Not too long ago I had the absolute joy of capturing the sweetest, teeniest newborn boy and his family at their gorgeous home in Bristol. This newborn family session at home was all documentary which allowed me the freedom to capture this beautiful family just as they are on a typical Sunday afternoon, making tea, eating cake, breastfeeding the new baby, playing board games and riding on Daddy’s back. No posing, no directing, just simple, normal, ordinary Sunday afternoon life with a newborn. And it was heartwarming. Filled with so much love, joy and beauty.

We meandered through the afternoon at a beautiful slow and relaxing pace, the two eldest children ran in and out of rooms and up and down the hallway with so much energy, but would occasionally stop to peek over mum and dad’s shoulder to get another look at their tiny newborn baby brother. Their love for him was in abundance already.

The little new addition to the family was settling in very well. He seemed very pleased with his new surroundings and was very content nestling into his parents, who in turn were in a state of total contentment and overflowing love. Even though they weren’t getting much sleep, they were europhic.

Mum is a total superwoman and in-between breastfeeding her newborn, she still made sure she had quality time with her eldest two children, and sat and played a board game with them whilst Dad had some one on one time with his new son.

We then went upstairs so Mum could breastfeed her babe from the comfort of her bed, but was shortly joined by big sister who came up for cuddles and kisses and then big brother. And before too long everyone was upstairs and poor Dad had become a human horse, carrying his eldest around on his back, which they found hilarious.

I love meeting new families, getting to know them and seeing a glimpse of their lives and their story. And what I love about documentary photography is that I cannot prepare for a shoot as I don’t know what is going to happen once I am there, it is filled with surprises. I have no idea what sort of images I will get from the shoot. I am simply spending time with this family and reacting to moments as they happen in front of me and capturing genuine expressions, feelings, emotions as the happen in real time. They are always full of surprises and it’s wonderful.

Here are some more images from the shoot!