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I adore this gallery. Baby Ruby is just devine! She has the most perfect head of hair for a newborn baby and already looks the image of her older sister Poppy! I photographed Poppy back in 2014 when I had advertised for a model call, so when Mum Gill got in touch with me last year to say she was expecting again I was delighted! I think you can already see from the images there is a strong likeness in them both (minus the hair colour of course).

Big sister Poppy took her role in the photoshoot very seriously…selecting her ‘princess’ headband and making sure I got the wrap on her just right. In fact she kept me in check and was telling me what I needed to do….so I can’t take credit for the results at all, although they are exactly what I hoped they would be! I told Poppy there’s a job waiting for her here when she’s old enough. Although she may have a bit of a commute travelling to Cheadle, Stockport every day from Warrington! 

Here are some of my favourites from the session, along with a collage I designed. I sell the collages with my top packages, allowing parents to specify the details they would like; date of birth, middle names, birth weight etc. I think they are a beautiful way of bringing a session together in one keepsake picture.
​Please take a look at the images and feel free to let me know what you think in the comments box below.

As a parent, how important is it to you that your child smiles for the camera? I know myself just on an average day I will whip my mobile phone out several times to take videos or photos of my children as they are doing something super cute or funny. Sometimes I will ask my eldest child to smile for the camera. Why I haven’t given up asking I will never know! After potentially 5-10 takes I will have exactly 5-10 photos with either a super cheesy smile where he looks borderline evil; something completely blurry because he  has moved or alternatively he has a ‘strained smile-gritted teeth-eyes facing the opposite direction look’ which I ultimately end up deleting!!

So what’s the solution?

Do we spend too much time obsessing over the perfect picture or a perfect smile? Should we encourage our children to be more autonomous…existing in the here and now and leave them to smile and look at the camera as and when they choose to and not because we have told them to for the sake of a photo?? At the end of the day, is a forced smile really a smile…and if forced…is this a memory we want to preserve? Are we trying to preserve a time in that child’s life for us to look back on fondly, for example their 1st birthday? Or are we capturing a time in a  specific moment that happened without prompting, where they are naturally existing or playing  in that particular moment. Then… ‘click’…(smile or no smile) that memory is preserved. A different kind of memory

I have no definitive answer or advice on the back of these ramblings….just merely thinking out loud…

I love a smile. A smile can say a million different things. A genuine happy smile, a cheeky smile, a nervous-half smile, a polite smile, an embarrassed smile to name a few. However, I’m going to go against the norm and say that my absolute favourite images aren’t the ‘posed’ and smiley ones. I absolutely love the natural images……the frown on a child’s forehead as he’s lining up his toy soldiers or the little fat rolls as he sits there in just a vest! All equally amazing moments to capture for keeps (in my opinion of course). I love too the macro shots that I try to include in my shoots where possible, which are really close up pictures of your child’s lashes, lips, fingers or toes! Little bits of your child you so quickly forget as they so quickly grow.

So here…just for you are some lovely macro shots that I just love, love, love!

Another photographer’s work that I absolutely adore is Bianca’s from Bumps Baby Beyond. Bianca is a newborn, baby and cake smash photographer in Whetstone, Leicester. Check out her page and have a look at some of her wonderful work. 

As a baby and family photographer in Stockport, Cheshire I am lucky enough to meet families with children of all ages. It is especially lovely to be able to form a bond with a family when they bring their very first baby in to the studio. The look of joy and pride on the parents faces, especially in those early days can not be likened to any other life event.  It never ceases to amaze me how much babies change in the first 6 months of life. Clients often send me up to date photos of their babies even just weeks after they have been for a newborn shoot and the change in such a short time is remarkable. 

In the photography world one of the most amazing ages to capture after the newborn stage has to be the ‘sitting’ stage. This happens, or starts to happen around 6 ish months. The muscles in baby’s back are strengthening and enable them to sit and hold their head up.  Once they are able to do this unsupported and confidently they are ready for a Sitting Session. I find this stage one of the most fascinating parts of development. Baby has a real personality by now, watching, exploring, touching and engaging with those around.

One of my recent Sitting Sessions was this little man….he was such fun! Laughing and smiling for his adoring fans. He brought both sets of grandparents with him which meant there was plenty of backstage entertainment for him! 

Lyme Park is one of our favourite National Trust venues. We are forever taking our son, Roman. We love wrapping up warm, exploring the woodland and taking walks right to the top to capture the beautiful views. 

Lyme Park is even more spectacular during the Autumn months. The colours are amazing.
It was a no-brainer really when we were choosing where to meet the Smith family to do their Family Lifestyle shoot which they won in our Autumn competition this year.

​The Smith family travelled all the way from Warrington, Cheshire. Mum, Hayley organised the shoot and brought with her, husband James, Lucas and the two twins…identical I should mention!! Mum Hayley has her own blog about being a stay at home mum, looking after 3 boys. You should check it out http://hayleyfromhome.co.uk/

For now, I will leave you with some of the photos from this beautiful family lifestyle shoot….

 What could make a more beautiful photograph than this little girl running through lavender fields. Meet Phoebe! She was such a sweetie and really loved the camera. Posing wasn’t a problem for her and this made the shoot all the more fun for everyone. As Lifestyle Photographers in Stockport Cheshire we are fortunate to have so many wonderful places nearby to take family photographs. Bramhall Park i a favourite, as well as the Carrs in Wilmslow. This shoot took place in Congleton and Phoebe was the perfect model!