A guide for new families


Tiny

Beginnings


Everything you need to know before your in-home newborn session - and a gentle reminder that you're already doing beautifully.



 

Before we begin


Hello, and well done.


You've just done one of the most extraordinary things a human being can do. You brought someone new into the world. And now here you are - probably exhausted, possibly still in the clothes you've been wearing for three days, maybe eating toast at 2am - and yet somehow you found your way to this guide.


That tells me everything I need to know about you.


This session isn't about looking perfect or having a tidy house or knowing what to do in front of a camera. It's about slowing down and actually noticing what's right in front of you - the weight of them in your arms, the way they curl into you, the sound of your name being learned for the first time.


I'm just here to hold that for you, quietly, in the background. You won't even notice I'm there.



 

These photos are for the version of you who will, one day, forget how small they were.
And they will be small for such a very short time.

 

TIMING


When is the right time?


The first three weeks are often called the golden window - and there's truth in that. In those early days, babies are at their most curled, their most sleepy, their most softly brand-new. That deep-inthe-womb posture hasn't quite left them yet. The milk-drunk stretches, the froggy little legs, the way they fit so perfectly on your chest - all of that is at its most tender right at the start.

But here's what I want you to hear: there is no wrong time.

If your baby is six weeks old and you're only just coming up for air - book the session. If they're already smiling and you want to capture this new version of them - book it. Every stage is its own kind of precious. They will never be this small again, but they will also never be exactly this age again, and that's worth holding onto too.

The best time to book is whenever you feel ready.

And if you're not sure you'll ever feel ready - book it anyway. I'll take care of the rest.



 

 

YOUR SPACE


Your space is already perfect.


I know what you're thinking. The pile of muslins by the sofa. The Moses basket surrounded by everything Amazon could deliver in 48 hours. The half-assembled whatever-it-is in the corner of the nursery. The fact that you haven't hoovered since before the birth. None of that matters. I promise you, none of it. What I'm looking for when I walk into your home isn't tidiness - it's light and love, and both of those are already there. When I arrive, we'll have a slow wander together and find the spots where the light is doing something beautiful. Usually it's by the biggest window, or a patio door, or a bedroom window that faces the right way at the right time of day. If you want to have a gentle tidy of one or two rooms beforehand,

lovely - but please don't exhaust yourself. A clear patch of floor near a window, a bed you can sit on comfortably, a sofa with a cushion - that's genuinely all we need. The rest of it is just life, and life is what we're here to photograph.



 

The washing on the radiator, the new-baby smell, the stack of cards by the door - that's the real story. I'm not here to photograph a show home.
I'm here to photograph yours.


 

01  THE LIGHT SPOT

 

Clear a little space near your brightest window - in the living room, bedroom, or nursery. We don't need much room, just enough for you to sit or lie comfortably with your baby in good light.


 

 

02  warmth

 

Keep your home a little warmer than usual - around 24°C if you can. Babies settle so much better when they're warm, and it means we can photograph them beautifully without layers getting in the way.

 

 

03  THE LITTLE THINGS

 

If there are details you want included - the hospital tag, a special blanket, a tiny pair of shoes someone gifted, the card from the people who love you most - leave them out where I'll notice them. They become part of the story.

 

 

04 THE SLOW MORNING

 

Don't rush the day. Make tea, stay in your dressing gown a little longer. A feed before I arrive, a nappy change, whatever your baby needs to feel settled. There's no performance here - just your ordinary morning, and I'll slip into it quietly.

 

 

GETTING DRESSED


What to wear.


Your baby is the star of this session, but you are in these photos too - and you deserve to feel like yourself in them. Not dressed up, not performing, but genuinely comfortable and quietly beautiful.
The most important thing is that you can sit, lie down, feed, and cuddle without thinking about what you're wearing. Comfort photographs beautifully. Tension doesn't.




 

I have a small wardrobe available for both mums and babies - soft wraps, simple pieces, tiny knits. You're welcome to borrow from it, or use your own. Just let me know and I'll bring what feels right.


FOR MUM


  • Loose, soft layers - linen, jersey, knits
  • Nursing access if you're breastfeeding
  • Earth tones, soft whites, dusty pinks
  • Flowy dresses or a comfortable robe
  • Bare feet
  • Remove smartwatch if you wear one
FOR DAD OR PARTNER


  • A loose linen or chambray shirt
  • Soft knit jumper or simple layer
  • Please - no plain black or white tshirts
  • No logos, no sporty brands
  • Neutral or warm tones
  • Bare feet or clean simple socks
A NOTE ON COLOUR


Black is heavy in photos and can overpower a tiny baby. Warm neutrals - oat, cream, blush, dusty sage, sand - photograph like a dream.


