Ask the clergy first
Find out from your vicar or priest where a photographer may stand and when photographs are allowed, then pass it on so the coverage fits.
Christening Photographer in Central London
Christenings, baptisms and naming ceremonies at churches, homes and venues in Westminster and the City of London, photographed quietly, followed by the family groups and the meal.
The short answer
Do you photograph christenings in Central London?
Yes. Kaushik Bathia photographs christenings, baptisms, naming ceremonies and first communions at churches, homes and venues in Westminster and the City of London, about 14 to 15 miles from Northwood and inside the roughly 20 miles that christening coverage reaches. The service is photographed quietly within the church's own guidance, followed by family groups and the gathering. Travel is set out in your written quote, and prices are given on request.
WE HAVE USED KAUSHIK FOR EVERY SPECIAL OCCASION WE HAVE CELEBRATED. FROM WEDDINGS TO BIRTHDAYS KAUSHIK HAS ALWAYS GONE OUT OF HIS WAY TO ENSURE HE CAPTURES EVERY LITTLE DETAIL OF OUR SPECIAL DAYS AND I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIM AND HIS TEAM FOR ANY OCCASION OF ANY SIZE. THANK YOU KAUSHIK!
Fantastic pictures from Kaushik, took my daughter's beautiful photos at 6th months in 2005 and back now for graduation photography. Amazing work.
Kaushik Has magical touches!! We did a family session and were surprised that we could not find any flaw with circa 200 pictures taken by Kaushik. Kausik is simply amazing , we highly recommend to give job to Kaushik to capture special moments of life !! Well done Kaushik!!
In church
Ask the vicar or priest before the service
Every church has its own guidance on photography during a service, and central London churches range from small parish churches to the largest Catholic church in England and Wales. Ask your vicar or priest what is allowed and where a photographer may stand, then tell us. We work within whatever they say, staying close enough to follow the ceremony without getting in anyone's way.
If the baptism is at Westminster Cathedral, built from 1895 to 1903 to John Francis Bentley's neo-Byzantine design, or at a City church in the shadow of St Paul's, the same rule applies: the clergy decide. Some churches allow photographs throughout; others prefer pictures before and after the service only, and the coverage is planned around that.
If your church is St Martin-in-the-Fields, facing Trafalgar Square, or St Botolph without Aldgate, beside Aldgate Square, the family groups afterwards will be in front of a public square. We organise them quickly so the family stays together and the baby is not kept waiting outdoors.
Other ceremonies
Naming days, blessings and an aqiqah in a central London home
A church service is only one way to welcome a baby. Non-religious naming days at home or at a venue are photographed the same way: the words, the promises from the supporting adults, the faces of the people listening, then the groups. First communions follow the same pattern, with portraits of the child afterwards.
A Hindu naming ceremony, or a gathering for an aqiqah, can take place at home or in a hired hall with close family. Tell us what the ceremony involves and anything the family or the officiant would prefer not to be photographed, and the coverage is planned around it. For bigger celebrations, our event photography page covers parties and gatherings.
Groups
Family groups outside a Westminster or City church
Afterwards come the group photographs: parents, godparents, grandparents and the wider family. We agree the list in advance so nobody waits long and nobody is missed. In central London that speed matters, because the pavement outside a church is rarely a private space and the baby has usually had enough by then.
If you would like the groups in a garden rather than on the church steps, check the rules first. In the City, the Corporation requires a licence or permit for organised photoshoots in its gardens and churchyards, though casual photos need no permission. In Westminster, a Royal Park session needs a wedding and lifestyle permit from the park office, and each covers only up to ten people for one hour, which rules out a large christening party.
The meal
The lunch or tea afterwards, at home or in a restaurant
The day can end at a table: lunch at home, a private room in a restaurant, or tea in a church hall. This is where the informal pictures come from, as grandparents pass the baby round and cousins take over a corner. We photograph the in-between moments as well as the cake-cutting and the big group shot.
If the meal is somewhere different from the church, allow time for everyone to move across town, and send both addresses when you book. Travel from Northwood to central London, about 14 to 15 miles, is set out in your written quote, and the coverage is priced on request according to how long you need and what you would like to take home.
