Hello and welcome to a very special blog post. I am a local newborn photographer in Caledon, ON, specifically Southfield Village very close to the Brampton and Mississagua borders. I see many newborn clients throughout the GTA.
Today's blog post is a very special one, very dear to my heart. After photographing many newborns over the last 4 years, I had the opportunity to photograph my very own newborn baby. Isabella Aria Samaroo was born October 25th, 2017 and her newborn photos were done just weeks following her birth. Today, Isabella turns 9months old and I am sharing some of the beautiful captures I took of her during her precious first few days.
Isabella is my 3rd baby. Joshua had his newborn photos done at Walmart a month after he was born. Although it really isn't the same and I only have 1 pose, they are still very dear to me. Amelia (my 2nd) had her photos done by the talented Lisa Nelly of Lisa Nelly Photography in BC as I did not do newborn photography back then making Isabella my very first to be photographed and posed by her mom in her first few days...so special.
I prepped by studying new wrapping techniques, ordering new props/wraps, posing fabrics. I read through many photography forums suggesting it really wasn't easy to photograph your own newborn if you are a newborn photographer. The reasons all made sense, the primary objective to attaining posed newborn photos is to have a sleepy baby. Newborns have a great sense of smell and sometimes will not settle if they smell their mother's milk. Not to mention the tenderness of recently giving birth.
So here it is: how did capturing my own newborn photos go? For starters, I will say I would have liked to have been able to do them first thing in the morning as she was most sleepy at that time and around 1pm. Unfortunately, I had to be on the go to get my older children to school on time so early morning sessions weren't an option. The sleep deprivation was another obstacle, I was unbelievably tired when I got home to even try to get myself moving to take photos. The tenderness of recent childbirth had me put it off even further. We newborn photographers often recommend using a pacifier for soothing, it doesn't have to be used after the session but it really helps to settle baby's and get them into poses or to stay in a pose but guess what? Isabella would be my very first baby not to take a pacifier.
Would I do newborn photos for my own baby again? My husband and I have decided that Isabella would be our last baby, 3 is the magic number for us and she is the beautiful completion to our family. Photographing my own baby was so special. There were many obstacles and tribulations along the way but looking back and knowing I took these gorgeous images of my sweet girl is magical. I would not change a thing, the sweet newborn cuddles, the feeding breaks, the beauty of watching her sleep as I took these images were so very special. It was also an opportunity to try new techniques, new wrapping styles, new poses which make me an even better photographer today than I was months back. But my most important rules that I apply for all babies who enter my studio, also applied for Isabella. If baby isn't happy in a particular pose, then we don't do that pose and baby's safety is always the most important thing. My husband and I attempted to help me get her into the "froggy" pose for example and she just wasn't settling so we pulled the plug on the idea even when we almost had it.
Most complete newborn sessions with family photos last around 2.5-4hrs depending on how long it takes baby to get into a deep sleep. How many feedings we need to do and how much soothing baby needs. Isabella's session ran the course of a few days as I really couldn't get through setups and poses with her fully asleep for long. There were many factors, I think partly because she wouldn't take a pacifier and knew mommy was close by.
The most beautiful part I will leave you with is something that not everyone knows, Isabella is our rainbow baby. Just a few months prior to conceiving her we suffered our first loss. It was devastating, I was an emotional mess. I thought after having 2 healthy babies I was in a bubble and that it just couldn't happen to me...but it did. She is a true blessing from God and really is our rainbow of hope.
After every storm, there is a rainbow of hope and here she is.
1 Comments
Jul 25, 2018, 9:07:21 PM
Sujata - What a beautiful write up Natasha! Gorgeous Isabella, gorgeous images and what a beautiful family. Stay blessed always!