FOR BABY


Simple is beautiful. A white vest, a soft knit romper, a wrap, or nothing at all. Bring their coming-home outfit if there is one. I have a small selection of newborn clothes if you'd like something particular.

NOT SURE?


Send me a photo of what you're thinking. I genuinely love helping with this, and a two-minute message can save so much pre-session stress.

 

WHAT TO EXPECT


How the session unfolds.


A newborn session is one of the slowest, gentlest things I do. We are not rushing. We are never rushing. When I arrive, we'll have a cup of tea and a proper chat before I even think about picking up my camera. I want to know how you're doing

- really - and I want your baby to hear my voice and settle into the rhythm of having someone new in the room. There's no schedule to keep, no list to get through. We'll feed when they need feeding. We'll pause when they need settling. We'll sit quietly together when they finally drift off into that deep, heavy newborn sleep. I've sat in many living rooms waiting for

that moment, and I will always wait - because that moment is worth it every single time. The session is built around your baby's needs, not mine. Some days that means everything flows easily. Some days it means an extra feed, a longer settle, one spectacular nappy situation.

Both are fine.

Both are exactly right.



 

 

01  FEED BEFORE I ARRIVE IF YOU CAN

 

A full, sleepy baby is the dream. If you can time a feed for just before I get there, we often slip straight into the loveliest sleepy portraits. But if that doesn't happen, we simply feed together and wait. No stress.

 

 

02  CRYING IS COMPLETELY FINE

 

Babies cry. It means nothing about you as a parent and it doesn't worry me in the slightest. Sometimes the most tender photos come from the moment just after the tears, when you've settled them back down and you're both breathing again.

 

 

03  WHAT I LOVE TO CAPTURE

 

Everything. First cuddles, skin to skin, breastfeeding, a quiet bath, your partner's hands holding those tiny feet. Siblings meeting them for the hundredth time. The dog investigating. The way you look at them when you think no one's watching. That's the good stuff.

 

 

4.THE WHOLE FAMILY

 

Siblings, grandparents, the cat, the dog - all welcome. Pets especially. They're part of this story too, and honestly some of

my favourite frames have involved a very interested golden retriever.

 

 

FOR YOU


A word about how you look.


I know this is something people worry about, so I want to say it plainly. You grew a person. You may be six days postpartum, or ten days, or three weeks. Your body may feel unfamiliar right now. You might be exhausted in a way you've never been before. You might look at yourself in the mirror and think - I'm not ready to be photographed.



I am not photographing your body. I am photographing how you hold your baby. And that, right now, is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.


The photos where a parent looks truly radiant aren't the ones where they've had eight hours of sleep and a blowout. They're the ones where they've forgotten I'm there and they're just looking at their baby. That look - that completely involuntary, helpless, overwhelming love - photographs like nothing else in the world.

Come as you are. Tired eyes, messy hair, leaking through your top - all of it welcome. I've seen it all and I promise you, none of it matters once I've caught you looking at them.



 

 

PRACTICAL NOTES


A gentle checklist.


Nothing here is essential. Think of it as a soft list of things that tend to help a session flow beautifully.


  • Clear a spot near your brightest window - living room, bedroom, or nursery. Just enough space to sit or lie comfortably in good light.
  • Warm the room a little more than usual - around 24–26°C keeps babies settled and comfortable.
  • Feed just before I arrive if you can - a full baby often slips straight into sleepy portraits.
  • Have essentials to hand - nappies, wipes, muslins, a spare outfit for baby.
  • Leave out anything meaningful - the hospital tag, a special blanket, a tiny pair of shoes, a card from someone you love.
  • Play whatever you usually play - your music, your radio, whatever your baby already knows. Familiar sound helps everyone settle.
  • Set aside a few hours - not because it will definitely take that long, but because knowing there's no rush is half the magic.
  • Go barefoot, or soft socks - it keeps things feeling like home, which is exactly what this is.

 

 

FINALLY


You don't need to be ready.

You just need to be there.


I'll bring my camera and my quietness, and I'll follow your lead. We'll move slowly, we'll drink tea, and somewhere in between, we'll make something you'll be so glad exists.

These aren't just photographs. They're the proof that this happened - that they were this small, that you loved them this much, that these days were real. One day they'll be too heavy to carry and too tall to see over and you'll wonder how it went so fast.

These photos are for that day.

I can't wait to meet you both.




 

In the End


If this guide helps make your session even a tiny bit easier, then I’ve done my job.


Thank you - truly - for inviting me into your world.

I can’t wait to create something magical together.


Let them be little, let them be wild,

and let’s tell your story softly, just as it is.




Love,

signature of angela palka soft stories by angela