Helen Bartlett

Just One - Seiji - Children and family photography in Kensington

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:00 +0100

Today's blog post is another 'Just One' image from a busy weekend of children and family photo shoots, this time taken on location in Kensington in West London SW7 and another photograph that I am particularly pleased with.

This was my second photo shoot with Megumi and her lovely family in Kensington and it was so nice to see them all again. When I last visited the family, Seiji was only one month old and we had a wonderful newborn and family shoot with his older siblings in Holland Park W11.

The first years seem to fly by so fast - it seems like yesterday that Seiji was a tiny baby and today he is running around, eating rice cakes and exploring the park with his brother and sister. As a London-based baby children and family photographer, it's so lovely to record these different stages and take pictures that the family will enjoy for years to come - photography is great like that, something that really increases in value over the years as memories become caught up in the pictures. Memories for the family - not of a photo shoot with me - but of the many summer days spent at their local parks, the games they like to play and the cuddles and snuggles that make the bond between parent and child so special.

This image caught my eye as I began to download the memory cards from our shoot. I love the sense of movement and space and, above all, absolute joy. I'm sure children experience things to a totally different level, I don't remember the last time I was that joyous and this is just one moment of many in a morning - oh to be two years old again!

I hope you enjoy this image too and do check back soon to see more from this family and children's photography session in Kensington SW7 in West London.

Just One - Max - Family photography in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:00 +0100

Today's 'Just One' image is from my family and children's photo shoot with Fiona and her wonderful family in Bushy Park, near to Fiona's home in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey. It's a shot that I knew was fantastic as soon as the shutter clicked - I was so excited about it that as soon as I got home, I downloaded my memory cards to look for it. It made me laugh at the time and it makes me laugh now.

I was lucky enough to meet Fiona about six years ago when I photographed her family when they were still living in Balham in South London. We had a great shoot and one of the pictures of her daughter Emma was to be seen in my adverts in magazines all over London for a while (a picture I still love to this day). I was thrilled when Fiona contacted us recently to ask me to visit the family at their new home in Walton-on-Thames. Since my last visit, the family has grown and there are now four children - the magic number I always think, being the youngest of four myself - and a real joy for me to photograph. I love the chaos and the comeraderie of a big family so much.

This picture of Max and the duck was taken about halfway into our shoot. We were exploring Bushy Park and heading back slowly towards the car from our recent activity of 'Duck, Duck, Goose' (a wonderful game if you haven't come across it before) and, as if on cue, a family of ducks wandered up to see what we were doing. The children had been feeding the ducks earlier and were keen to offer some more bagels to the lucky birds. Max stood on a tree stump and started feeding them.

It was a moment when all the elements came together - Max beautifully back lit against a lovely simple background with his hair catching in the light, and the single duck looking up - the engagement between boy and bird so clear. I shot this image with a really wide aperture to create a lovely mystical feel to the image and I'm so pleased - it could be a picture postcard from the nineteeth century (cool trainers aside, of course).

I hope you like this image as much as I do. As you can imagine, there are lots of other cracking pictures from our family photo shoot featuring all the other children too, and I'll be sharing those soon on the blog. In the meantime, here's a bit of a personal favorite from our children and family photo shoot in Bushy Park in Surrey TW11 near Fiona's Walton-on-Thames home.

Newborn baby and family photography in Crouch End, London N8

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:30 +0100

I love photographing newborn babies and their families, and I love Crouch End, my new North London home. I was thrilled when Antonia asked me to visit her family and photograph their beautiful newborn daughter Ava just a week before I moved to the area in North London.

There is something so magical about a newborn photo shoot - there is such an incredible amount of love and wonder in the air as parents exchange giggling glances throughout the shoot: look what we did! Isn’t this incredible! Our daughter is amazing! It’s a real pleasure to be around and I always leave a newborn and family photography session feeling a real buzz from being around such fabulous emotions. It’s a special time and no mistake.

