Regular readers will know Greenwich Park is a favourite spot for me, but it’s also a favourite spot for J, who regularly enjoys a run around the place. One of J’s favourite views is the view from the park across London. I could not agree with her more!

Thank you to J and F for being such great subjects!

Meet baby O:

As it was December, there were still lots of beautifully coloured leaves on the floor. O loved playing in them!

Which naturally lent itself to a storyboard..

O was not yet walking, but he loved to pull up (he was already an expert at crawling) which made for some great cheeky shots:

I love this photo of father and son together:

The light was just perfect, and we easily got all the photos we needed to!

We took the final shots just as the sun was setting – here he is with his mother:

Here’s a few more in a collage to leave you with:

It was a really great and special session – made all the better by the enthusiasm of O’s parents! I suspect a few of the shots may well find themselves in my portfolio at some point

And here they are with their extended family who were visiting:

The weather was overcast, but not raining, so we managed to get lots of photos into the mini session. Here’s a few with T’s cousins:

The children all did great, and were posing right up until the end:

It was lovely to work with you, P family. Enjoy your photos!

As a result, I’ve made the decision to NOT offer a studio day this side of Christmas as there simply isn’t time in amongst all my other bookings! I will revisit this idea next year at some point, although I have to say I am enjoying all the outdoor sessions. Autumn is ending, although there are still some leaves on the floor, making for some really special photos.

I’ve also made the decision to shrink my area of coverage as it’s clear I can get enough sessions in my local area to fill my books and I’ll certainly not miss travelling 1-2 hours up the motorway for a session! So my area now covers South East London (no mini sessions outside of this area) and South and most parts of East London and some parts of Kent and Essex for full sessions/newborns. I’ll make an exception for multiple sessions booked on the same day if you’re 1-2 hours away, so if you can find a friend who also wants a session near to you, that could work.

If you want to make a booking, I’d recommend doing so very soon as I have one, maybe two slots left for Christmas delivery.

I can always squeeze in newborns, but can’t guarantee Christmas delivery at this point as they’ll have to take priority behind those I have promised Christmas delivery for, although of course I will do my best. I do have some space for some non-Christmas delivery sessions after the 11th December and of course there is plenty of availability in the new year at this moment in time.

If you’re a previous customer and would like to order any products for Christmas, let me know and I’ll rehost your gallery for you – I may even be able to offer you some special offers! I’ve upgraded and updated the ordering gallery so it is even smarter and easier to use these days.

In other news, I’ve added new posts describing how to book a session, and answering questions about what to wear and other questions. I’ve also made a change to the way I handle sneak peeks. I used to offer them not long after the session but before the full gallery was available to the customer. These days I show them AFTER the client has ordered, so they get the full impact of seeing their photos for the first time all at once.

I’m looking forward to sharing my first post-maternity-leave sneak peek before too long so keep a close eye open! In the meantime, here are a few photos taken this autumn of my own family (plus a few from the obligatory fireworks at this time of year!) to share:

Click on the thumbnails for a bigger view.

Looking forward to hearing from you all, and meeting some of you for your booked sessions!

So much has changed in my life since I began my maternity leave back in February. My baby boy is now almost six months old, and full of character. My oldest daughter has just started school, and my almost 3 year old is growing up too fast too and becoming more mischievous by the day. Needless to say I’ve been pretty busy with my camera during the break photographing my children, and at the end of this post you can see some of my work.

So much has changed with the business too. I’ve also used some of the time over the break to update the site with fresh branding and a new look, better photo browsing, some rewording and reworking, new photos, updated galleries (seriously, check them out!) and a bit of a tidy up. Take a look around the new site and see what is new!

I now have a Twitter feed too – not much there yet, but you can follow me at @SilverAshPhoto – you can see my latest posts off to the side as well. The Facebook Page is still going strong – do “Like” it if you get the chance.

On the photography side of things I’m focusing more on newborn photography and outdoors, on-location photography – these are my strongest talents and what I enjoy doing the most.

On the financial side of things I’ve reworked my pricing - there is now NO minimum order with your order! It does mean I have had to increase the session fee, but at least half of that is a print credit so the increase is not all it appears. Due to the increase, a 25% deposit is all that is required for full sessions to secure a booking now.

