The Photograph I Always Want to Take

There is one photograph I always want to take during a newborn session.

Not the baby curled and sleeping.
Not the mother gazing down.

The hands.

A father's hands holding a newborn — enormous and careful and completely certain — while everything else in the room is uncertain.

Those first days at home with a new baby are unlike anything else.

A new mother who doesn't yet know what to do with this small person she has been handed.
Who is exhausted in a way she has never been exhausted before.
Who hasn't slept.
Who worries.
Who wants, more than anything, to be the best mother she can possibly be.

Whose body hurts.
Whose whole self is rearranging.
Who sometimes feels completely alone in the universe — even in a room full of people.

Whose own parents may be far away.
Who has only just stopped being someone's child herself — and is now responsible for another life entirely.

In those moments, there is nothing more important than the person beside her.

Not always words.
Sometimes just a look.
A steadiness.
An energy that says: I've got you. We've got this.

That is enough to move mountains.

And when I photograph a father holding his newborn — those huge hands, that quiet certainty — I am photographing that too.

The thing that doesn't always get said.
But that makes everything possible.

If you're expecting a baby and thinking about a newborn session in London or Bromley, I'd love to hear from you. See full collections at investment or get in touch.

When Is the Best Time to Book a Newborn Photographer in London

Most people ask me this question somewhere around week twenty of their pregnancy.

Which is, honestly, exactly the right time.

But let me explain why — because the answer is a little more nuanced than "book early."

The window that matters most

Newborn photography works best in the first six weeks of life.

Within that window, the first two weeks are the gentlest. Babies sleep more deeply, curl more naturally, and settle more easily into the classic poses that make newborn portraits so timeless — hands tucked under chin, wrapped and peaceful, tiny and new.

After two weeks, babies become more alert. More awake. More opinionated.

The photographs are still beautiful — just different. More personality. Less curl.

So if you want the classic posed newborn portraits, the earlier the better. If you're drawn to a more awake, expressive style — there's more flexibility.

Either way, the session needs to happen in those first weeks. And those weeks arrive faster than anyone expects.

Why London families book during pregnancy

A good newborn photographer in London — one who takes a limited number of sessions each month, who comes to your home, who gives your family their full attention — books up.

Not weeks in advance. Months.

I take a limited number of newborn sessions each month across London and Bromley. In busy periods — particularly spring and the weeks before Christmas — I'm sometimes fully booked two to three months ahead.

If you contact me when your baby is already here, I will always try to help. But I cannot always guarantee availability in that first precious window.

The families who get the dates they want are almost always the ones who reached out during their second trimester.

How booking actually works

When you contact me during pregnancy, I don't ask you to commit to a fixed date.

We hold a provisional date around five to ten days after your due date — and we keep it flexible. If your baby arrives early, we move it. If your baby arrives late, we move it. If you need an extra week to feel ready, we move it.

Nothing is fixed except the intention.

The session fee is confirmed once your baby arrives and we set the final date together.

If your baby is already here

Please still get in touch.

I photograph newborns up to six weeks old — sometimes a little beyond, when the timing works. An older newborn has something a younger one doesn't — more expression, more presence, more of themselves already showing through.

The photographs are always worth taking.

Just reach out as soon as you can, so we have the best chance of finding the right date.

A quiet note on waiting

I understand why families sometimes wait.

You want to be sure everything is going well with the pregnancy. You don't want to plan too far ahead. It feels strange to be organising photographs before the baby is even born.

All of that makes complete sense.

But those first weeks pass very quickly. Faster than anyone warns you.

One morning you look at your baby and realise they no longer look the way they did on day three. The curl is a little less. The newness is already softening.

That's not a reason to panic. It's just a reason to reach out when you feel ready — and not to leave it too long.

If you're thinking about newborn photography in London or Bromley, I'd love to hear from you. You can see full collections on my investment page or simply get in touch — I'm always happy to answer questions, whatever stage you're at.

