St Albans newborn photography
What to expect from your maternity and newborn photography sessions
Although this video shows a photography session with older children, I’d love you to have a little watch (it’s only 2:44 minutes long!). It’s really the best way you’ll get a feeling for how it is to have your photo taken with me; how fun and relaxed it is. And also, how much of my heart and soul I pour into the process for you. This is more than a job to me, it’s something I fundamentally believe that every family should have in their lives and this video will tell you why. Enjoy x
We were in such a whirlwind when you came to the hospital and not feeling our most beautiful in our sleep deprived states so weren’t sure how we would feel about the photos. However, it has been so precious to have these images to look back on such a brief but important part of our journey becoming a family that all seemed to happen in a bit of a blur. Thank you for capturing all our perfect imperfections and these earliest of memories.
When to have your shoot and how to prepare
Maternity photoshoots
I’d usually advise having your photos taken around 32-26 weeks so your bump is nice and round but you’re not yet super uncomfortable. BUT, every woman is different and so is every pregnancy, so of course I’m happy to work around you!
You can have your photos at your home, if you want to show your little one where you spent your days preparing for their arrival, or at a St Albans or Hertfordshire location of your choice. Whatever you fancy!
Other than that, you don’t have to prepare anything. I’ll send you out some information to help make your session your own and the time we spend together will be fun – promise!
Newborn photoshoots
This is a controversial one. Some people say newborn photos HAVE to be done in the first ten days to count at newborn and other strict rules. I don’t really agree. Let me put it this way… the youngest baby I’ve photographed is 6 hours old and I turned up while the birthing pool was still inflated in the kitchen. Other babies I’ve photographed at the hospital before they’ve been discharged. Some a few days later at home. Others a couple of weeks later. And I think they’re all still definitely new! And babies are amazing to photograph at any age so I included some pics of a gorgeous 6 month old bubba for good measure on this page too!
I would recommend getting in touch before you have the baby so that you’re not trying to organise it once your little one is here, however. One less thing to try and remember among the throngs of wellwishers! It’s always worth making space for a quite shoot if you can. It’s so chilled out, you don’t have to leave home and it won’t expend any of your precious energy. No preparation required (not even tidying up!).
We have been lucky enough to have Tori photograph us for 3 years. She did our bump shoot during pregnancy through to age 2 family portraits. She takes shots I would never think of and they are fantastic! With a young son, I’m always taking photos with my phone but Tori manages to capture these every-day moments that become treasured photos. I’m grateful to have these to look back on. Thank you Tori!
What happens during a shoot?
The most important thing is that you just relax and be yourselves. It seems like it’ll be hard, but I’m here to hold your hand and help!
It’s my job to help you look happy, relaxed and amazing so you’re in good hands. I’m not going to micromanage you into poses or anything awkward like that, fret not. It’ll just be you enjoying the happy haze of creating a new human, whether you’ve met them yet or not, and marvelling at home amazing life is while I snap away!
Tori has provided us with some once in a lifetime photos of our new born. The shoot itself was comfortable and enjoyable; you barely noticed her snapping away. And the photos are just fantastic. I would encourage anyone to use Tori to get photos that you will cherish forever.
And what happens after your photoshoot?
You go home knowing you’ve got some amazing photos winging it to you in a week or two and I get busy behind the scenes!
I take the best of the best from your photo session and digitally retouch them (so no blinkies or unflattering ones ever see the light of day, don’t worry!) Then you get your gallery and can decide what you’d like to purchase and how you’d like to display your favourites.
I don’t enjoy being in front of the camera and always feel super awkward but Tori made the session fun and I felt relaxed and not at all goofy in front of the camera. The result, beautiful shots of my partner and me that now take pride of place on our wall at home.
How to display your favourite photos
My favourite part! You get to choose whether you want gorgeous wall art or if you want to put all your favourites in an album or something else. I love being able to help you display your favourites in the best possible way to suit your tastes and the style of your home! I truly believe photos shouldn’t be just pixels so if you agree then you’ll love the products I can help you with.
Tori took photos of our family when our son was just 2 months old and they are gorgeous! I’ve never had professional family photos done and it was such a treat. She is so skilled at finding the right light and capturing really joyful candid moments. I loved both her portraits and candids of us. She also works really quickly so that there’s no worries about whether the baby will lose his cool or not. Tori is wonderful and I highly recommend her!!
Let’s chat about a photoshoot!
Want a little more info first? Check out:
Frequently asked questions
Bump & baby session pricing
See bump & baby gallery
Not quite ready? Why not download this awesome guide with five awesome ideas on how to make your shoot stress free and as unique as your family?