First Birthday Photos with Rupert and his Family

“We don’t know if he’s going to make it, because he’s so little,” the doctors told new parents Emma and Paul.

Four-day-old Rupert had a malrotation, and underwent emergency surgery to correct it.

Happily, the surgery went well, but other complications meant that Rupert spent two weeks in NICU and had to return for several follow-up appointments, too.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through,” Emma told me as she showed me Rupert’s Beads of Courage.

For every challenge that Rupert went through, the hospital staff gave the family another bead to add to their string. This acknowledges the parents’ pain and heartache, and also gives them a way to share the child’s story with them as they grow older, by giving them something tangible to relate to.

July 2020 update: The below image was awarded a Highly Commended Rosette by the Master Photographers Association (MPA). Ray Lowe, Chairman of the MPA, commented, “It’s a lovely picture of Rupert. It’s fun, it’s enjoyable… what he’s holding is not distracting, it’s personal to him. It’s a good quality, high key image.”

Thankfully, Rupert is now in excellent health, and the family’s good friends, Matt and Holly, gifted them a family photoshoot with me to help celebrate him turning one.

Emma brought the Beads of Courage with her, and we captured them during his first birthday shoot with me to show just how far they’ve come.

Indeed, it’s been a very exciting few days, with Rupert taking his first independent steps just a few days ago – now he’s discovered how to get around he’s very much enjoying exploring!

Emma and Paul have loved every stage of his development so far, from his first smiles and giggles to sitting up and now walking around. They can’t wait for him to start talking, and that’s not far off judging from all the verbalising Rupert did during our shoot!

For Emma in particular, the joys of parenthood have been impossible to adequately express.

“I love him so much and so entirely that it’s a physical ache,” she said, “I’d do absolutely anything – anything at all – to keep him safe from harm.”

The love between them all is so visible as we spent a joyful couple of hours together capturing just how full of life and happiness Rupert is.

July 2020 update: The below image was awarded a Highly Commended Rosette by the Master Photographers Association (MPA). Ray Lowe, Chairman of the MPA, commented, “This is delightful! I love it… it’s clean, a very good high key with a lovely expression… Really gorgeous image that has worked an absolute treat. It just comes together.”

And Emma and Paul appreciate every day with him even more than most parents, knowing just how close they came to losing him.

After our shoot, Emma said:

“We were gifted a family photo shoot with Sarah from close friends, we decided to use it to celebrate our sons first birthday. From the very first contact Sarah was a real pleasure to deal with, so thoughtful, professional and kind. She gave us lots of advice as to how to get the most out of the photoshoot as well as offering comforting words to myself (feeling not so body confident after having a baby!). When we arrived she was so welcoming and really made us feel at ease and spoilt with refreshments. She was great with my son and extremely patient not pressuring us into getting the shoot done in a set time, she just worked with what my son was happy to do. We received our proofs the following week and were blown away with how fantastic they were, in fact I can’t stop looking at them! We cannot recommend Sarah enough, she’s a real talent!”

Emma, Family Photography client from Cambridge

If you’d like to book your family’s photoshoot, or if you have any questions about family photography with me, please get in contact:

Sarah Plater LMPA is an award-winning, qualified, professional family portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire. She is the Master Photographers Association Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).