Sometimes the light is just right, the conditions are just perfect, and everyone is comfortable. So it fell with this delightfully relaxed at-home portrait session with little Elena and Jessica and their mummy and daddy, near Danbury in Essex. Of course we did use other parts of the house and garden, but these are the shots I keep coming back to smile at…

When we’re using your home, I will talk with you beforehand about the areas to use (they need to be nice and bright, in the main), and when I arrive I will scout out the light. Houses don’t need to be ultra neat and tidy, we just need room to play – and sometimes, cuddles on the sofa are good for plenty of lovely moments…

If you’d like to consider an at-home portrait session, just get in touch and we’ll have a chat about how best to use the space to show you and your family at your best!

A pre-Mother’s Day gift in a way, this was June and Samantha’s special morning together, and I was so delighted to be invited to capture it. Here you have a mother who makes her daughter smile with the tiniest glance, and laugh with the tiniest tickle – and it’s clear they just enjoy being with eachother! Samantha is two, a traditionally terrible age, but I have never held that theory in much regard, and sure enough she was full of energy and good humour throughout our session. These photographs make me smile every time!

If you’d like to book a smily family portrait session, and receive beautiful image galleries like this one, get in touch and let’s book you in!

Daniel is an adorable poppet, simply beautiful eyes and lovely dark hair – just like his big sister. Over two sessions at home he gave me his best sleepy face as well as some gorgeous awake shots in a lovely comfy wrap, including some of my favourite sibling shots with Ruby. It’s so wonderful to know how special these images are to this growing family – maybe next time I’ll get mum and dad in the picture too (hint hint!)!

I always keep time at the end of a newborn portrait session for family shots if you’d like them; while the focus of the portrait session is clearly the new arrival, it’s lovely to have some time to document how your family tree is growing, leaf by leaf!

If you’d like to book a newborn portrait session, and receive beautiful image galleries like this one, get in touch and let’s book you in! Don’t forget, newborn sessions are ideally held in the first two weeks after birth, and booking is advised by the beginning of your third trimester.

Some of my favourite ever images are taken in the ‘warm-up’ part of your session, when I’m checking the light and chatting to the children to make them comfortable, or alternatively right at the end, when I’ve announced ‘It’s a wrap!’ and everyone starts to wind right down again and get excited about seeing the gallery already!

This image was taken right at the end of Gracie’s portrait session - she’d been the most wonderful subject, and when we finished shooting Mum scooped her right up in her arms – I had my camera still in hand and here is the result – such unadulterated joy to be in the arms of her mummy, and to have time to recount all the exciting and silly things we’d done in the portrait session (yes, Mum was there the whole time, but you know how children like to tell you everything anyway!). Love it!

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If you’ve been following the set all week you’ll know that I’m offering vouchers suitable for gorgeous gifts for Mother’s Day – and in fact for any occasion.

For purchases before March 10th, your beautifully presented session voucher will include your choice of either two gift prints or a digital image, with my compliments.

Vouchers are just £95 and are valid for 6 months. Full terms and conditions are available on enquiry. To order your voucher simply email me and quote ‘Mother’.

Why not SHARE this post with a certain someone who might need some gift ideas…?

Here is number 4 – the very picture of expectant motherhood!

I love this image for so many reasons – mainly because Harriette is so proud of her bump here (who later on became the beautiful Aurelia!). Shot simply in her own home, this was a perfect example of a really relaxed portrait session too.

Pregnancy is a strange old time – tiring and exciting, scary and wonderful, but the bonding with the child as yet unborn is so unique – honestly I don’t think I have the words, the image says it much better than I do!

Maternity photography is something I’d love to do a little more of this year – so if this is your inspiration to book for a session in your third trimester, do get in touch.

On that note, if you are expecting you might want to subtly share this offer with the person in charge of buying Mother’s Day gifts (you’re a mother from the little blue line, you know) – the great thing is the voucher can be used for any of my sessions, and as vouchers are valid for six months that might just be the perfect way to ensure you capture this special time, whether bump or baby!

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So don’t forget, I am again offering vouchers suitable for gorgeous gifts.

For purchases before March 10th, your beautifully presented £95 session voucher will include your choice of either two gift prints or a digital image, with my compliments.

Vouchers are valid for 6 months and full terms and conditions are available on enquiry. To order your voucher simply email me and quote ‘Mother’.

Why not SHARE this post with a certain someone who might need some gift ideas…?

Pop back tomorrow to see the final image in my set of favourites of motherhood – we’re here all week! x

Why do I love this image so much? Well, firstly this was from my Very. First. Newborn session. Whoa.

