5 fabulous locations in Angus and Dundee for your family photo shoot.

As Phil and Kirsty say it’s all about Location, Location, Location.

Well erm…kind of.

Whenever you book a photography session you will be asked where you would like the session to take place.

The location is pretty crucial for a couple of reasons.

1.      It will act as the backdrop for all of your images so you have to be happy with what will be visible behind you i.e. the colours and general mood this will give the images.

2.     It should reflect who you and your family are and needs to be somewhere that you feel comfortable.

You want the backdrop of your images to help tell your story.

So with this in mind, where are the best local locations?

Here are a few of my favourites…

1.       The beach

If you are Dundee based then Tentsmuir is just across the bridge and is stunning. The massive expanse of beach and the glorious dunes give plenty of texture to your images.

If you are Angus based then you can’t beat Lunan Bay. In both of these locations the sun sets behind the sand dunes which is perfect for gorgeous sun kissed images. And even if the sun doesn’t shine it gives a pretty striking backdrop.

2.       Monikie.

This one is a popular choice throughout the year with the gorgeous expanse of trees and the path that runs up the middle of it.

In the autumn the blanket of russet leaves gives the most amazing backdrop but it’s actually pretty great regardless of the time of year.

I could run through many other ‘typical’ places but to be perfectly honest the next few are my absolute favourites to shoot in and they aren’t even remotely obvious, mainly because they have been chosen for having perfect light.

A nice backdrop is great but if you have a nice backdrop at the expense of good light then your images will be….well a bit pants. Yup sorry Phil and Kirsty but when it comes to photography sessions it isn’t all about the location.

Light beats location every time. Photographers will categorically always think of light first because good light is what really makes an image stand out. And at the right time of day good light can become utterly magical.

And so with that in mind we have…

3.       A random field/overgrown heaven

Yup a random field, just at the side of a road. This is preferable with older kiddies. They need to be old enough to understand that not running onto the road is a good idea and also follow instructions so that no crops are damaged in the making of the images. The farmer’s permission is a good idea because well…it’s just polite really.

The little orchard below is heavenly. It is super overgrown and only really usable for a few weeks a year but when the time is right it is just perfect. The light is gorgeous, there is a hint of blossom on the apple trees and the long grass gives it a lovely rustic feel. The down side is it is thistle and nettle central so not for the faint-hearted. It certainly doesn’t fit every family…but oh so perfect.

4.       Long grass anywhere.

Parks are great. There is always a mixture of foliage and bushes, trees to climb and adventures to have. The little patches around the edges of parks are usually great as the long grass that doesn’t get cut can make an image look like it has been taken in the middle of nowhere….meaning that the focus of the image is you and your family. That’s what you want, right?

So long as it gets good light then you are on to a winner.

The long grass doesn’t even have to be in any particular great spot so long as it gets the right light. I am completely serious.

Take this wee patch.

Not the prettiest is it?

Dog bin, busy road behind it but at the right time of day on a sunny evening…magic! Locations can absolutely make an image better, but light….that’s the clincher!

5.       Home

If we’re thinking about places that are important to you then it doesn’t get more personal than home. If you are someone who loves a little interior design, who is never far from a copy of Ideal Home and who follows Farrow and Ball on Instagram then a home session would probably work really well. Why not show off all your hard work?

Just make sure there is a little light in your home. Big windows help!

A home session will always require me having a nose around to see where the light is at it’s best. Genuinely, I do not care if your home is not picture perfect. If there is a pile of dishes/washing/dust worthy of writing something comical in, who cares…I promise I am only interested in light. And besides…my home is well lived in too so I get it. It was nice once…I think sometime just shy of having children!

The good thing about a home session is that we can capture you in a place that will absolutely reflect who you are as a family. The kids can play in their own environment and because of that they are super comfortable with it.

So possibly not the list you were expecting.

I’m sure I could have listed a few landscaped gardens or more obvious ones…Dawson Park in the cherry blossom, Crombie with the rhododendrons, bluebells anywhere are all popular choices but to be honest sometimes the simplest places with the best light are the best.

So…where would you go? Which local location would best represent your family?

Feel free to drop it in the comments…especially if you are sitting on a wee hidden gem of a spot!

And if you’re not already in my email following then it might be worth signing up below. Lots of things coming up that I’d love you to know about first.

7 things to give for Mother's Day that cost nothing

7 things to get your other half for Mother’s Day from you and the kids that don’t cost a thing but mean a whole lot more.

Right menfolk. It’s time we talked. Here is the thing. Mums, all mums, are hardworking, exhausted and underappreciated.

We feel this always.

Menfolk are not half bad. We see you helping around the house, doing your man things and generally nodding when hints are dropped. We appreciate you for all you do.

But Mother’s Day…is our turn!

And we don’t ask much. In fact, although there are long, very long and very expensive lists of things we would love for Mother’s Day there are actually ways that you can convince us of your ultimate sainthood without spending anything. Yes, you heard me correctly.

The 7 things suggested will cost you and your kids nothing but effort. Just think of the brownie points…oh the epic, epic brownie points.

But if that doesn’t convince you then consider this…Father’s Day comes next and it can be one of two things. Bloomin’ fabulous or payback. Make good choices!

So here we go, the complete guide to impressing the gorgeous, hardworking mother of your children for peanuts.

1.       A long lie

As all parents know, this is the first of life’s little luxuries that hits the fan as soon as the sprogs start popping out. Do you remember weekends, pre-children, where there was very little done before 11am?…Na me neither. It was a flippin’ age ago!

So this is a real gem of a treat. Get up with the kids on Mother’s Day and convince them to leave your beloved alone to snooze in bed.

Do not attempt to make breakfast in bed…no no. Just peace thanks. A well-earned chance to relieve some of the sleep deprivation and potentially drag our eye sacks northwards of our cheekbones.

Take the wonderful darlings downstairs, feed and water them, toilet, clean and dress them and do all of this with as little noise as possible.

Thank you kindly you wonderful human you!

2.       Cards the kids have made

Yup, not gonna lie, little bit of prep work required here. I’m gonna help you out a bit with this one though, here are a bunch of suggestions from the inspiration gods of Pinterest.

This may require a painted hand or two but you are a proper grown up man. No-one likes getting the paint out. Painting with kids sounds like it will be potentially fun and never ever ends well…but this is what will gain you extra respect from your loving wife.

Wow her with your non-camp Mr Maker prowess!

Heart fingerprint card

Teapot and tea bag artwork

Pebble family artwork

Handprint flowers

Footprint, love you to the moon and back rocket

and for the comedians of the family…

Jar of chill pills

3.       Time off

We love our children, you know this.

We would genuinely do anything for our kids and we generally do do most things for our kids so, just this once, give us some time off. I don’t know how many mums I hear talking about how they don’t ever get time in the house on their own, especially if the kids are still really little. Just time in our own house to sit and chill out, watch a film, read a book…all things they have pretty much forgotten all about.

Take the kids out for a few hours and leave us to just be.

You will be utterly amazed at how pleasant and wonderful a female can be when you have done something kind and selfless for her.

And if Mother’s Day doesn’t really lend itself to offering your lovely partner some time off then give her an I.O.U. for it…and actually follow through.  

4.       Have the kids run her a bath

This will require some slight preparation.

All toys must be removed and the bath must be clean (yes I know this is no mean feat!).

A candle or two will gain you extra points and by god if you add some bubble froth then you are on to a proper winner! No-one said you couldn’t benefit from the generosity you show. Wink wink.

5.       Finish some of the ‘Man’ jobs

I know, you are knackered too. I get it. You have work and the kids and the house and the cars and a boat load of family responsibilities but…you know the bulb that needs changing and those shelves that need hanging and the pictures that need put up and the lawn. You’re running through your list right now aren’t you?! I know you have one!

Nothing pleases us more than our home being up to scratch and it’s had a few knocks over the years of child raising so if there’s anything that makes it look a little better then that’s gonna make her happy, happy, happy.

Involve the kids. What can they do to help…hold your ladder??? Joke!

6.       Cook dinner

If you are beyond pants in the kitchen then feel free to skip this one but if not then grab your pinny and get your spatula out.

Get the kids doing the chopping/prep work/set the table etc whilst you work some Roux Jr. magic and put something in front of her that she hasn’t had to cook herself.

And once you are done and the meal has been complimented and you are feeling all man proud…get the kids to do the dishes.

7.       Watch a movie she wants to watch and you really don’t

So, you’ve given her the long lie, made the cards, taken the kids out, made the tea, run her the perfect bath and managed to squeeze in a little household man maintenance. You are rocking this!

You want to lie on the couch, grab a beer and chuck Sky sports on and I say yeah go for it to the first two…but record whatever your sporting preference is and offer to watch some of her guff. Yeah, you know you’re gonna crash out on the couch anyway so let her take control of the Sky Box for a few hours while you zone out and relish the fact that it is another year till you have to do any of this again.

