The Latent Image Photography

Beautiful Chloe – Newborn Photography Melbourne

Leigh — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 04:20:19 +0000

Chloe / Newborn Photography Melbourne

Meet beautiful little Chloe!

Chloe was born during our last Melbourne lockdown so she was unable to come into the studio for her newborn photography session until she was a month old. We were still able to achieve a full newborn photography session even though we missed the “under two week” window period due to COVID-19 lockdown. Chloe was a little star for her newborn photography session. Her Mum was more than happy for me to style the whole session. We went with beige and blush which worked beautifully together to create her timeless newborn album.

Contact us for more information

Should you wish to enquire about your own newborn photography session please fill out our contact form by clicking the “CONTACT US” button below…

8 Reasons Why Newborn Photography Safety Is So Important

Leigh — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 06:57:18 +0000

8 Reasons Why Newborn Photography Safety Is So Important

Newborn Photography Safety

This is a topic I had planned to write about later in the in the year, but recently, it has been brought to my attention that a lot of photographers are not doing the right thing by their clients and still working under the current COVID conditions in Victoria. I have had so many calls over the last couple of weeks asking if I’m operating during COVID restrictions. As much as we’d like to think that newborn photography is an essential service, unfortunately, it is not the case! Whether we believe the rationale for the Victorian governments stage 4 restrictions or not, it is against the law to operate during the current COVID-19 stage 4 restrictions. There will always be people out there willing to go against the regulations. This is where I ask myself, if a newborn photographer is willing to break the law and risk their business to photograph your newborn baby, what are their newborn photography safety policies?!!!!!

You have given birth to a beautiful precious baby, usually born in hospital with midwives, doctors and nurses to support you. You go home with your wonderful bundle of joy! Carefully you bath them for the first time, carry them with extreme caution, careful not to trip. You are so very proud of your new baby, astonished at the perfection you have created! What better way to document this amazing time in your life than with a newborn photography session. Often, this is the very first outing for your new family. Your newborn baby is more than often aged between 5 to 10 days old. At this stage your baby is at its most vulnerable and defenceless time in their life. You are now going to hand the single most precious thing in your life over to your chosen photographer. This person could be anyone! Anyone that has a camera can legally call themselves a photographer. And might I add, not always a fancy camera at that! I understand that not everyone has the budget for newborn photography and that all newborn photographers need to start somewhere, but newborn photography safety has to be of the utmost importance!!!!

Newborn photography safety is something that is learnt through newborn photography courses and years of experience in newborn photography. With over 20 years experience of baby photography I have learnt so much along the way. I was lucky enough to have studied photography and worked as a fashion photographer before I had my kiddies and then decided to turn my hand to baby photography. I had the depth of knowledge in the physics of photography and light. I already knew and understood the complex theory of inverse square law ”when a surface is illuminated by a point light source……….. “ blah blah blah! I was set technically and hit the ground running! My first newborn photography session was nearly 23 years ago

Boy if only I knew then what I know now. Poor little Elliott! He looks terrified! A nice cozy warm room may have been a good start!

So why choose a professional newborn photographer?

They are trained in all fields of newborn photography. Professional newborn photographers understand newborn behaviour and what your baby needs. Newborn babies can’t regulate their own body temperature like we can, so it is important to keep them at the right temperature. Newborns can easily overheat and if they are not warm enough, they won’t settle. Newborn photographers understand everything the newborn needs to keep the baby calm and seamlessly transition the baby from prop to prop to achieve a smooth session. All our props are sourced from prop shops specifically designed for newborn photography. They know how to weight the props so the prop is safe and well balanced that it doesn’t fall over and injure your newborn baby. They won’t put your baby into something that will be dangerous to your baby’s health, like a pot that has been sitting in the back garden for years and might endanger your babies little lungs by breathing in compost. All our props are safe and clean for newborn photography. We know how to safely pose a baby, whilst still protecting the baby’s neck. Babies can’t support their own heads, their neck is not strong enough. We know how to successfully wrap your baby to put them into a nice deep sleep without wrapping them too tightly that they can’t breathe and yet tight enough that those strong little arms can’t escape! Newborn babies don’t have good circulation in their hands and feet. It is so important to be aware that you are not cutting off their circulation when posing the newborn baby. All the beautiful poses we see on the internet can be quite risky to achieve. Babies hanging on hammocks or hanging in props are not as they appear. These images are in actual fact, composite images. The baby was never hanging in the basket, it is all created in photoshop. Professional photographers spend many years developing their editing skills in photoshop. You would never know that these images are actually two images merged together to create that perfect image to keep your precious baby safe at all times. My fear is that some amateur enthusiasts may not realise this and may attempt to replicate these complex poses, unaware of the inherent risks.

