Newborns shake up our experiences and knowledge of ourselves, without question. At 5 days old, baby Oliver could not help but ask the world for more time and attention in a way that shakes it up for those around him. The youngest newborn we’ve had the opportunity to photograph, it was a beautiful reminder of how precious life is and the innocence through which babies view the world. There’s a tenderness that grips your heart when thinking about how the world must look to his brand new eyes.

Bringing a newborn baby home carries with it a certain adjustment period that all new parents go through, though it felt as though baby Oliver were a part of the family all along. Despite being such a new addition and without any words, you could sense his ease with being handled and the comfort he took in the voices and presence of the people he will come to know as ‘home’. Protective as ever, his older brother made sure he had access to the finest comforts and took the initiative to anticipate his newborn needs.

It’s wonderful to see older siblings interacting with babies in ways that reveal a great deal of the love they already feel for someone who they will come to share secrets, experiences and a lifetime of memories with. Before Oliver could shed any tear communicating his need of something, his older brother  Jayden was at the ready. When we were taking photos capturing the raw essence of his innocence as a newborn baby, Oliver’s brother pulled up a blanket to make sure that his brother wasn’t cold or uncomfortable.

When shooting newborns it’s hard to know exactly how the session will go because the baby is often the one who decides what we capture and how we shall do it. This photo session however, could not have gone more beautifully, as Oliver had the perfect temperament. He stayed awake for much of the session, as though falling asleep would take away from how much of this wonderful new world he could explore.

The tenderness and fragility of life, combined with the preciousness of infant eyes, taking in so much of the world without words came together in this phenomenal photo session which captured breathtaking memories for the Kirton family, hidden in the creases of a child’s smile. We’re looking forward to hearing from you about another portrait session to capture all that Oliver’s learned and how his brother has grown, at the 6 month mark!

Photos taken April 13th, 2013 by Dragi Andovski, text written by Cheryl Costello, published at ©DA Photography.

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