11/08/2026
Ever wondered what actually happens during a newborn photography session?
I get asked this a lot, so here's an honest look at the way I work.
The first thing to know is that there's no rushing. A newborn session with me is booked over a 3 hour window, not a tight time slot, because babies don't work to a schedule and I'm not about to ask them to start. If your little one needs a feed, a cuddle, or just twenty minutes of grumbling it out, we simply wait. The best newborn photos happen when baby is settled, not when the clock says we should be moving on.
I always work at baby's pace. That might mean we start with the family shots while baby's still dozing off after a feed, or it might mean we do the sleepy curled-up poses first and save the awake, alert shots for when they're ready to open their eyes and stare soulfully into the camera (they always know exactly when to do this, by the way). Nothing is forced. If a pose isn't happening today, we move on to one that is.
Safety comes before every single shot. I've been trained in newborn handling and posing, and I'd rather get a simpler photo than a risky one. That means no unsupported stacking, no precarious setups, and a parent or myself with a hand on baby at every stage of a supported pose. The dreamy, gravity-defying shots you sometimes see online (like the one shared. below) are always composites for exactly this reason, and I'm always honest with clients about that.
I also keep the room warm (properly warm, cardigan-and-a-cup-of-tea warm) because a warm room means a settled baby, and a settled baby means those gorgeous, relaxed newborn features photograph so much better.
And honestly, a good chunk of the session is just me chatting with you while we wait for baby to be ready. There's no set list of poses I push everyone through. Every session looks a little different because every baby and every family is different, and that's exactly how it should be.
If you're due soon or know someone who is, I'd love to chat about getting a session booked in.
