It has been such a sad week with the loss of one of our much adored kittens who was very much a part of the family. I’ve been trying to help the children to understand the loss of their pet and how we can remember Luke in a happy way. I’ve learnt quite a lot since Friday….

1. Shopping in Guildford with no make and puffy eyes increases the probability of bumping into people you know. Leaving the hairdressers lowers the probability.
2. After extensive driving, WHSmith has the best range of beanie boo cats in Surrey.
3. Having new beanie boo cats does help to aid a child’s grief, however the peak seems to be about 6 beanie boos, after which the effect plateaus.
4. A new ninja costume is a good distraction.
5. Even though a cat is not a human it still causes so much grief, although thankfully more in adults than a child.
6. A glass or 2 of wine helps, a whole bottle definitely does not.
7. Naming your sibling pets something cute like Luke and Leia, makes the passing of one, more poignant as it’s more obvious one is missing.
8. My children are very brave. My braveface needs to become more convincing.
9. There is no limit to how many chocolate pancakes a 6 year old can eat.
10. You can never have too many cuddles with those that you love.

Smiles are slowly returning but it’ll take a bit of time. 

Well, as we are now into November, with Halloween and Bonfire night behind us, my thoughts turn to Christmas and the exciting build up to the BIG DAY! For those that don’t know, I LOVE CHRISTMAS – even more so now that I am a parent. I can’t wait for the nativity play, panto, decorating the tree, visiting Father Christmas and of course the shopping for Christmas gifts!

If you are looking for a special gift for your loved one, a friend or your parents, why not consider one of my photography gift vouchers which can be used for a family portrait session in 2017. Let me capture some precious memories that will last longer than a bread maker!

My Christmas gift vouchers start at £175 for a family session, and include a 10″x8″ silver frame mounted with your favourite print (worth £125) so get in touch soon to secure your special gift for your loved one.

If you’re looking for pregnancy, newborn baby, children’s photography or family portraits in Surrey or the surrounding counties I’d love to hear from you. If you’d like to see some recent portraits, please do view the galleries of bumps and babies, younger children, older children or families, or have a look at some past blogs featuring recent sessions. If you’d like to know more about me, information on family sessions, or baby sessions, what to wear or pricing follow the links. There is also a page on my past Clients kind words so you can hear for yourself what it’s like to capture your precious memories. If you’d like some further information please contact me –  I look forward to hearing from you.

Family Photoshoot Surrey

I simply love the Autumn colours. It always brings a smile to my face, watching the glorious colours changing day by day. This weekend was one of the last opportunities to catch the best of the fiery colours. So I planned a family photoshoot Surrey for my family, which allowed me to be on both sides of the camera for a change!

November is one of the busiest months of the year for me, but I still wanted to squeeze in a quick family photoshoot Surrey. If I don’t, the months roll by and I won’t honour one of the key reasons I began to study digital photography. And become a professional photographer – to take great pictures of my own family!

Thankfully my children love having their pictures taken. They are always up for heading out on an adventure in the woods. Yesterday we chose Winkworth Arboretum because it offers the most spectacular firework of Autumn colour. As you can see it certainly didn’t disappoint, even a herd of deer took their moment in the spotlight!

I want to put the portraits in a multiframe and I know just the spot in our bedroom where it will hang. When I was thinking about the combinations for the frame I didn’t imagine we’d have a whole family portrait in the centre, but rather various combinations. I have a huge very heavy camera and there is no auto setting so I don’t like to ask people to take a picture of us together.

However a thoughtful lady came up to us when I was taking pictures of the children. She asked if I would like her to take a picture of us all? I immediately accepted her offer but explained that with no auto setting I’d give her a quick lesson on taking the shot. I positioned my husband and children in just the right spot where I knew the light would be perfect. Then set the ISO, shutter speed and aperture and then talked her through how to focus on my face. I joked with her there was no pressure, ha ha!

Well I couldn’t have been more pleased when looking through the results! It’s such a treat to have a picture of all of us!

My husband and daughter took the rest of the pictures when I was in front of the camera. My daughter wants to be a photographer so we had a mini lesson and I think she is doing exceptionally well!

See below for the results from the shoot, which has already brought me so much happiness. I love the frame I’ve designed and can’t wait to get it made. Just like my Clients, I wanted a collection of pictures that truly represents us as a family. I wanted to be able to hear their laughter as I look at the pictures. I wanted genuine happy memories and a chance to remember exactly how we are at this stage of life.

Get out there!

If you’ve not walked amongst the crunchy autumn leaves yet, had a stick fight or climbed a tree. Get out there this weekend and GO FOR IT! Don’t forget your cameras, and do share the results, I’d love to see them!

If you would like further information on a shoot for you family, see my information page or contact me. I look forward to hearing from you!

All images captured by Nicola Light Photography // Family Photoshoot Surrey