Bridal PreparationsBride and bridesmaids getting ready in the hotel room

The day before was forecast snow and the whole week after, rain, so the couple were so so blessed by this break in the bad weather, so much so they could have their ceremony outside overlooking the lake with the beautiful backdrop of mountains. 

Outdoor Wedding CeremonyWedding vows in intimate ceremony by Windemere lake

Group photos were taken on the hotel's jetty's and no-one ended up falling in, although a few shoes and ends of dresses got a bit wet! Rob & Michaela then had some more intimate portraits taken with the beautiful lake district backdrops. Wedding Group PhotosFamily, friends, bridal party

Next was time for wedding breakfast and speeches which all went down very well. Then with full stomachs and full hearts the wedding party boarded the Windermere ferry for a fun boat ride. All in all, it was a pretty perfect day!
Lake Windermere wedding photographyWedding Breakfast

I feel so fortunate to call this my job! 

Cake Smash & SplashDifferent themes, colour schemes, cakes, balloons, decorations, bath time.

But maybe all that sugar and mess isn't for you and your little one?  I have an array of artificial cakes we can use for a little birthday session and still finish with the fun bubble bath or even milk bath or fruit bath? Or how about a fruit smash, spaghetti smash, or combining another favourite food into their celebratory session?

Fake Cake

And who says cake smashes are just for one year olds? I've had 2 and 3 year olds love their cake smash sessions and often they understand the novelty and excitement around a whole cake to themselves more than the tiny ones. And why stop there? Recently I had my first adult cake smash session to celebrate a lovely lady turning 40. Of course a glass of bubbly needs to accompany such a special birthday too!

Adult Cake SmashCelerbate a big birthday with a cake smash and some bubbly.

I've also done a couple of doggy cake smashes which are so adorable! Presented with a carrot and mash potato cake decorated with dog treats; how could any 4 legged friend celebrating their birthday refuse! 

Dog Cake Smash

Paint Smashes are another fun way to celebrate a birthday; colourful, messy, creative fun! And as well as your memorable photos you have a beautiful piece of artwork to take home too!

Paint SmashCelebrate a birthday with a messy paint session creating artwork as a family.

And if you're into colourful and messy shoots, how about some fun with colour powder?!! Not recommended for the tiny ones, but older children and adults can have great fun having a paint powder fight and the photos created are showstoppers!!

Glitter sessions are also a lot of fun and make for epic photos, throwing glitter, blowing glitter, rolling around in it and getting your sparkle on...

Glitter birthday photoshoot

And finally, why not host your party in the studio and combine a photoshoot with your friends into your birthday celebrations. We can just about fit 10 models in my lovely log cabin studio. I've had a hen do and 2 birthday parties in the studio so far but would love to host more, so do get in touch if this sounds like an idea for you :-)

Dogs are only pregnant for 8-9 weeks (wish this was the same for humans!!) and then are born with fur, eyes and ears closed and only able to crawl around on their belly...usually straight to mums milk bar where they remain for the next few weeks growing at an amazing rate and usually doubling their birth weight in the first week alone! Photographing them when they are just born is tricky as mum is usually so intent on keeping them clean,toasty warm and fed, so I usually just snap a very quick pic with my on camera flash of myself or husband holding them (whilst they squiggle and squirm). These aren't the best quality photos but I do love how it shows just how teeny tiny they are at first!

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When they are 1 week old, they've doubled in size, but still have their ears and eyes closed and crawl around blindly on their bellies. Their noses are pink and they usually start turning brown or over the next few weeks. Their coat colour can also change over the 8 weeks. Two of Luna's puppies were 'shaded creams' where they started off black and become more and more cream until at the age of around 6 months they are almost fully cream! Daisy's stud was a cockerpoo so her litter where 1/4 poodle meaning that a few started to get curly hair after a few weeks, some got waves or were shaggy and others were straight like their mum. Coco is extreemly fluffy but her babies were born with only a light covering of hair but fluffed up at an amazing rate over the 8 weeks.

