Baby Photography That Celebrates Every Tiny Change in Their First Year
Your baby is growing faster than you imagined, and the first year disappears in a blur of sleepless nights and tiny milestones.
This is your chance to honour who they are right now – their personality, their current milestone, the little expressions you never want to forget – and bring home artwork that fills you with pride every time you see it.
If you’re feeling that tug – the one that says “I want to remember this properly” – you’re not alone.
That’s exactly why this experience is designed to be completely baby-led, allowing natural, intuitive moments to unfold rather than asking them to perform. No pressure, no expectations, just gentle guidance while your baby shows you who they are.
I’m a studio-based baby photographer in Harlow, welcoming families from Hertfordshire and Essex to photograph babies throughout their first year.
Not sure when to book baby photos?
Many parents worry about getting the timing right – especially if newborn photos didn’t happen. There isn’t a single “perfect” age, and personality often matters more than milestones.
I’ve written a simple guide that explains what tends to work well at different stages in the first year: What age is best for baby photography?
The First Year Moves Quickly – and It’s Easy to Miss the Little Things
Your baby is changing faster than you can keep up with. One week they’re tiny in your arms; the next they’re lifting their head, smiling, rolling over, sitting up.
And while you’re doing your best to take it all in, life keeps moving.
You take photos on your phone, but they get buried.
You promise yourself you’ll sort them… one day.
And still, a quiet thought lingers:
“I don’t remember them being that small…”
Many parents feel this – that tug between wanting to freeze time and knowing you can’t.
Alongside that comes other worries:
• What if my baby doesn’t cooperate?
• What if I’m judged or feel awkward?
• What if this ends up stressful instead of joyful?
• What if I wait too long and this stage is already gone?
You shouldn’t have to feel rushed, guilty, or overwhelmed while trying to honour your baby’s first year.
This chapter deserves to be celebrated with calm, confidence, and a sense of reassurance – not pressure.
BABY PHOTOGRAPHY FOR EVERY STAGE (0–12 MONTHS)
Whether your baby is brand new, 3-6 months and full of curiosity, or nearing their first birthday, each session is shaped around who they are right now.
Looking to mark more than one stage as your baby grows? Absolutely.
Babies change fast. If you’d like to mark more than one stage, we can talk through what feels right for you – with no programme to join and no second booking fee when you return.
Your Baby Portrait Experience
If you’re in Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, Ware, Epping, or anywhere across the Essex/Herts border, there’s a quiet riverside studio where you can pause for an hour and just be with your baby.
Details of my Mother & Child Portrait Experience or a First Birthday with Cake Smash Portrait Experience can by found here.
Your Portrait Experience includes:
time in the studio for your child-led portrait session
A discovery call so I can understand what matters most to you
an in-studio design appointment to choose the portraits you love
£130 credit towards printed artwork
Artwork starts from £100. Whether you prefer a single framed piece or a curated Treasure Box of mounted prints, you’ll only choose the portraits you truly love.
Book your portrait experience today for only £95!
Or call the studio 01279 433392
What to Expect During Your Baby Portrait Experience
A Simple, Supportive Path to Honouring Your Baby’s First Year.
Here’s how it works:
STEP ONE
Book Your Call
A relaxed conversation where we talk about your baby’s stage, the milestones you want to remember, and the artwork that would bring you the most joy at home.
STEP TWO
Enjoy Your Baby’s Photographic Experience
You arrive, settle in, and let your baby lead the way.
No pressure, no expectations – just gentle guidance and space for their natural expressions, curiosity, and personality to shine.
STEP THREE
Create Your Artwork Together
We’ll choose the portraits that truly represent this chapter and design Wall Art Collections or Treasure Boxes that celebrate your baby’s first-year story in a way that feels personal and meaningful to you.
STEP FOUR
Feel Proud and Uplifted Every Day
Once your artwork is home, it becomes a daily reminder of who they were at this stage – the tiny details, the milestones, the joy of watching them grow – bringing calm and happiness into your everyday life.
BOOK YOUR DISCOVERY CALL
Ready to Celebrate This Stage of Your Baby’s First Year?
If you’ve been meaning to do this before your baby changes again, this is the perfect moment to start.
Together, we can create artwork that brings calm, joy, and pride into your home every single day.
A simple conversation to explore what you’d love to remember from this chapter is the best way to get started.
Or just phone the studio directly if that’s easier 01279 433392
Not ready yet? Leave your details for thoughtful emails about slowing down and noticing the little things – written for parents who want a gentler rhythm in their week. Perfect for parents who want to get to know my approach first.
Your Photographer
You’re Not Expected to Pause Time – But I Can Help You Hold Onto This Stage
I know how quickly babies change. One moment, they’re tiny and curled in your hands; the next, they’re full of expression, curiosity, and brand-new milestones.
It all moves faster than anyone expects, and you shouldn’t have to rely on your phone or your memory to hold it all together.
That’s where I come in.
