Hi! My name is Sarah and I’m the photographer at Sarah Dutton Photography and I’m based in Whitchurch Hampshire. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
I love my job as a photographer and I’m told so many times that I have the best job in the world – and I agree – I do! I get to meet fantastic people and create images that they adore and will treasure forever. I have over 15 years of experience after graduating with a degree in Photography and Digital Imaging and I’m always updating my experience through, for example, training days with KW Photography.
Before the photo session I will always ask what you would like out of the photo shoot, to understand what sort of images you are looking for. Some clients prefer their photos to be just all about Baby, whilst others prefer props and I have a large selection that we can use – every session is tailored to each individual client.
Even before we had the COVID-19 pandemic, my studio based Whitchurch Hampshire has always been thoroughly cleaned before and after each session. Every piece of clothing and blankets are washed in baby-friendly non-bio between clients. Props are sterilised and you will see me take off my watch and any sharp pieces of jewellery before we start. I keep my nails to a length that won’t scratch and is good for hygiene. I also wear a disposable apron which is placed straight in the bin once the session is completed. I take great care to regularly sterilise my hands, too – I worked at North Hampshire Hospital as a newborn photographer for many years, so I was taught about best practices working with babies.
When moving Baby around while posing and using props, you will notice that I’m always checking the baby’s position, circulation and breathing as their safety is the most important part of the studio session.
I was delighted to receive the following google review written by Rebecca recently, who came in for a newborn session.
She said, “We had a newborn photoshoot with Sarah and it was the best experience ever. She was professional and friendly from the off, and very knowledgeable about Newborn safe positioning which put us at ease knowing our baby was in safe hands. Our little one took a little while to fall asleep and needed a feed, but we weren’t under any pressure from Sarah and she took as long as he needed to get the shots we wanted. We have just seen the completed images and we are totally thrilled.”
You will notice on arrival that the studio is warm – this is because babies need to be kept at a certain temperature so I suggest you wear layers as you may get very warm yourselves. I also monitor the temperature to make sure Baby isn’t too cold or warm.
One of the most common questions I get asked is how long the session will last and, to be honest, I don’t know! The session is completely baby-led – if your baby is sleepy then it won’t take long, but there are times where we may need to feed or comfort Baby and this mean a longer photoshoot. Don’t worry, though – the chairs in the studio are very comfortable which is a good thing as you may be in them for a few hours ! In general, though, most sessions don’t last more than two hours.
The other question I get asked is “Should I have booked in around the 20 week mark?” My answer to this is “not always.” It’s nice to get a date in the diary so you know that it’s one thing off your mind, but sometimes it’s not until Baby has arrived that you think of newborn photos – so please do contact me at any point as I will always do my best to fit you in.
I would so love to hear from you, so please do contact me if you have any questions at all about the newborn photography I cover.
Thank you again for taking the time to read this blog and I hope you find it useful x