Photographing families at home with their new little baby is very special indeed.  I love going to peoples homes and capturing images not just of the new addition, but the life around them too.  Here’s a look at my approach, with some images from a family who just welcomed their third little boy!

When I arrive there’s usually lots going on… it’s time for me to say hi to the kids and take a couple of snaps of life, just as it is.

I always allow a couple of hours for these shoots because you never know where you’ll arrive in the sleep-feed-awake cycle! (or whichever way round that might be!).

Someone’s usually holding the baby and if baby’s up for it, I’ll encourage some beautiful eye contact…

I love asking the older siblings to show me their new baby, and they often love showing their love for them, especially after I’ve just given the baby some attention…

Babies doze in and out of sleepiness, and often right in the midst of excitement with the older kids… what a lovely time to grab a peaceful snap!

Little kids lose attention pretty quickly, and this is cool – I love when parents are relaxed enough to let their kids run off and do what they have to do…

It was a beautiful morning outside, so it was a perfect time to get Mum out there with the babe, and I can guarantee, the less you focus on the siblings ‘behaving’ and ‘doing what their told’, the more interested they’ll be in taking part in whatever is going on..

They naturally want to be a part of the action, so I’m happy to focus on Mum and Dad and the baby till they get interested – and they almost always do!

The middle boy decided that he needed a special seat next to Mum and Dad and brought his own over!  

Win!!!  Everyone’s happy, relaxed and ready to feel the love!

Moving along quickly.. the boys are off and Mums with them… 

… and then they’re back egging Dad on to have some fun with them… 

This is turning into a running commentary of the shoot, I know… because THATS how I love to photograph!  A documentary not only of your selves, but the story of how you are together…. this is what will bring back the smiles in many years to come… remembering the fun and chaos that life was like with these little people around!

And that includes moments like these (after we had just gone inside) I went to see where the middle boy went…  I love that I found him doing this – I’m sure it wasn’t a one-off struggle with the front gate… so again, something that may frustrate the parents now, but be worth looking back on to remember ‘the one who couldn’t be contained!’.   Quite an iconic shot of childhood in general too I think!

To encourage him back inside, I asked if he could show me his bedroom – a place kids are generally proud of and love to be, as long as they don’t have to go to bed!  It wasn’t long before the older brother and then the whole family joined in the fun in the room!

The baby brother came in too and the boys got to have a proper hold 🙂

The energy in the room quitened after this, and there was even time for a little story and more baby gazing…But not for too long… There was still plenty of fun to be had!And again, things lull, and I capture that too… including baby sleeping blissfully throughout it all

and finally, it felt like nap time, and one last photo before I left x