I first wrote this blog back in 2016, attempting to inform people why I shoot with natural light only and why (to me) it is better than artificial light. 
​To this very day, it is still THE most important aspect of my newborn photography, but 4 years down the line from originally writing it, I don't need to convince people anymore as you all know! Every single client who visits me tells me exactly what I have been trying to tell you all for the past 7 years, that the natural light and home environment that I shoot in is wonderful, so relaxing and calming to walk into and that they would never want it any other way.

Rewinding back to when started my business 7 years ago,  people always used to ask why I shoot with natural light only, or usually they assume I shoot with it until I am able to get myself a "studio" with artificial lighting. Hence, I felt the need to explain myself, as it is a topic that I feel very strongly about. 
Well, the answer to this question is in the question itself, it is natural. Natural is part of my brand, natural posing, natural light, natural newborn photography, natural baby photography, natural family photography. Now I don't as most people know this! 

I know most photographers use artificial lighting indoors, especially here in the UK where the weather can be very unpredictable. But if you know how to use it correctly , it really can be the most beautiful natural resource.  Yes, on some very dull (and likewise very sunny!) days it can be harder to work with, but by changing your camera settings and sometimes moving baby slightly, or yourself, you can achieve some amazing results.

Natural light is not the easy option. Quite the opposite in fact, it takes a lot more work than studio lighting. There is so much more to learn , to think about, than setting up one or two lights and not having to think much about lighting during the photography session.  Natural light is constantly changing, so as well as settling and "posing" baby, camera setting often need to be constantly changed as does positioning of baby and the set up with the change of the power of the sun. But I would not have it any other way.  I have used artificial lighting in the past on many occasions, so I have an in depth knowledge of both, however I was always taken back by the beauty of natural light so I made the decision to work only with this. I feel that it offers the client a beautiful, gentle, pure, natural, organic feel which is what my brand sets about to achieve. 

If you would like to read more about your newborn photography experience with me, here are a couple of other useful articles that when all read together pretty much sum up my newborn photography business. 

* Why I offer newborn photography from my home 
* Newborn photography experience with Samantha Prewett Photography

You can see more of my beautiful newborn photographs and find out more information such as pricing in the newborn area of my website. If you are interested in a photography session please do contact me and I will happy to send you a beautiful booking information pack.

Hello, I am Samantha. I would like to welcome you into my beautiful home and my world of newborn baby photography. 

Bringing your tiny precious little newborn baby into my home is a perfect relaxing experience for all of us. I want you to feel at ease here, as you would in your own home. This is my main reason for choosing my home as my "studio" space rather than a purpose built studio which can sometimes be a bit daunting to brand new parents. Let me make you a hot drink for you to enjoy as I settle you and your baby in.

My lovely open plan space has a full kitchen should you need to warm up any bottles, and I can even provide you with a tub of cotton wool and water which to clean your baby if we need to, sometimes newborns have gacky eyes so a quick wipe now saves me lots of editing time and helps your beautiful photographs stay natural. My bathroom is just the other side of the wall where the photography session will take place, so you will never be far away from your baby should you need to use it whilst you are here, please don't feel you need to wait until you get home!

If you haven't already given me your "wish list" of photos we will sit down together to discuss which props and colours you would like me to use.  I focus on this more than which "poses" you would like, as every single baby is different, some like to go in certain positions, some not so much. You can expect to spend 2-3 hours with me, and I spend all this time getting to know what your baby likes and what soothes them, making your baby led experience with me as enjoyable and relaxing as possible. I have years of experience on hand, but your baby is always in charge. Quite often they will not want to sleep as it is a new environment for them, but please do not worry , I have lots of ways of photographing awake babies, and I absolutely love to see their eyes open in some of the photographs. 

Most parents to be / new parents have lots of questions when they get in touch to book, so I have recently created a new page of FAQs to read. If you would like to read more about your newborn photography experience with Samantha Prewett Photography, I have another useful blog I wrote a couple of years ago but it is still applicable. This goes into more detail about what to expect when you come to me. I hope you have enjoyed reading this little insight into my world of newborn photography, and please do get in touch if you are interested in booking your newborn photography session with me. 

