My style is to take natural, timeless images of this wonderful time. I completely understand that a lot of people (myself included) do not like having their photo taken. I will make you feel relaxed and comfortable, helping with posing every part of you, to make you look amazing!
Book your maternity session for when you’re around 7-8 months pregnant, or later if your bump is small. To book, please get in touch via my Contact Page to get the ball rolling. The session fee is payable on booking. This doesn’t include any photos, which can be purchased via a private online gallery, 1- 2 weeks after your photoshoot.
Your maternity photoshoot will take place in my beautiful garden photography studio in Anna Valley, near Andover. You will find directions on my Contact Page.
A mini maternity photoshoot is 30 minutes, with 2 outfit changes and 2 set ups. A full maternity photo session will take around one hour, maybe more, with multiple looks and set ups.
You are welcome to bring your partner and children (or pets - our fur babies!) with you.
My studio will be nice and warm, so wear layers, bring a drink and a snack too if you think you might need one.
I provide a variety of flattering maternity dresses, bodysuits and fabrics to make you look awesome. You’re also more than welcome to bring your own outfits if you like. I don’t provide hair and make-up, so you might like to get this done professionally before you come, do it yourself, or come au naturel!
Wear skin coloured underwear, preferably with no VPL. Thongs are good for wearing under sheer fabrics, even if you don't like wearing them every day! You are welcome to pose with your bump exposed, completely covered or you can be completely naked - it's entirely up to you and the type of photos you prefer. You can even bring some special lingerie, if you like the maternity boudoir photoshoot look.
Pregnancy brings all sorts of unusual feelings and emotions. If, for any reason, you are not feeling well, please let me know and we will reschedule your photoshoot. My diary is designed to be flexible, so please don't worry, I will be able to fit you in. I want you to be feeling as well as possible for your shoot, so you enjoy the experience and don't look back at the photos later and be reminded of how awful you felt!
I have yet to meet a mum to be who doesn't have at least some reservation about having their photo taken. We are all so self critical. However, do remember that we are creating memories and keepsakes for you and your family, for now and for generations to come. I can guarantee that you will look back on the photos in years to come and think how young and beautiful you look! And just imagine how your child will love these images of you and your bump!
If you would like to book a free consultation call with me to talk through your photo session, over the phone or via Zoom, or if you would like to book a photoshoot, please get in touch via my Contact Page.
Helen x
Hi everyone!
I hope you and your families are all well and bearing up ok, as we head towards what we all hope will be the end of lockdown. I don't know about you, but I am finding it hard to keep track of what is happening when. One big date in my mind is the date that I am able to reopen my business - 12th April. I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to that day! I am really badly missing taking photos of all your lovely families. My children are sick of me asking them to pose in the studio for me!
I thought it might be helpful to list below some important dates for the gradual reopening of our world and what this means for us busy supermums (bearing in mind that this may change the moment I've posted this piece, so please do double-check before you start booking holidays!)...
Obviously, this all depends on how things go over the next few weeks and months. Please do check the latest government advice and I will endeavour to keep this page up to date as time goes by.
I am taking bookings for maternity / bump photoshoots, newborn photoshoots, older baby photoshoots, sitter sessions, cake smash, family portraits and pet photography, from 12th April. My diary is starting to get booked up, so don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or if you'd like to book. I'm always online and will always get back to you as soon as I can. Remember you can always call me on 07941 873088 if you prefer to chat.
I am also planning my bluebell photoshoots, with more info on those to come. Please let me know if you'd like to be informed when bookings open.
Helen xx
It's back!! Following the huge success of my fundraising project during the first lockdown, I am now offering doorstep photo portraits for a donation to Andover foodbank. Together, we raised over a whopping £2,000 in Spring 2020, so I'd love to try and smash that, although any amount we can raise would be awesome.
Back in May 2020, the foodbank reported,
"The Andover foodbank has been overwhelmed by people’s generosity during the COVID crisis. Over the past couple of months we have received incredible food and cash donations which have enabled us to continue to support those in need in our local community with food boxes, toiletries and cleaning supplies.
Demand rose dramatically as we all went into lockdown. The Andover foodbank saw an increase of more than four-fold for family food boxes in the first couple of weeks. This has decreased but we are still running over three times the usual level of need. Schools have been some of our biggest referral agencies during this time, supporting parents to feed and look after their children. We are all living with uncertainty and concern but worrying about how to feed your family increases that enormously. I wish I could show you the relief on people’s faces when they receive one of the food boxes; it is tangible. Thank you to everyone who has supported us during this difficult time.”
