Capture the moments – all of them
Snow is rare, especially in Winchester, and the images you take will capture lasting memories of your family’s enjoyment of the snow.
Why not try dressing your children in bright colours? The contrast of the colour against the white backdrop will really make the image come alive and show your child as the focus of the image. Hats, scarves, gloves, wellies, snowsuits, coats, lets face it it’s all about staying warm, it’s not really a day for worrying about coordination!
It’s not just about capturing the action; it’s capturing the detail too. The creation of a snowball in their tiny hands, their footprint in the snow or a close up of their wellies covered in the white stuff. Rosy cheeks, smiles of delight, don’t be afraid to get right up close to the action. How about a collection of family snow footprints?
If the children are moving too quickly and you need a break with some static subjects, find the details in the landscape. Look for colour popping through the white wherever you can, in nature, wildlife, and architecture. Snow can make everything look fascinating so spend the time really looking and capturing what you see.
If you are venturing outside of your own garden, think about places you might be able to walk to safely which can show the vast expanse of white which surrounds you. A quiet street, rolling hills, fields and valleys, it really is a sight to be a behold if you can get it to. Why not take advantage of the space that surrounds a subject (known as negative space) by creating images with your brightly coloured children as subjects? Place your children in the centre of the image, they can be running away, playing, having fun, but bring the focus to them by surrounding them with a fabulous snow scape.
Children aren’t going to want to pose and pout while you try and fiddle with your camera settings. Neither are they going to want to run to and from you while you try and get them central in the image. Let them play, let them have fun, and work around them. Try not to have too many specific images in mind, I can guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Moving too fast?
What do I do if my child is whizzing down the hill on a sledge and all my images come out blurry? What if I want to capture the pure delight of them throwing a snowball? In manual mode, using a fast shutter speed will help you capture those blur free images. Increasing the speed will decrease the blur!
Enhance your story
Ever heard of the rule of thirds in photography? Ever tried to apply it? As you look through the camera, imagine your image is split into thirds with two vertical lines. Try placing your subject in the first or third area of the grid which helps the viewer engage with the image and it can sometimes offer a sense of adventure or movement and gives a sense of action.
Get in the photographs!
I am the worst culprit for hiding behind the camera but let’s face it, how often do we have snow like this! I think I can remember maybe 2 or 3 times as a child seeing the snow and although this time it might not be a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ situation, you never know when (or if!) we might see it again. So pass the camera to someone else, or set up a tripod and get involved with the action. I promise you in years to come you will be pleased that you are a part of you family’s visual history, and so will your children.
Exposure
Something you might want to try is slightly over exposing you images. This little trick will ensure your snow looks bright white, and not grey. The brightness of the snow can sometimes be too overwhelming and your images may appear darker than you expect so if you are shooting in manual, adjust the exposure and try a range of different ones to see which gives you the desired effect. You can overexpose by slowing down your shutter speed or opening your aperature will help your snow to sparkle.
If using the manual setting is a bit mind-boggling, you can always shoot in auto and then edit the image and play with the exposure or brightness setting using an editing tool. Alternatively, see if your camera has a beach or snow shooting mode which automatically compensates for the intensity of your surroundings.
Wrap up warm
It’s freezing out there and more snow is on its way, along with a red weather warning so stay safe and keep warm. Layers are best (we managed to squeeze our feet into welly boots with 4 pairs of socks on!) and make sure little ones have appropriate clothing to keep them snuggly warm.
Snow isn’t for everyone and as much as you probably want your little one to love it, it may be a completely new experience for them and they might just be a bit overwhelmed by it. If they get upset and just aren’t enjoying themselves, abandon and try again another time.
Don’t stay out for too long, or go out if the conditions are too treacherous. The beauty of the snow sticking around is that you can keep nipping out and enjoying it when it is safe to! Make sure you come in from the cold and defrost with a hot chocolate and marshmallows as often as you can.
Whatever you wear, these are the moments that are going to be captured forever, so make sure its something that you really love and will want to hang on your wall forever.
If you want some ideas for some fabulous ideas for children’s clothing, look no further…..
This month, Picked by Penny launched in Hampshire. Opened by local Mum Abbey, Picked by Penny offers a range of organic clothing for babies and children up to the age of 10. She brings ranges of clothes made for children to Southampton making them easy and accessible for busy parents.
