The first few weeks with a brand new baby are a truly magical time …. BUT as we are all trying our best to stay home and stay safe these days probably aren’t how you had planned them to be. I wonder... were you all excited to create gorgeous baby photography in South Wales with your little one? Did you want to capture emotive images of this little life when they were first welcomed to this world? Well you still can. They might not quite be the images or professional experience you had planned but I’m all for making the most of what the world has to offer!
I want you to grab your camera, even if it’s just the one on your phone and capture these 5 moments of newborn life.
Feeding
However you are feeding your baby, breast, bottle or tube, nourishing your newborn child is such a special moment, full of calm and connection. Find yourself a comfy spot in the house, preferably near a window with some good light, feed that tiny tummy and snap away.
Create an image that will be full of the tiny details you don’t want to forget! The tiny sucking noise as they feed, how their little fingers knead away, that look of total milk drunk euphoria as they doze back off to sleep! All such scrummy goodness!
Details
Find yourself looking at every inch of your baby with utter amazement? asking yourself, "did my body really make this person?!" Well, during my newborn sessions I like to focus in on all the little details of baby. Their tiny fingers, hands, toes, feet, eyelashes, button noses and swirl of wispy hair.
If you’re using your phone and want to get really close in on these little details then I highly recommend grabbing yourself a macro lens attachment! You can grab them on Amazon if you don't already have one.
The Whole Family
If you’ve had a look through my portfolio you’ll see that I’m bringing a slightly different approach to baby photography in South Wales. As much as I love to get those aforementioned detail shots of baby I am PASSIONATE about creating images which feature every member of your blossoming family. To create images that capture the love and connection each person has for this new life.
I like to get group shots of the whole family cuddled up and just showering that baby with love as well as individual photos of each family member having a little moment with their newest family member. These are important so be sure not to miss them! Especially Mum and babe, I know you're feeling a little dazed by birth and caring for baby, you're probably not feeling 'camera ready' but believe me, it's so lovely to have photos of yourself with your new baby. You'll want to cry tears of warm fuzzy joy when you see the look of utter devoted love between you and little one in these photos!
Cradled in Hands
Another favourite of mine is to get shots of baby cradled in the arms of Mum or Dad. As the years go by and baby grows and grows into their own person you’ll always have that record of how this whole life once fit so nicely in your hands. And I hate to be this person but...they'll really won't be this little for very long so it's nice to have a clear and vivid memory of this!
Ugh! I'm getting all broody writing this! Oh dear!!!
Anyway....back on track...
Something you Dreamt about During your Pregnancy
Now I know I can’t have been the only pregnant woman in the world who would lay down, caressing their blooming bump and dream about how life would be once I was a Mum. I had a few recurring daydreams of simple little moments I couldn’t wait for. Like rocking in the nursery reading the books I had begun to collect to a dozing babe. Going for walks with baby held snuggly against me in a sling. Enjoying post bath cuddles with my baby wrapped in fluffy white towels.
So whichever moments you couldn’t stop thinking about whilst you were waiting for baby’s arrival, document them. However little they may seem to some people, they are important to you and therefore worth cherishing!
Having a newborn is brilliant but it’s also hard work and I can’t imagine how much trickier it is in this current climate. I hope with all my heart you can find the space and time to remember what a blessing this time is! You’ve wished this life into being for long enough so please celebrate it as much as you can.
If you are still waiting for babe to be born then you might enjoy reading my last blog post about taking your very own at home maternity portraits, I’ll just pop the link here for you now.
Sending you all my love,
Sarah x
P.S If you’re interested in having professional baby photography in South Wales then feel free to drop me a message so we can have a chat, hello@sarahhailephoto.com