Baby Photography form a clients view

Getting Your Baby Snaps… AH-TISH-SHOO!

A-TISH-SHOO!! AHHHHHH-TISH-SHOO! No, don’t worry I haven’t got a cold and nor has the wonderful Karen from KW Photography, though with all the A-Tish-Shoos you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise. However, fake sneezes and giant raspberries are one of the many ways in which Karen manages to coax the most gorgeous smiles out of the little ones she photographs on a daily basis…

When I was pregnant, I knew that at some point I would want to get some pregnancy pictures despite the fact that other than the odd selfie I HATE having pictures taken – I just do not think I am very photogenic at all. Anyway, I happened to mention to my family, that at some point I would love some pictures done and my wonderful sister and brother-in-law gifted me a maternity photo shoot for my eighth month of pregnancy and it is here that my story begins.

My sister sent me the link for KW Photography so I I could look at the style of photos done by a lady called Karen. I totally fell in love with them and the session was booked. You have no idea how close I came to not having these done…

I booked in at 8 months so I was nice and big and the session was wonderful. Karen was very calming and constantly checking I was okay and guided me very gently through the photo sessions. We did several different types of photos and I had some wonderful pictures to look through and choose from. One of the things I love about Karen is that she has so many different photo packages to suit everyone from digital to canvases and prints!

Remember I said that I was lucky to get these done? Well, I had these done on a Wednesday in July and on that very Sunday Alyssa arrived!! Talk about timing… turns out I had been in labour the whole week… hence feeling slightly uncomfortable for a while. I am so glad I managed to get these shots done though because I think they truly reflect how happy I was to be carrying my little girl in my tummy! Little did I know

That my photography relationship with Karen was only just beginning!

When I had been there for my maternity shoot, it was hard not to notice the wonderful photos of children all around the studio. Karen specialises in Newborn and Baby Photography and is known as something called “A Baby Whisperer!” Like the horse whisperer only with babies… just to make that clear. So, I didn’t think twice and we penciled in a time for Alyssa to do a newborn photoshoot which usually happens within the first two weeks post-birth. Of course, as it happens, Alyssa was five weeks old when she had hers done because we were in the hospital for a while after she was born. It didn’t matter though and the experience was amazing.

Alyssa and I arrived on our own and it was just lovely. Karen made me a cup of tea and Alyssa lay asleep in my arms. I handed Alyssa to Karen who stood rocking her for a while and then I sat and watched as slowly she placed Alyssa on a giant cushion that had been set up to take pictures of her on. It was amazing to see how, whilst

Alyssa was asleep, Karen was able  to move her into different positions and wrap her or dress her in different outfits. To be honest, it was so relaxing for a new mum who, like all new parents, felt like they’d been on a bit of a journey and back recently.

Alyssa stirred occasionally but with a stroke of the cheek from Karen she nestled back down – being slightly awkward at times by refusing to tuck her feet in. She only woke once in the entire session and had a little bit of milk to settle her back off again. Whilst she fed, Karen completely transformed the room and created a new set-up for Alyssa to be photographed in. For this, Alyssa was briefly awake and nosy as ever as she stared up at Karen wondering what was going on. After a few photos awake, she closed her eyes, snuggled down and went back to sleep, perfectly content. The whole session took about 3 hours because Alyssa woke up and it’s advised it can take anywhere from 2-4 depending on the baby. The time flew by and it felt like only five minutes. It was such a calm and relaxing space to be in and as I said an absolute joy to watch – Karen treats each baby as if they were her own.

At the end of the photo session I gave Karen my details and also approval to share any of Alyssa’s photos on her business page and awaited eagerly for the photos. I didn’t have to wait long as within 24 hours, Karen had posted an edited picture as a sneak peak to the album. 10

days later (can be up to 14) I received an email with a link to an album so I could view and select the photos I wanted….OMG! I couldn’t choose, I wanted them all and actually ended up having them all! What was really nice was that Karen had included taking a picture of Alyssa and I together at the end and you can just see the joy in my face.

