As a newborn photographer based in Sidcup, Kent, I often receive questions from parents about how to prepare for their baby’s first photo session. This guide covers everything you need to know, from what to bring and wear, to ensuring your baby is calm and comfortable. These first few weeks are precious, and newborn photography captures those fleeting moments forever.


Let’s make sure your newborn photoshoot at my Sidcup studio is a smooth and memorable experience!

The ideal time for newborn photography is within the first two weeks of life. At this age, babies are still very sleepy and curl up naturally, making it easier to capture those beautiful, peaceful poses. If you’re based in Sidcup, or nearby areas like Bexley or Bromley, I recommend booking your session while you’re still pregnant, ideally during your second or third trimester.

To ensure a smooth and enjoyable newborn photography session, I recommend bringing the following essentials to my Sidcup studio:


- Nappies & Wipes: For any quick changes during the session.
- Favourite Blanket: A familiar item can help soothe your baby.
- Feeding Supplies: Whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, it's helpful to have feeding items ready for breaks.
- Dummy (Pacifier): If your baby uses one, this can be great for settling them between shots. Even if you baby doesn't use one at home, it can be really helpful during your session if you are happy for one to be used short term.
If you have any personal items, such as a family heirloom or special toy, feel free to bring those along too. Personal touches can make your photos even more meaningful.

For your newborn, simple is best. Soft, neutral colours like cream, white, grey, or pastel shades work beautifully. Avoid bright patterns or logos, as they can distract from the focus on your baby.

For parents and siblings, I recommend coordinating outfits in soft, neutral tones such as whites, greys, or earthy colours. These shades create a timeless feel and help keep the focus on your newborn. The goal is to ensure the photos look harmonious without outfits overpowering the shots.

Your baby’s comfort is my top priority during the session. Before coming to the studio, it’s a good idea to feed your baby to ensure they’re full and relaxed. A well-fed baby is more likely to be sleepy, which is ideal for capturing those peaceful, posed shots.
Here’s how I’ll ensure your newborn is comfortable in the studio:
- Warm Studio Environment: Babies love warmth, so I keep the studio comfortably heated to make sure your baby stays cosy throughout the session.
- Dress Your Baby Lightly: It’s best to dress your baby in something easy to remove without disturbing them, as I’ll be swaddling them or photographing them without clothes.

I always allow plenty of time for breaks, whether for feeding, changing, or soothing your baby. There’s no rush—the session is designed to be calm and flexible, so I can capture beautiful, natural moments.

If you're in or around Sidcup, Kent, booking your newborn session early ensures you’ll have a spot during those precious first two weeks of life. I offer different packages that will suit your needs and budget. My studio in Sidcup is fully equipped with a variety of props, backdrops, and everything we’ll need for a successful session. It’s a calm, welcoming space where you can relax while I take care of capturing your baby’s first moments.

Newborn photography is about more than just taking pictures—it’s about preserving the magic of your baby’s first days. By preparing ahead of time and following these tips, you can ensure a relaxed and enjoyable experience that results in photos you’ll treasure for years to come.

If you’re ready to book your newborn photography session at my Sidcup studio, or if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. I look forward to helping you capture these special moments.

1. How long does a newborn photography session last?
Newborn photography sessions typically last between 2-4 hours. This allows plenty of time for feeding, changing, and getting your baby settled.
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2. Can siblings be included in the newborn photoshoot?
Yes! I love including siblings in newborn sessions. I’ll guide you on the best ways to incorporate them into the photos for beautiful family shots.


3. What if my baby is fussy during the photoshoot?
Newborns can be unpredictable, and that’s perfectly normal. I plan for plenty of time for feeding, comforting, and breaks. Patience is key, and we’ll capture great images even if your baby needs extra soothing.


4. How far in advance should I book my newborn session?
I recommend booking during your pregnancy, ideally by your second or third trimester, to ensure availability within the first two weeks after birth.


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By following these preparation tips, you can feel confident that your newborn photoshoot in my Sidcup studio will be a relaxed and memorable experience that results in beautiful, lasting memories.

