Christmas sorted!

Gift vouchers now available.

Wow hasn't the year flown by? Incredibly there are just two short weeks until Christmas, and I have the perfect gift solution for you to give (or to buy for yourself!)

Alice's drawing of Mummy !

The 2011 Challenge

Take a look at this - fabulous programme. I completed it last year and - WOW! Yes it's written for new businesses - well businesses that are not even dreamed about, but I used it for my own business - it's a fabulous resource for marketing and promotion. Apparently 170,000 people have taken part in The Challenge since it's inception in 2005 - will you too?

The Challenge
Take the Challenge and learn how to make your first $1 online.<img style="border:0" src="http://30dcinc.net/scripts/imp.php?a_aid=suephoto&amp;a_bid=fdd955e5" width="1" height="1" alt="" />

Article: 10 Hidden Images in Logos We See Daily

10 Hidden Images in Logos We See Daily
http://smashingtops.com/funny/10-hidden-images-in-logos-we-see-daily/

10 Hidden Images in Logos We See Daily

Isn’t it strange how many things are right in front of your eyes? The world is full of symbols, but we never find the time to notice them. These cool logos are actually images hidden into images. We were probably supposed to notice them, but tough luck, almost anybody ever does!

(via Instapaper)

Some very clever and creative ideas here.

Baby photography ... Cora's first year

 

The most popular baby portrait package I offer is comprised of three photo sessions over your baby’s first year, as it showcases their key development stages. This package includes a free folio containing one print from each photo session - a real keepsake. This montage includes images from each of Cora's sessions on the left hand side, showing her as a baby, toddler and finally as a lovely little girl.

For more information please visit my main  baby, child and family portrait photography website or call 0845 838 5375.

Article: Why digital photographs won't be around forever

Why digital photographs won't be around forever
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/14/digital-photography-not-forever-prints

Dear Photograph is a remarkable demonstration of the power of ordinary, humdrum photographs to evoke memories. Anyone who has ever found a shoebox of old prints in an attic will know this. They yield up images of ourselves when we were young, slender and innocent, of our parents with unlined, carefree expressions and unfurrowed, untroubled brows, of holidays once enjoyed, places once visited. Photographs freeze moments in time, reminding us of who we were – and, by implication, of who we have become.

(via Instapaper)

That sums it for me, and if you are like my husband who can spend hours in the loft reminiscing in the company of neatly put together albums of his travels from 20 years ago it's an important point. I'm convinced we are losing a whole chunk of social history because so many photographs are not printed or stored properly and then what will look at to remind us?

Baby photography - Alex at 7 months, session 2 of 3

The most popular baby portrait package I offer is comprised of three photo sessions over your baby’s first year, you can choose the timings, but good times are 4, 8 and 12 months, as it showcases their key development stages. This package includes a free folio containing one print from each photo session. This is Alex's second session, and his personality is really starting to emerge!

For more information please visit my main  baby, child and family portrait photography website or call 0845 838 5375.

Baby photography ... Isaac completing his triple session package

Article: No More Choices

No More Choices
http://www.parenting.com/blogs/parenting-post/maggie-cheung/no-more-negotiating-senator-jack

Parenting styles, strategies, and methods were a hot topic in all the mom groups I joined when I had just the one kid to obsess over. That sort of talk always stressed me out. I felt like my kid was always changing, he never fit the examples in the books

(via Instapaper)

Love the sentiment in this article, thought I'd share as so often I meet parents who are worrying about something, we all do, and it's usually a phase that passes. I still think instinct is as good a steer as any and I haven't referred to parenting books in a very long time!

Article: My Advice For Aspiring Photographers

A good summary and some good advice in there.

My Advice For Aspiring Photographers
http://jpgmag.com/stories/3265

(via Instapaper)

Article: Portraits of the Queen to be shown as part of diamond jubilee

Portraits of the Queen to be shown as part of diamond jubilee
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/8564888/Portraits-of-the-Queen-to-be-shown-as-part-of-diamond-jubilee.html

The exhibition, titled Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration will depict her many roles as “princess, monarch and mother”.

