Every year is a whirlwind of moments and memories, but none quite compare to your baby’s first. The first year of your child’s life is simply incredible. Time moves quickly and the first year is filled with many milestones that are worth capturing. With various baby milestone sessions – even starting at pregnancy – you can document these precious instants, cherishing them forever.

In this blog I will share a bit more about what baby milestone photoshoots involve, how to prepare and what to expect.

What is a baby milestone photoshoot?

A baby milestone photoshoot is a specially designed photography session that aims to capture the unique stages of a baby’s first year. These photoshoots focus on the significant “firsts” and growth points in your little love’s life. Some popular milestones include the newborn stage (or a little later around their first smile if you opt for “older newborn” photos), the ability to sit up independently, crawling or standing, and eventually, their first steps.

While every baby develops at their own pace, these photoshoots generally coincide with developmental milestones, ensuring each stage of your baby’s growth is recorded. These photography sessions are a heart-warming and memorable way to chart your baby’s evolution, preserving these beautiful moments as lifelong keepsakes.

When should I take my baby’s milestone pictures?

While it ultimately depends on your personal preferences and your baby’s pace of growth, here are a few stages perfect for a milestone session that I would typically recommend to my families:

• Maternity: let’s start by capturing the last few weeks of your pregnancy to have some beautiful continuity
• Newborn: capturing the incredible, dreamy (and often very hazy!) days shortly after your baby’s birth – anywhere from their first week to around 4-6 weeks of age will capture them beautifully, still a little curled up and with all their delicate little creases. I will also capture little details here like their feet, hands, lips etc. through macro shots (close ups)
• Three months: this stage often presents the first smiles and stronger neck control, allowing for slightly more interaction and some varied shots, e.g. on their tummy
• Six to seven months: at this stage, babies often start sitting up independently, making for very cute images
• Nine months: now, they may start crawling and even pulling themselves up to standing. As they become more mobile and independent, the variety of images we can capture also increases
• One Year: A celebration shoot to mark the first birthday, often featuring the baby’s first steps

The baby milestone sessions above are just suggestions; every baby has their own unique development timeline. The best time for photoshoots is when your baby is well-rested, fed, and in a generally good mood – I am just a phone call away to chat through when might suit your family best.

How long does a baby milestone session last?

A typical baby milestone session can last anywhere between one to two hours. Especially for younger babies we might take a little longer as I will work flexibly around feeding and cuddling breaks – there is no pressure to finish at a certain time and I will just work around your baby’s pace and mood!

For older babies, this timeframe also provides ample opportunity to capture a range of images that genuinely reflect your baby’s personality and allows for any necessary breaks for feeding, diaper changes, or comforting during our baby milestone session. The goal is to create a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere for your family, ensuring the resulting images capture the essence of your baby’s unique character.

I would like you to remember our baby milestone session together as time you could enjoy spending together as a family, cuddling your little baby and doing the things you love.

What should my little one wear for their baby milestone session?

I am more than happy to provide plenty of gentle guidance and tips ahead of our session together. I generally recommend 1-3 different outfits or changes, as baby will likely not enjoy being changed any more often. However, a small number of changes can provide for some lovely and varied images.

I recommend you choose coordinating outfits, rather than matching ones. Keep it simple with neutral, soft colours such as cream, ivory, greys or even navy. Choose a maximum of 2-3 colours and their variations to ensure consistency which will help bringing the photographs together beautifully.

Have a look at this blog post for some more details on what to wear for newborn photos as well as this one for your family photos.

I offer complimentary pre-shoot consultations ahead of each baby milestone session so we can choose some lovely options together.

Incorporating family into your baby milestone session

Baby milestone sessions aren’t just about your baby – they’re about celebrating the whole family’s growth. As parents, you will definitely join the session and you baby has any siblings, they are also more than welcome to join, resulting in beautiful, intimate family portraits.

Do you offer a first year membership or bundle baby milestone sessions?

Absolutely. I love meeting families time and again, from pregnancy through to capturing baby’s first birthday and beyond, and celebrate these through beautiful baby milestone sessions.

I charge a creative fee for a session which reserves your booking and covers my time for bespoke planning, shooting, selecting and hand-editing your photographs. The creative fee reduces for multiple sessions and you can learn more about your investment in family photographs here.

Investing in several baby milestone sessions spread out across the baby’s first year ensures that you capture each moment beautifully but also provides a continuity in style and tone across the photos.

Preserving your baby milestone session photographs

Once we have captured these timeless memories, it’s vital to preserve them beautifully as well. In addition to digital copies, I offer fine art albums and prints that you can enjoy every day around your home. Fine art albums and prints are created in “giclée” which is the ultimate quality in inkjet printing. It produces museum quality results on heavy paper that will not yellow over time but instead turn into an amazing keepsake for you to enjoy with your family in the years to come.

About me

I am baby and newborn photographer based in Chelsea, London. Specialising in lifestyle maternity, baby & toddler, and family photography through beautiful baby milestone sessions, I cover Central and West London, such as Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, Battersea, Clapham, Richmond, Westminster, Mayfair and Notting Hill. Please do still get in touch if you live outside of these areas but would be interested in a family photoshoot together. Not quite ready to book? Follow me on Instagram and let’s stay in touch.