Food around your baby’s mouth, and your baby sleeping peacefully in your arms are just two examples of the many photographic clichés that most parents share in their family albums. As a photographer, and now a mother, I understand how easy it is to fall into these visual tropes; you want to photograph every moment of your child's life.

When my son was born, I don't think I pulled my camera out for the first few weeks because all I wanted to do was look at him, all day. Then late one afternoon when the sun was streaming through the blinds and casting shadows across his face, I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few shots. He happily stared straight into the lens.

It’s times like these – the quiet, or perhaps even the uncanny moments – that I’m drawn to when photographing my son.

I asked four other photographers to share a portrait of their child alongside stories of their experiences of parenthood. The results, ahead, are as tender as they are unassuming, without a cliché in sight.