An experienced professional newborn photographer will have an in-depth understanding of newborn behaviour and safety around all forms of posing. The camera does not make the photograph, it’s the expertise of the photographer. Here’s a thought, would you let just anyone cut your hair because they own a pair of scissors? Of course not! So why would you take a chance with just anyone posing the single most precious thing in your life!

Please dont hesitate to contact us via our contact page if you have any questions you would like some more information.

Eight important things to think about when looking for a newborn photographer: (in addition to beautiful photographs!)

Is it a fully registered business?
Are they fully insured?
Are they fully vaccinated?
Do they have a quality website that displays a variety of newborn poses?
Have they many years experience in newborn photography?
Are they an accredited AIPP member (Australian Institute of Professional Photographers)?
Are they an accredited INPA member (International Newborn Photography Association)?
Do they hold a “Working With Children” check?

Whilst everyone understands that most people have a budget, please don’t compromise when choosing a newborn photographer. People spend tens of thousands of dollars on a wedding photographer. One in three marriages end in divorce. Scary! Let’s put it this way, your baby will be your child for ever!

Please be safe!!!! Put your baby’s safety first and don’t take any risks when it comes to choosing a newborn photographer!

Newborn photography safety!

5 Tips For A Super Awesome Cake Smash Shoot

Leigh — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 03:37:22 +0000

5 Tips For A Super Awesome Cake Smash Shoot

Our Cake Smash sessions are an awesome way to celebrate the milestone of your baby’s first birthday! Here at The Latent Image Photography – Newborn photography Melbourne, we just adore having a Cake Smash shoot in our Wheelers Hill photography studio. Cake Smash photography has become so popular over the last five years that we have decided to invest in many different backdrops with wonderful themes. We thought it would be a fun and magical idea to name all the different styles.

Please take the time to view our cake smash photography website page to see our super awesome cake smash shoots!

Cake Smash Shoot Information

When booking your Cake Smash shoot we will schedule your session around your baby’s sleep schedule. This is so important as we do not want a tired baby! Due to the cost of the cake, we do not want to schedule a reshoot! Please do not bring your baby to the session if they are not well. Babies that are unwell never photograph well. This is extremely important, as a photographic studio is a strange environment for a baby. Sick babies just want Mummy, resulting in an unsuccessful session. I can’t stress this enough!. All cake smash shoots are booked and take place in our Wheelers Hill studio. The session generally lasts one and a half hours. This is due to the fact that at this age babies lose interest very quickly, so we need to get things started before they tire!

I supply the cake as part of the $200 session fee. During the session you will have full access to all my outfits, buntings, props and cake toppers. You don’t need to worry about a thing!!! Should you wish to have a custom made cake topper, I use Sugar Boo Cake Toppers. or for custom made outfits, Cake Smash Australia also have some great little outfits should you decide, you would like to purchase your own outfit. We do ask that you communicate this with us a few days before your Cake Smash photography session in order to style the cake and colours to suit the little outfit you have purchased.

Sometimes it might be a good idea to let your baby have a little taste of cake on a few occasions beforehand, so your baby has an idea of the taste of cake and butter icing before their Cake Smash session, as most babies have not yet tasted cake. Butter icing can be a strange texture for babies. We use butter icing on the cake because it is easy for your baby to grab handfuls of icing and it smears easily in their adorable little faces and tiny fingers. All babies are different, some dive straight in and get started straight away and devour the cake. Others approach with caution and require a little bit of encouragement. It’s lovely to get those gorgeous photos of your baby examining the cake, sometimes deep in thought! Sometimes we need to break a little piece of cake off and hand it to your baby so they can have a little taste and relax into the situation. Sometimes a wooden spoon can help your baby relax and distract them while smashing the cake with it.

