Every now and then you get asked to do something that is new and a little bit scary. It’s exciting, but you desperately don’t want to get it wrong because there are no do-overs. This moment in time, it will never come again. When Mum-to-Be, Bailey, asked me if I would do a newborn shoot for her I was thrilled and terrified all at the same time.
In the end it was such a fun session. 11 day old Baby Fletcher was a chilled, beautiful, healthy, engaged baby boy. He is the absolute apple of his parent’s eye. Little Big sister, Willow the dachshund, has warmly welcomed him into her furfamily and it was important to the family that she be a part of documenting this new stage of their lives together.
Bailey and I chatted a lot beforehand to get an idea of the feel she wanted in her images. It was a relaxed lifestyle vibe we were going for with natural tones that would also lend themselves to black and white to suit the existing decor. Bailey knows my style and knew what she would get ahead of time. I visited their home before baby arrived and knew what rooms and areas would work best to give us some variety.
The rest was really going to be up to Fletcher.
Planning for a newborn shoot was quite different to a dog or cat shoot. I needed to make sure I was up to date on all my vaccinations so a booster for Whooping Cough was arranged well in advance. Safety was key, so when we were working with Fletcher and Willow there was one parent on bub and one with doggo. I left the treats and squeaky toys at home – but they may come back out when I catch up with Fletcher for his 1st birthday.
I look back at the images of newborn baby Fletcher and his family and I get that warm and fuzzy feeling from all the love that this family has for one another.
If you’re a dog mum or dad and you’re about to add to your family, I’d love to help you document this important milestone in your lives, so get in touch.