Kaushik BathiaPhotography

Christening Photographer in North West London

Christenings, baptisms, naming ceremonies and first communions, photographed quietly in the parish churches of Harrow, Hillingdon and Brent, with the family groups and the meal that follows.

★★★★★ Rated 4.8 from 580+ reviews

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The short answer

Is there a christening photographer near me in North West London?

Kaushik Bathia photographs christenings, baptisms, naming ceremonies and first communions at churches, venues and homes across North West London, working from the studio in Northwood Hills and covering everywhere within about 20 miles. The service is photographed quietly, within the church's own guidance, and the family groups follow. Check with your vicar or priest what photography the church permits during the baptism. Christening prices are given on request, and travel from Northwood appears in your written quote.

Google reviews

What clients say

4.8 from 580+ Google reviews

Fantastic pictures from Kaushik, took my daughter's beautiful photos at 6th months in 2005 and back now for graduation photography. Amazing work.

Humphrey M., Google review, 2021

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!

GAURAV A., Google review, 2017

Great customer service and very professional. I booked a family photo session with him for a Sunday evening at 5pm however, got stuck in traffic and couldn't get to the studio until 5:45 pm. He was very patient and waited until we got to there. He was very good at making my daughter smile in all the pictures.

Fey A., Google review, 2015

Read all the reviews on Google

The font

Norman fonts and modern parish churches: where christenings happen here

The area's parish churches span almost nine centuries. St Martin of Tours on Ruislip High Street is Grade I listed, built mainly of flint rubble, with a 12th-century Purbeck marble font and medieval wall paintings. St Mary's at Church End in Willesden is first mentioned in 1181, and its mid-12th-century font is one of six Norman fonts in Middlesex. St Martin's in West Drayton has a mid-15th-century font and brasses dating from 1406.

Other churches are twentieth-century buildings with their own character. St Mary's in South Ruislip was built between 1957 and 1959 to a modern design by Laurence King, with a 24ft Portland stone crucifixion on its west front, and St Andrew's in Roxbourne, consecrated in 1957, has stained glass by Max Nauta. St Paul's on Corbins Lane in South Harrow dates from 1937, with tall lancet windows.

Whatever the building, the photographs that matter most happen at the font: the water, the godparents' faces, a parent's hand steadying the baby. Tell us your church when you enquire, and we plan where to stand so the ceremony can be followed without getting in anyone's way.

Parents lying on the studio floor with their baby between them

Church rules

A word with your vicar or priest first

Every church has its own guidance on photography during the service. Some may be happy with photographs throughout, while others may ask for none during the baptism itself and allow pictures at the font afterwards. Ask your vicar or priest well ahead, and pass on what they say; we work within whatever they allow.

Shared services need extra thought. If your baby is baptised during a Sunday service with the wider congregation, the vicar may prefer that only your family's part is photographed. A separate service may give more freedom, and the church will tell you which applies.

Historic churches such as St Mary's on Harrow Hill, begun in 1087 and consecrated in 1094, or St Lawrence's at Whitchurch, where Handel's Chandos Anthems are believed to have been first performed, may also have rules about where photographers stand. Ask about those at the same time.

Groups

Family groups in the churchyard, from Harrow Hill to Great Stanmore

After the service come the group photographs: parents, godparents, grandparents and the wider family, organised quickly so nobody waits long. We agree the list of family pictures with you in advance, so the churchyard part moves briskly even with a large family.

Some churchyards bring their own backdrop. St Mary's churchyard on Harrow Hill looks towards central London and Wembley Stadium and holds the Peachey Tomb that Byron wrote about. St Giles' in Ickenham has a nave and chancel dated to 1335 and a 15th-century bell turret, and at Great Stanmore the red-brick ruin of the 1632 church of St John the Evangelist stands beside its 1850 replacement.

Smaller churches suit smaller christenings. St Laurence in Cowley, in existence by the 12th century, is described as the smallest parish church in Middlesex and stands near the River Pinn. Christ Church on Roxeth Hill was built in 1862 to designs by George Gilbert Scott, and Emmanuel Church in Northwood Hills opened as a church in 1904 after starting life as a school.

Parents lying on the studio floor with their toddler between them

Other blessings

Naming ceremonies, Hindu naming days and aqiqah

Not every welcome happens in a church. A non-religious naming ceremony can take place at home, in a garden or at a hired hall, and it is photographed the same way: the words, the promises from the supporting adults and the family afterwards.

Families also mark a birth with their own faith's rites. A Hindu naming ceremony usually takes place at home or at a temple, and a Muslim family may hold an aqiqah to celebrate a new baby. Tell us what the ceremony involves and any photography guidance from the place where it happens, and we plan around it.

