One of the biggest worries parents have before a newborn session actually has nothing to do with the newborn.

It's the older sibling. 😂

"What if they won't hold the baby?"
"What if they won't sit still?"
"What if they just don't want a bar of photos on the day?"

The good news is, I genuinely don't expect them to.

When you bring a new baby home, your older child's whole little world has changed too. Then we bring them into a photography studio, introduce them to someone they've potentially never met before and expect them to cuddle their new sibling while a giant camera points at them.

That's a lot to ask of a little person.

So when you book newborn photography with siblings at my Gold Coast studio, we work with your children exactly as they are on the day.

Sibling Photos Don't Have to Be Perfectly Posed

Some siblings are completely obsessed with their new baby and would happily cuddle them for the entire session.

Others give me approximately 14 seconds before they're done. 😂

Both are fine.

I don't need your child to sit perfectly and smile at the camera for five minutes. I need tiny little moments.

A kiss on baby's head. A cuddle with Mum. A little hand reaching over to investigate their new sibling. That ridiculously proud smile when they're trusted to hold the baby.

Sometimes the photographs where nobody is even looking at me end up being my favourites.

We can also photograph everyone together first, let your older child have a break, come back to them later or completely change what we're doing depending on how they're feeling.
The session works around your children, not the other way around.

They Don't Have to Hold the Baby Either

If your older child isn't comfortable holding their newborn sibling, we're not going to force it just because you saw a particular photo on Instagram.

There are plenty of ways to safely photograph siblings together.

They can sit beside baby, lie nearby, cuddle together with Mum or Dad, give baby a kiss or simply interact while I photograph what happens.

And when they are comfortable holding baby, we can capture both sides of it.

I want both.

Becoming a Sibling Is Part of Their Story Too

Your newborn session obviously celebrates the newest little person in your family, but your older child has just become someone new too.

A big sister. A big brother.

Their place in your family has changed overnight, and I think that deserves to be remembered.

Years from now, your newborn won't remember being curled up in their sibling's arms.

But they'll have these photographs showing them exactly how their relationship began.

And THAT is why sibling photographs will always be such an important part of newborn sessions for me. 🤍

Gold Coast Newborn Photography for the Whole Family

Newborn sessions at Hollow & Hearth Photography in Pimpama on the Gold Coast can include your whole family, including older siblings.

We can create the traditional posed newborn images, relaxed lifestyle-inspired family photographs, sibling cuddles and all those tiny newborn details in the same gallery.

So please don't worry that your toddler won't sit still, your child might be shy or they won't perform perfectly for the camera.

Bring them exactly as they are.

I'll work with the rest. 🤍

Looking for a Gold Coast newborn photographer? Explore my newborn sessions and get in touch to start planning your family's session.