Pre-Birthday Photoshoot in Kannur, Kerala

Dr Ance had booked a pre-birthday shoot for her little one turning the big One! They have a lovely home in Kannur and their outdoors was too pretty that I had to have some clicks there! With that in mind, I went on to meet my little birthday baby for the day and oh, wasn't she the cutest! Such a bubbly little baby with the prettiest smiles and giggles, pulling at my heartstrings. She was absolutely excited with the different birthday set ups but her favourite was the bubble bath. Her infectious giggles and joyous babbling was too cute to handle. I can't help but mention a series of photos we took where she wears a beautiful, colourful bonnet. We also had a cake smash planned for her and she had her birthday cake and ate it too. Can't but mention the beautiful birthday decor that was set up in their yard. At the end of the day, we got some beautiful images with an extremely cute birthday girl. Do check out more pictures from the day on my Instagram handle.

Belly to Baby Session at Thiruvananthapuram

I got to photograph this gorgeous mamma in all her pregnancy glow and then afterwards when her mini followed soon after. For her maternity shoot we did an outdoor session and had a lot of earthy hues that were very complementing.  She looked lovely in her pink gown and rocked the shoot. We did a session at their home too. Being pet parents to the most loveable beagle named Peaches, we got  some beautiful shots with Nancy and Peaches and then as a whole family together.

After the mini was born we did a newborn shoot too. She was asleep for almost the entire session and every time she would just start crying a slight pat down would put her right back to sleep. All the while Peaches was scouting the entire area curious to know what her baby sister was doing with all these stuff around her and who these strange people are. She was especially quite taken with my equipment and kept investigating. Her dad had to come pull her away to more boring avenues. After her parents bribing  her with some doggy treats, we managed to get her to pose with her sister and got a few lovely sibling shots. We wound up with a few adorable family photos in their beautiful back garden.

Below are some beautiful images from the shoot.

Gift a shoot

Science says that nostalgia is largely positive. Its like a memory with a bittersweet filter. Don't you feel an intense happiness seeing them grow, and also a little sad watching them grow up so fast? Haven't you ever wished that you never forget even a moment of your journey with them? Most of us do. Those are our most precious moments which we would never wish to part with. The other day, someone showed me a picture of his father that I had clicked about 5 years ago. He asked me if I remembered that particular photo. In any given year, I click dozens of people; I wish I could, but I do not remember every single picture I have clicked. He told me that was his favourite picture of his father. This is one of many such stories...and I am so happy that I could give him that photo.

I know the importance of photographs. It is more than just a pretty looking light painting of yourself or your close ones. Its your hearts deepest desire. To never lose those incredible moments. And I want you to have the power of gifting something so precious to those you love from the bottom of your heart.

So we bring to you, "Gift a Shoot".

Gift your loved ones the most intimate gift of eternal memories... You can choose from a variety of choices like a maternity shoot, newborn shoot, lifestyle shoot or a family photoshoot!

My life changing tryst with birth!

My first birth experience is surprisingly not my own. I will tell you the story; it was an eye opener for me and would shape so many of my ideas in the future. Those experiences keep teaching me and continuously help me to discover different layers to myself and humanity.

I was a final year post graduate student then. One day, I got a call from a group of friends who had gone to Attappadi, a tribal settlement, as part of a social research project. There was a heavily pregnant woman there, who was paralysed on one side and whose water had just broke. There was no one by her side. She was just lying there, wrapped in a cocoon of loneliness, probably unaware of what just happened.  They'd called an ambulance but there was no one to accompany her. It was a complicated case and they decided to take her to the Calicut Medical College Hospital. I went as the female bystander and waited for them to arrive. Instinctively, even I knew that no one should have to feel alone, especially a woman about to give birth. She was taken into the ICU upon arrival and that's when I got to know the rest of her story. She was a cardiac patient and had also suffered multiple abortions after her first child. Not only this, but she was also just seven months pregnant when her water broke. My friend and I, we waited in that hospital ward, crowded with women of all ages. Some were sleeping on the ground; some were pacing up and down the corridor and there was a guard at the entrance. Sometime in the night, they came and told us that the mother and baby were a risk to one another. The rest of the night we prayed to the heavens, and as though heaven itself was crying for her, it rained torrentially.