What Happens If My Baby Won't Sleep During the Newborn

This is the question I'm asked most often.

More than what to wear. More than what to bring. More than how long it takes.

What if my baby won't sleep?

And I always want to answer it honestly — because the worry behind it is real, and you deserve better than a reassuring non-answer.

First, the truth about sleeping babies

Newborn sessions work best — the classic posed portraits, the curled hands, the wrapped and peaceful images — when babies are deeply asleep.

That's not a secret.

And yes, some babies arrive already settled, feed beautifully, and drift off within twenty minutes.

But many don't.

Some babies are unsettled that morning for no reason anyone can find. Some are going through a growth spurt. Some have wind. Some simply decide that today is not a sleeping day.

After eighteen years and more than a thousand newborn sessions across London and Bromley, I have seen every version of this.

And I have never once left a family without photographs.

What actually happens

We slow down.

That's all.

If your baby needs feeding — we stop, and you feed them. If they need winding — we wait. If they need skin-to-skin with you for twenty minutes before they'll settle — that's exactly what we do.

I'm not watching the clock. I'm not sighing quietly in the corner. I'm not making you feel like your baby is somehow failing the session.

I've been doing this long enough to know that babies set the tempo. My job is to follow it.

The sessions I remember most

Some of the most beautiful photographs I've ever taken have come from sessions where the baby barely slept at all.

An awake newborn has something a sleeping one doesn't.

They look up. They find your face. They make the tiny expressions that last about three days before they change completely.

Those images — a wide-eyed baby looking directly into the camera, or turning toward their mother's voice — are the ones parents often come back to most.

Not because they're what anyone planned. But because they're completely, unmistakably real.

What you can do

A few things genuinely help — though none of them are guaranteed, and none of them are your fault if they don't work.

Feed your baby about thirty minutes before I arrive, if the timing allows. Keep the room a little warmer than usual. Try not to let the morning feel rushed — babies absorb the energy around them more than we realise.

And if none of that works?

We work with what we have. We always do.

One last thing

Please don't spend the night before your session lying awake worrying about whether your baby will cooperate.

You have a newborn. You are already doing something incredibly hard.

I will bring the calm. I will bring the patience. I will find the photographs — whatever the day looks like.

That's my job. And I love it.

Thinking about booking a newborn session in London or Bromley? You're welcome to get in touch — I'm always happy to answer questions, whatever stage you're at.

Five Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before My Newborn Session

After eighteen years and more than a thousand newborn sessions across London and Bromley, I've noticed a pattern.

There are things families wish they'd known beforehand. Not big things. Small things. The kind of things nobody thinks to mention — until you're in the middle of the session and suddenly wish someone had.

So here they are.

1. You don't need to have the house ready

I mean this.

I have never once walked into a family home and thought: this is too messy.

I have walked into homes with laundry on every surface, dishes in the sink, a dog bed in the middle of the room, and baby paraphernalia covering the sofa.

And I have taken beautiful photographs in every single one of them.

Newborn days are not tidy days. Nobody expects them to be. Least of all me.

The only thing I need is a room with a window and a little warmth. Everything else I bring with me.

Please don't spend the morning before I arrive cleaning. Spend it resting, or feeding the baby, or drinking a cup of tea while it's still hot.

That is a much better use of your time.

2. The session will take longer than you think — and that's fine

Two to three hours is a guide, not a promise.

Some sessions take longer. A baby who needs two long feeds and a full settle before they'll sleep deeply — that session might be four hours.

I have never once rushed a family to finish on time.

The session ends when it ends. When your baby has been photographed. When the family portraits are done. When everything feels complete.

There is no clock on the wall that I'm watching. There is only your baby, and the light, and however long it takes.

3. You are allowed to stay in your pyjamas

For the first half of the session at least.

While I'm working with your baby — wrapping, posing, settling — you don't need to be dressed, made up, or ready for anything.

Rest. Feed if you need to. Sit nearby in whatever you slept in.

