5 Tips for Your Family Photoshoot with a Baby

I photographed Marie and Dave’s maternity session last year! It was a beautiful spring evening and we were reunited in Kew’s gardens. We initially met at a wedding where Marie was the maid of honor.

When planning for this baby session, Marie asked if she should bring props or anything to the shoot. And I thought about writing this blog post for parents who are planning to have their family sessions taken.

There are so many things running through my mind as a photographer when shooting a family session with babies. None of it is about what you bring. It is an honor for me to be trusted to capture the love, joy and special moments that families share.

When it comes to photographing your bundle of joy, there are a few things you can help me prepare for a smooth and enjoyable experience. Here are the five tips to create beautiful memories of your family:

By now, I am sure you know our style of photography: natural and timeless. The same with your family session, choose a room in your house  (or a studio in Marie’s experience) that has a lot of natural light coming in.

This soft light will create beautiful photos of your baby and it is a flattering light for all of the family members involved. Morning and early afternoon are best for this.

The baby runs the session! That is what I always say. Avoid scheduling the session during nap or feeding time so baby is well rested and well fed. A happy and content baby is the star of this session 😉

Having the experience of happy baby is important to the parents as well. For me, my clients will look at the photos and remember how it felt in that moment. Trying to schedule a session when you bundle of joy is well rested and content will play a big part in having pleasant memory every time you see this first family photo of yours with your baby.

Choose soft and neutral colors for your outfits and try to stay away from busy patterns or big logos from your outfits. I have a rule of thumb not to do matchy matchy, try to choose a similar color that complements each other.

Okay, I did say that you don’t need to bring anything above. However, I changed my mind and think that if there are certain memories you want to incorporate such as a book you always read to your baby, a gift from the grandparents, you can always bring this to the shoot.

We are trying to capture the chemistry and the synergy of your family. Try to remember happy memories, try to do the raspberry kisses on your baby’s belly/foot or do the swinging that make him/her laugh.

I try to get some “safe shots” of everyone looking at the camera for your parents; however, my goal is to get some shots of you interacting with your little one.

Those small laughs, movements and spontaneous smiles… We live for those moments and I would love to capture and freeze that time in a photograph for your family.