A couple of days ago a woman of child bearing age gave birth to a 3.8kg baby. Now a photographer, Arthur Edwards is giving tips on how to photograph the baby.

• Think about the light you’ve got – babies don’t like flash. If you’re in the hospital room visiting mum just after the birth, see if she can move to the window and let the natural light do its job. Our first sight of Diana with baby William was outside of the hospital and the natural light helped the photos look beautiful
• Think about the time of day you take your pictures. Always catch the baby after a feed and a sleep so they are content, happy and giggly, and not grumpy. Ask Mum before you visit when nap time is.
• Some details may not seem the most attractive things to get into photos, but think about what you’ll want to remember and what might become important ‘firsts’. Baby William became extremely fond of a blue elephant toy, but Diana would move it away from him for pictures. She mentioned once she later wished she’d had a photo to remember the toy, as it was his first favourite.
• Lots of people will be taking pictures in the same locations, so think about using different backgrounds to help your photos stand out, like a coloured cushion underneath the baby.
• If mum is usually the photographer in your family or social group, make sure you offer to take the camera for once – remember she’ll want photos of her with her new arrival. Kate is the keenest photographer of the two, but even she will no doubt hand over the camera to William and trust him with the family album for a change.