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So you’ve investigated 1:1 newborn training and have decided l may well be your choice. But what will it really be like? l think its important you like my work for a start, regardless of anything else. You will see how l create my images, so that needs to excite you.
Also, I don’t know about you, but l learn better when l’m enjoying myself, so you’ll find your time with me to be relaxed and fun. I’m a bit of a joker, jovial all the time, and l want everything l do to be fun and relaxed. Who wants to pay for a course that bores them?
I don’t want to put you under unnecessary pressure though, so you’ll only be shown what you need to learn. If you’re a complete beginner I will make sure to tailor your course to ensure we concentrate on the basics, because bombarding everyone with the same stuff isn’t helpful for anyone. l’d hate you to be put off, but at the same time, l also don’t want you to not learn enough for your level of experience. lt’s all carefully worked out so you get the best experience.
So l thought l’d give a little insight into what a day, or two, with me is like. l think that its important that you have an idea what to expect, and l don’t just mean about what you can hope to learn. lt’s an ace experience, and a full on one. Two days with me!
Oh, l talk. A lot. l’ll answer all your questions so do write a list because you will forget stuff otherwise. l know you’ll have access to ongoing support but its best to ask on the day. Basically you and l will just chat about all aspects of newborn photography in a lovely relaxed atmosphere. lt’s as simple as that really. As with all my newborn sessions, baby runs the show. While we take our time settling baby we could end up chatting to mum about the birth, her last glass of wine she remember longingly, our fave tv shows…anything at all.
lf you choose the two day course then apparently, so people tell me, this is where the nerves kick in, but don’t worry, its still a relaxed day and you wont have to do anything you’re not comfortable with. l’ll be right there too, and while l can guarantee you the chance to have a full second day of hands on with the newborn model, this will ONLY happen if l consider it safe to do so.
Remember that regardless of anything else, including my responsibility to you, the baby’s safety is my uppermost priority, and the parents are trusting me completely. lf l don’t consider your handling to be safe enough because you’re shaking like a leaf for example, l will take over for a bit, or maybe change what you’re able to do so that you’re still able to have the experience you need. Not only that but if you’re too nervous and don’t want to handle baby yet, thats fine too and completely normal. Theres no rush.
The idea is that you actually get to do what l showed you on day one, from choosing the props, designing your set ups, meeting the parents, to settling, soothing, wrapping and posing. Some people have been doing newborn sessions already and all of this is within their comfort zone, and some are total beginners and haven’t handled a baby yet. In that case we keep things very simple, concentrating on building confidence and on showing you how to get a good gallery of images while keeping the session simple.
So what is teaching like for me? Well l always enjoy talking about what l do because l love it and love the prattle on about every part of it. l’m passionate about baby safety, so you’ll hear me mention that a lot. Thats who it should be. lt is a big responsibility too. l’m teaching someone to go off and handle other peoples precious new babies, so l’m aware l need to make sure l teach well enough.
l do get a huge kick from the lightbulb moments when someone finally understand something, or from seeing them find the right angle at last. lts also lovely to see peoples work improve long after the course. Also, l get bored of my props, but new people who get to delve in and choose what to use for their own day is great to see. Sometimes people put items together l’d never thought of and l get new ideas. Seeing them so excited by stuff l’m bored of makes it all seem fresh again.
So in a nutshell, we will both enjoy our time together, me teaching and you learning. Not just that, we get to squish new babies….and loving doing that is why we want to do this, right? Mostly for me though, its knowing there are people out there being newborn photographers who will be armed with knowledge l consider important, not just for them to be successful, but to keep all their clients babies that little bit safer.
l’ve had some great reviews of my training, and it means so much to me that people feel this way about what l do.
“I booked the 2 day newborn photography training with Maddy after finding the details via the BANPAS site. I found Maddy really easy to work with, and her explanations and instructions are excellent. She concentrates very much on the comfort and safety of the baby, and explains how to soothe and wrap the babies expertly before demonstrating the best poses and angles to shoot from. For me the highlight of the two days was being able to run the photo shoot myself on the 2nd day, selecting the props, wraps and accessories, soothing and preparing the gorgeous 6 day old baby boy before posing him and then taking photos. To have Maddy there for me to ask questions of, to provide pointers and advice and generally guide me through the photoshoot was amazing & I can’t begin to say how much I enjoyed myself and how much my confidence grew as the session progressed. I learnt how to take great photos and how keep baby calm, comfortable and safe. Maddy also guided me through selecting and editing the best pictures. I came away with some lovely photos which have given me a starting point for my own Facebook page & website. All in all booking the two days has been the best decision I’ve taken in moving towards my dream of earning a living from my photography. I’m really excited about my next baby photo shoot & I can’t wait to put my new knowledge into practice. Seeing how naturally Maddy soothes & poses the babies, and how beautifully she presents and edits her photos is now the standard I aspire to and will work towards. Thank you so, so much.”
Sarah Weaver
“I attended the two day 1:1 training course with Maddy and it was so worthwhile, I have come away feeling very prepared and ready to embark on my own career as a newborn photographer. I am very new to newborn photography and was consequently very nervous before I arrived but Maddy was very friendly and welcoming and immediately put me at ease. We had a chat before the baby arrived and Maddy showed me how she prepares for a session and what things she considers. Once the baby arrived I sat with Maddy and watched how she interacted with the baby and the parent, how she posed the baby, settled the baby and used natural light and props to achieve great photographs. I took photos throughout the session and Maddy gave me feedback on my angles and composition. I could see my photos improving with Maddy’s advice as the session went on.
Once the session was finished Maddy showed me how she goes about organising and editing her images. She also showed me her process for when parents come back to view the finished photos.
On the second day it was my turn and again I was incredibly nervous, however Maddy was right by my side the whole time and gave me guidance where I needed it. This second day was invaluable to me because I put into practice everything Maddy had shown me the day before. If I hadn’t had this opportunity to try it myself with Maddy there I know I wouldn’t have retained half as much information as I did, or come away with half as much confidence.
Maddy is very knowledgeable and experienced and is a great teacher. I highly recommend doing the two day course. I approached my first ‘solo’ newborn shoot with so much more confidence with the knowledge and skills i have picked up from my time with Maddy. Thanks so much”
Charlie
“I recently went to a fantastic 1:1 two day training session to Maddy amazing studio. Have to say the amount I learned while with her is phenomenal. I came home with so many soothing, styling and practical tips.
Maddy never held back on anything and showed me exactly how she would do things. The 1st day we thoroughly went through posing tips and soothing techniques.
The second day I took over the entire session. This was only possible because of the amazing support and training I had received the day before.
Although I’ve had the support from Maddy through out the past year since I started my newborn photography, I have to say this 2 day training was by far the best move I’ve made. It brought me that step forward and now I’m closer to where I want to be with my work. Not only did I gain techniques I gained confidence and my shots are the proof.
Highly recommended.
Thanks again Maddy.”
Simone. Northern Ireland
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