Photography During the First Year
The first year of parenthood comes and goes so quickly- and in the blink of an eye your newborn baby is rolling, crawling, standing, and taking their very first shaky little steps. One day you're pregnant and the next you are celebrating your baby's first birthday! What happens in between is a blur of emotions, late-night feedings, trips to the pediatrician, milestones, celebrations, and realizing that you have never loved someone as much as you do your little one! Many parents find that they want to capture each stage as it passes during the first year. Often new parents contact me with inquiries for photography sessions, wondering when they should book sessions within the first year and what to expect during those sessions. This guide will help parents understand the relationship between child development during the first twelve months of life and the art of infant portraiture to ensure a successful experience for parent and child.
Newborn Portrait Sessions
Newborn portrait sessions ideally take place within the first ten days of life. Why so early!? This unique time in your newborn's life is unlike any other both physically and developmentally. Your baby will never be this little, sleepy and content again! Within the first ten days a newborn baby is able to be posed in ways that an older, more alert baby is not. Believe it or not, even two weeks can be too old to achieve newborn posing for some infants. As babies develop and become stronger and more aware of their surroundings they are less content to be posed in popular positions like the "froggy pose", or the "bottoms up pose" and newborn flow posing is a challenge. For this reason it is important that you plan ahead during the last trimester of your pregnancy to book a session within ten days of your due date. Once you deliver, your session date will be adjusted to ensure that it still takes places within the first ten days of the birth. This will give you and your baby the best newborn portrait experience possible! To see more newborn portrait examples and detailed information about newborn sessions with Tamsin Photography click here.
Newborn in "Froggy Pose"
Three Month Photo Shoots
Many parents notice that around three months their new baby begins to look and behave differently than they did just weeks before! Babies begin to laugh, smile, roll, and push up on their tummies around this time. In order to accomplish amazing portraits during this stage I recommend that parents schedule their sessions once their little one can raise their head and push up to look at them when placed on their tummy during "tummy time" play. This may be before or after the three month mark, and is unique to each baby. The ability to push up to look at the camera allows me to provide more variety in posing during your session and prevents you from having a gallery of images with limited poses. Three month photo shoots with Tamsin Photography take place indoors in a studio setting with backdrops, floordrops, furs, lighting, and other posing props suitable to the development of a three month old baby.
Tummy Time Portraits
Six Month Sitter Sessions
One of my favorite times to work with babies is around the six month mark. At this stage babies are beginning to sit unsupported, crawl and are more interactive than they have ever been before! Six month old babies recognize and react to their parents, singing, noises and toys. They are able to show a range of facial expressions and emotions, which makes six month portraiture a really fun experience for parents and children. Six month sessions typically take place outdoors in soft, shaded light with babies sitting on flokati fur or blankets that coordinate with their outfits, fabric banners, and other props. Six month sessions should be booked once your baby is able to sit unsupported (without the assistance of a parent, boppy pillow, bumbo seat or other prop). Depending on the baby this may happen sooner or later than 6 months, and parents should take this into account when booking their six month sitter session.
Sitter Session
One Year- The Cake Smash Experience
Before you know it you will be celebrating your baby's first year! By one year most babies can stand with support and some can already stand unsupported and walk! Cake smash sessions are a fun, unique and messy way to remember this special time. Once a cake smash session is booked we will work together to design the perfect scene for your studio session. Set ups include coordinating outfits, backdrop and floordrop, props, decorations such as banners and balloons, a smash cake, cake stand, and more! Images will be created both pre-smash, during the smash, and post-smash. To see more cake smash information click here.
One Year Cake Smash
Planning the First Year
From the first days of life to the twelfth month, the first year flies by! By following this guide you will be able to capture each stage as it unfolds with success and ease of posing to make your portrait sessions amazing! If you have questions, or to book a session, use the button below. I look forward to working with you soon!
