Five Things I Bring to Every Newborn Shoot

When a family books a newborn session with me, they're often not sure what to expect. Will the baby cooperate? Will there be enough time? What actually happens when I arrive at your door? So I thought I'd pull back the curtain a little. Here's what comes with me to every single newborn shoot, and why each one matters.

1. My Newborn Baby Beanbag

This is the workhorse of every newborn session. A good posing beanbag is the foundation of almost every solo baby image you'll see in a newborn gallery. It's soft, it's got a little mattress, and it lets me position a baby safely and comfortably in ways that simply aren't possible on a flat surface.

It looks fairly unassuming, but it's mega useful on a newborn shoot.

2. Blankets

I bring a selection of these in different textures and different colours. Personally I think its great if you have your own too, as they really add to your photoshoot when its your own belongings. But just in case we need it, I bring a few neutral toned blankets with me.

I choose blankets and wraps that are timeless and don’t distract from the beautiful baby. The goal is for you to look at these photos in twenty years and feel like they could have been taken yesterday.

3. Framed Prints and Wall Art Samples

This is something I feel really strongly about. I bring physical printed samples to every session so you can actually hold them, feel the weight of them, and see how the finished product looks in real life.

There is a world of difference between looking at a photo on a screen and holding a beautifully framed print in your hands. I want families to be able to make decisions about their images based on the real thing.

4. My Camera Kit

Obviously. But it's worth saying that I bring more than one camera body to every session, along with the lenses I need to capture everything from wide room shots to the tiny details — the flutter of an eyelash and the way a baby's hand wraps around a parent's thumb.

These are the images that matter most in the long run, and getting them right requires the right tools.

5. Patience and Time

This is the most important thing on the list, and it weighs nothing.

Newborns do not follow a schedule. They feed when they want to feed, they settle when they're ready to settle, and they will almost certainly need a nappy change at the least convenient moment. I have never once rushed a session, and I never will.

When I arrive, I'm not watching the clock. I'm watching the baby. A settled, sleepy newborn makes for beautiful photographs, and getting there sometimes takes time. It's part of the process, and it's something I build into every session from the start.

For parents, especially in those early foggy weeks, knowing that nobody is in a hurry can make an enormous difference to how the whole morning feels.

And honestly? That's it.

I'm not arriving with a car boot full of props, a collection of baskets in every size, or a rack of novelty headbands. You don't need any of that. What you need is someone who knows how to make your baby feel safe and comfortable, and who understands that the whole point of these photographs is you and your baby — not the stuff surrounding them. The simpler the better, always.

If you're thinking about booking a newborn session and you have questions about how it all works, I'd love to hear from you. Every baby is different, every home is different, and every session takes on a life of its own. That's what makes this work so special.

Send me a message on my contact page or drop me a WhatsApp today