If you follow me or any other newborn photographers on social media, you will notice we are often going about "booking" in whilst you are pregnant, not waiting until your baby arrives to get in touch. But how do we "book" you in when we don't know when your baby is going to arrive? Unlike some other photographers, I do not give you provisional dates  (which will undoubtedly need to be re arranged) I simply make sure I have some times around your due date kept available for you, then once you get in touch to let me know your baby has arrived, we arrange a mutually convenient time for your newborn photography session. As you can understand I need to be quite flexible with my time, hence I can only book in a certain amount of babies per month. Babies are often early or late, which sometimes leads to me having a few last minute spaces available, so I sometimes can accommodate clients who get in touch after their baby arrives. But I can not guarantee space, and I often have to say that I am unfortunately fulled booked.  If this does happen, I will never turn you away but simply say we might need to wait a few weeks. I photograph all ages up to 5 months in a "newborn style" but as you can imagine they grow really quickly and a 4/5 week old baby will not be as curled up as a 7 day old. You can read more about my "older newborn" photography sessions in another blog post that I have written.

There are other reasons and benefits to booking in before your due month. It is easier for you to find and book a photographer when you are expecting as you will have more time, and once you have "booked in" you don't need to do anything else until your session apart from a simple message to let me know your little one has arrived. We can spend time talking about your session and what you would like, and it gives me chance to post out your lovely booking form and if you are local get a Little Pack of Love goody bag over to you, which contains lots of fantastic freebies and vouchers. 

Also by booking  in early you get the chance to get a free beautiful wooden photo block as a thank you from me for being super organised (as it helps me to be more organised too!) and if you are booking a maternity photography session too, you can get a £25 discount (terms and condition apply, please message me for more information) and a further £25 discount off any future family photography sessions.

 

You can find out lots more information on newborn photography sessions in Poole with me under my newborn photography section or read more newborn photography articles on my blog. If you would like any further information or would like to book in, please contact me.

Dad's and their babies. Not so commonly talked about and shown in newborn photography as we may think. After all, its usually Mum who takes lead and spends hours looking online for their perfect photographer. 
But how do they feel about all this, what do they think?
Do they mostly come along to the session for support, or because they are told to or are they equally involved?

With some exceptions it is usually Mum to be/new Mum who gets in touch to arrange their newborn photography session and whilst it is usually a joint decision, Mum usually initiates this. Usually Dad does come along if they are still on paternity leave which is a great reason to have your newborn photography session as early as possible. 

Whilst some Dad's are more than happy to be photographed, and in some cases it can be them to suggest it rather than Mum, just as many, if not more are very anxious about it all. I want to help you to relax and put your mind at ease if it something you are currently or may soon be thinking about. So with this in mind, I have spoken to two Dad's who I have photographed recently with their newborn babies when they came to Samantha Prewett Photography in Poole.

​"I always remember being very nervous on the drive there, I was quite short with everyone in the car but we got there and seeing Edward just being allowed to be free and he was so cute, then I can remember being worried about the photo with me cause I was looking scruffy as a tramp with low standards but I held Edward and just looked down at him, and knew I needed this wonderful memory, and everyday I look at the canvas of our little family and just feel proud. I love the photos we have they always look so warm and just capture our pure love for Edward, I even quite like the way my bald spot looks"

​"I  was slightly apprehensive about having my photo taken as I'm self conscious and I always thought it was more of a 'mum and baby' thing which dads didn't generally get involved with. However towards the end of the shoot Samantha invited me to have a parent shot and, after seeing the lovely set-ups for Orla during the shoot, I felt more confident that the end result would be great. I actually felt very relaxed during the shoot and enjoyed spending time with my baby. Now I have beautiful photos with my little girl and, as she has grown so quickly, am very glad I took the opportunity while she was so tiny. I would definitely recommend having parent shots taken to other dads - it's not just a mum thing!"

I feel so privileged to have such wonderful clients who are happy to share such beautiful personal thoughts with me, I hope these wonderful Dad's  help you when you are planning your newborn photography session and you consider having a photograph with your newborn baby, they are only this tiny for a really small amount of time. I would like to thank both Graeme and Rob for their beautiful words. I couldn't have written this article without you both.
So what do you think? Did you have a photograph with you baby during your newborn photography session? or are you ready to book your newborn session, and have some beautiful timeless photos with your baby which you will treasure forever. 
Please don't feel pressured though, every session goes by your and your babies pace, what ever you want is always good for me, and I still do quite a few newborn sessions with no parent photos at all, especially if you are planning a family session soon and have other children. If you do choose to have parent shots, your newborn session is focused around your little bundle so you will only be in the "spotlight" for a few minutes and you can relax for the rest of the time you are here.

