When Should You Book Baby Milestone Photos?

A Christchurch Guide for Parents

Your baby’s first year is full of incredible changes. From those tiny newborn curls to sitting proudly and smashing their first birthday cake, each stage is completely unique – and it passes far more quickly than most parents expect. Many of the families who visit for milestone portraits first come to me for their newborn photography session, and it’s always so special to see those tiny babies return months later full of smiles and personality.

One of the most common questions I’m asked by Christchurch parents is:

“When should we book milestone photos for our baby?”

While every family is different, there are a few beautiful stages during the first year that photograph especially well.

At Eastwood Studios in Bishopdale, my Little Looks Milestones sessions are designed to capture these precious stages in a relaxed studio environment.

Here are some of the most popular ages for milestone portraits.

3–4 Months: First Smiles

Around three to four months, babies begin to show their first real personalities.

This is when those gorgeous smiles appear, babies start lifting their heads confidently during tummy time, and they begin responding to their parents with expressive little faces.

These sessions are all about capturing those sweet expressions and growing curiosity.

100 Days: A Meaningful Cultural Milestone

For many families, 100 days is an important milestone worth celebrating. In cultures such as Chinese (Bai Ri / 百日) and Korean (Baek-il) traditions, reaching 100 days symbolises a baby’s health and strength, and families often mark the occasion with celebrations and portraits.

By this stage, babies are often becoming more alert and beginning to show early smiles and expressions. Many Christchurch families choose to capture this milestone with a 100-day baby photography session, creating beautiful portraits to share with family and loved ones.

A Petit Fours Mini Session is perfect for this stage — simple, sweet portraits that focus on your baby’s personality. To also capture family photos of this special milestone a book a Celebration Milestone which has options to include the parents in the session too.

6–9 Months: The Sitting Milestone

One of the most popular ages for milestone photos is when babies can sit independently but aren’t yet crawling everywhere.

This stage is perfect because babies are:

• Full of smiles
• Curious and engaged
• Able to sit upright confidently

It’s an ideal time for Petit Fours Mini Sessions, which are designed to capture beautiful, simple portraits highlighting your baby’s personality.

These sessions are quick, relaxed, and perfect for documenting this special stage.

10-12 Months: New tricks

There are so many changes take place in the first year, and around 10-12 months babies make massive leaps in development - they are sitting, learning to crawl, pulling up and standing, cruising around furniture, and some even are walking now. Along with these developmental leaps, their personalities are truly shining now. These important, but often overlooked milestones should be celebrated and captured along the way with milestone photography.

Petit Fours Mini Sessions are perfect to capture every stage in your baby’s growth and development - and it can make for some super cute and cheeky photos of them crawling or standing proudly. The best thing about these is they are super fast and fun, so you’ll be in and out of my home studio in Bishopdale in about 15 minutes.

12 Months: First Birthday Celebrations

Your baby’s first birthday is a huge milestone for the whole family. Many parents choose to celebrate this moment with a Celebration Milestone Session, which may include:

• Festive Styled/themed portrait setups
• Cake smash fun
• Bubble bath clean-up
• Family portraits

These sessions allow a little more time for creativity and fun while celebrating that incredible first year.

One Year and Beyond

Babies don’t stop growing at 12 months, and there are so many more changes and milestones to celebrate. Milestone photos don’t have to stop at 12 months - you can book a Petit Fours Mini session for any age and stage - from birthdays, losing their first teeth, starting school, winning a running race, joining a sports team. Anything you would love to capture in beautiful, timeless photography, just reach out to Angela and see if a Petit Fours Mini can work.

Why Milestone Photography Matters

The first year of your baby’s life is filled with rapid changes. One week they’re learning to sit, and the next they’re crawling across the room exploring everything.

Professional milestone portraits allow you to preserve these fleeting moments so you can look back and remember exactly what this stage felt like. Many families choose to book several milestone photography sessions across the year to create a beautiful collection of memories as their baby grows.Petit Fours Mini sessions are affordable with this in mind, so that you can come back for every age and stage without breaking the budget.

Little Looks Milestones at Eastwood Studios

My Little Looks Milestone Sessions are designed to be relaxed, simple, and baby-led. Held in my cozy Bishopdale home studio in Christchurch, each session focuses on capturing natural candid expressions and genuine moments.

With over 13 years of experience photographing babies and young children, I know how to keep sessions calm and enjoyable for both babies and parents.

Families can choose between:

✨ Petit Fours Mini Sessions – sweet, simple milestone portraits at a petite price
🎉 Celebration Milestone Sessions – full birthday or cake smash experiences with fun and colourful themed backdrops

Both options are designed to beautifully document your baby’s first years.

When Should You Book?

Because babies reach milestones quickly, ideally it’s best to book a few weeks in advance, especially for first birthday celebrations. Celebration Milestone Sessions and Petit Fours mini sessions will be available regularly on one or two days each month. However, sometimes baby will learn a new trick out of the blue. In this case, simply reach out to Angela and see if there’s a spot available soon - she is always happy to juggle the diary and get you in outside of regular sessions when possible.

There are times of the year when Angela is super busy in the studio (eg Nov/Dec Christmas events), so availability will be very limited. Booking early ensures you have a spot reserved in these busy times.

Capture the Moments Before They Change

Your baby will only be this little once. Milestone sessions are a beautiful way to celebrate each stage and create lasting memories for your family.

If your little one is approaching a milestone or birthday, now is the perfect time to plan a session.

✨ Petit Fours Minis for simple milestone portraits
🎂 Celebration Milestones for birthday and cake smash sessions

Both are part of the Little Looks Milestones collection at Eastwood Studios.

Eastwood Studios specialises in newborn and baby milestone photography in Christchurch, capturing families from across Bishopdale, North Canterbury, and the wider Christchurch region.