Well that's it, over, done, Looby went off to school on her own on the bus for the very first time, I'm not sure given Looby's track record of getting the bus home from school and occasionally ending up in strange places that I am entirely happy with it but with Abigail living in Cramlington now school is very much not on the way!  It does also mean that she's now getting herself up in the morning, going out and I didn't even get woken up, great for me who hates mornings but that same time, it's one of those moments when you realise just how grown up your kids are.

So now for the first time in what seems like months my house is quiet, the low level hum of children playing in the streets is no more and starting the day with a bowl of porridge with just a squeeze of fresh honey, I felt the change in the seasons.  It's also nearly 30c in my back garden currently so I feel we're a long way off winter woollens but if you look beneath some trees there are signs that autumn will soon be here.

Yesterday I sold out all of my sessions on 3 separate weekend dates in October, this year a last minute session does not at all seem possible, I would advise you now to book your Autumn or Christmas card photo shoot right now, it's better to book your session now and get a date in the diary than it is to be disappointed.

These next few weeks are about planning for new projects, collaborating with new brands and catching up, a lot of catching up, I have the most adorable mug of Holly sent to me by Joy who runs Have A Bru I just need time to get it out of it's protective shell and photograph it, I have some gorgeous flowers arriving from one of my lovely clients and the most fabulous autumn coat from another, all just waiting to be showcased and one thing I'm planning this year, instead of a series of gift articles I am going to produce my very first PDF gift guide which will be available for download from October, I'm still looking for more companies to collaborate with on this so if you have a great product or experience you would like to exchange for photos, articles and a page in my gift guide get in touch

September is a difficult month for me, too many demons and memories of Septembers past combined with the blues of the return to normality after an amazing summer I'll never forget but I know all I have to do is plan some great new things to look forward to and after reading Laura's blog this morning I know I'll be adding a little more Hygge (pronounced Hoo-ga) to my home this year, I've already ordered a book called The Cozy Life, rediscover the joy of simple things through the Danish concept of Hygge, I'm actually pretty good at creating cosiness and spend most of my summer hiding in my cool bedroom because my living room is too hot but I'm back in the living room this morning planning a space for a new desk as well as a Hygge corner for relaxing, reading and chilling as well as taking the decision that I am going to take Mondays and Tuesdays off work from next week because I work every weekend, nothing ever happens on a Monday anyway and I'm always exhausted, it really feels a bit alien to take two days off a week after it took me 7 years to just take one but like the Danish it's time to get my work/life balance back and I know it may seem like I'm always going places and doing things but it's just work in other words and a 30 hour week seems like a good plan to me, maybe I am destined to be Danish one day!

Iain was 20 yesterday and Looby will be 13 in 18 days, my children will be 13, 14 and 20, no longer small and dependent on mum, all independent, spirited feisty fully grown young people in their own rights, time I think to not just plan for autumn but for the future, short and long term, lots of changes and maybe some times of turbulence but all for the best, a couple of huge decisions I've yet to make and I am currently sleeping on waiting for signs from the universe, once I know the paths I have to take you can be sure I'll write it here.

So I hope that this first week of quietness after the summer hullabaloo isn't too awful for we know that in just six or seven weeks we'll all be reunited again for half term and for the first time I am planning to work at the weekends of half term and then I'll be going away and doing something fun on the weekdays because life is too short to not have fun dear reader, now go and plan your next adventures

Family portrait photographer in Newcastle

Dear reader, it's September and we're entering that time of year known to me as the hectic portrait season, I have Saturdays which are already full in October and as I'm only doing 1 set of 3 dates of mini sessions this year it could well be that if you don't book for your family photographs in Newcastle, Sunderland or Durham as far in advance as possible there's a chance I won't be able to fit you in.

If you want autumnal choose Jesmond Dene, Saltwell Park, Heaton Park, Armstrong Park, Leazes Park, Wharton Park, all of those are beautiful locations for portraits, especially from mid to late September right up until mid November.