At about 3 a.m. they informed us that the child had been born. They were able to save both mother and baby! We were beyond relieved that mother and baby were okay. Hospital rules did not let anybody accompany the patient in the ICU. But as it was a complicated case, we got special permission, and my friend and I were allowed to take care of her. We managed to collect diapers and new clothes for mother and baby. My friend and I took turns to care for her, help her to the washroom, give her food, change the baby’s clothes, etc. She didn’t have enough milk for her baby, and we had to take the baby to the neonatal care unit. My friend (male) and I were on our way to the NICU. And as we were waiting for the lift, we overheard the guard and a couple of people commenting at how young we were and how the kids of today are so irresponsible. For a moment, I was mortified, but then it struck me how quick the society was to judge. Did they even try to understand the situation? This taught me an important characteristic of society, and also how futile it is to retort.

For reasons you and I can only guess, suddenly our special permission was revoked. She was discharged in a week. On her last day at the hospital, we were allowed to see her. As we went near her, she turned her helpless and tired eyes toward us, and asked us in a pleading voice if she could have some rice with a little fish curry. All we could do for her at that moment was feed her the food she was craving for. The poor thing was so grateful. Her tired, yet big smile meant so much to us. She had just given birth! She deserved so much! No woman has to feel the way she was made to feel.

A couple of years later I went with a friend to visit her. She and the baby were doing great and miraculously she had started to walk also!

I don’t mean to tell you this story just as an anecdote. This made me question a lot about society, myself, women in general and about birth. It is every woman’s right; our mental, physical, and psychological freedom. No one can ever take it away from us. Not the self-proclaimed know-it-all relatives, insensitive doctors, or the unsupportive spouses. You decide. Only you.

I also want you to understand your rights as a woman and a mother. Know that it is your right to be included in any decision concerning you and your child, to know what treatments you will receive and what procedures will be done on your body, to be protected from unnecessary medical interventions and to ask for a second opinion if you choose to.

It is sad that the vast majority of new parents have very negative and distressing memories associated with pregnancy and birth. Pregnancy is supposed to be a beautiful journey, feminine power at its peak and you at your most divine. You are doing something absolutely divine and blessed. Never forget to always be kind and forgiving to yourself.

Newborn Photoshoot of Samaira baby in Calicut

2020 has not turned out in any good way so far. I was sceptical as to whether people would want to do a lot of photoshoots, especially with their newborns. People who know me, know exactly how particular I am about keeping props and clothes clean before and after every shoot. But the trust people put in me, really warms me from the inside. So thank you, my lovelies! I am both honoured and obliged to keep that trust.

Just a couple of days before Onam, I had a shoot scheduled with the lovely doctor couple, Drs Parvathy and Sandeep, and their brand new arrival, Samaira baby. As I reached their home, I was stunned by the landscaping around the house. All credit goes to Parvathy's parents. Everywhere I looked I could see so many exotic trees, bushes and flowers. Pops of bright colours among the lush greenery... The wheels in my head started turning...

I've always been an advocate for letting children bond with nature. And so when I saw their house I really wanted to use those natural backdrops and a theme that revolved around nature. And I was super excited when they told me they wanted to do the photoshoot outside!

So I wrapped up Aira baby in angelic white and placed her in a little wooden bowl beside a bush. You can see a few photos below, and see how the theme was 'baby in nature'.

The photos came out great and I really hope parents start getting more creative like this lovely couple! We took a few photos with the three of them too. All in all it was a fun shoot for me and I believe the entire family enjoyed it too!

Best age for baby photoshoot in Kerala

No parent wants to miss the moments that they can cherish in their newborn’s life, you know. So, a lot of parents ask me this question: which is the best age to capture their baby’s photos? Actually, the answer is all ages. With the right attitude, patience and props, you can turn any moment in your baby’s life into an amazing photo-narrative. That having said, there are some milestones in the path that you don’t want to miss. Years later, when you look back, these will be the moments that show the mesmerising feel of parenthood and lovely growth of your tiny one.

One Month

The ideal time for a Newborn session is the first 15 days after their homecoming. Babies have the most flexible body at this phase and can be curled up into best poses just like they were in the womb with least effort. Soon after they learn stretching, this can be difficult. The sooner, the better. If you are planning to organize the shoot after 15 days, we can make that work too by moving them into few cute sleeping poses.

Two Months

By this time, your tiny would start showing all the signs of curiosity. They will be staring at the things around them, including the photographer. This allows us to capture photographs that showcase the innocent curiosity in your baby’s eyes. Although most baby’s start moving and become somewhat restless, you can still make some fetal-position photoshoots by pouring in some extra effort.

