Why I am baby-led in my approach to photo shoots

As a photographer, I love to plan and be organised as much as anyone, and I relentlessly overthink every photo shoot for days if not weeks in advance. But one thing that is super important to us a photographers of little people is that we must be baby (or child) led.

You may have heard the term "baby-led" when discussing weaning. In the photography world, it is how we as photographers quickly learn and adapt to how your baby or child, likes to be held, positioned, engaged with, and ultimately how we achieve happy photos. Every child is different and so every shoot is different.

With our newborn photo shoots, this could mean abandoning a pose that your baby is verbally and physically telling me they're not comfortable in. It's part of the reason I spend time just holding and sometimes talking to your baby during their photo shoot, to see how they like to be held and moved (the other reason is that I just LOVE babies and steal every gorgeous moment I can for a cuddle). It also means that if they need a snack break, that is absolutely fine - there are no time restrictions.

With older children, it could mean that I need to hide by the door so they don't feel stranger anxiety - something a lot of children are experiencing right now. Alternatively, they might need me to be silly and make them laugh. I will try all sorts to make them feel comfortable - including my fart book! Yep, you read that correct; it's nearly always a hit.

While this approach may mean that specific poses or captures might not be possible, the alternative would be to make them unhappy continually trying. And that doesn't make for happy photos. That's not to say I wont loop back to try something if the little one adapts, but I will never force a child.

With this in mind, parents feel assurred that I have their little one's interests at the forefront of what I'm doing, and will often explain what I'm doing as I go along so that they feel informed and in control.

If you have any questions about our photo shoots, you can contact us via the details here, or via the enquiry form at the bottom of the page. If you're planning a newborn photo shoot, we recommend reserving your session while still pregnant, as we're often full for weeks in advance and sleepy poses are more achieveable in baby's first few weeks.