NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY FOUNDATION COURSE
Online 12-Week Online Mentoring Programme with Russ Jackson
The Newborn Photography Foundation Course is an online, twelve-week mentoring programme designed to kickstart your newborn photography career in Newborn Photography.
Each week of the programme focuses on different fundamentals of newborn photography. On completion of the programme, you will have the skills and confidence to build your own portfolio of stunning newborn images as well as a blueprint on how to start your own successful newborn photography business.
The next course starts on the 28th April 2025
IS THIS COURSE FOR YOU?
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Are you looking to start a career in the exciting and profitable world of newborn photography, but not sure where to start?
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Are you a photographer that has recently started their newborn photography journey, but you feel the quality of your work is holding you back from charging more?
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Are you a social photographer looking to add a new string to your bow, fill your weekdays with profitable sessions, and free up time on the weekends?
If any of the above describes you, I am here to help!
It took me five years to build the confidence in my work to charge my clients what was needed to run a profitable business. I don't want you to make the same mistake, so I developed a system to help you achieve your goal of creating professional and sellable newborn baby portraits (for a healthy profit) in just three months. With this twelve-week mentoring programme, I will guide you, step by step, through this process, and upon completion, you will have the skills and confidence to continue to build your own beautiful portfolio of newborn baby portraits and a blueprint to launch your photography business.
Your Mentor
Hi, I am Russ Jackson. I am a specialist newborn baby photographer and educator. I have been a portrait photographer for 24 years and started photographing newborn babies in 2011. Since then, I have established myself as a world-leading newborn photographer and educator. Through my in-person workshops and mentoring services, I have helped over 600 photographers from 38 different countries succeed in newborn photography. I am regularly invited to teach and present at international symposiums and conferences. In 2018, I launched the Russ Jackson Academy, an online resource for newborn and maternity photographers. I still run Russ Jackson Photography, one of London's leading portrait photography studios.
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
This course is a members-only 12-week mentoring program. Each week, there is a live, interactive online lesson that covers an essential element in learning the art of photographing newborn babies and how to prepare for the launch of your business. There is also a two-hour LIVE Q&A session each week to review the week's topic and compare notes on the week's home learning task. All lessons and the Q&A sessions are recorded to watch at a time most convenient for you.
The core curriculum is broken down as follows:
28th April 2025
Week 1 - Equipment and Accessories
- Cameras, Lenses and Lighting gear.
- Specialist equipment and accessories for newborn photography.
- Discovering your brand and creative style.
5th May 2025
Week 2 - Newborn Safety
- How newborn photography differs from other genres.
- Newborn baby physiology, life in the womb and how it relates to newborn photography.
- Baby Safety - Photographing babies safely and with respect.
12th May 2025
Week 3 - Posing
- The six newborn foundation poses.
- Posing flow.
- Wrapping babies
- Posing safely in props.
19th May 2025
Week 4 - Camera Angles and Composition
- Using the correct lens.
- Optimum camera angles for the 6 foundation poses.
- Image composition guideline
26th May 2025
Week 5 - Lighting
- Introducing studio light & using the correct settings.
- The four fundamentals of portrait lighting.
- Lighting newborn babies creatively.
2nd June 2025
Week 6 - Family Portraits
- Two easy family poses.
- Capturing emotion.
- Posing and lighting fundamentals.
9th June 2025
Week 7 - Portfolio Building
- Portfolio building sessions, the do's and dont's.
- Preparing for your first shoot.
- The 5 steps to create the perfect image.
16th June 2025
Week 8 - Post Production
- Essential hardware
- Editing Software
- Post Production workflow
23rd June 2025
Week 9 - Newborn Retouching
- The Main Photoshop Tools
- Photoshop Actions
- Editing in Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and EVOTO
30th June 2025
Week 10 - Pricing & Sales
- Pricing for Profit
- The Pricing Calculator
- Popular Sales Techniques
7th July 2025
Week 11 - Branding and Marketing
- Creating an engaging website.
- Social Media Marketing.
- Google ranking
- Word of Mouth Marketing and Customer Service.
14th July 2025
Week 12 - Getting Ready to Launch
- Bringing it all together
- Photography, Business and Mindset
- Course review and the next steps
BONUS CONTENT
To ensure that you get the most out of this course, there are bonus support videos, downloadable course notes, PDF cheat sheets, and other support documents for each of the weekly modules. You will also have access to a members-only Facebook support group. Here, as a community, you will receive real-time support and feedback from Russ and your fellow students.
Support Videos
Apart from the weekly lessons, over 25 bonus support videos are spread out throughout the course. These short but highly educational videos will back up the content covered in the weekly lesson.
You can watch the support videos in your own time, and as with the module lessons and Q&A sessions, you have lifetime access to these videos.
