Outdoor newborn photography in Dorset
During the spring a couple of years ago, I took a newborn baby to a patch of bluebells in Dorset countryside. There, I did my first ever outdoor newborn photography photoshoot.
And, because I loved that session and the photos I created so much (and the baby’s parents did too!), every year since I’ve aimed to do more outdoor newborns.
This summer, I’ve tried a few new outdoor locations with newborn babies. I’ve been to the beach in Poole, and the forest and parks locally. Luckily for me, Dorset has plenty of beautiful locations to work from.
On-location baby photography
Outdoor baby photo sessions are quickly becoming one of my favourite things to do, but they can be quite challenging.
They are weather dependent for one thing, which is why I can’t offer them as a paid-for service; they’re just a personal project for now that I organise when the mood takes me, and the weather is fine.
It’s frustrating that I can’t do more though, to be honest. I’ve certainly had lots of interest from parents wanting to book me for an outdoor newborn photo session and I love doing them. But right now, they’re just something fun and challenging for me to try out with willing families.
Anyone who knows me well should know that I’m always up for a creative challenge!
The challenges of an outdoor newborn photoshoot
Another reason why photographers don’t typically offer outdoor newborn photography is that feeding the baby during the session can be tricky, and if you have a newborn you’ll know that they need feeding regularly when they are so small.
Without the comfortable seating that I have in my photography studio, and perhaps no seating at all depending on the location, an outdoor session with a newborn can be trickier for the parents.
Plus, you also have the fact that if you’re in a public location, there’s a high chance that other people will be nearby and may want to have a nosey at what we’re up to!
That said, I always choose quiet locations for my outdoor newborn photo sessions and do them when the sun is setting. This is when places like parks and beaches are usually quieter, and it’s when the light is absolutely gorgeous!
Sunset sessions are my favourite! The golden evening light is just perfect for photoshoots!
Interested in an outdoor newborn photoshoot?
If you’re expecting a baby and are interested in my newborn photography service, do get in touch.
For many years now, I’ve offered both studio photography and outdoor, on-location photography and I love the variety of my work. Take a look at my newborn gallery to see more examples of the images I’ve created for clients.
Outdoor newborn photography sessions are limited and only available at certain times of the year. But if you’re keen to know more, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram, as that’ll be where I announce any model calls for future outdoor newborn photoshoots.
Karen
Putting Dorset on the map: Recent international photography award wins!
International photography award!
As well as keeping busy in my photography studio creating portraits for my clients, I like to enter photographic competitions every now and then to keep me on my toes.
Getting my photography assessed and graded is an important way for me to learn how to keep improving my portrait photography.
Of course, winning a photography award is always lovely (and I’ve won many awards in the past). But that’s honestly not what I expect when I enter.
Award-winning portrait photographer
So, imagine my surprise when I entered the RISE photography awards recently and came away with a Bronze award in the Newborn Photography category and three Silver awards; two in the Children’s Photography category and one in the Maternity Photography category.
Best of all, I also had an image shortlisted for the Final in the Newborn category. It was selected by the judges as one of the best top 20 images from a total of 1100 entries in its category! OMG!
I was completely bowled over when I heard the news and felt very proud of myself, that’s for sure!
International photography awards
The RISE Awards are huge in the portrait photography industry.
They were founded by Australian newborn photographer Kelly Brown, who’s the very best photographer in the newborn industry in my opinion. I had the pleasure of attending one of Kelly’s photography workshops a few years ago, which I wrote about on the blog.)
The RISE international photography award is a competition open to portrait photographers all over the world.
There were over 4000 entries in total by photographers across the nine categories; maternity photography, birth photography, newborn photography, baby photography, children photography, family photography, pet/animal photography, portrait, photography, and wedding photography.
Winning these international photography awards for my newborn, child and maternity portraits is a great personal achievement, and I hope gives you some reassurance that my work is of the highest quality.
Over the summer, I also won two Gold awards with the Societies of Photographers for my outdoor newborn portraits, so that was another highlight as well!
If you’d like to book a portrait session with me, get in touch as soon as possible to secure one of the last few slots I have available this year.
Karen x
Introducing my new fruit smash photoshoot!
Here at my Poole-based studio, I’ve literally done hundreds of cake smashes and still love doing them! My cake smash sessions are among the most popular of my baby photography services.
(Take a look at this video to see behind the scenes. It reveals what happens during one of my cake smash sessions. As you’ll see, there are smiles all round!)
