PORTRAITS & FAMILY
Portrait, Maternity, Newborn and Family Photography
The shoots families put off until the moment has passed. Newborn work in particular has a window measured in days.
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Maternity
Best between 28 and 34 weeks. Earlier and the bump does not read in photographs; later and comfort becomes the limiting factor, particularly for outdoor sessions in Chennai heat. Morning light is kinder and cooler, and most of our maternity work is scheduled before 9am.
Valaikappu and seemantham
The Tamil baby shower is a genuine event, not a portrait session — bangles, elders, the aarti, and a large gathering of women. It photographs like a small wedding function and needs the same approach: one photographer moving continuously rather than directing groups, plus set-piece coverage of the bangle ceremony itself.
Newborn
The window is short. Between 5 and 14 days old, babies still curl naturally and sleep deeply enough for posed work. After about three weeks that stops, and the session becomes a different, more awake kind of photograph — not worse, but not what most families have in mind.
Book during pregnancy with a rough due date and confirm after the birth. A newborn session cannot be scheduled precisely and any photographer who pretends otherwise has not done many.
Newborn sessions are slow. Two to three hours, with feeding and settling breaks. Rushing a newborn shoot does not work.
Naming ceremony, ear piercing, first birthday
Namakaranam, karnavedha and the first birthday are family events with a ritual core and a long social tail. Cover the ritual properly, then work the room. The photographs families keep from these are usually of grandparents holding the child, not of the decor.
Family portraits
The photograph most families intend to take and never do, until a grandparent is no longer there to be in it. Book one while everyone is together for a wedding or a festival — that is when the whole family is in one city, and an hour on the morning after a wedding is the easiest it will ever be.
Outdoors in the first hour after sunrise, or indoors with a plain wall and window light. Coordinate colour rather than matching exactly.
Birthdays and celebrations
Children's birthdays need a photographer who stays low, at the child's eye level, and does not direct. Milestone birthdays for adults are closer to a small reception and benefit from the same thinking as one — including, often, a magnet booth so guests leave with something.
Questions people ask
When is the best time for a maternity shoot?
Between 28 and 34 weeks. Before that the bump does not read clearly in photographs; after it comfort becomes the limit, especially outdoors in Chennai heat. We schedule most maternity sessions before 9am for softer light and a cooler morning.
How old should a baby be for a newborn shoot?
Between 5 and 14 days for classic posed newborn work, while babies still curl naturally and sleep deeply. After about three weeks that changes and the session becomes a more awake kind of portrait — still lovely, but different from what most families picture.
Can we book a newborn session in advance?
Book during pregnancy with a rough due date and confirm once the baby arrives. Newborn sessions cannot be scheduled to a fixed day, and any photographer promising otherwise has not done many of them.
How long does a newborn session take?
Two to three hours, including feeding and settling breaks. Newborn work cannot be rushed — most of the time is spent waiting for the baby rather than photographing, and that is normal.
Do you photograph valaikappu and seemantham?
Yes, regularly. A Tamil baby shower is an event rather than a portrait session — bangles, elders, the aarti and a large gathering. It photographs like a small wedding function and we cover it the same way.
What should we wear for a family portrait?
Coordinate colour rather than matching exactly. Matching outfits date the photograph badly; a shared palette in a few tones looks considered ten years later. Avoid busy prints and logos, which pull the eye.
When should we take a whole-family portrait?
While everyone is already in one city — the morning after a wedding, or during a festival gathering. That is the single easiest hour to get a full family together, and most families only realise its value once someone in it is gone.
Where do you shoot outdoor portraits in Chennai?
The first hour after sunrise, usually along ECR, at Mahabalipuram, in the Theosophical Society grounds or on the beach before it gets busy. Midday light in Chennai is unflattering and uncomfortable for everyone involved.
Do you photograph first birthdays and naming ceremonies?
Yes — namakaranam, karnavedha and first birthdays. We cover the ritual properly and then work the room, because the photographs families keep are usually grandparents holding the child rather than the decor.
How do you photograph small children without directing them?
By staying low, at the child's eye level, and letting them do what they were going to do anyway. Directing a three-year-old produces photographs of a three-year-old being directed.
Can we do a studio session rather than outdoors?
Yes. Studio work gives full control of light and is the right choice for newborn sessions, headshots and formal family portraits, particularly in the monsoon or through Chennai's hottest months.
Do you do pre-wedding and couple shoots?
Yes — see our pre-wedding page for locations and planning. The same principles apply: early morning light, coordinated rather than matched clothing, and a location scouted at the hour you will shoot it.
Ask us your own question
If your question is not here, send it to +91 98849 60870 on WhatsApp or write to contact@pugaippadam.com. We answer the same day, and we will add it to this page if others are likely to ask it too.
Written by the team at Pugaippadam Photography, Saligramam, Chennai. We shoot weddings and run full event production across Tamil Nadu. Last reviewed August 2026.