What new parents need to know before hiring a newborn photographer

If you’ve never hired a newborn photographer (or any kind of studio photographer before) then I completely understand that there is a lot for you to take on board when making the decision about who to choose.

Hiring a newborn photographer isn’t just a case of searching for one in Google and choosing the first one you find. (That’s not the approach I would recommend anyway).

No, there’s far more to it than that because there are many photographers out there, and not all are created equal.

So, in today’s blog, I’m sharing with you some of the key things I believe that parents need to know before hiring a newborn photographer.

My hope is that you can get yourself clued up about newborn photography as far as possible in advance of your baby arriving. Then, having done your research in advance and being fully prepared, you’ll make the right decision about who to hire and will thoroughly enjoy your newborn photoshoot experience as a result.

Important things to consider when choosing a newborn photographer

  1. Safety

There is currently no official qualification that a newborn photographer needs to achieve which means that it’s really important that you choose yours carefully.

Do your homework into how they handle babies to achieve the photos they showcase on their website.

Some popular newborn photography poses seem to defy gravity. They show a sleeping baby supporting the weight of their own head (which is impossible!). Or, they are positioned on a shelf or hung from a height (which would be unsafe if not done properly).

Does the photographer you are considering talk about newborn safety on their website?

Do they discuss it in their blog (as I have done here) or on their social media? Have they been quoted in the media or written articles about it? Basically, do they mention it as being highly important? Or, in contrast, do they not talk about it at all?

No prominent mention of baby safety on a newborn photographer’s website should set off alarm bells in your head! This is my absolute number one priority, as it should be. Safety should always come first!

  1. Experience

Before hiring a newborn photographer, I’d always recommend that you aim to hire someone who has a lot of experience and who is a specialist in handling babies.

Newborn baby photography is a specialist skill. As a parent myself, I know that I’d only want to put my precious newborn in the hands of someone who knows how to handle them safely.

To see how experienced a photographer is, look on their website for examples of their work. Do they show a variety of example images which indicate that they have been established for a while?

Also, look online for reviews from happy customers. Do they have a highly-rated service on Google and Facebook? The more established newborn photographers will have many happy customers and positive reviews.

  1. Style

When deciding on which newborn photographer to hire, style is a big part of the decision process. Quite simply, you should hire a photographer whose work you absolutely love. And if you’ve not found that photographer yet, keep looking!

The images you see on their website galleries and shared on their social media pages should make you smile, coo and perhaps even cry! They should move you.

There should be an emotional connection to the images, and once you feel this…bingo! You’ve found the right baby photographer for you.

Honestly, once you’ve found the one, you’ll know.  You’ll feel it in your gut that their work is the exact style you are after, and you’ll be excited to hire them.

  1. Location

Location is an important factor, but it needn’t be the deciding factor.

There is no reason why you cannot travel across the county, or even the country, to have your baby photographed by the newborn photographer you want to hire.

I say this because although I am based in Poole in Dorset, I very often have clients travelling from not only Dorset and the neighbouring county of Hampshire, but also from much further afield.

Clients regularly travel to me from London, Birmingham and even on a number of occasions, clients have travelled from abroad to be photographed by me.

  1. Cost of hiring a newborn photographer

While I’m not suggesting that you should max out your budget on newborn photos, you shouldn’t be looking to hire the cheapest photographer out there either.

As with everything in life, I believe that you get what you pay for. Cheap baby photos may seem a bargain but they’re not going to be the best quality. If something seems extremely cheap, ask yourself why that might be.

I’d highly recommend that you view consider price in your decision making, but that you don’t let low prices determine which photographer you choose.

As an experienced, multi-award-winning newborn photographer myself, I’m certainly not the cheapest in the area. But I believe that I offer great value photography considering my expertise (I’ve photographed over 700 newborns over the past eight years) and that my prices are a fair reflection of the quality of service and images that I provide to my photography clients.

Are you considering hiring a newborn photographer?

Please complete this contact form to get in touch with me if you think I may be the perfect newborn photographer for you!

And if you know any other parents-to-be who are also considering hiring a newborn photographer, then please do share this article with them too. Thank you!

Karen x


Create Newborn photos at home.

DIY Newborn photos

What strange times we are living in, week 5 of a national lockdown and we are getting full-on cabin fever. So I thought i’d add you useful tips on DIY newborn photos to my blog.

