There are days when I feel like the heroine of a Nora Ephron film—hair slightly windswept, lighting softly golden, cats purring in the background as I potter about being charming and slightly neurotic.

And then there are days like today, where I feel like I’m running on 17% battery, my kitchen smells vaguely like bleach and disappointment, and I’ve cried at an advert for dishwasher tablets.

It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s soft life now. With a side of mild emotional collapse.

But here’s the thing—I’ve realised lately that romanticising your life isn’t about waiting for everything to be perfect. It’s not about beige sofas, morning yoga, or journalling with a £40 pen. It’s about finding tiny things that make you feel like you’re still here. Still trying. Still you.

For me, it’s been:

1. Making protein iced coffee like I’m auditioning for a Scandinavian lifestyle reel.
2. Cleaning the kitchen with a Fabulosa spray that smells suspiciously like designer perfume and pretending I’m in a montage about getting my life back together.
3. Putting on trousers that aren’t actively offensive.
4. Playing music while I cook and convincing myself I’m the main character in a TikTok video no one will ever see.
5. Sitting with a cat (or five) and whispering “you’re the only one who understands me” like it’s completely normal.

It’s ridiculous. And it’s keeping me afloat.

I don’t have any grand insights. No big life lesson to tie it up in a bow. I just know that on the days I feel slightly broken, the answer isn’t always to fix everything. Sometimes, it’s to romanticise the mess.

To find beauty in a quiet five minutes.

To make your kitchen smell like Winter Angel and call it therapy.

To light a wax melt and pretend it’s emotional progress.

And if that’s where you are too, then just know—you’re not alone. You’re not failing. You’re just human. Possibly hormonal. And doing your best.

And honestly, that’s more than enough.

Oh Hello… It’s Been a While, Hasn’t It?

 

Hello Again… It’s Been a While, Hasn’t It?

You know that feeling when you bump into an old friend and somehow years have passed—but it still feels like yesterday? That’s me, dusting off this little corner of the internet, brushing cat fur off my keyboard, and wondering where on earth the time went.

If you’re new here (or if you’ve forgotten about me entirely—rude but understandable), I’m Mandy. I’m still very much living my independent woman, slightly feral cat lady, romcom protagonist in the wrong movie life. Yes, still single forever—thank you for asking. And honestly? Not mad about it.

🐾 The Current Cat Chaos Roll Call

• Charlie – Legendary cat, absolute icon, still running the household like he pays rent.

• Angus Beans – The smallest, sassiest kitten with a name far too grand for his tiny legs.

• Iris – The wise elder of the group, quietly judging everyone from her favourite spot.

• Maggie – Found abandoned in a recycling centre and now living her absolute best life (because obviously, she owns the place).

• Jasper – Technically my daughter Abigail’s cat, but you know how it goes—visitation rights and all that.

Somehow, between the cat wrangling and my long-standing phobia of bananas (yes, that’s still a thing—don’t ask), life took an unexpected turn thanks to TikTok. What started as me rambling into my phone has turned into a full-on career. I’m now a content creator across TikTok, Amazon, YouTube, and apparently back here again. Who knew over-sharing on the internet could be so profitable?

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📱 Where You Can Find Me These Days

• 💫 Follow me on TikTok (@mandyyourtiktokmum) – for chaotic storytelling, product reviews, life updates, and occasional existential dread (with a side of cat content).

• 🛍️ Shop My Amazon Storefront – if you’re wondering “Where did she get that ridiculous but oddly life-improving gadget?” it’s probably here. Curated, tried, tested, and Mandy-approved.

• 📌 Hang out on Pinterest – perfect for late-night scrolling and finding all the pretty things I don’t actually need but desperately want.

• 🎥 Join me on YouTube – yes, we’re doing that now too! Expect honest reviews, a bit of chaos, and the occasional unplanned existential crisis.

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This year, I’m all about embracing joy again—more travel, more cats, more unhinged product reviews, and maybe even a little theatre obsession thrown in for good measure. And if you’ve stuck with me this far, you’re officially part of the VIP club (no membership card required, just a tolerance for sarcasm and the occasional cat photobomb).

So, grab a coffee, settle in, and let’s make this next chapter the most chaotic, hilarious, and gloriously unfiltered one yet.

P.S. Tell me in the comments—what have you been up to? And if it involves acquiring more cats, please know I am fully supportive.

Embarking on a New Adventure: My Return to Travel Blogging and Exciting Projects Ahead with Mandy Charlton, Photographer, Writer, Blogger!