Instead of the day
A portrait in the christening outfit
If you would rather not have a photographer at the service, a family portrait in the christening outfit is a calm alternative. It can take place at home in the days after the ceremony, or at the Northwood studio, which is warm and moves at the baby's pace with time for feeds. A christening gown or outfit may only fit for a few weeks, so do not leave it long.
Our christening photography page covers how coverage works on the day, and our family photography in Central London page has parks and gardens for a later session. Families planning the whole first year may also like newborn sessions at home.
Planning
Planning around Central London
City churchyards
Organised shoots in City of London gardens and churchyards need a licence or permit from the Corporation, so check before planning groups there.
Agree the group list
Parents, godparents, grandparents, then the wider family. A written list keeps the groups quick on a central London pavement.
Two addresses
If the meal is away from the church, send both addresses when you book so the journey between them is part of the plan.
Churches, landmarks and gathering places in Central London
The landmarks and gardens below are the central London places mentioned on this page, with the rules that apply to photography in each.
- Palace of Westminster: The Palace of Westminster, rebuilt to Charles Barry's Gothic Revival design from 1840, has been Grade I listed since 1970 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. 1
- Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben): The clock tower known as Big Ben, completed in 1859 to a design by Augustus Pugin and Charles Barry, was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee; its Great Bell weighs 13.7 tonnes. 2
- Westminster Abbey: Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church of 40 English and British monarchs since 1066 and is a royal peculiar, answerable directly to the sovereign. 3
Sources, facts checked October 2026
Town by town
Christenings across Central London, town by town
Christenings in Westminster and the City of London sit within about 20 miles of Northwood. The table shows each area's distance and links its page.
- London (14 miles from the studio)
- Westminster (14 miles from the studio)
- City of London (15 miles from the studio)
Good to know
Christening photography in Central London: questions answered
Yes, where the church allows it. We follow the ceremony quietly and work within each church's guidance, whether it is a parish church in Pimlico, a City church near St Paul's or Westminster Cathedral. Ask your vicar or priest what they allow and let us know before the day.
Yes. Christenings are covered at churches, venues and homes within about 20 miles of Northwood, and Westminster is about 14.1 miles away while the City of London is about 15. Kaushik travels to you, and the travel is set out in writing before you book.
Yes. Christenings, baptisms, naming ceremonies and first communions are all photographed, and so are other blessings for a new baby, such as a Hindu naming ceremony or an aqiqah. Tell us how the ceremony runs and anything the family would prefer not to be photographed.
Possibly. The City of London Corporation requires a licence or permit for organised photoshoots in its gardens and churchyards, while casual visitor photos need no permission. Ask the church and the Corporation which applies to your plans, and if in doubt, keep the groups on the church steps or at the meal.
A Royal Parks wedding and lifestyle photography permit is needed from the park office, and each covers up to ten people for one hour. That suits parents, godparents and grandparents, but not a large christening party. For the full family, the church, your home or the restaurant is usually easier.
Prices are given on request by phone or WhatsApp on 07956 505383, depending on the length of coverage and what you would like to take home, from an edited gallery to prints and albums, including copies for grandparents.
Coverage is booked in advance, so get in touch once you have the date and the church. Tell us roughly how many guests, where the meal will be and the family groups you want, and we will confirm whether the date is free.
Christenings in Central London
Ask about your christening date
Tell us the date, the church or venue, roughly how many guests and where the meal will be afterwards.
More in Central London
- Photography across Central London
- Weddings in Central London
- Asian weddings in Central London
- Hindu weddings in Central London
- Sikh weddings in Central London
- Muslim weddings in Central London
- Family photography in Central London
- Newborn photography in Central London
- Maternity photoshoots in Central London
- Engagement and couples shoots in Central London
- Headshots in Central London
- Portraits in Central London
- Event photography in Central London
- Pet photography in Central London
- Commercial photography in Central London
- Christmas photoshoots in Central London
- Cake smash photoshoots in Central London
- Graduation photography in Central London
- Christening Photography
Other counties
- Christening photography in Hertfordshire
- Christening photography in Buckinghamshire
- Christening photography in Berkshire
- Christening photography in Surrey
- Christening photography in Essex
- Christening photography in Bedfordshire
- Christening photography in Kent
- Christening photography in Oxfordshire
- Christening photography in North West London
- Christening photography in West London
- Christening photography in North London
- Christening photography in East London
- Christening photography in South London