emails, or even take a nap.

How should I dress my baby for photos?

For the majority of the time in our studio sessions, your baby is either naked or wrapped in one of the many wraps we have available here. This means you don’t need to dress your baby in anything specific.

On the morning of your photo shoot, all we ask is that you dress your baby in a simple zip-up onesie with nothing but a nappy on underneath. If it’s a particularly cold day or they need extra warmth then please add blankets or zip-up hoodies on top – nothing that needs to be removed over their heads. This allows us to keep them as settled as possible when you arrive.

If you have any specific outfits you’d like them photographed in just let your photographer know ahead of time and definitely bring those with you.

For an at-home lifestyle session, your baby remains dressed the majority of the time. In this case, we recommend a simple onesie in a plain neutral colour. We want to keep the attention on your baby and your interaction as a family.

What should I bring to my photoshoot?

There is nothing special that you need to bring along to a newborn photo session. Just treat this like any other outing and bring the essentials such as nappies, wipes, food. We do have spares here in the studio though in case you forget so there is no stress.

If you have any special heirlooms or gifts that you want to be included in your photos, just let us know in advance and bring these with you. We love making your newborn photos really unique and including items that are special to you is just one of the ways we can do this.

Who can be included in our newborn photos?

We love to include all family members in your photoshoots. Every session with us includes parents, siblings – even grandparents and fur babies if you’d like to include them.