When it's time for the family portraits — usually toward the end — that's when you change into whatever you've chosen to wear. Not before.

Many of my favourite family images have been taken with a mother in a soft dressing gown, hair undone, holding her baby the way she holds them every morning.

Those are often the realest photographs of all.

4. Your baby does not need to perform

Babies cry during newborn sessions. They need feeding. They need winding. They need a twenty-minute cuddle before they'll settle.

This is not a problem. This is Tuesday.

A baby who is unsettled is not ruining your session. They are being a newborn.

I have never left a family without photographs because the baby was difficult. I have simply waited, and settled, and tried again — as many times as it takes.

Your only job is to be there. Everything else is mine.

5. You will forget this faster than you think

This is the one I wish someone had told me before my own children were born.

Those first weeks feel endless when you're in them. The exhaustion. The feeds. The strange slow days and long nights.

And then one morning — months later, sometimes years — you look at a photograph from that time and you can barely remember what they looked like so small.

The weight of them. The smell of them. The way they fit into the crook of your arm.

It goes.

Not all at once. Quietly, gradually, the way all the best things do.

That is why these photographs matter. Not because life looked perfect. But because one day you will want to remember exactly how it felt.

And the photographs will be there.

Thinking about a newborn session in London or Bromley? You can see full collections on my investment page or simply get in touch.

What to Expect from a Newborn Session in Bromley

If you've never had a newborn session before, it's completely normal to wonder what actually happens. Here's an honest account of what a session with me looks like — from the moment I arrive at your door to the sneak peek you'll receive that evening.

When to book

Most families book during their second trimester, and we hold a flexible date around five to ten days after your due date. That window — the first one to six weeks — is when babies sleep most deeply and curl most naturally. Earlier is gentler, but every baby finds their own timing. I've photographed many babies up to six weeks old, and the images are always beautiful.

The morning of your session

You don't need to prepare much. A room with a window — south or east-facing is ideal, but any daylight will do. A slightly warmer room than usual, because your baby will be undressed for some of the session. A feed about thirty minutes before I arrive, if the rhythm allows.

That's genuinely it.

I arrive quietly, usually with everything loaded into two bags. I find the right corner of the room, set up while you settle the baby, and we begin when your baby is ready — not when the clock says so.

What I bring

Everything. After eighteen years of newborn sessions across Bromley and South East London, my entire studio comes with me.

Organic wraps in cream, oatmeal, sand, and soft grey. Knitted gowns, bonnets, and rompers. Delicate headbands. Wooden bowls, baskets, and neutral backdrops. A heated beanbag for posing. Studio-quality lighting for darker days. Warm hands and hand sanitiser.

You don't need to buy props, outfits, or anything at all for your baby. If there's something meaningful you'd like to include — a blanket from a grandmother, a tiny outfit that belonged to an older sibling — bring it. Those pieces often become the most treasured images of the day.

The session itself

A newborn session usually takes two to three hours. We work entirely at your baby's pace. If they need to feed, we feed. If they need a long settle, we wait. If a pose isn't working, we move on. There's no timeline and no pressure.

Most of the session is quiet. You're welcome to stay close, make tea, or rest in another room — whichever feels right. Parents are never far from the baby. Every pose that looks unsupported in the final image is fully supported during the session, often by a parent's hand just outside the frame.

Toward the end, I photograph the family together — you holding your baby, siblings if they're there, both parents in the frame. These are often the images families return to most.

After the session

That same evening, or the next morning, I'll send a sneak peek — one or two of my favourite images while the feeling of the day is still fresh.

Your full private gallery arrives within one week. It includes colour and black and white edits, a print release for personal use, and a password-protected link you can share with family.

A note on safety

I am trained in newborn safety and fully insured. Every session I photograph in Bromley and across South East London is treated with the same care I gave my own five children in those early weeks. Your baby is never not held.

Thinking about booking a newborn session in Bromley or South East London? I'd love to hear from you. You can see full pricing and collections on my investment page, or simply get in touch.