Attention all wanderlust souls! After a brief hiatus, I, Mandy Charlton, Photographer, Writer, Blogger, am thrilled to announce my triumphant return to travel blogging. With renewed passion and a fresh perspective, I am eager to dive back into the world of exploration, storytelling, and sharing memorable travel experiences through my blog. As I set forth on this exhilarating journey once more, I am especially excited to focus on slow travel, sustainable travel, and uncovering those hidden, quirky places that delight the senses. Join me as we embark on unforgettable adventures together!

1. **The Beauty of Slow Travel**:

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In a fast-paced world, the allure of slow travel beckons us to savour each moment and immerse ourselves in the local culture. My blog will be a celebration of this unhurried approach to travel. I aim to inspire fellow travellers to embrace the joy of meandering through charming towns, engaging with locals, and cultivating a deeper appreciation for the destinations we visit. From the picturesque countryside to the vibrant city streets, slow travel allows us to create meaningful connections and lasting memories.

2. **Embracing Sustainable Travel**:

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As a responsible traveler, I am committed to treading lightly on the planet and promoting sustainable tourism practices. Through my blog, I will shine a light on eco-conscious accommodations, green transportation options, and mindful activities that have a positive impact on the environment and local communities. Let's discover ways to preserve the beauty of our world for future generations while still indulging in awe-inspiring adventures.

3. **Unearthing Quirky Places to Eat, See, and Go**:

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Hidden gems and offbeat experiences await us in every corner of the globe. Whether it's a tucked-away café with mouthwatering delicacies, an extraordinary art installation tucked within a bustling city, or a whimsical village brimming with enchanting stories, I am dedicated to uncovering these unique spots and sharing them with you. Expect a blend of gastronomic delights, eccentric attractions, and unconventional activities that will undoubtedly add an extra dash of wonder to your travel plans.

4. **Inviting Collaboration and New Projects**:

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My return to travel blogging marks the beginning of exciting possibilities. I am eager to collaborate with like-minded individuals, tourism boards, sustainable brands, and fellow travellers who share my passion for slow and sustainable travel. If you're interested in working together on travel-related projects, initiatives, or partnerships, please don't hesitate to reach out. Let's join forces in promoting ethical and enriching travel experiences that leave a positive impact on both travellers and the destinations we visit.

Conclusion:

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As my journey recommences, I invite you to be a part of this adventure. Together, let's explore the world with open hearts and open minds, cherishing the beauty of slow travel, embracing sustainability, and unearthing the most captivating and quirky places to eat, see, and go. Get ready for a tapestry of stories that will ignite your wanderlust and inspire you to embark on your own unforgettable voyages.

Stay tuned for travel tales, guides, tips, and reflections as we celebrate the joys of travel while caring for the world we inhabit. Let's make every journey a meaningful and enriching one.

Are you ready to embrace the magic of slow travel and embark on a sustainable, quirky adventure with me? Let's wander, wonder, and make a positive impact along the way!

Colour My World, an Artistic Project

Colour My World - A life lived in colour is a life made better.

Colour is everywhere and I don't know if it's just me but I am noticing it more and more since the end of lockdown, it's like the world is on a mission to fill itself with the most colourful places and even the street art seems brighter and more vibrant than it ever was before.  Even the smallest of cafes have decorated their tiny yards to be bright, colourful havens from the world and I for one plan to celebrate that.

Over the next 2 years, I plan to create and curate my first exhibition entitled "Colour My World" and I've already started to create the work for it.  I have lived a colourful life my entire life but even more so since I became single 7 years ago.  I am currently in the process of applying for a grant from the arts council so things are getting very real but in as much as I can self-support to a certain extent, things are still incredibly financially tricky due to covid and its after-effects.

For years I have collected images of bright happy places, amazing colourful street art and I've also turned my house into my own explosion of colour, my kitchen is yellow, blue and pink.  I've even changed the boutique to sell only the most colourful of things, the monochrome collection is an exception as black and white are also colours.

Colour to me, means happiness and I think if you are surrounded by colour it makes you happier in your heart.  I'd love to look at the effect of colours in the environment and I think it's amazing how we have fully embraced today's art by decorating buildings and walls everywhere.

Can you help by nominating your favourite colourful place?

Whilst I have already collected quite a few images I'm also on the lookout for more so if you have a colourful spot near you, a cool cafe with an awesome back garden or you know of a great floral entrance please do get in touch.  I'd also love to get this project published one day so although I could go down the self-publishing route if you're reading this and you are a photographers agent or a publisher please let's have a chat!