And that’s it.

It’s cheap and meaningful and god knows I don’t know a single mum that genuinely would not be chuffed to bits with only half of these things.

But for those of you who really want to stick my list where the sun don’t shine and you’d rather just get your visa out and dent it to solve the problem then here are a few links that would make pretty much any woman on the planet happy.

Do not…and I cannot stress this enough. Do not buy her lingerie that you think she will like. Just no.

The minimal effort/splash the cash list

This one is always at the top of my list. Anything from this page thanks…keep the receipt!

Mulberry

Can’t go wrong with this one either. But if you go with a monetary amount, make it an amount that actually gets you a treatment and something to eat.

Stobo

Flowers, always a winner…amp it up and get them a subscription for flowers through the door every month. Oooo she’s gonna love that!

Bloom & Wild subscription

Give her vouchers for shoes. Shoes and bags…it’s all about the accessories!

Kurt Geiger

A nice, child free, proper dressed up meal out. Can’t think of anywhere in the local area I’d rather go more than here. Food is superb. Love, love, love it!

Collinsons

And the one that you get to enjoy too…

The Old Course Hotel and Spa

There are a lot of amazing places to stay around this area. I could literally have listed 20 hotels across Scotland that we have stayed in and love but this one ranks high on my list because of the roof top hot tub…to die for.

Oh…or me. Shameless plug.

I’m a proper, legit memory maker and I’m doing vouchers for Mother’s Day. Happy days!

Click here for deatils #ThisIsMotherhood

So you’re all set.

You have the ultimate guide to making Mother’s Day a smooth sailing event. Bookmark this and come back to it for future reference anytime there is a birthday/anniversary/bad day/good day or just because you fancy showing your lovely lass how much you bloomin’ adore her.

And don’t worry…I’ll write one of these for Father’s Day too. It will include uninterrupted couch snoozes, beer and football. Anything else? Drop it in the comments and I’ll get my recommendations in for you.

Until next time!

G x

Why you need to be in the picture too!

You would think that as a Dundee Family Photographer I’d have hundreds of photographs of myself with my little men wouldn’t you?

But nope…I am the queen of never being in the photo. My comfort zone is well and truly behind the lens.

And I’m going to bet that you are exactly the same and most probably for the same reasons.

Your hair isn’t perfect, there’s puke/snot/remnants of food on your clothes lovingly placed by one or more of your children, you never got a chance to put your make up on and oh yeah…you’re not your ideal weight yet!

I get it!

After I had my second baby we booked a wonderful newborn photographer for a photography shoot. My little one was 11 days old. I was still bruised and swollen and I was wearing maternity everything (there was nothing yummy mummy about the look I was rocking!).

I asked her to take one photo that made me look like a Mum.

In the two and a half years since having my first I'd realised that I barely had a single photo of me with my first little boy. I'd always avoided it for all of the reasons above.

How sad is that.

My little boy has thousands of pictures of himself as a baby, hundreds with his Dad and other family members and no more than three with me.

It never occurred to me at the time that my desire to always avoid the camera might be inadvertently robbing him of future memories.

What is your earliest memory? Really think about it. How old were you? Four of five maybe?

How much of your life before that is written entirely in photographs. Snippets of birthday parties and paddling pools and riding bikes that you would have no idea at all about unless someone had taken a photograph of it at the time.

You don’t remember those things at all. You remember the image you saw of that particular event.

I used to love poring over my early childhood photographs. Seeing what everyone looked like at the time, what I looked like, trying to recall them.

Not once did I pick up a photo as a child or since and say, ‘Wow, Mum’s looking rough. She must not have put her make-up on that day.’ When we were children we didn’t see these things about our parents. Your children don't see them about you either.

You're just YOU.

And do you know being in a photograph with your child is about so much more than memories.

Having photographs of your family (including you) up on the walls has genuine psychological benefits.

I know, check me out…getting all geeky.

There have been studies conducted that measure the impact of displaying family photographs in your home. And do you know, the conclusions they come to are really quite thought provoking.

Professor Geoff Beattie, a former Dean of Psychology at Manchester University states that…

“For children in particular, looking at photographs is part of the socialising process; learning who you are and where you fit into the family.”

He states that,

“When children grow up surrounded by photographs, it gives them a richer understanding of where they come from, which helps with confidence”

Hmm, confidence and sense of belonging. Yeah, I don’t know about you but those things rank pretty high up on the list for me.

Manners and a willingness to help others (help Mum tidy!) are fairly important too but let’s just say that those are a work in progress!

But I’m getting off track a bit. Here’s the thing.

I want my children to be able to look at photos around our home and see our family…with me included!

I want them to have pictures that show the part of their childhood that falls in the memory void of their first few years.

I want them to see themselves as a crucial part of our little unit.

I want them to remember group hugs and tickle times and to have a vague sense that despite the odd melt down (‘odd’ - ha ha!) their early years were happy and safe and carefree and loving. And I want them to know that we were all connected and bonded together in that space and time.

Now I’m not saying in any way that having a collection of family photos up on the wall is going to do all that for them, but hey, if it helps then I’m gonna give it a go.

I really don’t enjoy being in front of the camera. But I want my boys to be able to look back on our time and see us all together, soiled clothes, messy hair and all. 

I even let others, including my eldest little boy, have a crack at taking pictures of me with my big-girl camera now and again – it’s insured! The results are usually squint and out of focus (which is genuinely no bad thing) but I know someday we’ll look back on the photographs he took and remember the times we spent out and about together.

I might not always like myself in the pictures but that’s o.k. because they’re not for me. They’re for them.

How many other things do we do for our kids that are completely selfless?

Let’s add this one to the list!

And just in case this has touched a cord and you’re starting to tick over about it, well click below for a little treat.

Your guide to a Lifestyle Newborn Session with Gemma Gray Photography

Oh wonderful, you’re expecting a new bundle and after a good nose around you’ve decided you quite fancy a lifestyle session to capture all the little details before they are a little less little.

So what happens next?

How do I prepare for it?

What do we wear?

Do I need to deep clean the house?

Honestly…this is such a relaxed session so please don’t stress. You’ve got enough on your plate at the moment. Let’s make this bit super simple.

When you get in touch to book I’ll ask you to arrange a wee chat at a time that works for you.

Your Family

The first thing I’ll ask about is your baby! How far on are you? How are you keeping? Ugh yeah, the heartburn is the pits isn’t it!

I’ll ask about your significant other and if you have older kiddies that we will be including in the session and their ages (the kids, not your husband!). It helps to be able to know a little more about your family and what combinations we’ll need to include in the session.

Your Home

On our initial call I’ll also ask you about big windows/patio doors you have in your home (it’s a light thing). And I might ask you if you know what time of day the light streams into different parts of your house. It gives me an idea of when would be best to schedule your session. It’s o.k. if you don’t know, you can watch it over the course of a few days and get back to me.

For an in-home session we go wherever gets the best light. We want your images to be as flattering as possible and we do that with good light. That might not always be found in the living-room and more often than not it can be in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

Does that mean you have to blitz the house? No no no no no! Don’t worry about it. If there’s something that is going to be distracting in your images, I’ll move it. I could well be shifting the odd bit of furniture around and if you have some bits and bobs you don’t want me to see before I arrive then fling them in a cupboard.

I’ve done the whole newborn thing a few times over. I get that having your house perfect is pretty far down the list and it’s certainly way lower than feeding/changing/eating and sleeping. Believe me I don’t judge. My small boy infested house is always, always worse! Shameful but pretty much true!

What to wear

I’ll always ask if you need a hand with clothing. Please don’t take offence if you are a proper fashion goddess. Most of my clients like to at least run their choices by me to make sure they will work well in the photographs.

Clothing wise if you can co-ordinate outfits then that’s marvellous! Co-ordinated clothing really does make the images go from ‘aww’ to ‘wow!’

I usually encourage couples to keep their clothing pretty neutral for in-home sessions. Block colours and classic combinations will help your images last the test of time and avoiding anything with logos or writing is always a must.

This sounds a bit odd but I’ll probably ask you to take off your socks. Socks look weird in images. They just do. Trust me.

And make sure whatever you are wearing is comfy. Be kind to yourself, you just had a baby. Don’t be attempting to get into anything that is going to make you feel too hot, restricted or uncomfortable.

For baby, pop them into an outfit you’d like them photographed in. It helps if this outfit is relatively easy to remove and dress them in it without a vest underneath. Taking a vest off over their heads always disturbs them, if you don’t already know this you soon will!

And the last thing we’ll chat about is some key things I need you to do for me before I arrive.

1.       Put the heating on. New babies snooze better if they are cosy, cosy, cosy and we will be stripping them off and getting them changed into various outfits and wraps. If the house is warm this helps them to sleep through it all. Don’t worry about them getting too hot, up until a wee while ago they were a toastie 37° inside you. Tropical is nice for them!

