One of the things I hear sometimes during a newborn portrait session is:

"I'm so sorry... he’s wide awake!"

Parents might look worried, convinced that their wide-eyed baby means the session will be a flop.

The truth?

I absolutely ADORE photographing wide awake newborns.

Don't get me wrong - those peaceful, sleepy, curled-up images are amazing and will always have a special place in my heart, but there's something incredibly special about a newborn opening their eyes, looking around and, every now and then, staring straight down the camera lens.

Some of my favourite images from my many years as a newborn photographer were taken when a baby was wide awake.

But can newborn babies actually see?

Yes - although not in the same way that older children and adults do.

At birth, a baby's eyesight is still developing. Newborns see best at a distance of around 20–30 centimetres (8-12 inches), which just happens to be about the distance between their face and a parent's face during feeding or cuddles.

It's a lovely piece of design by nature. Babies don't need to see across the room yet – the people who matter most are already close by.

Newborns are also naturally interested in faces. Even in their first days of life, they are drawn to face-like patterns and will often spend time looking at the people around them. They are naturally drawn to high-contrast patterns. Their developing eyesight makes bold contrasts easier to see than fine detail, which is another reason they are so interested in faces, where features such as the eyes, eyebrows and hairline create natural areas of contrast.

Why do babies sometimes stare at the camera?

Clients often laugh when their baby stares me out! In reality, they're simply doing what newborns do. Everything is new. Every face, every voice and every expression is part of a world they're only just beginning to discover.

A camera doesn't mean anything to them, but the person standing behind it certainly does.

I absolutely love it when a tiny new baby looks straight down my lens. I find those moments quite magical. Every now and then, they seem to lock eyes with me as if they're trying to work me out, and I can't help but wonder what might be going on in those perfect little minds. Sometimes they look completely fascinated. Sometimes they seem wonderfully unimpressed, as though they're thinking, "Who on earth are you?" Other times they have the most thoughtful expression, simply taking everything in.

Of course, we can never know what a newborn is actually thinking, but those tiny expressions and moments of eye contact are often some of my favourite images from a session.

Awake doesn't mean unsuccessful

One of the biggest misconceptions about newborn photography is that babies need to sleep for the entire session. In my experience, they really don't. Every baby is different. Some sleep almost from the moment they arrive. Others prefer to spend part of the session quietly watching everything that's going on before eventually drifting off. Both are completely normal.

After nearly twenty years of photographing newborns, I've learned that the best sessions aren't about following a rigid plan - they're about patiently working with each baby as an individual.

My job is to work with your baby, not against them. Often, those few minutes when a baby is peacefully awake produce images that parents end up treasuring just as much as the sleepy portraits.

Tiny expressions full of personality

It's amazing how much personality can shine through, even in the very first weeks of life. A raised eyebrow. A curious little frown. A contented stretch. Wide, thoughtful eyes taking everything in. These expressions often disappear as quickly as they arrive, which makes capturing them feel even more special.

Over the years, I've found that these tiny expressions often become the photos families remember the most. They capture a little glimpse of who their baby already was from the very beginning.

Every baby tells their own story

After photographing newborns for nearly two decades, one thing has become very clear to me: no two babies are ever the same. Some are wonderfully sleepy. Some like to supervise most of the session. Some spend half an hour staring at the world around them before deciding I’m really boring after all and it's time for a nap.

And I love every one of them.

As a photographer, I've never believed that every newborn session has to follow exactly the same pattern. Every baby arrives with their own little personality, and I think that's something to celebrate, not change.

So, if you're worried because your newborn seems unusually alert during your session, please don't be. Those bright little eyes, thoughtful expressions and moments of quiet curiosity might just become some of your favourite photographs of all.

Thanks for reading!