Golden Fields and a Brand New Baby: An Outdoor Sunset Newborn Session in Surrey
I have photographed hundreds of newborn sessions. In studios and in-homes. And yet there is something about an outdoor newborn session in the middle of a Surrey summer that stops me every single time.
Last week I spent an evening with a family of four — a four-year-old big brother with the kind of energy that fills an entire field, a mum three weeks postpartum who was somehow already glowing ( no idea how she looked so stunning after birth !) , a dad trying his very best to keep everyone together, and a three-week-old newborn sleeping through all of it like the world hadn't quite registered yet.
We were in a field of wildflowers and tall golden grass, the sun dropping low behind us, and honestly — I didn't want to leave. If you've been wondering whether an outdoor newborn session is right for your family, I hope this post answers every question you have. Is it safe to take a newborn outside for a photoshoot? This is the question I'm asked most often, and it's a completely valid one. The short answer is yes — absolutely — when the conditions are right and the session is planned carefully.
For outdoor newborn sessions, I always time the shoot for the early evening in the summer months, when the temperature is warm but the direct sun has softened. We avoid midday heat entirely. I keep newborns wrapped, held, and in arms for the vast majority of the session — they are never placed on the ground unattended or in direct sunlight. And if at any point the conditions feel anything less than perfect, we adapt. Three weeks is a wonderful age for an outdoor session. Old enough to be slightly more robust than the first week, still small enough to sleep through almost everything, and — as I witnessed last week — still at that magical stage where they curl into whoever is holding them without any protest at all.
What does a golden hour newborn session actually look like?
We met just around 18:30 (depending of the month of the year - check the details on my outdoor sunset page), when the field was bathed in the most extraordinary warm light. The kind that photographers spend their careers chasing and that no studio strobe in the world can replicate.
We started gently — mum holding the newborn while big brother ran through the tall grass ahead of us, doing what four-year-olds do best: absolutely everything on his own terms. Which, as it turned out, made for some of the most joyful photographs of the evening. There is something about a child that age in an open field that is completely unselfconscious. He wasn't posing. He was just living — and that is exactly what I needed from him. Then came the portraits of mum. Three weeks postpartum. In a field of wildflowers. In the golden hour.
A simple yet gorgeous outfit for the location
Mum had chosen the perfect outfit for the location - black wellington Hunter boots with a little cream short and top. Light and airy because we were absolutely cooking during the heatwave, but also practical and stylish on the shoes. A timeless look. She didn’t have to worry about getting rocks or dust in her sandals for instance.
Big brother had a gorgeous ensemble too with a light kaki shirt, a beige short and some kaki sandals. Dad had a dark green t-shirt and some beige shorts.
The again is always to not match but to compliment each other colours. Usually Mum would the centerpiece in terms of choosing an outfit, and then you built everyone’s outfit around her.
I always send a full styling guide before our session, and I'm very happy to look at outfit options if you want a second opinion.
Finding these pockets of light in the field - perfect to shoot
We moved through the field slowly, following the light. Wide shots of the whole family in the tall grass. Close details of tiny fingers wrapped around a thumb. Stopping whenever baby needed a feed of course. The big brother lying down next to the baby for the first time, nose to nose, suddenly very quiet.
Does having a toddler make an outdoor session harder?
Honestly? No. Having a toddler makes it better. I've never met a four-year-old who wasn't the star of their outdoor session. They run and spin and fall over and get back up. They find bugs in the grass and show them to their baby sibling. They do things nobody planned and nobody could have staged. And those unplanned moments — the real ones — are always the photographs the parents reach for first when the gallery arrives. The key is not trying to control them. Children this age don't pose — and that's not a problem to solve. It's the whole point.
The only challenging age to photograph would be between 2 to 3 years old, when they go through this emotional phase and refuse absolutely everything you would ask them !
Can you do outdoor sessions in Surrey year round?
I offer outdoor sunset sessions from May through to September, when the light and temperature make it genuinely comfortable for a newborn to be outside.
October through April in Surrey can be beautiful, but the golden hour comes too early and the temperatures can be unpredictable for a baby that young. If you're due in the winter months, I'd suggest booking an in-home lifestyle session or a studio newborn session — both of which I offer from my base in Warlingham — and then planning a family outdoor session for the following summer when your little one is a few months old. If you are brave enough, I am happy to do it outside and we can wrap up warm with lot of layers, which is a total vibe in itself.
I cover locations across Surrey and South London, including Caterham, Oxted, Warlingham, Croydon, Purley, Banstead, Bromley and the wider area. If you have a spot in mind — a field, a woodland edge, a favourite walk — I always love hearing it. I will go check the location and the light and let you know if that could work.
How far in advance should I book an outdoor newborn session?
I always recommend booking your outdoor session during pregnancy, ideally in your second trimester. Summer spots fill quickly and I hold only a small number of outdoor sessions each month to ensure every family gets my full attention. It’s even more tighter since my little girl has started school.
If your baby has already arrived and you're reading this — do still get in touch. I occasionally have last-minute availability, and three weeks old is genuinely one of the most beautiful ages to photograph outdoors.
