Not sure what actually happens at a newborn session from start to finish? Here’s the full run-through, from booking to gallery delivery.
From the moment you book to the moment your gallery lands in your inbox.
Before your session
The best time for newborn photography is between five and ten days old, so I always recommend booking while you’re still pregnant. Your session is initially set for your due date plus seven days and we adjust from there once your baby arrives.
A couple of days before your session, I’ll send you a confirmation email with a few tips to help things go smoothly. The day before, you’ll receive your options form, which is where you tell me everything I need to know: your prop preferences, any digital backdrops you’d like to include, and details about your baby so I can have everything set up and ready when you arrive.
Arriving at the studio
The studio is in Crawley Down. When you pull onto the driveway I’ll come out and help you get everything in. If your baby is asleep in their car seat, I’d suggest leaving them in it for the walk up rather than disturbing them.
Once we’re inside, I’ll ask you to sanitise your hands before we head through to the shooting area. You’ll get settled on the sofa while I run through the options form with you quickly and make sure everything is set up as you’d like. If your baby is happy and settled in their seat we’ll let them be while we chat. If they’re hungry or unsettled when you arrive, we’ll get them straight out and start settling them before anything else.
One thing worth knowing: the studio is kept at newborn temperature, not adult temperature. It’s warm in there by design, especially if we’re doing any naked or semi-naked shots. Dress in layers so you’re not sitting and sweltering while I work.
During the session
Sessions are booked for two hours and there’s no fixed schedule. We work around your baby completely. Feeds, nappy changes, settling time – all of it is built in and none of it is a problem.
I always start with your baby wrapped and swaddled, which helps them feel settled and secure and gives us a good range of images early on. Once they’re comfortable we move into unwrapped poses, capturing the tiny details – hands, feet, those expressions that change every few minutes. I plan a route through the session based on how your baby is doing and what’s working, so the order adapts as we go.
Parent and sibling shots are usually done towards the end of the session once we’ve got everything we need of your baby. I’ll guide you through all of it so you don’t need to worry about where to look or what to do with your hands.
After your session
I hand-edit every image individually. Your private online gallery will be ready within two weeks, and you can view and choose your favourites from home in your own time. There’s no sales session and no pressure to buy more than you want to.
Your session fee of £95 includes three digital images of your choice. Additional images can be purchased if you’d like more.