2.       If you can, and only if you can, feed them before I arrive. It just means that when I come in they are ready to snooze and good to go. It’s not the end of the world if this doesn’t happen. I can take nursery photos, have a look around and get organised or work with the older siblings while you see to your little one. I’m fairly comfortable blethering to kids of all ages (teacher to trade…it comes with the territory!)

“Gemma takes stunning pictures and was fantastic with the older kids, keeping them engaged while the shoot was happening.”

— Darren

3.       Have any shawls or blankets ready that you would like to include in the session.

I’ll keep you right with the flow of the session but if I’m working with your baby on their own then for the love of God get your feet up! Get a cuppy. Close your eyes for a bit. Get something decent to eat. Check your phone. Enjoy the wee break from being on baby duty and chill out for a while.

What happens after the session?

After the session I’ll share a little preview on social media of one or two of you images (with your permission).

The rest will follow in 10 - 14 days and they will be delivered via a watermarked online gallery. You’ll have a few days to look over them and pick which you would like to buy (if any - if you don’t like them you don’t buy them) and which package you would like.

Pricing is pretty simple too…

Prints of any size up to 12 x 8 are £25 - there is a minimum order of 10.

Digital files are £35 - there is a minimum order of 10.

or for added value there is the option to upgrade to

10 Prints, of any size up to 12 x 8, and all of the digital files from your session for £595.

There are a few little added bits scattered throughout these packages..have a nose HERE for more details.

I try to keep things straightforward and I hope the most difficult part of your session is trying to choose which images to buy!

And that’s it. How to navigate an in-home newborn session. See…no stress what-so-ever!

So, are you ready to give me a ring? I’m dying to hear all about this baby of yours and find out a little more about you too.

I know in this day and age it’s a bit alien actually picking up the phone, believe me I get nervous before every call, but you’d be surprised how much easier it is meeting on the day if we’ve already gotten to know each other on the phone first.

And that’s us all set. So if you’d like to have a blether then click the link below and fill out the wee message bit, or give me a shout via facebook. I’m usually not far from my phone and I like to get back to clients as fast as I can…I’m a total people pleaser!

Hope to chat soon!

G x

I’m in…take me to the place where I can book my blether!

How to choose a Newborn Photographer in Angus & Dundee

Aw you’re expecting a new arrival!

Congratulations! How exciting!

Preparing for a new baby is such a lovely time (if you are managing to sleep and have avoided the constant nausea/swollen ankle/horrific heartburn side effects).

But seriously, I’m sure you’ll have pored over Pintrest nursery ideas and you’ll have planned every detail of the outfit you’ll bring baby home in.

You’ll have invested sooo much time trying to navigate the pram/buggy/car seat minefield and you’ll have been reading…ah the reading!

The good news is that to save you a bit of legwork I’ve written a wee guide on the whole newborn photography thing.

You know, that thing that gets mentioned at your ante-natal classes and you secretly roll your eyes and think, oh God, I hadn’t even thought of that yet!

Cause here’s the thing…most newborn photographers need to know your due date a good few months in advance. Therefore, you need to book quite a while before baby arrives! I know, it’s a bit mental really, isn’t it?!

But how on earth do you go about choosing a newborn photographer?

Choosing a Newborn Photographer in Angus and Dundee

Well the first thing you really need to think about is what style of photography do you like. When it comes to newborns there are two main camps.

The first, and probably most common is posed.

Credit: Newborns by Nicola

The other is lifestyle.

Let’s start with the former.

Posed Newborn Photography

This is where a photographer will skilfully persuade your baby to cuddle down into a range of sleepy poses. They will photograph your baby on a selection of backdrops with a few different hats and outfits. They may place baby on a teeny bed, or in a bowl, that kind of thing. You know what I mean.

Credit: Newborns by Nicola

If this is what you love then that’s great!

And if you are looking for it in Angus or Dundee then I would always recommend Nicola Denny of Newborns by Nicola. She photographed both of my babies and she is beyond fabulous!

There are many others in the local area who provide this type of photography, just make sure that when you look into photographers who do posed sessions you choose someone who has plenty of experience and training. After all, what they are photographing is pretty special!

And now to…

Lifestyle Newborn Photography

As the name suggests lifestyle photography is more about your lifestyle.

This involves a photographer coming to your home and photographing your baby in your own surroundings.

Your images will capture how you are with your baby as well as capturing your baby on their own in a semi-posed but relaxed way.

Still undecided?

Well have a wee think about how you would like your session to go.

Going for a posed session will mean having to get yourselves organised to get to a studio for an agreed time. On arrival you will hand baby over and pop yourself down for a wee seat while baby is photographed. Depending on how your new bundle of loveliness sleeps, a session will last anything from 45 minutes to a few hours.

If you opt for a lifestyle session then your photographer will arrive at your home at an agreed time and work around you, your baby and your other kiddies too. They can take photographs of the nursery and take images of your baby in their own cot.

They can capture your whole family and the connection you all have to one another, even the dog can be included, after all…they’re part of the family too!

This style doesn’t mean that you won’t get any posed photographs but poses will be a little more relaxed than they would be in a studio session.

You will need to set aside a good couple of hours for this kind of session. Babies tend to do their thing and your photographer will just work around it.

So, have you decided which kind of session you’d like to go for? Look at the images - which style are you most drawn to? What could you imagine hanging on your wall or looking back at over the years to come?

Ok. Well you’ve settled on a style. What now?

How to organise a newborn photography session

How and when to book.

Whichever style you plump for it is handy to let your photographer know your due date so they can set aside time for your session. Even though they don’t know the exact date baby will choose to arrive they will have it in their books to leave availability around then for it.

Most baby photographers like to get your brand new little bundle of squidge photographed in the first two to three weeks because this is when babies are still super sleepy. They will photograph them older than this, if they have availability, but you won’t always be able to get all of the poses that you would manage within the first few weeks.

If you opt for a lifestyle session the time frame isn’t quite as tight. You may not get those super sleepy poses but you can still get some beautiful natural moments…and the good thing about a slightly older baby is that you can capture the odd real smile and genuine expression…as opposed to you know…wind!

And there it is. A starter for ten on the whole newborn photography thing.

I hope I’ve at least helped you decide which style you fancy. If it’s lifestyle you’re after then feel free to get in touch with me for more information or CLICK HERE to learn a bit more about how an in-home newborn session works.

And if you’re leaning towards posed then I’ve popped a link to Newborns by Nicola below.

The next post will give you an idea of how you can best prepare for a session, so keep an eye out for it in the coming weeks.

Wishing you all the best for the exciting journey that you are about to embark on. I hope your labour goes smoothly and quickly and may you be blessed with a healthy, happy, sleepy baby!

Enjoy every second of it!

G x

Newborns by Nicola

How to rock styling your family for an autumn photo shoot.

I’ve not had time to go imaginary shopping this year…mainly because I have been shopping for my own family’s photography session. (Yes, photographers do actually hire other photographers to do this. It’s a whole love of photography thing. Well that and the fact that you never actually get to be in the picture yourself unless someone has taken a blurry, out of focus, bad angled shot of you!)

But in choosing my own family’s outfits I basically followed the advice given below which I wrote last year for all of you. These outfits aren’t currently available in the shops mentioned but the colours most definitely are and you’ll pick up similar styles of everything mentioned with ease.

We opted for the Very Berry edit (shown below) as this suited my family’s colouring the best.

So if you are coming out to play this year with me and my big girl camera then this blog should help you get a feel for colour combinations that will look stunning against an autumnal backdrop and help you prepare for all the leave chucking madness that will ensue! Enjoy…

I’m not gonna lie…blogging this week has been fun!

Do you remember when you were a kid and you used to get a copy of Twinkle every week? (If you are not of this generation then I would rather you just nodded along and politely pretended that you knew what I was talking about!)

On the back of the magazine there were these little cardboard pop out dolls and they came with two or three wee outfits that you could pop out too. The outfits had little tabs on the tops and sides and you folded them onto the dolls to dress them up.

My Mum always refused to let me do anything with the dolls until I had read the magazine from cover to cover. Could never in a million years tell you what the magazine was about but I so loved those little cardboard dolls.

This week was a Twinkle week.

For the first time since I was about five I got to dress up my own little imaginary family. My budget was unlimited too, so I made the most of it! It has been fun and there might have been a few sneaky purchases made along the way but that’s ok because I’ve arranged delivery for when the other half is out! As you do!

And so the main purpose of this is to help out anyone who is still unsure of how to style a family photography session. I’ve blogged about this in the past and have offered suggestions but this week I wanted to show you what you could get in the shops right now that would tick all the boxes.

I would never in a million years expect a client to head out before a session and buy completely new outfits for everyone in the family but I hope to show you what sort of things go nicely together and how picking a few colours for a scheme can work well to keep your images looking harmonious.

I’ve also tried to pick out schemes that will fit really nicely in an autumn setting.

