Many families who visit us for a newborn photoshoot are not first-time parents. They have a young family already – often one or more children - perhaps toddlers or pre-schoolers, and sometimes older children too.
So, it’s no surprise that one of the most common questions that we get asked by these families is whether siblings photos are included in their baby’s newborn photoshoot.
The answer to this question is YES!
I love working with children of all ages and adore having the opportunity to capture not just beautiful baby portraits, but also adorable sibling portraits and family photos as well.
Your photoshoot experience is an opportunity for all of you to get in front of the camera. Yes, mum and dad, I’m also talking about you!
Newborn photos with siblings
Working with newborns and siblings – in fact, children of all ages - is actually one of my greatest joys.
I think it stems from being a mother of two but also from the fact that I was a teacher and headteacher for many years, here in the northeast.
Although I’ve been a full-time photographer for many years now, I believe I’ve an inherent ability to work well with children and this certainly comes in handy!
Parents often comment on how well I can handle and manage their baby while simultaneously interacting with the sibling(s). Practice makes perfect, I suppose!
Related reading: My story: From headteacher to family photographer
baby and siblings photoshoots
If your family already includes one or more children, and you’re now planning a newborn photoshoot for your next baby, then I highly recommend that you book one of our baby photoshoots.
Our sessions are nice and relaxed and would be most suitable for your other children because there’s no pressure for them to perform or pose.
During our sessions very few props are used, and we go with the flow, creating a variety of natural portraits that truly represent you and your family.
The family images we create are predominantly white so they are timeless, and they look great on the walls of both contemporary and more traditionally-styled homes.
What do we do first, the newborn portraits or the sibling photos?
When involving siblings in a newborn session, the way it works will depend on the age of the children.
· If the sibling is a young child or toddler, the sibling photos are usually done at the start of the session
This is when they’re most alert and willing to participate – before they have gotten tired, bored or hungry!
Should you have local relatives or friends who are happy to help, the great thing is that your toddler can always be taken home after the siblings portraits have been taken.
This will leave us with distraction-free time to finish up your newborn shoot.
· If the sibling is older, the sibling shots can be done towards the end of the newborn session
This is particularly helpful when the child is primary or high school age.
We can deliberately plan for your newborn session to take place in the afternoon, and then time it so that we can get the baby portraits done first.
Then, we involve your other child (or children) when they arrive at the studio following the end of the school day.
Again, relatives or friends can prove to be a godsend as you’ll obviously need to arrange drop-offs to the studio, but if they’re willing then I’m confident that we can make it work!
Planning your newborn and siblings portraits
Reading this, you’re probably starting to release that a lot of preparation is done before your baby’s newborn photoshoot and you wouldn’t be wrong!
One thing I’m determined to do for every client is to coordinate and plan your baby’s newborn session so that it suits you and your unique family’s needs.
All this planning and preparation is done ahead of your session, and we also offer the opportunity for you to visit the studio beforehand to get to know us even better.
Newborn portrait sessions can be either held in the morning at around 10am or 11am or in the afternoon at 1pm or 2pm or to fit around your family. They could even be as late as a 3 pm start if required to cater for school-aged siblings joining us.
Newborn and siblings photography
If you’re interested in a newborn photoshoot and have older children, please don’t hesitate to bring them along!
I love capturing growing families in beautiful photographs and can’t wait to learn more about you all.
Contact us via the website to tell us more about your family, including when your baby is due and the age of any siblings. We hope to hear from you soon!