My days consist mostly of battling with my teenage son to get him out of bed before midday because it’s “wasting the day”. This is generally met with a chorus “of what’s the point”. I’m also struggling to see what the point is to be fair, and I’m picking my battles wisely.

Even my naughty dog Scamp ( yes aptly named)  has the wanderlust and is finding the tiniest hole to escape the garden and go for a walk.

I’m missing my lovely clients, and the newborn cuddles that are the highlight of my week. What a great job to have! This got me thinking, babies don’t stop being born during a pandemic. Obviously, with the stay-home stay-safe advice we can’t get those early days photographed in the studio.

So how can parents still get DIY newborn photos to cherish?

DIY newborn baby photos

Create memories in your own home.

You have a new baby and sadly can’t have any visitors to meet your new bundle. So now is the ideal time to create some perfect memories with your new baby. Capture every moment, even if you are feeling very sleep deprived, show family and friends so they can share in your joy.

Yawning newborn baby

Download my DIY newborn photos tips.

I’ve put together a guide for you to download. It’s full of helpful advice on how to capture those all-important shots of your newborn baby. These early days with your baby are so precious and fleeting its important to remember them.

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE HERE

Hope you find it useful as a prompt to get the best from your camera or camera phone at home.

I’m sure the Lockdown will lift soon so remember I’m very comfortable photographing older newborns. 

Please do get in touch if you would like more information on newborn photoshoots, I’d love to chat.

Stay safe and bye for now

Karen x

Newborn baby photographer Dorset

Newborn photographer Bournemouth/poole

Is it too late for my Newborn photos?

Is my baby too old for newborn photos?

The current lockdown situation in the UK doesn’t stop baby’s being born. They arrive whatever the situation! Obviously its not possible to venture out and have baby photos done right now, with all non-essential businesses being closed.

The question I’m getting asked a lot at the moment, ” is my baby going to be too old for sleepy newborn photos”.

My answer is always the same. We can definitely create beautiful newborn style photos with babies that are more than a few days old. Infact they can be 12-13 weeks old and still get sleepy newborn photos, it just takes a little forward planning.

Newborn photographer Bournemouth/poole

How to prepare for the session.

There are a few ways you can help prepare for an older newborn photo session.

  • Book the session time to fit in around normal nap times. From about 6 weeks baby start to fall into a rhythm with naps, this means you have a better idea when your baby is most likely to be sleepy.
  • Have lots of awake time before the session. Its not always possible especially if you have a long journey to make to get to the studio, but try to have some awake fun time before the session.
  • Babies sleep best on a full tummy. Bring milk to the session to fill those tummys and help make them sleepy. If you use a dummy bring that too as it can help to settle baby.
  • Dress baby in something easy to take off like a baby grow or vest. This makes it easier to undress them if they are sleepy on arrival.
  • Last but not least allow time, time to relax and really enjoy the photoshoot. The session can take an hour or it could take 3 hours, it just depends on the baby on the day.

New baby photographer Bournemouth

What to expect during the session.

Whether your baby is a few weeks old or a few months old you can expect a fun, relaxed and stress free photoshoot. I have over 9 years of experience with newborns and have photographed well over a thousand now.

So expect to arrive at the studio, sit in comfortable surroundings drink tea and relax whilst I photograph your adorable baby. I have lots of tricks up my sleeve to ensure we get great photos for you to cherish.

 

There will be plenty of time to capture those important memories, please stay safe and enjoy the time with your new family. When the time is right, get in touch and we can book that all-important photoshoot.

Bye for now

Karen x

Very happy baby laughing at the camera

Newborn photographer Southampton

Siblings and Newborns-What to expect during your photoshoot.

Can the rest of my children come to the newborn session?

I’m experienced newborn photographer and a mum of two myself. I know that one of the most important photos parents want from the newborn photoshoot is the siblings and newborns together. I really understand that its the most important photo of the whole session for parents, often topping the family  photo.

So yes, absolutely do bring the other children to the session. At the newborn photoshoot booking we can discuss the best way to organise the photo session to include the siblings.

Newborn twins photographer

In an ideal world, your toddler/child will sit nicely, carefully cradling the precious new bundle and smile adoringly at the camera. Oh if only, my job would be made so easy!

Younger children especially, react differently to the changes when a new baby arrives. Some love their new sibling others can’t even bear to be near the new baby. On the whole most toddlers just too busy and mostly ignore the new arrival. All of these traits can make it quite tricky to get the siblings and newborns together for the sibling photo.

