How to photograph your baby month by month

Hi, mums. A lot of parents think that if they missed the newborn shoot, they missed their chance. I want to say one thing: it is never too late. Every month of the first year brings a visible change, and every month is worth photographing.In this article I walk you through the whole first year, month by month. I explain what your baby is doing at each stage, what to look for, and how to photograph it yourself at home.

Month one – tiny hands and the bond with mum

Why the date matters

Quiet moments and the first bond

Picture your baby curled up in your arms: the tiny fingers, the calm face. In the first month I photograph exactly this — how small your baby still is, and how close the two of you are. Newborns change week by week, so these first weeks deserve a shoot of their own.

Tips for photographing a newborn

For a newborn photo shoot in the first month, keep the room warm and quiet. Use soft daylight and stick to natural positions: your baby asleep on your chest, your hand around one foot. In these weeks the simplest expressions say the most.

Months two and three – first smiles

New skills and first expressions

At two months your baby starts smiling at you, and you will want a photo of every single one. These weeks are full of small firsts: holding the head up, answering your voice with little sounds. This is the stage where your baby's character starts to show, and I love photographing it.

Photo ideas that work at this age

For a photo shoot at two months, use plain backgrounds so nothing competes with your baby's face. A soft-coloured blanket and one toy to hold their attention are enough. If the holidays are close, take a look at our Christmas studio shoots with your little one.

What about the first time your baby lifts their head? Lie down on the floor next to them and shoot from their level: you get the curiosity and the effort in one frame. Another photo worth having is your baby with brothers, sisters or grandparents, reacting to each other.

Months four to six – round cheeks and big steps

As a mum and a professional photographer, I always look forward to the four-to-six-month stage. Your baby now has a clear character, round cheeks, and a curiosity that shows in every frame.

How to keep it natural

This stage opens up new ways to photograph your baby. Here are the tips I share most often with families:

1. New skills: rolling over, pushing up to sit, playing with their own hands. Each one is worth a photo.
2. Get a reaction: at this age your baby answers you. Use a bright toy or a song, then photograph the real expression that follows.
3. Family photos: bring the rest of the family into the shoot. Your baby with a brother, a sister or the family pet gives you the frames people actually print.
4. Natural light: shoot near a window during the day. Daylight is soft, warm and honest with skin tones.
5. Everyday moments: bath time, a nap, a messy breakfast. Simple photos like these are the ones you come back to.

Every baby is different, and that is what makes every shoot different too. At Wonderstory we like being part of this year with you.

Baby photos at seven to nine months – exploring everything

Between seven and nine months your baby turns into a small explorer. As a photographer and a mum, I love watching how differently each baby meets the world. It is a stage of constant discovery, and it makes for shoots full of movement and colour.

Sitting, crawling and reaching out

By now your baby may sit without help, crawl, and even pull up to stand. I photograph these weeks the way they happen: I wait for the second when your baby touches something new or stares at something with full attention.

Tips for a shoot that keeps moving

For a photo shoot at seven to nine months, here is what I usually suggest:

1. Something to explore: set out toys with different textures and strong colours to keep your baby interested.
2. Let them move: forget still poses. Let your baby crawl where they want and follow with the camera.
3. Parents in the frame: get in the photo yourself. Pictures of your baby with you are the ones you will want printed.
4. Real expressions: watch for the laugh, the surprised look, anything that happens on its own.
5. Go outside: on a good day, a park shoot gives your baby grass, leaves and space to explore.

Every baby moves at their own pace, and that is what keeps these shoots interesting.

Months 10-12 – first birthday photos

Between 10 and 12 months your baby is in a stage of their own. As the founder of Wonderstory, I have watched a lot of babies at this age start showing who they really are. The first birthday is close, and it comes with first steps, first words and new discoveries.

First steps and a new personality.

At this age your baby has a lot of energy and gives you a lot back. The first steps, the first attempts at words, the constant playing: something new happens every day. Photos are how you remember what that year actually looked like.

Planning the birthday party photos.

At a birthday party I like to keep everything natural. Picture your baby with both hands in the icing, curious and happy. I photograph the ordinary things: a laugh, a surprised face, the way their eyes follow a balloon. At this age every small detail shows the character coming out.

One fun option is a smash cake shoot, where your baby plays with the birthday cake safely. And the whole family belongs in these photos: the way your baby reacts to the people around them adds real warmth to the images.

At Wonderstory this is the work we do — photographing your family as it is, in the year when everything changes.

Putting all the shoots together

Every month of the first year looks different, so we offer baby shoots from one to 12 months, including a follow-up plan across the whole year.

Year-long follow-up shoots – one stage at a time

A follow-up plan is three or four meetings, in photo and video. We can start during pregnancy and finish at the first birthday, with the first steps and time with grandparents along the way.

No two families want the same thing, so we plan the ideas and the locations together with you. If you add video, we build a time capsule that mixes our footage with the clips you shot on your phone.

Flexible and easy for you

Life with a baby is unpredictable, so we keep everything flexible. You can cancel at any time, and we only ask for a deposit per shoot. Nothing here should feel like pressure.