What’s the best age to take baby photos?
As a newborn and baby photographer, this is one of the questions I’m asked most often. The honest answer? There isn’t just one perfect age. Every stage of your baby’s first year has its own magic.
That said, life with a new baby moves quickly. Weeks blur into months, and before you know it, they’ve changed again. If you’re thinking about booking a photoshoot, the best time is simply before this stage slips by.
Sometimes photographing a baby in the first two weeks isn’t possible — perhaps they need a little extra time in hospital, or you’re still finding your feet as a new mum. If your baby is older than 14 days, please don’t worry. There is always a beautiful way to capture them.
Below is a gentle guide to the different stages from birth to 18 months, and what you can expect at each one.
Newborn Baby Photos (5–14 Days)
If you’d love those sleepy, curled-up portraits, the first two weeks are ideal. In these early days, babies still settle naturally into womb-like positions, with delicate skin and those tiny newborn details that disappear so quickly.
From the moment your baby is born, they begin to change. That’s why I recommend booking your newborn session during your second trimester, shortly after your 12-week scan, to ensure availability.
If your baby is a little older, though, please don’t feel you’ve missed your chance. Beautiful newborn photographs can still be created — the session simply adapts to your baby’s stage.
The “New Baby” Stage (2–12 Weeks)
This stage sits gently between the curled-up newborn days and the more expressive months that follow. From around two weeks to twelve weeks, your baby is still tiny, still very new — just beginning to stretch out into the world.
Often called the fourth trimester, this is a quieter stage. Babies sleep deeply, feed often and gradually start to uncurl. Their features soften, cheeks begin to fill out and their eyes open for longer stretches.
Photographs at this stage feel different from early newborn portraits — less womb-like, more open, but still beautifully delicate.
Older Baby Photos (3–6 Months)
From around three months until your baby is almost sitting up, this is such a sweet and expressive stage. Personalities begin to shine through — eye contact strengthens, smiles appear more easily and little reactions feel wonderfully individual.
Some babies are still happy to be gently wrapped and cuddled, while others are beginning to push up, reach and explore. Sessions at this stage can shift beautifully between calm, snuggly portraits and playful interaction.
Every baby is different — and that’s exactly what makes this stage so special to photograph.
Sitting, Crawling & On the Move (6–11 Months)
From around six months, this is such a lovely stage to photograph. Babies are beginning to sit up, reach, interact and show so much of their personality — even if they’re still a little wobbly.
You don’t need to wait for perfect sitting or big milestones. In fact, the 6–9 month stage is often ideal. Babies are expressive and engaged, but not yet racing off in every direction. Sessions are relaxed and completely baby-led, with parents always close by.
As your baby moves towards their first birthday, sessions naturally become more energetic — full of movement, determination and those proud little expressions.
First Birthday Photo Sessions
A first birthday is a beautiful milestone — not just for your baby, but for you as parents too. The first year is full of change, growth and very little sleep, and reaching twelve months feels quietly extraordinary.
First birthday sessions are playful and relaxed. We sing happy birthday, explore a simple wooden cake and capture your baby exactly as they are at one, curious, cheeky and completely themselves.
12 to 18 Months
The change between twelve and eighteen months is remarkable. At one, they still feel very much like your baby, perhaps taking a few wobbly steps and testing out new words. By eighteen months, they’re becoming little people with opinions, expressions and a clear sense of themselves.
It’s a privilege to photograph a toddler I first met as a newborn. Seeing how much they’ve grown and remembering how tiny they once were never stops being magical.
My sessions are completely baby-led, which simply means your baby sets the pace, whatever stage they’re at.
Not quite ready to book your baby photoshoot but would you like a little more information?