Luke and his baby sister were meant to come and see me at the NCT Aberdeen photo fundraiser sessions, but unfortunately the weather got the better of us. Thankfully our second attempt along the railway line in Peterculter was far more successful, and I thought I'd share a wee snippet from their session with you all! (check who has gotten so big since I did her newborn session!)
It's the middle of March, and 2 years ago, I was either snuggling a teeny, tiny 2 week old baby girl, or wrapping her close to me while I chased after her then 2 year old brother. This baby girl is now a fierce, determined and fearless 2 year old herself, who can assert her thoughts and desires loudly and with confidence. She strikes equal amounts of joy and terror in our hearts every day (this means I will get a mellow teenager....right?) and I just don't know where the time has gone - it doesn't feel like 2 year since she came in to the world. Even then she was making her mark, arriving early, with my waters breaking the day after I did my last newborn session before maternity leave. She's been blazing down her own path right from the start, and I can't wait to see where it takes her. I'm hoping she'll inherit my love of books, photography and the signs are already there that we are destined to spend a lot of time at riding schools - our poor rocking horse is suffering from exhaustion!
We couldn't love her more, and when she's not in trouble for interfering with his Lego, she is utterly adored by her big brother. I'm going to be in trouble as their friendship grows - they already do a good job of ganging up on me to get what they want!
We just about managed to avoid the rain for our NCT Aberdeen Photo Fundraiser Mini Session day at the end of February, but it did catch up with me in the end! But it was lovely to meet and photograph 11 amazing families, and Jack's mum has given me permission to share these images with you ahead of Mothers Day! Jack was just the absolute cutest - I mean look at that smile! How could you resist such a gorgeous face? No matter what the Aberdeen weather was up too, this little man had smiles aplenty.
It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks, so the relaxed and gentle pace of my lifestyle newborn sessions is always welcome. This little one was an absolute star for her session - cuddling up close to her mum and dad for the duration. Spring has definitely sprung now and I'm looking forward to meeting lots of new babies in the coming weeks. I have limited availability for sessions in late April, May and June, so if you'd like to discuss bespoke newborn photography for your beautiful family, then please do get in touch soon to avoid disappointment. Newborn sessions can be done up till around 6 weeks of age, so don't hesitate to contact me if you are already past the two week window - I might be able to help
I've known Pamela online for a long time, and my Woman Behind the Business series was the perfect excuse to get her in front of my camera so we could have a chat in person!
As well as being a successful lifestyle blogger, and mum to 2 beautiful girls, Pamela is the director and owner of a fabulous local marketing company, AB FiftyOne. I asked her a few questions about how she keeps everything ticking over smoothly, both at work and at home!
Marketing is a business area I have always studied and worked in. I'm very passionate about current marketing trends and developing strategies that will achieve business goals and objectives and deliver. There's nothing better than seeing a plan come together. So it was a natural progression when the oil crisis hit that I should set up AB Fiftyone and continue to work with a number of clients to achieve their aims.
It can be stressful at times, but it works very well. I can fit my work around family life and get the best of both worlds.
First tip would have to be 'go with it'. I try to do things as soon as they hit my to do list. Nine times out of ten, they are quick tasks. I guess we are all constantly 'on the go' spinning numerous plates. But I tend to find if I stay in the zone during sociable work hours, then I can benefit from the evenings and weekends better.
It's a constant battle of tweaking and what works best for you and your family routine. So if you find your groove...stick with it!
Without a doubt... my husband. Some of the projects I've had require very publicly unusual photo taking. I've had to run out in between passing cars to get the right shot for a blog post and even stood on the verge of 60 mth to get the right footage for videos. He now thinks nothing is too strange.
I like to just switch off entirely. Because a lot of my job means I consume a huge amount of online content and spend so much time 'in the zone' without even intending too, I just need to put on a film and zone out. Even better if it's a family film and we can all snuggle together.
Try it! You never know if you are going to like it until to try. It might be for you, it might not. Always remember to walk before you can run.
http://www.facebook.com/abfiftyone
I just wanted to add in this cheeky little robin who made themselves quite at home on Pamela's handbag!
I thought it quite fitting that I would blog beautiful baby Alexandra's session on International Women's Day. Her mum Ruth is one of my most intelligent, witty and funny friends, who is completely owning this being a mum of 3 malarkey!
Alexandra is super lucky to have two gorgeous big brothers and I can already tell she is going to have them working for her, ganging up against Mummy soon enough!
I was delighted to spend a quiet morning just us girls, photographing R+A as they enjoyed some cuddles and milk, more cuddles, a bit more milk, another cuddle or two, with a cup of tea thrown in as well. I always go at the babies pace, meaning both mum and baby stay as relaxed as possible - Alexandra gave us some amazing awake expressions but soon nodded off snuggled up close to her mum
Here's just a small selection of images from their session -
I've been volunteering with the local Aberdeen branch of the NCT (National Childbirth Trust) since my first baby Toby was born (a whole 4 years now!). It's been an amazing way to make new friends, and help make a difference to parents in the area - whether that be helping at the sling library or organising fundraising events. We've been running successful photo fundraisers for a couple of years, but we decided to chance the weather last October and offer 2 days of outdoor mini sessions. Not only did it help to raise vital funds for charity, it meant Christmas presents for Mums and Grans were sorted in one fell swoop! If you haven't heard of the NCT or what it provides for parents in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, you can pop over to their Facebook page
I had an amazing time meeting over 20 families across the 2 days, with lots of happy, smiley little ones all ready to rock their sessions. Here's just a small selection of images - it was almost impossible to choose a couple of favourites!