Being an autistic neurodiverse person it's blatantly obvious that I see the world in a completely different way to the neurotypical but that's what makes this such a magical project, I get to share how I see the world in my own unique way to the world en masse.  It's an amazing opportunity to show how magical the world is when you are neurodiverse and for all being autistic does have its challenges, it's also my greatest creative superpower.

I'm on a mission to change my life over the next 2 years and this is the main part of it, to finally be taken seriously as an artist, I just want to leave my mark on the world, it's a hilarious ambition to have a blue plaque and I'll never find out if I achieve it as you only get them when you're dead!!

Hop on board, join me on my adventures 

If you hop on board this journey with you can get a monthly art postcard for your wall or to gift to a friend, any mail that isn't a bill is most definitely happy mail and colourful art to brighten the walls is never a bad thing, you will also be supporting an artist on a quest to change her entire life in the next 2 years.  Not only will you get beautiful art for your walls, you'll also get exclusive content as well as the story behind each image for £3 a month, you can't even buy a coffee with that these days.

Ways to support my writing

If you have enjoyed this article or found it useful and would like to support my writing I'd love a virtual coffee

I also have a lovely Facebook group I'd love you to come and join 

You could also come and follow me on Instagram or  TikTok keep up with my adventures, I really am grateful for all

of your love and support.

Oh and of course, you could just treat yourself to something lovely from Philomena's Boutique, my gift boutique

which is diverse, sustainable and totally lush!

The moment everything changed

For the last couple of mornings I have woken up to spring light pouring through my thin bedroom curtains, I've turned over to shut my eyes again for that extra 5 minutes of cherished sleep and as I've yawned and stretched for the first time every day I've remembered.  Each day there's that wonderful moment before I remember, life has changed, nothing will ever be the same because of Coronavirus.

I'm lucky I guess, I was one of the first to get sick, I experienced my body feeling so hot I thought I would burst into flames, my throat unable to swallow, blocked by shards of hot glass whilst my joints ached so much it made me sleep for 20 hours a day, this virus which invaded my immune system making me so poorly that I went from running a small business community to having a cyst burst and then projectile vomiting my own blood within just a few hours.  When this virus gets into your weak places, it really does it well.  So why am I lucky?  I'm lucky because I survived.

On the 27th of March, I can officially leave the quarantine period, I shall gallop through the park (Miranda style) with a grateful mind that I am one of the lucky ones.  I haven't been into the real world (barring hospital) since last week, Tuesday maybe?  Looby had been ill with a fever before I started to feel off-colour but when I was last out, the world was normal, I was, as I have always been, a freelance and mostly well-employed photographer.  

My previously recession-proof career died almost overnight, life stopped, weddings got postponed or cancelled and I went from a good income to no income, my business doesn't have premises so I won't get a grant and I think I'll be too small to apply for a business interruption loan when they launch next week and even then, when do I pay that money back, when will we switch from a public crisis where people are dying every day to wanting lovely family portraits of us all having fun.

Currently, none of my bills is suspended, I qualify for no help and the only piece of legislation which might help means that I won't be evicted whilst we have this crisis, I literally could lose everything but it could still be worse than that so for now, I am grateful to be here.

I see my job now to be one of the entertainers, I shall put myself out there, no matter how ridiculous I have to be to make people smile, I shall dance every day in my kitchen, I shall plant seeds and potatoes, I shall resume the redecoration of my home, I will bake cakes on Instagram, I will use the platform I love to cheer people up, to make people smile, laugh at me or laugh with me, as long as it makes you smile inside your tummy then it's all good with me.

Social isolation is hard and yet my hermity ways have been preparing for it for years, this is no time to complain or worry about the state of my own life because we are only just at the start so until I am dragged kicking and screaming whilst being evicted, and as long as I have an internet connection and something to broadcast on, that's what I'm going to do and I hope for light relief you will still pop by here and read my words or watch my Instagram and I promise to always be grateful that I am here and for now, whilst there's sunshine, my pets and a garden that I love, life could be so much worse.

The Importance of Telling Your Story

I have a single rule in general about photographs, if a photograph doesn't tell a story when it's isolated on its own then you should delete it.  Every image should tell a story because the importance of telling your story through every single thing you do is so important.  It doesn't matter how you took the photo, whether it was a camera costing thousands or your battered old mobile phone which lives in your pocket with your keys and some sweet wrappers.  A good photo should either immediately tell a story or it should ask you a question and make you wonder what's going on.

In business one of the hardest things you'll do is to search for your superhero customers, the people who'll come back over and over again, the ones who will shout from the rooftops, the ones who will be your superheroes and tell other people about you.  To find those very special people, you must tell your story.  People no longer buy products or services, they buy people and no one is going to buy someone they know nothing about.

