Happy New Year blog readers!
I've had a wonderful year photographing some amazing clients and their families and businesses. I'm so excited to see what 2019 will bring. I have a packed calendar of maternity photo sessions, newborn photoshoots, cake smash photo shoots, family portraits and corporate photography too. I will also be running a series of Mini Sessions themed around the seasons, so join my mailing list and follow me on Facebook to keep up to date with news, events and special offers. I'll be offering Easter Bunny photoshoots for newborns and babies, Bluebell Mini Sessions in the local bluebell woods and much more.
Just before Christmas I was very busy with family photo shoots, as my clients prepared gifts for friends and family, such as the Baker family, who came for a family portrait at my home studio.
The Baker family consists of Cheryl (grandmother), who lives in South Africa and was visiting for Christmas, Jolene (mother) organiser, Amy, who is going to university soon and younger brother Michael. A very creative family, Jolene says she chose me as her photographer as she liked the quality of my previous work - thanks Jolene!
"Helen made us feel welcome and at ease straight away. She took the time to make us a drink and have a chat before the shoot began", says Jolene.
As you can see from the comments above and the photos below, this family is not only photogenic, but also a close-knit group who clearly love spending time together. They are lucky to have been together over Christmas, especially since grandmother Cheryl lives so far away.
Asked whether she would recommend me to others, Jolene says,
"Yes definitely 100%. Lovely welcoming atmosphere and great photos."
It certainly was a fun photoshoot. Amy and Michael were not too keen on having their photos taken, as is the case with most clients I see! However once we had a chat and a bit of a giggle, everyone soon relaxed and I was able to catch some natural smiles, as shown in these photos.
If you are looking for a professional family portrait which shows your family relaxed with natural smiles, get in touch via my Contact Page. I offer sessions at my studio or outdoor photoshoots, for those who would prefer to have their family photos taken in a more natural environment. I look forward to hearing from you!
Happy New Year!
Helen x
Hi again,
Let me stop for a second to tell you that I am seriously the luckiest photographer in the world. My clients are always so wonderful to work with. That's true of my family photo session with the Palmer family, too!
I met up with them in the Summer at Danebury Iron Age Hill Fort and the weather was perfect for photo-taking. It was warm and slightly overcast, so not too bright. While the weather was fine, it was the Palmer family that made this photoshoot such a joy.
The family consists of Mum, Ali, who loves walking Mollie the dog, Isabelle, who loves horse riding, Oliver, who would prefer to have been playing on his iPad and Dad, Neil, who doesn't like hills! Their favourite family activity is going to the beach.
As you can see from the photos, this family is not only photogenic, but clearly love spending time together. They are lucky to have each other.
Neil says about the session, "It was so much fun and very relaxed". Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did, Neil!
Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Helen x
When it comes to a family photo shoot, a lot of stress is typically associated with days leading up to the session. I'm here to help you relax and be prepared all at the same time. Here are some tips:
If you need any more advice just get in touch!
Gather round awesome blog readers!
Today's post is all about a certain baby with the kind of big blue eyes that will surely put a smile on your face. Mr. Joey was so much fun to photograph and our session turned out so brilliantly!
This particular session was a very special since Joey was born at 11.11 on Remembrance Sunday and his dad is a serving soldier. This added a whole other level to our photo shoot.
Joey is so adorable, despite managing to wee up his dad's sleeve on two occasions during the shoot!
Anyway, as you can see from the pictures below, Joey and I had one of the best sessions together. His mum, Julia, and dad, Simon, prepared for the session by giving Joey a little bath, to ensure he was nice and clean. Her preparation efforts allowed us to have an especially awesome shoot together. Joey was awake most of the way through the session and was very calm and relaxed.
Joey has two older brothers and one sister. The first thing that Julia thought when she discovered she was pregnant with Joey was "Uh oh!" - Jude was only 6 weeks old!
Asked whether she would recommend H Jones Photography to others, Julia said, “Yes, so friendly and welcoming. Lovely warm environment to photograph newborns in. We felt very relaxed and at ease the whole time.”
Because the shoot went so well, I asked Julia if she would share one helpful piece of advice with other mothers planning a newborn session (See – I've got your back, mums around the world). Her biggest piece of advice is: “Do it early, they don't stay tiny newborns for long.”
Enjoy the adorableness below!
Whilst it is a good idea to get a newborn photoshoot when your baby is around 5-10 days old to capture the squishiness of your tiny baby, please don't be put off from having a photo session if your baby is older. I can capture beautiful images of your little one at any age. Below are some examples of different developmental stages I can capture at different ages. Of course all babies are unique and will reach various 'milestones' at different ages, so this is very much just a guide!
These sessions are recommended between approximately 7-10 days of age. This is because mums have had a little bit of time to adjust to having a new baby and also because babies tend to be sleepier at this age. When babies sleep, this enables me to capture a wider variety of poses. However, it is absolutely not my aim to get your baby to sleep before I will take photos. Personally I love the wide awake shots!
I have photographed babies at many different ages. At 6 weeks, they tend to be more alert and I can capture those amazing bright, wide-eyed shots and a range of wonderful expressions. I can still wrap baby and put them in various props, such as baskets, buckets etc, surrounded by lots of natural, neutral colours and textures.
At 3 months babies may be laughing and smiling, doing mini push-ups and bringing their hands together.