By 2 weeks old they usually have their little eyes open and are starting to lift their heads a bit more. By 3 weeks their eyes are bigger and brighter and they're pushing up on their little legs and keeping their head up for longer. By 4 weeks they are starting to sit up and try to walk. Mum is giving them longer breaks without milk and they will have started on solid food already. By week 5 they are usually walking really well and starting to explore and get into everything.

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By 6 weeks they are running around and full of mischief. It's important to have a quick shutter speed now to not get a series of blurred images and my group shots usually end up being composites of a series of 10 images where I pick the best of each pup and merge in photoshop. Weeks 6,7 and 8, strange noises are your best friend. Something the pups have never heard before usually gets their attention for a couple of seconds, a big meow or a high pitched whistle works well but once they've heard them a couple of times they're not interested so I usually have a stash of different whistles, bells and squeakers to get their attention. I also like to put them in or on props as these images not only show their tiny size but also give me a second to get a shot before they work out how to get out/off the prop. When the puppies new family come to pick them up I always encourage them to get infront of the camera too for a first family picture and the last page of their baby book. The love and emotions in these sessions make me feel so priveliged to do this job, both of breeding adorable puppies which bring so much joy to families, as well as being able to capture these moments in special photographs for the family to cherish.

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Tips for taking your own litter pics on your phone in your own home...

Good lighting is essential so set up where you are going to do your shoot by your biggest source of natural light. A plain background usually shows off the puppies really well without distraction. Maybe use a white wall or pull and clip a blanket tightly to a low chair. Have an assitant just out of shot ready to line up the pups and keep them in place. Get down on the same level as the puppies and focus on their eyes. If you have a phone or camera where you can change the shutter speed, a faster shutter speed is helpful to catch non blurry pics of the fast moving pups! And have fun!!!

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We started off at a very windy Minster having a play with her camera and testing its' zoom and its' capabilities in low light and in bright light. We then went to shelter from the wind for a little in the church next door trying out some detail shots in low light. Her little girl woke up from her nap while we were in there so we took the opportunity to take some portraits of her in Minster Gardens, thinking about the lighting, the background and trying out different angles to capture her gorgeousness.

Next, we wandered through York taking photos of anything which took our fancy. We tried some different angles on famous streets and sights and then stopped for a very civilised lunch at Bella Italia. I loaded up Katie's photos on my laptop over a steaming bowl of pasta and we had a look through what had worked well and what could be worked upon. I then showed Katie how to do some basic edits in Lightroom to give her images that 'pop' and show them off.

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After lunch I took Katie a bit out of her comfort zone asking her to take some close ups of fruit and veg at the market. She didn't dare go as far as to ask a tourist to take their portrait or a photo of their pet...we'll save that for next time!! So we wandered back through York and into the Museum Gardens and had fun trying to capture photos of the cheeky squirrels. Lastly we headed to Lendal bridge to take some photos of the flooded Ouse and then onto the walls to get an iconic view of York and try some different creative angles and ways of looking at a famous scene.

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I can't wait to do more of these sessions which are proving very popular! The sessions can be personalised to your own interests and areas you want to improve in. The options are endless. We can shoot your own dog or child in the park, or do a bit of street photography, focus on the history of York, or track down some wildlife. We are so spoilt in York to have amazing history architecture and views around every corner. I'll never get tired of phtographing in this beautiful city! The tourists can get in the way a little, but we can ignore that! 
 

Pet PhotographyGuild Awards for Pet Photography

There are many parts to the guild including mentoring, peer support, webinars, meet ups and legal help and support, but the part maybe most well known and somewhat central to the organisation are the monthly awards, which all culminates in a fabulous awards night once a year. There are awards for the images voted best in all the categories, including Weddings, Pets, Maternity, Babies, Natural World and many more. Certificates are also given out to those who have achieved their "Bar' in a category. This involves receiving at least 12 bronzes over 8 months in one category. This year I enterred images for the categories of Pets, Babies and Portraits and was delighted to achieve my bars in all 3, an acheievement I am very proud of.