But if you’ve been put off booking one, then perhaps you may prefer a new twist on the traditional cake smash photoshoot?
I’m now offering fruit smash sessions!
Fruit smash sessions are a fun alternative to a classic cake smash.
You’ve guessed it! I use lots of lovely, colourful fruit rather than a giant cupcake, but the concept is exactly the same.
Your baby has an absolute blast munching and scrunching their way through the delicious fruit. I capture all the fun in adorable pictures that will make a colourful addition to your walls at home.
On my Facebook page, I’ve shared this cute video showing a small baby sitting in a watermelon. Worth taking a look if you missed it!
The baby was so happy and loved chewing at the fruit, as your baby would do at their own fruit smash photo session! It’s a healthy snack too!
What’s involved in a fruit smash photoshoot?
A fruit smash session includes portraits of your baby before the messy fun begins! I’ll capture a variety of cute images of them sitting and playing against a colourful backdrop from my signature backdrop collection.
If the photoshoot has been organised to coincide with your baby’s first birthday, I’ll also use large wooden letters spelling out the word ‘one’ in the photos. Some children try to eat the letters! Thankfully, they’re pretty indestructible!
Older babies also welcome though as I explain in this blog about when to book a cake smash session.
Then, the entertainment begins when I bring out the fruit. I’ll arrange a display of brightly coloured, fresh, seasonal fruit.
As with my traditional cake smash portrait sessions, the baby will probably love the colours and also the taste of the fruit. So, they’ll be delighted to have the chance to tuck in. They’re welcome to make as much mess as they like!
I’ll also take photographs as your child gets cleaned up afterwards. Warm water and bubbles are the order of the day and are included in every session. Your baby can even have a fruit-filled bath! It’s another fun, sensory experience for them!
Cake Smash or Fruit Smash photoshoot? What would you choose?
Cake smash sessions have been popular for many years now and their popularity shows no sign of slowing down! The reason is clear. It’s a messy but 100% fun-filled session that both children and parents love. The photographs are a fantastic memento.
As well as being perfect for your walls at home, the cake smash or fruit smash portraits can also be used to personalise party invitations, gift cards, photo gifts and calendars. There are so many ways you could use the photos. I’m confident that they’d make you crack a smile each time you looked at them!
Book a fruit smash photoshoot today
If a fruit smash session sounds like something you think your baby would love, get in touch today. Complete this form to secure a date for yours. I look forward to having you in the studio soon!
Karen x
The joys of a cake smash and bath splash session
If you’re a toddler, splashing around in warm, silky bubbles is just so much fun! Which is why I always include a bubble bath splash session in every one of my popular cake smash photoshoots.
Today, I wanted to share with you some of the fun my little clients have during a cake smash and bath splash session here at KW Photography.
Bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles!
It’s certainly a highlight of my day seeing babies and children enjoying themselves during their photoshoot with me. The smiling faces and squeals of delight during a cake smash and bath splash session are just so adorable!
I bring the warm bubbles into the photography studio towards the end of the cake smash session. At this point, the cake has usually been well and truly destroyed and baby needs a good clean up!
I have the cutest miniature roll-top bath which is just the perfect size for little ones. And I always use plenty of bath mixture to ensure they have lots of bubbles to play with.
A Cake Smash and Bath Splash: Messy fun for everyone!
As you’ll have probably seen if you’ve taken a look at my cake smash portrait gallery already, cake smash sessions can get very messy!
So, the bath splash is not only a great tactic for keeping your baby entertained during the cake smash shoot, but it also allows me to create a greater variety of images for you to feature on your walls at home.
And it also has a practical purpose, of course – I wouldn’t want to be sending you home with a child covered in cake! I don’t think it would do the upholstery in your car much good!
Happy babies, happy memories
My years of experience as a baby photographer has taught me that I get the best portraits of your little ones if they’re enjoying themselves during their time with me.
So, whether you’re visiting for a cake smash session, for one of your ‘My First Year’ baby portrait sessions, or a family photoshoot, I’ll be sure to keep them entertained.
Cake smash and bath splash sessions
Follow these links to discover more about what’s involved in a cake smash, when to book your cake smash photoshoot and to see a cake smash session in action!
And if you’re interested in booking a cake smash or baby portrait session please get in touch by completing this contact form.
