Planning your baby’s photoshoot is an exciting milestone, but it’s natural to have a few questions before your session.
Whether you’re wondering what to bring, how to prepare, or what to expect on the day, I’ve compiled answers to all the most common queries I receive from parents. This quick guide is designed to give you all the information you need to feel confident and ready for your baby’s photography session.
My baby photography club offers you three photo shoots in your baby’s first year. For the sake of ease of communicating the package details, I say that these are at four, eight and twelve months old.
That’s not entirely accurate though and here’s why. For your first session, your baby is going to be very limited in what they can achieve from a physical point of view – that’s not a criticism, just a fact of four month old life!
Of course, all babies develop at different rate and I have occasionally had four month olds that can sit up by themselves, but most of them are still pretty flopsy when it comes to sitting without at least a little bit of support. I do have a special posing cushion that supports them while they are on my beanbag and allows them to ‘sit up’ so we can and will use that. Our second option is to take pictures of them as they lie down on their backs.
However, and this is the part where timing of your first baby photography club session comes into it, I think it’s really nice to have a third posing option in your finished image gallery. This is when your baby is on their tummy. For this reason, I recommend waiting to book your first Joe Club session until your baby can lift their head while they are having some tummy time.
They only need to be able to do for a short period of time and we do have a choice of ‘ramps’ I can give them to offer them a helping hand but my advice would be to wait until they can look up at your pretty consistently.
This will give you a lot more variety in your finished images and it’s a lovely set of shots to have in your finished gallery. You are also more likely to be able to get those cute ‘happy baby pose’ photos if you wait that little extra time for your baby to discover their feet while they are lying on their back.
Like I say, all babies develop at different rates – some babies will be doing all of this at three months and some will get to it a little later. The four month age suggestion for your first baby photography club photo shoot is just a guide – hit the ‘tummy time confidence’ development stage for the widest range of images from your session.
This is quite a common question that I get when folk are booking their baby photography club photo shoots. The answer is as many as you want.
I’m down with creating whatever images you would like as part of your photo shoot – I don’t limit you to one style of photography. For some people, this means they have several outfits that they want to include so go right ahead as far as I’m concerned.
However, where this system can fall down is when it comes to your baby’s tolerance for getting changed. Therefore, if you have multiple outfits to include, we get them all out before we start the session and prioritise them. That also lets me see what I’m working with and get out any complementary blankets and props that I think would work well with them. When we have the in priority order, we then work out if we can layer stuff up to minimise the changing fuss. Then we get going and get through as much as we can before your baby gets the hump with us changing them! Simple as that…
My online gallery should be fairly familiar to you if you shop online but in case you need a bit of extra assistance, you can click on the button below to access a help document that walks you through how to access your gallery, choose your favourite images and place an order. Of course, if you are having problems, just get in touch and I’m always happy to help.
You need to pay for your photo shoot when you book it. If your session is more than two weeks away, then you have the option of paying a £20 deposit with the balance being due the week before your session. Otherwise the full balance is due on booking.
Of course, when you book a first birthday photo shoot, you are welcome to cake smash, tub splash, do both or do neither. Whatever works for you. I have some first birthday props such as number 1’s that you’re welcome to include.
Life is busy and especially so when you’re raising a small child. I’ll send you reminders the month before your next baby photography club session becomes due so you have a little prompt to make your next appointment.
My studio is really flexible and I have lots of different backdrops and lighting options to choose from. They’re very easy to switch between so we can simply create lots of different styles of images for you within one session – I recommend choosing three (you’ll be able to do this from your options form the day before your visit) to create a beautifully varied image gallery.
When you buy a digital file from me, the copyright stays with me as it would with pretty much all other photographers out there. However, that’s just a legal term that I retain as the creator of the image. You’re able to print and share the image as much as you’d like to – the only things that you can’t do is sell the images or claim that you took them. Other than that, they are yours to do as you wish with.
This is question that I get asked a lot and it’s a really tough one to answer as it depends on so many things. If I’m photographing a baby and they’re in a great mood, then you have lots of photos where if they are finding things a bit difficult then you get less. Gun to my head, if I had to offer an average image count, then I’d say that you can expect to find about forty fully edited images in your finished gallery but that can vary wildly so it’s probably not a very useful statistic for you.