Foodbanks across the country have been under pressure throughout the pandemic, and Andover’s is no different. It saw a 30 per cent rise in demand, and supplied food to over 2000 children. The charity expects that the demand will continue throughout 2021.
To book your doorstep photoshoot, please donate online via my Give As You Live page and then contact me to arrange a time.
During these crazy times in which we find ourselves, more people have been asking for outdoor family photoshoots in Andover and the surrounding areas. I recently had the pleasure of meeting this wonderful family, for an outdoor photoshoot near Winchester, at Micheldever Woods. Chantal and Kevin's youngest, Kelbey, had been born during lockdown, so like many other families, had missed out on a newborn photoshoot. They still wanted some photos to remember him as a young baby, as well as some photos of the family altogether. The family's boys love to walk in the woods and build shelters and dens, so we agreed that Micheldever Woods would be the ideal location for a natural family photoshoot.
We met one morning at the woods and walked in to find a suitable spot to take the family and baby photos. We soon found a clearing in the woods where there were plenty of dens built by others and decided that would be the spot! We started with the family photoshoot with mum, dad, baby Kelbey and his two older brothers, Landon and Henley. Before long, Kelbey was hungry, so Chantal snuggled into one of the dens to feed him, where I also got a few really cute feeding photos, with Chantal's permission, of course!
Once we'd got back in to taking family photos in the woods, I wrapped baby Kelbey and posed him in a wooden bowl, with beautiful soft blue fur blankets, for a lovely outdoor, natural baby photoshoot. Chantal was amazed at how I made Kelbey look like a little newborn baby again, despite him being 2 1/2 months old. He looked adorable!
I asked Chantal why she chose me to take her family's photos and how she found the experience. She says,
We came across Helen's website and it was her style of natural photography that we liked".
On what she liked best about the session, Chantal says,
Helen's ability to help relax us all and also her patience with us. Getting us all facing the same way without any blinking or doggy grins was a challenge. We followed Helen's advice and organised everything for the children (and adults) a few days before, so the morning of the shot was stress free! And the best tip was no colour food/drink once dress/during the shot to avoid any potential disastrous accidents!"
I really enjoyed our outdoor photoshoot and was delighted to be able to photograph the family again in my studio a few weeks later. I look forward to photographing them all again, as the family grows.
Book your family photoshoot - get in touch via my contact page.
Helen x
From June 15th my studio will reopen! I've really missed seeing everyone and taking photos of your babies, children and families.
To begin with I will be rescheduling all my older clients, so cake smashes, sitters, families and maternity photoshoots. Then from July I’ll be open for newborn photoshoots, as these are a little longer and require closer contact. I’ll be in touch with everyone in the next few days to reschedule sessions.
I maintain a high level of hygiene in the studio anyway, but to reduce risk levels further I’ll be taking extra precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure your and my family's safety:
If you like to book a photoshoot or have a question, please get in touch via my Contact Page.
Helen x
Since my studio has had to temporarily close due to social distancing rules, I've been really missing my newborn photography, cake smash photoshoots and family portraits. I started thinking of ways that I could continue to take photos of people, only for my family to quickly become irritated with me constantly asking if they'd pose for me. Scrolling through Facebook I spotted that several portrait photographers around the world have been offering free doorstep portraits in their local communities, to help raise money for various good causes, so I had to get involved.
I had read in the news that The Trussell Trust "reports its network’s busiest ever period, with 81% more emergency food parcels being given out across the UK, including 122% more parcels going to children, compared to the same period in 2019." Whilst many have been generously donating to our wonderful NHS, some doctors and nurses have in recent days been saying they are embarrassed by the amount of food being donated, when so many people are struggling to find enough food to eat. Unbelievably one in five families in the UK is struggling to feed their children during the pandemic.
So I decided to set up a fundraiser for Andover Foodbank on Facebook. This works by me taking photos from a minimum 2 metre distance of people (or pets!) in the doorway of their homes and I take the photos as part of my daily exercise outing - walking, jogging or cycling. I then send via email a link to download a digital image in high resolution format for print and/or low resolution for sharing online.
If you would like to get involved, please get in touch via my Contact Page. There is no obligation to have your photo shared - it can remain private to you and your family. Any donation you could give, from £5 to £500, would make a real difference. You can donate via my Facebook fundraising page or you can give me cash or a cheque made payable to Andover Foodbank, which I will pass on to them.
I hope to hear from you soon!
Check out my Facebook Fundraising Page for updates to this project!
