Newborn photos at Christmas

I thought that this image from Olivia’s 9-day-old newborn shoot was a perfect one for Christmas. Often at this time of the year I am asked to do themed shoots. This can be difficult with newborns as they are often dwarfed by Santa or Elf costumes. What I love about this image is that it manages to capture a sense of Christmas while still being about a new father’s love for his baby daughter.

The Story

After having done some natural family photos of the whole family, portraits of newborn Olivia in her nursery and some lifestyle images of her with her parents, mum asked if we could do a last set in a Santa costume. We had just finished some semi-nude portraits so it was much easier to pop Olivia back in her onesie and then the costume. Planning in advance can be helpful with lots of outfits as some babies don’t like to be dressed and undressed. We were lucky that Olivia was feeding well and was very sleepy after her time in front of the camera.

As always happens after a change, the baby was a little restless and needed some cuddles and rocking to settle her back down again. While we were rearranging the supports for her portrait, I saw this image of dad comforting his daughter. From where I stood the palm created a perfect frame in Christmas green. I moved into place and captured them before dad could notice the camera, creating a natural moment that still encapsulates a Christmas newborn.

Themed shoots for kids

Themed photo shoots can be a great way to get your family excited about having their pictures taken. The whole thing can be planned in advance, with everyone getting a say in the location and costumes. For very young children, decorating the Christmas tree is a great way to capture their natural personality while engaging them for a period of time when they can forget about the camera. For older kids, you could plan an adventure into the forest with animal costumes or as winter explorers, be pirates by the lake or put on a play in the back garden. There is always time to get a classical family portrait and these shoots make great albums with the opportunity to get very special portraits of the children.

Discover the story behind some of my favourite baby photos, check out the links below or visit the Story of the Photo page. If you would like to create a special themed photo shoot for your kids, get in touch to chat about making it happen.