People want to know the person behind the business, why did you begin, how have you been here for so long, what is the thing that makes you want to keep doing what you're doing?  All of these things form part of your story.

There's a trick on Instagram I worked out maybe 6 months ago, I started to really engage with people through images and videos, I started telling my story, I wanted people to really know who I was, where I'd come from and just how far I'd come.  Every day is like a new chapter.  The funny thing now though is I don't necessarily share the best, most, award-winning images.  I simply share the things I love and with that love, I tell my story.

So important is this message of telling your story that I've completely changed the face of my business.  Up until very recently I would go to weddings and tell the story of the couple but in portraiture, I would just take pretty pictures.  Nothing wrong with that you might say, but I couldn't understand why I could do it with weddings and not with families and the truth was, that it's about time.

So often people come to photo shoots with definite ideas about what they want so by the time you arrange them into their various groups, there's no time left to create story-telling images.  To tell someone's story though is to give depth.  It's actually a truly beautiful thing to have just a little more time but I can tell you, although there'll always be a place for the shorter sessions, when you spend an hour with people and you're wandering from place to place, it really helps you get to know them, get to know the personality of their family.

This weekend I have 2 weddings and 2 longer photo shoots and it is my single goal to create great storytelling images from each one.  They will all be completely unique and so it's important that their images are too.

At the heart of everything I do, I want to inspire people, I want to use the experiences I've had in life, good and bad, to help others, to be an advocate for mental health and I want to show people that although bad past life experiences have defined me I have managed to change the focus of them and get some good out of them.  It is 100% possible to have had a deeply traumatic childhood and still turn that around into something which helps others.  

There are a few areas of my life I have been far too quiet about, especially the past, recent and farther back, I feared the consequences of speaking out too many times but not any more, now that I'm publicly talking about it and drawing other people to me who've experienced the same kind of things I can see completely how together we can be a force for good, together we are telling our stories to help others understand theirs.

You know, it's a funny thing, life.  For me, the biggest paradigm shift was transforming my garden, it allowed me to share from beginning to end a story, I got to share my journey and inspire some people along the way and it also revealed to me that through learning about how living outdoors affected my general health and wellbeing that I could pass on this information to help others.  I also suddenly realised I was doing the thing I'd first learnt in photography, through sharing pictures of plants and how to build a pond, what I was actually doing was sharing the story of me, of progress and of transformation.

Start sharing your story today and you might just find out how powerful that is.

Gardening is life changing, here's why...

When I was young, I remember living in a house where the garden faced the wrong way, the sun shone on the front garden and the back was paving stones which I can't remember spending any great time doing anything on.  Then in my teenage years, we moved to a house with a back garden which faced the right way and I think this is where my love of flowers came from, begonias were fashionable and something which grew well in our back garden, it seems a shame I think that they have fallen out of fashion in recent years.

During my adult life I have fallen in and out of love with the garden, it became somewhere forboding in my last house but probably due to my ailing mental health, when you're trying to just get through each day, it does not leave much time for anything else.  This garden I have now though has been through so many changes, from moving in with a huge rowan tree which blocked out all of the light.  We had the smallest patch of grass you can imagine but I remember the children having a paddling pool one summer, something I'm reminded of when wearing those rose-tinted glasses which looked to the past. 

Being married to someone who gardened professionally I never questioned once any of the plants which came to live in my garden. From cuttings or kind donations and it's only now when I live on my own and I've transformed it myself, that I've come to realise, half of the plants in my garden are just too big for my garden.  There's one particular one, a Japanese anemone which gets on it amazing pink flowers in the summer but no matter how much I cut it back, it grows like a monstrous triffid, consuming all of the light and smothering anything in its path.

Let's not mention that Juniper which lived in the corner of my garden which I pulled out with such vigour that I fell over and concussed myself against the garden wall!  Gardening is an adventure! As Monty Don says, "Gardens are never finished, they are a journey, not a destination".  I love that sentiment and when I'd laid the path and put the slate down, I stood at the bottom of the garden and reminded myself that this was actually a beginning, not an ending.

Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I do not do things by halves, I am either passionate about something or I just do not care for it at all.  This is my worst and best quality all in one, I get bored easily and move onto new things and I only have patience when it comes to photographing small people.

In my garden though, I have found so much of myself which was previously lost.  I have found a haven and I have found my soul.  Within weeks of getting outdoors my agoraphobic tendencies started to recede, my night sweats vanished and my skin looked better than it had in years.  I found myself calmer and more zen than I can ever remember. 