So if you are ready to find out more about a Newborn photography session with me, I have more blog posts crammed with useful information under my newborn category or you can visit the newborn section of my website here. And please do get in touch if I can help you plan your newborn session further. Thank you.

It has been over 6 months since I shared an entire newborn photography gallery with you all , so I thought it was about time to "update" with a new one. Not because I don't like the other images anymore, neither have they gone "out of date" , but because I love showing you how different every session is. I also think its really important if you are looking for a newborn photographer that you see this, rather than simply the "best" of their images which feature on their website/social media.

This gorgeous little man was 12 days old when he came to see me here at Samantha Prewett Photography in Poole.  I usually photograph newborns around 7 days (but anything up to 2-3 weeks is good), he arrived on Christmas eve so I gave him the first slot I have available for 2018.
We started off with some wrapped up photos, as you can see he was so content that this sent him back to sleep, aaaaawwww.

Some babies take a while to settle in when the arrive, but he was very content. Your session is totally baby led,  I work with your baby when you come in so I never have a set list to take certain photos in a certain order. Sometimes we start with lots of cuddles and settling, sometimes your little bundle is ready for photos straight away. Every baby is different.

After the first set of photos, he was wide awake and still very content and happy, time for some awake shots. Whilst we all love curled up sleepy baby photos, I simply adore awake ones too where you can see their bright eyes. A perfect session provides a balance between the two,

After the second set up, he was still not ready to sleep. But that does not matter, I have plenty of ways to photograph both awake and asleep babies. So we moved onto the next lot of photos, again he was wide awake and we got to see his gorgeous eyes.

After these photos, we all decided it might be time for little one to go to sleep. Mum and Dad were particularly set on some certain images where had to be asleep, so I wrapped him up and helped him and he fell asleep. This does not always happen, so please don't worry if it does not, we will still get some beautiful photographs.  

To finish up the session, as requested, we did some parent photos. Most of my clients have photos with their babies, but some are not ready. Again this is totally your decision, but I do urge you all to definitely consider letting me capture a photo of yourself with your newborn. If you are not keen when you see your gallery, you don't need to choose it.
If you decide to have parent photos whilst you are here, you might end up with a large selection to choose from as I like to leave the decision making to you!

Their session was absolutely perfect and I could not wait to start editing these gorgeous images. Somehow they have managed to choose their favourite 10 images, via their private online gallery which have now been ordered and will be on their way to them really soon.
I would like to thank this lovely family for letting me share their gorgeous photographs with them all. I am really looking forward to organising and sending their prints and USB over soon.

If you are expecting a baby this year, now is the perfect time to "book" in your newborn photography session. If you book before 36 weeks I have a brand new offer where you can claim a free wooden photo block with your photography package, worth £30! Please contact me for more information on this amazing offer or if you would like to read more about newborn photography with me in Poole, Dorset you can visit the newborn section of my website here.

Something that I feel very passionately about is the "natural" part of my brand. This is where I think I differ from the majority of the hundreds of other newborn photographers out there. 

So what exactly do I mean by "natural posing" ? Surely, anything "posed" can't be natural? 
Well, I perfectly combine the 2 things to create beautiful photographs for you.

I "pose"  babies by creating beautiful artistic setups of colours that compliment each other and your baby and placing them into these set ups. Then instead, of making sure each shot is "perfectly posed" I let your baby pose! Sometimes I give them a helping hand, but more often that not, the natural positions that they get themselves in are picture perfect already! I am there for all the little things like if they decide to put their hands over their face or to cover up their modesty!  

Please don't get me wrong though, its not as simple as just setting up some things, putting your baby in then taking some photos! If you have been to me, you will understand and appreciate the care and attention that goes into each and every photograph that I take. I have over 4 years experience of photographing newborn babies now, and I know how to naturally work with your baby to create these perfect photographs that you will treasure forever.