Ava was a wonderful baby to photograph - so alert, she spent almost the entire photo session awake, looking around, and making lots of happy little noises – chatting away to us as only a tiny baby can. It really was a joy to behold.

We were so lucky that the weather was warming-up so we went outdoors for a few pictures too - the first time I have been able to do that with a newborn baby this year. The light was incredible in Antonia and Ross’ Crouch End garden and provided a magical setting for some newborn and family photographs. As a photographer I love working with interesting light and really enjoyed taking these newborn and family photographs.

We then headed back indoors for some more family shots and pictures of Ava on her own. We worked in different rooms throughout the house to maximise the variety of images. I also like to incorporate the environment as much as I can in my photo shoots, as this allows me to produce pictures that are unique to each family and will bring back memories of the time and the house as well as of the special moments with the family. Sometimes it’s the little things that bring back memories as we get older – the squidy sofa, the lamp or vase on the mantelpiece - and it’s nice to include some of these elements in pictures.

We had a great morning together and I’m so thrilled with the pictures from our newborn and family photo shoot in Crouch End, North London N8. I do hope you will enjoy them.

If you would like me to visit and capture some pictures of your own family, please contact us - we would be delighted to hear from you.

Muswell Hill newborn baby and family photography

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:00 +0100

Last weekend I woke up in my new house in Crouch End for the first time. The sun was shining and I was delighted to be catching the bus for a local newborn baby and family photography session in Muswell Hill. I have known Paula for a number of years now as she worked with my boyfriend (the talented wedding photographer Tom Catchesides) at the Cambridge Film Festival. I was delighted to hear that she was expecting a baby, and doubly excited when we scheduled in a newborn baby and family photography session for her twin baby boys at their lovely home in Muswell Hill, North London N10.

As always, I was up bright and early for our newborn baby photo shoot and I arrived at 8am to find the family just finishing breakfast. Coffee was drunk and the boys were so serene drinking their milk and preparing for their moment in front of the camera.

After breakfast we began our shoot by capturing lots of family shots and also pictures of the boys together and individually, creating a really lovely record of this very special time. Newborn babies grow so fast that it is only in the first couple of weeks that you can really capture this early stage.

I love photographing newborn babies – capturing their tiny snoozing faces, those early glances and interactions with their parents, the little gestures and minute details that are marvelled over by new parents with such joy and wonder - the curl of the hair, the shape of the ears, the little fingers and tiny toes. It’s such a special time and a priviledge to capture this in newborn baby and family photo sessions in such a wonderful setting as Paula’s beautiful Muswell Hill flat in North London.

With the spring showers holding off, we finished our shoot with a few photographs in the garden of Paula’s home. It’s always interesting to look for a different perspective in a London garden and I always enjoy finding plants to use as foreground to add depth and interest to a family portrait. Today I enjoyed shooting through the lovely young tree in the garden and also integrating the garden studio into the images – particularly the ‘Living the Dream’ sign, which was bought as a joke but somehow summed up the feeling of being the luckiest people in the world that was so wonderful to behold when Paula and Pascal looked at their beautiful newborn baby boys.

I hope you enjoy this selection of newborn baby and family portrait photographs from Muswell Hill in North London N10 as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Richmond Park children's and family photographer

Sun, 12 May 2013 10:10 +0100

The sun was shining and the world looked bright and new when I arrived in Richmond for Caroline and Lottie’s springtime children's and family portrait photo shoot. As a London-based children and family portrait photographer, I travel all over the capital but Richmond Park holds a special place in my affections. I have been photographing here over the past ten years and I honestly don’t think I have been to the same area twice – it’s just so diverse. Everywhere you look are fabulous backdrops for family portrait photographs and great activities for the children to do so that they enjoy themselves and have a wonderful time while I take pictures.

It’s always a pleasure to see Lottie and this was our third children and family portrait photography session. Lottie is an absolute joy to photograph and one of the happiest children I’ve ever met, always smiling.

