Cake smashes have become a bit of a photographic rite of passage but the reality is that not every baby loves to smash, and not every parent wants this special milestone marked in such a way.
Although celebratory cake smashing can be a fun and novel way to mark your baby’s first birthday, it’s certainly not to everyone’s taste…
… but a simple milestone session can be the cake smash substitute that’s every bit as sweet
Generally in life I think less is often more, and I certainly think this is true when it comes to newborn photography.
I prefer a more natural approach – simple, un-posed and with minimal props to distract. My baby-led sessions are exactly that because I believe the best images I can give you are inspired by your baby’s uniqueness. I photograph newborns using natural light, in a studio room in my home which is always warm and clean, with baby comfortably cushioned on a soft beanbag. And, above all, I stick to safe, natural positions.
I often start with a gentle swaddle and I’ll transition from fully wrapped to unwrapped without overly disturbing them and, if they are sleepy enough, we’ll finish with those comfortably-curled shots that everyone loves. For babies under 14 days old, this is still a very natural position for them to be in with most finding comfort in maintaining the position they had in the womb.
After all, your baby won’t be like this for very long and soon it will be almost impossible to imagine that they were ever this small; my newborn photography sessions are designed to provide a lasting memory of this special time, in a beautifully simple, timeless and, most importantly, natural way.
Another beautiful baby back for his milestone session.
If you’re an existing customer of mine, you automatically get £50 off your next photography session; ideal for when you want to capture the next important milestone
Sitter sessions are amongst my favourite, particularly when this year’s sitters were last year’s newborns. It’s so lovely to see how they’ve grown. These sessions are ideal for babies between 7-10 months, or when they can sit unaided but are not yet on the move. Babies are very interactive at this age; smiling easily, giggling and making faces. And, with minimal props to distract, a baby’s emerging personality can really shine.
Some gorgeous newborn squishiness for a Wednesday afternoon…
My baby-led newborn photography sessions are gentle, relaxed and unhurried and babies usually sleep contentedly throughout. I favour a more natural, baby-led style of newborn photography – simple, natural and with minimal props to distract.
I prefer instead to focus on your baby and capture all those precious newborn details that you won’t want to forget.
I always like to incorporate parents in my sessions but my approach to family images is relaxed and natural.
It wasn’t so long ago that family photography would often mean a gallery of formal, posed images and straight-on, traditional portraits with everyone looking at the camera. But whilst these sessions undeniably result in images of you as a group, they rarely show what it is that makes you a family; a family with all its unique connections, interactions and intimacies.
I prefer family photos that are more emotive, so, when it’s time for a few family shots, there’s no awkward posing. Most of the time my subjects aren’t even looking at the camera. I prefer to focus on the baby and the growing connection between you all as you adjust to your new family dynamic.
The first year of your baby’s life is a remarkable time and they change all too quickly. As your baby approaches their first birthday, there’s no better way to mark this milestone than a baby photography session. With minimal props to distract, I’ll let your baby’s emerging personality shine.
This little girl was a dream when she came in for her recent session, and she slept contentedly throughout, enabling us to finish with those comfortably curled shots that everyone loves. At this early age, most babies find comfort in maintaining the position they had in the womb; bent elbows, hips, and knees; arms and legs tucked close to the front of the body. She won’t be this small and curly for very long; my newborn photography sessions are designed to provide a lasting memory of this special time, in a beautifully simple, timeless and, most importantly, natural way.
I’m teaming up with Emma from Bump, Birth and Beyond, who runs midwife-led antenatal classes, and together we have a fantastic prize for one lucky mum-to-be.
For a chance to win a place for you and your birth partner on a five-week antenatal course starting in April, worth £179, plus a maternity photoshoot and five images, worth £175, simply like both our facebook pages and comment on this post. You may also want to share this competition with your friends if you think they will be interested. A winner will be picked at random on 28th February 2019.
To be eligible, you must be at least 26 weeks pregnant by 4th April and be prepared to come to Horsham for both the class and photoshoot. The antenatal course will run on Thursday 4th, 11th, 25th April and 2nd and 9th May 2019. Classes are held at FairKind Child. Full course details can be found here: https://www.bumpbirthandbeyond.net/antenatal-classes
You must be available for a one hour maternity photoshoot, in Horsham between 28-34 weeks after which you will be able to choose 5 images as digital files and 7×5 prints, plus you’ll get £50 off a newborn photoshoot. You must consent to us using the photographs to promote and advertise both Beth Moore Photography and Bump, Birth and Beyond and consent to us sending email communications about our businesses and events and promotions that may be of interest.
If you’ve already had a look at my portfolio then you’ll have realised that I don’t pose newborns. Popular poses like the ‘froggy’ and ‘potato sack’ do not feature in my workflow. I simply don’t believe that a baby’s fragile body should ever be posed in a way that their muscles won’t naturally allow. If you book a newborn photography session with me, you will also not find your baby shoved into a drawer or placed in a flower pot. I prefer to take a more natural, authentic approach.
I have deliberately kept well away from the posed and prop-heavy style that has become synonymous with traditional newborn photography. I don’t have a pre-determined list of poses to tick-off or an exhaustive variety of props to incorporate. My baby-led sessions are exactly that. I believe the best images I can give you are largely unplanned and inspired by your baby’s uniqueness. I want to capture images that resonate with parents; images that show the way their baby likes to sleep or how they stretch and yawn and wiggle. All the little details and mannerisms that are beginning to develop, even at this early age. I photograph newborns using natural light, in a studio room in my home which is always warm and clean, with baby comfortably cushioned on a soft beanbag. And, above all, I stick to safe, natural positions.
I often start with a gentle swaddle, most babies love to be wrapped in this way, it’s calming, reassuring and they are more likely to settle to sleep. From here, I am able to transition through a workflow without moving a baby too much. Using different angles to add variety rather than continually repositioning them. And I love to incorporate hands, after all there’s nowhere safer for a baby to be then in a parent’s hold. If they’re asleep, I’ll often switch to my macro lens to capture all the little details; the eyelashes, the lips and the hands and feet. I’ll transition from fully wrapped to unwrapped without overly disturbing them and, if they are sleepy enough, we’ll finish with those comfortably curled shots that everyone loves. For babies under 14 days old, this is still a very natural position for them to be in. Most find comfort in maintaining the position they had in the womb; bent elbows, hips, and knees; arms and legs tucked close to the front of the body.
After all, your baby won’t be this small for very long and soon it will be almost impossible to imagine that they were ever inside you; my newborn photography sessions are designed to provide a lasting memory of this special time, in a beautifully simple, timeless and, most importantly, natural way.
