Behind the Scenes Newborn Photography | A real session story… including a gorgeous little pickle who kept us on our toes!
Ever wondered what really happens during a newborn photography session? At Deborah Longmore Photography, I love showing parents exactly what the day-of-session looks like — from the warm, cosy studio setup to settling baby, pose changes, feeding breaks, and all the little behind-the-scenes details.
In this real newborn session, our beautiful baby didn’t fall into a deep sleep at all. As she didnt fall into a deep sleep every movement was noticed by her. But with gentle adjustments and a flexible workflow, we still achieved a complete, stunning newborn gallery. If you’re curious about behind the scenes newborn photography and what to expect during your own newborn photography session, this post will walk you through every step.
Welcoming a newborn into the world is one of life’s most precious moments, and capturing those early days is something I feel incredibly honoured to do. But if you’ve never had a newborn session before, it can be hard to imagine what actually happens behind the scenes.
Some parents feel a little nervous — Will baby settle? What if they don’t sleep? What if they cry? What if we need to stop for feeding?
So today, I’m taking you through exactly what a real newborn session looks like, start to finish. And to make it even more reassuring, the baby I’m featuring didn’t fall into a deep sleep… at all!
Even so?
We still achieved a beautiful, full gallery.
Here’s how.
Before You Arrive: Creating a Calm, Cosy Space
A lot of preparation happens before you walk through the studio door.
The studio is warmed to a gentle, comfortable temperature to help keep your little one relaxed. I set up a selection of wraps, outfits and props in your chosen colour/s. Everything is soft, safe, freshly sanitised, and ready to go.
For this particular session, I prepped a mixture of setups and props and even had my trusted “Plan B” options ready as always — perfect for babies who like to stay awake or are a bit more unsettled.
Arrival & Settling In
As soon as you arrive, there’s absolutely no rush. I want you to feel at home.
This little beauty arrived and would have much preferred to have been left alone the whole time. Obviously we cant do that or we would have no stunning images of her.
Before we began, I dressed her in beautiful outfit and knowing she was not very sleepy we started with a Plan B approach and we moved at her pace — as always.
Newborn sessions are a partnership between baby and photographer. We follow their lead.
Starting with Wrapped Poses (Perfect for Awake Babies)
Because she wasn’t quite ready to sleep, I began with snug, comfortable wrapped poses.
Wrapping does two wonderful things for awake babies:
✨ It helps them feel secure and often encourages sleep
✨ It reduces flailing arms and legs, leading to beautifully calm portraits
And just like that, we eased into the session. She was able to settle into the session and some gorgeous images where taken.
Even if baby is awake, seeing those beauitful eyes in photos can be just as meaningful — sometimes even more so.
When Baby Has Other Plans… We Adjust
There were a few moments where she let me know she had opinions about the poses — and that’s perfectly normal.
During the session, she hated her fingers being touched and I love soft relaxed fingers so it did take a bit more time for me to win the battle. We paused whenever she needed us to. Newborn photography isn’t about rushing or forcing anything; it’s about patience, safety, and keeping baby happy.
With a few minor adjustments — switching up the order of poses, and using gentle, reassuring movement — she slowly began to relax.
A Brief Snooze (Just Enough!)
Towards the middle of the session, she was unsettled again, and mainly this was due to taking off the outfit. A quick wrap mid session and she finally gave in to a light nap. Not a deep sleep — but enough.
This allowed us to capture some of those dreamy, classic newborn shots parents adore. I worked efficiently and calmly during this window, transitioning between poses in a way that didn’t disturb her.
And guess what?
We got EVERYTHING we needed.
Parent & Family Moments
Once she’d given us a mix of lightly-asleep portraits, we moved on to parent images — one of my favourite parts of any session.
These images are gentle, intimate, and timeless. Even if baby is awake or wriggly, the connection between you is what truly shines.
The Final Gallery: A Full Collection, Even Without Deep Sleep
By the end of the session, her parents were amazed at what we achieved — especially since she never truly drifted into that deep, floppy newborn sleep.
Her gallery included:
✔ Beautiful wrapped shots
✔ Soft, peaceful sleepy poses
✔ Family and parent portraits
✔ A full variety of setups and poses in their chosen colour scheme
This is exactly why flexibility and experience matter in newborn photography. No two babies are the same, and that’s part of the magic.
A Reminder for Parents: Your Baby Doesn’t Need to Be Perfectly Asleep
If you’re feeling nervous about whether your baby will “behave” during a session, please don’t worry.
Some babies sleep deeply.
Some stay awake the majority of the time.
Some need extra cuddles, feeds, or pauses.
Some just want to be left alone and need more encouragement!
But with patience, warmth, and a pace that honours your baby, we can create a beautiful, meaningful gallery — every single time.
Your baby is perfect exactly as they are, and the session will follow their rhythm.
If you’d love to book your own newborn photography session, or if you have questions about the process, I’m always happy to chat. Your family’s story deserves to be captured gently, safely, and beautifully — awake baby, sleepy baby, or tiny little pickle included.
Deborah Longmore Photography
Capturing the early days with warmth, calm, and heart.
📩 Message me to chat about your session. I can’t wait to meet you and your little one!
Ready to Book Your Newborn Photographer?
I’d love to capture these precious moments for your family.
Book your Midlands newborn photoshoot in Tamworth or Birmingham today to enjoy these benefits firsthand
👉 Contact Deborah Longmore Photography or book via the online calender today to check availability and reserve your due date
📩 Enquire today to check availability for your newborn session.
Early booking during pregnancy is strongly recommended.
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