BabiesBabies

The images are judged on composition, lighting, story telling and impact. All parts of the image must be cohesive, so backgrounds clothing and props must all compliment each other. There must be no distractions and a clear focal point of interest, all coming together to tell a story. The editing is very important and an award can easily be lost by missing removing a stray hair or dust spot, or highlights or shadows being too bright or dark. Lighting must suit the subject, which in my categories are usually soft natural looking lighting but with enough subtle shadow to give the images depth. There are so many different criteria which at first felt very overwhelming, but as I've learnt more as I've gone along I've begun to really enjoy the process of analyising and improving my own work with the help of my amazing mentor.

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I can't wait to attend the awards night in Feb to receive my certifications of the Bars I have achieved this year. My goal for next year is to achieve more silver images and maybe even a gold (although I would probably faint if this did happen as they are given out so few and far between to the very best talent). I'd also love to work towards some of the other qualifications the Guild offer, starting with being awarded 'professional' status with the Guild after having a panel of work judged, then one day I hope to achieve my Craftsman and Master Craftsmanship status.
 

Remember My BabyCharity Remembrance Photography for Bereaved Families

I was so so nervous for my first session. Thankfully I was shadowing a lovely experienced local RMB photographer who soon put me at ease and as hearbreaking as it was I left feeling a bit more empowered.  I've done 3 sessions on my own since then and all have been really hard but so worthwhile in being able to gift these families pictures of their precious baby to treasure forever.

Having lost babies myself, both in the first trimester and second, I have great empathy for these grieving families. I know there's nothing anyone can say or do to make the loss of a baby any less painful but cherishing the hand and foot prints of my own little angel baby, I do know that there is some comfort in having memories like these captured forever.

Want to know more about this wonderful charity head over to their website at https://remembermybaby.org.uk. 

Want to know how you can help out? You can sign up to be a supporter or sponsor or just make a one of donation, every little bit helps this amazing charity to continue it's very special work.

There's 3 main things to consider for printing, firstly which images do you want to print, secondly, what size, and thirdly what product or frame. I recommend going as big as your space allows (but never bigger than the actual model in the photo as a baby five times it's actual size looking down from your wall can look a little daunting). Unlike phone and regular digital camera photos these images won't become pixelated or lose quality printed huge so make the most of what you have paid for and make a statement with your images.

There are various levels of print services. Beware of mobile printing apps and make sure you're not printing from screenshots and pictures you've posted on social media as all of these ways decrease the quality of the images. Then there are many online and in store print options which are a pretty standard budget option but can result in loss of quality and great variations in colouring, contrast and brightness. The most highly recommended way to print your professional images is to use specialised print services which only trade through professional photographers to provide the highest level of quality and service. Each image is checked for colour profiling and printed to the highest standard so you can guarantee you are going to be more than happy with your products. 

There are so many options available for beautiful wall art through these amazing print providers, from beautifully hand crafted birch blocks, to shiny acrylic orbs to classic frames and superior quality canvases. If you're not sure how best to print and display your images have a chat with myself and I can guide you. We can chat about the space you have available, the other decor in your home and which are your favourite images for printing big as centre pieces and which images perhaps can be printed smaller or in a collage, but please please, whatever you do don't let those precious images go to waste by staying on your hardrive or in a drawer!!

And that advice would be to go simple and neutral where possible. There's two main reasons for this ; these outfits help create the most timeless images so that your photos won't look dated hanging on your walls in 20 years time. So avoid the latest fashions or anything which creates too much of a 'statement'. The second reason is that wording, pictures and patterns as well as quickly dating also distract from the main subject of your family's beautiful faces.

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I would also recommend that you have a bit of a theme/colour scheme amongst those participating in your shoot. All in jeans and white tshirts or all in baby blue and baby pink or all in creams and browns works great. Also think about the colours in your home and specifically where you are thinking of printing and hanging your images. If your lounge is the place and it's all whites and greys then maybe go for a darker grey and white or if your living room is mainly beige, try everyone in browns and creams. You are always welcome to send me over photos of outfits you are considering for that bit of extra advice and help.

