The Full First-Year Journey
Documenting E and her family across an entire year was such a joy. When she first booked in, she was so excited to capture her pregnancy and had a real sense of what she wanted to create. We chatted a lot beforehand about styling, and she brought along a few of her own gorgeous outfits to mix in with the studio wardrobe. I gently guided her natural movements throughout the shoot as I never expect anyone to walk in knowing how to pose. Because she knew she wanted to document the whole journey, she booked her maternity, newborn, and first birthday sessions all together, saving £50 off each package.
Having that maternity session first makes such a difference when newborn shoot day arrives. You already know where the studio is, where to park, and how it all works, which takes so much of the journey stress away when you’re running on zero sleep. When they arrived with their brand-new baby, my main priority was just looking after them. Mamas naturally worry about their postpartum body, but these sessions aren’t about stylised poses. Instead, they are all about soft, snuggly, cuddly moments. You can sit back, relax, and enjoy a hot cup of tea, while I take care of everything.
By the time the first birthday session rolled around, things were a little more delightfully chaotic! I always recommend booking milestone shoots a week or two before the actual birthday so the photos are finished and ready to use for party decorations or special birthday posts. Unlike sleepy newborn shoots, one-year-olds are very aware of what they do and don’t want to do. Whether baby was crawling, cruising along the furniture, or showing off wobbly steps, we took everything completely at her pace.
What I love most about these full-year journeys is seeing how much parents grow in confidence. By month twelve, parents know every single trick to make their little one laugh. The shoot was full of cheeky giggles and that sweet stage of a one-year-old essentially bossing everyone around. Seeing how much they’ve evolved as a family over twelve months was so special, and the gallery captures that pure, joyful connection from start to finish.
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