St. Augustine Newborn Photographer

When to book

The first two weeks are the classic window, because babies sleep deeply and curl the way people picture. But there is nothing wrong with three or four weeks, and at that point you get more open eyes.

Book while you are still pregnant if you can, and we will set a rough window rather than a date. Babies do not read calendars, and I would rather move than have you photographed on day two of a hospital stay.

What a lifestyle newborn session looks like

We use your home, your light, your bed and your sofa. I will ask which room gets the best window and we will mostly work there.

Nobody has to clean the whole house. I photograph tight enough that the pile of washing is not in the frame, which is a thing every parent asks about and nobody should worry about.

• •Your baby, awake and asleep
• •Both parents, together and separately, which people forget to ask for
• •Siblings, on their own terms, for as long as they will tolerate it
• •Details: hands, feet, the hospital bracelet, whatever is sitting on the nursery shelf

Practical things that help

Warm the room more than feels comfortable for you. A warm baby sleeps, and a sleeping baby is most of the session.

Feed right before I arrive. Have a spare outfit for the baby and a muslin within reach. Beyond that there is nothing to prepare, and there is no schedule to keep to.

Maternity, birth and the first year

I photograph maternity sessions before and, for families who want it, births. I also photograph babies again later in the first year, which is when they change fastest.

If you want more than one of those, say so early and we can plan the timing sensibly rather than booking each one in a panic.

Siblings, grandparents and pets

An older sibling meeting the baby is one of the few photographs you genuinely cannot recreate later, so we do that early while they are still interested. Five good minutes is the realistic target, and five is enough.

Grandparents are welcome and often get the best frame of the day. Dogs are welcome too, with somebody available to take them out of the room when they have had enough.