New for my return are Studio Session Days. As those of you who had me bring my entire studio to your living room can attest, it is often quite impractical and from my point of view, I know I can get better photos in a larger space. I know many of my customers prefer studio sessions or would like the opportunity, so a few times a year I am intending to hire a large space and set up my full studio gear for the day. I will make a certain number of slots available (length and quantity depending on demand) and then make a dedicated page on this site so you can book your slot. The pricing is likely to be similar to my mini-session pricing and all product prices remain the same.

I’m planning on doing a Session Day in late November, perfect for Christmas presents. It would likely take place in the Greenwich (SE London) area, or at the very least not far away, and should be reachable by public transport.

I’d love to get an idea of interest and preferred days before I commit to a venue, so if this sounds like something you would be interested in, please fill in this form as soon as possible as I will need to book a venue soon. Filling in the form does NOT commit you to anything whatsoever.

I will only use your email address for the purposes of Studio Session Days, mailings will be infrequent and there’s a human being (me!) on the end so you can ask to be removed at any time.

And finally I thought you may like to see some of my recent photos of my children. I may have been on maternity leave, but I have not been resting my camera and I’ve been using the time to practice and further improve my skills! Here’s is just one of the ways that my new site makes sharing photos easier:

I love taking photos of my children but truth be told – other people’s children are easier. So I’m really looking forward to booking sessions again and getting out there meeting people and their gorgeous families, and best of all capturing their precious memories forever.

Tempted to book a session with me? You can book months in advance (with newborns even a rough due date will do) and my calendar is wide open right now so here is a chance to get the date you want. I book no more than one session a week, so my calendar fills up fast. Looking forward to making that first proper return booking – who will it be? Contact me to get things started or to ask questions!

It was a high risk pregnancy and we weren’t sure how things were going to turn out, so it was kept very low key all round, hence no announcements on here that I was expecting. I started my maternity leave at 29 weeks at the end of February although I stopped doing sessions at the end of January as due to SPD (back and pelvis problems) I felt I was no longer able to give my best for customers. It took forever to get up off the floor after this shot with my children!

End of April, this little man was delivered via c-section:

Here he is at just four days old:

And here are a few more of him at 12 days old – firstly being prodded by his big sisters:

Trying out my new cocoons:

As you might expect, given I won’t really be working now until probably November, there will be a lot of this little fellow and his big sisters to come over the next few months!

I will probably start taking bookings for future work in late November (no guarantees for Christmas) by August/September time.

In the meantime I can do a few urgent sessions here and there in special circumstances and/or subject to quite a high minimum order (payable in advance) as I can only take a few limited days out of my maternity leave by law to work, so I wish to use them carefully which I am sure you can understand.

If any existing customers wish to order prints/products etc from a previous session, they can do so at any time – please contact me to reinstate your gallery.

I am looking forward to getting back to work though, and photographing all your amazing and gorgeous families again!

2 year old C looking thoughtful:

4 year old B posing as usual!

2 year old C tries to copy:

Two girls together!

B with her daddy sharing a moment:

Our two usually get on very well!

And finally – a storyboard:

Keep an eye open for some very special photos hopefully coming in around two weeks..

However, that doesn’t mean I’ve put my camera down. Yesterday I “scheduled” a session with my own children, as the weather forecast had been for sunshine. Alas, it didn’t work out like that and we had rain, but I was determined to go ahead regardless and goodness knows the children needed a good run around outside!

Here’s my youngest in the rain, catching raindrops on her nose:

We went to Avery Hill Park in South East London, which has a nice cafe and a winter garden. The park was pretty deserted in the rain:

The children had fun anyway!

After getting wet, we headed over to a nearby Tarn which was very scenic and somewhere I would recommend for future sessions:

Just as the children got tired and too cold, the weather improved – but we were heading home by that point!

I’m planning on doing some studio shots of the children in the next few weeks too, after I sourced some beautiful dresses recently – so keep an eye open!

Greenwich Park is a wonderful location, and this great family live right next to it – how envious am I..

They’ve recently had their first baby, S, who is just three months old and a complete sweetheart. He was a little grumpy in the middle of the session but it was plain to see he’s normally a very cheerful chap and he gave so many cute smiles!

This was only a mini session, so time was short, but we managed to fit in a good variety of locations in the flower garden.

