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Newborn Photography London – Fun Facts to Know for your Session

I realised that a lot of parents do not know much about newborn photography.

Table of Contents hide
1 What I’m thinking is to break down all the information in small posts, so it’s easier to learn the different aspects involved in a newborn photography session.
2 The type of clothing I wear during a newborn or baby session.
3 Photography by Valentina | Newborn Photography London

And that is absolutely understandable! Is not every day that they go to photograph their little one, isn’t it? 🙂

One of the most common questions I’ve been asked is “My Baby is 3 weeks old. Is it too late for Newborn Photography?” Others are: “When is the right time to book?”, “Can siblings join in the photos?” On my website I have lots of information and I try to answer these questions also on my Instagram account.

But I have blog about What’s the Best Age to Photograph Babies that you might be interested in.

What I’m thinking is to break down all the information in small posts, so it’s easier to learn the different aspects involved in a newborn photography session.

So today I would like to start with an apparently silly thing, but worth a consideration.

The type of clothing I wear during a newborn or baby session.

You might have seen a few photos of me on social media. If you have done a session with me, you saw me. What do I wear?

Well boring, non-fancy stuff. Ha ha ha ha

Come on, look at me: leggings, bare feet, a t-shirt or sleeveless top. Sometimes it looks like I’m going for jogging.

Valentina, newborn photographer in London, photographing mum and baby

Why do I tell you this? And most importantly why should you know it?

Well, I work with clothes with no buttons or zip or anything like that because I don’t want to catch your baby and scratch him accidentally. They are comfortable to me so I can move with no trouble and usually, they are neutral colours not to throw a colour cast to babies that will then show in the photos.

To work with naked babies the room is pretty warm and that’s why I wear tops or light clothes. I also advise parents to wear comfortable and light clothing.  The room is about 26-28 degrees so no need to come with jumpers 😉

I keep my nails short and bare, with no polish usually, no long acrylic pointy ones! I’m aware of the delicate baby’s skin and don’t want to cause any harm.

Also, I don’t wear any jewellery during a session, not even my wedding ring just because I don’t want an accident to happen. Probably a bracelet or a necklace won’t do much harm but when I’m working I just want to concentrate and focus on the baby and prefer being safe. I ask parents as well to remove watches or bracelets when they hold the baby. Watches, especially if big,  can be a distraction in the photos but they can also represent a potential risk.

I hope you enjoy my “silly” post.  Stay tuned for more insight next week.

Photography by Valentina | Newborn Photography London

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    After 15 years, so much of what I do is on autopilot.

    I look for the gorgeous light and read the baby. I know when to wait and when to act. And I do it without thinking.

    But the moment someone is beside me, watching, learning, everything slows down. I have to find words for things I stopped noticing years ago. And in doing that, I remember how it felt at the beginning. The insecurities. The fear of getting it wrong. The weight of feeling like you should already know. The comparison with others.

    Teaching reminds me how much courage it takes to learn something new and how gently we should treat ourselves while we do.

    If you are starting out, in any field, well done. Truly. I know how hard and lonely those first steps can be. But you don’t have to take them alone.

    And if you are a photographer thinking about a one to one newborn training day in my Twickenham studio,I would love to be part of your journey.
    Link in bio.

    26 4
    Open post by by_valentina with ID 17949340839173898
    After 15 years, so much of what I do is on autopilot. I look for the gorgeous light and read the baby. I know when to wait and when to act. And I do it without thinking. But the moment someone is beside me, watching, learning, everything slows down. I have to find words for things I stopped noticing years ago. And in doing that, I remember how it felt at the beginning. The insecurities. The fear of getting it wrong. The weight of feeling like you should already know. The comparison with others. Teaching reminds me how much courage it takes to learn something new and how gently we should treat ourselves while we do. If you are starting out, in any field, well done. Truly. I know how hard and lonely those first steps can be. But you don’t have to take them alone. And if you are a photographer thinking about a one to one newborn training day in my Twickenham studio,I would love to be part of your journey. Link in bio.

    Six weeks ago I shared a glimpse behind the scenes of this session. Today, you get to see what we made.

    She arrived with her props already chosen.

