{Cheshire Portraits} Liam and Erin

{family portraits} speediest portrait session takes place in Cheshire on a Saturday morning in November!

Helen, of Verity Plum and chair of the committee at Little Foxes Statham was instrumental in helping me organise a day full of portrait sessions for the children and their families. Perfect timing for Christmas presents for the family we thought!

Helen had booked the first session for herself and Louis and Lottie but having spent most of the time making coffee and trying to find out how the heating worked, there was only about 10 minutes left to actually take the photos.

So, the challenge was on - Helen, looking glam as ever but even more so with her veerrrrry blonde hair, Lottie needed to assemble all three (large) teddy bears and Louis, less than enamoured with the whole idea and more interested in making weird and wonderful faces (he has quite a talent there Helen!). I clicked furiously for a few minutes before the first family turned up and to be honest wasn't entirely sure I'd captured anything worthwhile.

I started editing the pictures last night and actually, I'm pleasantly surprised - what has been captured is a really fun couple of shots of all three - personalities shining through, which is after all everything that we aim for as portrait photographers.

Glad you like them Helen and for anyone else reading who wants a quick (although maybe longer than 10 minutes!) portrait session then you can contact me on 07928 150119 or drop me a line on bridget@maitlandphotography.co.uk . Although based in Warrington, I'm happy to travel throughout Cheshire and the North West.

{family life} Megan is 6!

{portraiture} More from the Portrait Session at Little Foxes, Lymm

Gradually working through the pile of photos to edit from this session last weekend. Here's some more, this time of Olivia, pretty in purple.

{portraiture} Models in the making

I've still got a pile of editing to do after a day of family portraits taken at Little Foxes nursery in Lymm but I've just about finished the set of this little chap - he truly is a model in the making. No shyness, endless poses, questions. Every time I was about to suggest where he put himself he had his own ideas which usually worked far better than any of mine would!

Check back soon for some more images from Saturday!

{wedding photography} Put your money where your mouth is...oh, and a free engagement photoshoot...

In a manner of speaking!



There's a whole pile of information out there about how important it is to find the right photographer for your wedding, telling you to check their credentials, their portfolio, what kind of style they will produce for you.



Add to that the debate on why it is (or isn't) important to consider your wedding photography as a real long term investment. After all, after the dress is cleaned and stored, the cake eaten, the presents opened and the speeches done and dusted, your memories are consigned to your photo album. Put in that light it seems daft not to consider very carefully how much importance you want to put on your photography.



I got married 7 years ago - we had a fantastic day, spending time with friends and family who had not been under the same roof for a very long time. Our budget was tight but I felt that I had left no stone unturned in making sure our day was one to remember. I wasn't a photographer then, not even a budding one and the prices that I found for hiring one seemed more than I wanted to spend. I saw the photographs as a way of documenting our day, nothing more nothing less. With that in mind I approached a friend of a friend. A keen amateur photographer who had a fancy looking camera. I paid for her travel, accommodation and she joined us for the meal and celebrations. It was before digital was all the rage so she presented us with a bag full of film that we paid to process and print.



I don't have regrets, life is too short but on looking at my photos recently with a photographer's eye I am so very disappointed that I went down this route. Don't get me wrong - the friend did a great job but what we have is a series of snaps, some OK, some fairly ropey. We certainly don't have a family heirloom and I could really weep now when I think what we might have had.



Without wanting to boast I looked fabulous, radiant, and all the things a bride should look on her wedding day. Andy didn't look too bad either and my brothers always brush up well when they wear their kilts! If I was to do it all again, I would be booking a photographer who really knows and understands wedding photography (if I was lucky, Liz of Eliza Claire photography would be free!). Whatever budget was left would have to cover the rest of the day.



So, here's where I'm putting my money where my mouth is....



If you book a pre wedding photoshoot with Maitland Photography before the end of January 2010, you get the session for free (normal cost - £120). For this you get 1 7 x 5 professional print and all your images in low resolution and watermarked on a CD. If, subsequently you book Maitland Photography for your wedding then you receive all these images in high resolution on CD to print and share with your friends and family. You will also receive £50 credit towards a wedding album.



To book please call me on 07928 150119 or contact me on email.



Look forward to hearing from you!

It's the little things

A lot of my life seems to be spent in battle with one or both of my kids at the moment - I love them more than anything but the daily struggles of family life can really take the shine off that sometimes.

Battles include any or all of the following:

1. 
   
   
   Mess. My husband will tell you that they've inherited this from me and he's probably right (but don't tell him that!). I've never been the most tidy but my mess is OK, it's others mess that annoying right? My daughter's ability to completely obscure the carpet of the living room in a nano second is a skill in itself.