Abbey’s brand is inspired by her daughter, Penny, who loves dressing in the bright, fun outfits which are kind to her skin and to our planet. After receiving lots of compliments about Penny’s ‘funky’ clothing Abbey decided to help other parents (including me!) shop for these fabulous outfits.
Picked by Penny’s stock is sourced from a range of brands which include Frugi, Kite, Maxomorra, Piccalilly, Slugs & Snails and Smafolk. The outfits are bright, colourful, and embrace everything that children love, animals, rainbows, flowers, buses, trains… the list goes on!
We were delighted to be invited to work with Picked by Penny to showcase some of the fabulous items and help advertise the wonderful work Abbey is doing to capture the ‘child’ within.
This very special ‘ladybird’ dress from Kite came accompanied with ‘ladybird’ tights, which my daughter was very taken with. The colours were true to the online images and the bright and bold images really ‘popped’ in her wardrobe, we couldn’t wait to try it on! We wanted a day where we could get out and about and following the endless days of rain, we finally saw some sun, so we headed to the beach!
The outfit was warm, comfortable and incredible soft to the touch. Elsie was very proud of her ‘ladybirds’ which she kept pointing at and counting whenever she saw people. We had lots of lovely comments from members of the public about her dress and she looked like a real ray of sunshine enjoying every moment of her time wearing it. The moments captured below show the pure joy of being out and about and communicate how proud she was of her fabulous ‘ladybirds’.
I have found myself browsing the Picked by Penny website a couple of times a week and already have my eye on a number of the other items…. I particularly love the unicorn dress, the dino dungarees, the woodsy set… Thinking ahead to the bluebells….
As Abbey says, she is an ordinary mum who wants to help you fall in love with extra ordinary clothes. It’s moments like these, in outfits like these that we want to ensure you capture with your children.
Shopping with Picked by Penny is easy, you can shop online here: https://www.pickedbypenny.co.
January blues are definitely real. All the festivities are over, the new year has been celebrated, resolutions have been decided and now it’s just… January. The days are still short, it’s cold (and very wet!), no one has any money and all their get up and go has gone. How do we make it through January?
We dream. We search for holidays to sunny places, we plan house moves, we decide to decorate, we try desperately to keep ourselves occupied until Winter is over and the signs of Spring begin to arrive.
This Winter, we seem to have been plagued with so much illness with many of us sporting back to back colds, coughs and viruses that we just can’t shift. What a miserable time it can be! It all seems never ending.
We must remember though, it’s not actually January’s fault. It didn’t choose to be the first month of the year, it didn’t choose to follow one of the most exciting months of the year, it wants to be full of hope and promise and help you to figure out what 2018 holds for you.
For us, we are embarking on a number of exciting ventures this year – not all of them business based! We are in the process of planning a new extension to our house, we have lots of new ideas to explore including breaking into the fashion industry and exploring marketing and advertising work in our photography, we also have a very big surprise to unveil soon!
We hope you have coped with January so far, and we hope you have spent time planning your exciting adventures for 2018, and we can’t wait to share ours with you….
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We attended the Jiggety-Jig, Heigh-Ho and Rock’n’Roll classes on Monday morning and it was the most wonderful way to start the week, babies as young as 3 months up to toddlers of 3 years, its always such fun to work with a range of little people and their parents. Paula is a teacher, a musician and a mother and her passion truly comes through from the moment you step through the magic Monkey Music doors.
There were scarves, tambourines, boom pipes, shakers, parachutes, chimes, ribbons…. It was jam packed with the most wonderful props for us all to enjoy. Images with these items are always sightly more tricky to capture, not only is the subject moving with the music but the excitement of the sensory material overflows in their their movement and they barely stay still for more than a second. With determination, I was pleased with the amount of little ones whose precious moments we captured.
The classes are all filled with wonderfully catchy tunes, sensory and stimulating visual experiences which are varied and creative. In the older classes, there is a focus on language development and independence as well as self-expression is encouraged. It was great to see children working independently and really getting involved, communicating use music, and throwing themselves into every single activity.
Although the babies and children will continue to come to their classes, they will never come to this class again, the class they attended on that day. The day they will have learnt something new. Whether it be gripping a shaker or shaking it in time to the music, standing unaided for the first time or independently playing the gathering drum, playing peekaboo with a bright coloured silk or laughing with glee in the autumn leaves, the moments from today's session have been captured to be treasured forever.