    Nude stockings. The kind her mother wore. The ones women mended rather than replaced.

    She knew exactly what she wanted to say.
    My job was simply to hold the space and let her say it.

    This is what a portrait session can be.
    Not a makeover or a way to fit an idea of beauty. But a conversation between a woman and her own story, made visible.

    Dyana is an artist, activist and doula. She explores identity, the body, and everything that lives between and beyond definition.

    I am grateful I had the chance to photograph her.

    87 20
    Open post by by_valentina with ID 17861247726689326
    Six weeks ago I shared a glimpse behind the scenes of this session. Today, you get to see what we made. She arrived with her props already chosen. Nude stockings. The kind her mother wore. The ones women mended rather than replaced. She knew exactly what she wanted to say. My job was simply to hold the space and let her say it. This is what a portrait session can be. Not a makeover or a way to fit an idea of beauty. But a conversation between a woman and her own story, made visible. Dyana is an artist, activist and doula. She explores identity, the body, and everything that lives between and beyond definition. I am grateful I had the chance to photograph her.

    Tomorrow I have a newborn session and a 1:1 training day with a photographer travelling from Switzerland to spend the day with me.

    But before any of that, the work had already started.
    It starts with a conversation. Learning about your birth, your family, how things have been since you came home. Then comes the studio prep, making sure the space is warm, clean and ready for someone very new to the world, with attention to every small thing that makes a family feel safe and held.

    After 15 years, this is still how I do it. Every time.
    That same care is what I pass on when I teach.

    If you are a parent looking for a photographer who takes this seriously, or a photographer thinking about training, this is what I stand for.

    📩 Links in bio for both.

    21 3
    Open post by by_valentina with ID 18100153727039017
    Tomorrow I have a newborn session and a 1:1 training day with a photographer travelling from Switzerland to spend the day with me. But before any of that, the work had already started. It starts with a conversation. Learning about your birth, your family, how things have been since you came home. Then comes the studio prep, making sure the space is warm, clean and ready for someone very new to the world, with attention to every small thing that makes a family feel safe and held. After 15 years, this is still how I do it. Every time. That same care is what I pass on when I teach. If you are a parent looking for a photographer who takes this seriously, or a photographer thinking about training, this is what I stand for. 📩 Links in bio for both.

    She almost didn’t come.

    She told me she wasn’t feeling confident.
    That she didn’t know how to pose.
    That maybe I should photograph someone else.

    I hear this more than you’d think. From women who are more reserved and introvert but also the ones who are funny and so alive in person. Women who have simply spent too long seeing themselves in a fixed way.

    We spent a morning together. Just her, the light, and a space where nothing needed to be fixed or hidden.

    The woman in these photos? She was there all along.

    If you’ve been telling yourself a similar story, I’d gently ask you this: what if you’re wrong too?

    48 10
    Open post by by_valentina with ID 18093137645180251
    She almost didn’t come. She told me she wasn’t feeling confident. That she didn’t know how to pose. That maybe I should photograph someone else. I hear this more than you’d think. From women who are more reserved and introvert but also the ones who are funny and so alive in person. Women who have simply spent too long seeing themselves in a fixed way. We spent a morning together. Just her, the light, and a space where nothing needed to be fixed or hidden. The woman in these photos? She was there all along. If you’ve been telling yourself a similar story, I’d gently ask you this: what if you’re wrong too?

    This is the part that gets me every time.

    Seeing the images inside the album, in print, held in your hands, is completely different to seeing them on a screen.

    They become real in a way a digital file never quite manages.

    This little one will grow so fast.

    But these pages will stay exactly as they are.

    Newborn photography in Richmond and Twickenham.

    20 6
    Open post by by_valentina with ID 18062378156418997
    This is the part that gets me every time. Seeing the images inside the album, in print, held in your hands, is completely different to seeing them on a screen. They become real in a way a digital file never quite manages. This little one will grow so fast. But these pages will stay exactly as they are. Newborn photography in Richmond and Twickenham.
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    VALE@PHOTOGRAPHYBYVALENTINA.COM

    07577 978246

    LONDON NEWBORN & MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER

    Based in Richmond, I work with families across London to capture life’s most meaningful milestones through portrait photography.