Studio Sessions – Mugshots
“When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. When you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their soul!” – Ted Grant
I love black and white photography. Photographers like Ansel Adams and Tim Booth are huge inspirations for me. Black and white is emotive, stripped back, and stands the test of time as a true classic.
Fine, But What The Heck Are Mugshots?
Well, the official definition is:
Clearly, I am not taking pictures of babies for police records!! Can you imagine? When babies go bad!! When shooting newborns and first-year milestone sessions at Grow with Me sessions I have always converted some of the images into black and white. Then I was watching two of my favourite American newborn photography trainers on a course. They were talking about images they take of babies at the end of a session. They are taken on a white background of awake babies from just above the nipple with lots of negative space. I was in love! They nicknamed their ‘process’ baby mugshots (they called them something far more beautiful and professional to their clients).
I knew I had to put my own spin on them and start offering them to clients at each newborn session. But I also thought they would be cool at Grow with Me sessions to show how their little features change and develop over their first year. But I couldn’t think of a good professional name for them. So Mugshots they stayed!
BabyMugshots
At the end of the session, babies are stripped of wraps, outfits, and accessories down to their nappys.
This was master Brooks and I just love the face he is pulling at me. If this were my child this would be framed huge in my house. Heck, I might still do that anyway!!

Master Zachary was giving me some real expressions during his session. I think he is doing a great Kenneth Williams impression here!
Not So Newborn
When Miss Corran came in to see me at 6 months I had to capture her like this as well. After all this is the only time double chins like this are seen as cute!
The training course I was watching advised keeping the hands at the baby’s sides so it was just their little heads and shoulders but I like the hands as well and just let the littles express themselves.
At Grow with Me Sessions
4 Months
Never mind hands, Miss Emilia wanted her feet in the shot as well! When you look this stinking cute then why not! I’m all for it. This one gave me all the heart eyes.
8 months
Now their little personalities are developing. Master Findlay was reacting to his daddy’s singing/rapping here!
Miss Holly who also featured in my last blog about first birthdays, (because that’s how behind on my blogging I am), rocked her third Grow with me Session mugshots. I just adore the way she is playing with her hair in this image.
Mugshots don’t just have to be about the smiles and the silly faces. I capture all the emotions for parents. Including when Miss Cora decided she’d had enough. Am I mean for loving this one? It’s another I want to print.
Not Just For Baby’s
I also offer Mugshots for Pets.
How cute is my boy Ernie here? Don’t say I’m biased, this image made it to the top 10% in the world Shoot & Share photography competition!
So there you have it, and not one of these has appeared on police records so far (although the jury is still out on the last one)!