Precious Little Fleur

Newborn baby photography kent

I love newborn baby photography, the babies are so sweet, sleepy, cuddly and warm.  

I guess these are the reasons that (and it comes as no surprise at all) some don’t actually like getting undressed for the beautiful nude shots that so many new parents crave. The reason I say this is because Fleur was one of those babies. Mum, Dad and I had lots of creative ideas about how we were going to pose her, with her little bum in the air for a series of photographs but Little Miss Independent wasn’t having any of it, she wanted to be warm, cosy and snuggly and wasn’t going to have it any other way (I don’t blame her either – if I have the choice, so do I).

I say all of this for new parents out there who stress during a photo session when it doesn’t got the way they think it will, and out of character your baby starts crying every time you take their nappy off. Please don’t worry. Firstly it is very normal. Secondly, this is why we allot at least 2 hours for your baby session (more sometimes); newborn babies are never naughty, they are just telling you what they like and don’t like from a very early age (get used to that!) and sometimes it takes a while to coax them in to doing exactly what you want them to (get used to that too). Thirdly, if your baby can not be consoled and you don’t get the shots you were hoping for, don’t worry you will still get fabulous memories of their first few days anyway. Babies change so quickly that often those first few days are forgotten so a newborn photoshoot is never wasted.

We didn’t get the photos that we thought we would on this session, but we still got incredible photos. Here are a few of my favourites…..

 

Rebecca & Graham – St Thomas’ Catholic Church & The Barn Yard, Upchurch

Wedding Photographer Medway, Kent

Saturday 3rd of September saw me off to a very sunny Rainham (Kent) for the wedding of Rebecca and Graham. We met at a wedding fair held at The Barn Yard a few months previously and hit it off straight away. Rebecca is a very smiley, bubbly person and therefore very, very easy to photograph…and Graham isn’t bad either.

The thing I was most excited about with their wedding however was the beautiful green fairy lights that come on in the courtyard after dark at The Barn Yard. I have not had the opportunity to photograph them before and Rebecca and Graham kindly agreed to give me 15 minutes of their time after the first dance to take wedding photography like no other.

I love the lights and would like to thank them both for that extra little bit of time – what a beautiful way to end your album.

Here are some of my favourite images from the day.

Kemi & Ben – Aylesford Church & Ditton Community Centre

Wedding Photography Medway Kent

Kemi & Ben were married at Aylesford Church on Saturday 6th August with a lots of friends and family and the friendliest, laid back Vicar I’ve ever met. Not only did he calm the bride, groom and congregation when a family ‘incident’ meant that the ceremony started 45 minutes late, but he even turned the lights back on to let me take ‘just one more  photo’ because I had seen a  beautiful picture window that I wanted to use.

In addition to the stunning Kemi (Ben you didn’t look bad either) was their very handsome son Kensi who posed for the camera like no other 2 year old ever has. Again the weather was very changeable but I always use that to my advantage, helped by the fact that I love an umbrella shot or two.

Here are a few of my favourite images from the day:

Opal & Jon – Upchurch River Valley Golf Club

Wedding Photography Medway, Kent

I am now officially blogging out of order with 3 other posts due BUT I received a call from Opal today and she was so excited by the prospect of seeing one of her photos in particular that I decided she had earned the right to jump to queue.

Opal and Jon were married at the Upchurch River Valley Golf Club last Saturday and the weather was changeable all day. We did manage to take some lovely group shots however and played under the Willow Tree while the guests were being organised but because of time restraints we waited to take our creative section with the bridal party until after the meal. The weather however decided it wasn’t going to play ball and 5 minutes after going out on to the balcony, it started to rain again. That didn’t deter Opal and Jon though, who waited patiently while I ran to get an umbrella to keep them dry so that I could take a wedding photo unlike any I’ve done before.

It was only today that I found out how special rainbows are to Opal and Jon, which makes the rainbow that came out over them even more special.  I love the images and hope they will too. Opal and Jon these are especially for you…..

Dollie-May, the Portrait Session of a gorgeous 1 year old.

Portrait Photography Kent

Sunday afternoon took me off to Chatham to photograph the beautiful Dollie-May with her mum Lauren and dad Luke. The portrait session was a gift for Dollie-May’s first birthday, bought months before by her doting Nan in the form of a portrait voucher, and in our pre-portrait session chat Lauren asked for the white backdrop for that ‘professional’ studio look. It only took about 15 minutes to set up (and re-arrange their living room) and we started a great session. Dollie-May was fantastic, her cousin was there to help attract her attention and the results speak for themselves.