If gardening is good for the soul then the act of just sitting somewhere beautiful is good for your mental health.  I've had more people tell me I've inspired them to get outdoors, to change their gardens or to make their own little haven than I ever have had people tell me that I've inspired them with photography, I may have even been called "Planty Mandy" I don't mind that though, in fact, I quite like it!

I do not know what will happen in my future now, none of us do, we can plan for tomorrow but everything can change in an instant so you may as well enjoy the process, live for each precious moment and appreciate in hindsight that you were making the most special memories on what might seem were the most pedestrian, normal kinds of days.

Since the garden has become a retreat I've noticed that Looby and I are taking more time to sit out in the evenings, the fairy lights twinkle whilst the Chiminea has kept us warm and we've sat under blankets doing nothing special which was actually the most special thing we could have done.  If anything, the garden, the space I have come to call my haven, is the biggest and best thing I have ever done, it has given me time to stop and sit and ruminate, it has offered moments of pure joy and it has fulfilled my ambitions of doing something grand and following a process from beginning to end.

It might be a small urban garden, but to me, it means the whole world and for that, I'll be forever thankful.

Why you should book me to photograph your wedding

This year so far has been a revelation to me, I've shot more weddings over the spring than I had for years.  For a few years now I've been extolling the virtues of my smaller wedding photography package, being a wedding photographer in Newcastle upon Tyne, I've shot over 300 weddings over a decade.  It takes years to develop your craft but then you get to a point where you can start to push your own boundaries and truly strive to do something different.

For around 3 years now I've been photographing shorter wedding photography packages and I adore them, I go to weddings for 2, 3 or 4 hours, I sweep in, along with Stacey my amazing friend and longtime assistant, we capture beautiful images and we sweep out again, leaving you to get on with the rest of your beautiful, wonderful day.

I'm shooting more 2-hour weddings than ever before, it's the perfect amount of time if you just want the highlights, it goes from 30 minutes before and captures, the arrival, the wedding, some groups (if you want that) and the portraits.  I am a portrait photographer, kick-ass portraits are the thing that I live for and it's not just me, Stacey also comes up with the most amazing ideas, together we're innovative, we're different and if you tell us you just want an hour of portraits after your wedding then you're going to get the best portraits ever.

This year I'm probably the happiest and most in love with wedding photography that I've ever been, I mean who wouldn't love a job where they get to work with one of their best friends taking photographs of couples who've just declared their love to the world in front of the people who are closest to them.

Wedding photography is a gift to be cherished, it's all you have left after the day and so I always say, don't have 8 hours of bland photography of the back of people's heads, have 2 hours of extraordinary photography you can cherish your whole life through.

I shoot 2-hour wedding photography packages all over the northeast of England and with 4-hour bookings I travel anywhere from Edinburgh right down to York (travel costs may be incurred).

Not everyone wants 12 hours of photography on their wedding day although I do occasionally shoot those spectaculars too and I love them, the benefits of smaller packages are, it's a tiny window in your day, you get those perfect moments and the rest of the day you get to party hard if you want to.

I am booking now for this summer, I have dates available from mid-June right through until Christmas and I'm holding my pricing until June 15th, after which there'll be a small rise to account for the fact that my prices have been the same for over 3 years now whilst the cost of living, equipment, business and insurance has all risen.

If you book me now for 2021 or 2022, you'll get the price you book at so tell all of the single ladies, the ones planning far off adventures or the ones who are getting married this summer and still don't have a photographer, the whirlwind romances, the relaxed affairs, I love and cherish each and every one.

Shorter Wedding Photography Packages

2 hours - £450

3 hours - £600

4 hours - £750

So, you want more information, come email me and tell me all of the details of your wedding today

A Tough Week

It's Monday, my day off and here I am, sitting at my desk for the first time in days after a hugely busy working week last week, I shot way over 30 sessions from Wednesday onwards so you'll forgive me for my blogging absence.

In addition to that I also shot all of my gift guide products last Thursday, they're far from written but powered with copious rounds of toast and cups of festive hot chocolates, there's nothing really that I can't achieve.

October was a rough month for me personally, it always is, it has been for years with the same things happening over and over and I credit myself with being a moron for letting them happen.  I think my lonely heart betrays my sensible head far too often.

I've also been completely ill despite taking every vitamin in the world to keep me well, I guess it would have been much worse if I didn't take them but I'm grateful to a lovely company called Flyte who produce clean energy drinks made with the caffeine from green coffee, they offered to send me a case and it's pretty much how I made it through the week if I'm honest, unlike most energy drinks they didn't make me feel fluffy or headachy, they weren't too sweet and they didn't taste like chemicals, I would certainly drink them again, especially the green mango which was just delicious.

