Vicky & Steve’s Newborn Shoot.

As Nikki is very near to producing her own newborn, I photographed this session under her direction. Having done a number of newborn sessions now I find there is one recurring theme throughout and that is, baby will decide when they are ready to be photographed, not the photographer. Despite having a pre-session feed this little cutie decided it was no where near enough, so there was a 2nd and 3rd before photography finally got under way. Patience is a virtue!

Fortunately, he had an adorable little brother who apart from being very photogenic was also quite enthusiastic about having his picture taken, even if he did insist on inspecting each one in between shots 🙂

I find you need to win a child’s interest and if you want them to be interested in your photography, you have to show some interest in their activities. When he held my hand to lead me off to see his workbench I knew I was getting there. As adults, a child holding your hand is often taken for granted, we shouldn’t, it is a deeply symbolic gesture of trust.

After his 3rd feed, baby was quite settled and photography got under way. I am always surprised at how pliable and relaxed babies are at this age and how they can be moulded into shape, without any disturbance to baby’s sleep at all. And of course how quickly they grow out of this stage and don’t wish to be disturbed when they are asleep.

I have found that when photographing children in people’s homes care is needed with colour casts imposed by strong colour schemes of the room used, adjustments to the colour temperature often needed, to prevent babies having overpink or jaundiced complexions. Fortunately this home had a soft neutral colour scheme that made it easier.

Sometimes an older sibling can get a little impatient with all the photography, especially if they themselves are not involved or getting as much attention as the new arrival, which is when grandma’s attendance can be very useful indeed. Whilst baby is having another feed, good opportunity to get some dad and son interaction in a different environment. With strong backlight present, I needed to modify lightmeter setting to avoid underexposure.

There is something rather special with newborn shoots for the family shots. Capturing their very early days together, this is a defining moment in time for a family that is newly extended, and will shape their lives for years to come. Often with new parents, photos of children are about the here and now, but, I know that these photographs will still be treasured, perhaps to an even greater extent, in 30 years time. Trust me, as a grandfather I know this to be true.

If you have liked this sneak peek, please leave a comment for me, it means alot.