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Can I be honest with you? Even though I am a wedding photographer, I actually don't really like weddings. Let me clarify before I get beaten with bouquets... I don't like your typical film, tv or magazine wedding. For me, a wedding should be a celebration of who the couple are, and the joining of those two people as one. Thankfully most weddings these days are more like this than trying to be a one-size-fits-all "perfect". I love weddings that are individual, and reflect who the couple are. The wedding I shot a few weeks ago was an excellent example of that, and I really enjoyed myself! Between the spotty blue wellies and the photos in the cow shed (that’s one brave bride) I thought all the little touches made it all about the couple in question. The bride was up for doing most things and I have to give props to the bridesmaids who came up with some silly - and hilarious - ideas themselves. We created some memorable photos any one of them would love to hang on their wall and also some amazing shots that generations to come will look at and laugh - seeing the personalities of their family shining through. Anyway below are a few of my personal favourites from the day, it was hard to narrow it down! Thanks for reading :) Congratulations Mr and Mrs Sprakes :)

It was the last Friday in September and I was getting ready to meet Hugo. Hugo is the 10 day old baby boy of friend and collaborator Sally Fazeli (check out her blog at sallyfazeli.com). I was excited to meet him; having done a maternity shoot with Sally just a few weeks ago, but as always a little nervous about how the shoot would go and preparing ideas in my head for positions and outfits. I arrived and Sally looked effortlessly stylish - as always. Ayman, her husband, was on the last day of his paternity leave and Hugo was doing what newborn babies do best - sleeping. After bringing in my stuff, I introduced myself to Hugo. He is a great and very chilled little boy. I told him my name and that I would be taking his photo today for his mummy and daddy, something I like to do with all my newborn clients - after all it would be rude not to! We started the shoot and Hugo was amazing. He stayed asleep throughout except for a few milk breaks and some mummy cuddles. He’s obviously inherited his mother’s genes in his ability to be natural and look great in front of a camera, giving me some smiles and opening those big eyes on occasion to charm the camera and all who look at the photos. It was a great shoot and I really enjoyed the day and I got some great photos, below are a few of my favourites.

It’s been lovely having such great weather over the summer. I was a little worried going into this shoot that the weather might not hold up, but after a little weather paddy where it rained for 5 minutes, the skies cleared and we got sun with just a few clouds! I was really excited about this shoot, not only would I get to team up with Sally, from www.sallyfazeli.com, again but it was her maternity session! She is only 4 weeks away from meeting baby Fazeli, and looked amazing as she arrived with two georgous outfits and also two floral headbands. I can always rely on Sally for a good fashionable shoot when we get together. I’ve said it before, but I’m no fashionista. I bet baby Fazeli will be no different - comfortably styled without having to think about it. Me? Well I’m happy in jeans and a jumper! We wanted to find a location with knee high grass and nature all around. My husband and I had gone for a walk a few weeks before and I had seen the perfect location, at the perfect time of day, something known as ‘magic hour’ and loved it! ‘Magic hour' is a term photographers use to describe when the sun is in the perfect place to give beautiful colours and light, so we decided to shoot around the same time to get this incredible natural lighting. Ayman, Sally’s husband came along to do some couple shots in the afternoon as well. It was my first maternity shoot, as most people just want newborn shots, so it was a new experience for me, but after doing loads of portraits, and reading up on styles and methods, it turns out it’s not too different from regular portraits. We did a few different areas in the same location, trying to get different light and colours n the shots. I really enjoyed the challenge of a maternity shoot, and we ended up getting some really great relaxed shots, that Ayman, Sally, and myself were really pleased with. Have a look below.

It’s the 31st May 2014 and I was very excited to meet Theo today. He is a 9 day old little boy who I have been waiting to meet for the last few weeks! It’s always a little odd being booked in for a newborn shoot because you don’t know who you will be photographing, when it will be exactly, what they will be like and in this case whether they will be a boy or a girl! Theo was born and Beth, his mum, contacted me to organise a date when his older step-brother would be available as well. I arrived with my assit-band, Rob, in tow and a car full of different hats, scarfs and backdrops I've gathered together for newborn shoots. It usually looks like I am moving in but it is always worth it! I love having a good chat with my clients before starting the shoot, and after talking to Beth for a little while, we realised we loved similar colours - teals, purples and greys. I like to know what colours people love - at the end of the day, it will be them hanging the photography on the walls, not me! Colour is personal, it has to tone in, but it also has to show personality. Theo was a little star, he was a bit upset for a while - he's a newborn after all, they only really know how to eat, sleep and poop, but he was sweet, and only weed on me twice - pretty good going for a nude newborn. I got some amazing shots and the parents absolutely love them which is always the important thing! It's such a special time, one that you can never have back, so it's always worthwhile putting up with a few bodily functions to capture some great memories!

It was a cold but sunny March morning. I'd got there early so was waiting for my clients to arrive, by the old St Annes Pier. It was cold, colder than I would like it to be, but that’s the best thing about coats and layers - multiple layers! It wasn't the warmest day for a family shoot, but the sun was making an apperance and I was excited for them to arrive. The family turned up and chaos ensued! The best kind of chaos - Mum, Dad and two boys who are just primary school age. Eli, the youngest, started telling me all about his scooter, Harry (the eldest boy) jumped in on how cool his scooter was. We decided that they should see how fast they can go and use the outside of a disused large water feature as a race track - making sure I had my camera as my assistant/husband set the race going. This started the theme of the day - fun! Shoots with families should always be fun, it’s about capturing who they are and their personality. We went onto the pier for a few family shots and inevitably a race to see which of the boys could reach me first. Eli loved pulling faces with my husband, and playing silly games as we walked along the beach. The last part of the shoot was in the sand dunes, so we decided to play hide and seek. Rob (my assit-band) hides and the family jump up and see who can spot him first. It was great, we got some really fun shots out of it, and my husband got to join in on the fun! You can tell when you've had a great family shoot as the kids don't want to leave, and Eli and Harry really wanted to carry on playing. It was only the promise of some fish and chips that finally got them willing to leave. I had a great time and the family absolutely love the photos. They didn't want any staged photos and when they've been for family shoots before had felt uncomfortable, so I was really happy that they enjoyed the day and were pleased with the final shots. I love shoots like this, they make my day! There are a few photos from the shoot below.

I have never been a fashionista. I have never really understood fashion - like who decided shell suits were cool in the 80s? Or that looking like a lumberjack in the 90s was the way to go? I have, however, always loved fashion photography. The way that well known and well established photographers think up amazing ideas and make things look so dream-like and imaginative is really cool. This week I took my first steps into the world of fashion photography with my friend Sally Fazeli, a local blogger (check her out at sallyfazeli.com). We decided to explore the Formby beach area, and go very natural, as the outift that Sally wore fitted this location perfectly. It was cold, it seems to always be cold in the north west, and a little windy, but this actually made for some great photos! My favourite photo from this shoot is the one of Sally surrounded by this georgeous windswept tree we found just off the beach. I really enjoyed my first real fashion shoot. Although I still don't understand the world of fashion, I appreciate working with people who do, and being able to do shoots and create shots that I'd be unable to do in other circumstances. It was great to work with Sally and I look forward to working with her again. Have a look through some of the photos below.