Children photography at home Sessions

I thought I'd share with you a handful of photos from around the holidays just gone. This is becuase I realised how closely they resemble a typical children/family photography at home session I do with families in my work.

How does it work?:
I do the shoot over two hours which gives the children time to get used to me. As they go about their usual routine I simply photograph them. I become your child's very own paparazzi! We use different areas of the house and each brings something different to the photos - children often want to show off their own bedrooms and toys which make lovely colourful photos.

Then we all head out to a nearby park or green, natural area and again I photograph what happens there. Finally when we get back I sometimes keep the camera rolling as they have a something to eat becuase at this point the kids are really relaxed and sometimes come some real gems of photos, and finally I head off.

What Happens After:
After your shoot I edit the photos and depending on the package parents have chosen they can get up to 30 beautiful images included and on top of this up to two professional art prints of their favourite photos. It's a pretty good deal.

So if a family shoot at home sounds like something you fancy giving a go this year why not give me a call to set it up ....and if you're St Neots based in Cambridgeshire you can get a taster session on Mothers day morning for a mini price.

www.sammisparke.com

Contact me today

Inside a Children's lifestyle Shoot

This shoot, with the very sweet Scarlett, shows you what kind of photos you might end up with if you book a shoot with me and what you can expect during a child lifestyle photo-shoot.

I usually start indoors and I allow some time for the children to get used to me and grow less self conscious or shy. I do this by chatting with you and them while simultaneously taking photos at opportune moments.

In this shoot Scarlett was keen to play in the garden. Regularly however, we also use a child's bedroom as a backdrop for some photos because children are often quite proud of their rooms and the fun colours make for great pics, plus favourite toys can be incorporated this way too.

With Scarlett we did a number of changes of clothes but this isn't always necessary or workable during a shoot. A change of clothes is however a great idea to give you variety in the finished album.

Here Scarlett wanted to show us her ballet moves so if your child likes dressing up or does any kind of after school clubs (dance etc) it is fun to capture this.

After a while we move on to an outside change of location, here we picked a nearby park. 

I recommend a change of scene for all shoots, rain or shine. The outside light and natural backdrop gives you a diverse selection of interesting photos and the fun element for your children really helps me capture some happy faces and natural smiles.

 

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

At any point during the shoot, depending on you the parent(s), you have the option to get in on photo time yourself if you wish.

As you can see my photos are made up of a variety of different styles: Unposed, reportage, posed and photos with artistic enhancements.

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

The shoots are designed to be receptive to the children's mood and attention span. They last no longer than 2 hours and if a child is too tired and a change of scene or snack doesn't help we will call it day.

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

Message me: info@sammisparke.com

Memories in the Lives of Siblings

The project and book is based on my own childhood memories of growing up with a little brother in the 1980′s.

Memories In the Lives was a series based on nostalgia, recalled childhood memories and most importantly the unique relationship that exists between siblings growing up together.

The aesthetic was influenced by books such as the Learn With Mother series and the Peter and Jane books, which helped influence the dreamy and ‘rose tinted’ feel the series conveys. For the narrative I chose to use memories that were familiar and shared amongst a large cross section of people, that should be easily recognised by those who grew up with a sibling, older or younger than themselves.

My published book:

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1378260