The Pumpkin Day photo shoots in Jesmond Dene went incredibly well, it was a day filled with the cutest tiny babies and their siblings and it was so successful that I'm doing it all again but with giant wrapped presents, some of them may even be big enough to fit a family member or pet inside one or two of the boxes.

If you would like to book for the Christmas portrait day in Jesmond Dene on the 1st December you can see all of the details on that wee post above or just contact me through my Facebook Page

This week I'm hoping for a nicer, gentler, kinder week, I have 2 weddings to finish editing and about 30 portrait sessions and my calendar is really filling in a crazy kind of way so if you want a session before Christmas please don't hang around. 

I shall be back later in the week with my first gift guide of the season, filled with the yummiest photos of the best products around for you to give to your wonderful friends and family this Christmas day and if you need to contact me in between times, I'll be right next to the nearest hot chocolate stirred with a candy cane of course!

The Worst Thing You Can Do At A Photo Shoot

Everyone knows that the worst thing about coming home after a holiday (apart from the washing) is the return to work and even for me, someone who loves what they do, the getting back into routine is always a little hard.

This morning after being back at work proper with 2 photo shoots which both contained lots of smiles and occasional melt-downs (pretty much the norm) I'm feeling absolutely exhausted and in need of a decent afternoon nap.

This weekend, I have 14 photo shoots spread over 2 days, it's probably my biggest portrait weekend of the year so far, let's just presume I'll be ordering takeaway and having the earliest nights possible and on Monday I fully expect to wake up exhausted.

My job isn't really physically tiring but let me tell you, entertaining 14 sets of small people and trying to avoid the inevitable tantrums by singing 12 rounds of Let It Go accompanied by back to back repeat performances of "I've got this feeling" and you end up with a brain which is much like Swiss cheese at the end of the working day.  I love what I do of course and at least I can say my ability to sing has come in useful, some days I feel like a walking children's jukebox I know so many Disney songs, singing generally is how I make it through the day though and I love it, there's just a chance that if you asked me my secret to success I would tell you that it's knowing many variations of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat'. I actually learn new verses all the time to, go me!!

Another talent I possess is having an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of Paw Patrol without ever having watched a whole episode, you could say that everything I know comes from photographing 3 year olds and certainly if you ever want to learn about Dinosaurs, just speak to a 5 year old boy, it's their specialist subject you know!

My favourite part of working with children over the last 10 years is that I genuinely don't know what's going to happen next, I've long discarded the idea of going into a family session with a plan because, well you know, the best laid plans...

If there's 1 thing I could tell parents before I photograph them all, it's probably, please don't have expectations, the best results come from just having fun and relaxing, once you start expecting certain things from your kids, well it's a hiding to nothing, it's also true that whilst you can photograph some kids in 30 minutes, some take a little longer and if it doesn't work the first time, well that's okay too, you'll never get great results if small people feel pressured or indeed if you are tense and worrying about what you want to get out of the session.

I've made a 10 year career of photographing families and not ever having a plan, the times when I did set myself unrealistic expectations were the times I came away disappointed but as the years have moved on I've just learnt to go and enjoy myself and have fun knowing that each session is going to be just a little bit different and you might get completely different results from 2 sessions even if they're on the same day just an hour apart.

I think as a parent, particularly if you haven't met me before you have the same worries as your children, who am I?  What am I going to make you do?  Am I some kind of crazy woman?  (well yes but only in the best kind of way).

My best advice is just to come along, to relax and to have fun knowing that I don't have a plan but I can guide you along the way because I'm good at what I do, because I've shot thousands of sessions over the last 10 years and because I believe each family and the love and relationships they have is so precious and special, it's also unique and that's why your photos might not look anything like your friends families photos, try not to worry though, I won't let you down, I've got this!

You can currently book a better than half priced session for just £35 instead of £75, just follow my link!

Mini Sessions with Mandy Charlton Photography - Top 25 Frequently Asked Questions

It's been around 3 months now since I transformed my business with low-cost, high-value mini sessions with Mandy Charlton Photography in and around the North East of England, the funny thing is that I get asked the same questions over and over, in fact they're the same questions I've been asked for the last ten years and yet still I've never come up with a frequently asked questions so today, I am going to put that to rights and give you some of my most asked questions and the helpful answers! Once you've had a read through you can Book Now, just email me and I'll send an invoice and as soon as that's paid you are booked!

