7 month baby photoshoot: Behind the scenes on a typical session

7 month baby photoshoot: What you can expect

Thanks for stopping by on my 7-month baby photoshoot ‘behind the scenes’ page.

So, why 7 months?

Typically, babies around six to seven months of age start to do a few amazing things. By now they’ve probably mastered tummy time, maybe even rolling around a bit on the floor. They will most likely be able to lie on their back and kick their feet in the air, giggling and laughing all the way.

They’ll also be able to – or very nearly able to – sit up unaided. This is a huge achievement for a baby as it exercises tummy control and muscles they’ve only just developed properly. As any parent will know, practicing these skills for the first time can be frustrating and for Baby as they often tumble to the floor with a facepalm.

If your baby can now sit up unaided – great! Of course, some babies take a little longer and that’s absolutely fine, they’ll be honing in on other skills first. But generally speaking, around 7 months old is when babies start to sit up and enjoy it.

Sitting up unaided. No help.

For a photoshoot of this kind to be really successful, it’s best to wait until your baby can sit up for a few minutes at a time, without needing any help at all. This is so that you can be confident to leave them (only a metre or so) on their own without them tumbling back and hurting themselves.

Of course, we can always place a pillow behind them to cushion the fall, but there’s no guarantee they’ll land on the cushion, and in any case, falling down all the time can be a shock to Baby and can be unnerving for your little one.

To make the most out of the session and to make sure they enjoy it, bring them in for a sitting-up photoshoot once they’ve mastered the skill completely and have been doing it without you worrying about them falling, for a week or two.

For baby photos of this age group please see this page.

A 7 month old photoshoot of a baby girl wearing a white knitted dress

A 7 month old photoshoot with a baby girl sitting on a white floor

A girl poses with a white hat on during her 7 month old photoshoot, North London

A beautiful baby girl laughs during her 7 month old photoshoot

What’s the best time of day to get my baby photographed?

Generally speaking, for a 7-month baby photoshoot to go smoothly and for your baby to enjoy the time, it’s best to bring her in once she’s had her morning nap.

In my experience, if you’re in any sort of routine with your little one by now then she’ll be sleeping at around about 9am, for 45 minutes or so. This is because a baby’s sleep cycle generally lasts 45 minutes and this is what she’ll need after breakfast.

This means that by 10 am she’s happy, awake and alert, and raring for action!

I ask parents to bring their babies to the studio at about 10am, after their morning nap. Once they’re here, they can enjoy a mid-morning snack (I can safely heat bottle milk here or have comfy sofas for you to breastfeed), and then after this time is when we begin photographing.

What if my baby is in a grumpy mood?

I’m asked this question so often (for more FAQs see here). Please don’t worry! I’ve photographed over 100 babies and being a mum of two, I’m no stranger to grumpy moods!

If for whatever reason, your baby is not his usual self, not sleeping, eating, or feeling well, or just simply out of sorts, we can reschedule the session.

If you think your baby is OK in himself, but perhaps he’s missed his nap, or not had his usual amount of milk for breakfast and is just feeling a bit grumpy and fed up, then I can work around him.

In fact, the session is entirely baby-led. If he wants to feed or have a cuddle when he gets here that’s fine.

If he wants to stay in mama’s arms for a bit before he does any solo photos, that’s also fine. I’ll never tear a baby away from mama and never make him do anything he doesn’t want to do. He’s the star of the show and will be treated like that.

Learn more about a 7 month old photoshoot

The best 7-month baby photoshoots are child-led.

Believe me, I’ve worked with plenty of babies over the years who for whatever reason, are a little bit anxious or fed up when they come into my studio. Perhaps they are over-tired. Perhaps they’ve got a poo coming. Or perhaps they just feel a bit insecure and need mama or dada around.

This is totally normal and nothing to worry about. I’ll ask you what tends to help your baby settle at home – perhaps she likes nursery rhymes or perhaps a more soothing classical music playing will help.

Time to play

Maybe she’d like to play with my age-appropriate baby toys for a bit and we can sit and play peekabo together before I even turn my camera on.

Perhaps she’d like an extra bit of milk before the photoshoot takes place so she doesn’t have to worry about where her food is going to come from.

Whatever she needs, we’ll make sure we try and solve it and give it to her.

There’s no point photographing a grumpy baby so I’ll bend over backwards to make sure she’s well cared for.

Take your time!

As a mum of two young boys myself, I know firsthand that you simply can’t predict or ‘guarantee’ your little one’s behaviour on the day.

We will have all morning together and there’s always a moment where your baby will join in and enjoy the session.

I don’t rush the sessions and please, don’t worry if your baby starts crying a little or seems a bit unnerved. It’s a new setting, new smells, new sounds, and so on so it may take time for your little one to get used to it all.

A girl stretches out her arms during a 7 month old photoshoot

A 7 month old photoshoot with a little girl who wears a white knitted onesie

A 7 month old photoshoot with a girl who is wide awake and alert for her session

A 7 month old photoshoot can involve a few outfit changes depending on whether the Baby is happy and settled

The 7 month baby photoshoot experience

If your baby is around the 7-month-old mark then you will have been through a huge rollercoaster ride over the past few months.

This really is the time to take stock, take a long, deep breathe and pat yourself on the back for getting this far. Seriously.

By now, your baby will be a real personality, you will have much more of a ‘laugh’ together as she starts to respond to her name, little games, songs and faces.

That’s why, when you come into see me, we make the whole photoshoot a memorable experience.

Baby group!