Newborn photographer Southampton

I have years of experience so I do have a few tricks up my sleeve to help get those all-important photos of the kids together.

There are also a few things that you could do at home to help the session go more smoothly.

Tips for a smooth session.

  • If they are old enough then get them used to cuddling the baby. In a safe way either on your lap or in the corner or the sofa with your assistance.
  • Try to mention you are coming to visit Karen and shes going to take some photos so its not a total shock when they arrive at the studio.
  • Get them used to having photos taken with the baby and ask them to smile.
  • Make sure the older children aren’t tired or hungry or both at the time the session is booked for.
  • Bring the outfit you’d like them to wear to keep it clean until they need to wear it. Avoid bright colours, patterns and pictures if possible.
  • Bring a favourite toy or cuddly to keep them entertained during the session.
  • Bribery if all else fails. Try not to make it chocolate though , it can get messy with a mouth full of chocolate.
  • Finally don’t stress about the session, I have lots of tricks to help get those all-important memories.

Happy toddler and newborn baby cuddling

Siblings and Newborns

There are lots of ways to get your children in the photo for the important siblings and newborns together. But if a toddler really doesn’t want to join in then we can use the magic of photoshop to get them together.

Most newborn photoshoot sessions are during the week so if you have a child at school don’t worry, we can split the session. It is possible to do the newborn part of the session, come back after school, and do the family and sibling shots.

Same goes for toddlers, if you think they may struggle to cope with staying in one place for a few hours then have a chat with me and we can work out the best way to get the photos you want in the most stress free way.

Hope this give you some hints and tips on how a newborn photosession works with siblings whatever their age. if you’d like more info then please drop me message.

Bye for now 🙂

Karen x

Bournemouth newborn baby photographer

Why professional photographers edit their photographs

If you haven’t hired a professional photographer before, you could be forgiven for wondering why professional photographers edit their photographs.

Common questions I have been asked by clients before include:

  • Why do the images need editing – surely a skilled professional photographer creates the image in the camera itself, not on the computer?
  • Why can’t I just be sent the digital images, on the day of my photoshoot?
  • And, why must I wait up to several weeks to view my images?

The thing is, I realise that when you’ve had your photoshoot, you’re so excited. I know that you just cant wait to see the results!

But I don’t make you wait for your images just to tease you, I promise!

There is a valid reason why, and that is that there is a final stage in the process after the photoshoot itself. And that process is editing.

Almost all professional photographers (some may not, but certainly most do) edit their photographs. It’s a critical step in the process. And in today’s blog I’ll explain that in a little more detail.

What’s involved in a professional photoshoot

Despite what you might think, there is much more to a photographer’s work than setting up a shot and then clicking the buttons on the camera.

  • Lots of planning goes into it before you even turn up for your photoshoot
  • And after the session, many more hours are spent finalising the pictures so that they are ready for you to print.

Which also explains why professional photography comes at a considerable cost.

You aren’t just paying for the time I spend during your phootshoot – which is up to an hour for most portrait sessions, or several hours for a newborn session.

Behind the scenes of a professional photography shoot

Each and every photoshoot I do involves many hours of work behind the scenes too!

But since you typically only see the final images when I share them on Facebook or in your online photo gallery, you’ve perhaps not realised that there is such a lot of work involved.

Before the photoshoot

Yep, creative styling is a huge part of the work in advance of any photoshoot. Whether that’s a maternity or newborn session, a baby ‘sitter session’ or group portraits with older children, or a family studio shoot.

After all, those coloured backdrops, props, dresses, headbands, newborn outfits and wraps, don’t buy themselves!  And I need to setup the photography studio so I am ready for you, with everything I’m likely to need to be at hand.

I have to create and pre-plan my shoots and then editing is a fundamental part of the creative process after the shoot in order to get the image just right.

After the photoshoot

While I will always aim to get the portrait as good as I can in camera, there is always some editing to be done afterwards. I use digital editing techniques to finish each and every image that I include in your gallery.

I do this so that each image is consistent with my KW Photography brand style; something that I’ve developed over the years and which sets me apart from other photographers.

Without that editing, which is the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle so to speak, they simply aren’t finished KW Photography images.

Plus, as in the example below, there may be a need to do some editing to digitally remove parts of the image.

During my newborn photoshoots, I make sure that I always pose babies safely. When I’m trying to achieve portraits like this one, I ask parents to support their child’s head while I take the photos. Then, once the image is edited afterwards, all signs of the parent’s hand or arm are removed. Like magic!

