What’s so good about a mini session?

My pop up sessions are always highlights of my year, getting to photograph at some of the loveliest times of the year to create memories for families. But what is it that makes them so special?

Well, for me a huge part of the summer pop ups is the light ✨ The location of a meadow full of grasses and little pops of summer colour in the evening is absolute perfection for the kind of shots I love to get.

The other reason I love these pop up sessions is the ease with which clients can update their family photos and have some great memories up on their walls in a matter of weeks. If I asked you when the last time you did this would you know the answer? I know we had stunning photos taken on the north coast almost exactly 6 years ago, and those are still on the very hard drive they were downloaded onto when we received them, something I berate myself about on a regular basis!

The pop up session packages all include a print credit for my gallery online store, which means that every client can have at least have a few prints to pop in a frame within 2 weeks of their session! Keep them for yourself, gift them to grandparents, opt to buy a really big one as a statement piece of wall art, the choice is yours. But at least they won’t be stuck on a hard drive or in your phone for all eternity!

Session times and details

This summer’s sessions are taking place in Crawfordsburn Country Park on the following dates:

Friday 9th June: 6.00-8.30pm

Saturday 10th June: 8.30am-12.00pm

The session itself costs £60 for 20 minutes and an online slideshow of your images, after which you can choose from 3 packages of digital images and print credit, starting at £50.

Sounding good and liking what you see here? Then hit the button below to book your slot and I will see you there!

What is a brand photo shoot, and why does your business need one?

Local creatives

There is something about creative people that draws me to them. Whether it’s the delicious treats or foods they make, the jewellery I can buy and know is original, or just their love for life and ability to bring people together, I don’t know. But in the past 5 or 6 years I have met and become friends with some incredibly talented people and it got me thinking that maybe you’d like to meet them too!

One of the best places to meet local artists and craft workers is at the many fairs that are held around our little country, and my personal favourite is the North Down Craft Collective fair which is held in Holywood Old School on the second Saturday of each month.

The amazing NDCC members outside Holywood Old School on their Demo Day last August.

Run by Debbie McCann of Wee Yarn Designs and William Clendinning of The Local, it is a showcase of some of the best local talent around and I’ve found it nigh on impossible to leave without making at least one purchase! From homemade fudge, preserves and cupcakes to lino prints, pit-fired ceramics and hand-crafted jewellery, it’s an absolute treat from the moment you enter the building.

But it’s not just the people I love. It’s the feeling I get when I buy something that I know someone has made from literally nothing. A lump of clay that has been transformed into a mug that brings me joy every time I drink my tea from it. A pair of earrings that started out as molten silver that make me feel just a little bit special when I wear them. A dollop of chutney passionately made from local ingredients that elevates my crackers and cheese from the ordinary to the sublime. It’s hard to put a price on the feeling of enjoying the fruits of someone’s heartfelt labour.

Debbie and William also own and run The Craft Room Comber, which is a one stop heaven of the goods you’ll find in the monthly markets, and a studio where some of the artists and crafters teach workshops which allow you to also create something beautiful from nothing. I’ve been to several, including needle felting, lino cut and nature printing on linen. Some people will get their buzz from watching Love Island or I’m a Celebrity, but give me a handful of materials and tools and a teacher whose passion literally oozes out of them and I’m all in!

I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the creatives who are part of the North Down Craft Collective, and over the next few months I’m going to introduce you to some of them and give them a chance to share a little of what they do, where their inspiration comes from and some ideas for helping you take a few creative steps yourself.

I’d love to know of any local makers and crafters you love - do share in the comments. And if you’re an artist or creative and would like to know more about working with me I would love to hear from you!

The session where I made the baby cry

I like to think I'm pretty good with kids. I've photographed plenty, have 2 of my own and I'm a trained teacher. But none of this matters when the baby doesn't like your face! All you can do is try not to look too hard in their direction and not take it personally, in the hope all will settle down and you can get some shots without teary eyes. So this is the mode I adopted with beautiful Benjamin during our at home session. I was advised not to take it to heart as he does the same thing with his own grandpa on a daily basis! Also, look at that face. You couldn't help but smile in spite of the tears.Babies at this age are so much fun to photograph. Mum and dad are long past the days of being unsure of their new little one and the smiles, gurgles and spit bubbles are coming along nicely. It's a pretty perfect time and one of my favourites to photograph. It's just...well...joyful! Also, elastic band wrists and dimple elbows are immense!!Summer sessions are booking up fast, so if you'd like to document a little of family life as it is right now, jump on that contact button up there while there's still some availability. I promise, you won't regret it!

Family, chickens and tyre swings

I am finally getting around to blogging some of my favourite family sessions from the second half of last year. I really don't know where the time goes!This first session I want to share was one of the most fun sessions I had all of last year! It all started with an email from a lovely grandmother (who looks far to young to have all these grandkids!) who wanted to get some lifestyle photography while all her family were in one place. And before I knew it, I was knee deep in kids, dogs and chickens and laughing non-stop! These are the best sessions, where you're made to feel like part of the action, called by the kids to come and see what they're doing and getting mums and dads a couple of minutes to get possibly the only photo of just the two of them since their wedding day.I'm taking bookings now for June, July and August, so if you'd like to get some awesome memories up on your wall please get in touch - I would LOVE to hear from you! Spaces are tight so don' t leave it too late and miss out on grabbing one.

January

It was tough.It was 374 days long.That's longer than a year!But it was quite pretty. And frosty. And snowy. So we'll let it go.But it if lasts that long again next year, I'm writing a letter of complaint to the Spectator!Also, there were these eejits!!And that super blue blood moon as a final flourish somewhere around day 368!Here's to February, which thankfully has but 28 days clear.It better not snow!!

People and places :: K and the horses

There's something special about photographing people in places they love. They sort of lose themselves in the moment and it's a bit magical watching it all unfold.This is my friend's daughter in the place she would probably live if her folks allowed her! Horses are her everything, so capturing her before a competition was an amazing experience. I've had next to no experience with horses, but watching her work with them and seeing the trust between them was just incredible and put me completely at ease. I'm looking forward to brighter, dryer days when I can capture her riding and jumping.If you're thinking that this is the year you really need to update your family photos, or you would like to capture a place or activity that is special to you, I would love to hear from you. You can use that little contact button or find me on Facebook or Instagram.

Dear dads

You are awesome! I have watched a lot of dads at work during newborn or family sessions and at weddings. And we'd be lost without them. From making sure they don't fall off a climbing frame to jumping on a trampoline with them. From giving smushy newborn kisses to changing nappies that should have a health and safety warning attached! From walking daughters down the aisle to welcoming new sons and daughters into the family. There isn't much I haven't seen.In honour of day of the dads, I thought it would be nice to share some of my favourite images of dads with their kids of various ages from the last number of years.Dads, you really are amazing!