Newborn Photography at Home vs Studio — What Nobody Tells You

Everyone has an opinion on this.

Studio photographers will tell you that studios give you control — consistent light, neutral backgrounds, the perfect setup every time.

At-home photographers will tell you that home is warmer, easier, more natural.

Both are telling the truth.

But there are a few things neither side tends to mention.

What studios are actually good at

Control.

A studio is a controlled environment. The light doesn't change. The background is always clean. The temperature is set exactly right for a sleeping newborn. There are no dogs walking in, no toddlers who suddenly need a snack, no postman ringing the doorbell at the worst possible moment.

For a photographer, a studio is genuinely easier to work in.

And the results can be beautiful — classic, clean, timeless.

If you live near a good studio photographer you trust, that matters.

What nobody tells you about studios

Getting there.

You have a baby who is somewhere between five and fourteen days old. You haven't slept properly since before the birth. You need to pack everything — nappies, muslins, spare clothes, a change for yourself, bottles or a nursing cover, the wrap you were told to bring, the outfit you carefully chose at 11pm last week.

Then you need to actually leave the house. On time. With a newborn.

I know this — because I used to work from a studio.

And without exception, families with newborns were late. Not five minutes late. Thirty minutes. An hour. Sometimes more.

Not because they were careless. Because they were exhausted.

A mother who hasn't slept properly in two weeks needs to feed the baby, possibly pump, find something to wear, remember everything, get herself ready — and actually get out of the door.

I remember my own newborn days well enough to know that getting up was hard. Makeup was the last thing on my mind. Getting dressed felt like an achievement.

And that was just one baby.

Arriving at a studio already depleted, slightly stressed, in an unfamiliar place — that energy goes into the photographs. Babies feel it. Parents feel it. The camera sees it.

What at-home sessions are actually good at

Everything that happens between the posed shots.

The way your older child climbs onto the bed to meet the baby for the first time. The feeding pause where your partner holds the baby and you catch their expression. The afternoon light through the curtains of the room where you've barely slept for two weeks. The dog who wanders in and lies down next to the beanbag as if he belongs there.

He does belong there. That's the point.

A studio can give you a beautiful portrait of your baby. Your home gives you a portrait of your family — in the place where your family actually lives.

What nobody tells you about at-home sessions

Not every photographer brings the same setup.

Some arrive with a camera and natural light and call it a lifestyle session. That's a valid choice — but it's worth knowing what you're getting.

When I photograph newborns at home across London and Bromley, I bring everything a studio would have. Heated beanbag. Studio-quality lighting for darker rooms or grey days. A full wardrobe of organic wraps, gowns, headbands, and neutral backdrops. The same classic posed portraits — hands under chin, curled on a soft blanket, wrapped and sleeping — that people associate with studio work.

The difference is that when the session is over, your baby is already home.

You don't pack anything up. You don't drive anywhere. You put the kettle on.

The honest answer

Neither is objectively better.

The right choice depends on what you want from the day — not just the photographs.

If you want a controlled, clean, classic result and you don't mind the logistics — a good studio photographer is a wonderful thing.

If you want the same quality of portraits, but in the place where your family already belongs, without leaving home in those first fragile weeks — that's what I do.

After eighteen years photographing newborns across South East London and beyond, I still believe the most honest photographs happen where people feel most like themselves.

For most families, that's home.

Curious about what an at-home newborn session actually looks like? You can read more on my newborn page, see full collections on my investment page, or simply get in touch — I'm always happy to answer questions.

Why I Photograph Families At Home Instead of Studios

People sometimes ask me why I photograph so many families at home instead of in a studio.

The honest answer is:
because real life happens at home.

Not in front of a perfect paper backdrop.
Not under giant softboxes.
Not in matching beige outfits carefully prepared for Instagram.

At home, children behave differently.

Parents behave differently too.

