Clare Amanda Photography

Is your family your highest priority?  Mine certainly is.  First, I am a wife to a very supportive husband and a mother to a beautiful daughter.  Second, I am Clare of Clare Amanda Photography, a family lifestyle photography service who appreciates your highest priority – your family.

I specialise in capturing moments in time of your family life as it really is…the cuts and bruises, the missing milk teeth, the freckles and messy hair and the joy and laughter of play.  This is on-location photography, either in a nearby beauty spot or in your own beautiful home and garden.  I will happily travel to any RG post code area covering much of the North Hampshire and Berkshire areas.

Your session will be kept relaxed and fun, focussing on the interactions between the people in your family and your hobbies or pastimes if you wish.  For a full session, you will be my only booking of the day giving you and your family time to warm to me and be comfortable, while also allowing time for snacks and naps (both of which can also be great for capturing these memories).   Pets – well, they too are a part of your family, so of course they should be included in your photographs.

If you haven’t got the luxury of a day and would still like some beautiful family photography, I also offer a mini-session of around 30 minutes, although this isn’t suitable for very young children or pets as they take a little longer to work with.

Following your session, you will have the opportunity to purchase from a selection of high quality canvas prints or beautifully mounted and framed printed images to suit the walls of any home.  They will be products you will be proud to show off in your home.  With each printed photograph, you will receive a complimentary digital version of that image.  If you prefer, you can purchase just the digital versions of your photographs, for both printing and for sharing digitally.

Bookings can be made for any weekday or Saturday.  I prefer to keep evenings and Sundays free for my precious family time.

If you’d like to chat to discuss what I can do for you, you can find my contact details on my website, www.clareamanda.co.uk.  You can also head on over there to see what I can offer you.

Remember, your children won’t stay young forever, but these photographs will make lasting memories.

 

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Ideal Imaging Photography: Don’t just think outside of the Box; GO outside of it

I’m very fortunate to be able to start this guest blog with a friendly hello to many of my existing local customers. 2014 was a truly amazing year during which I met so many wonderful families that I feel rewarded on a daily basis in my chosen career. Your support has been incredible and I would like to publicly thank you for putting your trust in me and my camera to provide you with lasting memories from your lifestyle photography shoots.

For those of you who I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting, a warm welcome to Ideal Imaging.  Based in Old Basing, Hampshire, I specialise in family lifestyle and newborn portraits, along with wedding photography. Despite being my bread and butter, photography is my passion. I love what I do and that is reflected in my excitement over each and every couple or family that I work with. In fact, in my spare time, I enjoy … more photography – this time in the form of landscape photography. I’m always learning and have recently returned from an unbelievably satisfying week of one-on-one instruction in Italy with one of the top landscape photographers.

I believe that my love of landscapes enhances my ability to spot a great shot in a lifestyle shoot and this is one of the reasons that I take my camera and my creativity outside of the traditional studio setting to bring out the best in people. Don’t get me wrong, studio photography has a place. But it is a very different scenario to a lifestyle shoot.  To put this in to context, imagine that a studio photo shoot is about spending two hours trying to get one ‘perfect shot’ whereas a lifestyle shoot is about spending two hours capturing lots of great, candid images of everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves and therefore at their very best and ‘just being’.

Ask yourself the question; what do you love to do as a family? I’d be willing to bet that it isn’t the former scenario described above.  I’m a parent too; I understand the pressures of creating that perfect photo. The constraints of both time and space in a studio setting simply do not lend themselves to you (the collective you) being yourselves. Worries about children ‘warming’ to the photographer, ‘performing’ for the camera and generally being on their best behaviour mean that this is not conducive to creating a relaxed collection of memories to look back on. This is why I don’t just think outside of the box with my photography, I go outside of it.