With years of experience photographing babies in their first year, I know how to create a calm, baby-led atmosphere where you can simply breathe and enjoy seeing your little one as they are today.
You don’t need a perfectly settled baby or a predictable routine – I work gently with whatever your baby needs, so the experience stays relaxed and reassuring from start to finish.
Parents often tell me they’re surprised by how easy it feels.
There’s no pressure, no judgement, no expectations.
Just a warm space, gentle guidance, and a thoughtful process that reveals your baby’s personality as it naturally unfolds.
Together, we’ll create artwork that celebrates this chapter – the tiny details, the emerging expressions, the milestones you never want to forget – so you can live with a daily reminder of how beautifully your baby is growing.
Imagine Seeing This Stage of Their Babyhood Every Day
You walk into your living room – or past the hallway – and there they are.
Your baby, exactly as they were at this stage: the sparkle in their eyes, the soft curl of their fingers, the expression they only had for a few short months.
Your artwork becomes a daily pause.
A moment of calm in the middle of busy family life.
A reminder that you did honour this chapter, even while everything else was moving so quickly.
Parents often tell me they feel:
Proud – that they made time to celebrate their baby’s first-year story.
Calm – because the artwork grounds them in what truly matters.
Uplifted – every time they see how beautifully their baby was growing.
Your baby won’t stay this small, but the feeling you get from seeing this artwork will stay with you for years.
This experience is for you if you’re caught in that impossible tension:
- Time is moving too fast
- You want to remember this stage forever
- But you’re already overwhelmed
- And the idea of organising professional photos feels like one more thing on an impossible list
This is for parents who want authentic memories without adding stress to an already full plate.
Not quite ready? Leave your details here to get behind-the-scenes insights and a splash of humour, perfect for busy parents wanting to get to know me better until the time is right. Or follow me on Instagram @suekennedyphotographer
PLANNING YOUR
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You’ll find answers here to questions specific to this experience. For more general questions about the process, artwork, and booking, the main FAQs cover things in more depth.
Baby Portrait FAQ’s
When’s the best time to book our baby photo experience?
When you are ready is the short answer.
If you would like to capture the very early days, then booking ahead whilst you are pregnant is wise, particularly if you want a Saturday appointment, but I have no rules on how old baby must be at the time of our appointment.
How long will a baby portrait experience last?
Allow an hour.
My style of baby photography is very natural and unposed. I prefer to capture babies at their most natural – awake or asleep – showing their size, their teeny details, and their newness.
For older babies, I work to their current development stage, capturing their character & personality.
When should baby photos be taken?
Your baby can be photographed at ANY time.
This article ‘What is best for baby photos?’ gives more insight.
What happens if my baby needs a nappy change?
Please do. We have a changing mat or space for you to use your own. We have already factored this into our timings for portrait sessions.
How should I dress my baby for the photos?
The answer varies depending on their age, and we will send you a prep guide to assist you with clothing choices. A simple vest or body suits work well, just leave the baby equivalent of the Hawaiian shirt at home.
Thinking About Capturing Both Your Bump and Your Baby's First Year?
You’re imagining the full story: celebrating this pregnancy, then welcoming your baby and watching them grow through their first year.
It’s a beautiful way to document this entire chapter – and it’s absolutely something we can do.
Here’s how it works:
You don’t need a pre-set package or commitment upfront.
Instead, we’ll have a conversation about what feels right for you:
- When you’d like to celebrate your bump (most parents choose around 32-36 weeks)
- Which milestones matter most once your baby arrives
- How to keep this feeling manageable, not overwhelming
The timeline is flexible. Some parents book their bump session now and decide on baby sessions later. Others prefer to plan the whole year in one conversation. There’s no single “right way” to do this.
And if you change your mind about anything? That’s fine too. Life with a new baby rarely goes exactly to plan, and this should adapt around you, not the other way around.
Not ready to commit while you’re still pregnant?
That’s completely understandable. You can bookmark this page, join the email list for gentle reminders, or simply call when you’re ready: 01279 433392
My Studio at Parndon Mill
My studio sits within Parndon Mill — a peaceful, riverside creative community on the Herts/Essex border.
It’s quiet, easy to reach, and offers the headspace parents often don’t realise they need.
From the moment you arrive, everything is unhurried, gentle and fully guided.
REVIEWS
Had another really good newborn session with Sue. She was great with the baby and allowing us to tend to him when needed. And also really good with our whirlwind 2 year old running around.
Thank You to Sue for our beautiful photos for the newborn photo session that captured the moment perfectly. highly recommend!
I will treasure these photos forever.
The pictures were beautiful. I love all the pictures she has taken, wish I could buy them all. It was worth every penny though and Sue was flexible enough to let us spread the payments.
All the presentation was done beautifully, I was very touched & got emotional every time with happy tears. Thank you Sue! I would definitely recommend!
Not quite ready? Leave your details here to get behind-the-scenes insights and a splash of humour, perfect for busy parents wanting to get to know me better until the time is right. Or follow me on Instagram @suekennedyphotographer