Karen x
Introducing the KW Photography Baby Oscars
And the Award goes to…
This Sunday, the 89th Academy Awards – a.k.a. the Oscars – will be held in Hollywood. The great and the good from the movie industry will attend and the best actors, actresses and movies of the past year will be celebrated. So here at KW HQ we decided we needed our own version The Baby Oscars
Purely in the name of fun, I have decided to create my very own version of the Oscars to tie in with this prestigious event.
Having had my photography business established for six years now, I have a tonne of adorable newborn baby and kids portraits in my portfolio.
So, I thought it would be fun to look back and celebrate some of these gorgeous children.
I love photographing children of all ages
Babies and children are just the cutest people to photograph.
Those of you who have hired me as your portrait photographer and recommended me to your friends will know that I absolutely LOVE my job.
Getting to meet so many delightful little people makes my work so much fun!
The innocence of a sleeping newborn right through to the mischievous grins of a one-year-old during their first birthday cake smash shoot are just some of the things I enjoy the most.
So, ladies and gentleman, without further ado, let me introduce you to…
The KW Photography Baby Oscars
In this inaugural KW Photography Baby Oscars, I’m celebrating some of my favourite images from the past year.
And there are prizes for the winners – if your child is featured below please contact me via the comments box below to claim your prize which is a free 10 x 8 print worth £25.00.
The KW Photography Baby Oscar for the ‘Best Newborn Smile’ goes to…
Bea: Back in July 2016, Bea came along with her mummy and absolutely stole my heart with her great big grin. She was just six weeks old at the time and really loved that camera. Yeah baby!
The KW Photography Baby Oscar for the ‘Best Pout’ goes to…
Theo: This was an easy one to choose. There was no contest really!
All Theo had to do during his photo session was to enjoy his cake smash cake and be the star of my cake smash video. But, no, he had other ideas!
It’s true what they say about working with kids and animals! Ha ha!
The KW Photography Baby Oscar for the ‘Best Yawn’ goes to…
Benjamin: Just look at that sleepy head! Oh, it’s such hard work being just a few days old!
The KW Photography Baby Oscar for the ‘Best Splash’ goes to…
Alyssa: I had so many adorable children in for cake smashes during 2016. Alyssa’s still makes me laugh out loud! She was so excited!
The KW Photography Baby Oscar for the ‘Best Smash’ goes to…
Woody, Hugo and Rosie: Being triplets, they will have to share their cake smash crown, just as they shared their cake. Hats off to mummy and daddy! Triplets as active as these three needs heaps of energy!
The KW Photography Baby Oscar for the ‘Best Chin Dimple’ goes to…
Daisy: Perfect in every way! I love her gorgeous little chin dimple.
The KW Photography Baby Oscar for the ‘Best Newborn Hair’ goes to…
Florence: Just look at those gorgeous locks!
The KW Photography Baby Oscar for the ‘Best Dressed’ goes to…
Elsie: She wins the best-dressed crown hands down. She stole the show in her mummy’s wedding dress.
KW Photography Baby Oscars winners
So, that’s my 2017 KW Photography Baby Oscars award winners!
I hope that you have enjoyed these pictures as much as I have enjoyed taking them? Which is your favourite? Do let me know in the comments.
And, don’t forget mummies and daddies, if your child has been featured please also comment on the blog to get in touch about your prize.
Have a great weekend everyone ☺
Karen x
Christmas baby portraits: How I created these ‘Elf on the shelf’ images
Christmas baby portraits
With Christmas coming up, naturally, I have been taking lots of themed Christmas baby portraits these past few weeks. I just adore them, and every one goes crazy for the elf on the shelf!
Parents do too! And, why not?! There’s so much to love! They can be used on personalised Christmas cards. And they make great Christmas presents for family and friends when printed and framed, or used in photo gifts.
Christmas baby portraits are lovely both to give, and to receive.
Elf on the Shelf inspired portraits
I have particularly enjoyed working on a new concept this year. A creative setup, inspired by the ‘Elf on the Shelf’ craze.
Elf on the Shelf has increased in popularity, here in the UK, over the past few years. So I thought it would be fun to transform a few gorgeous newborns into little elves and capture them sleeping on their very own ‘shelf’.
I say ‘shelf’ in adverted commas since they were not perched on a shelf, of course. It’s simply a clever optical illusion. If you’d like to know how I safely created these Elf on the Shelf-inspired portraits, read on!
Newborn photography: Tricks of the trade
Now, it’s important for you to realize that I would never balance a baby on a shelf or hang them from a height.
