Business Details
12 Years
experience
Award-Winning Newborn & Maternity Photographer in Birmingham AL
Shelley Barrett Photography is an internationally recognized studio specializing in newborn, maternity, baby, and children's photography. With over a decade of experience and a portfolio of 300+ newborns, we combine artistic vision with rigorous safety training to create timeless fine-art portraits. Our founder, Shelley Barrett, brings expertise from early childhood education and four years of teaching preschool to ensure every session prioritizes comfort and connection. We offer personalized service including studio wardrobe access, flexible scheduling for feedings, and guided artwork selection.Clients consistently praise our patience with infants, creative use of props, and ability to capture genuine emotion. As a mother of four, Shelley understands the importance of preserving fleeting moments with practical flexibility for families. Our four-hour session windows accommodate natural rhythms, and we maintain transparency through pre-session consultations and post-production guidance. Safety remains paramount, with poses executed using industry-leading techniques and digital enhancements to ensure secure compositions.
Services
Newborn Photography
Maternity Portraits
Baby Milestone Sessions
Children's Portraits
Family Reunions
Details
- Year established: 2014
Highlights and features
- 10 years of specialized newborn photography experience
- Certified in newborn safety posing techniques
- 300+ infants photographed with proven expertise
- Personalized service from prenatal consultations to artwork selection
- Flexible session management accommodating feeding schedules
What people say
Gentle and kind
Beautiful pictures
Patient and kind
Baby whisperer
Professional and creative
Services
Newborn Photography
Specialized photography for newborns aged 5-24 days, focusing on safe posing techniques and artistic compositions. Sessions include prop selection, parent involvement, and digital editing for timeless images. Our process accommodates natural feeding schedules with extended session windows.
Maternity Portraits
Artistic celebration of pregnancy milestones using curated backdrops and lighting. Sessions emphasize emotional connection and body positivity, offering wardrobe guidance and posing techniques that highlight natural beauty during this transformative period.
Baby Milestone Sessions
Documenting developmental milestones from newborn stage through first birthdays. Services include themed setups, prop coordination, and age-appropriate posing to create chronological narratives of infant growth and personality development.
Family Portraits
Coordinating multi-generational shoots that incorporate newborns with siblings and parents. Sessions focus on natural interactions and heirloom-quality compositions, using both staged and candid approaches to capture family dynamics.
Artwork Creation
Professional printing and framing options for preserving photographic memories. Includes consultation for image selection, display recommendations, and archival-quality materials to ensure lasting family heirlooms.
People
Shelley Barrett
Owner & Lead Photographer
Award-winning photographer with 10+ years specializing in newborn safety techniques. Former preschool teacher turned photography entrepreneur, combining child development expertise with artistic vision to create timeless family portraits.
Questions
When is the best time for newborn photography?
Ideal sessions occur between 5-24 days post-birth when babies remain naturally sleepy and flexible. We accommodate 'older' newborns up to 3 months with adjusted posing techniques.
How do you ensure baby safety during sessions?
All poses follow strict safety protocols with digital compositing for complex arrangements. Photographer maintains constant hand-on supervision and uses spotters for elevated compositions, prioritizing comfort throughout.
What should we wear for family portraits?
We provide style guides with color palettes and texture coordination. Neutral tones work best for timeless images, with options to incorporate personal heirloom pieces for meaningful storytelling.
How do we book a newborn session?
Contact via website form to reserve dates during your second trimester. A $100 retainer confirms booking, with full payment due at session start. We remain flexible for last-minute arrivals.
What's included in the session fee?
Base price covers 2-4 hours of shooting with unlimited outfit/prop changes. Additional costs apply for printed artwork, digital files, and specialty products like heirloom albums.
Can siblings participate in newborn sessions?
Absolutely! We allocate extra time for sibling interactions, using engaging techniques to create authentic connections between newborns and their brothers/sisters during the shoot.
