I’m getting so many emails at the moment from panicked parents feeling sad and upset that they weren’t able to have professional newborn photos done over the past few months due to COVID. Never fear! All is not lost. Here are a few options for you to help make the most of your baby’s first year. (Please keep in mind that I’m an Australian newborn photographer in Sydney, NSW where social distancing measures are easing – the following information may not be relevant to you if you’re living in another place where Coronavirus restrictions are still in place).
Newborn Photography up to 6 Weeks
Whilst it’s true that newborn photography is best done very early (usually between 7 and 12 days after birth where possible), if you miss this window of opportunity you can still get some beautiful newborn photos up until about 6 weeks. The older your baby gets, the more likely it is that he/she will be more wakeful, less flexible and able to go into more complex poses. This doesn’t mean you can’t get anything at all. It just means that you need to be a little more open to less “posed” photographs of your newborn baby and being comfortable to have most of your images with your baby wrapped.
I typically encourage people who contact me after their baby is 6 weeks old to wait until their baby is 3 months old for their photos. This is for a variety of reasons. Mainly that babies usually reach “peak fussiness” at around 6-7 weeks. This means a lot of unsettled time, crying, fussing and general unhappiness. Around this time they also tend to have skin rashes which break out due to hormones etc and are difficult to work with as they are very wakeful but not yet at the beautiful smiley stage at 3 months.
CLICK HERE for more information about my newborn photography sessions If you are living in an area where newborn photography cannot take place due to social distancing requirements, you make like to download my video tutorial where I teach parents to take their own baby photos at home.
3 Month Old Baby Photography
They’re not as popular as newborn photos but 3 month sessions are some of my favourites. By 3 months old babies are typically very alert and smiley. They aren’t able to sit so almost all the photos I do of them are taken on their back with perhaps one or two shots during some quick “tummy time”. Three month olds are very different to brand new newborns so there is no real posing. For me as a photographer it’s more about capturing their sweet smiles and faces in gorgeous lighting. CLICK HERE for more information on my 3 month old baby sessions.
6 – 8 Month Old Baby Photography
If I had to pick one older baby age as my favourite, this age group would be it! When your baby reaches the milestone of being able to sit by themselves but aren’t yet on the move (all babies reach this stage at different times but for most babies this is usually around the 7 – 8 month mark) this is THE time to get their professional baby photos done. Babies of this age are perfect to photograph as we don’t have to chase them all around the room trying to capture the perfect photo. They’re usually very happy, smiley and very content with themselves being able to sit on their own. Being able to sit also gives us lots of flexibility in being able to photograph them in lots of different ways – on their own, in a prop/basket, perhaps even some nudey bum photos. CLICK HERE for more information on my Little Sitters baby sessions for older babies
First Birthday Cake Smash Baby Photography
As a specialise in babies – first birthday sessions are the oldest type of baby photography that I take. This age group are similar to the 6-8 month babies except that they’re usually a lot more mobile and quicker to move! This means that I have to really be on my game as they have a shorter attention span and really want to roam all around the room exploring everything. It makes it harder for me to capture them but the results are always well worth it! To celebrate their birthday, parents usually like to bring in a birthday cake that I can photograph your baby sampling (and just making a great mess with in general!). Afterwards I have a mini clawfoot bath that I fill with warm water and some bubbles. This is an awesome way to finish off as it makes for gorgeous photos and it also helps to clean them off after their cake time as well.
So if your baby was born during the Coronavirus pandemic – never fear! We have lots of opportunities to capture beautiful photographs for you regardless of what stage they are at!