And it’s worthwhile thinking about the colours you have in your home. What colour scheme would tie in with the décor in the room where you are planning on hanging them? I know, it’s being a tad particular but hey, if you’re gonna do a job right and all that.

So without further ado…

The Very Berry Edit

This edit has been taken from Joules.

I love a wee hint of burgundy and those wee girlie wellies! Too cute! A poncho is quite nice if you have a few bits you’d like to keep a little bit hidden but make sure you show a bit of figure by teaming it with a skinny jean.

And who would brave a beret? Don’t be afraid of popping on a well placed accessory but just make sure that it’s your style. You don’t want to appear in your images to be someone other than who you normally are. We’re going for capturing the real you…just on a really good day!

The mustard/custard edit.

This edit has been taken from Boden

This is such a fabulous colour scheme for the Autumn.

I love Boden for clothes. They are a little bit more classic and for photographs that is actually quite important. Classic looks ensure your images are a little more timeless. Trends come and go quickly, if you dress for them your photographs will age quickly. Think classic colour combinations and classic styles. You want to be able to hang your images on your walls for years to come without looking back and cringing at the clothing choices.

I love a bit of the mustard/custard for my own boys and this family got it so right with a hint of the mustard mixed in with a burnt orange/burgundy. Yes yes, autumn styling yumminess!

The shades of grey edit.

(Not exactly 50 but a few shades at least!)

The kids in this edit have been taken mainly from White Company.

Oh White Company, how I love thee!

White Company does children’s clothes so so well, but they don’t do dads’ at all, unless you’re after some really nice jammies.

Therefore…Dad is kitted out in bloke’s favourite Superdry.

Mum is rocking a bit of Phase Eight.

And the shoes are all Clarks apart from Dad, who is in Timberland.

For this edit I was actually thinking beach session. Yes you can do a beach session in the autumn. It’s cold but doable. And for this one I thought I’d keep Dad super happy and super comfy.

He’s always the first one I recommend dressing because he’s typically the one who feels the most uncomfortable with the idea of having photographs taken. Keep him comfy and happy and then dress the rest of the family around him!

The last minute edit

This edit is taken from Next. Lets face it, when you are short of time you go there for the next day delivery option. Life with kids means you’re always chasing your tail so this is for all the headless chicken folk out there just like me!

The mum’s jacket is Joules and the dad’s gilet is Jack Wills but both are available from Next.

Green is oh soo perfect for an autumn session and the chunky knitwear gives this edit texture which always photographs well. Trapper hats for boys are super cute…if you can get them to keep them on! Or is it just my boys that won’t wear hats. Probably is! This little guy rocked his trapper!

The Smarty Pants edit

Well I couldn’t exactly write a blog post about what to dress your family in without including this adorable slice of kiddie clothing heaven.

It’s local which is fab…we like supporting and buying local! Wink wink, nudge nudge.

And as I’m sure you’ll know already, it has the most adorable kids clothes that are extra special. This edit is for a younger girl and boy and I’ve included a couple of options that would work nicely within an autumn setting.

Some of these also fit nicely within some of the other edits so if you have really little ones to include in your session then you could start here with them and then work back through the other edits to tie them in with the rest of the family.

The furry hood is a favourite of mine. It frames the face so well in a photograph.

Couldn’t resist throwing in a Hunter welly somewhere along the line and the little blue boots are by Chipmunks.

But, to be honest, my favourite ever shoes for teeny feet are Inch Blues. And they just so happen to have a gorgeous wee selection of these at Smarty Pants too!

And that’s us for this week. Oh it was so much fun. Now if only I had an unlimited budget to go shopping with every week!

But please remember, I am not expecting/suggesting that you should rush out and purchase a full new wardrobe for a session.

Go through your clothes and see what you have that ties in with one another.

Start with outerwear and shoes as these are usually the thing you see the most in photos and they’re often the last thought about.

Co-ordinate, don’t match.

No clothes with large writing/characters on it and for the love of all things good in this world if it is neon, save it for an 80’s disco.

So which edit was your favourite and why?

G x

4 Reasons why autumn is the best season for a photo shoot!

Ugh, boring photographer guff I hear you groan, but NO says I. This is in fact, the not so boring guide to why autumn is awesome for photography sessions and much more.  

Be prepared, this article may do one of two things…

a)       convince you that you NEED to book an autumn shoot , like today already!

and

b)      ensure that I am very quiet for the rest of the year as per my guidance, you all book in for autumn and avoid all other times of the year!

So  without further ado…

1.       Och…that’s the nights drawing in.

As my Granny would say (and no doubt yours!) ‘The nights are fair drawing in!’ I love it when I can finally get the heating on in the evening...(not until about the end of October if my husband has anything to do with it). The darker mornings mean there is potential for another half hour of sleep without being disturbed by small children…bloomin’ marvellous!

And, of course the major photographer bonus of this time of year is that the beautiful light that you get just before sun set is much earlier in the evening. ‘Golden Hour’ finally becomes child friendly! So, instead of begging clients to adjust snooze times and drag their children out way past bedtime (which also seriously reduces parental ‘wine time’) we can go out to play in the afternoon instead. Win win!

Oh that gorgeous golden yumminess! It's like a pumpkin latte in a picture!

2.       The Leaves

Ok, so this one is fairly predictable but who doesn’t love the colours in autumn?! The golden, rich red and brown leaves and to die for. The crunch of them underfoot or glistening with a hint of frost in the morning. Chucking them up in the air, kicking them up for the pooch to bark at. Combined with the slight nagging fear that with every step concealed dog excrement is potentially looming!

On the photographer front, they offer such an amazing backdrop and if the kids are a little shy in front of the camera there is always the good old ‘go and chuck some leaves’ instruction which usually guarantees a few nice smiley shots.

When you giggle because the rest of your family are ready to bombard you with leaves!

3.       The Clothes

It is finally time to ditch all summer wear and get back into a jumper. Woo hoo! A nice, floaty, attempt to cover all the wobbly bits jumper. Who’s with me?!

And boots! Love me a pair of boots.

Hats? Yes, yes…I’m partial to one of those too. Or one to co-ordinate every outfit, ah go on then.

I’ll give a shout out to scarfs too, they’re not my thing but I can appreciate a good one when I see it.

The clothes are just all round better, comfier, cosier and allow for a little cake eating!  

And all of the above are perfect for a photography session! They add textures and co-ordinated well can absolutely make your family photographs.

Some fine scarf co-ordination going on right here!

But enough about what you’re wearing…

The Kids Clothes...

A wee boy in a gilet! Oh my heart. (That’s a body warmer to anyone who was born in or around the early 80’s). They are so cute. Or raincoats with matching wellies!

I may have had the odd daydream about photographing a little girl in a little duffle coat, wearing boots with wee ear muffs on. Awww. (Feel free to get in touch if you have one of those knocking about the house. I’m sure I could rummage up an ickle girl in a duffle coat discount!)

I spend a lot of time nosing at girls’ clothes. Imagining what life would be like with a little girl to dress up. I usually come to the conclusion that I have enough on my plate with two crazy boys to even consider trying for what would invariably be…another crazy boy!

Nice to daydream though.                               

4.       The two birds with one stone factor

Let’s face it, Autumn is when Christmas starts entering the back of your mind….mainly because Dobbies has already started putting Christmas cards up. I kid you not, they totally have!

You start to tick over about what original/thoughtful gifts you can muster up this year and you get to thinking about how much the Grannies love a wee photo of the grandkids.

You have the ‘ah ha!’ moment! The relatively genius idea that this year you could totally kill two birds and get a photo shoot done for the family (your treat) whilst using it as the grannies Christmas present (their treat!). Yes! I can get the photo shoot done and it can come out of the grannies Christmas budget!

I don’t know about your Mum but mine is truly horrific to buy for. Think Rachel from Friends only worse because she doesn’t write you a list. She says, ‘I’m not needing anything’. She says this every year.

Most of what is purchased for her is returned or elicits little emotion, however, give her a ticket to a Take That concert and you’ll get a decent sized grin and give her photos of her grandkids and she’ll blub. It’s a winner every time!

These ones got a tear or two. Job done!

And so to sum up we have, cosy clothes, colours, Christmas prep and cake. Did I cover it all? What’s your favourite thing about autumn?

Oh and if you know that girl...the little one with the duffle coat..then tag her Mum in on this! 

How to make sure the teacher loves your little!

I was a Primary 1 teacher for a long time. I loved every second of the highly organised chaos but it’s certainly a whole different thing being a parent who is handing your child over to someone else to take care of. The emotional side of it is enormous and the worry...oh god the worry!

At the end of the day you just want a teacher to get your kid, am I right? To understand who they are and what they’re about and to care about them. You want them to do well academically but I think it’s probably fair to suggest that most parents really just want them to be happy in school.

