Your parenthood journey is about to begin soon or already being a parent for months or years, you have started to see how changes happen so quickly and how life is becoming busier with never ending tasks, you may notice one thing that maybe missing? Having those important stages properly photographed and organised!
What are those important milestones, from first year for baby and children photography?
Those main stages of life worth being captured and remembered later on!
As a family photographer having worked with hundreds of families in different stages of life, I believe:
The key point is to have updated photographs along with the changes happening on your journey, to cover those precious first few years following by yearly updates. This way you have captured the characteristics, favourites and activities along the way.
Talking about important milestones, family life stages, baby and children photography
Why milestones matter?
From the moment you welcome your newborn at home all the way to their adulthood, parents are the first to be surprised by every day changes of their children. From all those obvious ones like smiling at 6-8 weeks, standing from 22-26 months to the more subtle changes in their behaviour, characteristics and favourites in the years to come; Watching them become more independent, have their own say, decide for themselves and understand the world around them deeper… explore and find their role in the world!
Milestones highlight an estimated period during which the top changes happen, enabling us to capture those ‘first-times‘ fresh and freeze our excitements in a photograph, to last… not forgotten!
While family stages are unique to your family, they may happen earlier or later than the estimated time. Knowing what to expect beforehand, having some plans in place and being in contact with your photographer prior to the time, you are the one seeing them approaching and deciding whether it is the time for your next family photography update!
Here are the top milestones:
Expecting
Expecting your first or 4th child, this is a very unique stage of life for you as well as your older kids.
What you like to capture at this stage is everyone’s excitement, joy and impatience for the new arrival!
Once your baby arrives, this excitement evolves into a calmer stage of enjoyment, care and responsibility, everything starts to settle and everyone begins to get used to a new role, a new lifestyle.
Maternity sessions tends to keep those feelings fresh for you all to remember and for the new arrival to see how you’re expecting them!
Welcoming your
Newborn
It is all about freshness!
and tininess!
You want to keep all you feel at those first days…
to come back to from time to time, smell that freshness and feel that extreme joy one more time..
Newborn photos focuses on your newbie and your connection with them.. Aiming to capture those first touches, kisses and snuggles…
You won’t be posed, you will be you as you are..
do as you do.. your simple moments recorded with light to create a beautiful art, telling your story how your relationship began..
Important milestones for baby photography
The first year and all the changes happening in one year
3 months
3 months stage aim at capturing
interactions and curiosity!
Most of the improvements at this stage soon evolve into the new ones therefore may simply be forgotten.
Your baby is now full of charm, smile and ready to baby talk to everyone smiling at them! The communication and face expressions are leading your session. The main focus of the photos is on child’s improvements and new changes.
You like to capture those little things that is happening now, like grabbing their feet, little push ups and funny expressions!
7 months
is pure joy and be ready for your heart to melt!
Having just began to sit up confidently from that wobbly stage, holding their head up and communicating with everyone, 7 months-old baby is full of smiles and expressions!
With the babies love to talk, being able to sit up with no support and not yet moving, there are many ideas to be photographed at this point!
The session at this stage is much quicker than the ones before and after as it’s the peak of their steadiness while communicating!
And it only last a few weeks until they start to crawl and their attention flee to the objects around!
So be in contact and prepared for this stage in advance!
1 year
Along with the traditional 1st birthday celebration, one year old is the beginning of independence and finding favourites!
While there are many reasons to be documented, at this stage baby’s characteristic improvements are the centre of focus.
Your cute little sitter, has just began to stand up by holing to something at this stage with a fully excited face! Being more independent and willing to do what they like, the session goes with their flow.
Along with their new skills, you also like to capture their new favourites at this stage; favourite books, toys, corners of the house, activities and maybe food!
2 years
is all about running around none stop!
With the little one full of energy, being much more adamant on what they want, the 2 years-old session is to be ready to capture them on the go!
There won’t be many still moments! Specially they like to play and be entertained so there won’t be any posing or asking them to do something we want! The answer would simply be NO!
2 years-old usually surprise us with their expressions, spontaneity and cuteness!
The key is to let them lead the session!
Yearly updates after year two
After year 2, most of the families update their photos yearly, based on birthdays, seasons, special occasions or next baby’s arrival!
The focus at these stages would be on their developing characteristics as well as their favourite activities at each stage!
Remember they still have their baby cuteness in those toddler years up to around 5 years old!
After that you begin to see a more adult version of your beloved child, being a little man and woman, they start to behave and copy their parents, start to be more self aware in front of the camera and know what it means to look good!
Stay tuned to read more about the next stages in the following post!
3 years
4 years
5 years
Every stage has it’s own uniqueness and character, if you like to capture these milestones let’s talk and make a plan.