Capturing Fleeting Moments that Change and Disappear

A Newborn's Fleeting Nature:

Newborns have an extraordinary ability to change and grow in the blink of an eye.  Their tiny fingers and toes, the soft tufts of hair, and the serene expressions are snapshot moments that deserve to be cherished forever, before you know it your tiny baby will be crawling away, climbing and exploring, eating and maternity leave will be over.

As a newborn photography specialist, I am dedicated to preserving these fleeting moments and creating timeless artworks that capture the essence of your little one.

The Power of Photography:

Photography allows us to freeze time and preserve memories that otherwise might fade away within the sleepless nights and endless nappy changes. Each photograph tells a story, a beautiful narrative of your journey as a parent. The gentle embrace, the adoring gaze, and the delicate connection between you and your newborn are captured in the form of parent portraits, with love and care, creating memories that will be treasured for generations.

In December I received the brilliant news that I had 6 images in the finals of 2 categories for The Guild of Photographer’s Image of the Year - Baby and Toddler and Newborn photography.

The Guild’s 2022 awards ceremony was  held on 4th February 2023 in Stoke-on-Trent - the evening celebrates the success of photographer’s from not just around the UK, but internationally also, across a wide variety of genres.
The Image of the Year in the different categories kicked off the evening for me - The judges had chosen their 10 favourite stand alone images in each categories back in December and at the awards they announced the runner up and winning image.
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​Not only did one of my favourite images of the year win runner up in the Baby and Toddler category, but one of my newborn images also came runner up in the Newborn category.

The image of Amaya (left) was a follow on from a photograph from her newborn session - during lockdown I had to temporarily close my business, like parents up and down the country I had to homeschool my daughter and we ended up spending a lot of time at our allotment. The allotment became such a joyful break from the world around us - and whilst I could not grow my business, I could grow food and flowers. This lead to me commissioning my greenhouse prop and creating the images that combined both my favourite things. This has continued to develop my use of florals which has grown and become more refined. More recently I have been exploring the meanings of flowers and plants along side my newborn imagery. The newborn image of Aarika shows her sleeping, surrounded by shasta daisies - which mean: 'happiness', 'cheerfulness', 'friendship' and 'wholeness'.

During the past year I have been submitting images regularly, pushing myself to create beautiful photographs for my clients, and, with their permission, entering them into competition. For me this is a good way to obtain feedback from internationally recognised judges and find ways to improve the standard of my work.

In doing so I was creating a body of work that on Saturday night gained me the title of Newborn Photographer of the Year 2022 and Photographer of the Year 2022.
I can honestly say that my jaw dropped when my name was called!

My goal is always to create the best possible for my clients, this will always be my aim - but to win a national title whilst doing this is just mind blowing to me.

The images from 2022 - all of which obtained a bronze or high award.

I am so excited to see what 2023 brings, I want to continue to develop my work with flowers, but most of all, I want to capture your precious babies and freeze time for you so you can remember always how teeny they once were.

I think it as fair to say it's been a long 16 weeks since I shut the doors to my studio. I am thrilled to be back open now. It has been a stressful time, trying to ensure the safety of my wonderful clients and my family too, BUT I would not open unless I felt I could keep you all safe. 

With that in mind, I want to share with you what I have done to reassure you that my safe is safe.

Now, most of the following points I did anyway - I always use hand santiser during a session, outfits, wraps and fabrics have always been washed between sessions and I have always cleaned. This should be standard practice with all photographers. I am now, however, leaving a minimum of 24hours between sessions, this does mean I can book fewer sessions but it allows me to air the studio trying to give any germs less of a chance to be transmitted between clients.

I will be wearing a mask throughout the session and I have face masks available for any clients who do not have their own. I will be asking that siblings are only present in the studio for their photographs - this is to minimise the time they spend in an enclosed space.

Prior to all sessions I will need to confirm everyone has been well for the previous 72 hours. I will be taking my children's and my own temperature on a regular basis in order to comply with this.

If you are a newborn client your session will be arranged between 14 and 21 days post birth, this is to allow a 14 day isolation from the hospital (this maybe changed depending on the hospital protocol).

