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To help you get the most from your mini session this Spring, I prepared some information, and tips which I hope you’ll find useful. Grab a cup of tea and have a browse and if there’s anything else you want to know about, feel free to get in touch.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER
Babies – due to the nature of the environment and time restrictions of these sessions including individual portraits of babies under 7 months of age may not be possible. Family group pictures with mum or dad holding the baby are a lovely compromise.
Big families – unfortunately, there is not enough time to photograph larger families therefore these sessions are limited to parents and 3 siblings or 5 people in total.
Location – The wood is just a short walk along a flat path. The sessions will take place either in Flitwick Wood or Maulden Wood. I confirm the exact location a few days before the session to ensure I pick the best spot for our photographs. Look out for an email with all the details!
The blooming – this year's sessions are scheduled based on previous years. Mother Nature can be very unpredictable and the bluebells could bloom early or late. Once they do arrive, they are with us just 2-3 weeks. In a very unlikely event of missing the blooming, the mini sessions will still go ahead as woodland in Spring offers a beautiful backdrop for your family images.
Bluebells - please remember, bluebells are protected flowers. I often like to give bluebells to my little models to hold, which I pick from my garden before the session. I also bring some artificial bluebell bunches with me just in case.
The weather – In the event of drizzle or light rain the tree canopy will protect us to some degree. However, if it is torrential we may need to reschedule the date. Some flexibility around dates either side of the planned date is recommended.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When should we arrive?
Please aim to arrive 5 mins in advance of your session as unlike my full sessions, these will run back to back throughout the day and any missed sessions cannot be refunded.
What should we wear?
I highly recommend taking the time to plan your family's clothing for your outdoor photography session, to get the best images. I have created the clothing tips Pinterest Board for you. Please use it to plan outfits for your family.
Generally, I recommend co-ordinated but not matchy-matchy clothing. Plain clothing with small details will be best. To add variety to your images, layers and accessories work really well too. Some flowery patterns may look lovely in your images as long as worn by only one family member. Little accents of colour can also be added with hairbands, hats, and accessories such as a wooden toy airplane or wands.
For girls: Tutus, fabric dungarees and floating dresses look great in the photos. White looks absolutely stunning among the bluebells and greens, especially floating dresses for young girls.
For boys: Denim or dungarees and simple shirt or t-shirt with the addition of braces and maybe a cool trilby or cap? I also recommend checking out the latest Zara collections.
Please try to avoid strong patterns e.g. colorful stripy tops, character clothes, text and logos. Plain clothing is the best in creating a classic and timeless look.
My favourites: H&M | Zara | Wild and Gorgeous | Next | GAP
What happens in the event of bad weather?
Living in the UK this is a reasonable concern! However, it’s not essential to have bright sunlight – in fact, cloudy conditions provide a far more flattering light and enable a lot more flexibility during the session in terms of where the pictures are taken. The tree canopy will provide some degree of shelter from light rain and drizzle but if it’s torrential I will reschedule. For this reason, it’s best to have some flexibility around the session date.
