SuperstylingUK

Chelsea wears lace tunic, £49, Soeur at Smallable. Harlen wears cotton bodysuit £10.50 (pack of 2) Petit Bateau.

Hear the word ‘model’ and you’re most likely to think of a tall, willowy figure in striking clothes and Manolos. Well, they’re not always like this on every photo shoot I work on. This month I styled a gorgeous fashion spread for glossy magazine Baby London and our supermodels were newborn Harlen (photographed above with beautiful Mum Chelsea) and 4 month year old Lily and Hunter.

Lily wears cotton knit hat, £6.95 and dress, £29.95 both Gap.

So what exactly happens at a baby shoot you might ask. Well in my case so much happens beforehand. All the clothes and props have to be sourced and as magazines work 3 months in advance I always seem to be working in a different season from the one we’re in. For me it’s swimwear in Winter and faux fur coats in the middle of Summer. It can get very confusing! Anyhow I trundle off to Fashion PR’s who hold all the next season’s samples. Most days, come rain or shine, I’m staggering around the West End weighed down with clothes like a glorified bag lady.

Hunter wears cotton playsuit £91 and Lily wears embroidered cotton dress with matching bloomers, £112 both Bonpoint. Sheepskin rug, £75, The White Company.

After the clothes are sorted I start work on the ‘softs” as they are called in the trade. That’s all the throws, cushions, duvet covers and sheepskin rugs used to make a snug little room set for the baby. This is so important to bolster up babies that can’t sit up by themselves and also gives a soft landing if they’re a bit wobbly!

Hunter wears cotton romper £39.50, Petit Bateau. Sheepskin rug, £75, The White Company.

Then comes the shoot day. The crew – photographer, digi assistant, make-up artist and myself arrive at the studio at least an hour before the tiny talent arrive. Babies get bored and tired very quickly so we try and get them in and out of the studio as quickly as possible. Preparation is key. The photographer perfects his lighting, the make-up artist lays out brushes and I hang up all the clothes and get to work on my room set. The heating is also blasted up so the babies are kept nice and cosy.

Once parents and babies arrive it’s all action! We tend to run around making tea for the parents and making sure they’re happy and relaxed as little ones feed off the vibe of their Mums and Dads and we want everyone to have a really fun time. We get cracking pretty swiftly, the babies are dressed, go through hair and make-up and before they can even gurgle they’re on set ready to go!

Harlen wears cotton bodysuit, £10.50 (pack of 2) Petit Bateau and organic cotton and merino wool booties, £24.99, Aravore.

To get those fabulous baby smiles all the crew have to have a turn entertaining the talent. I have a kit bag bursting with tickling sticks, blowers, cuddly toys and bubbles that even Mary Poppins would be proud of. The photographer takes the lead and then we all have a go, parents included, singing songs, reciting nursery rhymes, pretending to sneeze, in fact we’ll do anything to get a chuckle. The make-up artist and I, tissues in hand, share ‘Dribble Patrol” – drool is quite a liability in baby photography. Yes, I really look a picture of sophistication on kids shoots, armed with Kleenex and long tickle feathers, running around like a mad woman in  Sahara Desert temperatures. We do stop for loads of breaks though as babies get really tired and hungry quickly –  milk breaks always figure high up on the agenda.

And before you know it, it’s all over. The babies generally snoozing happily in their car seats are ushered out of the studio and the crew, shell-shocked and exhausted, start the grand clear up. It’s a mad way to earn a living but as you can see by the pics really rewarding too!

Chelsea wears silk chiffon top, £60, A Day In A Life. Harlen wears cotton smocked playsuit, £63, Annafie at Childrensalon

PHOTOGRAPHY – JONATHAN MALPASS. HAIR & MAKE-UP – ROSE ANGUS. FASHION STYLIST – BECKY JOHN. MODELS – GRACE & GALOR AGENCY