It was really lovely to meet you all, you were great to work with and I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

The most important thing is to wear clothes you’re comfortable in, especially if your session involves children and you may find yourself sitting or crouching down with them. And that the clothes flatter you as well! For adults it is best to avoid clothes that reveal too much skin as this can distract from your face, and cameras can often make arms and legs appear wider than they are.

Secondary to that would be patterns and large logos/slogans. Most importantly, these distract in the finished photo and often really date a photo too. Simple patterns such as stripes are usually okay, although the more plain the clothing, the better it translates to a black and white version, especially if there is a wide variety in darkness/lightness of the colours chosen.

Which brings us onto colours. If you’re doing an outdoor session it’s nice to have colours that complement rather than jar with your surroundings. So earthy colours such as green, brown, blue, burnt orange etc should be the predominant colours rather than neon pinks and yellows! White and other very bright colours do not always photograph well either, so avoid having an entirely white top or bottom. Particularly vivid colours can also give a colour cast on the skin which is a pain to remove. Remember darker colours can be slimming!

In autumn there will be lots of browns and yellows around, so purples and pinks may not look so good amongst the leaves. A good autumn choice could be usually blue or black jeans with a cream or black top – a dark brown can look good too. In the spring there’s a lot of green and blue skies around, so colours such as light brown would not look so great, and green could disappear into the grass if you have green bottoms. Spring is the time for the brighter colours in your wardrobe, such as reds, pinks, blues and yellows.

Make sure your colours don’t clash with other people’s each other if you can. Sometimes it can be nice to have a family all wearing shades of the same colour e.g. blue.

Just before a photoshoot is probably not the best time to experiment with a new hairstyle or make-up routine either – go with what you are used to so you’re not distracted or feel uncomfortable!

Maternity shoots can often benefit from stripy outfits to really accentuate your bump. By the time it comes to your maternity session you will know which of your clothes make your bump look its best – wear *those* clothes with a little less regard to the guidelines above than usual!

Don’t worry too much if you or your child has a skin breakout or a scratch/scar on the day. Within reason I can easily fix most blemishes in post production. A runny nose can also usually be fixed in post production, although this does take time and it’s easier all round if you’re quick and frequent with the tissues throughout the session.

And another thing – the weather! I can shoot in any sort of weather other than heavy rain, although it goes without saying that it’s better if there’s no rain at all! Sunshine is lovely for doing effects with the light such as rim lighting, but it’s not so great in the harsh midday sun. So if sunlight is to be a part of your photos, I will strongly recommend booking the session for an hour or so before sunset (the “golden” hour) or, rarely, shortly after sunrise. In the winter, this means sessions may start as early as 2pm, and in the summer, they may start as late as 8pm.. although obviously if small children with a bedtime are involved we can work something else out. Shade is always a good option if a middle-of-the-day session is unavoidable.

A session can take place at any time of day if it is overcast as harsh light is no longer an issue – in fact the clouds act as a giant softbox and can create very soft tones.

How will you feel at the session itself? Well, try to relax if you can. You’ll find the session won’t be nearly as nervewracking as you fear it will be and you’ll almost certainly enjoy yourself. I am not a fan of being on the other side of the camera at the best of times, so I can certainly relate to nerves and anxiety. You’ll find the session gets easier towards the end and that’s often when we get the best photos. The more enthusiasm for the session all round, the better the photos.

The most important thing to remember is that the camera can only photograph what is there. Sure, I can do some retouching within reason, but you get out of a session what you put into it, especially when it comes to children. You know your children best, and although I’ll do my best to get great responses from them, I’m sure you know a lot of tricks specific to your child that I won’t. Whatever silly noises or faces you need to pull – go ahead and do them, the camera won’t record it!

Another thing to consider if your session involves children are bribes. Bribes are the photographer’s friend. Most children are absolutely fine for a short while at least in a session especially if they’re playing, but if you want group shots or some posed shots, some sort of bribery can really help! Whether that’s a promise of a play in the park when the session is over, or the more immediate raisins/sweets (works better with younger children) it can really make things go a little smoother. Try and avoid chocolate though or you’ll be forever wiping it off. Obviously bribery does not apply to babies!

