I had the most amazing session this morning. It was amazing, because during the session I couldn’t stop gushing, and I had more than a couple of moments where I wanted to leap in the air with excitement and squeal (except I didn’t, because the vibe was so chilled, it wouldn’t have been right!). Then, when I got home, I was so excited about what I’d captured that I couldn’t resist getting stuck straight into processing, and have gotten most of the way through the images already! And I have so many faves, it was hard to choose what to put into this sneak peek.

A few things about Little Miss S:

• Little Miss S is eighteen days old: she shares her birthdate with another very special little girl, who I’ll be meeting in a couple of weeks.
• Little Miss S also shares her beautiful name with another very special little girl, who has featured on my blog rather a lot in the last seventeen months.
• Little Miss S is the sweetest, cutest, most chilled out little thing: I barely heard a peep from her all morning!
• Little Miss S has some pretty awesome (and very photogenic) parents, who I just loved meeting and hanging out with today.
• Little Miss S is going to love playing in her amazing back yard when she gets a bit older.

After spending the first hour of our session outside in the most perfect rambling, sun-dappled, garden ever, we headed indoors, where Little Miss S’ mum and I chatted about our shared Dutch heritage and Little Miss S’ dad worked his magic on settling Little Miss S to sleep.

This morning epitomised my idea of the perfect session in so many ways. Throughout most of it, I played the role of a silent observer: my job was to capture S & Ds devotion to their new daughter, and their joy and wonder getting to know her. And this is exactly why every new parent should consider a customised photo session: the first few weeks of parenthood are a blur, they go by so quickly, and are often full of intense emotions and overwhelming exhaustion. But in amongst it all, there is a beautiful quietness, an indescribable feeling of ‘rightness’, an amazing new bond, a new understanding of love and perfection – it begs to be captured, because it’s so easily forgotten.  S & D specifically asked for casual photos, and I was more than happy to oblige. I found myself captivated by their enjoyment of Little Miss S. I didn’t once ask them to look to the camera. I barely directed. I moved in and around them and captured love. And I loved every second of it. I was reminded once and for all why I love being a photographer and how much I want this to be my life.

Thank you so much S & D, for welcoming me into your home and your hearts today. You gave me a special gift, and I will always remember this session. I’ll be in touch with your gallery very, very soon!