Three Months

At this time, your baby would have started moving and recognising things around you. There will be that flare of curiosity but with wider eyes. Because your baby would be sleeping less, we can pull of photoshoots of them lying on their back. Alternatively, you can get some cute perspectives by making them lie on their tummy as well. Of course, you won’t want to miss the sleeping shots at this time.

Four Months

This is the time when your baby will be learning to flip. For a curious soul of this size, the cute movements are so mesmerising, and you don’t want to miss these instances. One of the ideas here is to capture your kids while they are trying to flip and once they have flipped and lying on the tummy.

Five and Six Months

You would be noticing better response and dynamics from your baby by now. This means you can try a variety of poses, including some of the poses we have tried before. However, one of the new things that you do is a shoot of them eating their toes and lying on their tummies. You can also capture their attempts to sit and explore new positions. We’d say you should not miss this time because the toe-eating shoots are just awesome.

Seven to Eight Months

This could be the best time to capture your baby in the portrait mode as they are trying to sit and stand up. These moments also make amazing videos and short-videos.

Nine to Eleven Months

By this time, you can explore the various ways to capture their emotions. You should also note that kids would be soon becoming independent. Some of them will be sitting and others may be standing with some kind of support, like furniture or walls. Of course, you don’t want to miss these moments. You can also go for videos of them exploring the new world, such as food and objects. Because babies become more or more active, you can convert all of them into mesmerising photo-memories.

One Year

By the time your baby turns one, they would have started moving around the house. Some of the cuties will also be standing on their own. But, more importantly, you get to witness a wide variety of expressions and styles from the baby. So, if you want photo memories that add some unique feel to the eyes, you shouldn’t miss this time. the best part is that you can make use of several props and other backgrounds to get the best shots. We can also go a bit more creative.

Understanding these milestones and capturing them would surely give you more than a bunch of photos.

Plan your Newborn Photoshoot with us !

Have you ever wondered why we call our little ones, especially the ones that just been born ‘little bundle of happiness’? Because that’s what they are, and gladness is what they offer to our lives. Just by being themselves, they spread happiness around. Just by being themselves, they melt our hearts away. A smiling, happy baby is most probably the cutest tiny thing in the entire world. Who on earth doesn’t admire those little feet and tiny fingers? Witnessing their happy giggles, cute fleeting smiles while asleep, and their stages of growth are bliss. Ever thought about capturing those priceless moments?

Don’t worry, you are at the right place.

As a promising maternity, newborn baby photographer in who has captured numerous tiny darlings, I would like to convey some thoughts regarding baby photoshoot in Kerala. Many parents have asked me which is the finest time to do a shoot and whether it is safe to do a photoshoot of their newborn baby on their first days. This is one of the things that parents are most concerned about when it comes to a baby photoshoot. Not only as a maternity, newborn baby photographer but also as a mother of a three-year-old, I do understand the worries and qualms you may go through while you take this decision. I want to assure you that your baby sweetheart will be in safe hands. Giving top priority for upholding good safety, hygiene and eminence makes me one of the best in the field. So, no worries! Sure, this process of capturing reminiscences is going to be a pleasurable, fun experience. Here are some explanations that will give you a general idea of how newborn shoots are done.

What to expect while booking a baby photography session?

Capturing your adorable babies involves different styles and approaches. Depending on your likes, you can decide on how to carry on the shoot. One is using various props, headbands, cuddly toys, and baby blankets. And the other is wholly based on your natural lifestyle, a shoot done in harmony with the natural atmosphere of your house with parents’ beings with them. Or, it also can be a mixture of both. Photographing parents holding their tiny newborns in different positions is also an excellent addition to the whole process. Those gorgeous faces, loveable expressions are to one to be cherished for many years to come. Keeping this in your mind, you should have one of the best photoshoots out there— something that gives you and baby some memories that you can cherish for your life.

Best time to plan Newborn baby photoshoot

Your baby starts growing from the moment they are born, and I don’t want you to miss out on any moment that’s worth capturing. Newborn photoshoots take place best when a baby is 5 to 10 days old when they are in their ‘mouldable’ stage. The first two weeks are the best, as babies are likely to sleep more and go to the womb positions — which is, trust me, the best. Also, babies have a more flexible body, and we can capture the best poses with minimal effort. That having said, we don’t want to force any of these positions on the baby, but it’s always better to do the photoshoot before they do start stretching. We also take time to understand the rhythm and smartness of babies, and this helps us in creating a better environment for all of us. After these two weeks, most newborns start stretching, and you may not find many cute positions. So, it is ideal that you start thinking about the shoot in a few days and complete the same within a month.

