In 2010, unable to return to my role after maternity leave {due mainly to the fact that I had just given birth to not only one child but two!}, as National Training & Development Manager for a Global Organisation, I started photographing friends babies as a “hobby”. {Sound familiar?}
Then after extensive training, both in Australia and by International Photographers, I turned my hobby into a successful Newborn Photography business and 12+ years later {and over 2000+ newborn clients later!) I had 3 photographers working for me, all specialising in Newborn and Baby Portraiture.
However, as a Training & Development Professional it always concerned me, that within the Newborn Photography Industry there was nothing in the way of independent, comprehensive training on infant and workplace health and safety. There were many ‘workshops’ where one could learn {watch} newborn photography posing techniques, and whilst I agree it is extremely important to learn how to do the poses correctly and safely, I have always felt that these workshops were simply not adequate enough, to ensure a photographer was well enough equipped to work with newborn babies. These workshops do not contain the medical and health training, which is mandatory in all other occupations involving infants.
I started offering one-on-one training/mentor sessions with industry hopefuls, as a way to give them more in depth information and one-on-one training on newborns and workplace health and safety. And in doing so, I was more convinced than ever that the Newborn Photography Industry was in dire need of professional-level, medically based professional development & training on more than just posing!