At 6 months they might be sitting for short periods unsupported, crawling and reaching for objects.
When your baby is sitting, or crawling, this can be a great time to get a baby photoshoot. These stages go so quickly and it is wonderful to have professional images to look back on. I wish I had done so with my children - I missed the opportunity sadly.
When, or just before, your baby reaches the age of one, a wonderful and increasingly popular way to celebrate is to hold a cake smash photo session. Take a look at my Cake Smash Page for further details.
Looking for several photoshoots to capture several special moments in time? I offer a range of packages that offer excellent value for money. Please note these prices are for the sessions, professional editing and creation of a private online gallery. Images are available to purchase separately under one of my packages. Check out my pricing page for details.
Please get in touch via my Contact Page for further information or to book.
Last weekend I ran some mini photo sessions on the pumpkin patch at Bourne Valley Pick Your Own near Andover, Hampshire. This proved to be so popular that I have announced some more mini sessions for the weekend of 27-28th October 2018. This is such a fun thing to do and I can capture some magical photos of your child, children, family, pets and even get a baby picture in the pumpkins for you! Look for details under the Sessions drop down menu on my website.
Several families from the local area booked last weekend to have family photos taken. Some wanted photos of their child/children, others wanted a family portrait, others wanted a pet portrait and photos with their dogs. Dogs are allowed at the farm, but not on the pumpkin patch, so I set up a little area to the side of the patch with a few pumpkins for these shots. I asked families to dress in fairly plain, coordinating clothing, as this makes for a much better photo.
It was such fun and once those children being photographed had been snapped, they were able to run around, find their favourite pumpkin or have fun in the outdoor play area, with sunken trampolines, slide, swings and even a zip wire. It really is a great place to visit with or the family.
Bourne Valley Fruit Farm is an established family farm which was created 25 years ago by Wyndham and Bridget Culley, and is now run by their sons, Dan and Matt. The Farm is situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty near the idyllic village of St Mary Bourne. As well as pick your own, they have a farm shop open from May until October with ready picked fruit and vegetables as well as locally produced guernsey cream, home made jam and ice creams.
Pumpkins are £2.50 ( £1 for small ones ) and they are open every day from 10.00 til 4.00. There will be food available as well as quality coffee from kudos coffee Whitchurch.
This week I have the lovely Steph from La Di Da Interiors with me, painting my bureau. Steph is an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint approved stockist and owner of a fabulous shop of interiors, luxuries and gifts in Andover. She also runs an interior design service plus regular painting and craft workshops, details of which are available on her website, www.ladida-andover.com.
I have worked with Steph several times over the past year, photographing her shop, events and upcycled vintage furniture, which she sells nationwide via her website.
Many people will try to take corporate photos on their phones, which I admit are offering far better cameras now. I have recently upgraded my iPhone just for the better camera. The difference is that with a professional photographer you have not only a far superior piece of hardware in the camera, which offers more control over exposure and tone in images (I don’t want to get too technical, indeed I don’t like to) but you also benefit from the skills and expertise behind the camera. This means you end up with expertly composed, lit and edited photos to portray that professional edge. People often think they can get away with taking their own product photos and many can produce some pretty decent results, but it is well worth investing in a professional corporate photo shoot, even if it’s not a regular thing, in order to have at least a few top quality images to promote your brand. Just talk to Steph for confirmation of this!
I have worked with several local businesses to help provide professional photos for their products and services. I can offer studio product photo shoots or on location photography including events, such as Steph's Annie Sloan paint workshops, details online. I have even spent a couple of hours in a field of pigs to take some corporate shots for Greenfield Pork, which I will feature in another blog post soon! If you’d like to enquire about a corporate photo shoot please get in touch via my Contact Page. I look forward to hearing from you!
Helen x
Hello out there! I’ve got a super cute baby and family photo session to share with you that features a fabulous family, who I photographed not too long ago on a training day with a fantastic Hampshire photographer who also just happens to be a world renowned and multi award winning photographer - Tracy Willis. I love to continue to learn and improve my photos and learned so much from Tracy on this training day.
We had 3 gorgeous models for the day: a 6 day old baby, 3-year-old sibling and Mum.
Look at those photos and tell me you aren’t suddenly overcome with love!
Thanks for the fun day's training Tracy and for letting me photograph your beautiful family of models!
Take a look at more newborn baby pictures and family portraits here on my website and if you'd like to book a session or enquire please get in touch via my contact page. I'd love to hear from you!
I absolutely love this image from a previous Christmas photo session. The little lady was really not very sure about having her photo taken at first, but did quickly warm up and shared lots of smiles with me. I'm really excited about my upcoming Christmas photo shoots. I am putting the final pieces together to create a truly unique vintage style photo shoot and will soon be opening bookings. The photo sessions will take place at my home studio in Anna Valley, near Andover, Hampshire and will be held on specific dates in October and November. Please contact me via my contact page to receive notification as soon as bookings open!
I am so excited about my truly unique and exclusive Magical Christmas photo session that is coming soon. I am going to be offering a vintage style Christmas photo shoot that will be different from anything you can get elsewhere! In addition I will also be offering my fun Christmas Mini Sessions. Details of both will be coming soon. Like my Facebook Page to keep up to date with the latest announcements.