With my old-fashioned approach to customer service I spend time getting to know you before I take a single photograph.  I want you to feel inspired to break free from the accepted norms.  I’ll encourage you to wrap up warm on a crisp, frosty morning and head to the beach for an invigorating walk, or to think of the warmth of spring and imagine running through a dreamy bluebell wood. You might prefer to consider a late afternoon frolic in the sunshine with the family dog or to feel the rush of the wind kicking up the autumn leaves and the glorious autumnal colour palette that season delivers. Whatever the time of year, we can work with the weather to provide you with a collection of stunning portraits that come alive with the personalities of each individual featured in the shot.

We’re programmed from a very early age to ‘smile for the camera’. I can give you a guarantee that you will never hear me give that instruction during my time with you. Not because I like to capture the enigmatic Mona Lisa pose, but because it just isn’t necessary as you’ll be doing the things you love, all with the bonus of having an expert photographer on hand to facilitate and capture the enjoyment that comes naturally to your family.

With my local knowledge, I have immediate access to many beautiful locations including Tylney Hall in Rotherwick, The Elvetham Hotel in Hook and The Vyne in Sherborne St John. All of these locations are steeped in history and make a spectacular backdrop to your personal portfolio. But lifestyle photography is all about you and if you prefer another location, or even your own back garden, we can tailor the session to suit you.

Without the constraints of time or the fixed limitations of four walls, we’re able to include more of what you love, and who you love. Bring the whole family along. In the past year alone I’ve worked with groups of up to 18 people covering the entire family tree. From newborns to great grandparents and every member of the family in between; including the person who is usually nominated as the family photographer!

Whether you’re looking for a piece of wall art to display, a timeless album to showcase your entire shoot or mounted prints and digital images of the highest quality, my flair for design and creativity guides you through the experience seamlessly to create unique galleries to last a lifetime.

After the shoot, a lot of my clients choose to stay and play a while longer.  After all, they’re simply having fun with the family! For me, giving you a fantastic experience is only half the job done and I set to work on creating a professional slideshow.  This is usually within about a week or two, for your review in the comfort of your own home. No trekking off to another studio and feeling the pressure of a sales pitch. The photographs that we’ve created together will speak for themselves allowing you to make relaxed decisions about how you’d like to remember your time with me!  I firmly believe that your images should be presented at their very best so that you can cherish and adore them for years to come. I work very closely with a couple of leading labs to bring you the finest selection of products, all made from the highest quality materials that will last in your family for generations to come.

As a thank you to you for taking the time to understand a little bit more about my approach to lifestyle photography, I have a special offer for all NHM readers. It’s for a Spring time themed family lifestyle portraits session in the grounds of Tylney Hall Hotel. A summary of what’s included appears below but for all the information, FAQ’s and to secure your package please go to: http://wp.me/p4A8xE-3gd

I wish you all a very happy 2015 and hope to meet you in the coming months.

All the best,

Alistair Jones, Ideal Imaging

Don’t miss out on future posts like this – you can receive updates directly to your inbox by email by adding your email address to the box on the top right of this page and hitting subscribe. You can also follow NorthHantsMum onTwitterFacebook ProfileLinkedIn and Feedly. I hope to see you there! 

MLB Photographic

Linzi has been a long time supporter of NHM so I was delighted when she contacted me to ask if she could do a Guest Post on NHM. Here is her post…

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Welcome to MLB Photographic!

My name is Linzi Wherry and I set up MLB Photographic ( MuchLovedBabe ) about 5 years ago.  I wanted to do something special work wise after having my three children Jessica (9), Ben (8) and Thomas(6) and not have to be stuck in an office working for someone else.

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Since the beginning I have enjoyed the ups and downs of being my own boss…. and as with all new business ventures there are usually teething problems.

I have worked my way these to where I am now by hard work and determination ( and of course with the help and support of my husband and customers, without whom my work would not be )

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So whether you are looking for a Wedding, Maternity, Newborn or Family photographer I’m here to help you achieve those special memories that you will treasure forever !

My studio is in my home, therefore it allows me to provide a very personal experience – friendly, private, and fantastic for all kids of all ages…. even the shy one’s and the very new little tiny one’s….

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As I said above I have three lovely children who are all at school come now.