​Each baby is different and likes to go into different positions, here is the same "pose" with different babies, you can see how each baby is different and unique and how they want to position themselves differently.  I tend to help them a little bit for this pose, but I will never put them into any positions where they need supporting by a hand that then needs to be edited out afterwards.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog that I really enjoyed putting together for you. If you would like to read more about my brand, I have a few other articles about my brand message here:
You can find out about my beautiful, natural packaging here.
You can find out what is is like coming into my lovely calming home for your newborn photography session here.
And finally, you can find out why it is important for me to use only natural light in my photography here.

If you would like anymore information on my newborn photography sessions, here in Poole, Dorset. Please visit my newborn photography section of my website here, or contact me here.

When clients book in for their newborn photography session with me here in Poole, they often wonder why I say to allow up to 4 hours. In fact a lot of people just assume that they will not be here for anything like 4 hours and book appointments in the afternoon, and this sometimes leads us to rushing the session towards the end.

I have been photographing newborn babies for over 4 years now, so it is not that I don't know what I am doing. As I am sure you can all appreciate newborns come with their own time schedule, and do not stick to ours. All of my sessions are totally baby led, if baby wants a feed or a cuddle we stop for this. Working with such a small precious little person we need to go completely with their needs to make your experience with me as enjoyable as possible. 

If you have ever been to a traditional family photography studio before, you will know the drill. You get maybe half an hour (if you are lucky) to get those all important photographs, if it does not happen during that short amount of time, it does not happen at all. I want to be able to offer the opposite of this, and I will spend plenty of time with you getting those all important beautiful, natural shots. 

Another thing a lot of new parents think is, how on earth can I spend 4 hours taking photographs? It does not work like that at all. We do not spend 4 hours taking photos, and the likelihood of you actually being here for 4 hours is actually very low, but I like to make sure we have blocked out the time just in case we need it, which we sometimes do. Even if you have a very sleepy baby, you may find the opposite when they come here, it is a brand new experience for them (and you!) and it is very stimulating for them. Likewise, if you baby is a little more unsettled in general, they might be more settled here , I have lots of experience with babies and I know how to work with each individual baby and how to settle them.

So to round up, please allow up to 4 hours for your newborn photography session. This also allows for a little bit of leeway if you are a little late , I know what it is like trying to get out of the house with a brand new tiny baby! Most sessions are around 2 hours, but some go on longer , please don't panic if you are here the full 4 hours, some babies just need a little bit more time to settle in. And please try not to book appointments after your session as it will be a rush for us to be finished. I know this sometimes cannot be helped , so if you do , please let me know so that I can make sure we are finished and not rush at the very last minute. I aim for your newborn photography experience in my home to be as calming and relaxing, and comfortable as possible.

If you would like to read more about newborn photography experiences with me at Samantha Prewett Photography, here are a few useful links:
Read about your newborn experience here

​See a full newborn gallery from one single session here

Visit my newborn section of my website here for more information and prices

I have spent a lot of time recently telling you and showing you all about how lovely it is to come into my relaxing, calming home environment for your newborn photography session here with me in Poole, Dorset. So I thought I would show you a full newborn gallery so you get to see exactly what you end up with after your enjoyable experience with me. Rather than just the best shots , here are ALL the shots! :-)

This gorgeous little one was just 6 days old when he came to see me. Newborn sessions usually take place around this age, depending on how you and you baby are after the birth, I try to book you in around day 7. 

These are the kind of images you can expect from your newborn session. You can choose which props and colours you like beforehand or when you get here. If you look through my newborn gallery you will see more examples of the props that I have and the type of shots that I can do for you.  But please bear in mind that all babies are different, not all babies are sleepy the whole time, likewise some sleep the whole time.  How ever your baby is whilst you are here, please do not worry , I will work with them and we will get some beautiful shots. 

Depending on how the session goes, and what final photographs you would like from your newborn photography session we usually have time to use 2 or 3 different props,to do some sleepy tummy shots, some feet shots and some parent or sibling shots if you would like some. 

If you would like to read more about having a newborn photography session with me , you can find out what to expect whilst you are here by reading a recent blog post I have written here.

If you are expecting or have recently had a baby and would like to book a newborn photography session in with me at Samantha Prewett Photography, please contact me here.

