The first year of a child’s life is such a special time! They’re growing oh so fast, and rapidly developing their cheeky personalities and adorable expressions.
It’s one of my favourite times to capture – and rather than offering a monthly pop-up style session, I go for something a wee bit different for baby progression photography; four photo sessions spread out over their first year.
AT THE BEGINNING
We start when bub is brand new! Your first baby progression photography shoot will be done within the first two weeks after your baby is born. These sessions take 2-3 hours, usually in my studio, and I photograph a range of photos of your little one on their own, as well as with mum, dad and any siblings. It’s also a great opportunity to grab some photos of you as a whole family. You can read more about what to expect in a newborn session here: melwaitephotography.co.nz/newborn-photography-10-things-to-expect/
SMILES AND CHEEKS
Around the 4 month mark is a perfect time to lock in a mini session as part of your baby progression photography series. Their personality is coming through, smiles are all go, and they can hang out on my bean bag and also show me their tummy time skills! This session is usually around 30 minutes and your baby is the star of the show. Grab a few photos with mum and dad too, if you like! I usually let siblings sit this session out, as it’s nice to have the focus on the newest member of the family.
SITTING UP AND GETTING ACTIVE
One of my personal favourites is the third baby progression photography sessions – around the 8 month! They’re sitting up and starting move about, and their adorable characters really come through in these images. This is another 30 minute session focused on bub, and it’s best to book these in on a weekday.
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY – TIME FOR CAKE!
This is a full session and usually takes around 2 hours, and for this baby progression photography session, I like to bring the parents, the siblings, and even the grandparents into the shots! We usually kick things off with a family photo session, capturing group photos and portraits of your wee one on their own. Up next – cake smash! This is followed by a bubble bath shoot, filled with plenty of smiles, laughing and splashing (the added bonus being your baby is no longer covered in sticky, messy cake when you leave my studio!). You can also opt for a celebration shoot instead of a cake smash for this session if you would prefer.
HOW SHOULD I DRESS THEM?
I offer a full range of outfits and wraps for your baby in the first newborn session, and I also have a limited range of outfits available for the 4 and 8 month sessions, which you are welcome to use. I also encourage you to bring some of your favourite outfits for your child – they grow so fast, so it’s a good chance to capture photos of them while you can! For our last session, I recommend you pick all the outfits to bring along.
Like with all my portrait shoots, I then do a viewing session after each stage of your baby progression photography series. You can check out the images I’ve taken and order anything you would like. At your last viewing, I’ll show you some options for showcasing the series of images!
If you would love to showcase your little one’s first year of life, then get in touch here to book in and don’t forget to follow in on Facebook to keep up with what I have been doing. In the meantime, check out some of these adorable children I have photographed in my baby progression sessions below!