Once I had ordered and paid for the photos, only two days later this beautiful box with a wooden USB (I had ordered the digital package) beautifully wrapped arrived through the post with all of the photos on it. This was just the icing on the cake to the whole experience. It was then that I messaged Karen saying that actually I wanted to do the whole Baby’s First Year Package – Newborn, Sitting (around 7-8m) and First Birthday! I roughly booked it in, we stayed in touch and I went back to looking adoringly at the photos over and over again!

Fast forward 7 months and one sunny afternoon I found myself back on Karen’s doorstep with my beautiful bouncing baby in my arms. I should say that this was the second time in a month I found myself on her doorstep because the first time we tried to take some pictures, Alyssa was

ill and we had to give up after ten minutes. Karen was so understanding and we re-booked and here we were.

This time, I was much more involved and helped place Alyssa and make sure she didn’t fall over whilst Karen was in front with a camera doing everything she could to make Alyssa laugh and smile. To be honest, it didn’t take much. I think Karen had Alyssa at “Hello!” It was lovely being involved and being up close watching how Alyssa interacted in the situation. Now I know she likes attention and is a little bit camera happy but this was something else… she completely turned it on. She had raspberry competitions with Karen and laughed her head of when Karen began fake sneezing at her. Then she leaned in raising her eyebrows, showing her cheeky grin and waving away… lapping up the attention.

We took so many different shots and each came with a scene change that was so quick whilst we changed Alyssa into a different outfit – we took some of our own clothes but Karen has an overflowing wardrobe of outfits and accessories too! Once we were done we sat chatting as I dressed Alyssa and Alyssa has this thing… if she likes someone she dips her head to one side down onto a shoulder, looks at them and grins. It is very cute, cheeky and flirty and oh my goodness she must have given Karen about 10 head dip and smiles (think of it as the bend and snap for babies!!) In such a short amount of time, Karen created a lovely bond with her.

In next to no time, an email appeared once again giving me access to view the amazing shots Karen had once again taken. It is so difficult to choose though. Once again, I chose a digital package and received my little wooden box with the photos in again. Once I have loaded these onto my computer, I put each little box into Alyssa’s memory box as something for her to look at when she is older.

Now, we have a few months break until Alyssa’s first birthday when we join Karen to celebrate it with a Cake Smash (you must have seen her Cake Smash video… it went viral!! If not click here to see it!) and we can’t wait!

Thank you so much Karen for helping me to watch my little girl grow up and create and preserve such special moments. Thank you also for creating that unique bond with the babies big and small that come through your door. You make becoming a parent even more special than it already is. We look forward to seeing you soon!

This post was written by Katie over at www.mummyinatutu.co.uk where you can subscribe to hear all about her other posts too.

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Newborn photography workshop with the amazing Kelly Brown

I’ve had my photography business for five years now. I’m a professional photography trainer and mentor, a Craftsman in child portraiture and I have previously won the photographer of the year award with The Guild of Photographers. Yet if you’re a client of mine you’ll probably already know that I’m not one to rest on my laurels. i love training and love attending newborn photography workshop.

I’ve never sat back and thought that I knew all there is to know about newborn photography. I just love learning new photography techniques and tricks to make my photographs even better. 

I visit my mentor Damian McGillicuddy up in Chester every six weeks and have been doing so for 3 years now. It’s long old drive up there (the longest journey took me 9 hours once!) so the fact that I’ve stuck with it shows I’m very dedicated to my professional development! 

Ultimately all this mentoring and training helps me run a better photography studio for you, my lovely clients.

Last year I bagged myself a seat on a newborn photography workshop with the amazing Kelly Brown from Australia.

The workshop, unbelievably, sold out in 7 minutes! That’s 60 places gone in just 7 minutes! That shows what a huge figure she is in this industry. 

