Sleeping toddler poses are so special. Include them in your milestone photography sessions Elizabeth Lang Photography Surrey

Dream Sessions: Sleeping Portraits of Your Toddler – Elizabeth Lang Photography

At Elizabeth Lang Photography, one of my absolute favorite types of sessions is something I like to call Dream Sessions. While most parents are familiar with newborn photography, Dream Sessions are a beautiful, unique twist. They involve capturing your toddler—between the ages of 1 and 3—in a peaceful, dreamy sleep. Imagine the tenderness of newborn portraits, but instead of a brand new baby, you get to see your toddler at rest, with all their sweet baby features still intact. It’s magical!

What is a Dream Session?

Dream Session is essentially a sleeping toddler portrait session. It's similar to a newborn session, but instead of working with a newborn baby, I’m capturing your toddler while they’re peacefully asleep. These sessions are perfect for toddlers who still have a close relationship with their parents when it comes to sleep, such as being rocked or nursed to sleep, or those who take a pacifier—this helps immensely with posing!

How Does it Work?

Dream Sessions typically take place during a family portrait or milestone session, ideally overlapping with your toddler’s nap time. The best way to approach it is to get your toddler settled in for their nap before we begin shooting. Once they’re asleep, we can move on to photographing them in a variety of peaceful, tender poses.

Since toddlers are naturally more active than newborns, the process is a little different:

  1. Timing: Toddlers don’t sleep as deeply or for as long as newborns. Expect them to sleep for anywhere between 20 to 40 minutes, which gives us a narrow window for photos. We aim to maximize that time to get 2-3 different poses on the beanbag table (a larger, toddler-friendly setup), as well as perhaps a few shots of mom gently rocking or holding your toddler as they drift off.
  2. Posing: Unlike newborns, toddlers are much bigger and more alert, so we can’t use the tiny props that we typically use for newborns. However, they can still be posed on my specially designed beanbag table, which gives a soft yet strong, safe space for your toddler to relax and fall into those peaceful poses.
  3. Challenges: Since toddlers are light sleepers and much more aware of their surroundings than newborns, we can’t expect them to fall into a deep, restful sleep like we do with newborns. Once they wake up, it’s nearly impossible to get them back to sleep in a strange environment, which is why we aim to work quickly during their nap window.
  4. Unique Moments: The nature of Dream Sessions makes them both challenging and incredibly rewarding. Capturing your toddler in those fleeting moments of sleep—before they continue growing, running, and exploring the world around them—is something truly special. When your toddler is asleep, it’s as if they transform back into their sweet baby selves, which is such a nostalgic moment for parents.


Toddler dream sessions capture sweet moments of your sleeping toddler during your family session. Surrey Newborn Photographer Elizabeth Lang


Why I Love Dream Sessions

Dream Sessions are my absolute favorite. They’re challenging, but the rewards are more than worth it. These sessions give me a chance to capture a magical stage in your toddler’s life—the moment when they still have that sweetness and innocence of a baby, but their personality is already starting to shine through. It’s one of the most precious phases of childhood, and I am honored to preserve it in a way that will last forever.

For parents, this session is a way to hold onto the baby years a little longer, especially once your toddler has moved into the fast-paced, energetic stage of life. When they’re asleep, they look like the baby you remember, and that fleeting moment can be so moving to witness and capture. I truly believe there’s something almost magical about seeing your toddler at rest—transformed back into their sweet baby self—and having those memories preserved in a beautiful photograph.

A Personal Touch to Your Family Session

If you're planning a family portrait or milestone session and your toddler is still in that nap window, why not add on a Dream Session? It’s a fantastic way to create a more complete memory of this stage of life. You’ll get to cherish both the playful moments of your toddler awake and the tender, dreamy moments of them asleep. Plus, these photos are unique and timeless, offering a beautiful contrast to the more energetic, everyday images we usually capture of toddlers.

Message Me to See if You’re a Good Fit!

Dream Sessions are truly special, and I’d love for you to consider adding sleepy photos to your next session. If you think your toddler might be a good fit for a Dream Session, or if you’re just curious to learn more about how these work, please don’t hesitate to message me! I would love to chat with you about how we can make the most of this wonderful, fleeting stage of your child’s life.

Whether it's capturing the quiet moments during a family portrait session or adding those beautiful sleep-filled memories to a milestone shoot, Dream Sessions will provide you with timeless images that celebrate your toddler in all their sweet, sleeping glory.

I can’t wait to capture these precious moments for you! Contact Elizabeth Lang Photography today to book your next session. Let’s make magic happen with your little one.


YOUR FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION WITH ELIZABETH LANG PHOTOGRAPHY


Mother holder her sleeping toddler during their dream session part of their family photos. Elizabeth Lang Photography Surrey