There were hundreds of smiles from both parents and little ones and the room was filled with so much warmth and creativity. There were such an incredible range of activities in each class it was hard to believe that they only last 30 minutes, it was like being transported to a magical musical land which no one wanted to leave. The education aspect which Paula brings to the class enabled everyone to understand the purpose of the activities and the way in which they work to aid development, some of which is fascinating!
Monkey Music explain that ‘children who attend music class show improved memory, they smile more, and develop better communication skills’. If that’s the case, then what better way to start their educational journey than popping along to a complimentary class and seeing what you think!
So many special memories are made in classes like these and it was fabulous to have the opportunity to witness some of them in the session and allow parents the chance to truly treasure them forever.
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Advertised as a ‘family friendly’ event, on the final Saturday before Christmas, it sounded right up my street. As a musician myself, live music is particularly exciting to me. I grew up in a family who celebrated music, appreciated music and I have many happy musical memories from my childhood.
Whilst growing up there were the obligatory ‘Recorder’ lessons in primary school and I had the honour of joining ‘Recorder Choir’, performing a whole range of interesting pieces, much to the delight of my very supportive family. During Middle School I graduated to the Flute and spent many hours practising for various grades and performances. From there my love for music developed as I learnt the Tenor Saxophone, the Piano and finally the Oboe. I sang in the choir, performed in a range of school productions, and loved a very eclectic mixture and range of music – I still do! So any performance involving music is one for me…
I was lucky enough to learn how to read music at a very early age and my friends and I enjoyed singing in harmony in our spare time – we really were that cool. Looking back now I can see that music was and remains a significant part of my identity and it is my intention to continue sharing this love of music with my family as it grows.
Last December, I booked my tickets and off we went to the concert. It was located in a beautiful, hidden gem of a building in Winchester – The United Church on Jewry St. If you ever get the chance to visit this building and walk beyond the room in which the Child Health Clinic takes place, it is truly wonderful. Once there, I noticed a sign about a photographer being present, I looked around but couldn’t see anyone actively taking photographs, so I started snapping away…
I didn’t go over the top, just captured a few of the performers in action. After the event I approached Neil and his wife and asked them if they would like to see the images and they said yes! It was here our partnership was born…
In January we started attending concerts regularly and I really cannot rate them highly enough. Unique to Winchester, and now expanding into Southampton and Portsmouth, Neil and his family work tirelessly to provide a wide range of professional, classical performers in a relaxed setting, for families to enjoy. It is about teaching babies and children to appreciate music, and become music lovers. It is about bonding as a family and sharing something special, sharing the music.
The concerts are informal, babies and children are invited to join in with the concerts and enjoy them however they wish. Dancing, singing, jumping, screaming, eating, feeding, whatever makes them happy! Adults are asked only to keep their talking to a minimum to ensure they demonstrate and model the behaviour expected by concert goers and music lovers.
The effect music has on young minds is incredibly significant. Songs, rhythm, music impact the physical, emotional and intellectual development of babies. It can also strengthen their cognitive and sensory development. All this can be going on and you can be having a positive impact on your baby’s development in just 40 minutes at an ABC Concert.
There is a massive amount of research about music and babies, how it can affect them in positive ways as they grow as well as a close link between music and linguistic development. All this, plus the fact that it is lots of fun, gives you more than one reason to book your ticket for the next concert.
We love the ABC Concerts, we attend as many as we can and our photography adds that extra special opportunity for the parents and performers – to capture the moment they are sharing together, on their musical journey, and enable them to treasure it forever. We love seeing the families return to the concerts each month, to see the families grow and the children change and be on hand to seize the moment and develop images that reflect the true power of music.
If you haven’t been to an ABC Concert then check out their Facebook page for the upcoming events. There is one THIS FRIDAY in Winchester! Why not have a look? Their concert in Portsmouth this week was SOLD OUT, which speaks volumes. Children and babies are free and we promise you, once you’ve been to a concert you will be filling up your diary with their future dates…
We love ABC Concerts and we are proud to be working in partnership with them to bring music to the families of Hampshire. One of the best decisions I have ever made was photographing that concert and looking deep into the souls of the music lovers. The reaction of the babies and children clearly show the impact the music is having and capturing such magic is a deep honour.
]]>I was transported back to this time last year, when I was the mother dragging herself out to Baby Sensory classes every Tuesday, desperate to see other mums and do something different. I was anxious, nervous, unsure of what to expect but soon became aware of the benefit classes such as these were having on both myself and my daughter. I would sit in the class and look around at the other mums, dads and grandparents who had suddenly been invited into this whole new world and I looked closely at the moments we were all sharing together.