So the excitement has built over the months leading up to the workshop and then, last week, I finally got to have my training weekend with her. Now, Kelly has been on my bucket list to train with since I started newborn photography four years ago. 

She has been an absolute inspiration and I admit she’s been a photography crush of mine since I first watched her on creative live doing a talk on newborn photography. I have admired her amazing award-winning images from afar and so naturally jumped at this exclusive chance to meet her in person and benefit from her expertise while she was briefly in the UK.

So I packed my bags and headed to London to Russ Jacksons studio for the weekend. Wow! What a weekend it was. 

Kelly flew in from Australia the day before our workshop and managed to create some fab shots despite her jetlag! 

 We had three gorgeous newborn girls as models for the day and Kelly made posing them look like a breeze. 

While much of what was covered mirrored what I already do, I definitely picked up a few tips from the weekend which I plan to incorporate into my own sessions. I also met lots of lovely people on the workshop and Kelly even took us all out for dinner afterwards. It was a real hoot! 

Because I just love to evolve and grow as a photographer I will keep attending my mentoring sessions and training workshops. Hopefully you’ll see my photography evolving as a result.

Here’s a few photos from the workshop. They were posed by Kelly Brown, photographed by me. 

Don’t forget to keep up to date with all my latest news, tips and occasional special offers by signing up to my newsletter.

Bye for now 

Karen x

I’m so excited about my new promotional video that I had to share it with you!

Those of you who follow my Facebook page will know that I’ve been working very hard behind the scenes in the past few months revamping my photography studio.

It’s had more than just a lick of paint, let me assure you! I’ve bought and decorated new furniture and given it all a fresh shabby chic feel, had a HUGE reorganisation of all my lovely photo props, updated my artwork displays and given my awards and certificates a place to shine, and de-cluttered on a massive scale! I’ve basically reorganised the whole setup.

Outside, the studio front door has had a fresh lick of paint, I had a brand new driveway done and have made the entrance more attractive with decorative plants and improved signage.

When the work was complete – exhausted but as proud as punch with the results – I then arranged to have a professional video produced. Scary but exciting!

The camera team filmed me working on two newborn photoshoots, capturing the clients arriving and right through the entire process; showing what happens at a typical newborn session.

I would love to know what you think? Please do comment to let me know.

Karen x

Untrained newborn photographers putting babies in danger

This isn’t the first time that I’m writing about the importance of newborn baby safety during photoshoots, but I feel compelled to write about it again today as sadly I’ve learned of a few incidents in the past few days whereby babies are being unsafely handled by untrained photographers.

In the past week stories have come to light which have literally sent shudders down my spine. Supposedly ‘professional’ newborn photographers at two different high street photography studios have reportedly attempted dangerously complex poses with young babies; leaving them propped up without support, and so being expected to hold their own heads at just days old.  This is so dangerous!

If you are a parent considering hiring a photographer to take photos of your newborn baby please take heed of my advice:

1.Ask for a photographer’s credentials before hiring them

Look for evidence of their membership of organisations such as BANPAS. Members who have demonstrated that they adhere to BANPAS’ professional code of conduct are permitted to feature the BANPAS logo on their website, and will proudly mention any professional training that they have completed

2.Enquire about safe practices

Check the photographer’s website for information, or ask them directly, about how they achieve baby poses such as the popular ‘hands supporting head’ and baby ‘suspended from a sling’ poses. A trained photographer will be able to provide examples of how these poses are created safely and with the baby being supported at all times

3.Know your baby’s limits

Be aware that a newborn baby is unable to support the weight of its own head and therefore any images suggesting this must be ‘composite’ images; a combination of two images, taken safely and with the support of an adult which is later removed via image editing software. A baby should NOT be placed in this position and then the photograph be taken before they topple over

4.If you’re not happy, say no!