Course Downloads
Each week, you can download the course notes for the specific topic covered in the weekly lesson. By the end of the course, the course notes combine to make a comprehensive workbook for you to print.
There are also PDF resource guides, model call templates, Photoshop actions, and printable guides that can be downloaded.
Members Only WhatsApp Support Group
You are not alone on this journey. The dedicated members-only WhatsApp group is a platform where you will receive real-time support from Russ and get feedback on your progress. There is also a private Facebook group for all current and past students where you can connect, compare notes, and encourage each other even after you complete the course.
CASE STUDIES
This course is tried and tested! Students who have watched all the lessons and support videos and completed the home learning tasks have all come away with incredible results. The systematic structure of the course and Russ's methodical teaching style allows you to have the confidence and skills to photograph your first newborn 'portfolio building session' in just week 7 of the course. Here are some case studies of previous students of the course:
Case Study - Hanan El-Hares
Hanan enrolled in the course without even having a camera. After completing the first six modules of the programme, she captured these images during her first three portfolio-building sessions.
Here is what Hanan has to say about the course:
“The course was thorough, very informative, well-paced, and also being able to study at home was great! Russ is an amazing mentor, he is so supportive and always there to give guidance whenever it was needed. I am now able to apply the theory I learned from the training into practice by utilising all the tools and useful information gained from this course. It has taught me everything I needed to know about Newborn Photography and gave me enough confidence to launch me successfully into the next chapter of my business. Thank you Russ for such a wonderful experience!”
Case Study - Jekaterina Trojanova
Jekaterina, started this course as a hobbyist photographer with no prior experience in newborn photography, just a passion for capturing beautiful moments. Under my mentorship, and just nine weeks into the course, she’s already creating stunning, professional-quality newborn images in just her second portfolio-building session!
Jekaterina says:
Taking this newborn foundation course was one of the best decisions I made as a photographer. The course is incredibly well-structured, covering all the essential aspects of newborn safety and comfort. Russ is so knowledgeable, patient, and approachable; I feel very comfortable asking questions. Learning all about composition, editing, and how to work with soft lighting truly elevated my photography and helped to bring a natural and timeless look into my works. I really appreciated the emphasis on safe posing techniques, proper handling, and creating a calm environment for both the baby and the parents. The course is still ongoing, but thanks to Russ, I already feel well-prepared to work professionally and ethically in this field.”
Case Study - Alex Kai Yiu
Alex, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, is now running a thriving newborn and maternity portrait business! By implementing everything he learned during the course, and putting in lots of hard work—he’s built an amazing photography business he’s proud of.
Here’s what Alex had to say about his experience:
"I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity to join your course. I’ve learned so many practical skills, like how to soothe babies, handle different situations with different babies, and follow a simple yet effective workflow that has made my sessions so much smoother and easier. These have significantly improved my photography experience and efficiency. On top of that, I took your advice and worked with Jason to build my website—he’s so kind and patient, always answering my questions and helping me create this beautiful site! Thank you again, Russ, for all your guidance and encouragement!”
Case Study - Susanna Katajala
Susanna dreamed of pivoting from her current employment to starting her new photography business. She attempted a few newborn sessions but soon realised she needed help getting started. Susanna, still in full-time employment and a mum of two, has done an AMAZING job in completing several portfolio-building sessions since beginning the course in January. That’s just three months to get to this level! Let me tell you, it took me years and many, many sessions to get my photography to this level!
Here is what Susanna had to say:
‘Russ! Big thanks. This course was more than I could ever expect. Your teaching is amazing. I’m speechless about how this all could happen in a few months! Thank you so much!
Case Study - Chantal Beaumont
After the birth of her own baby, Chantal experienced a newborn session and loved the idea of starting a career photographing newborn babies herself. Chantal was the perfect student and blew me away with how she completed the practical tasks, studied the course notes and implemented them with her first model portfolio-building sessions. These images are from her first two sessions (taken while the course was still running), and they are just amazing. Well done, Chantal!
Here is what Chantal has to say about the course:
'’I'd just like to say thank you so much for such an amazing course, your support, guidance and specific detailing has been magnificent and I’m so grateful for you putting this course together! I’ve only photographed four babies/families and I’m honestly so proud of how far I’ve come and the results of my hard work, thanks to you. Russ, you gave me the skills I needed to get started and the knowledge to really pursue my dream.
In Summary
This is an online 12-week mentoring program and includes the following:
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The next course starts on the 28th of April 2024.
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A core curriculum of twelve live online lessons spread out over twelve weeks.
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Twelve live Q&A sessions with real-time feedback on your progress.
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Over 15 hours of bonus support videos.
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Weekly course notes and extra support PDFs comprise a printable newborn photography workbook.
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Lifetime access to all content.