The eye contact, the facial expressions, the closeness, the creativity. Never has living in the moment been more of a reality to me, but when you are sleep deprived, haven’t had time to shower, maybe just want to sit and cry with a hot cup of tea, the last thing you can find yourself able to do is enjoy absolutely every moment, it just isn’t possible. But the moments still occur, the tenderness is still emanating from you and you are learning so much about one other, be it at home, or when you are out and about.
It was an emotional morning last Monday, going back over it all, remembering how I felt when Elsie was just a few months old. It was a proud moment when I realised that my dream of capturing these moments for other mothers had actually become a reality. Last week, I have photographed over 100 parents and children enjoying themselves in their Baby Sensory sessions, hopefully the images show just how precious these classes are and the importance of my presence. This week, I look forward to working with over 100 more! The beauty of these images is clear to see, there are no worries, concerns or anxieties present, the every day noise of the world around them is quietened and the moment itself bring absolute clarity.
To you, it may be that a class gives you a reason to get out of the house, it may give you something to structure your day around, something to take your mind off of whether your child has napped or fed when they should, a distraction from other stresses and anxieties of the day, or dedicated time you have put aside to spend with your new baby. To me it is something that through my work, you will look back on with fond memories, and you will come to realise the profound effect classes such as Baby Sensory have on not only your babies essential developmental stages, but your journey into parenthood. Its an incredibly difficult time and I am proud to be able to help to suspend these moments in time, highlight the pure joy you and your child are experiencing, and share them with you.
You will never have this day again with your baby or child, it will pass, they will grow, they will change, and there will be small things that you may forget. I hope that the parents I have worked with will never forget this week, I hope I have enabled a small part of childhood to be captured so that it can be treasured forever, by everyone.
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The Family Fun Day was in aid of the wonderful breastfeeding support group B.A.B.I.E.S and the day raised a fabulous £6000. Face painting, music concerts, a silent auction, a tombola, a raffle, the list of fun things to do was endless and the wonderful Winchester community enjoyed coming together.
There were so many amazing moments to capture, I wanted to be everywhere! The taster sessions offered were a great insight to the brilliant work that local businesses to for parents and children and it was a great opportunity to find out so much about what classes are on in Winchester.
I came away with hundreds of wonderful images of the day and hope that they can be used to support the great community work that the NCT do for Winchester. We hope everyone had as much fun as we did!
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The cello and piano took centre stage and I loved weaving my way in between the families, being careful not to disturb them, capturing their reactions to the fabulous music. Moments like these are there to be captured, the pure joy can be seen on the child’s face and the development capabilities of music on the young brain demonstrate the reality behind the need for concerts such as these.
Whether close cuddles and snuggles, exploring the instruments, making new friends, learning to clap, or jumping and jigging along, there is something for everyone and I love being able to capture the moments while the families enjoy the music.
Smiles, giggles, laughter, there was so much being shared between the parents and children in the classes, so many new things that they were learning and I love the fact that you never know what to expect! Children are constantly surprising us through their exploration and I love being there to capture whatever happens, it is such an honour.
There was dancing, singing and so much joy which Lou elicited from the participants with ease. I couldn’t stop smiling all morning! It was hard work, I was constantly on the go, moving around the room, up and down to try and make sure my images truly captured the hundreds of moments in the session.
Parents are sometimes unsure as to what I am taking photographs of in these sessions, what I am seeing that they are not, but hopefully the galleries speak for themselves! It may seem every day, you may think it is just ‘play’ but every moment that I capture reflects a moment in time that you can treasure forever.
I am really looking forward to working regularly with Hartbeeps and hope that all the families enjoy the images from yesterday’s sessions.
]]>The class was so beautiful and it was lovely to be surrounded by such tiny babies who were enjoying some time and closeness with their mothers. Although it can be a really difficult time for parents, getting out and about in those first few weeks is so important! But it’s definitely not a time that you will be thinking about having photographs taken, or a time that you will have the brain space to organise one!
Working in this way takes the pressure off of the parents, it’s all organised for them but I can be there to be a part of it and preserve these moment as images for them to keep. Often they think it’s a terrible idea! They aren’t looking their best, they haven’t washed their hair, but in years to come they will have something so precious to remind them of how tiny their baby was and what special moments they shared together in those early days.
