If there are two things I’m terrified of in my mid-thirties, it’s raising my newborn baby to a socially acceptable standard, and photoshoots.
Am I under-stimulating my child? Over-stimulating her, perhaps? I have no idea. In light of this, would I have chosen to take my newborn baby daughter along to a photo studio to be handled by a stranger for two hours in an unfamiliar environment, whilst I panicked that I’d be asked to be on the photos as well? Quite possibly not, but I found myself being gifted an invitation to a session at The Baby Barn at Andrew Wood Photography in Chorlton last week, and I’m so glad I accepted it.
Sammi, the newborn photography specialist at the direct designation of studio founder, Andrew Wood, greeted us with genuine warmth and delight, and made baby Lily and I so welcome as we arrived at The Baby Barn. We were both given an opportunity to relax into our new home for the next two hours, have a drink, and engage in chat about Lily’s little life in general so far. Sammi genuinely took an interest in my baby daughter, and was quick to swoop in and bond with her with cuddles and joyful interaction, whilst I worried that owing to a volatile morning, Lily would desecrate all the beautiful yet homely props and blankets filling the warm and welcoming little studio that afternoon. Sammi reassured me that there was nothing that Lily could do (or produce) that would either shock her or pose any kind of problem. I instantly felt better. This girl was obviously a professional, and I felt right at home.
As Sammi seemed so keen to get to know me and my little one so that we could all get the best out of the photoshoot, I was keen to get to know the girl behind the camera. I loved hearing all about Sammi’s background in photography, and how she inadvertently found herself leading on the newborn niche after taking over from Andrew himself in this specialism. I was surprised, having seen how much of a natural she was with Lily, to hear that having her own children is not on the cards just yet for this young and talented girl, but at 35 and a first time mum myself, I can see that Sammi has plenty of time to wait until the time is right. Right now, however, her time is filled with countless clients who go to her to have their newborn babies immortalised forever on camera.
The session was an education for me, and one of the things I learned was that it’s best to get involved in these kinds of photoshoots before the baby is 10 days old. I remember scoffing at this when I had glanced upon the handy tip on the Andrew Wood Photography website, thinking that it really shouldn’t matter if the baby is 10 days or 10 weeks, seeing as ‘they all look the same and are still all little!’ I was about to be educated, however, as it had never occurred to me that this suggestion is made purely based on the fact that as the days and weeks progress, babies become less sleepy, much stronger and more alert; therefore making a photoshoot more than a little bit trickier. Lily was 12 days old by this point, and though she was completely relaxed under Sammi’s comfort and direction, I could see flashes of the point being proven by my growing little girl.
The two hours that Lily and I spent with Sammi in the toasty and ever so cute and welcoming Baby Barn were amazing. I felt more relaxed than I had been since Lily’s safe arrival into this world almost two weeks earlier, as I watched in awe how Sammi not only engaged my baby with complete ease – subsequently giving me some much-needed time to just chill out – but also how she worked tirelessly with positions, props and passion to ensure that I would ultimately be presented with a wide range of photos to choose from to mark not only the beautiful new addition to our family, but also to mark a wonderful, engaging and enjoyable afternoon for mum and baby alike!
