What Really Happens After Your Photoshoot? The Hidden Hours Behind Every Gallery! And Just One Of The Reasons Why Newborn Photography Costs So Much!
When people think about a photography session, they usually picture the hour or two spent in the studio, cuddling their newborn, playing with their children or laughing together as a family.
But that's actually just the beginning.
Asa newborn photographer based in Coventry, one of the questions I'm asked most often is... "How long does it take to edit our photos?"
The answer is: much longer than most people imagine!
I thought it would be fun to take you behind the scenes and show you exactly what happens after you've left the studio.
Step 1: Backing Up Your Images
The very first thing I do after your session is safely back up every single image.
Your memories are precious, so I don't rely on just one copy. Your photographs are stored securely before I even begin looking through them.
Losing someone's once-in-a-lifetime newborn photographs simply isn't an option.
Step 2: Culling - Choosing The Best Images
A typical newborn or family session can produce anywhere between 300 and 800 photographs.
Yes... really!
During your session I often take several images of the same pose or moment because babies blink, siblings look away, someone moves, or I simply want to capture the perfect expression.
My job is to carefully go through every single photograph and select only the very best.
I'm looking for:
Sharp focus
Beautiful expressions
Open eyes (where appropriate!)
Lovely hand placement
Natural smiles
The strongest compositions
The images that tell your story best
This process alone can take at least a few hours.
Step 3: Delivering Your Soft Proof Gallery
This is one of my favourite parts of the whole process—seeing your excitement when you receive your gallery!
Once I've carefully selected and professionally edited your images with my signature style, I upload them to your own private online soft proof gallery.
At this stage, your images have already been beautifully enhanced with colour correction, exposure adjustments and my light, airy editing style. However, they haven't yet received the detailed, individual retouching that every final image deserves.
Your proof gallery allows you to take your time viewing all of your beautiful photographs from the comfort of your own home. You can favourite your images, compare your choices and decide which ones you'd like included in your package—or perhaps even fall in love with a few extra favourites!
I know choosing can be the hardest part (and I often hear parents say they want them all!), so there's no pressure to rush. I want you to enjoy looking through your gallery and selecting the images that mean the most to you.
Once you've made your final selections, the next stage begins...
Step 4: Final Hand Retouching
After you've chosen your favourite images, I begin the final stage of the editing process.
This is where I carefully hand retouch each image with meticulous detail, removing temporary blemishes, softening flaky newborn skin, tidying stray hairs, smoothing distracting creases and making subtle refinements while ensuring everything still looks completely natural.
Depending on the photograph, this may include:
Softening flaky newborn skin
Removing baby acne or temporary marks
Reducing redness or jaundice
Cleaning up dribbles or milk residue
Removing scratches
Tidying blankets and backdrops
Removing distractions from the background
- Softening under-eye shadows
- Smoothing clothing creases
- Removing dust etc from clothing
- Removing stray hairs
- Light skin retouching while keeping everyone looking completely natural
The goal is never to make anyone look different.
It's simply to present you at your very best while preserving all the little details that make your family unique.
Some images only need a few minutes of work.
Others can take 20–30 minutes—or even longer—to perfect.
Because I only complete this detailed retouching on the images you've chosen, I can devote the time and care that each photograph deserves.
Once every image has been individually perfected, I export your final high-resolution gallery, prepare your web-sized copies, carry out one final quality check, and then deliver your finished photographs for you to download, print and treasure forever.
It's the final touch in a process that has taken many hours—but one that's completely worth it to preserve these precious memories in the most beautiful way possible.
Step 5: Quality Checking
Before anything reaches you, I go through the entire gallery again.
I check every photograph at full size to make sure everything is consistent and finished to the highest standard.
If something doesn't look quite right, I go back and adjust it.
Step 6: Exporting Your Images
Once editing is complete, every photograph is exported in high resolution.
This process can take quite some time depending on the number of images.
I also create web-sized versions that are perfect for sharing online while keeping your high-resolution images ready for printing.
Step 7: Creating & Delivering Your Online Gallery
Finally, I upload your photographs to your private online gallery.
Each gallery is organised beautifully so it's easy for you to view, choose favourites, download your images and order professional prints or wall art if you'd like.
Only once I've checked everything one final time do I send you the exciting email saying "Your gallery is ready!"
Why It Takes Time
For every hour I spend photographing a session, I often spend several more hours behind the computer.
Photography isn't simply pressing a button on a camera!
It's years of learning, investing in professional equipment, understanding light, safely posing newborns, creating a relaxed experience for families, and then carefully transforming hundreds of photographs into a collection of beautiful memories you'll treasure for generations.
Every gallery is handcrafted with care because these aren't just photographs.
They're the first days of your baby's life.
The tiny fingers.
The sleepy yawns.
The family cuddles.
The moments that pass far too quickly.
And those deserve every minute of attention.
Thank You For Reading!
So, if you've ever wondered why your gallery takes a little while to arrive, I hope this has given you a glimpse behind the scenes.
I genuinely pour my heart into every single image, and it is such a privilege to preserve these precious moments for your family.
Thank you for trusting me with your memories—I never take that responsibility for granted.
I can't wait to share your finished gallery with you!