When shooting family portrait sessions, especially when there are young children involved, I think it is important to time yourself around the best time of day for the youngest child so that you get the best out of  them. It’s the sort of advice that only a mother can give you and something I whole heartedly stick to. I can’t say it always works but it does most of the time.

Anyway, thanks Guys for a great portrait session. Here are a few of my favourite images from the day.

 

 

 

Emma & Bob – A beautiful wedding at The Knowle, Higham

Kent Wedding Photographer

Emma & Bob were married at The Knowle Country House Restaurant in Higham yesterday in the most perfect weather I have seen all year. The gazebo is normally fantastic at this time of year but I can honestly say that the whole gardens were absolutely flourishing with beautiful flowers of all shapes and colours and the introduction of chair covers and sculpted trees really gave the ceremony venue that extra special look.

That said, the flowers, the weather and the venue couldn’t hold a candle to Emma or her daughter Rosie. Both girls were absolutely stunning, with a timeless elegance fit for a princess and the mad laughter of women not long returned from what seems to have been a fantastic hen weekend. It was also a testiment to Emma that she even managed to turn her Matron of Honour, Rachel Clarke in to a respectable looking woman for the day and Rachel I must say that I am impressed little sister that you managed to behave yourself relatively well too.

I took far too many photos because everyone was having so much fun but among my favourites (below) are Emma, Rosie and Bob with his Dad Jack. I have only just begun the editing process but couldn’t wait to share just a few photos with you. I hope when the rest are available for viewing that you enjoy looking at them as much as I did taking them.

Vanessa & Trevor – A Civil Cermony at The Guildhall Museum, Rochester

Wedding Photographer Medway

Vanessa & Trevor were married last Saturday at The Guildhall Museum in Rochester (Kent). I love Rochester weddings, not only because the Guildhall is such a beautiful venue but because of all of the fabulous architecture in and around the High Street. It’s so much fun, even on a small Civil Ceremony, getting to play in our surroundings, even if it’s only for 20 minutes. I believe that even those couples on a tight budget deserve the best wedding photography and although the package was small I really do think we got some wonderful photos. I should point out that Vanessa was 7 months pregnant, and the beautiful little girl in the photos below is their daughter.

Here are some of my favourites….

The Wedding of Amanda & Vince – St George’s Hotel, Chatham

Wedding Photographer Medway

The Wedding of Amanda and Vince took place at the St George’s Hotel, Chatham on Friday 10th June. It was another lovely wedding for Heartfelt and although there were a lot of tears I have to say that Amanda’s personal vows written to Vince were some of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard. Neither the rain or the fact that their little girl was ill could dampen anybody’s spirits and a great time was had by all.

Here are a few favourite moments of the day.

Michelle & Tony – A Small Wedding at The Knowle, Higham

Kent Wedding Photographer

Friday afternoon saw the wedding of Michelle & Tony at The Knowle Country House Restaurant in Higham. Having been together quite a number of years they only booked the smallest Civil Ceremony photography package but this post shows how much can be achieved in a very short space of time if you still want beautiful photos but don’t necessarily want an album package. The wedding photography is far more intense but the results speak for themselves.

Thank you Michelle & Tony, I know you weren’t huge fans of having your photos taken and you did work hard. I hope you like the photos as much as I do.

Here are some of my favourites:

 

The Beautiful Hilary – A Portrait Session in Loose (Maidstone)

Portrait Photographer Kent

Last night I met the lovely Hilary in her beautiful little cottage in Loose to take some headshots. She was warm, smiley, had a beautiful sparkle in her eyes and we really did have a great time, first shooting some casual photos in the garden (which lead down to a waterfall and stream!) and then setting up our ‘Hollywood lighting’ with the Triflector to get some stunning headshots. Sometimes I forget how much I love taking portrait photography in Kent.  I love meeting and chatting with people, hearing their stories and making them smile….and not those smiles that come from being told to ‘smile!!’ but the natural ones that come as a result of some fun time spent together.

Hilary told me last night that she contacted me because I am a member of the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP) and I have to say that made my evening even better. There are tons of photographers out there and sometimes it’s difficult to know which one to choose  (like finding a reputable builder) but for me it’s important to be part of the BIPP because of the professional standards it champions. Anwyway enough of that, here are a few of my favourites from last nights session.

Thank you for a lovely evening Hilary, I really did have fun.