Editing out blemishes

There’s also another reason why editing is important. Often newborn babies have blotchy, uneven coloured skin for the first few weeks. And marks or blemishes on their bodies that parents would prefer to be removed on the computer.

Also, older children may have chickenpox scars or snotty noses (I’ve certainly edited out plenty of snot in my six years as a baby and child photographer!). I can edit the images that I take in my camera to whisk these away!

If a portrait of your newborn baby or child is going to be hung on the walls at home, it’s usually the parent’s preference to have me edit the image so that these things are removed. But let me assure you, I won’t edit to the extreme! I have limits on what I will do.

Why professional photographers edit their photographs

So, I hope that helps to explain why professional photographers edit their photographs? And why there is a small delay in getting the images to you for viewing and ordering.

If you have any questions or concerns about the editing process, do always ask me your questions either in advance or during your photoshoot.

To book your session please contact me today. I’m available on 07749 270431 or email me at karenwiltshire@me.com or complete this contact form.

Karen x


A milk dress maternity photoshoot!

Milk Dress Photoshoot

I’m often coming up with ideas for creative portraits; some I don’t do anything about, others I get a little bit obsessed with and decide to give it a go. This milk dress photoshoot was one of those obsessions!

The ‘Milk dress’

Case in point. Last year I saw the most amazing ‘milk dress photoshoot’ “pinup” style photos from a great photographer called Jaroslav Wieczorkiewicz.

Wow! His work is just inspirational and brilliantly done.

My creative mind started working. I wondered if I could produce a milk dress maternity image without wrecking the whole photography studio too much!

Luckily, it wasn’t too hard to find a willing victim (I mean model, ha ha) who was happy for me to give it a go.

So armed with eight litres of milk and a big roll of plastic sheeting, I decided to give try out a milk dress photoshoot with the help of my photographer friend Jacky.

Preparing the photography studio

I really didn’t want to let any of the milk I was going to be using during the photoshoot to hit the floor.

That would have been a nightmare to clean up afterwards, and the smell would have been just horrible! So, as you can see, we covered everything!

I did warm the milk but only a tad, as I’d been told that warm milk is a little more translucent than cold milk. And I really needed the milk to cover my model Lindsay’s body to achieve the effect I was after.

Milk throwing!

We tried a few milk throwing/pouring techniques. But, to be honest, for the milk skirt splashes (which you can see below), it really was a case of just chucking it! No finesse was needed. The goal was simply to hit the target (poor Lindsay!).

The top half was more tricky. In order to create the final ‘dress’, we needed the milk to run in a certain way and not spread too much as it ran down the body.

In the end, it took roughly 500 photos to have enough to piece together the dress bit by bit. The splash skirt ones were my personal fave!

Huge thanks to Lindsay

Jacky and I worked as quickly as possible but it soon got a bit cold for my poor model despite the central heating being on.

I think Lindsay deserved a medal for braving the cold milk at 30 weeks pregnant (yes, doesn’t she look amazing for 30 weeks!)

We all had a lot of fun trying out the milk dress technique. Lindsay was a great sport for putting up with us and all the milk being thrown at her naked body.

It probably wasn’t the most enjoyable experience she has ever had. And I think her face in this photo says it all really!

Creating the milk dress

After the studio cleanup, and armed with my 500 photos of a milk-covered model, I set about the task of piecing it all together in my photo editing software, Photoshop.

Boy, how I had underestimated this part of the process!

It’s safe to say that my photoshop skills were tested to the limit with this portrait.

I normally use Photoshop to enhance a photo, not completely manipulate it. And being self-taught, it took a little research into areas of Photoshop that I don’t normally use. But after several hours I got there.

I had lots of fun throwing milk and a few hair-pulling moments in Photoshop, but I’m pleased with the end result and hope Lindsay loves it too.

What do you think? Do please let me know in the comment below.

I’m hoping to do a few more creative photoshoots over the coming months so look out for those on the blog soon.

Maternity photoshoots at KW Photography

I just love doing maternity photo sessions. So if you’re expecting then please take a look at my maternity photo gallery and get in touch to book a session.

There won’t be any need for you to be subjected to the milk throwing, like Lindsay was. My normal maternity photoshoots are far more conventional!

But they do make you feel and look amazing and are a great way to celebrate this special time in your life before your new baby arrives.

Karen x