When you book a newborn photography session with Samantha Prewett Photography you are not only investing in beautiful natural photographs that you will treasure forever, but you will also get a beautiful, relaxing, enjoyable experience in my lovely home environment as I invite you into my home in Poole, Dorset for your photography session.

As I am sure that you are aware, a lot of care and attention goes into every single image that will be presented to you in your final gallery. But I have also spent a lot of time and over 4 years of experience thinking about what makes a perfect relaxing experience for you so that you will enjoy your time here. I am constantly having clients tell me how much they enjoyed their time here and how welcoming and calming it is to come into my home.  

From the moment that you step into my welcoming home you will hear the quiet calming music in the background which will help you to feel relaxed and comfortable as I make you a hot drink whilst you sit down and take a look through my portfolio books. Usually your baby will be asleep from the car journey so we can take a little time to settle you in and discuss which type of images you would like and which props you would like me to use.  I will have a selection of bowls. baskets and crates for you to choose from as well as my collection of wraps, hats and headbands.

Then its time to start the session. Usually I will take you baby from their car seat and undress them, they don't usually like this part, as they were nice and warm and cosy! It will be warmer than usual in my home during your session so its not so much of a shock for you little one when I undress them. Some babies like to be wrapped up so I often go straight into a wrapped shot to begin with, but sometimes they want to stretch so we can get some lovely awake shots on a fur on the floor, or they might want a feed. I spend the entire 2-4 hours of your session going with what your baby wants to do, not what I want to do with them, your session is totally baby led. The only time I will try to get them to sleep is if you are set on a few sleepy "gently posed" shots.

You can expect to be here with me between 2 to 4 hours. My "average" time for a newborn session is 2 hours, but please do not worry if we have gone over 2 hours, all babies are different and I want you to feel as relaxed and un-rushed as possible whilst you are here so it all depends on how settled your baby is and how often they need feeding or changing.

After your session, if you have agreed for me to share you images you can expect to see a sneak peek of your images within a few days. Once your gallery is ready to view you will receive an email link to a private online gallery where you can choose your favourite images, and then will receive these either via email or in the post (depending on which package you choose). 

"Such a warm, safe and comfortable environment to be in after having just pushed out a small human. Sam made the shoot so inviting and beautiful. We loved watching her work and the shoot itself provided as much of a memory as the photos themselves"
Danielle Manton-Kelly 

"A peaceful and quiet home to have your beautiful photos taken by a talented photographer. It's worth having your photos taken by Sam she's just lovely!"
Jen Lamb

"The thing we loved most about Samantha's shoot was how at ease we all felt. Being in the warm and welcoming surroundings of Samantha's home meant our baby girl could feed/sleep in complete privacy. Samantha captured tender moments that will be treasured forever"
Sarah Webb

​"Samantha was absolutely brilliant when she photographed our little girl at 10 days old. Her home was a relaxing setting and really helped to calm our grizzly newborn! I couldn't believe how gorgeous the photos came out considering how fidgety Cara was throughout the shoot - she captured some amazing shots I'll treasure forever. Samantha really is a baby whisperer"
Chloe Casey

For more information or to book a newborn session please contact me via my contact me section on here. 

Ten tiny little fingers, ten tiny little toes, there is just something extra special about baby fingers and toes! And they are always captured beautifully and with love as part of your newborn or baby session here at Samantha Prewett Photography, in Poole, Dorset

You probably all know by now that I love baby feet. In fact I may have a bit of an obsession. But then again who doesn't?

I think tiny details are so important to capture during newborn photography sessions. These make up some of the most special photographs that you will look back and cherish even more as your little one grows. 

Most parents ask me for a feet shot during their newborn session when they are here,  and I have lots of lovely wraps and materials that I like to use to accentuate these particular shots. 

Sometimes if baby is wide awake and feet are kicking around I go for an even more natural action shot, I think these are equally beautiful as the "posed toes" photographs. 

If you would like to read more about my newborn photography sessions here at Samantha Prewett Photography here in Poole, Dorset please click here to read my newborn blog article, or visit my newborn section on my website here. 

Do you love baby feet as much as me? Do you have a favourite shot from my baby feet gallery? Have you had a newborn session and had some interesting details captured? or do you recognise your babies feet here? I would love to hear from hear from you below if so.