It’s sad but true, but mother and baby photos aren’t usually high on the agenda when most mums book a newborn portrait session.
‘I’ve not slept well in months and look exhausted’. ‘I’ve got too much baby weight to lose’. ‘I’m not looking my best’. ‘I’ve still got a baby bump, even though I’m no longer pregnant’.
There are endless reasons why new mums are keen to avoid getting in front of the camera when they come to my studio for a newborn photography session, but these mother and baby photos are some of the most important portraits I capture.
Think back to the family photographs that you treasure most from your childhood and I bet you don’t care at all what your mother looks like – you’re just happy that she’s in them, and curious to know what she looked like before you even had memories.
I wish there were more images of my mother holding me in her arms as a baby, but back then, long before the advent of digital images and iPhone cameras, family photos were relatively few and far between.
For that reason alone, they are even more important to me. The dubious haircuts, dated clothes and ‘stylish’ spectacles might make me laugh, but I’ve never once thought my mum looked tired or that she could have done with losing a few pounds.
When clients book me for a newborn session they are letting me into their lives at an emotion-filled time. I love creating gorgeous portraits of sleepy babies all curled up just like they were in the womb, but what I am most honoured to do is capture the beautiful relationship forming between a mother and her child.
The newborn stage is a precious time but it flashes by in a blur – images of you holding your tiny baby may well serve as your most powerful and abiding reminders of the intense emotions you felt during these early days of motherhood.
Your baby will never be this small in your arms again and you cannot turn back the clock, so I always encourage mums to get in the frame. And appearing in photographs with your newborn can actually help to cement that incredible and overwhelming bond you have with your baby. You may not feel your best, but I use careful posing and framing to flatter your motherly figure.
It’s these memories that you will truly cherish in years to come and having portraits taken at your newborn session with me ensures that the memories will endure. These portraits will become part of your family’s history.
It’s hard to imagine how quickly your baby will turn into a toddler and your toddler into an independent, inquisitive child, but even at the tender age of two my youngest daughter loved looking back at photographs of me holding her as a baby. Would you feel sad if you had nothing to show your children?
• If you are pregnant and contemplating a newborn session for you and your baby, get in touch now to arrange your complimentary consultation.
