Free baby photo shoots to continue at Newark photography shop

A photography company in Newark will be offering free baby photo shoots again this year.

The Fuji Shop on Middlegate has partnered with community group Freedom to offer the service for parents of any newborn in Newark and Sherwood.

It follows a successful campaign last year where 120 babies were photographed.

However, Steve Watson from the Fuji Shop doesn’t want to stop there.

“We decided that we didn’t reach everybody last time,” he said.

“I know what it was like when I had my kids. Those first images are the most precious ones.

“However, because of covid, new parents haven’t been able to have them. We’re just happy to give something back.”

Freedom works with individuals, groups and projects that aim to make a difference in the community.

Scott Driver, one of Freedom’s directors, said they decided to get involved after observing and noticing during the pandemic how many families and adults with young children missed out on the opportunity to capture moments with their children, which they normally would do.

“Things like photo shoots and videos of their kids out and about have kind of been stripped from those families,” he said.

“For us, it was a way of being able to do something that could maybe encourage people to go and have photos taken with their kids.”

Scott hopes by offering free photo shoots, it will encourage parents to step away from digital photography.

“We rely so heavily on electronic devices, such as phones, and end up uploading photos to social media, but there’s something so special to me about having a physical print of a photo,” said Scott.

“Unfortunately, it’s something that’s becoming somewhat lost with how digital everything is now.

“That’s something I don’t think will ever be replaced, no matter how advanced technology gets. It’s a moment that a family can have physically, that they can hold in their hands.”

The photo shoots will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays until next January.