Infant observation is now being undertaken in a changed and changing social and ethical climate, where legislation demands transparency in all activities involving human subjects. This paper attempts to look at setting up and undertaking an infant observation and discusses questions in a number of areas: what is written for professional intermediaries and for parents; how might new observers introduce themselves; how do we think about and establish informed consent; how do we create an atmosphere in which open and reflective thought can be supported? This paper considers the internal and the external context and argues for the importance of non-defensive, thoughtful responses as further questions arise about observations which are generally experienced as beneficial for observed and observer, and are fundamentally significant in the professional development of psychoanalytic practitioners and in professional interactions in health and allied professions.