(via Instapaper)

This exhibition is right up my street, as you would expect! I'm always interested in how other photographers work - it's what makes them unique and of course with this one is the added dimension of a familiar subject and the challenges connected with that. I've often wondered what it would be like to be someone's personal photographer and how you would refresh the creative juices once you'd worked with them a while and a level of predictability had set in. Or maybe it would allow you to be more creative because a trusting relationship had been established.

Article: Small businesses warned against infringing on photographers' copyright [update] - British Journal of Photography

Small businesses warned against infringing on photographers' copyright [update] - British Journal of Photography
http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2075750/businesses-warned-infringing-photographers-copyright

Small businesses warned against infringing on photographers’ copyright [update]

The Forum of Private Business issued the warning after it noticed an increase “in calls to its member helpline on the issue in recent months, with several businesses receiving letters demanding payment for unwittingly using copyrighted pictures,” it says in a statement.

(via Instapaper)

I'm not surprised by this, copyright is a very misunderstood area.

 Sent from my iPad

The Century of lost images

This phrase was used by a supplier today at a trade show I attended. And I fear it may become true. So many images taken are not printed, not stored anywhere else other than the device they were taken on, which eventually expires as technology marches on. So I suspect a huge raft of social history will be lost, certainly the day to day stuff that becomes more interesting with time. And I find that clients gernerally want something finished like a framed print for their wall or an album; perhaps these will be the only legacy of the century of lost images?

Baby photography .. my latest work as a video

Just 2 minutes long this video showcases my recent work. Enjoy!

For more information please visit my main  baby photography website.

JustBabyPortfolioMar11.mp4 Watch on Posterous

Mother's Day gift offer

Mother's Day is fast approaching. Why not drop the hint that you'd love a family/child/baby portrait session. I have put together a fantastic package that includes a one hour photo session AND a framed 8"x6" print for just £25 (Value £160).

For more information please visit  myMother's Day gift offer page on my website, this promotion closes April 4th, 2011 and the session must be completed by May 29, 2011.

Pen And Paper

Love this article - link below to full article. We have all these tools to help us in business, yet the clarity pen and paper gives to communicating an idea or concept to others still wins the day. http://www.challenge.co/blog/general/pen-and-paper

Parndon Mill Artist's on t.v.

Just spotted the Gallery at Parndon Mill on Friday's House Gift.  And the gift they bought won! I have no idea when they filmed, but it was great to see Parndon Mill on television and the piece they bought was created by a resident artist, bet she's delighted.

Business Portraits, Headshots, as a business-building tool

 

Do you need a professional business portrait? Your first answer might be “no”, but;

• Do you have a website? Does it include a bit about you (a biography)?
• Do you publish a blog?
• Do you or will you ever issue press releases?
• Does you company have a newsletter?
• Do you ever write articles for your trade magazine?
• Or have them written about you?

If you answered yes to one of more of these questions, a professional portrait may be a good investment, and the good news is it doesn’t have to be a really expensive one.

How many times have you visited a faceless website? It’s still all about people. Who you are, what you do, your story and what makes you different are still incredibly important, but people still like to see what you look like! People still do look for the emotional connection – a person they feel they can get on with and do business with. 

We all lead busy lives, and standing out in the crowd is becoming harder and harder. We are literally swamped with information, be that in newspapers, from TV, from the Internet, whilst commuting to work, at trade shows, at meetings. In fact sometimes it all feels very anonymous.  

A professional portrait is an important tool in your branding toolbox, no matter how small or big your company it’s an essential part of your business identity. Enabling you to stand out from the mass market.

Having your photograph on your marketing materials gives you the opportunity to sell yourself. 

Now your business may depend upon more than selling yourself, but any time you connect your name and business with a pleasing professional image of you, the association will have a positive impact on your customers’ perceptions. As human beings we remember what we see as much as ten times longer than something we hear. There is no substitute for visual presentation for an immediate and lasting impact. 

So if you want to change or improve your position in your marketplace, and up-to-date portrait is a great place to start.

So ask yourself again: Do you need a professional business portrait? If the answer is now “yes,’ here are some things to avoid:

• Don’t take a photo of yourself in a mirror with a mobile phone.
• Use a passport photo.
• Or opt for a standard mug shot of you stood by a wall with unflattering lighting coming from on camera flash.
• Do not scan a print.
• Don’t cut your face out of a group shot.

All of these send the message that you couldn’t be bothered to invest in a professional looking image, which lessons your credibility. Ideally, the image used in professional representation should at least match the professionalism of the business or industry represented.