As always I arrived nice and early and was greated with a smile and a cup of coffee (always so important first thing in the morning I find). Lottie played while Caroline and I caught up and worked out a plan for the day, being sure to pack the essentials for the park – drinks, snacks and wipes, always wipes!

And then we headed out to the park, taking advantage of a wonderful morning light before too many other people were around. There is something so magical about an early morning in a London park with the dog walkers, runners and - in Richmond Park especially - the many, many cyclists. Everyone has a smile for the other intrepid souls who have got up and out before 9am on a Saturday.

As soon as we arrived at Richmond Park, Lottie was off climbing on a pile of logs and I was straight after her, snapping away, looking for the best angles and the interesting light. Bright sunny days can create tricky lighting conditions and I’m always looking for light that will flatter and add to the picture.

We climbed on trees, climbed in trees, over trees and hid behind them (the hide and seek picture which was the Just One preview image from this shoot is a definite favorite of mine). We had an amazing time and I’m so pleased with the pictures from our children and family portrait photography shoot taken on location in Richmond Park, London.

Just One - Gael and Kamil - Muswell Hill N10 newborn baby photographer

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:00 +0100

It was fantastic timing that, on the first morning I woke up after moving into my new house in Crouch End, I had a local newborn baby photo shoot in nearby Muswell Hill, North London N10. As a London-based newborn baby photographer, it is lovely to discover this new area and as my new home is in Crouch End, I look forward to Muswell Hill becoming a regular location for my newborn baby and family photography.

I was absolutely thrilled to visit Paula and Pascal in their lovely home for our photo shoot. Their newborn twins, Gael and Kamil, were such a joy - really chilled out and so much fun to photograph. We had a great time taking pictures, drinking coffee, chatting and laughing as Paula and Pascal spent a wonderful morning relaxing with their babies as I took pictures.

Today's 'Just One' preview image caught my eye as I began processing to pictures. I love it as it is so tender - such proud happy parents so clearly bowled over by their beautiful new baby boys and blissfully happy. It makes me smile just to look at it.

I hope you enjoy this 'Just One' image from our baby and family photography session in Muswell Hill, North London N10 and N8 featuring gorgeous newborn twins.

If you would like me to visit and capture some pictures of your own family, please contact us - we would be delighted to hear from you.

Just One - baby photography in Holland Park

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:15 +0100

Today's 'Just One' preview image is from a recent baby photography session in Holland Park in West London.

As a London-based baby, children and family photographer, I have got to know Holland Park very well over the last ten years, photographing lots of different families and also revisiting those families as the children grow and new members of the family are born.

I am lucky enough to be documenting this charming baby's first year and this was our third photo shoot, having already captured newborn pictures when he was just a few days old and also at three months, and now at six months with his Christening fast approaching at the weekend. He is an absolute delight and I'm always so thrilled to visit him at the family's beautiful Holland Park home for our baby portrait photo sessions.

This 'Just One' image made me laugh out loud! He has the most expressive eyes and I love how teddy is peeking over the covers, too.

I do hope you enjoy this baby portrait photograph taken on location in Holland Park in Kensington and Chelsea in West London, and be sure to check back soon for more images from this photo shoot.

Stories behind the Images - the highest leap in the world!

Sun, 05 May 2013 10:00 +0100

Sometimes a photograph needs an accompanying before and after picture to show that it is real, and this is definitely one of those instances. So many people have asked if this photograph was put together in Photoshop but no, Adam really did jump this high over his family, much to his wife and children’s amusement!

This photograph was taken on a beautiful beach in Rock in Cornwall last August - we had such a wonderful time taking it, and even now I am still so thrilled with the result.

We had been walking and playing on the beach for a while when we came across a giant hole in the sand. Clearly some bigger children had spent a happy time the day before digging it out – I think the fascination with holes is one that will never really end. Even now, I love digging holes and hiding in them when I’m on the beach, and I have many happy memories of digging and burying each other when playing as a child with my older brothers.