1. How much are mini sessions?  Mini sessions are £100 per session 
2. What do I get for my £100?  You get a 30-minute session at a beautiful location and a Dropbox of all of the edited digital images.
3. Are there any hidden costs?  No, it's simple, convenient and it means you can make more memories with your family.
4. Are the digital images full size?  Yes, you could print wallpaper if you wanted to.
5. What if I want to get some prints?  I always send a link to my favourite consumer printer Photobox with every download invitation.
6. Can I do anything I want with the images?  Yes, as long as you don't sell them it's all good with me!
7. Do I own the copyright?  I maintain copyright on all of my images as the creator but you have a license to print which means you can do whatever you want with them as long as you don't sell them.
8. Can I use the images on social media?   Of course, you can, all I ask is that you tag my business or me in the images so that it helps friends and family discover my business, they deserve lovely photos too!
9. What ages are mini sessions suitable for?  Mini sessions are usually suitable from around 6 months upwards or as soon as baby can sit up unaided.
10. I have a large family of 10, can I book a mini session?  I'm afraid anything over 5 plus the family dog and you really will need more time but you can book a double session for only £200, do make sure you book well in advance though as it's much trickier to find 2 slots together.
11. Can I cancel and get a refund?  Mini sessions are non-refundable, transferable as a gift certificate and if anything happens with sickness or the weather we'll reschedule.
12. What happens if it rains?  I always reschedule in the case of rain or high winds if it's a beach day, both are exceedingly damaging to my delicate camera and pretty much, it's not fun and soggy portraits are not what I would want to put on my walls.
13. What should I wear?  Dress for the weather and as long as you all don't wear clashing colours or patterns you should be absolutely fine!  My clients and I seem to love Joules and it really does go with the style of photographs I produce!
14. Which locations can I choose from?  I regularly hold sessions in Jesmond Dene, Saltwell Park and the beaches of Tynemouth and occasionally I trial other beautiful spaces such as Wharton Park in Durham, Seven Oaks Park in Cramlington and Carlisle Park in Morpeth as well as my favourite Chopwell Wood, somewhere I don't get to enough but there are only so many hours in the weekend.
15. I'd like to buy a session as a gift can I do that?  Yes, you can, I sell gift certificates which are E-Vouchers so all you have to do is click, print and gift!
16. How long are the vouchers valid for?  Currently, all vouchers expire in June 2018!
17. I have an old £35 voucher, can I use that to pay towards it?  No, but I have arranged a special deal where you can book a double session for just £100 and get all of the edited digital images.
18. How can I see when you'll be next at my chosen location?  I try to update Facebook frequently and my website at least once a week but please do email
19. Why do I have to pay for my session to book it?  Because quite simply I am so busy and these sessions are so popular that I can only hold sessions open for up to 24 hours without payment, my calendar is a seriously crazy place and I'm currently booking around 6 weeks - 3 months in advance, I actually have people booked in for Autumn already so they get their chosen slot!
20. How long after the photo shoot will I receive my images?  I try to work as quickly as possible but you can expect that you might have to wait around 5-7 days especially at busy times in the year.
21. How many digital images will I receive?  There's no absolute on this one, it really depends on what happens on the day but people rarely go away with less than 15-20
22. Who are mini sessions suitable for, families, couples, babies from 6 months old, kids
23. Can I bring my dog?  Your dog is also a member of your family and so you should have them in the photographs, my beagle Holly Bobbins often comes along to Jesmond Dene mini session days, she's a celebrity beagle you know ;)
24. I am phobic of dogs, will Holly Bobbins be there?  If you are frightened of dogs or your kids are please do advise when you book, Holly sometimes comes to Jesmond Dene and Wharton Park because she likes the train, she comes to dog-friendly beach sessions but she never comes to Saltwell Park because it's not an off-lead park, she wanders around, she's exceedingly calm and loves kids, particularly the wee ones and she does occasionally try to photobomb!
25. Should we bring anything with us?  I usually have chocolate for the kids and sometimes dog treats for the pooches, bubbles always work well or on the beach buckets and spades can be useful, maybe a favourite toy, it's up to you but you don't have to bring anything and I'll try to make the session as fun as I can.

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Looking Back on 11 Years of Blogging

Today my blog is 11 years old, 11 years, it's a quarter of my life and I can't really put into words just what an achievement it feels like to have gotten to today.  When I tentatively wrote my first post there's no way I could have possibly imagined that I would still be sitting here today typing in anger with my noisy, heavy fingers, I type quickly and I almost punch the keyboard with my digits as I tell my stories of love, life, travel, adventures, parenting, mental health and the rest of the giant cornucopia I have created and curated over the years.