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A dedicated WhatsApp group for all students to communicate with Russ and each other in real time.
- A private WhatsApp chat with me during the duration of the course.
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Special discounts on equipment suppliers and accessory vendors.
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Discounted enrolment fees for Russ Jackson's in-person workshops.
The real value of this online course lies in the system I have developed. I will guide you, step by step, through this process, and by the end of the course, you will have the skills and confidence to continue to build a beautiful and professional portfolio of newborn baby portraits.
PRICING OPTIONS
The price for this 12-week programme is £2000 A four £550 monthly payment plan (total £2200) is also available.
The Next Course Starts in:
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Have a question about the programme before getting started?
Frequently Asked Questions
The next course starts on April 28th, 2025.
However, as soon as you register, you will have immediate access to three introduction lessons and a guide to the equipment I recommend you need to complete the mentoring programme.
The course is £2000; and yes, you can also pay in instalments. A payment plan of four monthly £550 payments is also available. You will have access to the first three introduction lessons once your first instalment is complete.
Typically, my students cover the course costs just weeks after launching their new newborn photography businesses!
Absolutely! This course is tailored for newcomers to the wonderful world of newborn photography. A strong portfolio of newborn images is the first step to launching a successful and profitable business. By the end of this course, you will have the skills and confidence to confidently build your portfolio. In fact, you will capture your first professional newborn images while the course is running!
Every Monday at 8 p.m. (London time), a live lesson covers the week's topic. A short discussion and Q&A session follows the class.
There are bonus videos to consume in your own time, and some modules have ashort homework task to complete.
Every Thursday at 8 p.m. (London time), there will be a live Q&A session called the Thursday catch-up. This is when we recap that week's topic and when you will receive feedback on your homework tasks. This is the best time for me to answer all of the questions you have on the week's topic.
If you can’t make the live Monday lesson or the Thursday catch-up, don’t worry; all lessons and Q&A sessions are recorded and available to watch at a time more convenient for you.
I have had three students give birth to their own babies midway through the course! They still managed to successfully complete the course and moved on to capture incredible pictures of their new arrivals!
Each week consists of two 60-minute live sessions (Monday and Thursday).
To help you understand each weekly topic thoroughly, there are bonus support videos to watch in your own time. I would plan for three hours as a minimum weekly time commitment to get the most from the programme.
Yes, newborn photography is very specialised, and there are some items you will need for your newborn photography business going forward. Some items are essential to complete this programme, and some you can invest in later. You will not need anything for the first two weeks of the course, so you have time to invest in the essentials.
Once enrolled, you will receive a list to help you plan. The list will detail the essentials and at what stage in the mentoring programme each item is needed. As an enrolled student, you will also receive links to where you can buy the gear and, as a bonus, some discount coupons from my favourite and trusted vendors.
There are several ways that I am here to support you during the course:
- Under each module, you will have the option to contact me directly with your questions.
- The live 'Thursday Catch Up' Q&A session is held every Thursday to answer any questions. This is a group session, so everyone learns at the same time.
- Each intake has a dedicated Whatsapp group. If you are stuck with anything or have an urgent question, you can ask me on the WhatsApp group for the fastest response. This WhatsApp group remains open after the course is complete and I am always happy to help you with ongoing support as you move into your new career.
- You can also always email me for support with anything confirming the course.
You will have lifetime access to all the course content, recordings of Q&A sessions, support videos, and course documents. You will also remain a member of the private Facebook support group after graduating from the program.
No, this is a modular, step-by-step programme with weekly topics that must be fully understood before moving on to the next module. There is so much to learn, so the course is structured in a way that maximizes your learning but prevents you from being overwhelmed.
If you are already photographing newborns, don’t worry, there is always something new to learn, and you will find each week filled with valuable insights and solid educational content.
Each week, there will be bonus support videos that I encourage you to watch. Some weeks, you will also have a small practical task to complete and submit. As this is a mentoring program, and as your mentor, I need to assess your progress and guide you to completing the course.
Throughout the course, and particularly in the last three weeks, we will cover the essential building blocks needed to build a successful business. In weeks 10, 11, and 12, we will discuss business-related topics such as pricing, sales, branding, and marketing, giving you an excellent overview of how to proceed once the course ends.
Yes! By week 7, you will have all of the knowledge and confidence to photograph your first newborn model. You will then be encouraged to photograph several more 'portfolio building' sessions in the remaining weeks of the programme. It's scary I know, but don't worry, I will be helping you both before and after these sessions to ensure you have the foundations of an incredible portfolio by the end of the 12 weeks. Past students have produced beautiful, professional and sellable portraits in their first two newborn photography sessions!
Yes! but only if you complete the entire programme.
TRUSTPILOT REVIEWS
Check out my five-star reviews from previous Newborn Photography Foundation Course students!