Of course the obvious thing to do when confronted by a hole is to jump in, and that is exactly what Poppy and Edward did as soon as they saw it - jump in, jump out, frighten mummy and daddy by large cries of ‘BOO!’, that kind of thing. It was great fun and I was clicking away taking different pictures at interesting angles. Then mummy jumped in too, ever ready to get involved with a game, and then daddy jumped… not in, but over! The children whooped with delight, the most hilarious thing ever!!!!

I have to admit, we didn’t catch the perfect shot on the first take. Personally, I was so surprised that Adam would even think of jumping that high and that far over a hole, let alone that he did it with such skill! But of course, it wasn’t just me shouting ‘again, again’ in the manner of an over-excited Teletubbie!

And Adam did jump, again and again, and this was the result - a classic photograph, even if I do say so myself!

Baby photography in Hampshire

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00 +0100

It was a train journey down to Hampshire for today’s baby and family photo shoot, to the town of Havant on the south coast. I’ve visited Havant a few times before - once for a family photo shoot and twice when I ran the Portsmouth half marathon - so I was really pleased to be visiting again, it’s a lovely part of the world.

It was wonderful to meet Vicky, her husband Andrew and their beautiful daughter Lillie-Mae for their baby and family photo shoot. When I arrived at the house, slightly befuddled after a snooze on the train from London and looking forward to a cup of coffee, I was greeted by the most incredible smile from Lillie-Mae, a real show shopper of a grin that really lit up the room from her position sitting on the floor of her playroom. I knew immediately that I was in for a treat and I was not disappointed.

We had such a great time. Vicky and Andrew's Hampshire home was absolutely stunning and the wonderful interior decoration made for such a great location for our photo shoot. We moved between rooms to keep things interesting for Lillie-Mae and also to utilise as many of the lovely interiors as possible, from the delicate wallpaper in the playroom to the wonderful chairs in the drawing room and the great light in the parents' bedroom.

We had a wonderful morning together and I am absolutely thrilled with the images. Vicky had some beautiful outfits for Lillie-Mae and I’m sure she will enjoy playing in her tutu for a long time to come – it's such a pretty skirt.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our baby and family photo shoot in Hampshire, I do hope you enjoy them.

Just One - Lottie

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:00 +0100

For today's children's and family photo shoot, I headed south to the London borough of Richmond and its majestic park.

I've been lucky enough to photograph Lottie three times now (on Wimbledon Common last year and also when Lottie was just under a year old) and she is always an absolute delight - such a jolly little thing, always smiling and laughing. I knew we would have a great time and I had been very much looking forward to our session.

We had such a wonderful morning, heading to the spectacular Richmond Park for our family photo shoot. I love Richmond Park as a location for kids photography - as a photographer, it has so much to offer with its beautiful light, great sweeping landscapes, and tons and tons of trees to play in, on and around. I do love trees.

The image I have chosen for today's 'Just One' preview image was an immediate favourite from the moment I clicked the shutter. It was taken during a game of hide and seek and I love the fact that Lottie is clearly so tiny behind such a wonderful tree - a tree that must have stood in that spot for hundreds of years, seeing so much pass by, and being a place to play for generations of children.

I do hope you enjoy this favorite preview photograph from our children's and family portrait photography session in Richmond, South West London TW10 and do check back in a few weeks time to see some more images from our fun-filled shoot.

Just One - Gemma

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:00 +0100

Greenwich Park is one of my favourite places in the world - for sitting with friends on a sunny day, for running, and, of course, for capturing beautiful children's and family portrait photographs. It is the most beautiful park in London. I love everything about it from the spectacular trees in the flower garden to the bandstand (where I once played a steel band concert!), to the giant hill that is so great for sledging. Greenwich is a great park and a wonderful location for family portrait photography.

I was absolutely thrilled when Gemma suggested we visit Greenwich Park in London for our family photo shoot with her three stunningly beautiful children (make sure that you check back on the blog in a couple of weeks time to see some more pictures from this shoot, they are just gorgeous).

