WEEKEND FLASH SALE!
SALE – THIS WEEKEND ONLY – all new and existing clients can get ALL their images on disc – full resolution – for just £100. New clients need to pay a £25 deposit to secure their appointment (redeemable on payment for the disc and retained by us in the event of a cancellation). Just email 01625 420 621 or email [email protected] Hurry as limited appointments!
You Can Stand Under My Umbrella (Ella, Ella….)
For about ten years I have been an avid collector of Emma Bridgewater pottery – my collection is mainly Black Toast and Marmalade and Hellebore for the initiated, as well as a few rare samples and limited editions (“No Hubby you will NOT burn my coffee scented candle in a jar ever…..even if it IS a power cut!”) – I tend to think I pretty much know what is available although time constraints mean I am not a walking Bible on the subject these days! So imagine my surprise when I saw the sumptuous Dalani Home and Living offering Emma Bridgewater umbrellas for sale! Since my own (plain, grey) umbrella had broken a while ago it seemed like I should replace it and buy an extra one, just in case!
I settled on the gorgeous deep blue Starry Skies one and the smaller Pink Hearts one. They are so gorgeous I decided they would make perfect studio props now they live here to guide clients from their cars in rainstorms so they don’t end up bedraggled and soaked on their family portraits. The starry skies one also accompanied me on a particularly wet school run and very effective it was too! When a little girl turned up for a large three generation family photoshoot with a “starry” hem that was the catalyst for starting to use the umbrellas as a studio prop. I must admit, on their first trip into the limelight they looked stunning, and the little girl with the Pink Hearts brolly didn’t want to give it back!
If you and your family would like a family photoshoot, with or without umbrellas, please call me on 01625 420 621 to book your appointment.
Jo
Capturing the Essence of Family
The last 50 years have seen a great shift family structures. There are many common structures which whilst they have always existed are now more prevalent and accepted. These include single-parent families, same-sex families, divorced and remarried families, grandparents raising grandchildren, adopted families and many more besides. The challenge for a modern family photographer is , in the relatively short session time we have available, to unearth and portray, the essence of that family – that tribe of individuals - as individual people, the relationships between them and the family dyanmic as a whole.
My technique – to uncover this essence – is simple, at least to me! I want my clients to be as comfortable as possible, as relaxed as they possibly can be. I want them to be themselves and have fun together, whilst I sometimes observe and often engage but also capture the interactions for posterity.
I think portraying these relationships is at the heart of the absolute best of family photography. There is something that says more than just that these people were all in the same place at the same time.
This weekend I can honestly say that I personally feel that I achieved this with my photographs of same-sex parents C and S and their daughter, H. We all had a lot of fun and the results are beautiful, natural and creative images that show the interaction between this happy and loving family. More importantly the images are a reminder of how much this young family has overcome and I know they will be treasured for many years into the future.
With thanks to Tamara Lackey and her book Envisioning Family: A Photographer’s Guide to Making Meaningful Portraits of the Modern Family for some of the ideas contained in this blog post. www.tamaralackey.com
Rude Britannia
A boudoir photoshoot with our new vintage Union Jack backdrop. Really love this! Hair and makeup by Nicola Minshull! To book your boudoir photoshoot please contact me on 01625 420 621 or email [email protected]
Barking Mad!
An existing clients mother asked us to do a photoshoot with her dog and grandson. I must admit I don’t have any animals of my own and rarely photograph them so I wasn’t sure. However, I confess she pestered and pestered until I agreed and now I am quite glad she did as I am really pleased with the results!
Siblings without the Rivalry
Sometimes the best things are worth waiting for. This shoot with big sister L and new baby M was an example of that. L had been really looking forward to the photoshoot – she had even bought her own pink VTech camera along to give me a run for my money. However, when push came to shove and it was time for her to step onto the background paper she lost her confidence. She was shy and sullen and didn’t want to have her photo taken. At all. Not ever.
This is where I find being a mum helps. Usually. I went through my whole repertoire of nursery rhymes (I used to run a Mums and Tots group, I have a fairly big arsenal). We tried a drink and a biscuit. Nope. Lots of smiley pictures from baby M but L wasn’t warming to the studio at all.
This is where the fact that I tend to pencil in one and a half to two hour slots rather than the “normal” one hour slots really helps. I don’t run a cnveyor belt of clients. If I had had an hour M’s photoshoot would have stopped there and Mum would have been disappointed with lovely shots of her new baby but none of her two daughters together which she had asked for in her pre-shoot consultation.
Next we had a lookat theimages on L’s camera. It turned out she had been to Chester Zoo and loved the animals. Talking about the animals she began to thaw. We talked about all the animals we could think of. Then we introduced L to Quacky Duck who may be a soft toy but is a valued member of the Jo Belfield Photography team. L laughed A LOT at Quacky’s noisy quacking and we got some lovely images of her on her own and with baby M.
The photoshoot in total lasted 1 hour 45 minutes and through a little patience we got some great results that we loved but more importantly Mum loved too!
Calling all Ballerina Girls (and Boys!)
If you love dance we want to hear from you at Jo Belfield Photography! Up until the end of May we are running a promotion for all local Ballerinas – no matter how big or small!
Just call us on 01625 420 621 or email [email protected] to book a your studio photoshoot and create some stunning images to share with your friends. Every ballerina will get a free 5″ x 7″ print to keep and go on our 2012 Wall of Fame. The best photograph from the 0-4, 5-11 and 12+ age groups will also receive a prize of a 20″ x 16″ canvas wrap!
* gymnasts, cheerleaders and streetdancers are also welcome
Baby Britannia
We got all misty eyed and patriotic in the run up to the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympics this year and created a fun new Baby Britannia photoshoot for our littlest clients. Mixing some normal family photographs with some shots in front of an oversized Union Jack we created some very special images with a hint of vintage.
To book your Baby Britannia photoshoot please call the studio on 01625 420 621 to book your free session and print!
Here’s Looking At You, Babycakes!
Aimed at first and second birthdays we like to offer our tiny clients a photoshoot to remember with a Baby Cupcake photoshoot. The baby can have cupcake to get messy with and eat as well as some cupcakes to take home and share with the family! This is great fun and mmorable way to make the occasion!
These are some pictures of Baby C when he came for his photoshoot.
If you would like to book your own messy cupcake photosession for your baby or toddler please give us a call now on 01625420621 to make your booking!
Wake Up to Quality Family Photography
Last week we did a gorgeous family photoshoot for this family from Blackburn. They had received an Activity Superstore Voucher as a gift and came to us for their photoshoot. They wanted a picture to hang in their bedroom and asked if we could do looked like they were all in bed alongside the more usual family poses! We love a challenge, especially when the client wants us to be creative. I enjoyed the photoshoot immensely and and in the client’s own words they were “spoilt for choice” when it came to the viewing! Have a look at the images below and see what you think, and if you’ve got an idea that you would like to incorporate into your family photoshoot please contact us on 01625 420 621 to tell us – we’d love to hear from you!