Of course, parents and siblings are welcome to join in with your baby photography club sessions.
No, you’re welcome to celebrate your baby’s first birthday with a cake smash and tub splash session as your last visit as part of the baby photography club. There’s no extra charge for this – you just need to bring along a cake, bubble bath and a towel.
Your last baby photography club session is designed to help you celebrate and commemorate your baby’s first birthday so any time around then is perfect to come and visit. If you’d like to have the images for the birthday itself, then just come in a couple of weeks before so I have time to get everything ready for you. You’re welcome to make this into a cake smash and tub splash session if you’d like to – there’s no additional charge for this.
The best time to come and visit the studio for your second baby photography club session is when your baby is able to sit unsupported but they haven’t yet started to crawl. It’s not too much of a big deal if they are already mobile but there’s a lot less chasing and resetting if they aren’t on the move plus we have a wider variety of props that we can safely use.
I recommend booking your Joey Club when your baby has good neck control and can lift their head up when they are on their tummy. This can often be around the four month old but of course it varies from baby to baby.
At the end of the year, you will see all of your images from your sessions so you can choose your three favourites to go in your wall frame. It’s best to wait to choose them all together rather than choosing one after each session so you can make sure that they will all go together and look great on your wall.
After each of your sessions, you’ll see you images in your private online gallery and you can order any you would like at this point. At the end of the year, you can choose your images for your frame – it’s best to choose them all at once so you can make sure that they will look great together on your wall. Here’s the link to the prices for prints and digital images.
Yes, if you’d like to add a newborn image so you have one from each of your four shoots with me, then the upgrade fee is £20.
The wall frame holds your favourite image from each of your sessions sized at 5×4″ and the overall size is approximately 42cm x 23cm. It can be hung on your wall with either portrait or landscape images and comes with a flat black frame as standard. There are a range of upgrade options that you can look at if you’d like to increase the number of images, or change the frame which I can give you a price for if you need it.
Your £39.95 Baby Photography club fee includes your three sessions in your baby’s first year and the frame with your favourite image from each at the end of the year. If you’d like to order more images from your session, you’re able to do this from your private online gallery.
My prop and accessory collection do change a bit over time as I like to keep things fresh but to give you an idea, I have a ton of bunting (and that really does keep on growing as people come up with new ideas), some very cute miniature chairs, an ivory vintage suitcase and a whole Harry Potter themed mini set (complete with owl) if you are a little bit of a Potterhead.
That’s totally up to you – you just need to bring along things that you love that you’d like to see your baby photographed in. If you’re having more than one family member in the pictures, it’s a great idea to coordinate – even if its just in colour or tone (you don’t need to twin, though you’re welcome to). I have some outfits at the studio (think pettiskirts and rompers for girls, and nappy covers and knitted trousers for boys) that you’re welcome to borrow and some people like to have photos of their little ones wearing nothing but a smile. It really is about whatever works for you. There’s always time for outfit changes if you want to.
You’re welcome to bring along anything that you’d like to include in your photo shoot – including any props or accessories. In fact, it’s a great idea as it makes your session really unique to you. I’ll do my best to work with anything you bring along to create your personal images.
Other than your normal baby bag (like you’d leave the house without it!), you don’t need to bring anything to your session. You might like to bring along changes of outfit and any props and accessories that you’d like to include but it’s not essential, I have everything we need at the studio.
Once your baby is crawling, it does get harder to persuade them that sitting still for photos is a fun idea so there is definitely a lot of chasing and resetting once the initial surprise of an unfamiliar environment has worn off. That said, it’s a good work out for us and there are still tons of great photos to get. If you’re interested in using a lot of props, then it’s best to get in while they can sit unsupported but before they crawl but a mobile baby isn’t an issue at all in the studio.
Yes of course, I have a giant beanbag they can lie on and a specially designed cushion that allows them to sit up. If I’m being entirely honest, if you’ve missed the newborn window of two weeks, then I think you get better value from a session if you wait until they have good neck control and can get their head up when they are on their tummy (even if it’s just for a moment or two).
I love dogs and they’re welcome at my studio. When you’re combining a dog and baby portrait, the only advice I have for you is to wait until your baby is able to sit up unsupported as otherwise it’s very difficult to pose them together. Probably don’t bring them if you are having a cake smash as that’s probably just a disaster waiting to happen – even the best trained dog is probably going to be unable to resist all that cake!
