Gracie turns one! First birthday cake smash - Essex photographer, Suffolk photographer, milestone cake smash sessions.

Gorgeous little Gracie last saw me at just over 6 months, and she has changed so much in the short period of time since I last saw her. We went for a really pretty girly theme, although I do personalise each and every cake smash, I live on the Suffolk, Essex border and so am in easy reach of London, Cambridge as well as right across Essex and Suffolk. Cake smashes are a bit of an American thing! But they are really becoming popular in the UK. I love seeing the children growing up, and a cake smash isn't just a photo shoot, it's a bit of messy play, it's that look when they're allowed to dive in and they mainly look at their parent to see if they are allowed and then get a massive grin on their face! Not all children like cake or getting messy, so sometimes paint can be used instead, I do encourage parents to give their child a cupcake beforehand and let them get messy as this helps when they come to the shoot. I use a professional cake maker, that is really reliable, makes the tastiest and prettiest cakes, and has most importantly a 5* rating for hygiene. She can cater for allergies, it is so important to know children won't get ill from something which should be fun.

This is the link to Little Barn Cakes if you would like to check out her incredible work:- Little Barn Cakes.

 Look at that face! Says it all, I know sugar is bad, but this is a one off, they don't eat all the cake, and Deb's who makes the cakes really does use high quality ingredients.

 Cake smash sessions usually have normal images beforehand i.e. child in an outfit, maybe parent and sibling shots, they tend to have a shorter attention span at this age so shoots usually take 45 minutes to an hour. I'm very good at reading when a child is ready to move onto the next part, which is the gooey cake (they smell so fabulous I wish I had smellavision for you). We finish off with a splash and clean up usually in my mini rolltop bath, or I also have a rustic antique tin bath as I have had the odd cowboy cake smash, Gracie clearly is a princess and needed a girly pink flowery cake smash. I put a lot of effort into ensuring each cake smash is slightly different.

 I send my full price list out to parents before booking in cake smashes, I can't compete with photographers who make their own cakes, I really am safety conscious, I do try to keep my prices so they are affordable. Splash sessions are available as mini sessions as are just plain one year mini sessions. Obviously the full blown cake smash takes planning, different props, and a cake included. Plus all the editing afterwards. But they are worth it!

 The cuteness overload is just too much!

If you would like further information on any session or to check out my work my main website is Liz Wood main website my new website which should be up and running hopefully by the end of June - mid July is http://www.lizwoodphotography.com

Colchester Essex - newborn photography - family photos.

TO SEE MORE OF MY WORK CLICK HERE!

 This gorgeous little boy from my run of boys and their recent newborn shoots. Mum really wanted frog pose! Frog pose is one of the harder positions to achieve with a baby, and this shot is a composite, Mum's hands were photoshopped out, at no time was baby propped up unsupported.

 Smile! Absolute perfection when the baby joins in with the happy family grins! Even if it is wind! Or maybe he just knows how much his Mummy and Daddy loves him! His Grandparents were over from abroad and enjoyed watching this gorgeous little guys being posed for his shoot.

Part of the special magic of newborn shoots, is just how very tiny these babies are, how small they are that they tuck into your hands. Babies grow oh so very quickly. I wish newborn shoots had been available when I had my babies. I still can't believe just how quickly the years fly by, my babies are now 26, 17 and 11, and one has a baby of her own. And I just can't believe how time has flown, I actually regret not having more pictures with my family, at times I couldn't afford photoshoots so can totally understand when families say they can't afford a shoot, however now, I think my priorities have changed, when you maybe buy designer clothing, or have 2-3 pushchairs. Memories are very precious, if you can't afford a newborn shoot, then snap away with your own camera, find a spot with good filtered light, and make sure you capture those moments. It really does go by in a blink! If you are interested in booking a shoot please find the link to my website BOOK A SESSION - ESSEX, SUFFOLK, LONDON AND CAMBRIDGE NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER

Smile! Happy Henry, smiling for his short photoshoot. Children's photography in Suffolk, Essex, Cambridge and London.

To see more of my work click on this link.

Henry came to visit me the other day, and was a little under the weather, but we still managed to achieve some beautiful smiles. Sometimes you don't need lots of props and distracting backgrounds, all you need is that cute little smile and those eyes all lit up!