Nor would I position them in a basket that was at risk of toppling over. Or in a way that they were required to support their own head in their hands.
That just wouldn’t be safe.
Composite newborn images
All my portraits are taken in the safe, warm environment of my photography studio and the baby’s parents are always close by as well.
‘Composite’ newborn baby portraits like the one above are actually created after the photoshoot. They are essentially one or more photographs combined together using digital editing techniques.
Although the majority of the work is done in the photography studio, editing is an essential element in the success of this kind of image.
How I created the sleeping ‘Elf on the Shelf’ portrait
For the photo above, I setup the shot of the baby resting her head on the teddy bear, while laying on the shelf. The shelf was balanced and securely positioned on a chair, and the baby was held safely in position by the parent at all times.
The final image was achieved when I combined several photographs together. I removed the parents’ hand and the chair from the photographs during the digital editing process. Clever huh?
(For more of an insight into this process, take a look at how composite newborn images are created here).
Clever Christmas baby portraits
Here’s another Elf on the Shelf portrait. This one was tricky to setup, but was worth it!
Although the baby appears to be sitting on the shelf, he was actually lying, safely and comfortably, on his back on the floor.
I deliberately chose the rustic wooden backdrop which looked like the interior wall of a winter log cabin, and then propped the shelf up against his legs and bottom.
To complete the illusion, the props were also carefully positioned alongside him, and stuck down with tape to stop them from falling to the side. Then I photographed the whole setup from above, with my camera looking directly down to the floor.
Ensuring baby’s safety at all times
Of course, I wanted it to appear as though these babies were really positioned on the shelf.
But, as with any other portraits that I create that appear to put the baby in a position of potential danger, I can assure you that these are all created 100% safely.
Book your photoshoot today!
These are just a couple of examples of creative portraits that I produce for my clients within my signature newborn photography experience.
If you’d like something similar with your newborn baby, whatever the time of year, please contact me today.
Karen x
Smile baby! Newborn, baby and child photography
Is there anything more adorable than a smiling baby?
Lucky for me, I get to meet so many gorgeous little ones in my job in newborn, baby and child photography.
And since it was World Smile Day recently, I felt it fitting to collate a collection of some of my recent ‘smiley’ portraits for you to enjoy.
To sleep or not to sleep…
The majority of newborn babies I photograph are less than two weeks old. At that age, they typically spend up to 18 hours per day asleep.
So it’s no surprise then that they spend most of the photoshoot blissfully unaware of the flashing camera. Safely in the land of nod.
But there are always a few cheeky ones!
Sometimes the babies I photograph just refuse to play ball. They’ll be wide awake and taking it all in. This is really lovely if it happens. It gives me the opportunity to capture some great open-eyed shots, like this.
Smile, smile, smile
And if I’m REALLY lucky, they’ll flash me a super-cute smile too!
Babies don’t usually smile before the six-week mark. Anything before that is an unconscious reflex, similar to the jerky arm and leg movements that they do in their first few weeks.
But if they do smile, it’s unbelievably cute! If I can capture any smiling shots for the parents, I always will. Seeing their baby’s smiling face for the very first time is just magic!
Natural smiles are the best!
Older babies, toddlers and young children also regularly give me the most adorable grins.
Unfortunately, as kids get older they learn to give the posed “cheeeeseeee” grins whenever a camera is presented in front of them. This isn’t so great, and it’s one of my daily challenges when working with toddlers and older children.
But capturing a natural smile, when the child’s eyes and entire face light up, is fantastic at any age.
I hope you enjoy the smiles! I love baby and child photography!
If you are expecting a baby and wish to discover more about my newborn photography sessions, visit my Frequently Asked Questions page as well as my Newborn Photography Guide here.
Don’t forget to book as early as possible to secure your preferred date. Book around the time of your 20-week scan if possible. Slots do fill up fast!
Until next time,
Karen x
Radio Ga Ga , adventures of a Newborn Baby Photographer
Those of you who’ve met me will know that I’m not someone who craves the limelight, but when I’ve something important to say I’m happy to make my views known. And, yesterday I got to share the important message about safe practice in newborn baby photography when I was interviewed live on BBC Radio Solent and on BBC Radio West Dorset.
It’s something I’ve been talking about a lot on here recently as I believe the safety of the baby MUST come first, and that newborns shouldn’t be put in danger for the sake of a photograph. All safety-trained professional photographers know this of course, but parents using newborn photographers don’t necessarily realise how complex poses are created. So, I wanted to do my bit to increase awareness.
