Christmas micro sessions at Gooseberry Bush Cafe

Christmas micro photo sessions at Gooseberry Bush Cafe 2012

I am very pleased to announce that I will be running a day of ‘micro’ sessions at Gooseberry Bush cafe in Wimbledon on Saturday 17 November from 10am-4pm. These have been planned for nearly a year now and I have been squirrelling away Christmas props for several months in preparation which means that I’m currently fighting my way to my desk through a maze of ex-shop window fir trees, fake snowballs and presents. You can see them in the photos above – the little models on that shoot had lots of fun decorating the trees and rolling around in the fluffy snowballs.  I wanted the props for these micro sessions to be festive without being too cheesy, but I’m as happy as the next person to get out the Santa hats if that’s the look you like. Or if props aren’t your thing, we can lose them and have some non-festive photos instead.

But what are ‘micro’ sessions you might ask? They are micro in the sense that they last just 15 minutes as opposed to the mini sessions I run a couple of times a year which last 30 minutes or my usual bespoke sessions that last up to two hours. These micro sessions are designed for customers who would like just a few festive shots for Christmas cards or gifts. They last just 15 minutes and cost £75 which includes 3 digital images. They will take place in the studio above Gooseberry Bush Cafe in Wimbledon (so you can have a coffee and some cake while you’re waiting) on Saturday 17 November from 10am-4pm. Previous customers will receive a complimentary calendar worth £12. You can either have a family group shot or just have some shots of your baby or child/children. It’s up to you… Please have a look below to see some of the products you can buy after your shoot. Three digital images are included in the price of £75, but I will also be offering prints, calendars (below left), Christmas cards (below centre) or baubles, stickers and heart frames (below right). I have a price list with further details which I can send you. If you don’t want to have a Christmas session but would like to order some of the products below with images from a previous shoot you’ve had with me this year then please get in touch.

To book a session please get in touch and I will send you the list of times still available. I will require a £10 deposit to reserve your slot.

Autumn mini sessions now available!

With October here already, I just wanted to let you know about some autumn mini sessions I’m running over the next few weeks. The mini sessions were so popular last year that due to popular demand I’m running two lots this year, one morning in Richmond and one in Wimbledon (dates are on the image below). Slots filled up really quickly last year so please get in touch to reserve yours asap… I will then contact you with the location etc. A deposit is due to reserve your slot, but this will be deducted from your shoot package cost.

autumn mini sessions with sweetheart studio

I often get asked what the difference between a mini session and full session is, apart from price so I’ve added in a few q&as below, but if you have any further questions please do get in touch.

How are mini sessions different to normal portrait sessions?
The autumn mini sessions will last 30 minutes, whereas my usual portrait sessions last up to 2 hours. Due to the short timeframe for a mini session, they will take place in a smaller area instead of getting lots of shots in different locations which is what we’d have time for on a full-length shoot. There will still be lots of scope for variety on your mini shoot though! Following your mini session, I will upload around 20 fully edited images to an online, password-protected gallery, whereas after a full session you usually get around 45  images in your gallery. With a full-length portrait session most families spend between £400-£1600 (including the session fee) on prints, digital images or beautiful display products. I have priced these mini sessions at just £220 since I don’t run them often and because with Christmas on the horizon, it’s a cost effective way to get some beautiful up-to-date photos of your family to share with friends and relatives. Also, many families like to have images as digital files at this time of year so that they can get lots of copies of prints to go in Christmas cards or to make photo gifts.

How much are the mini sessions?
The price is £220 per family which includes the following:
- an email questionnaire so that I can find out more about your family before the shoot.
- ‘what to expect’ guide giving tips on what to wear and what to expect on your shoot
- 30 minute mini photo shoot in Richmond or Wimbledon (I will confirm location with you)
- password-protected online gallery with 20 fully edited images live for 7 days
- your digital files beautifully presented on a customised DVD which I will deliver to your door in a gift box.

The normal price for the above package is £350 so this offers a big saving. You are more than welcome to order additional prints and products but you are not under any obligation to do so.

Which slots do you have available?

For the Richmond session the slots are 9am; 9.50am; 10.40am; 11.30am and 12.2opm

For the Wimbledon session the slots are 9am; 9.50am; 10.40am; 11.30am and 12.2opm (those crossed out are booked)

But what if it rains?
If it’s raining that day we will reschedule to Saturday 10 November if you are free or otherwise I can refund your deposit or you can put it towards a custom session with me.

 

Headshot session in aid of Mummy Mentoring Month

I’m very behind with blogging because I’ve had so many lovely shoots lately, but I am determined to catch up before I start all the lovely autumn/winter shoots I have booked in. So, to start, here’s a headshot session I did in May (am a little embarrassed that it has taken me four months to blog it). The shoot was one that I donated to an auction run by Motivating Mum (www.motivatingmum.co.uk) as part of their Mummy Mentoring Month back in March/April. All the money raised from this month was donated to the charity Nema, which helps women in rural Mozambique to educate and look after their families.

The very lovely Elodie Nelson bid for the headshot package I was offering in the auction. Elodie is an NCT teacher and IAIM baby massage instructor who runs Elodie Baby Services http://www.elodiebabyservices.co.uk She wanted some photos for her website and Facebook and Twitter profiles that reflected her friendly personality while still looking professional. We spent a happy half-hour in her beautiful garden trying out various poses and here are some of the results…

heashot-photography-streatham

 

Toddler photography in Kingston

One of the things I really love about being a photographer is being invited back to take photos of babies and children I’ve photographed in the past. It’s so lovely to get to know the families and to see how their little bundles of joy change and grow from shoot to shoot. I first photographed beautiful Betsy when she was barely two weeks old, then when she was six months and then again shortly before she turned one for a festive shoot…

newborn photography in kingston upon thames

I was lucky to be asked back to photograph Betsy again a few weeks ago, hoping to get some pictures outside. However, the British summer weather struck again so we did the photo shoot indoors instead. I think you’ll agree from these latest photos that she is still very beautiful indeed…

baby photography in kingston upon thames KT2

This blog post has taken me a really long time to write because I’m so spoilt for choice with which photos to include since the little subject is so gorgeous! But I’ll stop myself now. So here’s one more to be going on with…

toddler photography in kingston upon thames

 

Happy International Happiness Day!

Did you know it is International Happiness Day today? I didn’t until I heard on the radio while driving through a heavy rain storm this afternoon. With the miserable weather we’re having it’s hard to keep smiling. So I thought a well-timed blog post celebrating the gorgeous smiles of some of the lovely babies and children I have been lucky enough to photograph over the last few months might be just what the doctor ordered to cheer you up in honour of International Happiness Day.  Because in the (always wise) words of Winnie the Pooh: ‘Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.’

baby and children