Garden Fairies

I started this blog a couple of months ago to highlight shoots that I have been doing for clients, and to tide them over until I can get through the hugely time consuming job of processing an entire photo session. But every once in a while, I also like to post shots of my own family. I do this for several reasons. Firstly, I have become my worst nightmare - I am a total baby bore and think that everyone will be as smitten with my little love angels as I am. Secondly, I like to use the kids as guinea pigs to test out new shoot ideas, lenses, lighting situations or props and costumes. And thirdly, I need to show the main reason there is such a delay between the shoot date and the image completion date. I am a full time photographer, but I am somehow also trying to be a full time mum. I need to take time to gobble up all the slices of heaven that these two little love muffins dish out and savour every precious moment I can with my family. So please, forgive my obsessive tendencies to over photograph my children, but I'm a mum, and that is what mums do!



Oslo and Indigo love this sofa almost as much as I do. There are two very soft and inviting sofas in the same room as this one, but they always pick the pink antique love seat. I am not sure if it is because I adore it so and they pick up on that, or if it is because, despite its beautiful lines, it is also incredibly functional in its design and curves. I know it is in great need of reupholstering, but I actually think the worn out velvet gives it an old world charm that only adds character to photos.





Oslo decided the photo would not be complete with out Bear. Bear is a Battersea Dog's Home special. When I found bear and his brother Noodle, teh pair were scraggy and yellow from lack of washing (signs of very blue kitties) in a cage they had lived in for months. How nobody had snatched these two up sooner is beyond me, but all I can say is that I am forever grateful - they are the most loving, snuggly, tolerant cats I have ever met and make our family feel whole.





I love watching children run, especially down hill when their feet go a little faster than their coordination can handle. Oslo is always such a charmer and helps Indigo, though sometimes the helping can hinder, but it is the thought that counts. Click on the triptych to enlarge it to see how cute their journey down to the flowers and the sea really was!





This patch of fresias grows ever so slightly bigger each year. I long for the gardener to just let it go mad, but I think it goes against his sense of order to really let the grass go uncut for such a long while, so inevitably, he cuts it that bit too soon. So the patch is not spreading as rapidly as I would like, but nonetheless, it is a determined little flower and is fighting a spirited battle, and not willing to give up! For this, I am grateful - the smell and sight of the fresias enrich our lives the whole winter long. Not to mention, I love using it for photo shoots! I am trying to take one of the kids in it every year. The one I shot last year, I ended up using as an invitation to both Indigo's Christening in the UK, and later for our May Day party. I used the first one in this post for the May Day invitation this year.