If you want beachy you really can't go wrong with Tynemouth Longsands, St Marys Island or Whitley Bay

and it wouldn't be a blog post without me offering up a few samples of the photos you could look forward to.  I've noticed the current leaf fall, the horse chestnut trees particularly and I've also noticed that blackberries are ripe and ready, I think I can safely say that it's going to be an early autumn this year.

I am of course available on weekdays as well as those prime weekend dates and everyone who can do weekdays gets a big happy smile from me :)  I would just say though that even if you are thinking of a quieter weekday please do book in advance or I might just be off up a very tall building in another UK city while I continue to write the UK Cityscapes book all throughout autumn and winter.

So here's just a few recent portraits - 

So whether you are celebrating a newborn at home, telling the world how much you love each other, showing the kids off to their relatives or just getting an early start on the Christmas shopping whilst bagging some extra memories for yourselves come and create them with me, a standard family portrait session is only £40 and includes a web gallery for 30 days, 15% off if you order in the first week and a beautiful 12x8 print of your favourite image from the photo shoot, have them at any of the locations mentioned or at home in front of a cosy fire, I like the winter photo shoots at home, I get cups of tea and warm toes!

For now though, bright woolens on small people look amazing and I think photos taken in Autumn are the nicest and most enjoyable you'll take all year, those autumn colours and the magical autumnal light, there really is nothing quite like it.

To book your photo shoot today email me, contact me through my website or maybe my Facebook page

Summer holidays are here at last

Every July I get excited at the prospect of the girls breaking up from school for their summer holidays, when I first started my business I would take the whole 6 weeks off and then as my business grew I would just stop all admin and still do photo shoots and weddings but basically spend as much time as I could with my family and to this day I have kept it up, yes I am busier now than ever and combined with the travel for my book I'm not really at home very often but it means the girls get to travel with me (they take it in turns) and I still keep up with photo shoots and weddings but admin waits until they return to school in September.  I've been thinking this morning about parents with their own businesses and how it can be hard to take time off but I think for me family time has always come first and my clients know by now that my summer holidays belong to my family really.  I take very little time off at other times of the year so I think it's one small gift I've given myself since I started my business back in June 2007.

I am really busy with photo shoots at the moment and that's great, lots of families get together during the summer holidays and so if your friends and family are doing just that feel free to book me for a family portrait session.

I'm also travelling while writing my book and I am managing to catch up with families who want photo shoots with me all over the country, I have one booked in Manchester on Wednesday actually so wherever you are in the country, if you are near to a city then why not email me to see when I'll be in your city and arrange a portrait session for your nearest and dearest.

And here's just a few previews of some of the gorgeous families I've photographed lately.

I met this little one yesterday when I was doing some family portrait photography in Jesmond Dene, so cute and a love of Thomas the Tank!

I met these three little people last weekend when I did a quick family portrait session in Edinburgh, it's lovely having clients all over the country.

This one was so cute, love his pose, what a poppet, a great family portrait photo shoot on the beach at Tynemouth Longsands

The beach is also a great place to have a Maternity photo shoot

If you would like to book a kids, family, couples, maternity or anything else you can think of type of photo shoot then all you need to do is email me or contact me through my website or you can also find me on Facebook.

Festive Family Photoshoots in the Studio

This is your festive warning, Christmas is coming and in my lovely studio Christmas family photoshoots are taking place resulting in photographs like this -

There's still time to book in to have lots of festive fun in my warm and cosy studio based in Hebburn (10 minutes walk from Jarrow Metro and only 10 Minutes drive from Newcastle city centre)

Photo shoots are only £20 until Christmas so give me a call on 07918 121838 or contact me through my website and I might even be able to fit you in this weekend.I'm adding extra added free photo shoots on Wednesday 30/11/11, if you're off work with the kids because of the strike then why not come and have some fun at my studio because photo shoots are free all day, if you would like one just contact me in any of the above ways, you'll only pay for prints etc and everything will be with you before Santa comes, so laugh in the face of the doom, gloom and strikes and take advantage of my special happy offer.

