Newborns:
When is the best time to book a newborn session?
Contact me just after your 20 week scan as often the diary is booked well ahead in advance. It is usually scheduled for a week after your due date, I leave room in my workload to make adjustments once baby has arrived. It is important that you contact me within 2 days of the birth if possible - so I can make alterations to my diary. Normally this allows for a session between 5 - 10 days old.
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When is the best time for a newborn session?
Between 5 and 8 days old is optimum. After day 5, breastfeeding mums milk will be more established and feeding times normally allow at least a 2 hour gap. Bottle fed babies from day 3 to 8 days. If you are hoping for "womb like" curled up shots then definitely before 14 days old. Younger babies tend to curl up and don't mind having their clothes off providing they are kept nice and warm. Between 10 days and older, baby acne and other teenage pimples tend to set in, although this can be edited out normally. 
What happens if my baby is over 14 days old?
​Of course you will still walk away with stunning images as I can shoot "newborn style" images up to 4 weeks old providing the baby is playing ball on the day! Sometimes we get lucky and catch a session where baby is sleepy and happy to snooze wrapped up in a basket. For babies past 2 weeks old I will normally use more baskets, wraps and perhaps and the photos will more likely to be of baby alert and awake. It may be worth noting that some young babies have trouble focusing their eyes therefore, if they are going cross eyed then I may shoot from different angles.
What if my baby is premature?
Once your baby is out of hospital and well enough to be home then we can discuss planning in a session. Sometimes I might want to consult with your midwife or doctor before hand. Extra special care is taken for premmies as sometimes they have difficulty maintaining their airways and certain poses may cause problems so I prefer to play safe.
What happens if my baby has a "little accident" during the session?
Alot of newborns are photographed nude and I expect that there will be accidents and I am used to this. All of my blankets are washable and relgiously washed in non bio after every session, regardless of them being soiled or not.
Newborn sessions are typically 3-4 hours in duration possibly longer depending on babies temperament. A lot of the time will be spent feeding, soothing and waiting for them to fall asleep. Some images can be taken whilst awake but the majority are carried out whilst asleep. Newborns can be posed easily before 14 days old, after this time has passed legs and arms tend to flail and they can be more sensitive to being unclothed. I will send you some information before the session to ensure you and baby are well prepared and know what to expect. It is worth noting that the temperature is kept much warmer for newborns sessions as they lose body temperature quickly ~ so wear something light yourself or dress in light layers.
My baby is having a bad skin day, what should I do?
Newborns seldom have perfect skin and a classic sign of an overdue baby is peeling skin. If it covers most of the babies body then it can be difficult to edit out, I tend to think it looks adorable so often I will just soften the images so it's not so noticable. Redness, scratches, blotchyness, milia spots can mainly be rectified post production. If baby has a skin condition like raw excema etc. covering the face then it may be better to postpone the session.