Winter is often discounted for outdoor family photography sessions and I understand why. The cold weather and short days don’t always inspire us to get out and about with our families do they?

This festive family portrait session at Tarporley Christmas Tree Farm might just challenge you to think again! It was so much fun photographing my dear friend Sarah and her wonderful family in this festive setting, it really got us into the Christmas spirit. Come on in and take a look…

As the kids hurtle downstairs each morning for their daily dose of advent calendar chocolate, it’s got me thinking a lot about delayed gratification. Managing their excitement and practising patience during advent is a pretty universal way for children to learn that good things come to those who wait!

For me there are so many parallels to draw from this in relation to film photography and the patience it requires...

The coast is one of my all-time favourite places to shoot family portraits! The seaside hues, big skies and natural light lend themselves beautifully to film photography and I find the coastal environment is perfect for capturing families at play at any time of year.

With this in mind, this week’s photography blog post is all about coastal family portrait sessions, including a guide to seaside family photography and my top 10 coastal locations in the North West…

Looking for a Christmas gift that will stand the test of time this festive season?

I’m a big fan of gifting experiences over things, choosing presents for my own loved ones which give them more memories rather than more stuff!

With that in mind, I thought I’d explore some of the many reasons you should choose to gift vouchers for a family photography session this Christmas...

What do you do when you find a box full of rolls of Ilford 3200, many of which are expired? Well, I had one idea!

I wanted to try and create a collection of candid details and intimate nuances to create a sort of day in the life of a young family series. I asked lovely friends whether they would let me come to their home first thing one Sunday morning and photograph some everyday moments. Happily they agreed and these are the results…

Because of the investment you’re making in terms of time and money, you want your family portraits to be the best they can be and it’s completely natural to hope your children will look happy in them.

But in the back of your mind you’re also fearful your kids will decide that modelling isn’t for them and you’ll end up with photos of grumpy faces and, at best, cheesy grins.

Read on for my advice on how to get your kids to smile for pictures... and get ready, it’s not what you think!

“Are there any props I should bring to our family photo session?” That’s a question I sometimes get asked as my clients prepare for their outdoor portraits to be taken.

From my experience there are a few choice items you could bring along that not only add something to the photographs, but also keep the kids busy and don’t cost a penny!

Intrigued? Read on for my top 10 props to enhance your family portrait experience...

Choosing a location for your family photo shoot? In this article I look at some of the many reasons why a park is often the ideal backdrop for your outdoor portraits.

Plus, I’ve added a few of my own suggestions as both a Mum and a photographer for family-friendly parks in the north-west…

A beautiful family portrait shoot in Ness Botanic Gardens, captured on medium format film at the height of Summer. Two little girls explore the natural world around them with their parents never far from their side. This collection is full of happy moments which the whole family can now look back on with affection for years to come.

As an old school family photographer, I believe that natural light and film photography are a match made in heaven and the two together help me create family portraits that stand out from the crowd. Daylight softly bathes any surface it touches, so capture it correctly on photographic film and you have a rich, luminous image with that characteristically timeless grainy texture digital photographers often seek to emulate...