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I also like to do shoes and socks off in the studio. This helps keep the floors clean and also stops bottoms of socks and shoes being accidentally in  the foreground of photos where you are sitting on the floor. I will never force anyone to remove their shoes and socks though so don't worry. If you know your family will want to wear socks, try and make sure they are just plain and neutral.

I also have a small selection of outfits for the little ones, up to around 1 year; nappy covers, rompers and tutus. Under 6 months old I prefer to use wraps over nappies and find tiny ones just get lost in proper clothes where collars and shirts crease up and can hide their cute features. Baby skin in my opinion is much more adorable than any outfit!

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Outdoors, think about the colours in your choice of location and the season. Pastels look great in spring and if it's summer in the sunflower field, bright  colours will look fab, or if it's Autumn in the woods, chunky knits with browns and oranges will look great.

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Above all else though it's important that you all feel comfortable and yourselves in the outfits you choose. So if none of the above sounds like you and your family, no problem at all, just come in what you all feel comfortable in and then your smiles and relaxed faces will shine through! 

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Homestead is probably my most used photoshoot location for outdoor shoots. I love it because there's great free parking and entry, the field opposite the carpark is huge and usually pretty quiet and the gardeners have done a great job of making sure it's looking beauitful all year round with blossom trees, patches of daffodils, bluebells, wild flowers, trees to climb and wild grass to run through. The photos usually turn out to have a lovely light and airy feel with fab natural shots of you and your family exploring nature and enjoying the great outdoors together. There's also always the incentive of the fun playground at the other side of the park to finish with.

Moorlands Nature Reserve

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Moorlands Nature Reserve is another great location to explore as a family resulting in lots of lovely natural shots. Moorlands looks stunning in full rhododendron bloom in spring, with huge bushes of flowers in every colour. Autumn too, the colours can be just stunning, but all year round this is a firm family favrouite with beautiful carved benches, logs to walk along and jump off, nature trails, pond, wooden toad stools and much more. This is a dog free location so if you're wanting to include your pooch in your pics one of the other more dog friendly locations would be better for you.

Pop Up Patch

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Opening at the end of July/beginning of August, this farm at Sutton On The Forest, has a huge field dedicated to sunflowers, wild flowers and later in the year, pumpkin picking. The kids adore this place, with hay bale stacks to climb, a fabulous vintage tractor to pretend to drive and a lovely little cafe supplying drinks, cakes and icecreams. It does cost a minimal amount to pick your own and also a subsidy for having a shoot here so do get in touch to discuss any exrta costs that choosing this location might incur.

Wolds Way Lavender

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Another stunning summer location, where you can't help but feel peaceful and relaxed surrounded by the smell of lavender. There's so much for the kids to do with a miniature train ride, huge maze, footgolf and play areas. It can take a bit of bribery to tear them away for photos in the lavender, but it's so worth it! This is also a great location for maternity shoots with that soft and dreamy feel or why not treat you and your partner to some couples photos cuddled up amongst the lavender? Again there is the entrance fee to consider for this shoot but combine your shoot with a lovely day out and it's win win!

Museum Gardens

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We are so blessed in York with amazing locations full of achitectural history and none is more impressive than Museum Garden. It's Abbey ruins provide a stunning backdrop for your photos, be it family, maternity or wedding shots. As well as the ruins there are beautiful trees and flowers and lovely little wooded areas, one featuring my favourite gate in York for adorable family photos! The only downside is that the gardens are busy all year around and so it can be tricky to avoid the tourists for your photos, but we always make it work and I think all the photoshopping people out of the background is worth it!

Acomb Woods

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With great parking and a lovely little circular walk this location is great for families with small children and dogs to explore nature for some fun relaxed and natural photos. In early spring there are lovely patches of bluebells, in summer the light dapples through the trees in impressive displays and in Autumn the colours give a darker moodier feel to your photos for a more rustic set of family pics.