As a teacher I can think of a whole list of things that you hope your new class will be able to do/have/know before coming in and I thought it might be helpful to set up a wee checklist for you to have a read through. My own little boy did not in any way hit everything on this list, and it is probably unlikely that your little person will either but they’ll definitely meet some of it and the rest they’ll learn along the way…because that’s kind of what we do!

THE CHECKLIST

Let’s get the expensive bit out of the way first. Everything they need and a few they don’t.

• Uniform – a good tip on the uniform front is to buy things they can get on and off themselves. Especially for gym days. I’m sure getting one tie on in the morning causes you grief…now multiply it by 25!

• Gym kit and gym bag – no fancy stuff required. Plain stuff and good old fashioned gym shoes.

• Good sized school bag – we often give out A4 sized stuff in poly wallets. It helps when it can fit inside their bag on a wet day.

• Packed lunch box (if your little will be having a packed lunch). Mine does…he’s fussy. Ugh!

• Water bottle – total must. Classrooms are hot. Smelly too on occasion but let’s not go there.

• Painting shirt – some schools provide these so it’s probably not an essential unless it has been specified at your P1 induction meeting. One of your other half’s old shirts are great. They cover a whole lot more than the bought ones and the kids can get them on without getting their hair caught in the Velcro.

• LABELS – yes it’s in capitals. Everything, label everything! Water bottles, painting shirts, the bag for the gym kit – I mean everything. You would honestly not believe the amount of stuff in a school's lost and found room – yes whole roomfuls of the stuff that don’t have names. In the words of Beyonce (kind of) if you like it then you shoulda put a name on it.

Stuff you don’t really need.

• Fancy pens/pencils/pencil cases – we provide what they need. (Unless your school has stated otherwise.) Fancy pencils tend not to sharpen great, style over substance!

• Fancy rubbers – they make a mess. Rubbers are great, buy a stash but if they are pink and smell nice they’ll probably make a mess of a jotter.

• Fancy plastic sharpeners - you want a sharpener that goes the distance, buy a metal one. And if you really want the teacher to love you come Christmas, buy her (or him) an electric, heavy duty beast. You will be forever legendary in the staff room, I guarantee it!

SKILLS THAT ARE GREAT IF THEY HAVE THEM (and don't worry if they don't...yet!) 

• Dress themselves – My own will struggle with this one despite many many hours of working on it. If they can get changed into gym kit and back into school uniform relatively independently then that is a huge bonus. If not your teacher will help without any drama but it’s definitely something to have a wee go at over the summer holidays.

• Use scissors – again something we will teach but if they can do this then brilliant!

• Brush their teeth with a bog standard toothbrush– sounds strange, right? But they brush their teeth every day in P1 after lunchtime. They all have their own wee toothbrushes. It’s really pretty cute but a load of kids use electric toothbrushes these days so it helps if they know how to handle an original model.

• Share – this one is a seriously big ask. They are still really little and these are skills that develop over time so if your little bundle hasn’t quite grasped the concept yet that’s ok. We can show them how to navigate sharing within the classroom setting. Whether or not they will bring that skill home is anyone’s guess!

• Take turns – there is a lot of game playing in P1 and beyond. Being able to take turns is tricky for little people who are eager and excited. Try playing a simple board game once or twice a week so they get used to the idea.

• How to lose – this is obviously linked to the one above. When we play games it is great if children can lose without it being the end of the world. Little people have big emotions and it’s sometimes really tricky keeping them from bursting out. Losing tends to be a trigger point. The same thing applies. Play games and beat them! Will they be upset, possibly/probably! Will they learn how to accept that they don’t always win and that’s ok, yup! Course they will!

EARLY READING/WRITING/NUMBER SKILLS

Early literacy and numeracy skills are a great thing for your child to have when they come into P1. They will have done an absolute heap of things in nursery/playgroup to encourage these early skills – all of which will have been done through play because that’s how kids learn best!

The thing teachers get asked the most is how they can bring their kids on. And to be honest, it’s really simple.

Read to them.

Yes that’s it.

Read to them.

You don’t have to do it all day long but set aside time every day to read to your child and watch them soak it all in. You don’t have to teach them sounds – we’ll do that. Just read, let them look at the pictures, chat about the story and enjoy them together. Read counting stories and you'll be helping them gain early number skills too! (Two birds for multi-tasking mums!) Give them a love of books and stories and words and without a doubt it will be one of the greatest things you do for your kids.

Early writing skills can be great fun to do with your child. Drawing, colouring in, painting...anything that gets them holding a pen or pencil. Write in sand, or shaving foam if you're game! Show them how to write their name. (A teacher will love you if they can!)

My friend and I took our kids to a Little Scribblers class which was run by Occupational Therapy. It was a nice wee afternoon with loads of ideas on how to ready them for writing by introducing them to early mark making skills.  I'll pop a link to their Facebook page in the Facebook comments. 

WORRIES

You’ve got a couple right??

Maybe a few more than a couple!

Friends

They’ll make friends, they’ll argue and fall out with friends. They will hate someone one day and be best friends the next. The playground is where they learn a good chunk of their social interaction skills. It’s not always plain sailing and it’s probably one of the biggest things teachers deal with on a daily basis. Every school has systems in place for helping kids manage their friendships. If you are worried, ask about it.

Eating

I had this worry too. Fussy eater. Will he eat? Will he be tired and grumpy in the afternoon if he hasn’t eaten? Well, I make a packed lunch every day. Is it a pain, especially when you are entitled to free school dinners, yes! But he eats and I’d rather he did and was re-fuelled for an afternoon of learning. Each to their own I guess.

Either way, there are lunch supervisors who will check what your child is eating and chivvy them along so they get time to play as well.

Toilet issues

There are accidents. They are always dealt with discreetly and in a school there are always a million spare items of everything for just such an event. So if it happens, it’s not the end of the world.

Behave

You would not believe the amount of times I have had a parent tell me that their perfectly behaved child is a nightmare at home. It’s a strange one but children do tend to behave better for other people. Mine is without a doubt in this category!

Tired

It is a really long day for them and they will be knackered when they come home. It’s ok for them to have a bit of T.V. time or something a little chilled when they get back. I had a little boy in a class a while back who used to zonk out anytime we sang in the afternoon. It became a little routine to let him sit in the library corner when we started singing so he could crash out on the cushions. Your wee one is an individual. Every teacher will treat them as such and do their very best to provide what they need to get the most out of them when they are there.

Letting go

The morning line is always a major source of anxiety if your child is reluctant to go in. This is a big one for us too. It is such a hard one for a parent but I guarantee you that the vast majority of kiddies settle completely after 5 mins in the classroom. There are so many distractions and exciting things to do that as soon as the register is done and they’ve had a wee cuddle they will be dandy. And yes, it may well happen again the next morning but they do all eventually get there.

I think the thing that I’ll find the hardest moving forward, is not getting the same level of daily feedback as we do from our son’s pre-school provider. They are unbelievably good at sharing how your child is coping and developing, what kind of morning they’ve had, whether or not there has been an issue and to be honest, it is really unlikely that you will get that same feedback in a school setting. But be assured, if there is a problem, someone will be in touch! If things are quiet it’s usually a good thing!

And please remember that we spend a whole lot of time with your children. We are ferociously protective of them because for that year they are ‘our kids’. We want to see them thrive, we want to see them happy and we want to keep them safe. We wouldn’t do the job if working with kids wasn’t in our blood because despite all common stereotypes, teaching is not an easy ride!

So, have I answered your major worries or alleviated any fears? Have you got any others? I’m happy to answer any that I can and direct you to the best place to answer your question if I can’t. Feel free to drop them in the Facebook comments.

And if you liked the look of any of the images throughout and thought...'gosh, wouldn't it be nice to have something like that of my little one,' then fret not...I can help there too. Click on the link below and I'll have you sorted in a jiffy. I'm all about being helpful! 

And that's all for this week. All the best to all the little people embarking on their brave new adventures in August. I'll be thinking of all the Mums out there who will be a tad emotional and messy come 9:30 on that first morning, just like me!

G x 

Frequently Asked Questions

If you've landed here it's because you're thinking about booking a family session. That's fabulous!

Let's clear up any doubts and explain everything you need to know.

What happens when I book?

When you get in touch to book, I'll ring you for a chat. We can talk about what you are looking for and what you would like to get out of the session and a whole bunch of other things...but hang tight, we'll get to that.

How long does a session last?

Usually around an hour. Sometimes it's a little less, occasionally a little more. It usually depends on the little people and when meal time/milk time/sleep time hits. I've got kids, I know the struggle is real! I try to make sure that we've got all the images you really want and a good few extra.

What if it rains?

Yup it's pretty likely isn't it! I keep a close eye on the weather in the days before. If it's cloudy and a wee bit drizzly then we can work with that but if it's going to be miserable then we reschedule a time that is mutually suitable.

When is the best time for a session?

The hour just before sunset is always the best time for that gorgeous golden light you see in so many amazing images. Depending on the time of year, we aim for that if we can. If not then we go with when suits your schedule best.