First communions are covered too: the day itself at church and portraits of the child afterwards, in the churchyard or at the studio. The national christening photography page explains the coverage in more detail.

Afterwards

The family meal and the gathering

After the church, the celebration may move to a family home, a restaurant or a hired hall. At the gathering we look for the small in-between moments as well as the big group shot: a great-grandparent holding the baby, cousins at the cake, the toast. Tell us the timings and the address, and how long you would like coverage to run.

If the meal is some distance from the church, for example a service in Pinner and lunch in Stanmore, allow time between the two. Travel from Northwood, and between your church and the meal, is set out in your written quote before you book. For a larger party, see our event photography for North West London.

If you would rather not have a photographer at the service, a studio family portrait in the christening outfit is a calm alternative. The studio at 21 Joel Street is a walk from Northwood and Moor Park and a short drive from Ruislip, Pinner and Harrow, with time for feeds and cuddles; see the Northwood and Harrow christening pages.

Newborn baby asleep along a parent's forearm

Planning

Planning around North West London

01

Ask about photography rules

Speak to your vicar or priest about photographs during the service and at the font, and tell us what they say.

02

Agree the group list

Parents, godparents, grandparents and the wider family: we plan the groups in advance so the churchyard part is quick.

03

Leave time between places

If the church and the meal are in different towns, build the journey into the day's timings.

04

Studio portrait instead

A portrait in the christening outfit at the Northwood Hills studio, if you would prefer no camera at the service.

Churches, landmarks and gathering places in North West London

These churches, landmarks and open spaces come from published listings, each with its source, and several make a setting for family groups after the service.

  • Old High Street conservation area: A triangle of Northwood taking in the old High Street, Chester Road and Hallowell Road is an Area of Local Architectural Special Interest protecting ornate Victorian brick houses, and the wider area has 22 listed buildings. 1
  • Manor Farm heritage site: Manor Farm is a 22-acre historic site north of Ruislip High Street, with the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle, a 13th-century Great Barn listed Grade II* and a 16th-century Little Barn that opened as a library in 1937. 2
  • Battle of Britain Bunker: The Battle of Britain Bunker on Wren Avenue (UB10 0GG), 76 steps underground, was the headquarters of No. 11 Group RAF during the 1940 battle and now has a two-storey visitor centre. 3
  • RAF Museum London (nearby, Colindale): RAF Museum London on Grahame Park Way (NW9 5LL), a short bus ride from Colindale station just south of Burnt Oak, has six aircraft hangars covering RAF history from 1914 to the present, and entry is free. 4
  • Eastcote House dovecote: The wall and dovecote east of the Old Coach House in Eastcote House Gardens are Grade II listed, the dovecote being a square red-brick building of 18th-century appearance with a pyramidal tiled roof and a central louvred turret. 5

Sources, facts checked October 2026

  1. Northwood, London - Wikipedia
  2. Manor Farm, Ruislip - Wikipedia
  3. Battle of Britain Bunker
  4. RAF Museum London
  5. Wall and Dovecote to East of the Old Coach House - British Listed Buildings (Historic England list entry 1285861)

Town by town

Christenings across North West London, town by town

The towns below each show their distance from the studio, from Northwood Hills next door to Willesden at about 8.5 miles, so you can see how far the church and the meal are from us.

Good to know

Christening photography in North West London: questions answered

Yes, where the church allows it. St Martin of Tours on Ruislip High Street is a Grade I listed flint church with a 12th-century Purbeck marble font, and the font is one of the oldest things in the building. Ask the vicar about photography during the service, and we follow their guidance. The church is about 1.8 miles from the studio, a short drive.

Yes, where the church allows it, following the ceremony quietly and staying within the church's own guidance. Ask your vicar or priest in advance. If photographs are not allowed during the baptism, the family groups and pictures at the font afterwards, where permitted, still give you a full set.

Yes. Naming ceremonies, religious or not, at home, at a hall or at a temple are photographed in the same quiet way. Tell us what happens during the ceremony and any guidance from the place where it is held. Harrow is about 3.5 miles from the studio and Wembley about 6.

Christenings are covered at churches, venues and homes within about 20 miles of the studio, which takes in all of North West London from Northwood out to Willesden at about 8.5 miles. The cost of getting to your church is set out in your written quote.

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, such as an album or prints for the grandparents.

Yes. Coverage can continue to your home, a restaurant or a hall, where we photograph the gathering, the cake and any groups that did not fit in the churchyard. Tell us the address and timings when you enquire.

Yes. A studio family portrait in the christening outfit is a calm alternative to coverage on the day. The studio is two minutes from Northwood Hills station and moves at the baby's pace.

Planning a christening?

Book christening photography in North West London

Tell us the date, the church or venue and roughly how many guests, and we will plan the coverage with you and send a written quote.

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