Becoming a Mummy or Daddy is one of the most amazing and special things that we will ever experience.

Those first days with your newborn baby are filled with a whole host of emotions, joy at the new arrival, relief that the pregnancy is over and quite often worry at whether you’re doing this right! This gorgeous little bundle is totally dependent on you for everything, no pressure eh!

No doubt there will be hundreds of photos taken in those first days of your precious new arrival. Such a special occasion deserves more than those phone snaps sitting in the “cloud” (if they made it there?) Why not choose a stunning wall portrait or a custom Art Book , something for you and your growing family to snuggle up on the sofa and look at together for years to come, remembering just how tiny and perfect they were.

So how the heck do you choose your newborn photographer? Well I could say “just pick me”, but that isn’t what this article is about.  There are lots of photographers out there and what is right for one family may not be the right one for YOU and your family.   You may look online to see who’s local, you may ask family and friends who they used or you may have seen a photographer’s page pop up on your Facebook …..during the 2am browsing with a baby attached to your boob!

So how DO you choose someone to trust with that little bundle? The MOST PRECIOUS thing to you in the world. The answer will depend on many things; How far are you prepared to travel?  How much do you want to spend? Does the photographer even sell what you’d like to buy?  Would you rather go to someone recommended by a friend?  So many things to consider!

The number one priority has got to be safety.

Many of the beautiful images that you see whilst browsing pinterest (again probably in the middle of the night) may not be quite what they seem.  Some of these beautiful finished images are a combination of several photos skillfully composited in photoshop to ensure baby’s safety.  Some lesser experienced photographers may not be aware of how these poses are achieved, which in the past has lead to newborn babies toppling over, risking tragic injuries.

Newborn babies have amazingly strong reflexes, and can move quite suddenly.  A properly trained and experienced newborn photographer knows how to safely pose a newborn’s tiny body and will be able to anticipate and manage these movements in order to keep baby safe.  Ask your friends for their experiences.  Did they feel comfortable and confident that their baby was well cared for and supported or “spotted” constantly during their session? Was the studio nice and warm for baby (If they and the photographer weren’t “glowing” then the answer would be no)? Did their photographer specialise in newborns?

A good place to read a little more about newborn safety is The Baby and Newborn Photography Association of which I am proud to be a Pro level member.  As well as articles on newborn safety, there is a directory of their members, all Pro level members are screened to ensure they hold adequate Public Liability Insurance and are educated on newborn safety.

So why choose Life in Focus Portraits for your Newborn photos?

As well as being a Mum to 3 children, I qualified as an NNEB Nursery Nurse in 1991 and spent several years working in children’s centres with babies and children under 5, for 3 of those years my role was within one of only two additional needs units in the city.

Since becoming a professional photographer I have undertaken several specialist training courses for newborn photographers, covering all aspects of newborn photography including safety, soothing techniques and safe and comfortable newborn posing.

Parents regularly feedback how relaxed and comfortable they felt during their session, and how much they enjoyed watching me with their precious newborn.

“Amazing portraits done of our teeny 12 day old…Louise was amazing with him and so calming. Louise was also very kind in inviting our eldest son along for extra ‘brother’ shots. I would highly recommend Life in Focus Portaits as it was an enjoyable experience at a time when everything seems upside down!”  Kerry – Helensburgh

If you’d like to find out more about Newborn Portrait Sessions at Life in Focus Portraits please click here.