Just a walk with your family and a new friend.
Ok, first things first, I am a mum. I know most Julia Donaldson books by heart, I am not afraid of a bear hunt, and if I see a tree I will want to climb it.
Some children take meeting a new person in their stride and love the attention of my camera. Others take a more measured approach, and cautiously dip their toe into this new and unusual social situation. I have to say I am prepared for both and I love both. I take the time to earn their trust, If you take nothing else from this blog, I am a photographer who puts the needs of your children first, no matter their age.
What if they are grumpy? What if they don't warm up?
Most kids are mardy bums at one point or another, if this happens on your session, don't worry, we will muddle through together. Usually having the undivided attention of their favourite grown ups and this new odd woman with a camera is enough to win them over.
The best thing you can do on a session is to play with them, help them up a tree, throw them around, play, chase, use your imagination and engage with them. I will take care of the rest.
I am not here to overly pose any of you. What's most important to me is to capture the beautiful connection your family shares, and making you feel comfortable so that you can be your best self. If you're happy they will be happy.
You are your children's safe place, and that is a beautiful thing to capture.
They will always need you, but it won't always look like this. Treasure these cuddles.
You are the heart of your family.
I won't forget it, neither should you.
What should I wear?!
Don't stress, don't go out and buy a whole new wardrobes worth of clothes. The best advice I can give you is to avoid too much pattern. But the most important thing is that everyone is comfortable. There is nothing that makes someone more uncomfortable than being perfectly styled. I mean it goes without saying it doesn't hurt to make a little effort and to look nice, but looking comfortable in your own skin is more important.
Oh and I'm sure you don't need telling, but... mud happens, its what a washing machine is made for.
Common sense approach, heels - probably a terrible idea generally, wellies for your little puddle jumpers, when its cold, layer up, open jackets definitely look better than closed, so embrace the jumper.
If you have a little one and think you are going to need lots of bits and bobs, pop it in a rucksack we can pop down or I can carry for you.
Your Family Portrait...With Feeling
Having your whole family in one photo doesn't happen often, I will always take a photo of you all looking at the camera, but I am invested in giving you a photo that will remind you of what your family felt like in this moment.
So fancy a walk with your family and a new friend?
Let me tell you what some of my lovely families have said about their experience with me.
"Laura is amazing at what she does and I would highly recommend her. Our 3 year old is growing up way too fast and I wanted to capture these special times. My husband and I are both pretty camera shy, so we felt a bit nervous about the prospect of a photoshoot. My friend recommended Laura and showed me the beautiful, natural and creative photos she had taken of her family. I decided to get in touch. Laura was absolutely lovely and immediately put me at ease. She went the extra mile to find out what would work for us and to help us feel relaxed. The photoshoot was basically a lovely walk in the woods with a new friend. I hardly even noticed we were having our pictures taken. Laura was so easy to chat to and she was brilliant with my daughter, making her laugh and playing lots of games with her. We were over the moon when we saw how the photos had turned out. We all looked so relaxed and Laura had captured my daughters personality perfectly. Her sense of fun, love of nature and curiosity shone through in the pictures. We were so impressed with the professional and friendly service Laura provided. We have already recommended her to friends and will definitely be return customers."
-Charlotte
"We had an Autumn family photo shoot recently with Laura and from start to finish the whole experience has been an absolute pleasure.
Laura is a very talented photographer, but she also made the process fun. She got on very well with our teenage daughters putting them at ease, she was also a big hit with our dogs. As a result we have such natural beautiful photos to treasure.
Thank you Laura"
-Stella
"Laura has managed to capture so many beautiful images of us that we will cherish forever. She joined us on a walk in our local woods with our dog Spirit, which was a meaningful and special location to us.
Our overall experience was just brilliant from start to finish. We felt so relaxed and at ease having our photos taken and are thrilled with our results.
Laura is such a talented photographer with a wonderful eye for detail. She is professional, friendly and easygoing. Definitely 100% recommend her to capture your memories!"
-Renee
"Again, it was such a lovely session, no pressure to pose at all. Laura was amazing at capturing. We are totally making a photoshoot session with Laura Parker-Willerton Photography our annual tradition"
-Joy
Get in touch, send me a message, tell me about your family and how I can help you to treasure this moment. Because nothing makes me happier than delivering a gallery to proud, loving parents to celebrate the people closest, that matter the most.