If you're a regular visitor to my Facebook page, you'll no doubt have seen me talking about baby safety during newborn sessions. It's something that I take incredibly seriously because if someone is trusting me enough to take the first professional images of their precious newborn, the very least I can do is make sure that baby is safe.
Over the past couple of days, there have been several articles posted by regional newspapers about two separate incidents which occurred at a large, well-known studio franchise. In the first incident, a baby rolled off a posing prop and in the second, a baby's head was left unsupported and allowed to flop down whilst attempting to do the much-loved head in the hands pose. Both situations are completely unacceptable and could have led to serious injuries.
Last year, in order to show my commitment to baby safety, I joined BANPAS (Baby and Newborn Photographers Association). All applications are assessed to make sure that they are working safely and competently which means when parents choose a BANPAS registered photographer, they can be sure their baby's safety wont be compromised. And in a totally unregulated industry where literally anyone can pick up a camera and call themselves a photographer, I feel it's incredibly important that such an organisation exists to help educate parents.
So, in an ever-growing market, how do know which photographers are working safely whilst keeping your baby comfortable during their session? The BANPAS website is a great place to start, you can use their search facility to find registered photographers in your area. Here are some key elements to look out for in photographs:
The image below has become very popular with my clients and it's one of my favourites for showing just how tiny the baby is in their daddy's hands. Whilst it looks like the baby is being held in the air, they are in fact lying safely on a beanbag.
If you want any further information on newborn safety, checkout the BANPAS website by clicking here.