Baby Milestone Photos Every Parent Must Take In The First Year

As a Newborn and Baby Photographer, parents always ask me, what’s the best age to capture their baby and the answer is -- every day! Those milestones, those moments are something we shouldn’t miss capturing. Here’s a breakdown of the sweetest milestones I’ve been capturing for the past 6 years for over 1400 shoots until date!

One month: They're only going to be this tiny for so long, so you can expect lots of womb-like poses which goes away pretty much after the 15th day when they learn the art of stretching. If you are lucky, you capture some adorable smiles while they're sleeping.

Two months:A little more wide-eyed, you are sure to capture them with some suspicious stares at you/the camera. A few cute sleeping newborn positions are possible at this phase too. Tip: Swaddling them into little bundles keeps them cosy and calm.

Three months: Be prepared to be enthralled! They're beginning to recognise people and objects and smile a lot more often! Lying on their back while awake is a great way to capture them. Some adorable sleeping shots are possible too on their tummy too!

Four months: Your baby is just learning to flip - so you can capture them lying on their back and flipping over on to their tummy. Some also develop a stable neck this early. More options!

Five months and six months: Your munchkin is very comfortable on their tummy. Elbows and chest holding their head up high and their neck strong and active. Their response is faster and smiles, bigger! Here, you can capture them eating their toes (totally adorbs!), lying on their tummy, sitting in a tripod pose! Tip: This phase of lying on their back and holding their feet is never repeated again! Also once babies learn to sit up, they don’t enjoy lying down very much unless they’re lazing.

Seven months and eight months: He/she is learning/has learnt to sit up around this time. Some a little wobbly, others, ready to turn your life upside down :D. Think standing props, backdrops and concepts with your baby's full presence in a portrait session. Or go plain Jane, and capture baby’s various expressions.

Nine, ten and eleven months: Learning to crawl is simply adorable to capture! You can start your fitness regime right about now. At ten months, they're possibly standing with support. This phase is a tiny step away from them becoming independent. Think full-length portraits with your baby's full presence in a portrait session. Don’t miss those chubby legs while they last! Most babies are on solids by now and I always recommend capturing videos of their first experiences of new foods - think lemon, curd, raw mango and other tangy foods? Those reactions are priceless!

The Grand ONE: While some are crawling/walking with support or trying to run on their own, this is a milestone everyone wants to capture. The babbling, the fun, the expressions - this list goes on! Celebrating the first year with a cake smash is sure to give you an amazing set of expressions, or even just their favourite food! These are purely guidelines based on the number of babies we've worked with. There is no intent to force any of the above on a child, but to simply go with their pace and rhythm as they grow. I do hope these milestones allow you to capture them through their first year. At the end of day, while you may be excited to capture your baby’s growth, don’t forget to add yourself to these images so your babies know you were there too!