Good morning! I hope everyone is coping OK during this lockdown. These are exceptional times and we all have to cope as best we can. We have two daughters, 7 & 8, so we are trying to do some home schooling. I was completely freaked out by this to start with, thinking that I had to take on the role of their (awesome) teachers. I had no idea what to do and not much idea about what they had been working on at school, so didn't know where to start. A flurry of links to various websites appeared and that only made me more anxious and confused. Fortunately I have now realised that the curriculum is cancelled and any amount of learning the girls do at home is a win. So, we are focusing on following the activities set by their school and trying to find fun things to do to keep them occupied. We are fortunate that they get on well most of the time and that we have a garden so we can all get outdoors easily. I really feel for those stuck in flats during the lockdown.
Due to social distancing rules, I have had to temporarily close my business, which makes me feel so sad. I had been looking forward to a great year photographing families and doing lots of newborn photoshoots, but instead I am focusing on my own professional development and trying to keep in touch with my followers on social media, so people don't forget about me!
As part of my professional development, I avidly follow an international award winning newborn and family photographer, Kelly Brown. I wanted to share with you some advice she has given on taking your own newborn baby photos at home, so here we go!...
Capturing those precious moments of your baby throughout their first month will create lasting family memories for generations. And more often than not, we only have the camera on our phones handy during those beautiful, spontaneous moments.
Photographing those first cries only happens once. This is their beautiful beginning, their very first life experiences. And you need to capture it.
I love nothing more than posing a brand new baby and photographing them in my studio. But, being a mother myself to 3 amazing kids, some of my most treasured images have been captured on my phone. Images that show their personality, the mess that they make and the everyday craziness I never want to forget.
Here are my tips to capturing those incredible moments in your baby’s first month...
1. Look for the light. Watch as it falls across your baby. Touching the screen on your phone to adjust your exposure.
2. Take photos in the morning as I find babies are usually happier at the beginning of the day.
3. Get down nice and low to view the world at their level.
4. Babies tend to sleep a lot in those first few weeks of life. So to capture those sleepy peaceful moments make sure your baby is warm, well fed and feels secure.
5. Come in nice and close to capture all those perfect little baby features, their hands, tiny feet, and beautiful faces.
6. Exist in photos with your baby. Take turns with your partner to photograph those special moments when you’re interacting with your baby while they’re awake or when you’re rocking them off to sleep. When they’re older they’re going to love looking back at these amazing memories.
7. Turn off your flash. It can be very unflattering to your baby.
8. Don’t forget to look at what’s going on in the background. Busy backgrounds can be distracting so keep it nice and simple.
9. Edit your photos using apps like Lightroom Mobile for a more finished look.
10. Then share your images. Upload them to social media and share with friends and family around the world.
11. You can also create beautiful video slideshows and remember to print your photos so you have them forever.
12. And lastly, don’t forget to backup your photos for safe storage. I recommend you have one backup in your home, one in a family or friend's home and one online backup too.
At this time of year everyone seems to be poorly - there are so many bugs about, some of them quite worrying at this particular time. So, what do you do if you have a newborn photoshoot scheduled and your baby is poorly, you are poorly, or I am poorly? Well… the answer is that we communicate and agree on the preferred course of action.
If you or your baby are unwell and you have a photoshoot booked, get in touch with me and we can reschedule. I will do my best to get your session rebooked for as soon as possible after your original date. I do like to try to do newborn baby photoshoots when your baby is between 6-10 days old, as they tend to be sleepier at this very early age and are therefore easier to pose in those cute positions we all love. More importantly, they still have their unique newborn look - all the little folds and wrinkles and tiny hairs that disappear far too quickly as your baby grows. I have to keep a very flexible diary as babies rarely keep to schedule!
If I am unwell on the day of your newborn photo session, I will contact you to let you know. If I am not terribly unwell, for example, if I have a cold, I will give you the option as to whether we go ahead with the session or reschedule. I am fully trained in the safety aspects of newborn photography and your baby’s welfare is of paramount importance to me. I would much rather postpone a newborn photo session than risk passing on any nasty germs to your tiny baby, who will be particularly vulnerable at this tender young age. However, if we do agree to go ahead with the session, I do use hand sanitiser and ensure that I do all I can to minimise the spread of any germs.
Ultimately I will leave the decision with you, to ensure that you are completely comfortable and so that whenever we agree to do your baby photoshoot, you enjoy the experience as much as I will!
Are you nervous about your boudoir photo shoot? Here are some tips to help you relax during your shoot:
Let me know what your favourite music is and we will play that during your session. This will help you to calm down and feel comfortable.
Book your boudoir photo shoot here.
Thanks to Lady May J Burlesque UK for posing for these photos ❤️