Please bring a change of clothing for yourself as you too may get covered in cake and butter icing. Some babies may need a little cuddle during the session. We ask that you sit and watch the Cake Smash session from the sidelines, without distracting your baby. I will be getting your baby to look at me while I’m photographing them. Your baby will automatically look at you when you call them and they will not be responding to me, which as a result will negatively impact your photographs. Your baby will definitely make their way over to you at some point during the session. At that point you will be asked to sit them back in front of the cake again, hence the change of clothing for yourself! If I need your active participation I will direct you as to what you can do to get the best expressions out of your baby.

The Cake Smash Shoot Splash Session

This is undoubtedly the favourite part of the session for most babies. All babies love water and slashing! If your baby has a sensitive skin, we recommend that you bring your own bubble bath and towel for them. A clean change of clothing and a plastic bag might also be useful to put all your dirty clothes and your wet towel into. Apart from us getting great photos from the bath session, your baby will be nice and clean for their journey home!

5 Tips for a super awesome Cake Smash Shoot!

A sippy cup of water as baby will get thirsty and a snack in case they get hungry
A change of clothing for both yourself and your baby
Bubble bath if your baby has sensitive skin
A towel
A plastic bag for your dirty clothing and your wet towel

Some additional Cake Smash Shoot advice!

We strongly recommend that you do not bring siblings along to the session, as they can be extremely distracting to your one year old baby. The sibling will also get extremely bored, as we will be concentrating fully on the Cake Smash Shoot, which the sibling not surprisingly would dearly love to participate in.

Note: We regret that if your baby has allergies you will be required to supply your own cake. A discount will be applied to your session fee.

Cake Smash Shoots are most definitely one of my favourite photo sessions as baby is interactive and excited. This allows us to capture superb expressions contributing to great final images!!!

Please dont hesitate to contact us via our contact page should you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you soon!!!

Maternity Photography Melbourne

Leigh — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 05:33:06 +0000

Maternity photography Melbourne

October spring special!

Free maternity photography session

when you book a newborn session

This maternity photography session includes:

Three retouched high resolution digital Maternity images when you purchase a newborn session
20 minute over the phone pre-session consultation
45 minute styled creative maternity session
Maternity photography session will take place in my Wheelers Hill studio

Add-on images and prints will be available to purchase at an additional charge.

*Terms and conditions apply

*Terms and conditions:

Your newborn creative session fee of $200 is payable in advance of your maternity photography session. Hair and makeup are not included. Your newborn photography session must take place within a month of the birth of your baby. Three free high resolution maternity digital images will be supplied with your newborn order. Prices are non-negotiable. Your maternity images will be available to view at your newborn viewing session. This viewing session will take place 2 to 3 weeks after your newborn shoot has taken place. Please note that the minimum purchase price for a newborn session is $500. All images are copyrighted by The Latent Image Photography including those your purchase. You’re free to make as many personal prints as you like from the purchased digital images. Copying, scanning or reproduction of the images is strictly prohibited prohibited. Print screening images from the latent image photography website is also prohibited.

Valid for bookings made during the month of October 2020

Why not treat yourself to a maternity photography session?

Being pregnant is such a miraculous event in a Mothers life.Why not celebrate it with a maternity photography session? Maternity photography sessions are the perfect way to remember this exciting and wonderful time in your life.

Maternity photography sessions are best photographed when your bump is nice and round, but you are still feeling good in yourself and comfortable. This is usually around 32-36 weeks. Every Mum is different, so we will touch base closer to the time and confirm the date when everything is perfect!

The best time to book your maternity photography session is usually right after your three month scan in order to avoid disappointment.

Another great idea! Have you thought of a newborn gift registry? The Latent Image Photography – Newborn photography Melbourne have teamed up with Album Registry to give you this great opportunity for your friends and family to contribute towards the most wonderful gift of all, the gift of newborn photography!

View our maternity photography portfolio

Please don’t hesitate to contact us via our contact page or pick up the phone to have a chat if you have any questions!

What do we wear for our newborn photo shoot? Newborn photography Melbourne

Leigh — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 06:30:40 +0000

Welcome and congratulations! Your little one is soon to arrive. You’ve booked in for your newborn baby photo session with your photographer.

