Sitter session with 9-month-old Freddie

When booking their photoshoot with me, Pippa warned me that none of the family particularly enjoy having their photos taken, and that her husband, Rob, has a talent for being captured when he is (unintentionally) pulling a funny face.

Rob’s reputation for this has resulted in pictures of him being referred to as his ‘many faces’ by their friends. Pippa warned me that Freddie has inherited this talent too, and that I’d have my work cut out for me…

Nevertheless once the family had arrived and settled in the studio, we set about not to take photos, but to play lots of games instead. Then, when everyone was happy and relaxed, we continued playing games, while I just happened to capture some of those interactions on camera.

Pippa and Rob first heard about me from their friends, Beatriz and Tom, who they met at a (virtual) NCT class during the pandemic. I captured Beatriz and Tom’s maternity photos last year – you can see them here. The NCT group are still very much in touch, and happily have now been able to meet in-person quite a few times, too!

While Rob’s close family are mainly in the Oxford area, Pippa’s family are mainly based in Hull. Rob also has cousins spread as far apart as Germany and America, and they are looking forward to taking Freddie to see them in a few years’ time. All this dispersion means that Pippa and Rob were looking for some images they were particularly pleased with, so they could send them on to family near and far.

Freddie’s great grandmother has brought him that most traditional and prestigious gift: a stunning Stieff teddy bear with an emerald green ribbon around its neck. This gave us the perfect opportunity to capture a gentle image of Freddie interacting with his bear:

Freddie really enjoys physical activity, from his baby swimming classes right through to tickling and dancing with mum and dad. He adores peek-a-boo, especially when he’s hidden behind a scarf or fabric over his face.

This insider info about the things Freddie enjoys most meant I could tailor a series of mini-games that would help get his attention, generate some big smiles and hopefully amuse his mum and dad, too! So that now, this trio’s ‘many faces’ include a joyful, loving and good-looking family of three! 🙂

After our photoshoot, Pippa said:

“Our friend recommended Sarah after they had a really positive experience with their pregnancy photoshoot (one of the stunning photos won an award!). We wanted to capture our son during a sitter session, and get some respectable photographs as a family (we’re incredibly un-photogenic), so we booked. Sarah was quick and clear with her communication throughout. The pre-shoot chat was amazing as it gave us lots of hints and tips of how best to prepare for the shoot. On the day of the shoot itself, we were very nervous. Posing for photographs really is not our thing, but we really wanted to capture the precious moments with our son. I forgot half of our outfits so was very flummoxed but Sarah was super chilled and we just cracked on. She gave us really good direction, and was high energy which kept our little one going. She was also super patient when we needed to feed him/change clothes etc. We got the proofs the next day and we absolutely loved the photos. I had to ask Sarah how much they were photoshopped as we looked so good! I just wish we could do it all again.”

Pippa, sitter session client from Oxfordshire

If you’d like to book your child’s sitter session, 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).