“In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.”

— Aaron Rose

I'm worried my kids will be a handful.

Your little ones will be what they'll be, please don't worry about it. Just make sure that they know in advance that it will be FUN! Avoiding threats is always a good plan (I have learned from my own wee belters!) You don't even need to ask them to smile or be good because we'll be too busy having fun and I'll be capturing their true smiles and giggles.

A little bribery usually goes a long way so a wee treat to look forward to after is always a good idea, but perhaps leave sweeties etc. in the car. Chocolate faces are a bit of a nightmare to edit!

The men folk

So your other half is less than thrilled by the prospect of a session I bet. A little bribery works well here too (you might have to think of something a little more appealing than sweets for this one though!)

Just let him know that the session will be relatively painless and most of the time he'll just be playing with the kids. Promise!

Can you just take photo's of the kids? I don't want to be in them.

I will absolutely do whatever you feel most comfortable with but I will always try to encourage you to go in just a couple. I totally get the body hang up's and never quite feeling like you've had the time to look the way you'd want to. But, do you know, I don't think I've ever had someone say they regret it after they see their images. What you end up seeing is the love in your family and that's kind of an important thing to capture...and remember.

What should we wear?

Well it's really up to you. They are your photographs not mine...but I might just push you gently towards doing a little bit of co-ordinating. You'd be surprised how differently a gallery looks when the outfits all work together.

Basic rules. Keep it comfy and try to keep things classic. You want your photos to be as timeless as possible.

This is something we can have a good chat about when we do our pre-shoot phone call. Don't be afraid to run outfit choices past me, that's what I'm here for! WhatsApp me a photo of your wardrobe if you really want. Whatever it takes for you to feel confident and comfortable with what you are all wearing. We want the session to be fun and totally worry free.

What happens after the session?

After the session I carefully select all the best images and take lots of time and care to make sure that every moment is perfectly edited to tell your story beautifully.

I'll send you a wee sneak peek within 48 hours of our session and the rest will follow no later than 2 weeks after.

You'll be sent a private, watermarked gallery to nose through and decide on your favourites. Then we chat about where you'd like to go from there, what you'd like and how you'd like it.

And please remember...if you don't love your images then you just don't buy them.

Do you offer newborn sessions?

I do and I love them! My style is very much about documenting your new family in your home with your own surroundings. I'll come and visit and snap away around feeding times and changes and we can include siblings and pets too if you like.

If what you are after is lots of images of your baby wrapped up and posed with various props then I'm maybe not the best fit for you. I will however happily recommend someone who is utterly fabulous at this style.

I'm much more about capturing the beauty of your new family in a personal way which is unique to you.

What makes you different?

I specialise in families. Just families. It doesn't sound much but it kind of is. I don't do weddings. I don't shoot landscapes or food or products.

I love family photography because it's all about connections and emotions and laughter. Images that give you all the feels. That's what I love to photograph.

Not only do I specialise in families but I specialise in creating images that show your family the way you see yourselves. I get to know you a bit first. During our initial chat I'll be asking you about your story, about where your family likes to spend time together, what locations or activities are special to you. Then we plan and create your session around that.

It's your story, remember! Let's tell it perfectly!

And that's all folks. If you've got any other questions then I'll be more than happy to chat them through with you. The link below will take you to a wee page where you can get in touch. Be warned though...I'm a total blether. You might need half an hour! 

5 tips for taking better photos of your kids.

Would you like to take better photographs of your kids…even with your phone?

Yup, you heard me right, no expensive, zoom lensed, giant flash wielding camera required.

Just you, your phone and your little people.

Here are a few ickle tips to help you go from kind of pants to a lot less pants!

1. Light up, light up.

The first thing a photographer looks for is ‘good light’. What on earth is that? Basically we look for light to fall evenly on the face so there are no harsh shadows. Shadows are not flattering.

This gorgeous little guy was facing the window. No harsh shadows. Lurvely!

We also don’t want super bright light either. Your little person will just squint and that’s no good. We want to see their eyes (it’s where all the magic is hiding!).

See eyes...it's all about the eyes!

Outside on a cloudy day will give you nice even light, just like the photo above. Cloudy days are easy to work with because there tends to be fewer harsh shadows and no squint inducing sun.

Or try popping your child close to a window and have them look out. Just make sure there are no direct, harsh sunrays coming in the window.

2. How low can you go?

I will happily bet that a lot of your images are taken when you are standing up pointing your phone at your child from an above angle. But a great way to get a cracking shot of your little is to get down to their level. I’m talking creaky knees and soggy grass stained jeans.

It doesn't get lower than this!

You will honestly be so surprised at how much better an image is if you just kneel down so that you are pointing the camera square on to their face. I am regularly in the chin on the deck position. Your little people have their own little world down there. It’s nice to join them in it now and again.

He was lying down, I was lying down...tummy time all round? Why not!

3. Shiny, happy, people!

How do you get real smiles? Not the say cheese, grimace thing they do because that doesn’t capture the real them at all.

The big secret...you play with them. I never ask my kids to take a picture, I always start with, ‘Let’s play a game!’ Here are a few of my go to tricks.

Peekaboo - Sometimes I’ll ask them to hide and then jump out to give me a fright. When I pretend to get a shock I get a real smile and a giggle.

Tickles - Tickle, pause, pretend the tickle monster is coming for more and when they giggle in anticipation, snap snap snap and do it all again!

Or have your other half get behind them and tickle them - works just as well if not better!

Position yourself and get ready - When we’re out and about I’ll often look for somewhere that will frame up the kids nicely and then we play.

We were playing McDonalds Drive Thru here...I think I ordered a gazillion milkshakes just to get him to stay still long enough!

Get them to look for something - I love a profile shot so I’ll often pop the kids at the window (with no direct harsh sun) and ask them to tell me what they see.

Or I will put them somewhere with good light and then ask them to look for something they like, just to keep them still. Can you see the plane? The moon? The sheep? (we live in town with no sheep but we like sheep!). Whatever floats their little boats!

This is the, 'Where are the sheep you promised?' look.

4. Everybody be cool!

Kids feed off you. If you’re getting stressed, they will sense it. No good photographs are ever taken when the photographer is getting grumpy. I have shamefully been guilty of this on more than one occasion!

Keep calm and take the opportunity to just enjoy playing with your kids. The good stuff will come and just be ready to snap when it does.

This was taken whilst we were nice and chilled and having a big chat about what Harry liked doing at playgroup.

5. Don’t stop me now!

The easiest way to get a good shot? Don’t stop taking them. Keep that shutter pressed down and then sift through to find the gems.

The images below are a good example. There were a whole heap of shots that weren't as good as these ones but you keep snapping and you capture some perfect little moments!

But beware, as soon as you put your phone/camera away, that’s when they'll do something brilliant, so pretend you're done but keep it handy for that last wee opportunity.

This was my very last frame of a recent family shoot. My camera had been in my bag and I took it out as she was chatting at the end. My favourite of the whole shoot. As they say...It's not over till the well rounded photographer puts the camera away!

And that’s you.

You are all ready to go forth and take dramatically better pictures of your little lovelies!

Have a go and give me a shout to let me know how you get on or if you have any questions then ask away. 

And if all this sounds like too much hassle and all you really want is someone else to take the weight off...well then I think I might be able to help with that too!

Why you NEED to print your photographs!

When I was a kid there was this huge box in my Mum’s wardrobe. It was enormous and absolutely filled to the gunnels with photographs. I used to sit and devour them.

There were a load of black and white square pictures with a white rim around the edge, probably taken in the fifties. They all had scrawly handwriting on the back that I could never read. There were a heap of seventies photographs that had curved corners and were all brown tones, was everything brown in the seventies?? And then there were ones when I came along.

God I loved sitting looking in that box. I could kill hours just shuffling through them all and pestering mum to tell me over and over who the people were, where they were taken, how old was I in each one and could she unlock the mystery of the secret scrawly messages on the back?

Did your parents have a box?

Did you?

I think most of us that were born in or before the eighties will be totally familiar with the box of photographs. I’m gonna bet that you also had a ton that you took yourself of holidays when you were a kid, school trips, right through to drunken nights out (once you were legitimately old enough to drink of course!).

I went through one of those wee disposable cameras every other weekend. Sooo many photographs filled with a different me, in a different time, with a very different outlook on the world.

And then it stopped. I got a phone with (let’s face it) a seriously crap camera and it replaced taking actual printable pictures. You did that too didn’t you?! And now, when I look back I have proof that I was once twenty one and from then on I have a stash of Nokia bricks kicking about in a drawer somewhere that haven’t switched on since the early noughties.

There’s a quote that I love by Missy Mwac;

“In 50 years, the most photographed generation in history will have no pictures. Print what you want to preserve.”