Rowntrees Park

xr:d:DAFHTY1b2ww:53,j:32642903232,t:22081107 A huge park just on the outskirts of the town centre with ample parking (parking fees applicable at some times). There's a large pond, gorgeous bridge and archways, a wooded area and open fields and play areas. I especially love this location in Autumn when the colours are just stunning and there is an abundance of autumn leaves to play in, but all year round this is a fab location with so many photo oportunties. The only down side is all the geese poo there is to avoid!!

West Bank Park

xr:d:DAFHTY1b2ww:46,j:31815448869,t:22073008 Another great location for early spring, where the pagoda walk ways are brimming with hanging flowers, but great all year round with wooded areas and open fields. There's a great tree for climbing, a little pond, and a fun play area at the end where you can either have some more pics of the kids playing or use as reward for the end of your shoot. Dogs again are very welcome and love this park full of squirrels!

I've come a long way since those days, but capturing every little detail and aspect of my own children as they grew and changed so rapidly cemented for me my love of photographing babies. Every little crease, flick of hair, tiny toe, every sweet yawn and windy smile. There is nothing more special than a precious new life brought into this world with all the love and expectations surrounding them and it is always an honour to be able to capture this magical but fleeting time for new parents.

You might be surprised to hear that the newborn photography is not regulated and so anyone really can advertise as a newborn photographer with a low level of insurance and little to no training or experience. Therefore It is vitally important that you entrust someone with a high level of training and experience with your precious newborn. I have trained with some of the top newborn photography trainers and photographers in the country and have handled and photographed a multitude of tiny newborns so I know how to respond to their cues, how to make sure they are comfortable while at the same time capture those beautiful timeless images you will display on your walls for years to come!

My aim in a newborn session is to create a relaxed atmosphere where you can put your trust in me as your photographer to handle your precious little one so sessions are never rushed with lots of time to stop for feeding, cuddles and soothing. I want to you to walk away having had a lovely experience in the studio, confident that together we have captures some very special images that you will be proud of. Some clients come with lots of their own ideas and others prefer me to take the lead with choosing the props and colours, either way is fine. I love trying out new poses and ideas but also have my tried and tested favourites which never fail to dissapoint. I also love to add some elements of the season in, be it spring flowers, Autumn pumpkins or a little bit of Christmas magic.

If you are interested in booking your newborn shoot with myself then do get in touch and we can get your due date in my diary. I will send you over some newborn preparation guidance with more details of how the session will run. Even if you have already welcomed your little bundle of joy into the world it's still worth getting in touch to see if we can schedule a shoot while they are still teeny tiny. Newborn shoots are best done in the first 2 weeks if possible to get the highest chance of capturing those iconic sleepy curled up shots, but also possible up until around 6 weeks.

Or are you interested in booking a newborn shoot for your expectant family member or friend? I have some beautiful gift vouchers available which can be made out for any shoot or amount and make a lovely baby shower gift. Don't hesitate to get in touch!

Many parents do come to sessions hoping their gallery will be full of the biggest beaming smiles and together we can put plans in place to make sure this is as likely as possible, but unfortunately this is never a guarantee. If they are not finding the songs, games, or toys smile-inducing then we will simply capture their other expressions; be it coy, serious, pensive or even having a good old tantrum. Smiles are definitely not the be all and end all!  Many of my favourite photos of my own boys feature a wide range of expressions and show lots of different sides of their personalities. Usually sessions result in plenty of different expressions which all tell a lovely story of different aspects of your little one's personality.

I have lots of experience of little ones of all different personalities and in all different moods (nothing phases me!) so I will adapt the session to them and go with their flow. Some tots come in and they're all smiles and just a silly face from me will get them belly laughing. Others arrive clinging to their care giver and not daring to venture a look at this new person and place which is equally valid. Many wary little ones soon come round with a bit of time and a few games and toys, but others don't and that is okay too.

