Before and after your baby arrives: the milestones to remember
Maternity and newborn photography
Are you about to become a mum? Here’s the story of this family who chose to have photos during the pregnancy and later just after their newborn baby was born.
Perhaps you’ve waited a long time to have this baby and you probably still can’t believe this is happening to YOU… or perhaps it happened faster than you would have imagined and you didn’t feel prepared when you found out…?
Either way, you are already a mum to this little person growing in your tummy. You communicate with him/her through everything you do, what you eat, what you say, your humming, your dancing, when you laugh at your partner’s jokes (those jokes!)… Like a wedding, this marks a milestone in your life. A milestone that you probably want to remember for ever.
You’ve probably seen those perfect photos of pregnant women posing perfectly in a perfect field at sunset with a straw hat and the perfect make up and you might think: “this is not me at all… and where is my field in London?… and it’s far too cold to wear a summer dress in the middle of October!”. And that’s totally fine. Because maybe, that isn’t for you. Because that isn’t YOU.
Take this photo right here. This couple just fancied sitting in the grass in Greenwich Park and with the help of the framing, a loving gesture and some good hair (!), we got a simple beautiful moment. No tricks, no stiff posing.
Or you might prefer capturing your life as a couple or a young family in your home to immortalise your life before your baby comes. The important thing is that the place we take the photos reflects where you are at in this stage in your life. This will surely bring back lots of memories when you look at the photos a few years down the line.
Tell your baby’s story: the before & after
My son loves looking at the photos taken during my pregnancy when he was in my tummy and sometimes thinks that he was in my belly in every photo before that, which is pretty funny. My point is: when deciding for a maternity photoshoot just picture yourself looking at these photos with your child later.
With a bit of planning you can have the before and after like the family below.
I photographed this family some time ago while the mum was pregnant with baby number 2 and then a few weeks I met them again in their home with their little baby boy who was just one week old.
Becoming a mama: your maternity photos
Think about where you would like to have these photos taken. Perhaps it’s at home, where you've been preparing the nest? Or perhaps it’s a place nearby, a park, a cafe, somewhere you’ll always associate with the start of your family, the days before your little one comes. You will look beautiful because you’re a mama, because you can’t wait to meet your baby, because you’re in love and because it’s just bloody amazing what’s happening to you right now.
Having professional photos of you and your partner in your ‘nest’ will show you how important this moment is in your life. Can you imagine looking at those photos in a couple of years’ time with your little one and tell him/her how you felt at that time while he/she was in your tummy?
Your little baby in your ‘nest’: newborn photography at home
Once your baby has arrived, a newborn photo session will capture your nest finally complete. Make it as simple, normal, natural and real as possible. And this is why I’m here for. It’s about showing you your world, your family as they are.
For their newborn photoshoot, I stayed a couple of hours with this family in their home. I spent some time with the mum in a beautifully-lit room while she was cuddling and nursing her baby. I watched the new family dynamic in the kitchen (tea making, nappy changing, toddler playing…) and we spent the end of the session in the living room with some more cuddling and calm moments. As simple as that.
Two photo sessions, double the memories. It was such a privilege to follow this family of three becoming a beautiful family of four…
BUMP TO BABY
For any family booking both the maternity and newborn photo sessions at the same time, you will receive a complimentary Portfolio to display two photos of your choice and a special price for your combined photo sessions.
If you’re pregnant or just had a baby and you’ve been thinking of having a keepsake of this very special time in your life, just drop me a message and ask me any questions you like.
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Marion & You Photography is a photographer in South London specialising in family, newborn, baby and maternity photography.
Marion specialises in London family photography, South East London family photography (Beckenham, Crystal Palace, Bromley, Dulwich, Forest Hill, Herne Hill, Greenwich), North London family photography (Islington, Hampstead, Kentish Town), East London family photography, South West London family photography, Kent family photography as well as areas in and around London.