How true is that? I’m still guilty of not printing! I only print stuff that I take with my big girl camera. My phone stuff - the real, proper, crazy, messy family stuff just gets left on my phone. Occasionally my other half will move photographs on to a laptop for storing, but once they’re there we don’t do anything with them.

My last phone was barely two years old when it randomly died. And that was it, kaput. I had a ton of images/videos of the kids I’d never backed up or saved elsewhere and that was them gone.

That clever woman is utterly spot on. Our kids won’t have a box. If they’re lucky someone will have saved the files somewhere and transferred them across into whatever format is the new format by then. But it's not the same is it?

I want my kids to have a box filled with their littleness. I want them to be able to sit for hours surrounded by scattered pictures that are a little dog-eared with scrawly writing on the back and I want to sit beside them and explain who everyone is in the pictures and where they were taken and how old they were in each one.

And I want this for you and your kids as well!

So spend a night or two (it’s no mean feat I’m sure) and sift through your phone and get some pictures sent off for printing. I’ll even give you a hand with where you should get it done…check out my 'Where to print your photos', blog post. 

And just so you know that I’ve taken my own advice, these are my kids with their own little box of memories they’ve already forgotten. I’m hoping it helps them remember forever!

"Print what you want to preserve."

The perfect time of day for your photoshoot.

Why your photographer sounds nuts…but really isn’t.

You have finally found a photographer you like. You’ve been watching them for a while. You’ve liked stuff on their Facebook feed and you think they sound like your kind of person. They seem to produce loads of images of kids looking happy and it doesn’t look like they’ve been tortured into unnatural poses. Yup, this is the one for you.

So you brave the contact form or probably private message them over Facebook and send a little message asking when would be an OK time to book in for a session.

And to your utter bewilderment they suggest 8 o’clock in the morning or 7 o’clock at night! Whaaat??!

This person has children right?

They get that 7pm is bedtime? Has this person never struggled to get to school/a baby class/nursery for 9am? Let alone 8am? She clearly has a screw or two loose.

But here’s the thing.

It’s all about light. The word ‘photography’ actually means ‘drawing with light’ or let's be slightly more poetic...‘painting with light’.

It’s one of those weird things that photographers talk about all the time that makes them sound a bit geeky. Which they are!

But light, and good light is what makes your skin look brighter and smoother…come on now, what mum doesn’t want that?! It flatters and enhances. It makes your images stand out and adds a certain hint of magic to a session.

But the very best, most gorgeous light comes at not so convenient times. First thing in the morning, or last thing at night. Photographers call it the ‘Golden Hour’. We have apps that tell us when it will be throughout the year. We check them almost as often as our weather apps…told you, geeky!

So when your photographer mentions you meeting for a session at 8am or 7pm it really isn’t just to wind you up. It is in the pursuit of giving you the very best images that they can produce. The images that will have that extra bit of enchantment sprinkled over them.

And really, after spending so long choosing a photographer, looking at websites and Facebook pages, asking friends for recommendations and finally getting in touch with someone to book, you have already invested so much.

You want the best images, not even that, you want blooming stunning images. Portraits that you will hang…forever! That you will show off again and again and that people will comment on every time you repost them on Facebook Memories.

Photography is an investment. It is something that you either love and really see the value of or you don’t. And if you are in the former category then make sure you do everything you can at your side to make it worth the investment.

So, your kids are up at 6 anyway right? Well, get those clothes laid out the night before, ram the toast in, pack a load of snacks and get going early to catch those morning rays. Or extend the afternoon nap and get them kitted up after tea for a little evening adventure.

Yes, it might knock them to pot for a night and believe me, I get how annoying that is. But oh boy, it so beats doing pictures at 1pm with really harsh light that makes you ugly squint whilst casting all kinds of nasty shadows in places you really don’t want to draw attention to.

So yes, we do sound a little nutty. And it’s not that we are unsympathetic to the drama that will unfurl in your house trying to get out of the door at a silly time with immaculate children, God knows I haven’t made it to playgroup for 9am more than 5 times this year.

We do get it, but we want you to ultimately receive the most beautiful images we can provide. We want you to be overjoyed because we are people pleasers and we love nothing more than the rush we get when you tell us that you love them.

Remember, it’s all about you looking amazing, so trust in the geek. They know what they’re talking about.

Where to print your photos.

Pretty much every client I have ever worked with has asked me this question and a few weeks ago I promised to give you a little assistance when it came to printing your images. So here it is, my lovelies.

This week I did a little experimenting. (Think of me in a lab coat...like Beaker from the Muppets).

I took one of my images and printed it out in six different places.

The results were…well let’s say, interesting.

I’m not going to overcomplicate this by talking about hue and saturation and all the technical stuff. I’m just going to give it to you in plain boring English.

Oh and just to be fair to everyone, the quality of all of these prints was much better in real life. The scanner dramatically reduced the quality of the images but they give you the general idea.

This is the original image of the adorable wee Hamish. Awwww!

And these are the results.

Yup...they really are that varied!

1. Professional Print Lab

And it did. It is pretty damn close to my original image. The colours are accurate and the quality of the print is excellent. I’ve included it just so we have something to compare the others to.

But, let’s face it, not everyone can access a professional print lab so where else can you go and what can you expect?

2. Photobox

Cost of print - 15p. Delivery £2.99

This isn’t too bad. The image is darker than my original and the little man looks pretty ginger, which he isn’t, but the quality of the print is good and all things considered I wasn’t too disappointed with this.

3. Boots

Cost of print - 48p

I used the print machine in my local store and well… this is grim. It has a distinctly yellow tinge to the whole image. The quality of the paper isn’t terribly great either. It feels pretty cheap and looks bad. Sorry Boots!

4. Tesco

Cost of print - 49p

Well there’s a bit of a story with this one. I did this online for collect in an hour. I trundled up to the big Tesco (in the snow no less – proper commitment to the task) and when I arrived the rather lovely printer man apologized profusely but admitted that there was a problem with the printers.

So instead I was directed to the print it yourself machine where he let me print free of charge for all my hassle.

And to be honest the colours aren’t that far off being accurate, perhaps a slight ginger tinge but nothing overly dramatic. He looks a little pink but on the whole this isn’t bad. There is, however, a feint line running down the print all the way along it which isn’t great and I’m a perfectionist so, for me, this didn’t cut the mustard.

5. Truprint

Cost of print - 17p (I got a 15% off discount code with my first order - 3p off. Woo hoo!) Delivery £1.99

This brightness of this print is definitely closer to my original. There is a hint of ginger to his hair. The quality of the paper is better than the print it yourself machines but not as quite as good as Photobox.

6. Morrisons

Cost of print - 49p

This was another print it yourself machine and I assumed that the results would be similar to the other two…but actually for a print machine this was ok. The whites are a touch dark but he doesn’t look ginger. There is a distinct pink tint to the whole image and the quality of the paper still isn’t as great as Photobox, but this was a decent effort.

So basically, I’m going with Truprint for the win and Photobox as a decent second.

Out of the machines, Morrisons was the best but to be honest I’d never recommend getting prints (especially special ones) from any of the machines.

When you’ve presumably spent a lot of money getting photographs done you at least want to spend a little ensuring that your prints reflect what the image is meant to look like.

And that’s you, I have nagged you about printing and now I’ve given you a nudge towards where to print. Go forth and print with confidence lovely people.

G x

What to wear to your family photo shoot.

What to wear to your family photoshoot.

So you've made the leap and booked a family photography session. Ah so exciting! You can't wait to show off your images on your Facebook page, hang them beautifully on your walls and your kids are going to have the cutest thank you cards for their birthdays this year. And then it hits...Oh God...what should we all wear?!

I've been a bit reluctant to blog about this.

I kind of like that people come to a shoot dressed as they normally would because who they are is then reflected in their images.

However over the last few weeks clients have been asking for a little guidance, even clients who always have their kids and themselves looking immaculate have asked for a bit of guidance.

So here is a quick guide of some do's and don’ts for a session. And the extra nice bit is that if you have booked a session with me and you are still unsure I will happily come round before the shoot to give you a hand, I am just that lovely! (and modest, obviously!). The mum of these three crackers literally opened their wardrobe doors and asked me to choose what they should wear. 

Do - Co-ordinate

This is the main difference between a session looking good or a session looking amazing! You want your images to show that your family are connected and in a strange way this makes a massive difference.

When I say co-ordinate, I don’t mean matching. Images look better when there are a few complimentary colours running throughout the family. Have a flick through some magazine adverts or even a clothing catalogue for inspiration.

This family had co-ordination down to a fine art. Navy, mustard, aubergine and a burnt orange pallet against the Autumn backdrop. Yes, yes, yes!

And clothes don’t have to be super expensive either. The plainer the better. We want the attention on your little's face, not what they are wearing. Plain clothes also don’t tend to date as quickly. Your images will need to look great on your wall for a very long time to come. Think simple and classic!

