‘Cake Smashes’ are fun sessions (not just for the toddler, but for the parents and us!!). The fun starts with the realisation from your little one that they are allowed to do whatever they like to a cake….. whether its diving into the delicious buttercream made just for them, taking two handfuls of cake and trying to cram as much as possible in their mouths, sticking their feet in a cake and feeling it go between their toes, or simply knocking over the cake to see what happens.

Our ‘Cake Smash’ sessions are fairly quick, as once the cake has been smashed, well it’s gone!! Sessions typically last between 30 and 45 minutes.

A session costs £45 and includes the cake. A minimum purchase of £100 allows for a great selection of prints, etc.

Contact us to book one of these fun sessions.

‘Time flying by’ is an understatement for the last 6 years, but flicking back through the library of portrait photographs we have of him, there have already been so many moments that he’s been lucky enough to experience….

From meeting his great grand parents, to attending his first wedding at 10 weeks old, to being at the Herts 100 years of Scouting celebrations, to dog sledding in Churchill, Manitoba (Canada!!) and visiting his great uncle in Toronto, to singing a solo at a New Year’s Eve party (after midnight!!), to warming up the Olympic stadium… The list goes on and on, and we’ve already noticed he has mummy’s memory and can remember key events back to when he was 2 years old… But we’ve also noticed the power that a photograph has at unlocking memories..

And he’s been there since we started our photography business (properly) when he was only a few weeks old, and still will sit, stand or pose patiently whilst we test kit, complete photography ‘homework’, or try out new techniques.

Even at 6 he has big plans for what he wants to do in his lifetime… He wants to visit Namibia with the scouts (and he wants mummy to take his friends to Namibia too), he wants to be Steve Backshall and one day have his own ‘Deadly’ series, he wants to see polar bears with mummy, and he wants to see tigers with daddy. He wants to save whales and gets very passionate about those people who kill sharks. He wants to show people through photos all the bad things in the world as he realises he can only help a cause with words and images. And he also wants to show everyone what he loves and things that he does, and he’s already recording these moments in photos.

So I know that my eldest is going to be capturing memories and moments throughout this life, whether its will his camera or my camera. And I know I will keep taking photos of what he, his brother and we all do as a family…. And I’m sure he’ll keep taking photos of what mummy and daddy are up too….

Until later,

Finn’s mummy…..

And this place is packed; lots of kids of course, but there are Dads whizzing down the slides holding small children and lots of mums around me, catching up and having coffee. Lots of moments that may seem insignificant now, but in the future they would be memories of family time, excitement, fun…

I’ve had a busy morning already today, but this party is giving me a few minutes to reflect on last week and plan everything for next week.

Last week whilst driving, I listened to a story about Sir Paul McCartney and when asked by a fan who he would see if he could travel back in time, he said his mum….. It was quite a moving piece of radio as they progressed into what words of wisdom had your mum given you.

As I drove in the car I easily knew who I would travel back and see.. Well with Mother’s Day coming up it would have to be Gavin’s mum who died of cancer 6 years ago. She would have been thrilled to see her grandchildren, would have bent Gavin’s ear about his ongoing inability to mow the lawn and probably have whipped up a much loved baked Alaska….

However, I also started thinking about words of wisdom from my mum….. If I had to describe my mum in a few words it would be competitive, driven….  am I allowed to say a little crazy too (!?!) She’s there when needed, and has brought me up believing that i can do anything and everything i want to do, so long as i apply myself to the task…

But what piece of advise did I get from mum that I will pass onto my sons??

I messaged my sisters,not because I couldn’t think of anything, but i wanted to see if the advise changed between the 3 of us… And actually it was prettier similar, ‘never give up’, ‘always try hard in everything your do’…. The most practical advise was ‘hands behind your back when you are in a shop full of breakables’ which one of sisters uses still, and advise that I’ve already passed on to my children.

