Where are you based?
I am based just outside Carrickmore on the Creggan Road.
Do you have a studio? Do you have props/outfits?
I have a purpose-built warm, cozy studio with a seating area, coffee machine, snack area, and toilet with toiletries for you to make use off. My studio is kept at a warm temperature to ensure babies are warm enough when stripped off. I advise on wearing light clothing as it does be quite warm. Make yourself at home, help yourself and take the excuse for a rest while I take care of changing, settling and posing your newborn. I have a wide selection of props and newborn outfits available for you to use. I also have a small selection of outfits for one year olds and some dresses for little girls.
Do you have newborn safety training and are you insured?
Yes, I’ve been to many newborn safety training’s now and continue to attend them every year. I like to keep everything fresh in my mind. I’ve trained with some of the top newborn photographers throughout the world including photographers from America, Canada and Poland. I am fully insured for both my studio, equipment and public liability. No poses are ever forced, and if your baby doesn’t feel comfortable in any of them, I move on to the next. For more complex poses, I use Photoshop to combine certain elements.
What should we wear to the shoot?
I advise families to wear similar colours or colours which co-ordinate. I advise to stay away from bold colours and anything with a bold pattern. Plain and simple is something that won’t get outdated in years to come. Newborn shoots – Dads: If you prefer not to be shirtless, we ask that you bring a plain t-shirt with a pair of jeans. A simple, light coloured, collared shirt with sleeves that can roll up is also nice. Mums: A loose-fitting tank top works well. Keep the colour neutral and design simple. Please use a very natural nail polish (or none) as your hands will make their way into the images. Bring your make up bag along if you like and rest assured, we aim to photograph using flattering angles and lighting to bring out the natural beauty in your family.
How old should a baby be for a newborn shoot and when should I book in?
Newborn shoots are best taken within the first two weeks after birth, ideally within the first ten days.
At this age your baby is still very sleepy and flexible and this allows us to safely and comfortably pose your baby in the beautiful, dreamy, sleepy poses that are so popular.
The best time to book in your session is as soon as you know your due date. I will take your due date as a provisional date and then once baby arrives we sort a date within the first two weeks. As babies arrival is unpredictable I only take on a small amount of newborns a month to leave myself availability if newborns arrive early/late. I can only do one newborn shoot a day so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment.
How long does a shoot last?
A newborn shoot usually lasts between 2-4 hours. This includes times for settling, feeding & changing. I never like to rush a newborn shoot so this is why I only take on 1 newborn a day. Safety is a top priority of mine so taking my time and making sure baby is comfortable and safe is extremely important no matter how long it takes. I have a refreshments corner for you to make use off as I know it can be a long sit with likely no time (especially with a newborn) before the shoot to have something to eat.
A child/family shoot is a lot quicker and usually lasts between 30mins-1 hour. I find the best photos are taken at the start of the shoot before the kids get fed up and over me singing baby shark or dramatically sneezing so I don’t like to spend much longer than this with young children.
When do we get our images and how many photos/set ups are there?
I’ll send through a proof gallery within five working days (this can be longer during busy periods although I work day and night during these times to ensure no one is left waiting too long). This will include all images (bar the ones where there are eyes closed or I’ve missed focus). I’ll include 10-15 fully edited images and the rest will have light edits on them. You will choose your images from this gallery and any chosen that aren’t fully edited will then be edited. Once you have chosen your images the time scale depends on what you have ordered. There may be a longer wait for wall products etc. As every child is different there are no set numbers to how many images I take. It all depends on how it goes on the day of the shoot. Some babies may take longer to settle into poses than others and some may not tolerate getting changed as often as others. I try my best to get at least five different set ups for newborn shoots.