Now, “What should we wear for our newborn shoot?”

The selection of the right clothing for your photo session is an essential factor in the preparation for a successful newborn session. Soft neutral tones always work especially well! Whites, greys and beiges are the go-to colours when it comes to a successful newborn session at The Latent Image Photography – Newborn photography Melbourne. Not only does it work well with babies skin tones, it will also leave your options open as to where you may like to hang your new portraits. Clothes should always remain plain and timeless, with no logos or patterns. Textures like lace, wool and embroidery in similar tones work well to complement each other. The colour palette should remain plain and simple in similar tones. Start with one outfit and then choose the others to complement it. Patterns and logos can be very distracting to the eye and can take away from the important details we are looking to capture in your image.

Below are some ideas of colour tones that work well together and complement each other nicely.

Newborn photography Melbourne

Mum

As a mother of two myself, I understand that after having a new baby, you’re not always feeling your best. The important thing is that you should feel comfortable in what you are wearing. For Mum, warm soft neutral tones in greys, beiges and pastel tones are ideal. Remember that the images will be closely cropped, and your baby will be the centre of attention in the image. Your hands will however be visible, so it is important to have either nicely painted nails in a nude colour or no nail polish at all, with nice clean nails. Hair and makeup ideally should be natural looking. Clean styled hair and makeup will make you feel good for your newborn baby photography session.

Dad

For Dads, I recommend plain T-shirts. Whites, greys or beiges are great, but also please bring a simple black T-shirt with you. A white button up shirt is another option if you’d prefer that. A haircut and beard trim or shave will make Dad look and feel good. Clean hands and nails are most important, especially when photographing your tiny newborn baby in Dad‘s hands.

Older brothers and sisters

For siblings, the same idea applies as it does for Mum and Dad, keeping things plain and simple. You can never go wrong with pastels and neutral tones. These tones are not too distracting, allowing you to see their gorgeous little faces. Big brother’s can wear a plain T-shirt or a button up collared shirt. Big sister’s can wear a simple soft dress in subtle tones with a bit of texture.

Should you decide to have your children’s hair cut for their session, please don’t have the appointment on the day of your photo shoot. Firstly, if you’re unhappy with the cut, it’s going to spoil your photos. Secondly, those little cut hairs, make their way into everything and go everywhere!

Baby

During your newborn baby photo shoot I will spend the majority of my time photographing your newborn. We will supply all the custom-made clothing made specifically for newborn photography. The studio has a large variety of wraps and blankets that we will use during your session. We will coordinate the wraps to match your clothing for your family portraits. When dressing your new baby to come for their photo session, please keep clothing loose and front opening, with no clothes that pull over the head. If your baby is sleeping peacefully when you arrive, we don’t want to wake them. It is great to get started straight away!

It’s always a good idea to pack a change of clothing for Mum and Dad, especially if you are holding your naked baby for those beautiful natural poses. There is a very strong chance you may need to change your clothing due to little unavoidable accidents!

To wrap up!

Your newborn photography photographs are meant to be enjoyed for generations to come. Styling your session with the right timeless clothing and making sure you are looking your best on the day of the shoot will be well worth the effort, when everything seamlessly comes together to produce truly awesome photographs!.

Baby photography Melbourne

Leigh — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 07:38:00 +0000

Olivia 1996 one of my first baby portraits

Taking a look back to 1996. This is one of the first baby portraits I ever captured. I was portfolio building after moving to the UK after completing my Photography qualification in 1993. I met Olivia’s Mother at a “First Mums Group”. Olivia was such a gorgeous baby, I just knew that I needed to capture her cuteness on film. I approached her Mum, Marie and we set up a date for a session. Marie brought props and hats from her house and together we carefully wove the daisy chain. It was an amazing morning, we had so much fun! From this day a beautiful relationship formed, that has grown into a once in a lifetime friendship. Our girls are both going to be 21 this year and we are both still the best of friends and so are our girls. I photographed Olivia again at 16 (see below), her eyes are just spectacular. Olivia has gone on to pursue a career in fashion and modeling. Now that we live in Melbourne we only get to see each other every couple of years. We were lucky enough to have them visit us last year in Melbourne but unfortunately we didn’t get around to taking any professional images. Hundreds of fun shots though! As a photographer doing baby photography Melbourne it was wonderful to have them back in the studio so many years later!

