I was so excited to see Evie for her newborn lifestyle shoot – firstly because she’s my niece so I love any opportunity to see her – and secondly because newborn lifestyle sessions just make me so happy!! Arriving to see her, her mummy Ashlee informed me that it was 7 weeks ago that we did her Fresh 48 session (which you can view here). Seven whole weeks! I know it’s such a cliché, but it really is just so true. Time goes soooo fast. Too fast. And in that fast passing of time, those little babies grow even faster. Their eyes become focused and aware… their cry changes from the newborn cry to their baby cry…they begin ‘talking’ and smiling and showing their likes and dislikes…they move further and further away from that fresh little baby who breathed their first breath. While I absolutely love watching them grow, and have loved watching my own children grow, it also does make me sad. I can’t help it! Seeing them move away from who they once were has always been difficult for me (I’m usually the one feeling sad when my kids have birthdays, and I’m definitely the one crying the night before they start school!!), and this is one of the reasons I love photography. All these little moments and routines we think we’ll remember, yet time moves on quickly, and we can’t keep it all fresh in our minds. I love being able to capture those memories – to freeze them so they can be revisited.
Little babies are unpredictable. Whilst it’s always lovely to have your baby in the ‘perfect mood’, they don’t always cooperate! This doesn’t mean that we can’t get beautiful images that capture what life is like with a new baby – the ups and the downs, the challenges and the triumphs, the beauty and the chaos. Life isn’t perfect, but your story is because it’s YOUR STORY. In the case of little Evie, she is usually such a happy and chilled baby, but she just wasn’t feeling it on the day of our shoot and mainly just wanted to sleep rather than share her smiles with the world. And that’s okay – because that’s all part of life with a new baby. It gave us a perfect opportunity to grab some beautiful images of her cuddling with her Mummy and Daddy, and being comforted and soothed by them. She felt safe and peaceful in their arms, and that’s a magical thing to see. I love being able to capture that so that they can hold onto those memories when she’s grown and maybe doesn’t want as many cuddles anymore!
One thing Evie did love was the bath, so we made sure to capture some images of her being bathed by her Daddy. This is her happy place – and it shows in the way she was adoringly looking up at him and smiling throughout the entire bath. Another thing we wanted to capture was Mum multitasking in the kitchen – all part of mum life – especially when Dad works away. It’s amazing how quickly you can learn how to do things with one hand!! Before going to the hospital, Matthew and Ashlee had taken a photo outside the front of their house, and wanted to do the same now that Evie was there with them. Matthew and Ashlee have had their full story told with their Maternity Session, Birth Story, Fresh 48, and now their newborn lifestyle shoot. I’m so glad to have been able to give these images to them – and hopefully they’ll be precious to them forever.
If you’d like to book a session with me, or for someone you love, Contact me here.