Could these two be any more handsome?
Jasper and Callum both rocking a good knitted jumper - is there anything cuter?
I know, I know....I've got to stop with the cute....
More? Oh go on then....
I'm looking forward to doing another photo fundraiser day for NCT Aberdeen next weekend, in advance of Mothers Day at the end of March. The slots are currently sold out, but you can email aberdeen@nct.org.uk to be put on the waiting list!
I'd been really looking forward to this newborn session, and it was an extra lovely surprise when Olivia arrived a little early. This meant she was my first newborn of 2017 - the perfect way to kick off January! It was a scenic drive over to Portlethen on a cold and frosty morning, but we thankfully we were lovely and toasty inside, ready to capture some images of this beautiful growing family. Olivia's big brother kept a watchful eye on the proceedings, making sure I was on my best behaviour!
A small selection of images are below. A typical lifestyle newborn session will create between 50 to 100 images, because there are just too many perfect little moments and details that I don't want to leave out! Here's what Olivia's mum, Jenna, thought about their newborn session
January has been a busy and exciting month, meeting lots of wonderful couples to talk about their wedding plans. 2017 is shaping up to be a super exciting year, and I can't wait to get stuck in.
I have had a little time to plan some personal projects, and this post is the start of one. I have the pleasure of knowing so many amazing women who juggle life, motherhood and running their own businesses, with grace, humour and the odd gin thrown in. I wanted to get them behind my camera, and provide the opportunity to celebrate them and their achievements. All too often, mums will shy away from the camera. because they don't feel confident in their bodies, or they are too busy trying to coax a smile from a reluctant toddler. But is so important that we give our children a tangible piece of us, images they can hold on to and treasure forever. When they look at the pictures, they won't see the little bit of baby weight, the sticky handprints on your jeans, or the post baby hair that sticks up in 5 different directions. They will just see their mum, who they love and adore, no matter what. So this is a reminder (to me as much as to all of you) that we need to get in to the picture, that we must be present in the photographic memories of our childrens lives, and that we deserve to be photographed as well
I've known Claire 'virtually' for a while now, and I was delighted that she agreed to be the first person to take part in this series. She was an absolute trooper on a cold January morning, and it was great to find out a little bit more about her
Hi Claire! Tell me about OmniMama - what is it, and what does it offer to mums in the area?
I set up OmniMama last year, a spin-off of my company Omnia Health (omnia-health.co.uk) that I have been running for 5years. While I offer Massage Therapies, Pilates and Stress Management through Omnia Health I was serving a lot of pregnant and post-natal women, many of whom were unaware or uninformed about the therapies, and exercises that they can and cannot do during their pregnancy. This was a position that I had found myself in when I was pregnant my first son, so I wanted to create something that would help other people see what was available. In my own clinics (in Westhill and Alford) I provide massage therapies for ladies during their pregnancy, right up to and during labour. As well as offering relaxation for them, I also work closely with them ensure we address any issues that can be dealt with my remedial massage skills, so we really work together to suit their needs and ease pains and discomfort. I also offer baby massage, which is amazing to help carers bond with their little ones, help babies brain development and can also address some of the issues that new-borns suffer, like colic and trapped wind.
I network with other health professionals; yoga instructors, hypno-birth experts, maternity reflexologists for instance, all of whom can fill in the blanks where I cannot. I think this is so valuable to the pregnant client, to have a full client centric approach to their health. I have a special interest in the recovery of clients too, helping them address the issues that often are seen as “normal” after pregnancy, frequently arising from a weak pelvic floor, muscle damage and so forth. In March I will be offering classes and 1 to 1 sessions that are designed to address these problem areas. These Holistic Core Restore® classes will run in six week blocks and are based around the repair and strengthening of the body that will help mothers (however postnatal they are) to regain strength in the whole of the core. I am very excited by this and I know that this is an area that will help many women regardless of how post-natal they are.
As well as running Omnia, you're a busy mum of 3! How do you juggle the demands of motherhood with work?
Something has to give, it always does. Some days I am super on the ball with work, and the kids and the school run, but the house is a tip. Other days the children and the house are great but I have an inbox full of unread emails. It's swings and roundabouts. The guilt mothers feel, working or not, is a real thing and there is no straight answer to it. I think we all wake up some days and feel that we should be doing better. I guess I balance it by giving myself a break and am a little kinder to myself about it all. I am fortunate that I get to dictate my work schedule, so I can be with my older sons at pick up from school and nursery, but that does mean that I have to work evenings to fit other clients in, so it’s a case of doing their dinner and baths before heading out again. I know I am fortunate that I get to work like this and it is a small sacrifice I think. Motherhood is demanding, somedays it really is “ok, did we all get through the day?” but it really is for a short length of time and I know that in a couple of years my youngest son will be at school too and everything will change again.
