How Long Does a Newborn Photo Session Take… and Why?

Time feels different in the early days with a newborn. Hours blur together and the world seems to move more slowly and more quickly all at once. A newborn photo session is designed to honour this tender pace - never hurried, never forced.

So how long does a newborn session take? And why does it unfold this way?

A Session Designed Around Your Baby

A typical newborn session with me lasts between two and three hours or 4 hours for twins. This is not because we are constantly photographing, but because we allow space for your baby’s needs to guide the whole experience.

There will be time for feeding, settling, changing and cuddling - all without pressure or expectation. This gentle structure ensures you and your baby remains comfortable and content, which is the foundation of every beautiful image.

Your baby sets the schedule. Always.

Why Slowness Matters

Newborn photography is not about efficiency. It is about patience, observation, care and safety.

Each transition - from one pose to another, from wrap to wrap - is done slowly and thoughtfully to keep your baby settled and safe. We wait for sleep when needed, pause when your baby asks for it, and move forward only when they are ready.

This unhurried approach allows moments of stillness to appear naturally: relaxed hands, peaceful expressions, the way your baby curls into you without being guided.

These are the moments that cannot be rushed and should never be.

What If My Baby Needs More Time?

Some babies settle quickly. Others take a little longer. Both are completely normal and equally welcome.

If your baby needs extra feeding or soothing, we just go with it. Your session is never measured by the clock!

If more time is needed that’s fine, you have me for as long as is needed. I won’t be clock watching and hurrying you out of the door - we can take the whole day if needed.

The Gift of Time

When you view your gallery, you won’t remember how long the session lasted, you will remember how small they were. How they fit into your arms. How this time felt.

Your gallery will take around 3 weeks to be perfected. Once it’s ready, I will invite you back to my studio to view it and to pick the package that best suits you.

The time we spend together is an investment in preserving something that will never return in quite the same way.

A newborn session is not about filling hours - it is about creating heirlooms from a moment that is already slipping softly into memory.

Hannah x