The day dawned with pouring rain but it wasn't long before Gemma said that as a family they tend to go out whatever the weather and as you know, I'm waterproof too, so we jumped in the car and headed to the park. By the time we arrived, the weather was drying up and we even had some sun!

This picture caught my eye as I started downloading the pictures from our shoot. I love the simplicity of it as a portrait with its lovely composition, great light and what a wonderful expression - so full of joy and fun. It's the breeze blowing in Mia's hair that grabs me most, though - all that life and movement captured in a still image which for me feels like it is a sign of the pent-up energy and movement. Mia is standing still, for a split second, looking at the camera and yet we know in a split second she will be off again - running, jumping, climbing, doing all the things that children do and all the things that make photographing families and children so much fun.

It's that split second of quiet that I love and Mia's grin which says to me, 'come on Helen, let's go and play!' that made me choose this image for today's 'Just One' preview image from our children's and family photo shoot in Greenwich in South London SE10.

I do hope you enjoy it and be sure to check back on the blog to see some more images soon.

Family and children's portrait photography in Nantwich, Cheshire

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:00 +0100

Today’s wonderful family photo shoot took place a bit off the beaten track for me – instead of my usual journey into London to capture photographs in one of the parks, I was off to Nantwich in Cheshire to photograph my dear friend and fellow photographer, Jill Thorning-Jensen and her beautiful family.

It was great to explore a new part of the country and I felt rewarded by one of the first days of decent weather this year. I almost didn’t know what to do with myself, it has been such a long winter!

We ummed and ahhed as to where to go for our portrait session before deciding on a local National Trust property as an ideal spot for our children's and family photo shoot. The family really enjoy making the very best use of their National Trust membership and big gardens always make for great locations for fine art photo shoots.

It was a great location with so much variety and it was lovely to explore the grounds. The playground was wonderful – recently refurbished with lots of different elements, all tastefully done using wood and natural materials (which always looks just that bit nicer than the metal playgrounds of my youth). It was funny to note that the apparatus we spent longest on though was a balance log – a more sophisticated version of the fallen tree. The simplest games really are often the best.

We had a picnic (complete with a nice cup of tea) and then decided that it was perfect weather to fly kites – the shop must have done a roaring trade that day, every child seemed to be wielding a small kit but, unlike the kit kites of my childhood, these ones actually flew. Brilliant! It was so much fun and a lovely activity for pictures - there's so much enjoyment and satisfaction to be had from such a traditional toy.

We finished our day with some more family pictures in the reeds down by the lake, a lovely lovely spot that was complemented by the spring sunlight. Magic!

I hope you enjoy this selection of my favourites pictures from our children's and family portrait session taken on location in Nantwich, Cheshire. If you would like me to visit and capture some pictures of your own family, please contact us - we would be delighted to hear from you.

Just One - Ava

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:30 +0100

'The sun has got his hat on, hip-hip-hip-hooray!'

I admit that I did have a little sing to myself as I travelled across London to my shoot this morning - the sun was shining, the bus ran on time and I was heading to Crouch End to photograph a newborn baby just a week and a few days before I move to Crouch End myself. I'm excited!

I was thrilled when Antonia called to book our newborn and family portrait session this morning, and we had such a great time together. The pictures are still importing into Lightroom as I type, but I knew that I wanted to have a look for this picture as today's 'Just One' preview image. Sometimes you can really feel something coming together during a photo shoot and this was one of those moments during this morning's portrait session.

It was great to be able to go outdoors for a few pictures - we had beuatiful backlighting in the garden and I quickly found myself lying on the grass to capture a really lovely foreground element with the sun-dappled flowers in Antonia's beautiful garden.

Baby Ava was a joy to photograph - so alert and chatty (as only a newborn baby can be with lots of happy, wiffly noises). Antonia, Ross and I had a wonderful time chatting away as I photographed - I'm especially excited to try out the Japanese restaurant Ross recommended!