If you’re worried about your children misbehaving – don’t worry. My worst ever subjects are my own children as they are so jaded by being photographed and I can assure you your little ones probably won’t be as awkward as they are! Obviously a great session results in better photos but I can usually get something out of even the most mischievous or grumpy toddler. If the session really doesn’t go to plan (e.g. the child does not stop screaming for one second) then usually we can rearrange a reshoot. There are always options, so please do not worry unduly.

If you have any more questions please get in touch or simply comment here and I’ll answer them – and maybe even add them to this post for future clients to read!

Before booking I would recommend having a read of my Terms and Conditions. They are pretty industry standard and common sense and not designed to catch anyone out – it mostly spells out expectations on both sides and what should happen if all doesn’t go to plan. Not all conditions apply to every session, but it should be clear what is appropriate. You can find these here:

http://www.silverashphotography.co.uk/TermsandConditions-SilverAshPhotography.pdf

You do not need to post me anything, but I’ll bring along a copy of the Terms and Conditions on the day for you to sign.

To pay for and therefore confirm the booking, you will need to visit the following page:

http://www.silverashphotography.co.uk/client/

You will need to create an account (this is later used when ordering your items) – you can do this either at the start using the “Create Account” button, or at the end when you check out.

To pay for the session you will need to access the gallery named “session”. To do this, select the “Access Gallery” menu below the logo at the top of the page. The access word you need is “Session”.

There is only one item for sale in this gallery – the “Session Fee”. Click on this object as if to buy it.

You will then see on the right hand side three drop down options – Mini Session, Full Session and Newborn Session. Select the type of session you are intending to purchase.

If you have been instructed to add on extra subject fees or distance-related fees, you can add those from the menus that appear. Otherwise you can ignore these.

You need to click “Add to cart”, and then access your cart using the “Shopping Cart” link at the top right of the screen. If you have been given any coupons to redeem, select the “Redeem Coupon” button at this stage.

To checkout, select the “Checkout” button at the bottom right (or top right) of the screen. At this point you can register if you have not done so already, or log in if you have an account with Silver Ash Photography already.

Follow the on screen instructions, and leave any messages etc for me in the “Special Notes” section if you need to. To place the order, select “Place Order”.

This will take you to PayPal where you can pay with your PayPal account or if you do not have one, with your credit card. Alternatively you may wish to arrange a bank transfer or pay in cash, but we would have discussed this beforehand.

If you have any problems, please let me know!

He was born just a few days before the new year, to absolutely thrilled new parents K and C:

He was by far the sleepiest baby I have ever photographed, much to the surprise of his parents as until now he’d not been a big fan of sleep at all!

He slept through anything, including posing with his dad:

He is a complete sweetheart and his parents were very enthusiastic about the shoot so I ended up with so many great photographs. It’s been really hard work narrowing them down!

Congratulations H family on such a beautiful baby boy! I hope you have enjoyed your sneak peek and I am very much looking forward to working on the rest of your images.

They are one of two Holiday Mini Sessions I did this weekend. These are quick sessions (30 minutes shoot time, with time on either side for setting up and taking down) in the customer’s home, and fewer proofs to choose from. I use a black background for these sessions, because it is so much quicker to set up for the session.

The two boys did a great job of posing in the short time available – we even managed a hug!

The big boy pulled so many great expressions it was really hard to narrow them down for the proofs.

And the littlest one was such a sweetheart playing with his toys too.

I hope you enjoy your sneak peek, G Family, and have a lovely Christmas!

They are one of two Holiday Mini Sessions I did this weekend. These are quick sessions (30 minutes shoot time, with time on either side for setting up and taking down) in the customer’s home, and fewer proofs to choose from. I use a black background for these sessions, because it is so much quicker to set up for the session.

Meet the baby! Isn’t he a sweetie?

He had had a busy day, and probably wanted to rest a while but obviously with a mini session there isn’t quite the same amount of time to wait for moods to change but he did a wonderful job considering!

I leave you with a final shot of this brand new family, who are excitedly waiting for their first Christmas with a child!

Happy Christmas, J and Family!

If this little stunt baby looks familiar to you, that’s because 7 months ago he looked like this!

Yes, Baby Alexander was the first ever newborn I did. You can see the photos and original post here. He was six weeks early, and the photo above was taken on his due date.