]]>As an action and event photographer however, it’s very hard to switch off! Especially with a 7 year old and a 1 year old in tow....
Family holidays make up a huge percentage of my childhood memories. I was very fortunate to have been introduced to world travel at an early age and love the fact that I have so many memories, and pictures, of these adventures.
So now it was time to make some family memories of our own, and try not to return with too many thousands of photographs to sort through!
We adventured to Italy this year and enjoyed some time in Venice, Verona, Milan and Lake Como. There are so many magical moments which ccur on holiday, when everyone is relaxed and enjoying their time together, plus they are adventuring and exploring!
I have a number of friends who have asked about whether I have considered joining clients on their holidays to capture these precious times for others. I certainly have! If you are at all interested in having a photographer along for all, or part of your holiday then please do get in touch and we can discuss the options.
It is hugely important to be present in your memories yourself too, so having someone else there to capture you as a family is so important. I have had to teach my husband a thing or too so that I can be a part of the memories too!
]]>Today I went to the wedding of a very special friend of mine. A friend who I have know for over ten years and who has been an incredible support to me through some tough times.
Hannah and Vito’s beautiful wedding took place in Wasing Park and I tried my best to just focus on being a guest, but it wasn’t easy! Photography was restricted during the ceremony, which was quite a good thing really as I had to concentrate on firing the glitter gun as they walked back down the aisle… quite a responsibility! But as soon as the guests received their welcome drinks, I couldn’t resist!
Although I don’t do a lot of wedding photography, I still can’t get through a wedding without having to capture some of the moments going on all around me, it’s just impossible to ignore them! I was quite restrained… for me… but loved being able to share some of my moments with the happy couple.
]]>Due to the persistent rain in June and July, we had waited for a sunny day to get out an about and capture some relaxed, honest moments. The chose Winchester Cathedral as their back drop and we enjoyed a walk around by the river, finishing in Abbey Gardens. It was great fun, they really got into the spirit of the shoot and Riaan was so well behaved and full of smiles. I love the photographs of him peeking round the cathedral door, he was a real joy to work with.
A great way to spend an hour with a lovely family. Getting out and about and shooting in natural light was a real pleasure and it was fun to explore the city when it was busy and work around the general public. Looking forward to lots more similar shoots soon!
]]>Thanks to ABC Concert's Winchester, we were able to celebrate with a wide number of the Winchester community at their annual Easter Bunny Hop. As the concert was at the weekend, it was a massive hit with a number of families who came along to join in the fun. There was an array exciting moments to be captured during the folk music where there was the opportunity to participate in dancing, singing, jiggling, storytelling, clapping and generally having lots of fun! Lots of babies and children smiling and joining in the fun which we loved capturing.
The TreeCreeper theatre brought us a fabulous improved story to end the concert and we were thrilled with the photographs from the day which truly captured the way in which ABC Concerts bring classical concerts to families to enjoy.
]]>Although we don't live too far away from my parents and brothers family, we don't get to see each other as often as we would like. It was important to us to spend this quality time together and important to me to capture some precious moments as the unfolded in our house by the sea.
At times like this I find it important not to always be behind the camera, to make sure I continue to immerse myself in the action and don't miss out on the time being spent together. Simple bedtime stories being read by Nanny, running along the beach with Murphy the dog, looking out of the window on the train with Grandad, playing on the swings with Uncle Tim, all moments in time that we may take for granted, but that deserve to be captured and treasured as part of our visual family history.
Having a photographer to join you on your family holiday may seem like an unnecessary luxury, but if it were me, I would be looking for any way possible to capture the special family moments which are otherwise gone in a flash.
]]>I was therefore more than happy to help new mum Helen with the marketing photography for her new post-natal fitness business Kanga & Roo. We had great fun working together at New Energy Fitness and I enjoyed working with her 5 month old baby boy Zack. He was a great model! Helen will be offering a range of classes and we wanted to capture the way in which her classes would be supporting mums and babies by offering classes which reflected their needs. As new mums ourselves, both Helen and I understood the importance of showing the reality of post natal fitness which we ensured was demonstrated in our approach and style.
We wish Helen every success with her new business!
]]>Today marks the start of my website being built, as I search through the endless images I have already been lucky enough to have the opportunity to take, I am instantly excited about all of the other moments there are in the future, just waiting for me to capture them!
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