The answer is usually around 35 .  I like to keep it this around this amount because otherwise it gets a bit too overwhelming and my clients end up debating over two images that are very similar.  Sometimes it inevitably becomes more though.  I try to give as much variety as possible.

To give you an insight, here are some examples of how my head works, when running through my sessions.  Obviously there isn’t a set list as such.  But I aim to get a range of different images within these categories:

The newborn time is a unique one in photo shoot terms, as it’s a very short space of time before the baby will look totally different.  As newborn photographers we are quite privileged to be the ones that get to meet these little bundles before a lot of other people.  I also feel quite honoured to be able to give parents the space and time to just sit and watch their baby.  I know that sounds silly, but when you are at home with a newborn, you are busy when they are sleeping.  You are busy tidying, or replying to everyone, or showering, or sleeping yourself!  It’s vary rare to just get an hour to watch how beautiful they are uninterrupted.  This is why it’s important to get these images of the details, because it’s the things you end up staring at that will soon be gone.  The pouty lips, the bubbles they blow, the downy hair, the slightly greasy hair on the head, the dimpled hands, the flaky skin.  You just can’t capture these on a smart phone!  And if you don’t get them, one day they’ll be a distant memory.  But they are EVERYTHING that is special to this time.

These are the shots that grandparents love!  That we love to frame!  I want to give people the opportunity to see how amazingly cute their baby is just on their own with no distraction!  When I had my own newborn photos done, it was the one of my own asleep on his tummy that I absolutely loved!

Capturing the connection, the love, the amazement, often the story behind how they got to this point, is bloody awesome!  Everyone has their own unique story and I like to think of our photo shoot as a way of celebrating that your baby is finally here. The connection between a baby and their parents is probably the easiest thing to photograph and one of the most rewarding.

I guess, in business terms this is what we’d call ‘The Money Shot’.  These images are the ones that the grandparents will frame, the parents will frame, the parents that come to me will share on instagram proudly.  No matter what the age of older siblings are, we can always get a fabulous shot.  If they’re older it helps as we can pose the baby on them, but if they are 2/3 like a lot of them are, I set the session up so that they wondering in and out and I snap them as and when they are showing an interest.

Often, the little in-between moments can provide some great images, that represent the connection between the parents, the sibling, and the baby.

As you can see, I love these in black and white but as with all my images you get colour and black and white phtographs!

At the beginning or the end of the session I will take pictures of your baby in their baby grow, this is another way we want to remember them!  With their little sleep suits on that are usually miles too big!  I also make sure I capture the moments in-between, like the yawning and stretching.

At the end of our session I’ll get you all together to have some pictures looking at the camera, as well as more natural ones together.

I will also work hard to make sure we get some nice symbolic photos of the family, I.e with everyones hands over the baby.

You are welcome to bring teddies, signs, blankets or anything else you think you might want your baby photographed with!  I have had all sorts, from train sets to transformers!

Hopefully this gives you a nice oversight into what a session with me will produce.

I really can say that I love newborn photo shoots and one of the best compliments (other than people loving their photos) is that people say they thoroughly enjoy the photo shoot as well.  That’s just as it should be.

IT’s brilliant to come for a maternity shoot first, for two reasons….

1. It helps you feel at ease, you get to know me, I understand your thoughts around your pregnancy and what you are expecting from the baby photo shoot os that the whole thing goes smoothly.
2. You get to capture those special moments before the baby comes.  It’s a time you won’t get back ad although pregnancy can be hard, many people want to encapsulate it for ever.