But more than that I love that Mum got into the picture here – I have met lots more beautiful newborns since I took this photograph, and I’d probably say that the majority of the galleries only feature the littlest one.

I have been there. I totally understand why mums might be feeling a little tired, a little turned-upside-down, a little you-want-to-take-a-photograph-of-ME?! in those first few weeks – but when I do get the mums (and dads) into the session the photographs are the warmest, most natural, relaxed and joyful of all – like this one. So simple, but there’s no mistaking the absolute love that has landed, along with the sleepless days and nights. Perfection. These moments don’t last long, that’s why we capture them. Now, almost two years on, this family has this one to keep.

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Don’t forget, I am again offering vouchers suitable for gorgeous gifts.

For purchases before March 10th, your beautifully presented £95 session voucher will include your choice of either two gift prints or a digital image, with my compliments.

Vouchers are valid for 6 months and full terms and conditions are available on enquiry. To order your voucher simply email me and quote ‘Mother’.

Why not SHARE this post with a certain someone who might need some gift ideas…?

Pop back tomorrow to find out more about another of my favourite images of motherhood – we’re here all week! x

This is the second in this week’s series of posts with some of my favourite images with mums in – which will be your favourite?

Yesterday’s post featured a gorgeous image from last autumn – it stuck in my mind because Mum is just totally wrapped up on her gorgeous boy, notwithstanding that she’s lying in the leaves in Brentwood as the last of the sun’s rays start to fade!

Today’s image quietens me when I look at it – I don’t know about your family but in ours the kiss of a mum (or, to be fair, a dad) has a magical quality. It connects, it heals (oh my goodness what will I do when ‘kiss it better’ doesn’t work?!), it soothes to sleep, it incites giggles (yes, I include blowing raspberries in this definition!).

Eskimo kisses, butterfly kisses, kisses goodnight and kisses goodbye at the nursery door – childhood is held together by a mesh of them. And to have captured one to keep for one of my wonderful families, is such an honour.

{happy sigh}

Don’t forget, I am again offering vouchers suitable for gorgeous gifts.

For purchases before March 10th, your gorgeous framed £95 session voucher will include your choice of either two gift prints or a digital image, with my compliments.

Vouchers are valid for 6 months and full terms and conditions are available on enquiry. To order your voucher simply email me and quote ‘Mother’.

Why not SHARE this post with a certain someone who might need some gift ideas…?

Pop back tomorrow to find out more about another of my favourite images of motherhood. You might also like to know that I’ve also put together a teeny Pinterest board on the subject of Mother’s Day – feel free to dive in!

If, like me the first time I noticed it, you just read the date and then checked your calendar to check what I wrote was true, you probably have a ridiculously busy life and are juggling so hard that sometimes sitting down for five minutes takes on the hazy aspirational dreamlike quality of a fortnight in the Maldives. And while I hate to generalise, or exclude, I know that there are a lot of mums out there reading this right now.

So I have something to give you, to mark this particularly groovy kind of love – firstly I give you, in someone else’s eloquent words, a reason to put off the putting off - a reason to book your family’s session without waiting for the day when you are mythically younger/coiffed/thinner/just plain less frazzled. Read the article, and make an appointment with yourself and your family – if not with me, then with someone – please?

Hold on Marie, you said you were giving me something..?

Let me make it all even more painfree than I already do – I will again be offering vouchers suitable for gorgeous gifts.

For purchases before March 10th, your framed £95 session voucher will include your choice of either two gift prints or a digital image, with my compliments.

Vouchers are valid for 6 months and full terms and conditions are available on enquiry. To order your voucher simply email me and quote ‘Mother’ (you’ll have to say something else as well, such as where to send the voucher, but this is a good start!).

Now you have a very good reason to SHARE this post with a certain someone who might need some gift ideas…

By the way, every day this week I’ll be sharing some of my favourite images featuring mothers – which will be YOUR favourite?

January was also a fab month for this blog post - it was the most enjoyed! If you missed it first time round, do pop over and see – this image was even featured on blog of fabulousness Let the Kids Dress Themselves! A lovely start to the year…

His talented mum styled the whole party, and worked with amazing suppliers to create a world of fun for all the littlies attending, including gorgeous funfair-styled food, soft play and even a carousel to ride! I so enjoyed doing this photobooth as well – all the guests were so much fun – large and small! Now I have plenty of ideas for my own boy’s birthday party later this year…!

If you’re having a special party this year, I’d love an invitation..! Please get in touch to find out about party coverage to capture the celebrations!