Costs, timing, what to wear, how long a newborn session really takes and what happens when the baby will not settle — answered plainly by a Mona Vale studio that photographs Northern Beaches families every week.
Straight numbers, no hidden extras. Prices are quoted excluding GST and are subject to change without prior notice.
Our sessions start from $590 + GST, which covers the planning call, the session itself and hand-retouched digital images. Most families on the Northern Beaches invest between $800 and $1,200 once they add extra digitals or a wall piece. Founding Families PLUS is currently $389 + GST with 8 digitals, strictly limited.
Family, maternity, newborn and milestone sessions all share the same three tiers, starting at $590 + GST and rising with the number of retouched digitals included. There is no separate travel fee anywhere on the Northern Beaches.
No. Digitals are included in every package and nothing else is compulsory. Fine art prints, handmade floating frames, albums and canvases are optional, priced clearly, and shown to you at your reveal so you can decide with the images in front of you.
A booking fee secures your date and comes off your total. Newborn dates are held around your due date rather than a fixed day, so there is flexibility built in — babies rarely read the calendar.
Timing is the single question we are asked most, and the answer is different for every stage.
Book during your second trimester if you can, or as soon as you think of it. We hold a window around your due date rather than a fixed date, then confirm the exact day once your baby arrives.
The first 14 days give the best results — babies are sleepier, curlier and easier to settle into the classic posed frames. Beyond that we shift the approach rather than turn you away; our older newborn sessions are designed for 2 to 12 weeks.
Not at all. From about three weeks, babies are more awake and less bendy, so we lean into awake-eyed portraits, parent-held frames and wraps instead of deep curled poses. The images are different, not lesser.
Between 28 and 34 weeks. You are visibly, beautifully pregnant but still comfortable enough to move, stand and enjoy the session. If you are expecting twins, come earlier — around 26 to 28 weeks.
Between 11 and 12 months, before the birthday itself, so the images are ready to display on the day. Babies who can sit unaided photograph best.
The last ninety minutes before sunset, or the first hour after sunrise for east-facing spots like Shelly Beach. Midday sun on Northern Beaches sand is harsh and makes everybody squint.
The session is baby-led and guided from start to finish. You will not be left guessing.
Generally 120 to 180 minutes. That sounds long, and it is deliberate — it leaves room for feeding, settling and nappy changes without anybody watching a clock.
We adapt. If your baby is unsettled we start with simple wraps or family frames, let them feed, and move into the prepared setups once they are calm. Nothing is forced and nothing is rushed.
Soft neutrals — cream, oatmeal, sand, warm greys, muted olive. Avoid logos, bright block colour and busy patterns. We send a styling guide when you book, and the studio wardrobe of maternity gowns, wraps and textiles is yours to use at no extra cost.
Constantly. Young children are not expected to pose. We build the session around movement and play and catch the real expressions in between — the candid frames are usually the ones parents choose for their walls.
Yes, and they should. We photograph siblings and extended family at the start of the session while everyone is fresh, then let them head off while we continue with the baby.
Every composite pose is done with a spotter's hands on the baby and the images combined afterwards. Baby's airway, circulation and temperature come before any photograph, always. The studio is kept at 26–28°C and everything the baby touches is freshly laundered.
The studio is at Studio 11/89 Darley Street, Mona Vale — ground level, with parking outside.
Mona Vale, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. It is a ground-level showroom with on-site parking directly outside, so a pram or capsule rolls straight in with no stairs and no lift.
Yes. The fully-kitted mobile van covers the Northern Beaches at no travel cost — Manly, Freshwater, Dee Why, Curl Curl, Narrabeen, Newport, Avalon, Balgowlah and everywhere between. Same gear, same photographer, your lounge room.
The whole space is yours for the length of your session. There is a couch, a kettle and a private corner to feed and settle, and nobody else is booked over the top of you.
We move it to the Mona Vale studio or reschedule at no charge. Northern Beaches weather changes fast and we would rather move than shoot in a southerly.
What happens between the shoot and the images on your wall.
Within a week of your session we meet by video to choose your favourites together. Those images are then hand-retouched personally by Aline.
Your package determines the number of hand-retouched digitals included, from 6 upwards. You will always see far more than that at the reveal and can add extras or a five-image bundle if you fall in love with more.
Your private online gallery stays open for 30 days from delivery.
Yes. Our floating frames are manufactured in-house by hand in chocolate stain, black, white and limewash finishes, and we help install them in your home.
— Enquire
Regular Packages Start from $590 + GST. Aline replies personally.