From Shawls to Snare Drums - Personalising your Newborn Session
Welcoming a new baby into the world is such an important time, and I love capturing those early days through my photography, as I know my images will give my clients some brilliant memories to look back on in future years. As a professional newborn photographer, I understand the importance of capturing those brand new baby details for my clients, but I also know that my photography should reflect the unique bond and personality of each family visiting my studio. One way we can do this is by including some personal items in your session. If you are considering booking a newborn photography session with me, here are some pointers towards personalising your session by incorporating a special item or two that you might want to bring from home. Safety is my top priority during any photo session, but especially with newborns. In light of this, any personal items you wish to incorporate into a session must be safe to use. Make sure that all items are clean and that there are no hidden ‘nasties’ (sharp edges, pins, splinters, loose eyes in old teddy bears etc). If you want to bring a larger item to pose baby in, it needs to be big enough, stable and safe to use for example, not made of a fragile material. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of including a variety of meaningful (and sometimes weird and wonderful!) items into my newborn sessions. Here are some ideas to inspire you: Sentimental Keepsakes Wedding Day Memories: I've been asked many times to photograph a newborn holding their parents' wedding rings or posed on mum's wedding veil or dad's wedding outfit.
Photographs: I have often had a tear in my eye when photographing a newborn holding a photo of a family member who was sadly no longer around to greet them Parent’s Childhood Toys: Bringing in toys or items from your own childhood can create a lovely generational link. I've photographed many a newborn snuggled up with their dad or mum's teddy bear. Special Clothing: Handmade items, such as a knitted hat or shawl, can add a personal and unique touch. Cultural Items: I'm always honoured to incorporate items of cultural relevance into newborn images where possible.
For families with distinctive interests or passions, incorporating unique props can make your session truly one-of-a-kind. I mentioned earlier that I have used some weird and wonderful props before - here are some I have used in the past! Near Life-Sized R2D2: My clients were (obviously) Star Wars enthusiasts and, as one myself, I was thrilled to incorporate R2D2 into their newborn session! Guitars and Snare Drums: If you or your partner are musicians, including your instruments can share your love of music with your baby right from the start. Sporting Items: The little tot shown here has a dad who is was well known for raising money for charity through boxing matches. We had to do this one, didn't we? Mechanics' Tools: One of the stranger ones – daddy owned a garage and wanted a photo of his newborn son wearing tiny overalls and clutching a mini-wrench!
...And football/rugby memoribillia? I feel like my studio has hosted the Euros with all the football based photos I've taken over the years! Preparing for Your Session If you wnat to bring a personal item from home to incorporate in your newborn session here are some tips:
It is always lovely to include a few personal items into a newborn portrait session as it adds an additional layer of family personalisation to your shoot. I look forward to helping you create some wonderful memories! You can contact me through my website here.
Lorraine Jardim LBIPP QGPP Newborn Photographer Coventry and Warwickshire
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