Styling options

When you book your session I will send you a questionnaire, this asks questions about your preferences for your shoot. I try to make it as short and simple as possible, but I know it can be a hassle!

Newborn sessions are always a big unknown, you may have experienced one before - but you never know what this particular baby is going to be like. Are they super sleepy or super sensitive, are they relaxed or tense? Do they have tummy issues or one big burp and they are back into a deep sleep?

I have a lot of experience with babies and can usually get them to sleep or pretty close, but there is always one baby who is is not interested in the whole situation!

I have a lot of ideas available to me, I can turn on a dime if the session is heading south, but Mums and Dads have to be willing to accept that their baby may not be capable of co-operating on the very special image Mum had in her head, and that something else may have to do. A baby who is not willing to go into traditional poses may be very happy wrapped up and placed in a basket, or the baby who isn't happy with that may lie awake on the little beanbag, smiling with his parents hands around him.

So, here are those different styling options, they may not all float your boat, but they all have different advantages.

Props - love them or hate them they look cute, add a bit of variety to your gallery and can be a lifesaver for a fussy bub.

I usually start with the props, as wrapping and popping into a prop usually helps get baby to sleep, and we can start to get photos very quickly. If baby is very relaxed when I arrive then we may be able to start with beanbag poses, but that isn't often the case.

Beanbag poses fall into two categories...traditional and relaxed (baby led), the traditional poses require baby to be very sleepy and relaxed, as there is a lot of positioning required, and a very warm room is required to keep baby sleeping, dummies really help too.

The more relaxed posing is better for a baby who is almost there, but still a bit twitchy.

Here are some traditional poses

And some relaxed poses

Next we have the "hands on baby" photos, I provide these in colour as well as black and white, but they tend to look more dramatic in the black and white. These poses are great for a really restless baby, they can sink down into the beanbag and enjoy the support and warmth.

Then we have macro photos - these are the close ups of baby's little details, I can shoot them with a restless baby if need be, but they are always nice to get if we have time.

I hope I have given you a clearer understanding of the different options, and how they are interchangeable, everything depends on how baby is feeling on the day, and as I always say "we will get beautiful photos"!