Well a very Happy New Year! I hope the festive period has left you feeling relaxed and refreshed but I’d completely understand if, like me, you seem to have spent more of it than you’d like blowing your nose and steaming your head! I’m looking forward to feeling well in January and getting out to enjoy some sunny days, plenty of fresh air and a bit of photography.
As is customary with photographers, I thought I’d use my first blog of the new year to look back on some of my favourite images from 2018. I had a really wonderful year full of lots of lovely faces, some familiar and many that were new. It’s hard to pick just ten as I always aim to create something special on each of my shoots, so I’ve chosen what I hope are a good selection of images. I’d love to know what you think….
Late summer woodland sunshine
I chose this image as it marked a huge turning point for my photography this year. I had a wonderful day of 1:1 mentoring with a brilliant family photographer, Nina Mace in beautiful Surrey. I left the day absolutely inspired – and a lot poorer as I bought a lovely new lens immediately! This shot reminds me that getting those important principles right makes all the difference.
The resilience of toddlers
I love the intensity in this image of a friend’s daughter that we caught on a ridiculously cold day. We’d had such a lovely summer but this day in late Autumn caught us all out. She was such a super star for the shoot – although there were a few photos with blue lips towards the end!
Oh that light!
So this one was always going to make my top 10! A wonderful family who arrived beautifully coordinated and full of energy for the full shoot which always makes for a fun afternoon. Then that light appeared! We were aiming for golden hour and our location didn’t disappoint. This was the final shot of the day and I’m so pleased we stopped for it!
Exciting beginnings
A whirlwind of a day with an indoor maternity shoot in the morning followed by an outdoor one with these guys in the afternoon. We caught lots of beautiful images but this is probably my favourite. There was so much busyness to arrive in the coming weeks, I love this shot because it feels like we captured a genuine moment of calmness and connection.
Autumn leaves
I could have chosen so many images from this wonderful shoot with @mini_travellers. We caught beautiful woodland, sea views and a run on the beach in our photo shoot. I chose this image though as I love the moment it captures; everyone is focussed on their own leaves, the light is beautiful and for a split second all of the motion and memories of the accompanying noise is caught forever with the click of a shutter.
We were suddenly aware…
…that the Autumn leaves were turning to the colour of his hair! This one is a bit self-indulgent as it’s my amazing little boy but it’s absolutely one of my favourite images from this year and is framed in our house. So much to love about this shot for me as you’d expect but what really makes it work are those huge eyes. I think I’ll cherish this photo for a long time.
Mayhem
I always have a plan for a shoot and this one was no exception, but this images reminds me of the importance of ditching the plan and grabbing my camera. We weren’t meant to be taking photos here, in fact the little man in question is actually on the other side of a fence to me – again not part of the plan! It meant though that he was delighted with his escape, so much so that his cheeky grin is aimed at Daddy who’s standing next to me working out how to retrieve him! Camera is always at the ready!
Stillness
In the midst of a wonderfully crazy few days of shooting towards the end of the year we caught this image. It was the very last day and the very last afternoon of a lot of pictures of just babies. This lovely Mum wanted to be in one & I was delighted to oblige. I ALWAYS encourage Mum’s in particular to get in the frame – it’s so rare to see them in photos. I chose this image as it’s a reminder of how important capturing those moments are as those little hands will soon be much bigger and those cuddles much wrigglier.
Something a little different…
I chose this image because it reminds me what’s possible even in a tricky environment (& I don’t mean the splits!). A wonderful friend who runs an amazing aerial arts school wanted to offer some short sessions, indoors, for clients who wanted just a couple of more posed images. I worried that this might be too far removed from my usual style and the shoot gave a range of new challenges including lighting & shooting at height. This image reminds me that I should challenge myself to always produce the best imagery I can regardless of the environment. I love the images we produced that day and how powerful the women in them look.
And finally…
These guys just sneak into 2018 as it was a New Years Eve family photo shoot! I have so many images that I love from this session but this one stands out for me. It’s not technically perfect, everyone isn’t looking at the camera, but that’s why I love it. This was taken in the moments after you might have stopped clicking the shutter and those are often the very best, most human, moments. These guys are so clearly in love with each other and their gorgeous Grandchildren and this image reminds me of how wonderfully imperfect shots can sometimes be exactly what you’re looking for.
So there you have it, my, in no particular order, top 10 of 2018! A huge thank you to my wonderful clients, it was so tricky to choose and I’ve absolutely adored working with you all.
As the author of one of my favourite books (Tuesday’s with Morrie) says, “the secret to happiness…be satisfied and be grateful”. My photography has enabled me to be both this year – it’s a real privilege to step into your families for a few hours and capture your lives. I can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store!
I hope you have a wonderfully relaxing new year.