A little bird tells me you're quite a keen runner too?
I began running marathons just before I fell pregnant with my first son in 2010, and have carried on ever since then. I actually conceived each of my sons within a fortnight of each of my Spring marathons, to the point that my husband said I wasn’t allowed to book any more races at that time of year. Last year I ran 12 marathons in 12 months for MND Scotland and this year as well as a few marathons and ultramarathons in the diary I am looking forward to raising more funds for my charity with 12 marathons in 1 month, which sometimes seems an incredibly daunting task and sometimes I wonder how I am going to fit everything in, but it is something that I really want to do and it’s been a step up enough from the 12in12 that it’s got people talking to me more about it and asking about the cause I am doing it for, which is very close to my heart.
As an aside, I should say that I have been diligent with my self-care, so thankfully I have been able to return to my sport within a relatively short space of time after each of my sons, and this is a big reason why I am so driven to help the postnatal clients with Holistic Core Restore® because I know that if we do our homework and take care of our bodies there is no reason why we cannot get back to doing whatever it is we love.
Who has been your greatest source of support?
I don’t think I can pin point one person. My husband, my best friend and my parents are always there for me, and I don’t know what I would do if I lost any of them. I think I a very fortunate to know these amazing people who I can rely on, and they have seen me at my worst and at my very best. My best friend of 13 years and I talk daily, and together we are hilarious (no one else needs to agree) and humour and tough love are a lot of what I think gets most of us through harder times.
My children are a daily inspiration, and really are a driving force behind so much of what I do. I want them, more than anyone, to be proud of me and see me as a role model in what I do, and they think I am doing well, then that’s enough for me.
What are your goals and aspirations for 2017?
I have a few, I want to compete the 12 marathons in 1 month and work towards the £12,000 fundraising goal for MND Scotland, and maybe after that I will never run again. We will see.
I have plans for a new studio, clinic and retail space, so I am hoping to get plans sorted out for that this will allow me to provide more to my clients.
I also want to read and write more and play more music, I recently started playing the saxophone again which has been a nice way to de-stress.
And if I can find a way to balance life more in favour of family, then that would be amazing too, but that is a life long goal, not just for 2017.
If you could only give one piece of advice to a new mum, what would it be?
Give yourself a break!
It is hard to say just one thing, but I think this encompasses a lot. You don’t need to rush, you don’t need to compete with other mums online, or in social medias groups or from your antenatal groups. Feeding is hard, lack of sleep is hard, people giving you advice is hard. There is no rush to lose weight, there is no rush to get back to “normal” (what is normal?). Enjoy the time with your baby, and when it is rough know it won’t last. It will pass, I promise it will pass. Take help and talk to people who understand, but give yourself a break.
Enjoy the time with your baby, and when it is rough know it won’t last. It will pass, I promise it will pass. Take help and talk to people who understand, but give yourself a break.
Thank you Claire for taking the time to brave the cold with me, and telling us about OmniMama. Claire can be emailed on claire@omnia-health.co.uk if you'd like to chat to her about her services!
Gorgeous Max - a squishy bundle of cuteness! Max was born at the start of December, and he was my very last baby of the year with his session being on Hogmanay! The perfect way to end 2016. Pop me an email if you'd like to book relaxed and natural newborn photography in the comfort of your own homw
I had the great pleasure of second shooting for the awesome Emma Lawson a couple of months back. Our venue for the day was Logie Country House, just outside of Inverurie, who were hosting the Scottish/Greek fusion wedding of S + A. While Emma captured the girls getting ready, I was with the boys watching a traditional Greek dressing ceremony unfold, and the party vibe continued from morning right through to night!
Here's just a small selection of images I took on the day. You can find out more about Logie Country House here
Just before Christmas, I had the pleasure of meeting this beautiful new family, after baby Rose had made her appearance in to the world! I am absolutely loving working with new parents for these at home newborn sessions - they are so relaxed with lots of cuddles, milk and more cuddles....and time even to take pictures of the fur babies too!
Here's a selection of images from the time we spent together - if you are looking for a newborn photographer in Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire, and want to discuss your bespoke lifestyle newborn session, I'd love to chat more. Pop me an email here
Jemma had been kindly gifted a babywearing session with me, to celebrate the arrival of her beautiful daughter. We took a wander along the Deeside Railway Line with baby E, who had promptly nodded off in the carrier! Babywearing is a great way for you to bond with your baby - you can't go wrong with hands free cuddles!
Toddlers often (always?) have their opinions on what they do and don't want to do. I have a wide reaching repetoire of songs/silly noises/tv theme tunes/jokes and dance moves to get them on side, that I am ready to utilise no matter how daft it makes me look! I didn't need any of them for the beautiful Miss India though - she was an absolute superstar from start to finish
Here's just a small selection from our session in Johnston Gardens back in November
Beautiful Breastfeeding Photography in Aberdeen - click to read more!
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