Newborn Baby Photoshoot (Baby Emilia)

Newborn photoshoot with a toddler

I visited baby Emilia and her wonderful family a few months ago for their baby photoshoot in Reading. With two young children (one being a newborn!) Mum Ally immediately apologised for the state of their front room when I arrived. All I saw was toys, baby related equipment and lots of happy faces - nothing to apologise for at all. It was a whole lot tidier than my own living room that had been left in the post-school-run-apocalyptic state!

But my house is a mess!

It’s one of the most common concerns when thinking about booking a photoshoot at home. I totally get it! As a Mum myself my house looks exactly the same as yours; toys, clothes, nappies, snacks - everything that comes with having children in the house.

In terms of your photoshoot we really don’t need a lot of space. For Ally’s family photoshoot I shot the whole thing in their front bedroom. When I arrive one of the first things I do is look for the light - which room has the most natural daylight? We’ll then work together to create a clear space. A bed or sofa is perfect, so this bed with white bedding was absolutely perfect and worked brilliantly for their photoshoot. If you haven’t got a white bedding set then something like this would work well and easily transforms your bedroom into a makeshift studio space.

What if my toddler doesn’t want to be photographed?

Involving siblings in your baby photoshoot can sometimes be tricky, particularly when aged around 2-3 years. I think that its really important to include the whole family in the photoshoot, and of course parents would like photos to include all of their children, but I really do understand how difficult it can be to get an older brother or sister to play ball. Again, it’s not something that is new to me - I’m a Mum of a three year old myself! I have lots of tricks up my sleeve to try and encourage them to join in and don’t think I’ve ever failed to persuade them to come in for a few photos. When working with toddlers I tend to try and get those shots first, working fast to capture them before their little attention spans move onto to something else. I would never try to force a child that really wasn’t happy being involved, instead using distraction or moving on to photograph their new baby brother or sister with parents or on their own first. I might see if they would like to be my ‘helper’, or see if they want to take a break and try again after a bit of reading/singing/TV/snacking/1:1 time with Mum or Dad etc. Stickers or treats are great to have as a back-up if needed.

This is just one of the reasons that I approach baby photoshoots in a relaxed and calm way. Putting pressure on any member of the family to ‘perform’ isn’t going to help in this situation. I wouldn’t expect your newborn to behave in front of the camera just because I’ve asked them to, so why would I expect your pre-schooler to?

I think you’ll agree that these images of baby Emilia and her family are just gorgeous and go to show that all you need is a small, clear space, some patience and a smile (oh and me with my camera!)

Here are some of my favourites from their baby photoshoot… enjoy!

Rachel x

If you liked this newborn photoshoot then check out Teddy’s newborn photography session here