South Bank Family Shoot - Central London Family Photography
Here's a shoot I did just before Christmas, the prints from which where were a present for these two kids' Grandma. I love photographing older children as they tend to listen and do exactly what you say, heaven. I also adore photographing down at the South Bank because it's packed full of interesting textures and colours that really help to make the images pop.
One of the most exciting things about this particular shoot was that the mum works at the South Bank Centre so we had access to a beautiful and very cool looking rooftop room with views over the Thames and the London Eye. Absolutely stunning!
If you've never been, then I highly recommend a trip to the South Bank, it makes a great day out for the whole family with loads of fun and interesting activities to do. The day I photographed these kids, there were giant snow globes which only snowed when you hopped on a bike and gave it some serious pedal power. I used the bikes for some of the photos, which made a great prop for the kids to sit on.
Here's a selection of some of my favourite shots from the day.
Check out this gorgeous floor, this room was full of amazing spots for photographs!
One of the bikes that were part of a fantastic Christmas Snow Globe installation.
Scrummy Little Newborn - Berkshire Newborn Photographer
Oh my goodness, will you look at this little thing. Talk about feeling broody.
This lovely family have booked me several times before, once to take maternity photographs, then I've photographed his big sister a couple of times and now this little bundle, can you see why I love my job? They live in a stunning barn conversion in Berkshire so we always have lots of options as to where to take the photos, not to mention it just being a great place to hang out for a few hours!
This little baby weighed nearly 10 pounds when he was born which, if you don't know much about newborns, is big. But so called 'big babies' still seem tiny to me. All newborns regardless of their weight are so fragile and innocent with the most beautiful soft skin and delicate limbs. Just adorable.
The next photo is one of my favourites, just look at his little smile. Plus, I took a similar one of his sister (although she was wide awake for hers) when she was born and it's so nice when you can replicate a shot like that.
And here is the photo of his sister (who, by the way, is completely blonde now).
Tips and Tricks - Photographing babies
Tip #1 - Ready for your close up?
I get loads of people asking me for advice on how to photograph their children, some even asking if I would consider doing one-to-one training sessions. Well, I'm not sure how good a teacher I would make (ask my sister about the time I had to step in to teach English to some foreign exchange students), but what I can do is offer a few tricks of the trade to help you take better photos of your little ones.
And the first tip I'm offering up to you is this. Get in close. And then get closer. So often I see snap shots of children and the photo was taken from such a distance that it's hard to even make out who they are, not to mention all the clutter that's surrounding them.
You don't have to put your camera right into their faces, that may scare them a bit, but most point and shoot cameras have a zoom so use it to get a lovely tight shot of their beautiful little face.
Every photo you take needn't be like this of course, you'd have a pretty monotonous photo album if you did, but getting in close really can make all the difference to a shot.
Another great little tip for you that will really enhance your photo album is to take shots of the little everyday details. A photo doesn't always have to show a face as this picture of a little girl's first birthday party proves.
And don't forget their adorable little feet and hands too...so precious!
But whether you're taking photos of their faces, feet or the little day to day details, try getting in close and see what a difference this makes to your photographs.
Before and After - North London Baby Photographer
I love my job! And I think you only need to look at this photo to realise why.
These particular clients have booked me to document their little boy's first year - which means three shoots during the first twelve months or so. I've just done shoot number two at seven months old, and the first shot was when he was just a few days old (incidentally it's one of my all time favourite photos that I've taken). I'll next see them all again when he's walking.
Isn't he one of the cutest babies you've ever seen? Around the six month mark is probably my favourite age to photograph - they're usually full of smiles and with the most scrumptious little chubby arms and legs.
I'll post more photos from this session shortly.
Perfectly Pregnant - North London Maternity Photographer
In case you're wondering, THIS is what the perfect pregnancy bump looks like. If you'd like to see the complete opposite of this then, for the right amount of chocolate, I may be tempted to show you what I looked like at this stage (think 3 stone heavier).
This is a friend of mine who is due to give birth in just a few days time and I'm SO happy she decided to book me for these shots, doesn't she look amazing? She used to be a model which certainly helped in terms of posing, but model or not, I think all pregnant women look absolutely incredible.
Having been pregnant myself I have such a huge amount of respect and admiration for pregnant women, it's certainly a tough 9 months let me tell you! But rest assured that all the heartburn (I drank my way through a giant bottle of Gaviscon a week), swollen ankles, sickness, excessive weight gain, pelvic pain, sleepless nights, utter exhaustion and back ache, pales into insignificance when you hold your little baby in your arms for the very first time. I'm welling up just thinking about it.
I was going for a natural and relaxed vibe with this shoot which I think has come across perfectly, plus I'm delighted that lovely Lauren the dog makes an appearance too. The house was a great location for a photography session with beautiful light and interesting textures. One of my favourite shots is the silhouette by the beautiful Edwardian front door, stunning.
I'm gradually building my maternity portfolio and will be launching a new gallery on my website shortly, so watch this space.