We won’t get good pictures if your baby is ill or unsettled and so it’s normally best to cancel if you know that your baby is under the weather. If you could give me as much notice as possible then that’s always appreciated although you can’t always tell in advance of course. I don’t offer refunds for sessions but you’re always welcome to reschedule if you need to when your baby is not feeling their best.
We book the studio for an hour for a baby photo shoot although in reality, little people would never actually shoot for much more than half of that. When they’re really small, sometimes the window can be just 15 minutes before they’ve had enough – don’t worry though, we can still get lots of great images in that time. The rest of the time is there if we need extra for feeding, settling and getting changed.
You should aim to bring your baby along when they are at their best so have napped and eaten – though babies are notorious for changing their schedule just when you think you’ve got it nailed. Quite often that means that a start time of 10 or 11 is ideal and after lunch and afternoon nap means the afternoon sessions start at 2pm and 3pm. That said, there’s no fixed start time as far as I’m concerned – just whenever is best for you and your little one.
Absolutely – parents and siblings are welcome to join in with the photos.
A baby photo shoot includes your three favourite digital images and costs £95. There’s no sales or viewing session to attend – you simply view and order from your online gallery. Parents and siblings are welcome to join the session as well.
When you book a baby photo shoot, we have the studio for an hour where, in reality, a baby wouldn’t usually shoot for more than 20 minutes or so. We have that extra time for allowing for feeding, settling and generally gently encouraging them. That said, if your baby is really inconsolable (and days can happen when they just won’t settle down), we simply reschedule for another time. Trying to pursue photography with a baby that has really had enough of the whole affair is just stressful for them and for you, so if it comes to it, know that we can book another day to take care of things when they will no doubt being in a happier mood.
This is a tricky one as there is something special about all of your babies development stages. However, if you miss the short window for newborn images or just don’t fancy them, then I recommend waiting until your baby can lift their head when they are on their tummy before coming to visit for photos. Prior to this stage, they’re very limited in terms of what they can do (I’m not criticising!) and although I have a specially designed pillow that allows them to sit up, until they have good neck control they tend to just slump. If you wait until they’re a little bit stronger, then you’ll get much more variety in your finished images.
I keep your images for 18 months following your session date and after this point, they are permanently deleted so if you are purchasing digital copies, I can’t stress enough to back them up safely.
My studio is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm.
I present all of your images in colour and then I’ll add in black and white copies of some that I think particularly suit it. Of course, if you’d rather have an image in black and white then just ask and I’m happy to switch it over for you.
I have a range of backdrops you can use for your child at a photo shoot and you can make a choice on what you would like when you arrive at the studio. However, if you’d like to take a look in advance…
Each of your images is edited to make sure everything looks at its very best – that’s why you have to wait a little while after your session before you see them.
Each of your images is professionally edited and so there will be a bit of a delay before you can see your images while I get everything ready for you. This can vary according to a number of factors but generally, it’s about a two week wait before your images are uploaded to your private online gallery. I’ll be able to advise you better on exact waiting times at your session.
Sessions take place at my warm and cosy studio in Crawley Down, West Sussex. You can find out more about it including the address and directions at My Studio Page.
There’s no minimum spend or nasty pricing surprises with any of my photography. You’ll already know the price of your photo shoot and what’s included and if you’d like to order more, you simply do so from your online gallery.
I believe in complete transparency when it comes to pricing so you won’t get any nasty surprises. You’ll already know what your session fee includes in terms of images, and you can simply order more from your online gallery if you’d like to – there’s no sales or viewing session to attend.
Here are the prices for additional digital images and prints.
About two weeks after your session, I’ll have your images edited and uploaded to your private online gallery. There’s no sales or viewing session to attend. I’ll email you a link and a password and that will take you straight to your finished images.
Any digital images that you purchase will be sized at 10×8″ at 300ppi so perfect for printing up to this size or slightly larger (you have more flexibility on size when it comes to canvases as they are printed at a lower resolution).
Sorry but no. Obviously you can use your phone for making and receiving calls but I don’t allow any videography or photography inside the studio. If you are caught recording or photographing the session, you will be asked to leave and the session will be terminated without refund. All in all, that’s a horrible situation for us all to be in so please respect my copyright.