For more information please visit my main  website.

 

Baby photography ... Teddie at 5 months

These photographs were taken at Teddie's first session with me as part of a triple session package that I offer during baby's first year. It's great to see them grow and develop, but already you know he's going to be a real cheeky little boy!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

For more information please visit my main  baby photography website.

Baby photography ... Lyla at 5 months

This is little Lyla from her first photo session ... I just love the range of facial expressions you get from babies!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

For more information please visit my main  baby photography website.

Baby Photography … smile baby, smile!

It may look like an easy job, but trust me it isn’t. All babies are different – you probably already knew that – and therefore every photo session is different. Hooray I say – I’d get bored if I had to do the same thing over and over again.

Fortunately I have had it all in my studio; happy, sad, grumpy, tired, sick, hungry. I’ve learnt to work with it – and generally I head it off, by suggesting parents book a slot that matches their child’s happy time. Strangely the 11 a.m. session is the most popular, which is also the time most first time mothers have worked out how to get out of the house by, and this was with a 5 a.m. start. I love the challenge of photographing babies, watching them grow and their emerging personalities blossoming into toddlerhood.

The most popular baby package I do is a three separate sessions over babies first year – this particular baby promotion has been popular for the past twenty or so years (not that I was there at the beginning). It’s an absolute classic and is so popular because the free gift the parents receive at the end is typically a triple folio/frame, depending who you book through, containing one image from each stage of babyhood really shows how baby develops and changes during that first year.

The reason I mention this particular promotion is for the challenges it presents – typically a baby is photographed at 4, 8 and 12 months. In theory this captures the various stages of lying, sitting and standing quite nicely. Except some baby’s will achieve those stages early or latter than the book says.

I solve that one, by asking the parents whether the baby is sitting yet before I book the second session. I can’t be doing with rigid rules, who cares if this is at 7 months or 9 months? I don’t.

The key to it all is to manage the parent’s expectations. Everyone loves the smiley baby photograph, but the baby may have other ideas particularly when arriving at a new unfamiliar place. If I can keep the parents relaxed and happy, then I usually end up with a relaxed happy baby who may or may not smile.

I can honestly say that in my five years of photographing babies only one baby has come in and truly smiled and chuckled for the whole session. In my experience, and fortunately for me, parent’s love photographs that capture their child’s personality and I know I’ve achieved that when they comment, “That’s him! He pulls that face all the time!” The smiling baby pictures are the icing on the cake really – especially at 4 months old.

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For more information please visit my main  baby photography website.

Baby photography ... meet Joseph!

Meet little Joseph - his parents won the raffle prize that I donated to the Bishop's Stortford Baby & Toddler fayre held last month. This is my favourite photograph from our shoot, and whilst it made the shortlist, another photograph won the day!

Baby photography ... the cake smash!

Cake smashing! I love this idea - take one toddler, add cake and let the destruction begin. I've want to do a session like this for ages ... maybe I will in 2011! Thanks for the inspiration Susanne.

 

2010 my favourite photographs: Henry

 

Henry was a really smiley happy baby. Although I have to say his parents were quite proactive in making him smile with various toys, songs and silly faces. He absolutely adored it all. And I have to say for a 4 month old it is quite rare - normally you will get a few smiles, but not a constant stream. Often a baby will be really happy and chuckle in the home environment, but the sheer act of bringing them somewhere new makes them really curious and it takes them a while to take in their new surroundings & smile.

For more information visit my main  baby photography website.

2010 - my favourite photographs: Emily

This photo shoot took place at a local hotel - Down Hall, that I sometimes use as a base for sessions. And I love the way the light is streaming in behind Emily and the fact that she stood still long enough for me to capture this moment. It was a rare moment of stillness! I originally photographed her as a new baby, and have continued to do so every few months - which is an aspect of the job I really cherish: watching them grow and photographing that for their family.

The most challenging shoots for me to photograph are when a child is moving between the toddler and little girl/boy phase. They are fast on their feet and very independent minded, and will only respond to a limited amount of direction. Over the years I have learnt to go with the flow and just adapt the shoot to them. I personally love the variety this gives to my shoots, but it's also the reason a lot of other photographers don't like to photograph this age group.