Babies

Well I’ve got the answer to that question.. and all other questions you might have about a newborn photoshoot!
A newborn photography session is a photoshoot of your brand new baby. To parents, babies are newborns for their first few months if not, first year. To photographers, babies stop being newborn after week 3. The newborn window is small, and that’s why it’s so important to photograph your baby at this stage of their life!

Ideally as soon after your 20-week (or even 12-week) scan as possible. I only take on a select number of newborn shoots each month, so booking in a “floating date” (around 1 week after your due date) helps ensure I can fit you in when baby arrives.

Newborn photoshoots are best done within babies first 7-21 days to get those beautiful curled up poses. I’ll ask you a few questions to best determine the perfect time to get you booked in.

My clients receive a full preparation guide ahead of their session. This will tell you what to expect from the photoshoot, how to prepare the morning of your session and all the info you need to get the very best from your shoot. 

As studio newborn sessions can last up to 4 hours, I recommend bringing everything you’re likely to need for your baby such as plenty of spare nappies, milk, changing matt and muslins. I also recommend parents bring a spare change of clothes just incase your outfit gets spoilt before we’ve done parent photos. There are refreshments available for you to help yourself to at the studio however please do feel free to bring any snacks with you.

Newborn sessions can last up to 4 hours. This is to allow plenty of time for feeding, settling, wrapping and posing baby. Getting babies in those beautiful poses you’ve seen isn’t as simple as you might think! It often takes some time for them to relax into the position. The pace of the session is determined by the baby, there’s no rush.

Of course! I always encourage parents/guardians to have photos with their newborn. I know you may not feel your most photo-ready so soon after giving birth but these images are often parents favourites and are so important! You’ll regret not having any photos with your brand new baby!

Yes absolutely. I offer sibling shots at the beginning or the end of the photoshoot. Children cannot stay for the entire session. The studio is not a safe place for children to be and I want your experience to be as relaxing as possible. Pet shots are always fun to include and I tend to do these with clever photoshop tricks so that there’s never any risk to baby.

It’s totally normal for parents to worry about this! But rest assured – I’ve been doing newborn photography since 2018 and haven’t had to reschedule a session yet! Some babies will be slightly less settled than others, but there’s usually always a workaround – I’ve got lots of tips and tricks for helping to settle and soothe baby. A lot of babies prefer to be swaddled so if that’s the case I end up taking a lot more wrapped shots than the naked ones.

Baby acne, flaky skin and marks from birth are really common so please don’t worry. I usually edit these things out but if you’d prefer them to be left in just let me know.

You’ll be invited back to the studio for your view and order session around 1-2 weeks after your newborn photoshoot.

My studio is located in Esholt woods, just off Apperley Bridge in North-West Leeds. I send out a detailed “how to find” me email ahead of your session so you know exactly where you’re going. There will be a parking space reserved for you at the studio. I only travel for at-home, unposed newborn sessions.

Want to know more about my newborn photoshoots? Click here > Leeds Newborn Photography