I am often asked when is the best time for newborn baby photography, and the answer depends on what you are looking for. If your heart is set on those sleepy, curled-up newborn portraits, then the optimum time is within the first five to ten days of baby arriving. However, that is often not practical and time has a habit of flying by before you know it, so the alternative type of session is my baby lifestyle photography sessions, which are a wonderful way of documenting the special early days and weeks.
Lifestyle baby photography
These baby sessions are usually held in your home, which make for lovely, relaxed, intimate family portraits using gentle window light. We can include other family members, siblings, parents and even pets as you'll see below! Often baby is looking around and starting to make eye contact, which can be absolutely lovely. There is something timeless and ever so natural about this style of photography - and it lends itself so well to black and white images, which outdoor photography does not tend to do as well. There is a bare minimum of 'posing' and the focus is entirely on interacting naturally with baby. As with all of my photography my goal is to capture genuine, beautiful emotion. There will be cushions, picture frames and furniture in the background, and this is part and parcel of this sort of lifestyle photography and is to be embraced!
Fulham baby photography at home
These photographs of baby William and his family were all taken at their family home in Fulham. We chose to photograph most of the session in the master bedroom, which was full of light, even on a gloomy overcast day. William was 7 weeks old at this time, still very much a newborn, but starting to get chunky. Also included were William's stepbrother and Tiggy the dog! Some of my favourite portraits from the session are below.
Documentary family photos
If you are looking for a similar style of natural newborn photography or family portraits in London I would love to hear from you. You can reach me here, or at heather@heatherneilson.com.