So here we are, a 'Just One' image from our newborn and family portrait photography shoot in Crouch End, North London N8. Be sure to check back on the blog soon to see more images from today's portrait session.

Just One - Jill

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00 +0100

Today's 'Just One' preview image comes from my family shoot with my dear friend Jill in Nantwich, Cheshire. It's always such a pleasure to photograph another photographer's children and we had the most wonderful day together.

When mulling over our options for a good location for our family pictures, we chose a nearby National Trust garden - it was beautifully manicured, had a fantastic playground and of course, really lovely banks to roll down (you will need to wait for the full blog post for those pictures, but they are crackers!).

We had also had some sunshine, which was a very welcome change from recent wet weather and we spent the most amazing day having fun with the children.

This is a favourite family shot from the day - I do hope you like it.

Just One - Jemima and Sabrina

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:00 +0100

Sometimes I am laughing so much I have to remember to take the photograph, and this was the case for today's 'Just One' image from my recent children's and family photoshoot in Knightsbridge, London SW1X.

There is something about children hiding, making dens and the wonderful small spaces that children can fit into that just makes me laugh. I think it's the fact that my brothers and I spent so much time building dens as children that they really appeal to me - whether they are elaborate wooden structures, fabulous cushion castles or just the simple things - hiding in a cupboard or, in this case, under a desk. It's the essence of childhood to me.

There is a wonderful snugness about these kind of hiding places, a togetherness for siblings, and a joy and anticipation while hiding from the Gruffalo. We all know that the squeals of excitement are coming, only moments away.

I'm so thrilled with this image, it captures all of it: the fun, the excitement, the energy and the happiness that such a simple game can bring.

I hope you like it as much as I do and enjoy this sneak preview image from my recent children's and family photography shoot in Knightsbridge London SW1X.

Children's and family portrait photography in Lyme Regis, Dorset

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:00 +0100

Today's blog post features pictures from the second half of my friend Ed's fortieth birthday celebrations during the Easter weekend in Lyme Regis, Dorset. (For the first part, please take a look at the post from earlier in the week here.)

As so many of Ed's friends now have children, the weekend was arranged around a number of great activities - playing on the beach, fossil hunting, drinks at his parents' cottage, crazy golf and, of course, a re-enactment of the famous scene from Jane Austen's Persuasion on the Cobb in Lyme Regis!

It was such a fun weekend and everyone was very relaxed. As you can imagine, there were plenty of opportunities for children's and family photography as everyone had fun and enjoyed themselves. We even briefly saw the sun!

Here are a few favourites from the weekend, mostly featuring the children because, well, they are just so much fun to photograph! I hope you enjoy this selection of pictures from the weekend.

Just One - Stella

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:00 +0100

I've been lucky enough to photograph Stella and her wonderful family on four occasions now, and so I was really looking forward to our family photo shoot in Parsons Green in London SW3 yesterday.

As always, we had a wonderful morning together. The weather was, well... the weather was typical of the fine English spring that we are having this year and it was rather damp. But never one to let the weather hold me back, we chose to ignore it and had a wonderful morning with pictures at home, at the park (the great thing about a grey day is having the playground all to ourselves) and then - to my absolute excitement - to the local steam fair that is currently on Parsons Green, which was such a wonderful location for our children's and family portrait photography shoot.

Even as I was taking this series of family pictures, I knew that I was capturing something special. As a photographer, sometimes you have to make a call - go for something really special, or take the safe shot. Where possible, I like to do both but it's always the super cool shot (if it works, of course) that makes the day.

I'm thrilled with this image. I love the movement of the carousel, Stella's evident joy in the moment and the picture of love and happiness that the family make together. I absolutely love it and I hope you will enjoy this shot from our children's and family shoot in Parsons Green, London SW3 as much as I do. Be sure to check back on the blog soon for some more images from this fabulous family portrait session.

