A few years ago, a tiny baby girl came into the studio for her newborn session. Her dad is a police officer, and he brought along his helmet. She was small enough to fit in it quite comfortably, and the shot became one of the family’s favourites.
This time, her little brother arrived. Dad brought the helmet again, but this one was a noticeably bigger baby and nobody was entirely sure he’d fit. A good swaddle and a solidly sleeping newborn later, in he went.
The two shots aren’t identical – siblings are different people and I never just copy one session onto the next – but there’s a clear nod between them. Same helmet, same idea, two very different babies. The kind of thing that works really nicely side by side on a wall.
One thing worth mentioning: the baby is fully supported throughout a shot like this. Dad’s hands are there the whole time and removed afterwards in editing. A sleeping newborn in a prop like this always has someone right there – it just doesn’t show in the final image.
Personal props and meaningful objects are always worth bringing to a session. Not every family has a police helmet, but the principle is the same – if it matters to you, it’s worth including.
