Inside a Family Photo-Shoot

This lifestyle family photo-shoot, with the lovely Johnson family, is a typical example of what goes on in a family shoot with me, Sammi Sparke Photography.

I usually start the shoot indoors which allows you and the children to begin to get used me there and the camera. This doesn't happen quickly so I will normally suggest a few posed shots to get us started and intersperse them with catching you guys naturally in-between these shots.

After a while I suggest we change the scene, which I will have chatted to you about before the day so normally you have a good idea of where we are going. Usually a short walk or drive to a nearly park or wood, just somewhere that is a bit green, will do.

And as we're getting ready to go, because this can take a while with big families, I normally make sure I'm snapping throughout to catch some lovely moments here too.

.....and we then try a few lovely group photos with the pretty backdrop.

When we arrive back at the home we sometimes take a few more family shots in various different arrangements before heading inside.

Back inside everyone is usually a lot more relaxed, which lets me take some of my favourite, natural, photos of you guys just being you!

.......and the sillier you guys are, the better :)

As you all wind down we wrap things up and generally that is my cue to pack up and leave. 

The family shoots are designed to last no longer than 2 hours and if small children are involved and need a nap I will endeavour to get photos involving them taken before they head off to sleep. 

One big tip to make these kinds of generational family shoots run smoothly is the following: When I arrive at a family home where different generations of family are gathered together especially for the shoot there are a number of things running through my head. My first thoughts and hopes are that if you guys have not seen each other in a long time, that you have had long enough catching up with each other before the shoot so you are at ease in each other's company. 

This really does make the whole process so much easier and fun. 

So if you fancy booking a family lifestyle photo-shoot then do it today! 

Message me: info@sammisparke.com

Inside a Toddler Lifestyle Photo-shoot

This Toddler photo-shoot is very typical of how most toddler lifestyle photography shoots go.  Our subject is the lovely Leo who is 18 months and it took place in Autumn when the light was especially lovely. 

I arrive at your home at a specified time. Before hand we will have exchanged some emails and I'll suggest maybe having a change of clothes ready and some ideas for a change of location such as the park during our time together.

I usually start indoors and allow my little subjects to get used to me and my camera. I just photograph away at opportune moments..

I use the backdrop of the house and very often your child's bedroom and toys which make for colourful photos.

Often I suggest incorporating lunch or a snack in the photo-shoot because it can lead to some fab photos.

.......and then, depending on you guys, the parents, you have the option to get in on photo time yourself.

Heading outside or any change of location is key for variety in the photos I do plus it also acts to keep the little one fresh and interested.

The light outside, at certain times of year, can be a blessing for photographers. I don't use much artificial light at all, some fill in flash mainly, but I always try to utilise natural light because I feel children look their absolute best photographed in this way.

A play area is a definite bonus :)

And then we come inside and I usually get a few more snaps before I head off. 

Essentially, during the shoot I quietly stalk your little one until I have a repertoire of fabulous images which I then take away and edit.

Children and Baby photos require very little editing. The main purpose of this process is primarily to make eyes sparkle, colours look their best and remove any food or bogeys, yes snot, from your little one so they look their absolute best. I will also pick certain photos to change to black and white and add some stylistic affects.

...and that is pretty much it.....so if you are interested then make sure you contact me:

Sammi Sparke Photography

07879 423231

info@sammisparke.com

www.lovebeautyphotography.com

Sammi Sparke Photography

07879 423231

info@sammisparke.com

www.lovebeautyphotography.com

The job I do......

www.lovebeautyphotography.com

As a child I adored looking at photos of my brother and myself as babies. I was however blessed to have a father who documented, in beautiful fashion, our childhood and a grandfather who did the same so that we were never without wonderful pictures to look at.

In this day and age the physical photograph is almost obsolete, replaced in our digital age with faster and more transient ways of sharing images. I miss holding a physical photograph sometimes.

                                                                 

I sometimes ask myself, as a baby and children photographer, what kind of shelf life a job such as mine will have. When I see that couples preparing for the impending arrival of their first child are just as likely to invest in a new DSLR as they are a pram or cot I do feel concerned for my job.

I see your photos, I really enjoy looking at them on my FB news feed........yet I have begun to realise they are not a replacement for the work I do. You yourselves have made me realise it.

My clients have come to me, mostly through word of mouth. When I say word of mouth I mean my photos have caught people's attention. I am a professional portrait photographer and there is a difference in the kind of photos I can produce of your little ones.....A difference it turns out, that you like.

I am not a photographic studio owner who wants a quick cash payment in. I'm not someone who will ever make you feel time pressured, or someone who doesn't care how stressed the kids are, or how stressed you are for that matter. If you give me time with you and your little ones I will see you rewarded with photos that no studio photographer could ever capture.

I've had a number of clients come to me after unhappy studio photography experiences.

So, what do I do?
Well, I come and spend time with you at your home or in any location of your choosing. I spend enough time with you so the children are comfortable in my presence and begin to ignore the camera. You and I may work in a change of clothes for the children or  a change of scenery and we can do any shots you have in mind and I'll probably do some shots I've thought might work well too.

Then I edit the images and make them look extra beautiful.... though I have to say babies and children (snot and dribble aside) need the absolute least editing out of all the types of photos I take.













Finally I send you the images on CD or DVD. Maybe I will send you a large print or even a baby or children book if you've selected one and in addition to this I will send you actual prints of the photos on the CD so you can put them in frames, decorate your walls and maybe fill an album that your children can look at as we used to in the old days :)






To this day I've had nothing but happiness, compliments and recommendations from clients and this makes me extremely proud.

.....and why am I telling you all this? I tell you because I want you to see what sort of photography I do and what I can do for you. Yes it's not cheap, but would you want a bunch of cheap looking photos? .....but don't be alarmed, my prices are actually very competitive!

Take a look at some of my recent work and judge for yourself.  If you like what you see then please message me.