Mini Sessions are Photo Shoots for any Occasion

Being a Newcastle Photographer I've been photographing mini sessions since October 2012 when I first formulated the idea that it's just the perfect length of time to have a photo shoot when you have little ones, quite often they get bored with longer sessions although I do quite like an hours session when I can just observe the moments and families having fun.  I try to incorporate that a little into the 30 minute sessions now but mainly 30 minute sessions are for proper portraits, the ones you hang on your walls, the ones mums, grannies and aunties request time and time again.  With Fathers Day just around the corner maybe you could use one to celebrate the amazing relationships that dads have with their little ones?

Mini sessions are usually held at Saltwell Park, Jesmond Dene, Tynemouth Longsands and also Heaton Park/Armstrong Park if that's your preference, they're only £25 and you get a complimentary 7x5 print, web gallery for 30 days and 15% off all of the prints for the first 7 days your gallery is live. Further prints start at just £10 for a 7x5, £13 for a 10x8 and £15 for a 12x8, you can book now by emailing me, I have availability on most weekends throughout the next month so just let me know your preference of location and I'll tell you when I'm next there.

I adore this image with mum just helping to steady her little one, he was sitting up unaided for tiny amounts of time but I think sometimes we all need a hand in life to keep us steady don't we?

Blazing sunshine on a summers day, it really doesn't matter though of course my preference is early morning or late afternoon/evening in summer, I can do mid-day on the beach though if that's what you want, this image above was shot on the sunniest day at Tynemouth so far this year, it was a day when it was hard to believe we were actually in the UK, I do hope there's lots of that kind of weather about this year.

The great thing about mini sessions is that I meet babies, toddlers, older kids, families, couples, it's simply photography for all occasions and you can even treat a friend to one, I offer gift certificates and they make a great gift for weddings, birthdays, christenings, engagements.

I have lots of clients who come back year upon year, sometimes more than once a year and that's my favourite thing about being a photographer, I love seeing the kids growing up, I love how they get to know me and often greet me with big hugs and high fives, it's so lovely when your clients become your friends, i've shared in so many special moments over nearly 10 years and I must have now photographed thousands of happy kids.  Parents sometimes apologise because their little ones might be having moments, one lady confided that she thought I only ever photographed well behaved always smiling children but it's simply not true, I photograph kids exactly as they are, I know there are walls out there with kids having tantrums and huffs on them, I love those photos too because they're real.  Usually though I manage to coax smiles and laughter, I remember one session where I spent most of the 30 minutes with a dinosaur on my head.  I also had finger puppets for a while until they mysteriously ended up going home with a little one, sometimes I bring sweeties or chocolate because parents if you're reading this, chocolate is great for bribery and jaffa cakes make little to no mess, seriously, when I used to have a studio I would bribe the kids with jaffa cakes because they're not messy!

I guess it takes years to know all of these things, I guess the fun of it is in the learning, you also have to be aware that when you work with kids and animals anything can happen and if it does, well sometimes you have to just roll with it, in one session recently a little girl got stung by nettles, stood in dog poo and then to top it all she had a bird fly overhead and poop all over her pretty dress and that was all in the space of about 15 minutes!  Thankfully we'd got lots of great stuff like this image above before the series of unfortunate events began.

On many occasions people get in touch to ask if they can bring along their family pets and like this image above shows I adore meeting dogs and especially puppies, they're much the same as kids I think and just as easy to bribe, I've shot many images with dogs and kids together and they're always very special and you know what, I think it's sometimes easier to photograph kids with pets than it is just with the child or the pet.  If you want to have a photo shoot at Tynemouth during summer and you have a dog please get in touch and we can arrange to do it at the dog friendly end of the beach, only half of Tynemouth Longsands is closed to dogs between May-September, I thank God and the Universe that the other half is still accessible because of course my very own beagle puppy, Holly, loves the beach and I think there are so many beaches we as dog owners can't go on from May - September, such a shame when the reality is that most dog owners and their dogs are cleaner and more responsible than some non dog owners, haha!

If you would like to come down to the beach or the park and have a 30 minute session of fun and smiles and laughter and bribery by chocolate (the kids, just the kids) you can book a sunny spring or summer session today by emailing, visiting my website or contacting me through my facebook page, I have sessions booked in already right the way up until the middle of August and if anything it's great to get them booked in early so that I can arrange my summer holidays around them.