Ensure that your newborn photographer does NOT position your baby’s head and hands over the edge of a container, nor place them in any kind of container or basket that is not weighted down.Always have a spotter next to the baby in the prop ready to spring into action if the baby moves. Do not let your photographer put your baby in any position which makes you feel uncomfortable about your baby’s safety

5.Check that your baby is happy

Although a newborn is usually asleep during a photoshoot, he will let you know if he is uncomfortable, cold, awkward or just unhappy in some way. Ensure at all times that the baby’s temperature seems satisfactory and that his circulation is no restricted as a result of being put in a certain position. Fingers and toes should be pink, not blue!

It’s absolutely appalling and completely unacceptable that babies are being put in dangerous poses and handled like ragdolls by untrained photographers. At no time during a newborn photoshoot should a baby be uncomfortable, squashed or at risk of falling.

A professionally trained photographer knows how to safely handle and position the baby, and create complex poses without putting the baby in any discomfort or at any risk whatsoever.

The image here shows how the ‘head on hands’ pose should be done – with the baby being supported at all times, then two images being combined with digital editing software to make the baby appear unsupported.

As the industry is currently unregulated and therefore there are no formal newborn baby safety training or qualifications that newborn photographers must complete before being able to setup a commercial studio, I’m aiming to do what I can to help raise awareness among parents of the need to choose a professional, safety-trained photographer.

And if you are a fellow newborn photographer reading this, please also do your bit. Ensure to always work safely, take up regular professional safety training, keep standards high and do what you can to raise awareness among your clients as well.  It will help to keep young babies out of danger and prevent the type of accidents that have happened in the past few days.

Karen x

What makes a great Black and White?

It struck me today that most people love a good black and white photo but actually if they are choosing individual photos for their Usb then they rarely pick the B&W one and choose the colour version.

I wonder why this is as some newborn shots just lend themselves to be in B&W whilst others just don’t work so well. When I create a gallery I will convert the photos to Black and White that I feel are the best suited to that treatment. Now I don’t just turn the colour slider down, nope there is quite a lot that goes into making an image in B&W I have specialist software that actually helps make an image pop in monotone and not look a sort of washed-out grey that most people would be able to achieve. So do you choose the colour and then try to convert it yourself?

I guess if I didn’t understand the process I would just assume a photographer just presses a button in photoshop to get a black and white image…well we don’t.

I always say to my clients if you want a particular photo in B&W then let me know and I will convert it for you so you get a good photo and not a meh grey one, and I’m sure any other photographer would tell you the same.

Heres todays Black and white Newborn shot, Daddy came along after a night shift with Baby M and i love both versions of this so you decide…………………..Colour or B and W?

First Birthday sessions

First Birthday sessions are lots of fun and certainly a great time to capture some special memories. What better than bringing your baby to our studio in Poole Dorset for a relaxed photoshoot to celebrate their first birthday

Isabelle’s Mummy and Daddy chose to celebrate her first year with a lovely photoshoot. They hadn’t been to me before but booked the session from a friend’s recommendation and came over from Christchurch for the session. We chatted before and decided when would be the best time for Isabelle to fit in-between food and sleep ( two important things for a One year old) and settled on a perfect time.

The family arrived ready with a few outfits or they could have chosen some from the studio wardrobe. Straight away and we got started….well Isabelle was just the funniest little one-year-old, all smiles and giggles and the resulting photos just showed her personality perfectly. Mummy and Daddy are very pleased with their gorgeous gallery and chose to have the photos on a USB.

I just absolutely love capturing cheeky grins and wrinkly nose smiles and Isabelle was no exception She had some fabulous faces to pull. She loved every second of her limelight and adored the camera. Straight away she was relaxed and having fun and Mummy and Daddy got super memories to cherish. It’s safe to say Mummy and Daddy were thrilled with their photos and can’t wait to get them hanging on the walls. KW Photography provides a wide range of professional photography products from wall art to folio boxes.

What a wonderful way to remember your little ones’ first birthday! If you are interested in more information on the type of sessions on offer for first birthdays then please do just contact me and i can provide any info you need.

Bye for now

Love Karen x