Little Ryder was wide awake when I arrived, peering up at me with super alert eyes. After spending a good many minutes cooing over his tiny newborn toes and delicate newborn hands, his mother fed him and he was soon fast asleep. What a champion sleeper!

Ryder’s grandmother in Australia made him a gorgeous crochet blanket, so we used in one of the baskets. Having such a personal element included is a beautiful way to add even more sentimental value to newborn photographs.

At almost a month old, Ryder was a little older than is usually advised for newborn photography. The reason photographers capture newborns at 6-10 days old is that they still fall into very deep sleeps after being fed, and they typically still love being swaddled up tightly. Photographing Ryder at one month still worked very well with my style of newborn photography. I love the natural look, with flowing fabric and babies in the positions they naturally gravitate to. It takes quite a bit to make those positions optimal for photographing, of course, which is where the work — and patience — really kicks in. Babies love to have their hands in front of their faces!

I had a great time visiting with this little family of three. I can’t wait to see how this little boy grows up!