Location of shoot

Shooting location can be fixed according to your demand. It is possible to do the session in my own studio, and it is a better option when it comes to lighting or availability of props. Or else, if you wish, we can conduct the session at the comfort of your own home itself.

Time for entire shoot 

Photographing an infant is a job that necessitates utmost patience, gentleness and thus it does take some while. The whole process might exceed from 2 to 4 hours, depending on how much you want to be captured. Most of the time, the shoot is done, placing them on the curved surfaces where your baby can comfortably relax. It is possible with infants who are both awake and calmly sleeping.

Safety during Newborn Photoshoot 

Extreme care and necessary safety precautions are generally taken to set up a safe and comfortable environment for the baby shoot. Practicing good hygiene is essential to keep your little one happy, hale, and hearty. Your newborn is so delicate, so is their skin. We use natural, soft cotton fabrics as props for improved aeration and prefer to dress your baby in minimal clothing to avoid overheating. And I always make sure to have an assistant or helper in my arm’s reach, who is well trained to handle the babies with the utmost care and so it’s completely fine to leave your baby with us.

Preparations from Parent side for baby shoot

A fully breastfed baby is a happy baby. It is better if we can have a shoot immediately after they are done with bathing, cleaning, and having their food. And it’s essential to burp the baby after each feeding and keep your baby, and their room feel comfortably warm as they can’t regulate their body temperature like adults. We can expect newborns to poop frequently, sometimes after every feed. It might be a good idea if you can bring some extra clothes or diapers. Babies get easily distracted when there is a great sum of people around while the shoot takes place, and thus we don’t appreciate that. Massaging them is a pleasurable experience for a baby, which helps the baby to feel loved and nurtured.

Lastly

Don’t stress. This is going to be an enjoyable experience for your family as well as your baby. Believe me; the outcome will be excellent. You can completely trust us when it comes to the amount of safety, hygiene, and care we give it to each newborn. We would also want the parents to be in their ideal mood so that everything goes as per the plan and that we all get a photoshoot of the lifetime. We can never thank anyone enough for coming into our lives. But, gifting them a lifetime of memories through can be the right first step. There is nothing as cute as seeing your baby in an artful photograph, all curled up just like they just like they were in their mother’s womb. And, we make sure that you get some of the best photographs that you would love to keep for an entire lifetime to come.

These remain priceless forever!

Award-Winning Professional Newborn, Child Photographer from Kerala

Happiness is winning the Gold Award in the competition steered by ‘NCPAI- Newborn & Child Photographers Association of India’.

This is Midhu Sreenivas, maternity - a newborn baby photographer, who has captured numerous tiny darlings and I’m just glad that I could take part in this contest conducted by NCPAI. It is a great privilege that amongst 300 participants from various parts of India, I was worthy enough to have secured the first place.

NCPAI is the only national association for newborn and child photographers in India that inspires and influences photographers of the same field to evolve together as an industry. Since it is a quite new field in our country and has the potential to grow exponentially, NCPAI upholds the newborn and child photography as a progressing genre of photography. And winning this award is indeed a greater pleasure for me as the association is a joint effort of people who excel in this field, such as Mommy shots by Amrita Samant, Mommygrapher Shweta Mukherjee, Edita Paluri, Anega Bawa, Anamika Singh, Tiny Love Photography by Neha Malhotra etc. These are some amazing personalities who I look up to and adore the most too.

The theme of the competition was ‘Connection’ and the photo I have sent for the program was my one of my favorites too. A photo that was loved by friends and followers like, it was an easy choice when the theme popped up. Most of us take a trip through the memory line when we are reminded of the wonderful connection between grandparents and children. This relation works as an even deeper connection. The photo was an attempt to portray this connection in the best way possible, and I’m delighted that all of us loved the same.

Through my photo I have tried to show that magical connection and closeness between grandparents and kids and also the journey of mankind to childish nature as they grow old. I also want my audience to understand how this connection can deeply impact both in a hopeful way. Once again, I’m happy that everyone liked and accepted the photo wholeheartedly.

Adam's Baptism

As a newborn/baby photographer, It made me happy to be a part of Aadam’s life. I have captured Aadam from his mom’s womb. :) A few weeks ago I photographed his well organised baptism at St'Antonys Church, Naduvattom, Kerala. Its a privilege to be able to capture their Maternity, Newborn, Birthday and baptism photography sessions. Check out few of my favourite clicks from his baptism photography below.

Book your Maternity | Newborn | Kids Events Photography Session : 9567055707 \ www.midhusreenivas.com