I arrived at the Bournemouth International Centre early yesterday morning and was chaperoned to the unmanned studio based there, shortly afterwards to be linked to Julian Clegg and his team who were broadcasting live from Southampton. Eek! At this point the nerves really set in!
Julian was great though and, after a friendly introduction, gave me five minutes of airtime to discuss how newborn photography can be practiced safely and to explain how posed shots, like the ‘head in hands’ shot is created using digital imagery techniques. The subject sparked a bit of controversy as not everyone is a fan of newborn photography of course but, as I stressed in the interview, I prefer the more natural baby poses myself although am trained and able to safely create the composite images such as the head in hands if a parent requests it.
I had a second interview on BBC Radio West Dorset as well, and have also recently been featured in the Bournemouth Daily Echo.
I hope that my small part in spreading awareness about this important issue helps to keep more babies safe during their newborn photoshoots.
Until next time,
Karen x
Fantastic Mr Fox, Newborn Photography
Creating composite images: A behind-the-scenes look at how it’s done
Hello everyone! This week I’ve been busy in the studio creating a fantastic Mr fox photo, once again working with children and animals (I must be mad, ha ha!).
As you may know I’ve photographed dogs and ducks before but this was the first time ever that the KW photography studio had been visited by a pair of chickens! Kindly brought in by my pal Laurraine, these lovely clucky feathered friends, Thelma & Louise became the co-stars of a photograph that’s due to be published in an up-coming edition of DORSET magazine in conjunction with CobWebKnits.
Because I like to do things differently every now and then, I wanted to capture the hens alongside a sleeping newborn baby wearing an adorable fox hat by CobWebKnits; our very own ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ and his clucking friends!
Here I’m going to explain how I took the concept from a vision to reality, and how I achieved the final, composite, image; what I’m calling my ‘clucking creation’! Suffice to say that it involved a lot of chasing chickens around the studio (!), all the usual newborn baby soothing and posing, and then some magic in Photoshop.
Most importantly, at no time was the baby actually in the studio at the same time as the chickens, as I am absolutely committed to ensuring a baby’s safety at all times. (You may also be interested in my recent blog post about safety in newborn photography here). Im also a member of BANPAS.
The chicken session
Stage one was the chicken shoot! They came in the day before baby was due to be photographed, and kept Laurraine and I on our toes, as we followed them around the studio and repeatedly placed them in position (they weren’t very cooperative!). Honestly, you should have seen us! We had such fun. It was like the famous Benny Hill sketch with the chasing chickens – we just needed the music to be playing in the background to match the mood in the studio that day!
The baby session
Next up was gorgeous baby Arlo, just eight days new. He came in the following day, once I’d thoroughly cleaned up the studio, leaving no trace at all of the feathered fun that we had had.
Positioned safely within the basket with his mum carefully holding and supporting him at all times, Arlo was such an adorable, obliging subject. He slept well while I took the shots, including this one of him in the ‘head on hands’ pose
It’s magic!
The final stage, the post-production stage, is when I was able to combine the two images together. Thanks to the magic of Photoshop it appears that Arlo was posed without support, and that the chicken and Mr Fox were photographed together, but as you all now know… they weren’t.
Check out the video of the shoot here
to take a closer look at how it was done. I hope you enjoy!
Until next time,
Karen x
MAMUK commissions KW Photography
National baby brand commission complete for MAMUK!
If you’ve been to me for a newborn photoshoot this year you’ll be well aware that I have been working for national baby brand MAM UK. They are the lovely people who have been providing loads of free baby products which I have been giving out to you all in goody bags after every newborn photo session!
The partnership with MAM UK came about earlier this year, after they saw an article with some of my newborn portraits in the national press. They liked my work so contacted me and we’ve worked together ever since. I’m hugely excited about it because while I have done commercial photography projects before, this is my first commission from a national brand!
MAMUK was after some new baby-focussed photography for their marketing materials. So I recently photographed their new range of dummies at my Poole-based photographic studio with the assistance of some obliging and extremely gorgeous baby models Marnie , Daisy Theo and Max – I couldn’t have done it without you!
After sending off the final images to MAM UK, not only did I get some really positive feedback from them but I’m delighted to see that they have already started to use the images in national advertising and in social media campaigns!
They’ve been posting the new campaign on their Facebook page and you can also find out more about the great range of MAM UK baby products on their website.