2. 
   
   
   Paper - bits of paper. Megan is, erm, creative. She's discovered the world of Roald Dahl books and has now decided to be an author herself. Cue tons of bits of paper being sellotaped together, made into books and then cast aside as another, more exciting title takes its place. We now have a libary of these books, strewn the length of the house...



3. 
   
   
   Laundry - we are very lucky that Andy's mum is one of those rare breeds of people who actually enjoys ironing. So the washing and drying gets done then folded into baskets where unless, it seems, it's picked up by me and put in the car to take to 'the ironing lady' it can languish there for weeks. Three, THREE baskets are currently waiting for delivery.



4. 
   
   
   Hairbrushing - natch



5. 
   
   
   Teeth cleaning - double natch



6. 
   
   
   X-box - I'm not even going to start on this as I'll turn myself inside out but one of these days the boy is going to find himself with only a hoop and a stick to play with !!

So what are these little things then I mention in the title of the post?

They're the little things that remind you of why you love your kids, the gestures and actions that make all of the above seem not quite so bad, at least for a while!

I've just come out of hospital after a knee arthroscopy. I was supposed to come home the same day but due to a small complication had to stay overnight (in a very smart, clean and modern ward, private rooms with ensuite bathrooms no less - courtesy of the NHS - lovely!). The kids were apparently very upset at this news and immediately set about making me a couple of get well soon cards - I've posted them below - gorgeous and of course they made me cry!

Add to that my breakfast in bed this morning from Megan (toast with a dob of butter in the middle, nowhere else and a cup of tea made with hot water from the tap) and more cuddles from Courtney than I've been allowed in the last year I'm really feeling quite loved up and have decided that the mess and the xbox can go to the back of my mind for a few days at least!

{portraiture} Megan & Ryan

Today was the long awaited photoshoot with Sarah's Megan and Ryan. Megan goes to school and is the same year as my daughter Megan - they're great friends most of the time although it's difficult to keep up with who is best friends with who these days, it seems to change by the minute!

Ryan is 10 months old and the happiest baby I've come across in a while. His blue eyes are pretty fabulous too!

Thanks for inviting me along Sarah - your kids are gorgeous and I hope you like the results!

It's always the quiet ones!

This afternoon I met with Vicky and Robert who are getting married in December. They want to have a photographic guest book at their wedding so this was to grab some shots for that.

Having met them a few weeks ago I thought they might be quite nervous but they were complete naturals who indulged my passion for brickwork and staircases as we worked our way round Lymm village. Robert at times ended up suggesting poses and locations - Robert, if you ever want to be a photographer's assistant, you have my number!

The highlight of the afternoon was them being invited onto one of the houseboats for a few shots. The owner apologised for the TV aerial which was getting in the way but apparently there was some kind of football match on this afternoon, Liverpool, Everton or somebody (you can guage my interest in football from this sentence by the way!)

We have another photoshoot scheduled for January which will be very exciting indeed but I'll leave the details until then...!

Thanks Vicky and Robert for a fun couple of hours and thanks also to Lindsay, a colleague of my husband's who came out to help with reflectors & brolly carrying. Best of all, she brought me chocolates - Lindsay, you can come again any time :)

These are a few quick edits for tonight - I'll post more in a few days.

Messing about with dresses

A couple of weeks ago I got together again with Helen of Verity Plum and her friend Jo, both of whom had agreed to don wedding dresses to indulge me in some fashion shots for my portfolio.

Helen wore her own wedding dress, a gorgeous silk dress with ivory coat and train.

Jo wore a dress kindly loaned to us by Karen of Agape Bridal in Knutsford. The dress was beautiful but it had a small mark on the front which meant it was proving difficult to sell.

We had a great time, ably helped by Jo's son Jonnie who didn't care that his mum and friends were being daft with dresses and cameras - we were after all at Tatton Park - in the adventure playground - heaven for a wee chap.

Thanks Helen and Jo for a great day out - you're both beautiful and can't wait until we hit Manchester for the next installment!

Happy Birthday Courtney

Wednesday 16th September saw the temporary cease of hostilities in the Francis household as Courtney's speedy descent into teenage 'ness' stopped for about 24 hours.

The reason? His 11th birthday. And in all the excitement he completely forgot the monosyllabic, grunting, moody persona he's been working hard to perfect and instead we had a happy, smiling, communicative and friendly boy. The boy we know is there all the time, he'd just rather you didn't see it - this would be deeply uncool...

So Happy Birthday Courtney and just remember, it's OK to flash that gorgeous smile whenever you want!