In September 2023 I spotted that Lens Eleven were organising a meet up / Styled shoot down in Margate. It sounded like it was going to be a lot of fun, so I had a brave moment and booked my ticket.

Last week I went along to another Illuminate meet up and photowalk.

This one was over in Aldeburgh, and we were given the theme ‘Surface’.

I did some research, chatted to a few people, and eventually settled on staying in St Ives, and booked the train from my local station.

It felt like a really big adventure, but one I was SO excited for! I started looking up walks I could do, beaches to visit, possible swim spots, places to eat… I probably could have filled 2 weeks, so I had no problem filling 2 days!!

This weekend we ventured across the boarder in to Essex for a family walk.

It was so nice exploring some new lanes, fields and paths. I loved seeing the snowdrops and Daffodils starting to pop up. Spring feels like its on the way!

As you may know if you’d been here a while, I absolutely love a little solo adventure.

I’ll sometimes work these in after a shoot, or just plan a day out with my camera depending on how busy my diary is looking. I just try and fit them in when I can.

There are lots of beautiful spots around Suffolk that lend themselves perfectly to the backdrop of your family photographs.

From grandparents to grandchildren, aunts, uncles, and cousins, the extended family forms an intricate web of relationships and memories. Capturing these moments in a family session is not just about freezing smiles in frames; it’s about celebrating connections.

At the weekend I met up with Daniel over in Southwold, on the Suffolk coast. The weather was a little on the wild side, but we didn’t let it stop the fun!

I finally made it along to one of the Illuminate photowalks recently. This months was around Manningtree, Essex, with the theme of Reflection.

How many times have you looked at a photo of yourself and literally zoomed right in on the photo to look at all the bits of you you don’t like? Here’s the thing though... Do you do the same when you look at photos of other people?

When it comes to capturing special moments with your loved ones, a professional photographer is worth the investment. Here are five reasons why you should choose a professional for your family photos.

Over the last few years I have been working with some wonderful small businesses locally.

Creating images for their social media, online shops and websites, allowing them to connect authentically with their audience.

I met up with Sarah & Mathieu back in September for this lovely afternoon couple session by the sea. I photographed their wedding day 10 years ago.

We decided on meeting up at Landguard Point Nature Reserve in Felixstowe. The weather was delightful, and there weren't too many other people around, so we had most of the beach to ourselves.

When I started taking these photos, it was all really lovely, but it didn’t take long before I realised it was so much more than just a few quick snaps of strangers at their homes. They became brief glimpses in to peoples lives. We had some wonderful conversations and I heard of different ways the lockdown has impacted peoples lives.

Last year, Becky's sister had arranged a gift voucher for Christmas. We managed to find a suitable date during the summer where everyone was available and all met up over at Landguard point nature reserve, Felisxtowe.

I was booked in for some newborn photos a week or so after she arrived. I was really looking forward to it!

A few more family members arrived about half way through the session so we could get some of everyone together.

We'd chatted about the location and decided Dedham Vale would be perfect for them.

They had wanted a very relaxed and natural session so we just walked and chatted and I took photos of them all as things naturally happened.