I've had so many mummas message me lately with some version of the same question: "Is it too late? Have we missed the window?"
And I want to answer that here properly, because the answer is almost always no. Not every baby arrives on schedule and not every family gets to book their session in that golden window of days 5 to 12.
Life happens. Recoveries take longer than expected. Babies spend time in special care. Families travel. And sometimes you just don't know a photographer exists until your baby is already four weeks old and you're wondering if you've missed your chance.
You haven't. Baby Finn is proof of that.
Finn's Session: Four Weeks Old and Very Much Awake
Finn came to my Tweed Heads studio at just over four weeks old and from the moment he arrived it was clear we weren't working with a sleepy, curled-up newborn. He was awake. He was curious. He had opinions.
At four weeks, babies are starting to engage with the world around them. The deeply settled, fold-into-any-position sleepiness of the early days has mostly passed and you've got a little person who is very much present and very much aware that something new is happening.
This changes what a session looks like...but it doesn't make it less beautiful. It just makes it different.
What We Did Instead
Rather than pushing for posed newborn shots that four week old bodies simply aren't as comfortable with anymore, we leaned into what Finn was giving us.
We photographed him awake and alert - those wide, searching eyes that new parents know so well. We brought his mum in close and captured the two of them together, that quiet intensity of a mother with her new baby. And his big sister, seven years old and absolutely besotted, got her moment with him too. There is something about a seven year old holding a four week old that makes every photographer go a little soft.
And then after a feed and nappy change, little FInn fell asleep and we got those sleepy baby shots!
That's the reality of newborn photography. You work with the baby in front of you, not the baby you planned for. And Finn gave us a beautiful session.
Can You Still Get Newborn Photos at 4 Weeks?
Yes. Genuinely, yes.
Here's what changes after that early window: some of the more curled, tucked poses become less comfortable because babies naturally start to stretch out and straighten as their muscles develop. So if you've seen photos of newborns posed in little bowls or with their chin resting on their hands -- that's harder to achieve at four weeks than at one week. Not impossible, but harder.
What doesn't change: the beauty of the images. The connection between parents and their baby. The way a sibling looks at a new brother or sister. The tiny fingers and the velvet skin and the way a baby fits against a parent's chest like they were made for exactly that spot -- because they were.
If your baby is four weeks old and you haven't booked yet, please reach out. I will be honest with you about what to expect, and we will make it work.
Travelling to the Tweed Heads Studio
Finn's family made the trip from the northern Gold Coast, which is something I want to mention because I know distance can feel like a barrier. Families travel to my Tweed Heads studio from across the northern Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Ballina and everywhere in between. The session is worth the drive -- and the studio environment means weather, wind and beach conditions are never a factor. You arrive, you settle in, we make beautiful photos. That's it.
Book Your Studio Newborn Session
Wonderland Photography's studio is based in Banora Point, Tweed Heads, and is available for newborn, sitter, maternity and family sessions.
Session fee is $300, with digital collections from $390. No packages to choose before you've seen a single image.
And if your baby is already four weeks old and you're reading this thinking you've left it too late - you haven't. Send me a message.