During your session I will be asking you to social distance as much as possible, sometimes, with older babies I do need some help reassuring your little one, in these situations I will move further away to allow you and your little one space. I have rearranged the studio to allow a bit more space between my shooting area and your seating space as well.

With all these adjustments in place I feel the studio is as safe as it can possibly be, I am more than happy to discuss any points with you prior to your session to make sure we are all comfortable and I very, very much look forward to creating some beautiful images for you to cherish...Even if your little one is a little older than my usual newborn window - Little Asees just above came in at 3 months old for her session - we got some gorgeous sleepy shots, and some brilliant smiles too!

Being a new mum the concept of self-care might seem impossible, between the sleepless nights and a baby that seems to want nothing but you through the day finding time for yourself might be the last thing on your mind. I often have new mums come into my studio that say they barely have time for a shower or a hot drink in the first few months of motherhood. 

Self-care is a little bit of a buzz word at the moment and its often a little misunderstood. Self-care is basically just caring for yourself as you do your new baby. I've listed a few ideas below that take less than 20 minutes for you to do and will leave you feeling recharged and ready to go.

•  Try five minutes of guided meditation, there are a lot of free apps out there that  can help you if you've never done this before. Sit somewhere comfortable or lay down if you prefer and take five minutes to listen to your breath, focus on your body and calm that mind of yours.
• Make sure you're drinking enough water. This is such a simple thing to do but something that can really change how you feel – psychically and mentally. Treat yourself to a reusable water bottle and carry it with you.
•  Take some time to be outside, if you have a garden just sit in it and breathe in the fresh air. If you don't have any outside space pop your little one in buggy or sling and head to the nearest park.
•  Watch an episode of your favourite comedy, Schitts Creek on Netflix is a favourite of mine and the episode are less than 20 minutes each.
•  Before you fall asleep, quickly write down three things that happened that day that made you smile, feel happy, or you enjoyed doing. You can also write down all the things you are grateful for – it helps put things into perspective
• Pop on a face mask, this is something that can be done while the baby is napping. Lay back and just be still, although a little nap would be great sometime just being calm and still is as replenishing as a short sleep.
•  Call someone who makes you happy, it could be your mum or best friend, maybe even someone you haven't spoken to in while. Laughter really is the best medicine and if you're feeling a little under the weather a good catch up might be just what you need.

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Whether this is your first baby or your fifth, take a little time for you, you are just as important as your new addition.

One of the deepest joys in my job is seeing the little bumps and newborns growing and getting to document that amazing first year. The changes that happen are so rapid, the curled up, sleepy bundle that I photograph at just days old that return just months later sitting completely unaided, the little noises that newborns make turning into infectious giggles, that then later return running inquisitively around the studio, with the first words on their lips. It is just amazing and I am so honoured to capture these gorgeous little people growing.  

One year ago, I met little Edie. She liked to stare at me...a lot!! 

​I was delighted when she came back for her sitter session, her beautiful blue eyes still wide for me to capture!

Her first birthday quickly rolled around - cake smash time!! Not only was it lovely to get messy with Edie but was such a pleasure to catch up with her big sister, who showed me her racoon top with great excitement!

I have a guest blog for you! Sharing experiences of motherhood is one of the most enlightening and interesting parts of my job. What was the most surprising part of being a mum for you?

​When you realise that your baby is no longer really considered a baby. He is infact an eating machine, a boy, a giggly cheeky little man and you wonder where the hell the time went. Where did my little baby go? The one that couldn't do anything without me? The one that would just lie in my arms without wriggling out of my grip? Now he's off, he's discovered transportation in the form of a walker, he's discovered screaming to get your attention, he's discovered real food, he's discovered words. Motherhood is a roller coaster that no one can prepare for. 8months in and I've already gone through every emotion I can possibly imagine...here's to going grey early...and absolutely loving it! ​​

Eliza was a little older than a typical newborn who comes for a shoot, generally speaking, this makes it a little harder to get those sleepy, curled up shots - but, the positive of it is, more awake shots.

A short nap meant we could get some sleepy shots before some more with big blue eyes.

This little lady was wonderful, and boy does she have a personality!