And you can help too. Be ready to join in with the silly songs and games. And be ready to use the noises and expressions and games which you know make your little one happy. Please note it is helpful if you are also crouched down behind me and the camera so baby is looking towards the camera as they watch you make a fool of yourself behind me ;-). As you know our little ones are also very led by their carers own feelings, moods and attitudes, especially in a new environment and situation. If their loved ones are relaxed and seem to have a good rapport with the photographer then they are more likely to take this lead and warm to this new strange lady with the big camera. Therefore we will take a bit of time at the start of the session to have a chat and get to know each other and create a happy and relaxed atmosphere for everyone.
 

Do let me know before the session if your baby has certain personality traits or triggers it would be helpful for me to know about. Do they tend to need a little time to warm up to new situations and people, or do they have a fear of bubbles or balloons or loud noises? Does a certain song, phrase or sound light them up? Also think about what time of day your little one is at their best? Are they more chilled in a morning, or just after they wake from their nap? And what environment would be best for them? Would the warm confines of the studio suit them or do they need a big open outdoor space to let off steam or even in their own home and garden for more of a lifestyle session?

My main aim in all my photography sessions is to accommodate my little models wants and needs and put them first and of course create a beautiful and varied gallery for you to pick your favourite images from.

Lighting is arguably the most important element in a photo; too bright and the details are lost and shadows harsh, too dark and the images turn grainy and hard to pick out. If you're taking your photo indoors, try and place your subject next to a window to get some natural light. I try to avoid using my flash as much as possible as again it makes the images look harsh and false. If you want to take photos outside on a sunny day, either go into a lightly shaded area or if in full sun have the sun behind your subject, you definately don't want it in their eyes so they're squinting. The best time for beautiful light is early morning or early evening just before sunset, in what photographers call the "golden hour".

(window lighting only v flash used in the same position)                                         

**Clothing** 

Think about what your kids are wearing. Obviously if the focus is on the outfit with special wording or a dressing up character go for it, but make sure you don't have too much else going on in the picture. But if the focus is to be on the child and their expression steer clear of big wording, logos or pictures which take the attention away from the child. If there's more than one child in the picture I think it looks fab if they are matching or co-ordinating, although I know that's not for everyone. And I also love babies and little ones showing lots of skin, but again not everyone approves.

(mismatched outfits taking attention away from subjects v co-ordinating outfits where wording is a main feature)
   

**Posing**

Parents often come to me hoping for beaming smiling faces at the camera throughout the shoot, but often it's the photos of them just doing their own thing and showing their little personalities that they end up loving the most. A big 'cheese' to the camera only shows one side of their personality and while it can be cute, I love photos of them absorbed in a task or even having a big tantrum; every area of life needs documenting, not just the good!!

 (my boys showing their personalities!!!)

**Background**

Think about the background. I love a plain background, especially a brick wall or wooden fence. If plain isn't an option or you want to feature the background, make sure there are no really distracting objects you don't want the viewer to focus on. Especially avoid background objects which are brighter than the subject as the eye of the viewer will be drawn to that first.

 (distracting background v plain background)

**Angles**

Try lots of different angles. Get down on your child's level, come in close to highlight small details. Take from above and get your child to look up. Action shots can be difficult on a phone unless you have a special sports setting or can increase the shutter speed, just have a play around.

 (taken from above & action shot) 

**Composition**

Think about how you compose your shot. Have a google of the 'rule of thirds'. Some cropping in editing can transform an image by improvising composition. If your shot is a portrait, make sure the eyes are the focus.

(subject on a third & portrait with focus on eyes)

**Edit**

Many modern phones have basic in built editing so you can easily, crop, lighten, increase the contrast etc. Or you can download a simple editing app. Try your image in black and white too; often a photo that we would have discarded otherwise can be transformed by being in black and white. This medium can cover a multitude of sins.

(would have discarded but looks better in black and white)

Just don't go getting too good at taking pictures of your kids on your phone and put me out of business ;-)

(All photos featured taken on Huawei P20 Pro and edited in Lightroom)