Wow, how he has grown!!

He’s now a strapping young lad, and didn’t stop smiling for most of the session!

Here he is in a very cute Halloween bear outfit with his mum:

And finally, posing with one of the blankets from the original shoot!

Alexander’s parents did a fantastic job keeping him smiling and Alexander himself was a wonderful model. Honestly, I have too many happy photos to choose from – it’s going to be a pain to edit them down to a manageable level!

I had such a lovely time at this session – thank you N and J for inviting me back to photograph your handsome little man again!

C and B playing games in the park

B is my oldest, and has not long turned four. She has hair that is impossible to brush, but she’d never let us cut it!

My daughter B

C is my youngest, and will shortly be turning two. She has her daddy’s red hair and is very cheeky!

My daughter C

They’re children, so they liked getting as mucky as possible..

B checking out the flowers

And looking grumpy at the camera. Neither of my two are impressed with me photographing them – other people’s children are a LOT easier!

C does not like to be photographed

They both love the outdoors.. in fact B is developing a bit of a tree-hugging problem!

B loves trees

C loves to ride on her daddy’s shoulders.. and steal his hat for good measure!

Stealing daddy's hat

And of course, there’s someone missing. So I handed the photo to my husband and told him what to do with it!! Here’s something you very rarely see:

Daughter C and me

I hope you enjoyed this “sneak peek” of my own family! And now, back to my regular work! Keep watching for more sneak peeks, and don’t forget about my special Holiday/Christmas packages which I am booking towards the end of November.

This gorgeous baby belongs to this gorgeous mother! Here’s a link to that session in fact.

At the time of this new session, this adorable little girl was just five days old, and so tiny and sweet. Here she is with her mother L!

Despite being only five days old, this as-yet-unnamed (I can empathise – it took us three weeks to name our first!) beautiful little girl was wide awake for most of the session, so I got plenty of photos of her gorgeous big eyes.

Like last time, the mother, L, was game for all sorts of props and poses, so I got to try out plenty of the things I bring with me! She is clearly already a wannabe Princess – she seemed very taken with the tutu, and clearly likes roses!

We also tried her in a hat. This very sweet hat, like the one used in this newborn session here, was handmade by Jo at Halobaby who makes many gorgeous and cute baby things!

Finally I had a chance to try her out in the cocoon:

This was the first time I’ve met a newborn from a maternity session, so it was a real privilege. It was such great fun working with L and her family – thank you, and your mother too, for being such good sports, super helpful and very enjoyable to work with!

M is seven months pregnant, so we took the chance to get some maternity shots as well!

I love doing silhouette photographs, and the light was perfect for it on Saturday:

The family has a little boy who is almost four, who was looking VERY cool in his leather jacket. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of me with a big camera at first, but he did a great job posing by the end!

Here’s a final one with his mum:

I really enjoyed photographing this fun family – the location is beautiful, the lighting was perfect and the family were great!

Even if it’s too late for newborn photos, or if you just want more photos later on, this session proves there is still plenty you can do with a slightly older baby! Not fancying driving (or parking!) in Central London, I was fortunately still able to carry my baby poser and blankets in on public transport which meant we had the best chance for some great photos.

Their apartment was blessed with fantastic natural light, which makes my job a lot easier!

I love taking photos of baby feet

We got through plenty of dress changes and poses – including this fabulous fun outfit:

Family shots were important to the family, so finally here’s M and his gorgeous family all together:

It was a very enjoyable shoot with a fun and creative family, and I am looking forward to processing the remaining images!

We arranged to meet in the hour or so before sunset as that is when the light is at its best. Greenwich Park is beautiful, and for this photo we were in the flower garden right at the very top.

Evie is nearly four, and wanted to hold my hand and get me to run everywhere!

Isaac is one, and even though he’s only been walking a few months, he was astounding me with his strong little legs as he was walking everywhere!

Toddler Photography

Evie is like my oldest, and likes riding on her daddy’s back!

The sun began setting, so it was time for a final pose in front of the Royal Naval college. Time for something a bit different to my normal photos!

It was wonderful to finally meet Mary and her family – and afterwards we met up for dinner and I dragged the rest of my family along, and Evie and my oldest got along fabulously! Looking forward to hopefully seeing them again soon.