Baby Photography Melbourne

Olivia at 16

Child Photographer Melbourne

Leigh — Sun, 17 May 2015 03:37:18 +0000

The Latent Image Photography, Child Photographer Melbourne, was delighted to be given the opportunity to photograph the covers of ‘Your Child in Monash’ over the last eight months. It has been wonderful to work closely with the editor and to be creative with styling the covers. Together we have spent time carefully selecting the right images from past photography shoots in my Wheelers Hill based Studio. Being a Child photographer in Melbourne, based in the South Eastern suburbs, it was so exciting to choose images from my past photo sessions for the ‘Your Child in Monash’ covers. The parents were delighted to receive magazines with their children on the covers. What a great thing to have and treasure for years to come! We have also styled seasonal covers and created seasonal settings in my Melbourne based child photography studio. The Latent Image Photography even used the editors children on the Christmas cover. We created snow to give the true Christmas effect because we all know that we don’t get snow over Christmas here in Melbourne! For the Easter issue the editor brought the most gorgeous little boy into the studio. He was so well behaved and we captured the perfect shot in no time at all! It has been a great opportunity to work with ‘Your Child in Monash’ over the last eight months. Thanks to Vanmala, it’s been great working with you and I wish you all the best, I hope that our paths cross again in the not too distant future!

Melbourne baby and child photographer

Leigh — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 07:23:20 +0000

Melbourne children Photography

Over the last two years I have been delighted to take part in the Kidspot “Mum’s say trail”and have met some wonderful families. Being a Melbourne baby and child photographer it was a great, I have photographed some gorgeous babies and children that truly have great little personalities. Here is the link to what people had to say : http://www.kidspot.com.au/product-reviews/The-Latent-Image-Photography+962.htm
It has been wonderful getting to know these adorable little babies, children and families. I would like to thank all the participants for their kind words and I truly appreciate all the wonderful reviews. Being a Melbourne Baby photographer, I really feel blessed to meet such amazing families and document so many milestones in their lives. We captured so many lovely shots that we even used one of these gorgeous little babies on the cover of Your Child in Monash magazine for the month of February. Follow the link
http://yourchildmagazines.com.au/monash/magazine

I so look forward to working with these families in the future and would like to thank Kidspot for the opportunity to meet these lovely families!!!

If you’d like to book a newborn photography session, have your baby photographed, document milestones in your child’s life or have a family portrait, please have a look at our website www.thelatentimagephotography.com.au or give us a call on 0424706071

Melbourne baby photographer

Leigh — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 07:27:46 +0000

Hi, welcome to my new website. I’m so excited to be sharing my weekly blogging with you. Every week I plan to post my most recent photographic sessions. I am a Melbourne Photographer. The Latent Image Photography, specialises in newborn, baby, child and family photography throughout the Melbourne area. Please watch our Melbourne baby photographer YouTube video. This video will give you a tour of our Melbourne based photographic studio. We are located in Wheelers Hill in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. We have a wide range of handmade props, hats, throws, little knitted pants and handmade newborn and baby headbands. I have a wide selection of handmade and vintage props, all of which are available to use during your photographic session.
The session is very laid back and relaxed, I do my very best to make the photographic session as calm and stress free as possible. I always allow extra time for children under 2 years of age. I like parents to feel that they are having a break and that the kids are having fun. This always gives the best results in your final images. Mums often get very emotional while viewing their beautiful family portraits on our large screen and we believe that the whole experience should be a very enjoyable one for all involved.
Although operating with state-of-the art equipment, I strongly believe that “the camera doesn’t make the Photographer”. You can give anyone a paper and pencil but only an artist will create a masterpiece! Why should it be any different when it comes to the art of photography? With my past experience in not only photography but illustration, I feel confident that all my images speak for themselves. The biggest compliment to me is when my customers return year after year from all over Melbourne!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dGd4mVnCCc

Hello world!

Leigh — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 03:52:03 +0000

Welcome to my new site.

I will be working on adding more and more content each week.