Welcome to the festive season!

a little bit of love from York and the yearly Christmas offer

It's been a busy old time since I've been back at work and would you believe it I'm full of cold and germs, I'm trying to not let it get in the way of lots of portraits and fun but believe me when I say that the Benylin is working overtime!

So firstly I went off to photograph Laura and Tom in York on Friday, Laura is a wedding blogger extraordinaire getting married on Bonfire Night and if you want to see the whole collection of photos just hop over to her blog Bonfire Night Bride. here's just a couple of my favourites -

don't you just love their puppy Daisy, cutest doggy in the world!!

So, my second thing today was to launch my Christmas family portrait offer and I think I'll just let this photo say it all

and don't forget you can buy a gift certificate for a half price shoot to give at Christmas knowing you'll have saved money when they recipient books, all vouchers are valid for 1 year from the date of purchase.

Now I've heard a rumour that this week is going to be fantastic weatherwise and as the leaves have fallen from the trees it's the perfect time for leaf kicking and having fun outdoors capturing perfect family portraits, I have availability at the special price this weekend so if you want to take advantage either give me a call on 07918 121838 or email me

Book Your Christmas Shoot or Place and Order to win a Canvas

Just a quick update from moi!

Book your Christmas kids or family portrait shoot this week (before Friday 22nd) and you'll be entered into a draw to win an A4 canvas of your favourite image worth £39.99.

You don't actually have to have the shoot this week just book it for a date between now and the end of January so it's a great time to book.

Plus, if you place an order this week you'll also be entered into the very same prize draw and in addition there's 25% off all open galleries until Friday at Midnight.

Any readers of the Journal might want to look out for me on Thursday as I'll be featured in their Parent-Preneur feature, the photographer is coming this afternoon and I am petrified, I am so much fonder of being on the other side of the lens!!

If you do want to book your kids or family portrait shoot I have limited availability for this weekend so I could be seeing you on Saturday or Sunday to capture some fab natural portraits of you, your kids, your pets or your family.

Bits and Pieces - October 2010

Because I really am a frightful blogger I'm going to atleast attempt to write 1 solid monthly post with all the latest news.

So this month has been a mad month with portraits and weddings, I thought I'd try and share just a few recent favourites.

So thats just a quick sneaky peek at what I've been up to, meeting gorgeous children, people in love, and shooting commercial images for the wonderful company Grow Up Green who will help you provide ethical cloth nappies for your precious babies.

You'd think with all of that I wouldn't have time left for anything else but just recently I've gotten back to my first love, creative crafts, it's a great way to relax and it's such a fun thing to do with the children, if you are a crafter then why not come and chat about it on a friendly forum I like to call Craft.  if you are a craft related business you can come and advertise for free, all that we ask is a reciprocal link.

Looking ahead it's time to book your Christmas portrait sessions for families or kids - Book your Christmas portrait session now only £15 until 31/01/11 after which the price will be £40, save yourself £25, weekends already filling fast so book now, weekdays and some weekends available.  To book call me or email me, all details are on my website.

Coming up over the next week I have a 2 day shoot with a professional to get some professional but not stuffy portraits and I also have a 2 day shoot with a gorgeous 4 year old who has a promising career ahead of her, already starring in a Commercial and with interest in LA this gorgeous, full of fun 4 year old has big things in her future.

As always if you want to keep up with me why not add me to your facebook or follow me on Twitter

Emma and her extremely gorgeous family

Emma is so photogenic, her boys are gorgeous but until this point I hadn't really had the chance to get too many photographs of Emma so when she turned up at a recent shoot wearing a positively vintage look I knew the photograph would come out amazingly.


 

I adore that hat, I wish I could wear hats and look this good!!

of course I managed to get some great photographs of her boys too.

 



 
It's his 3rd shoot since we met and I can't believe how much he changes every single time.

 



 
and this one is destined to be an art director or a photographer, he's got a really good eye and is great at suggesting new ways for everyone to pose!

If you would like a family portrait then please do give me a call or click through to my website