As the government announces a gradual easing of Circuit Breaker measures from June 2, all photography related services will still not be allowed to operate for at least another few weeks. But while we’re definitely saddened by this, we’re optimistic and hope everyone is keeping healthy in the meantime.

It’s hard to believe that it has been almost 2 months since Singapore first embarked on its partial lockdown measures. We’re thankful that the situation here seems to be improving, and sincerely hope that every one of our mummies and daddies are staying healthy and enjoying their time with the little ones at home. With all the extra time spent at home, some parents may have even had the opportunity to capture their baby’s first word or their first steps, so there may indeed be a silver lining.

Unfortunately for us newborn photographers, and photography professionals in general, we won’t be allowed to resume operations until Phase 2 of the government’s Safe Re-opening plans. According to the government, they could decide to move to this next phase “before the end of June” which suggests that we could be back to cuddling newborns in the third or forth week of June at the soonest. 

A peek behind the scenes.

It was definitely disheartening for us to hear that we would be excluded from Phase 1 of re-openings, but we understand the need to be cautious in making the transition. The coronavirus has largely been kept at bay around the world when there was effective implementation of physical distancing measures, and this has led to a paradigm shift with regards to how many of us live and work. 

Sleeping newborn baby in a red knit bonnet and wrap nestled inside a wooden bucket on a dark rustic wood floor.
Newborn baby sleeping peacefully with arms raised, wrapped in a rust orange knit blanket on a cozy textured backdrop.
Newborn baby wearing a jeweled headband, swaddled in olive green and sleeping in a woven basket with greenery on a wooden floor.

As newborn photographers, these measures have directly affected us, and are unavoidable. Many businesses have been able to effectively move into the virtual workspace, allowing them to continue operating throughout this Circuit Breaker. We have definitely been impressed by companies that manage this well, but are also somewhat envious that we would probably never be able to do this ourselves.

We have definitely considered alternatives such as conducting virtual photography sessions or online video tutorials for parents to photograph their own babies with our help. However, the more we thought about these ideas, the more we didn’t feel comfortable with them. And the main reason for this is that a large portion of what we do involves the safe handling of newborn babies, which requires us to be physically present.

Mother gently adjusting the tiny hands of her sleeping newborn baby on a soft cream blanket during a newborn photo session.
Mother and young daughter lovingly kiss and cuddle a newborn baby on a cozy bed in a bright, airy bedroom.

. . .

As newborn photographers, we have spent years learning and refining our craft, which involves many hours of workshops with other professionals in our field. We have also committed a lot of time to online learning, where we bolstered our skills in safely handling and posing babies, as well as posing mummies and daddies with their babies, in the most flattering way possible. Of course, aside from time, we have also invested in a collection of props and equipment designed specifically for newborn photography.

Young boy sitting on a bed cradling his newborn sibling, with a woven crib and dried flowers in a bright, cozy room.
Parents tenderly admire their sleeping newborn baby wrapped in white, seated together in a cozy lifestyle newborn photo session.
Smiling father in a white shirt gently holding his newborn baby close in a bright, airy room with a vase of flowers.

As some of you may know, we even have a StandInBaby, an anatomically correct newborn manikin, which helps us perfect new poses before trying them on your baby.

Realistic newborn StandInBaby posing doll resting inside an open black carrying case for newborn photographers.
Woman in a gray shirt gazing at a baby doll in her arms, with soft window light behind her.

These are just some of the reasons why we would not be comfortable with instructing parents virtually while they pose their own babies at home. Keep in mind, that we are in no way discouraging parents from taking photos of their own babies. It’s really the duty of every parent to have countless photos of their little ones on their smartphones. We just wouldn’t want them to try placing their newborns in poses typically done by newborn photographers, since it would be difficult to do this safely without practice.

What we do during a typical newborn session.

Photographer assisting a mother holding her toddler in a bright, softly lit room with neutral boho decor.
Photographer guiding an expectant couple on a cozy bed during a maternity photo session in natural light.
Photographer smiling while posing a pregnant woman in a lace outfit on a bed during a maternity shoot.

Essentially, what we would really like to say is that we really wish we could get back to photographing your newborns, baby bumps, and baby milestones again, but we also appreciate the need for the government to err on the side of caution. So when you do meet us again in a few more weeks, we’ll probably all be wearing face masks, and keeping a safe distance from each other, which means no hugs or handshakes just yet. The cuddles, on the other hand, will be patiently awaiting your newborn babies!

Written by Timothy Fernandez ©Copyright 2020 Bows and Ribbons Photography