It’s kind of like taking your baby to a really cool baby group/ activity. The focus is all about her and I try super hard to involve her, interact with her and help her hav fun.

It’s a lovely morning that will involve some much need R&R time for you as well, mum! I’ll get you a coffee and get in some cake for us to share. We can swap birth stories (if you want!) and get to know each other a little.

It’s kind of like a super fun playdate where we have a giggle as parents, but most importantly, make sure your little one is enjoying the moment and interacting with us.

The best 7 month baby photoshoot images come from when your baby is just being herself, doing things she’s just learned to do – like kicking, or rolling, or sitting up. Showing me what she’s learned, but also having a giggle at the same time.

A memorable day out

Of course, feel free to bring other family members along too. The photoshoot can be just about baby, or it can include both parents or any grandparents as well. Siblings are welcome, too. You really want to capture life ‘as it is’, to remember this fleeting time with your little on while they’re still so young. The more the merrier.

If you’re thinking about getting a baby photoshoot done and want to find out more about prices and packages, then please visit this page.

7-month baby photoshoot ideas

Clearly, there’s no point asking your little one to pose or sit still. It would be like talking to the wall, haha! The best thing is to keep it simple and be led by what it is they want to do.

Some children love to sit down, others like to stand and stretch their legs (with help!). Some love to lay on their backs and kick their feet in the air.

Whatever your baby is capable of, we’ll schedule the session around that.

Ideas

So simple ideas for photographing your 7 month baby are:

– Laying on the floor kicking legs in the air (can be interacting with mama, or a noisy toy at the same time)

– Sitting up unaided and playing with some wooden toys, or playing peekabo with me or a parent

– Sitting or lying on a comfy flokati rug or cushion – lovely soft, warm textures feel great against Baby’s skin. You can add Baby’s comforter or teddy to this moment so they feel secure

– In parents’ arms. Helping the baby to ‘fly’ through the air, or bouncing your little one up and down to get a giggle always works!

– In either mum or dad’s arms: just baby and one parent can often be a really powerful image that shows the scale of your baby too. Just look how tiny they are – they won’t stay like this forever!

– If siblings are there and are old enough, it really helps to get older brothers or sisters involved by holding the baby (safely – I will set this up!) and kissing them or playing peekabo. What an amazing shot for mum and dad too, to have all children together.

These are just a few of the baby photoshoot ideas that I’ll run through in every session. In no particular order – it will depend on what your baby wants to do first!

The ‘family portrait’

All I would say is that you should definitely get some pics of you and Dad and Baby together. These moments are often the ones that you’ll look back in several years’ time and remember how tiny and different your baby was, compared to how they are now.

Photographs including parents are also the ones that the Baby will eventually want to see when they grow up to. It gives them a snippet into what life was really like, what their parents were like and most importantly, how much they were loved and cherished.

A thoughtful moment for a 7 month old girl who poses for her photos during a baby photographer London photo shoot

Sometimes the natural shots are the best ones, says North London photographer Louisa Peacock

Enquire about a baby photoshoot

Is your baby sitting up already? Is she starting to smile lots and show you her personality?

Have you ever thought about getting a 7-month baby photoshoot done?

What style of photography do you prefer?

Tell me in the comments below.

Babies who are around 6 to 7 months old are inquisitive and eager to explore their surroundings

Wide eyes: this 7 month old photoshoot was with a plain natural, white set up

How to do a 7-month baby photoshoot at home

Experiencing a 7-month baby photoshoot at my studio will be a wonderful memory for sure. However, there will be plenty of times in your own home where you’ll wish you could bottle the moment forever and keep it in the form of a tangible photograph.

Here are my 5 top tips for photographing your own baby at home:

1. Lighting. Make sure you place your baby near a window so the natural light spreads evenly across their faces and bodies. If your room is too dark, try somewhere else in the house where it’s nice and bright and light.

You ideally want the light to fall across their faces from the top down, so it’s not going up their nose but coming from the eyes down.

2. Clothing. Keep it neutral. Plain towels, PJs, body grows and onesies that are all neutral colours are great as it keeps the focus on Baby. So think khakis, whites, greys, browns, navy blues.

3. Time of day. Try to take some photos straight after a nap, when your little one is in a good mood. And when they’re well fed. This way you can play with them and make them laugh getting some great shots in.

Ask for help!

4. Get a helper! Grab Grandma or your husband and ask them to take photos of you holding baby. So often we are the ones behind the camera taking all the shots, but rarely do we get to be in the photographs. Make sure you hold your baby near a light source, such as a large window, and then start playing with him to get some natural moments.

5. Don’t obsess about smiley shots! I know it’s tempting to always have your baby look at the camera and smile but the best photographs aren’t always the ones where your child is smiling. They are perfect, just the way they are. So as long as they’re awake and happy, not needing anything, try to capture all their facial expressions. Wisdom, thoughtfulness, their soul. Go close up to their eyes to get some detail shots of eyelashes, zoom into their little mouths, hands, feet and so on. It’s not all about their smile!

Muswell Hill baby photographer Louisa Peacock

Louisa is the owner of Louisa Peacock Photography and runs an award-winning studio in her own home in Muswell Hill. She specialises in maternity, family, baby, and newborn photography in the studio or out and about in London’s beautiful parks. Above all her photoshoots are relaxed, fun, and meaningful.

Like what you see?

Ring me for a free consultation today. I know how daunting it can be to book the best 7-month baby photoshoot photographers in London, so I’m here anytime to chat through any questions you have. As an award-winning photographer, I’m confident you’ll love working with me.

Contact Louisa