A busy week photographing all the boys, Essex baby photographer, Suffolk baby photographer. Newborn photography.

This gorgeous family come from my home town of Sudbury, visited me in the studio, I had a run of boys this week, but this was the only big brother of the week, getting older siblings to help hold their new siblings is often quite tricky and you do have to gauge whether a child is old enough and responsible enough to have baby laying in their arms, I usually can get the trickiest customers to give me a beautiful smile and get the sibling photograph, parents are always on hand at the side of the shot just in case. Sometimes a composite shot is necessary if the brother or sister is toddler age and having a bit of an adverse reaction to having a new family member, safety must and always will be a priority.

 Some babies are more supple than others, and not only is the age of the baby taken into consideration during a newborn shoot, the older a newborn is, the more their bones start to harden. But also some babies naturally will curl into some positions better than others dependant on how they laid in the womb. When I position newborns I always take into account how they naturally bend and position and baby is never forced into a position that is not comfortable for them. I was so lucky to meet these beautiful boys, as you can see someone is very very proud of being the number one brother in the world!

Baby photography in Essex, Suffolk, London and Cambridge.  If you would like to see more of my work please click on the link. 
As baby was born around Easter time, Mum asked for an Easter theme if possible to the shoot, so I decided plain and simple is best, sometimes babies can be lost in props and too many other bits and pieces, so I went for a simple potato sack pose, where baby is wrapped and a cute felted bunny hat. Mum's hands were photoshopped out of shot - he was never propped up by himself at any time, and he makes the cutest little bunny. I adore photographing little newborn babies, and rarely do I finish a session without capturing one of the best smiles in the world, a newborn smile! It may be wind, but it's a glimpse of the laughter and giggles set to come as they grow and become their own person, I truly am blessed to do this job, I often have people drive a good 2-3 hours from London, luckily Essex is only about an hour away, and the other side of Suffolk is an hour and a half. However I do travel to people for newborn shoots also. Parents often book at their 20 week scan to ensure they have a gap ready for when their new little family member arrives.

Suffolk and Essex newborn photographer, Ipswich baby photos. Fine art newborn photos.

TO SEE MORE OF MY NEWBORN AND CHILD PHOTOGRAPHY CLICK HERE!

This gorgeous little one slept like a dream, when I arrived in Ipswich he was feeding away. But soon settled in and snuggled down and slept like a baby (although Mummy and Daddy's are always telling me their little ones don't sleep), I was very blessed with a superstar sleeper! 

All of my outfits and hats, I go to great lengths to ensure I order from makers who use ethically sourced wool, it is really important to me catering to all my clients and for my own piece of mind, that nothing has suffered for the sake of my art. I never buy cheap things from other Countries, and spend a huge amount of time in creating harmonious colour schemes, beautiful soft items that won't irritate a little ones skin, and that will tie in seamlessly to my clients home, beautiful timeless art of their precious family, to last for generations.

Look at those beautiful little squishy newborn lips, such a precious little baby. 

I love capturing these moments, of new parents, this tiny little baby in just a few weeks won't tuck into your arms in this way, it really does fly by in a blink. Proud parents, and this awesome little bundle that steals your heart. You can see just how much this Mummy loves her gorgeous baby.

 To check out the rest of my newborn gallery click HERE. I am constantly updating my props, hat, headband collections to ensure I offer a fresh and personal session to everyone of my clients. Parents often are horrified when a tinkle or worse suddenly appears soaking a blanket or me! It really is just what happens if you are photographing babies with no nappies on, and everything washes out. 

 When using props, or if a pose looks dangerous, the prop is weighed down, Mum's hand was also photoshopped out even with this pose where baby is sunk down in the wooden bucket, babies can startle for no reason and jerk their heads back, or down, so baby safety is of the utmost priority. I do not experiment on posing with babies, I know what I am doing, and baby is safe at all times, I risk assess my environments and props and am fully insured. 

Thank you to this little ones family for allowing me to share your beautiful images, I love the people I get to meet and seeing beautiful families growing. I am so honoured to have the privilege to record these precious moments.