Family photography in Lyme Regis, Dorset

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:40 +0100

Today's blog is the first of two posts from Ed's fabulous 40th birthday weekend. I've been lucky enough to know Ed for many years now, since my first history lecture at Cardiff University when he sat down next to me and introduced himself. He has been one of my closest friends ever since and I was thrilled to be invited to his 40th birthday extravaganza at his parents' house in Lyme Regis in Dorset over the Easter weekend.

Ed's family and friends gathered from all over the country (and from America for his big brother and his family). It was going to be fantastic.

I suggested that we arrange a family shoot during the weekend - it's not often that everyone gets together and I know how dearly Ed loves his brothers and their families, I've been hearing all about the nieces and nephews for years. My offer was gladly accepted so I looked like I was moving into the B&B when I arrived with suitcases of clothes for Tom and I, and enormous bags of cameras.

Good Friday was bitterly cold but it didn't rain! I was amazed, thrilled and frankly very surprised - it's been such a wet spring.

We started our day indoors with a bit of play and some egg decoration while baby William had his nap, and some general chilling out as the cousins enjoyed each other's company and the brothers caught up after months apart. It was a wonderful atmosphere and I was so pleased to be a part of it.

To be able to capture a big family group photo, we did need to get outside as there simply wasn't room in Ed's parents beautiful cottage to get a nice shot of everyone together so hats and coats were put on and we went down to the beach. Oh it was bitterly cold but perfect as the beach was empty and it really felt like a British childhood holiday - a bit on the chilly side, but a stiff upper lip and all that!

As always, the older children didn't notice the cold at all and holes were dug in the sand and fun was had.

To warm up, we headed to the pub for ice cream (!?!) and chat before heading home.

It was a wonderful start to the weekend and I'm so thrilled with capturing this set of family photographs for one of my dearest friends.

I do hope you like them. More pictures shall follow from the rest of the weekend - after all, how many birthday parties involve a re-enactment of a scene from Jane Austen's Persuasion!

Just One - Lillie-Mae

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:00 +0100

Today's 'Just One' image features the beautiful Lillie-Mae, who is an absolute cutie and a real joy to photograph.

I was thrilled when Vicky contacted us to ask if I would travel down to Havant in Hampshire to photograph her family - I'm always up for an early morning train journey from London, particularly when there is such a wonderful subject to photograph at the other end.

When I walked into the kitchen of their beautiful home, Lillie-Mae was sitting on the floor beaming with the most enormous smile and I knew we were going to have such a good day - I was absolutely right.

I have chosen this shot for today's 'Just One' sneak peek as this is the same smile that greeted me upon arrival - absolutely wonderful!

I hope you enjoy this image and do check the blog for the some more images from our family and baby photo shoot very soon, there are some absolute corkers!

Stories behind the images - The Walk to Paradise Garden

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:00 +0100

This month's image was inspired by a picture by one of my favourite photographers – the late, great W. Eugene Smith and his famous shot of his children, The Walk to Paradise Garden.

One of the best things about photography on location is the inability to plan. Until I arrive somewhere on the day, I have no idea what I will discover - even if, like Holland Park, it is a location that I know very well. Each day the light will be different, different things will be happening and the children will have different ideas about what they want to play and where they want to do it.

So I never plan my shots in advance, preferring to follow the momentum of the action on the day. This also helps to ensure that each photo shoot is unique to the family involved - I don’t have a set of stock poses and locations that I use week in, week out - everything is fluid.

I was thrilled when we began to head towards the nature reserve in Holland Park and I saw this tunnel of light open up before us. The family were walking together, so I softly called to the parents to hang back and let the children go on ahead. I saw in my mind’s eye Smith’s wonderful shot, but wanted to give it my own twist – to take in the scale of the trees and how small, how young, how innocent the children are while retaining the feeling of exploration and of sibling protection that I feel is key to the original shot.

As I pressed the shutter, I knew it would be magical. The children holding hands and talking seriously to each other – who knows what about. I wonder if they will remember when they look at this picture when they are older?