Baby's first Christmas: photo ideas and keepsakes to treasure

Baby's first Christmas is a funny mix: lots of emotion, lots of visitors, very little sleep. And when the holidays are over, you realise you have a hundred blurry photos on your phone and not one where the whole family is really there. I photograph babies at home all year round, and here's what I tell parents so they keep a real memory of that first Christmas, without stress and without putting baby at risk. Whether you live in Provence or have family flying in for the holidays, it all works the same.

Why baby's first Christmas goes by so fast

In December, babies change almost every week. They discover the lights, grab anything that sparkles, and by next Christmas they may already be toddling round the tree. That first Christmas never happens twice.

And then there's you. Between feeds, family meals and presents, you're always the one behind the phone. The point of this article is to get you into the photos too.

Baby's first Christmas photo ideas at home

No need for an elaborate set. Your tree, a soft blanket and a window are enough.

• Under the tree: baby lying on a blanket, the fairy lights soft and blurry behind. Get down to their level, lying on the floor.
• The "first Christmas" stocking or hat: one small prop dates the photo without a word.
• The tiny details: little hands reaching for a bauble, feet in Christmas socks. These are often the photos you love most years later.
• In your arms: baby on your shoulder, both of you looking at the tree.
• The first present: around 6 months, the crinkly paper is far more fun than the gift.
• The tradition shot: the same photo, in the same spot, every year. In ten years, you'll have their whole story.

With grandparents, brothers and sisters

The first Christmas is often when the whole family meets baby for the first time. It's the moment for the photo you'd regret not taking: grandma holding them for the first time, four generations together, big brother showing them the baubles.

Baby's safety and rhythm: my simple rules

A beautiful photo is never worth a risk. These are the rules I follow at every baby session, and you can use them at home:

• Shatterproof baubles near baby, and nothing small they could put in their mouth.
• No electric lights within reach, and no cables around them.
• Always on the floor: never prop baby up high or in a prop that could tip, and always keep an adult right beside them.
• Warm, not too warm: a cosy room, but not three layers of knitwear under the lights.
• No flash: window light is gentler, for their eyes and for the photo.
• Their rhythm first: take photos between naps, after a feed, and stop as soon as they've had enough.

An at-home baby session for their first Christmas

If you'd like real photos of this first Christmas, with the whole family in them, I come to you. A baby session can be done from 7 days old up to 1 year, usually at home: baby keeps their familiar surroundings, and you don't have to carry or prepare a thing.

We settle near the tree and the window, and I guide every move, very simply. We follow feeds and naps without watching the clock, and I work in English or French, whatever feels easiest. You can see how it works in my article on at-home baby sessions.

• Price: €230, with 15 edited photos.
• Place: at your home, outdoors or in my studio in Marseille, for the same price. With an older baby, we can even do a Christmas by the sea, with a tree on the beach.
• Before Christmas? If you want your photos for the holidays, just tell me when you book and we'll pick the date accordingly.

First Christmas keepsakes worth keeping

Photos are the main keepsake, but a few small things go beautifully with them:

• A dated stocking or bauble: you'll bring it out every year and tell its story.
• A letter to baby: what life was like that Christmas, who was round the table. They'll read it one day.
• The Christmas card with their photo, for family who haven't met them yet, here or abroad.
• A print or an album: print at least one photo from this first Christmas. On a phone, it always ends up lost.

Gift a baby session to new parents

Looking for a baby's first Christmas gift? New parents receive plenty of babygros and soft toys. What they almost never have are photos of them all together. A baby session is a gift for baby, and above all for them.

You create the gift card online in a few minutes, choosing one of 15 ready-made cards (including Christmas ones) or a custom card. You receive it by email to print as a PDF, or it's sent straight to them on the day you choose, with an envelope to open. It's valid for 6 months: if baby hasn't arrived yet, there's time. To follow the whole story, there's also the maternity then baby package at €450 (two sessions, 30 photos). All prices are on the prices and booking page.

This first Christmas won't come again. Give them the chance to relive it in twenty years, in photos.