Trigger warning: Loss
I have always loved being allowed into the very special post-natal space. First as a home-visitng midwife, then as a mother of my own babies and now as a newborn photographer. I will obsess over your baby, their tiny toes and their kissy lips, but my very favourite part to capture is actually YOU.
Their mum, dad, parent of any and every kind.
Read MoreFYI: I am always happy to include your four-legged friends in your photography sessions - whether that is maternity, family or newborn pictures we can get them on board! As a crazy dog lady I am more than comfortable with furry buddies of all descriptions, I even have some top tips for successfully including them in your photo shoot:
Tip 1: High value treats! Your photo shoot is absolutely the time to break out your dogs most favourite snacks...my Finnish Lapphunds (Heidi and Bonnie) are especially partial to devon and good old tasty cheese😊
Tip 2: Have a helper or a containment plan so we can include your pups in some shots and then safely pop them away for the rest of your photography session. While they always add smiles and fun, they can also be FANTASTIC at photo-bombing and poking their butts in every frame....funny, but probably not ideal for EVERY shot!
Tip 3: You already know this, but my ultimate mantra is "Safety First". Dogs may be unpredictable around newborns, if your pet isnt already very used to your new baby then during a newborn photo shoot (when youre going to be distracted) is not the time to introduce them.
Thats it!
xo rose
Read MoreIf you’re reading this, the likelihood is that you’re a new photographer looking to up your newborn game - welcome, Im glad youre here! Im going to walk through my process from initial contact to product delivery (Part One: pre-shoot, Part Two: shoot day and afterwards). If this article doesn’t cover all of your questions or you have questions about my gear or process then please do reach out via email or IG, Im always happy to help a fellow photographer if I can.
Booking a newborn photography session can be quite intimidating, its often one of the few times that we are in front of the camera and that can be nerve wracking. So heres a little break-down of a typical journey from that initial contact to you receiving your beautiful prints!
Read MoreEdit an image from a newborn photo shoot with me!
Read MoreWhen I take your pictures, I truly hope that some of them will end up on your walls or in a gorgeous album. I keep all of my print prices as low as I possibly can because the thought of all of your newborn or maternity photos sitting forever on a hard-drive makes me sad.
I work with Atkins, Australias oldest photographic print lab, to give you stunning quality products. I would never sell something that I didnt love and my home is filled with our family pictures, beautifully printed by Atkins. All of my packages include high resolution images so, if you want to, you can print them wherever you choose to. But I always warn clients that lots of prints labs can be unpredictable when it comes to the quality of the images. I spend a ridiculous amount of time perfecting the colours and contrast in all of your images so getting them printed by a lab who might not reproduce these things well also makes me sad!!
I have tried all of the main labs in the past and had very varied results but this time, I decided to really test them all out so that I can give all of you my very best advice when it comes to printing your photographs. I used the exact same images in the same size and finish so I could get a direct comparison, 1 colour and 1 black and white….
Read MoreBefore and after images from 2 newborn photography sessions - one recent and one 2 years ago.
Read MoreHi, its me, its Rose!
Im a real person and, if youre reading this post, its very possible that you and I are a lot alike.
Because primarily, Im a mum to my 3 radical hellcats: Bill (5.5), Chloë (3.5) and Lydia (1.5). I am so incredibly lucky to have not one but two jobs that I love (newborn and family photography, dream gig right?!!) and not one or two but THREE crazy children to fill my hours and days with yelling and fighting and sticky messes and so much love, love love. It is so busy being a working mum and probably about once every hour I get a mild panic of “Oh my god, Im not being PRESENT in this moment. Im emailing, Im scrolling IG, Im thinking about photography, Im thinking about something other than soaking in every single moment of my babys ever changing face!!!! ITS ALL GOING TOO FAST”
Read MoreOne of the most frequent questions I am asked is - “When is the best/right time to take newborn photos?”
And, like the midwife that I am at heart, I just can’t give a straight answer!! I honestly believe that there is no “right” time to take pictures, that your baby is never going to be not-cute or un-perfect, so all you really need to do is decide what works best for your family. To help with that decision making process, Ill break down a few pros and cons of the traditional first-2-weeks-of-life experience (we’ll call it early) vs older-than-2-weeks (we’ll call it later):
Read MoreNow, Im not your mother and I am most certainly not here to tell you what you can and can’t wear! Photographs should capture the essence of who you are, not my idea of how you should look. But often, people can feel nervous about their session and giving a little guidance on what looks great in front of my lens and what to avoid, can help you feel more comfortable and confident.
Read MoreI get lots of enquiries about whether I shoot newborn photography sessions in a studio or at home - all of my newborn photo shoots are done in your own home! Because I recommend taking your newborn pictures in the first 2 weeks of life, home is by far-and-away the best location.
Read MoreI once read a Reddit post from a man who had just lost his mother. When planning her funeral he found that he didn’t have a single picture of just his mother and very few of her even in the family pictures. He was imploring women to put aside their insecurities and be IN the picture because he had lost something so irreplaceable - tangible memories of his mother, memories that he could hold in his hands. I truly believe that we as women are programmed by nature or nurture to serve and to sacrifice. We are the nose wipers, the hair smoothers and the picture takers. We put ourselves behind to shine a light on the ones we love. And maybe we can only prioritise our own image through the context of what it will mean to our loved ones. We MUST wipe our own noses, smooth our hair back and take that spotlight ourselves - for ourselves, and the ones who treasure us. So please. Let me take your picture.
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