Pick a colour pallet and look for pieces that fit within it. You can add some stripes or spots on a top but try to team this up with a block colour cardigan.

Layers look great, as does a knit.

This gorgeous bunch got it spot on too. Navy and burgundy knits for a chilly day. The knits add a bit of texture which is great for a photograph. 

Do - Dress for the weather.

It’s all fine co-ordinating the main clothing items but if it’s blooming freezing and you haven’t thought about their outerwear then this causes problems. Children who are cold don’t tend to be terribly smiley or keen on having a giggle. They’re just cold.

I would always start with what jacket and shoes they’ll be wearing and co-ordinate around that. Jackets and shoes are the most expensive items of clothing so if we can avoid buying them then that’s great.

This little guy was dressed to impress and dressed for the weather with his yellow coat, matching wellies and chunky Fair-Isle knit jumper. Isn't he adorable!

Do - Start with the menfolk.

Let’s face it, the men are never terribly chuffed about the thought of a photography session. It can make them feel a touch awkward so let’s make it a bit easier on them. Start planning your outfit around them. What will they look good in and feel comfortable in? If they are at least happy with what they are wearing then the rest will hopefully not be too painful!

Do  - Think about where you will be hanging them.

Ok, this one might be a touch on the pernickety side but…have a wee think about where you will be hanging them. Think about the colours that are prominent in that room and possibly use this as one of the colours that you use when co-ordinating your family outfits. It’s the little things that make the difference.

This family nailed their home session by considering the colours in their home when they chose outfits for their session. The result is that their images tie in with their decor. Ah interior design...got to love it when you kill two birds.  

and now for the...

Don’ts

I’m going to clump these altogether because they’re fairly short and sweet.

No clothes with large writing, logos or kids cartoons. It distracts from the main focus which should be your gorgeous children. Plain is good, Paw Patrol is bad.

No neon. This is generally a rule in life too.  Exceptions are only allowed for 80’s nights and roller discos. Bright reds, oranges and pinks can also be a bit tricky to work with. If in doubt keep it neutral!

And that’s it.

I’m always happy to chat clothes so if you’re not sure then text, ring, send me photos of your wardrobe or have me round for a cuppy beforehand and we’ll get you all sorted in no time. There may well be more to follow on this subject so stay tuned!

7 things your photographer wishes you knew!

Understanding someone else’s job is a pretty tricky thing really. We all have preconceptions about what other jobs are like.

Don’t get me started on the theory that teaching is a 9am – 3pm!

It’s the same with photographers. I think we’re really a bit of a misunderstood breed. And so to try and enlighten you all, I’ve put together a guide describing what it's like to be at our side of a session. Hopefully, it will alleviate some of your worries about what a session involves and give you a glimpse into a day in the life of not so little ‘ol me!

1. You’re nervous, I’m nervous, we’re all a bit nervous.

So you arrive at the session.

You're in the car feeling somewhat nervous.

You’re worried the kids won’t show themselves at their best.

Your other half isn’t totally thrilled about it all.

And...you’re not convinced you picked the best outfit to wear (despite having laid out ten different possibilities and gone with your first choice after all!).

I get it.

And here’s the thing - I’m nervous too!

I will have been prepping for your session for a good few nights beforehand and my head will be swimming with where we will go, how I’ll move you from one pose to another and what methods I’ll use to get the very best shots of your kids.

However, once we get started and we all relax a bit the nerves will subside and things will start to flow. Remember, we’re here to have fun.

2. Go with the flow and let me guide you.

I have total respect for the fact that you (or more likely your other half) would have done your research before coming along and you'll know the photography basics. Some of you will have your own cameras and be pretty damn fantastic yourself but please trust me to place you where I see it working.

There will always be a reason for my choice of position and pose. You may have your own ideas of poses that you would like which we'll have discussed beforehand but try to allow me to direct the session, relax and go with the flow.

3. All kids are a little nuts.

You know when you go to a parents evening and the teacher describes your child as hard working, polite and well behaved? Then you look at each other and wonder whether they have the right kid? Same applies here.

Kids will always respond better for someone else.

They all have their own little quirks and little ways and I’m used to that! Not only that, I love that each one is a proper individual, it’s what makes my job interesting and challenging at the same time. Your kids will get a bit hyper, but that’s ok because sometimes we need that to get fun shots.

I’ll calm them down so you don't have to worry about a thing! Let them be cheeky and funny and wild for an hour. There is very little they can say or do that will horrify me.

It’s equally ok if they are shy. We’ll take our time to bring them out of themselves and there are ways we can capture them without them necessarily being too far away from you.

4. Daddy, be cool!

Ok Dad’s, I get it. You are soo not up for this. I rarely get a Dad who is actually looking forward to the perceived trauma of a session but I also rarely get one that doesn’t enjoy it just a little. It’s one little hour out of your life and we will make it as fun for you as possible. See it as an hour to play with your kids without any distractions. Make some memories, when you see the images you won’t even remember that you were feeling a bit blah about it all.

5. Mums are all self-conscious.

I haven’t worked with a single mum yet who isn’t self-conscious when it comes to being in the photographs. I’m just as bad when it’s my turn in front of the camera. Have faith in the fact that you will be placed in a flattering way in nice light and you will be photographed from a good angle. And remember to be in the moment and have fun too. Connections and emotions are what we’re looking – they make the best images to hang on any wall!

6. This session is super important to me too.

I know how much time you will have taken over this session. You will have trawled the internet looking for the right photographer. You will have planned and possibly even shopped to ensure your clothes are all coordinated and looking great. You will have had a stressful time getting everyone out of the door with perfect clothes and hair and clean faces and you’ll probably not have has nearly as much time to do your own hair and make-up as you would have liked.

I totally get how much is invested in this session at your end but believe me it is more than equaled at the photographers end too. Photographers want to impress you, they want to nail that perfect shot again and again, they want you to love what they created for you and when you share it with your friends and families they want it to be of the highest quality and the best possible representation of their work.

We care. Big time!

7. I wait on tenterhooks to hear what you think of them.

This is both the most exciting and most excruciating part of being a photographer. You send off a sneak peek or a finished gallery and then your stomach starts to churn.

It’s like waiting for a text from a rubbish boyfriend back in the day.

You cannot take your eyes off your phone. Please, please, put your photographer out of their misery and send a quick text to let them know what you think. We are fragile individuals who like to know that we have pleased you!

And that's it for this little insight. There are many many other things I could bore you with, about what it's really like to be a photographer but all in good time my friend!

G x

6 things you should photograph that show your childs soul.

 At the beginning of the year I started a 52 project where you try to take a photo a week for a year (yes I know, quite obvious really!). I didn’t take as many photographs of my boys last year as I would have liked. I was so busy taking them for others.

Some photographers go for a 365 challenge but to be honest a good chunk of our days aren’t exactly perfect photo opportunities so I figured 52 might be more manageable!

The whole point is to capture the details that I know I’m going to miss or worse, forget altogether.

I compiled a mental list of the things I wanted to always remember and these are the things I try to collect for myself and photograph for the families that I work with.

And I’m kind of hoping that by sharing this list I inspire you to attempt to capture these images yourself. You don’t need a fancy big girl camera, the best is the one you have on you at the time!

1. All the teeny, tiny bits.

Aw I just love these shots. They always make me a little emotional. The littleness just doesn’t last long enough.

2. Baby hair

You know when your baby is brand new and their hair is all whispy and soft and it smells so good and they snuggle into your shoulder with their bum sticking out. 

Aww That!

And don't just do it when they're tiny...anytime they stop moving long enough, snap away!

3. Connections

So I'm guessing that you already have a lot of images that are similar to this one because

...but sometimes it's nice to go a little closer too. Get a photo of a tiny hand grasping a big one.

Pure memory magic.

I probably have less of these images for myself as I do for others. Mainly because handing over my camera usually results in blurry, out of focus images. I have lots of my other half with the boys but he’s pretty shy so I’ll keep him sweet by not posting them!

4. Laughter!

Don't just capture them chuckling, let's do this right! Capture the proper hysterical, snorting laughter and what they were doing at the time. So so worth always remembering. 

So so worth always remembering. 

Oh what I'd give to be able to laugh like a child. Wholeheartedly and carefree. 

5. Quiet moments

How often do you look at your little and wonder what on earth they are thinking?

I always used to wonder what mine dreamed about. I remember both boys clearly dreaming when they were just weeks old. I could never understand how they could dream when their awake time was little more than feeding and the other thing!

6. Eyes & Eyelashes

If there is one thing (ok, technically two things!) you make a point to capture often...make it these. I love how pure the eyes are when children are little. They are honest and real and clear and stunning.

Just don't forget the eyelashes because they're pretty amazing too.

And so I challenge you to do the same!

It’s not about the ‘say cheese’ moments. It’s the opposite of that. Look at your little one from every angle, capture it and soak it all up.

And if you have any that you're really proud of then swing back to Facebook and pop them in the comments.

G x