Portraits of a baby girl at 9 days old

Karina and Luiz contacted me to take photographs of their daughter who was due to be born just before Christmas. They contacted me well in advance for some baby girl newborn portraits and I was able to meet Olivia at just 9 days old. Karina’s friends offered the photo shoot to her as a baby shower present.

The key was to capture some classic portraits of their baby girl but also some of family life. This is my favourite type of family photography which is often called lifestyle photography.

They knew that they wanted to create a newborn Storybook album before the shoot. Knowing this in advance helps me decided how many atmospheric images to take. For example, details of the baby’s room or family home which show the new arrival. These help to set the scene in the album design.

Christmas styled newborn shoot

Mini Santa hats decorate little suits of armour and figurines in the glass display cabinet. An entire Christmas village complete with snow adorns a table in the hallway. Under an exquisite Christmas tree sit Karina and Luiz with the best Christmas present they could have wished for this year. Little Olivia seems oblivious to the affections of her big brother Gabriel, either curled up happily in her mother’s arms or peacefully gazing around her at the faces and the lights.

We begin the shoot with some quiet baby girl portraits of Olivia in her parent’s arms. We had a quick costume change into one of the Christmas outfits given to Olivia by a friend and then paused to let Olivia feed.

The more newborn sessions I photograph, the more I love these images. They capture the essence of a newborn baby so much more than the studio style images with accessories. In her parent’s arms, she is safe and calm. It is the place that they will always remember her being. And looking at the photograph will bring back the memories of what it felt like to hold her as a baby. That is what is important to me.

Classic baby girl photos

As well as the lifestyle Christmas photographs, we also wanted to capture some classical family portraits. But while waiting to get set up I could resist a candid image of the siblings lying on the floor surrounded by Gabriel’s roadmap play mat.

We took images in Olivia’s room and in the parent’s bedroom. I usually try to use as much natural light as possible but December shoots normally are too dark. I keep the flash to a minimum and always use techniques to keep it out of your children’s eyes.

Olivia didn’t want to lie in her cot but was very content on the changing mat. So Luiz and I styled the mat with some of the toys her grandparents had sent over and came up with a very special portrait.

The last few pictures were taken in the bedroom and one of my favourites from the session is little Olivia lying on the bed. She is looking over at me curiously while she waits for everyone else to get ready. Matching perfectly with the décor it could be a moment that was often repeated over the next year. A little moment of family life right at the very beginning.

Newborn photography in your home

Olivia’s baby girl newborn portraits took place at home just 9 days after she was born. I arrived in the morning and we took our time with the photographs. This made sure that everyone was happy and relaxed. We took family lifestyle pictures as well as some more posed portraits. After the shoot, I put together a draft album design and Karina and Luiz were able to make changes. The family chose a Storybook album with files and one photo shoot as part of a baby shower gift.

Before offering photography as a gift I recommend always chatting with the new parents first. If you have had a professional photography session then you will be able to tell them what to expect. Please ask them to get in touch so that I can answer any questions they might have and alleviate any worries. I do offer gift vouchers but check that the amount will cover what you would like to offer, or make sure that the parents are happy to contribute. This avoids any misunderstanding and means everyone can just enjoy the experience. Do get in touch early on in the pregnancy to check availability and for collection pricing.