So how was your Valentine’s Day? I hope you were spoilt rotten. If however, you are in a relationship of just yourself, then I hope you made your own day fabulous! Either way with Valentine’s Day behind us, it’s time to look forward. Mother’s Day is just round the corner and we are busy planning photoshoots full of wonderful mums. Mother’s Day is always a signal that spring is on its way. The days are slowly getting longer. The snowdrops are bursting from the ground. There are daffodils in the shops and even a glimmer of sun. It really can perk you up any mood and makes you think about new beginnings, adventures and possibilities. Maybe a new house, job or car. Maybe it’s that trip you’ve always wanted to take or something small like a new hobby or haircut. Whatever it is, embrace it, soak it in and enjoy. Wherever or whatever you do, don’t forget to document it with a photograph. Capture that moment, it will last a lifetime. Better still let us capture it for you. There’s nothing like a beautiful picture that has been taken properly. When the nights draw in or things seem darker, then go back to that photograph and fill your day with that moment. The excitement, the possibilities, the sunshine.   Sending love and light

Just before Christmas we were contacted by the fabulous Sugar. She wanted a milestone photoshoot for herself to mark her turning 40. Fantastic idea we thought! We had a couple of conversations about the type of shoot she would like and she settled on two types. One in her traditional African dress and one that was more informal that truly captured her personality. She arrived on the day with her dress and a pair of hot pink balloons that said 40. She was so strong and fierce in her traditional dress. Stood facing the camera, hand on hip. One particular pose reminded her of her mother she said. I think we can all relate to this. Sometimes you get a glimpse of your self and think ‘when did I become my mum/dad?’ Fabulous at 40 The second half of the shoot in her nude dress and sat on the floor with her hair down and posing with the balloons, captured her true self. When she came back at Christmas to collect her pictures in her folio box and her big prints she was very happy with the result. It makes it all worth while when you make a client smile. This got me thinking about marking those important moments in your life. We just don’t do it often enough. A quick snap on a phone or a short video doesn’t really capture that special moment. Making time and even treating yourself is really important. We only live one life and it should be the best version of that life. Empower yourself with recording that moment in time when you turned a milestone birthday. That’s not to say that pregnancy, engagement, birthdays or anniversaries shouldn’t be recorded too. If you’ve been thinking of doing it and seem to never get round to it, then there is no better time than the present!

Well it’s here, we can’t escape it….. It’s Christmas! Is it just us that feel like last Christmas was only five minutes ago? Anyway, it’s here and we are looking forward to it. The clocks have changed and the days are definitely getting shorter. The weather we have had is a bit all over the place isn’t it? We’ve had sun and rain and now its chilly. To help get us into the festive spirit we have started to decorate the studio with snuggly cushions and blankets and we have bought a small but perfect living Christmas tree. The jars have been filled with candy canes and marshmallows and we have hot chocolate at the ready. The Christmas sets are all sorted and we have all the ingredients to provide you all with a most magical experience. We have our two Christmas sets at the ready, our traditional one with a fireplace and toys with Santa. Our new one for last year, the hot coco bar with a traditional sledge and even snow! This year we decided to make a winter wonderland and have built a wintery arch from white branches. It’s been a bit of a labor of love. Each branch has been stripped and painted and woven into an arch. Finally, it has been dressed with baubles and crystals and is ready for it’s first shoot. All of the festive goodness has made me think about one thing though. It’s been a tough few years and even though the pandemic is subsiding we are facing challenges that are tough. With the energy crisis, the economy and people struggling to eat, family means more than ever. It makes us appreciate what we have and be thankful for it. I know it’s hard, it feels more so than ever. However, if you have chance to do something wonderful this year and you feel you can afford too, then consider donating something to a worthy cause. Maybe even if it’s just a brew with someone who might be lonely, a Christmas card for someone who won’t be receiving any or a spare packet of biscuits to someone in your community. Embrace what we have, and that is each other. Wishing each and everyone of you the most Merry and healthiest of Christmases and a prosperous New Year! With love from our family, Sam, Elizabeth, Charley, Evie, Nickolas & Timothy xx

So the leaves are turning colour and the air is beginning to get a little colder, your reaching for your comfy knits and boots once more. It’s got to be one of my favourite times of the year! We are preparing for a variety of photoshoots coming up and we couldn’t be more excited about it. We recently had an Addams Family style shoot with our family. We had planned and designed the concept for ages, bought costumes and organised our fabulous friend to do the make-up and hair styling. All was going so well until everyone got a bit tired and hungry. Imagine four children and two stressed out adults all in pale make-up, costumes and wigs. We got some fabulous pictures in the end and we have laughed at the end result which was all we hoped for. Getting to that point however was not plain sailing, next time get the children ready last! Moving on though we have an autumnal cake smash coming up which is a great opportunity to get creative. We are building some new props and have ordered a cake with beautiful colours on it, can’t wait to see it! Every set though is bespoke. We have a consultation with the parents and design a scheme. With baby being born at autumn, it will be themed around that, so pumpkins and leaves at the ready. Each smash shoot finishes with a bubbly bath and a splash. The splash tub is also having a bit of a makeover at the moment, so watch this space. Lastly it’s the festive season just beyond. We have had enquiries about Christmas photoshoots this year and we can tell you that we are prepping for them now. They will be officially released very shortly. We have the beautiful cosy traditional set with the fireplace and a little bit of Christmas magic, or the more modern hot coco bar. With our traditional wooden sledge, candy canes and hot chocolate, whichever set you choose it’s bound to make you feel very festive. It’s our first festive season at Broadstone Mill in our new studio. As i’m sure you will have seen by now, we have amazing views from our windows. The colours of the trees turning and the twilight sunsets are magnificent, we are looking forward to seeing it under a possible blanket of snow. If you ever fancy having a nosey and a chat about a photoshoot for yourself, then give us a call to make an appointment. We are always ready for a chat about new projects and the kettle is always on. In the meantime, enjoy the ever changing season, make sure you capture the beauty that is around you.

Well, we have moved Photography studio! Sometimes the art of being creative doesn’t flow easily. behind every picture is a camera, a person that takes that forever photograph. Furthermore there are props and backdrops, rails for gowns, dressing rooms and work desks. All of these things are put to their best use in our photography studio, a wonderful space to let imaginations run wild. Up until recently our studio was based on the A6, however due to us outgrowing the space, we have moved! We are now in the beautiful old Broadstone Mill, Reddish. We are on the top floor with magnificent views out. Lots of space for props, separate dressing room and a fabulous consultation space. It’s been hard to make the move here with lots to pack up, however here we are. The kettle is always on, come and see us for a chat. Let’s talk about creating forever photographs for your family portrait photography.