I am therefore, lucky enough to be able to open on a daily basis by appointment only, between the hours of 10.30 and 2pm for sittings and 9.30 – 6pm for booking customers in.

I am  even open at weekend’s for those family shots when everyone can participate in the fun!  So please get in contact soon!

My website has the details of all the services I offer.

Thank you so much for reading my article, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Linzi

x

Thanks for your support Linzi! I hope you get lots of follow up from your Guest Post!

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Ideal Imaging Photography

Alistair contacted me about doing a Guest Post on NHM. 

So, what are Lifestyle Portraits?

A big hello to all the readership of North Hants Mum and an even bigger thanks to Louise for asking me, Alistair Jones (aka Ideal Imaging Photography, http://www.idealimaging.uk.com), to write a little piece about the Lifestyle Portraits that I have been providing for babies, children and families across the region for the last few years.

So I hope you enjoy this overview and if you feel suitably inspired don’t miss the special offer I have for you at the end!

So let’s address the question – what are lifestyle portraits? Well, in short they are professional photographs of you and your loved ones captured away from the confines of a studio and either in the comfort and familiarity of your own home or out on location in stunning settings, the choice of which is only limited by our imagination.

 

As with any portraits session, first I’ll take the time meet my clients and find out a little bit about them and their families, the personalities involved and what they all like doing together. All this info is key for lifestyle portraits because we can then agree the location and style the shoot accordingly. For example it could be in the context of the family home and garden (particularly important for newborns), out on the bikes, with the horses, on the beach, a favourite park, a National Trust property or perhaps in the grounds of one of the luxury hotels that I work in collaboration with.

One of those hotels is Tylney Hall Hotel in Rotherwick whom I have been enjoying an on-going partnership with in providing their guests with ‘lifestyle photography breaks’ (http://www.tylneyhall.co.uk/tylneyhall.co.uk/lifestyle-photography-break) – full board overnight stays incorporating a photo shoot with me around the gorgeous grounds featuring the magnificent Italian Terrace.

Here’s a portfolio of some of the work I’ve produced there:

http://www.idealimaging.uk.com/photographic_experience_breaks_at_tylney_hall.html.

As with so many of the locations I shoot regularly at, Tylney Hall is perfect for lifestyle portraits all year round – carpets of daffodils and bluebells in the spring, sweeping lawns and water gardens for the summer, the vibrant reds of the maple trees in the autumn and the weathered textures and colours of the rustic stonework in the winter.

 

Here’s a lovely testimonial I received from a recent lifestyle portrait session at Tylney Hall:

 “We had a wonderful day with Alistair at Tylney Hall recently. My eldest daughter said “We should have more fun days like that” and my youngest daughter’s smile told a story itself! When the photos arrived, we were amazed by the beauty of what had been caught. It made it very difficult to choose as we loved all the photos. Capturing moments in time of our family was what we wanted, Alistair caught those moments and surpassed our expectations”

– GLENDA BULLOCK

Whatever the venue, the lifestyle shoot is very informal, interactive, fun and relaxed. For ‘family sessions’ I allocate a good couple of hours, eliminating all concerns of time pressure. Children won’t be forced to provide the perfect smiles in the first 2 minutes but, rest assured, they sure will after some time running around, interacting with me and generally settling in. A variety of different settings will be explored and used in order to add variety to the photographs and maintain interest (particularly important for the little ones!).

The resulting images speak volumes. What I mean by that is that beyond the beautiful smiley faces there’s so much more depth and context to the portraits with the interesting background colours & textures and unique expressions which are so familiar to you now but you will want to capture forever more. These portraits reveal the true personalities of all those involved.

 

All in all Lifestyle portraits are all about creative and stylish, yet honest and timeless, photographic records of you and your loved ones that will hold so many more memories for you than perhaps the average portrait ‘grabbed’ in the studio. Indeed I’m very proud to say that my work was recently highlighted by VOGUE Magazine in their December 2012 ‘Tot Shots’ feature.