A toddler hides behind the kitchen chair.
Someone jumps on the bed.
The baby needs feeding halfway through.
The dog walks into the room.
There are cups of tea somewhere in the background.
Laundry on a chair.
Tiny socks on the floor.
Afternoon light moving slowly across the walls.

And somehow all of that feels far more real to me than perfection ever could.

Maybe this comes from having five children myself.

I know what family life actually looks like.

I know that most mothers arrive at newborn sessions already exhausted before the session even starts.
I know that packing a newborn, spare clothes, bottles, muslins, snacks, nappies, and trying to leave the house on time can feel like preparing for an international expedition.

Sometimes mothers apologise to me for the “mess” at home.

And honestly?
I almost never notice it.

Because years later, nobody looks at family photographs and thinks:
“What a shame about that pile of laundry.”

What people actually see is:
the tiny expression their child used to make,
the way the light looked in their first home,
the chair where they fed the baby every night,
the feeling of that season of life.

That is what disappears.

And maybe that is what family photography is really trying to save.

Not perfection.

Just evidence that this little life happened.

That everybody was here.

That this was once your ordinary day — before it quietly became a memory.

What to Wear for Newborn Photos

A gentle guide for your at-home session

One of the first questions I'm asked, once a session is booked, is always the same: what should we wear?

It's a lovely question to be asked, because it means you're already thinking about the photographs the way I do — as something you'll keep. So let me take the worry out of it.

After eighteen years and more than a thousand newborns, here's the honest truth: the simpler you keep it, the more the photographs will feel like you. Babies change so quickly, and these images are about them — their tiny hands, the curl of their feet, the way they fit into your arms. Everything you wear is just a quiet frame around that.

For the baby

For the classic posed parts of the session, your baby will often be wrapped, or photographed bare, with the softest blankets and wraps. I bring a full newborn wardrobe with me — organic wraps, gowns, bonnets, headbands and small props — all in calm, neutral tones that suit my style. So you don't need to buy anything at all.

If there's a special outfit you'd love to include — a christening gown, something knitted by a grandmother, a little something passed down — bring it. Those pieces often become the most meaningful images of the day.

For you and your partner

Think soft, simple, and tonal. The aim is to look like yourselves on a good morning, not dressed up for an occasion.

A few things that always photograph beautifully:

• Soft, muted colours — creams, oatmeal, warm greys, dusty blues, gentle earth tones. These sit quietly against the skin and let your baby be the focus.

• Solid colours over busy patterns — large logos, slogans and bold prints pull the eye away from your little one.

• Comfortable fabrics you can move in — there's a lot of holding, swaying and gentle rocking during a session. You want to be able to forget what you're wearing.

• Layers and longer sleeves — newborn sessions are warm (I keep the room cosy for the baby), but soft long sleeves photograph beautifully and feel relaxed.

And for skin-to-skin images, which are some of my favourites — a simple neutral top that slips off the shoulder, or simply being comfortable bare-shouldered, makes for the tenderest photographs of all.

For older siblings

If big brothers or sisters are joining, keep them in the same soft palette as you — it pulls the whole family together in the frame. But don't fight them into anything stiff or scratchy. A comfortable child is a happy child, and a happy child gives you the real photographs. Soft cottons, simple colours, bare feet. That's all.

A few gentle reminders

• Lay everything out the night before, so the morning is calm.

• Bring a spare top for yourself — newborns are wonderfully unpredictable, and you'll be glad of it.

• Don't worry about being "ready." You won't be photographed in a way that asks you to perform. We work quietly, slowly, around your baby's rhythm.

The most important thing

Please don't lose sleep over this. The families whose photographs they love most aren't the ones who got the outfits perfectly right — they're the ones who relaxed, held their baby, and let the day be what it was.

You'll be holding someone very new and very small. That's all the photographs really need.

Thinking about newborn photography for your little one? I'd love to hear from you. You can see the full collections on my investment page, or simply get in touch — I'm always happy to answer questions, whatever stage you're at.