In this, my daily documentation of sometimes everything that I am, I have laughed with you all, I have wept in the darker moments as I pounded my keyboard wanting to get the words out so they didn't hurt anymore.  I have written at 3 am when tipsy and at 5 am when my teenagers were toddlers and loved nothing better than to get up at quite frankly unreasonable hours of the day!

I remember writing with joy when Paul and I renewed our vows after 10 happy years of marriage and I also recall the sadness of the day when I had to write that he had left.  This weblog really is the story of my life, but not just my life, the life of a family, the life and death of a marriage and the rebirth of a woman dealing with her own mental health issues on a day to day basis.  There have been times when I censored myself and only wrote about the good things but it feels so much better now to be real all of the time, luckily even in the dark times I can usually manage a little humour and this is me in my actual life, I can still find humour in darkness, I think it's possibly that which gets you through the bad days and tough times.

Just lately, or at least for the last 6 months as I've seen my readership rise and rise it's become clear that I have found my niche, I'd love my niche to be travel because I love writing about travel and I do when I can but it's obvious now, what I excel at writing about is dating and relationships, it's not even necessarily mine, it's just a topic I seem to be able to write about with ease.  It's the perfect subject and there's no end of stories to write about, I'm certainly thankful for dating sites and for friends who are happy to share their stories and not mind at all that I write about them.  They all think it's hilarious that it's only now, nearly 20 years after Sex and the City that I'm watching it thinking "ooh, that Carrie, she's writing about the same kinds of things that I do" and then realising she wrote it first!

I'm not sure if I shall always write about dating, the great thing about not having one set theme on my blog is that you can write about whatever I want and for the most part I genuinely sit down each night and the words come out, I think whilst I adore photography, writing is perhaps what I was meant to do, it's in my heart and my soul and if I have one goal I want to achieve in the next 5-10 years it's to become a successful writer.  Don't worry though I shall not be giving up photography anytime soon, I feel there's a natural synergy between the two and when they are aligned correctly you have the ability to create something magical and as my friends all call me Magical Mandy it was obviously meant to be!

Looking for Newcastle Photographer?

This is going to be the biggest image post I've shared for ages, being a Newcastle photographer I'm incredibly privileged to share in so many precious moments, both at home and on location with family portraits and further afield shooting beautiful weddings for my gorgeous clients who are so very much in love.

Here's the thing, I wouldn't even have a business without my clients and being a single parent supporting an entire menagerie I sometimes have to take a moment to ask you, the good people of the internet to share that I want to take on more clients, it's not always the case but at the moment things are quieter and so I'm looking to fill my diary in the month of March and April, obviously further months are also available but right now I am super focused on getting us through the rest fo winter and spring.

I'd like to think after 10 years of professional photography that I'm pretty good at what I do and that's why many of my wonderful clients come back year after year, I like to shoot in Jesmond Dene most of all and Saltwell Park or on the beach at Tynemouth Longsands and King Edwards Bay, some of my clients have the most amazing homes and gardens and if you are one of them then why not have a session at home?

Everyone compliments me on the photos I take of newborns at home with their toddler siblings, let me just say now, what I do is a skill, it comes years of practice and much negotiating with 3-year-olds, it is the hardest thing you will ever do and yet when you get those images it's so rewarding, these are the photos which can't be reshot because newborns change every single day.  It's much like the wedding photographs I produce, each one should stand on it's own and give you joy each time you remember the most special days of your life, I've shot weddings all over the country but I definitely have favourite places like As You Like It, Newton Hall, Le Petit Chateau, Eshott Hall, Beamish Hall, Guyzance Hall, I love unique individual places which are a joy to shoot in and each and every one of my wedding couples get's at least 1 unique portrait I've never shot before, obviously after 10 years this is harder than you'd think but I still manage it!!

I might not talk about my photography business so much on my blog now that I have separate places for writing and photography but really, I can't do one without the other, I love taking pictures and I do it as much in my personal life as I do in my job, I shoot for travel companies and experiences and that's one of the reasons I love what I do, my life is so varied and I can't imagine ever doing anything else.

So if anything, this bumper load of images should convince you more than anything of just how passionate I am about my work and also just how very hard I work, my mental health when I am working is always brilliant, I have a constant need to be busy and it's only in times when I'm not that I have way too much time to think or in my case overthink.

If you are looking for a photographer for your project or collaboration or you want some great family photos or you are inquiring about a wedding photographer then please get in touch

Wedding and Portrait Photography

Travel and Commerical Photography