My first newborn in the house! Literally. There's never been a newborn in my house before now.
Being the only parent in the immediate friend group means that babies are few and far between in my life unless they're mine which, let's be honest, has more pros than cons! But when it comes to borrowing a newborn for a newborn photoshoot model call it is, much to my surprise, harder than expected.
Newborn photography is all about time and calm, and these things are often not associated with the first two weeks of a baby's life. It's almost always filled with the stress of sleep deprivation, trips to a&e for any and all reasons, jaundice, breastfeeding pain, bottlefeeding faff. Everything.
So, for this session, my first, I was adamant that I would make the place as calm as possible. So chill I'd have to peel mum off the sofa and out of her scroll hole by the end. I like to think that I succeeded in this!
I shoot newborns in my living room. This is because I have a large window for natural light, the space to set everything up, a comfortable sofa and immediate access to snacks and bathrooms. Studios for hire can often be a little cold and uninviting, and for babies we need everything to be cosy and warm.
The heating is on full blast, the coffee is ground and the croissants are laid out.
It can take various amounts of time to get babies to sleep, Hailey took about two hours of feeding, shushing and rocking. This can seem like a lot but it's good to remember that baby is now in a new environment that doesn't smell or feel like home, and they just want to be held.
I will often get baby to sleep so they're not too tempted by mum and the idea of feeding, plus it gives mum a chance to have that coveted hot, hot drink!
Some babies take longer, some will be faster!