Mums have a special place in our hearts… They are the ones who pick us up and tell us everything will be ok before sending us back out (ok Dad’s do this too!!). They will stand beside a freezing sports pitch or court cheering you on (or for me she’ll walk away because the pressure is just too much). They will be the taxi driver. And that is just a few lines of a very long list (well my list anyway!)

So in honour of mums we are going to run a competition and the prize will be a mini shoot and a desktop framed image from the shoot…. So it could be an ideal time to get a photo of you and your mum, or even a number of generations of your family…

All you have to do is visit our Facebook page and look for the ‘giveway’.

And to end with a photo, I’m sharing one showing three generations of my family…. My great aunt, my mum and our eldest taken a number of years ago… and its a photograph that reminds me of a moment that I’ll remember forever.

Remember photos capture moments in time that are too precious to be forgotten, even if you don’t think they are important at the time…

Until later,

Alex

Last weekend I organised lunch for my family…. It was a Christmas present to all of them, as it is very rare that we all get together, mainly because all our diaries are rammed with activities.  But surprisingly it only had taken me a few weeks to get us all sitting round the same dinner table, even if I did factor in cross country races, the rugby six nations, the F1 season and photography commitments.

We can all come up with excuses about not having the time, being too busy, but how long does it honestly take to find some dates that all your family could get together for a couple if hours, even if it is some months away?

Last year for Gavin’s birthday I purchased a voucher for a family portrait photography session with a photographer that I admire. I did it because I know we need to have some images of all of us, and without Gavin and I having a camera in our hands. And I know I can’t keep putting it off. If I keep putting it off, then when we look back at our family photos, there are not going to be any images of all of us, relaxed and having fun. And that will be an unforgivable problem and I know I’ll regret it.

But sitting round the table I realised that I need to also organise a photo of all of my family…. my parents, my sisters, my brother-in-law, my husband and my kids…. and that’s just  my side of the family, let alone getting together Gavin’s family. All it needs is a little organisation, but there is a goal. And the goal is simple, my family need at least one photo in our family album of all of us…… Actually we need more than one photo, but at least getting one photography session completed will result in more than I have now.

And if you have not had a recent family portrait, then look through our lifestyle portfolio (here) and give us a call to discuss your individual requirements.

Until later,

Alex

PS… A little photo from a few years ago, with my sisters no doubt thinking I was having another ‘mad’ moment…..

I remember I either wanted to be a vet or I wanted to be a pilot. Well I got my pilots license, but my flying only ever stayed as a hobby.

This year, as a personal project, I decided to capture portrait images under the title ‘When I grow up’. Ask any child (or even some adults) what they want to do when they grow up and the answers you get are ranging.

For example, I asked my two sons this question when it was cold and snowy. Now usually I would get the answer ‘Steve Backshall’ or various superheros. But this time I got ‘I want to climb a mountain’.

So the initial image I had in my mind is the famous image of Edmund Hillary reaching the summit of Mount Everest on 29th May 1953 with Tenzing Norgay, and holding the Union Jack above his head attached to a ice axe, which appeared on numerous newspaper front pages around the world.

But the twist to this project is I didn’t want to dress children up to match a photo, I wanted to recreate it with everyday items, so it would give the feel of an image, with the addition of appropriate lighting.

And for a dull February day, which was extremely cold, with a biting wind and falling snow, Gavin, my children and I created the following…..

And with photos shoots, where you are capturing moments, there is usually more than one image that tells an important part of the story….

So ask your child what they want to be or do when they grow up. And if they come up with an interesting idea, leave us a comment as we’ll be looking for further ideas during the year…

Until later….

Alex

Our blog is about life, love and everything in between…

Gavin and I will show you sneak peaks from some of our portrait and wedding photography shoots in Hertfordshire and around the UK, and share information on fabulous locations and suppliers.

We will post images from our newborn and baby portrait sessions… little bundles of cuteness who will bring an ‘ahhh’ moment to your day.

You will see images from our travels, from the heat of an African desert to the bone chilling cold of the beautiful Arctic.