What’s the best lens for child photography? That’s one of the questions I’m asked all the time, so today I'm going to go over my personal three favourite lenses for child photography!

I'm going to tell you what I like about them, what I use them for and what I don't like about them too.

Christmas morning can be a really hard time to photograph - there's usually a flurry of activity, less than optimal lighting, plus of course you're trying to be involved in the day too!

So today I have 10 tips for you covering everything from camera settings, to lighting to practical advice that's going to help you create awesome memories of your Christmas morning.

Simply watch the video below, or if you prefer to read, then keep scrolling as you can see a full transcript of the video too!

You can find all the links mentioned in the video underneath too!

Photographing toddlers can be really hard!

So in this post, I'm giving you my tried and tested tips for photographing toddlers that will help you put them at ease, get great expressions, and hopefully nip any tantrums in the bud so that you can capture some great photos of your toddler!

I'm also going to give you some BONUS tips for camera settings for photographing your toddler, so be sure to watch right to the end of the video (and grab your FREE aperture priority cheat sheet below the video - it’s 8 pages of pure gold.

Click play to watch the video, but if you prefer to read, scroll on down for a transcript!

With summer officially just around the corner (at least it is if you are reading this as it goes live!) I’ve got a lazy and breezy summer themed blog post for you today 😃👙☀️🍦🍹

I noticed a definite dip in how many photos I took each year just after my son started school. No longer could I just pick up my camera at any time of day - I had to try to squeeze in photos in the morning (unlikely, since I’m never organised enough to find myself with a spare 5 minutes before school starts) or having to wait until he got home, which in winter, meant it was already getting dark.

So, for me, summer is a time when I tend to take a lot more photos since we don’t have to get anywhere in a rush, and where I can take photos all day long if I feel like it.

I also read something that resonated with me (and if you have kids I’m pretty sure it will resonate with you too) that we only get 18 summers with our kids. That’s SO crazy to think of it like that, right? It makes me just want to bottle up each and every summer. Since I can’t do that, capturing them as best I can is the next best thing.

So, in honor of aiming to capture another one of our 18 summers together, I thought it would be fun to compile a summer reading list for you, all with posts that should help you get better photos of your kids this summer.

We’ve all felt it at one time or another - we’ve got no idea what we could even take photos of, every image we DO take seems boring and “snapshotty”, and we’re left wondering if our creativity has got up and gone.

For some, just putting down their camera works a treat, and for others, such as myself, a small but firm kick up the pants is needed.

These creativity exercises are those kick in the pants, so pick one, and get out there and start shooting!

Lifestyle photography is without doubt my favourite genre of photography - one where you can capture an everyday moment or scene beautifully, and freeze that moment in time.

On the whole, this is how I capture my family every single day, rather than waiting for milestone moments like birthdays or the one-a-year family photos (which I love too, but in a different way!)

But of course, lifestyle photography has it’s challenges too, so here’s my five top tips for getting better child and family lifestyle photos.

I get it, we can all feel sometimes like it’s harder to take photos when we are stuck in at home, rather than in the great outdoors.

But there are loads of opportunities for capturing great photos of our kids indoors as well as out.

So today, I’ve come up with 8 ideas for photographs you take of your children at home, along with a few tips and tricks for each one.

Ready? Let’s go!

In today’s blog post, I’m going to give you some tips for storytelling photography, PLUS a framework that you can shoot to that will help tell your story through your images.

But, first, what exactly IS storytelling photography?

For me, storytelling photography is when we go deeper with our photos to not just show a scene, (for example a landscape) but when we actually use our images to tell a story, from beginning to end.

Although in many cases you may be able to tell a story in just one frame, there are many times when we want more than just one solitary picture of an event or activity, or we NEED more simply because one photo just couldn’t possibly get the full breadth of the story across.

This type of photography can be used for absolutely anything - it definitely isn’t limited to “big” days like weddings, birthdays or big adventures! (Although of course those are fabulous times to use this too!) Even the smallest everyday moments like breakfast or bath time can be turned into a story, so without further ado, let’s first go over the 5 step framework for telling a story in your images….

We love a bit of lens talk here on the blog, so today we are going to be answering this question: what's the best lens for newborn photography?

If you are just getting started with newborn photography, you might be wondering what lenses you need to get started, and which you can do without! Let's face it, lenses aren't cheap, so knowing exactly what you need - and what you can do without - will help make sure you get the best images possible, without spending your life savings 😛

in this post we are going to cover: WHICH types of lenses you should have, and most importantly, how to choose the best newborn photography lens for YOU!

Have you ever found yourself wondering about the difference between lifestyle and documentary photography, and which one suits your style and way of photographing best?

The truth is, the line between the two can be a little bit blurred and fuzzy, as there is just a few subtle distinctions that separate them, so it is easy to confuse them with one another, or even find yourself doing both from time to time!

So this blog post, we are going to get into a high level overview of both lifestyle and documentary photography, and see what those differences are, and whether it should matter to you….

The main reason I pick up my camera is for everyday life photography - in other words, to capture those beautiful, everyday, mundane moments that make up my day to day life.   I want to document “real” life, all the little things that happen in between birthdays and vacations and holidays, that many people don’t take the time to capture (but then wish they did)  

If you feel the same way, then you are going to love this post, because I’m going to go through 6 different tips that will help you beautifully capture your own everyday moments.

When I first started my photography journey many years ago, my whole reason for picking up my camera was to ensure that I could capture all the things that made my son special .  It's amazing just how quickly it all changes, and before you know it they have moved onto the next "phase" of their own journey - and you blinked and missed it :) 

When you are in the thick of the daily grind, it can sometimes be hard to stop and think about what's important to capture.  So today, I'm giving you five different things you can capture so that you can document this current "stage" of your children. 

One of my absolute favourite lenses for child photography is the Canon 85mm F1.8 Lens.  It's definitely my go-to lens for portraits, but what many people don't realise is that the 85mm is useful for so much more than portrait photography!  I love to use this lens for capturing candid shots outdoors with my child at the park or garden, for taking detail shots, and even for indoor documentary photographs.  In short, this lens can be a great all-rounder. 

There are several other reasons why I love this lens, so today I want to go over WHY this lens is so freakin' awesome, and why you might want to consider it for your own camera bag!  

As I've said before, one of the main reasons that I got started with photography was to capture my everyday - those small mundane moments that may seem boring to others, but that mean the world to me.   It's one of the main benefits of being your own family's photographer - you know exactly the moments you want to capture and why,  those moments that unique to you and no-one else. 

But just because you are capturing the everyday doesn't mean it has to be boring! There are loads of ways to shake it up a bit and capture your family's moments beautifully.  (And if you find yourself stuck with what to photograph, or just need a little creative push, then you can also grab a free ebook with a whopping 100 prompts to get you started!) 

I don't think there is a child in the world who doesn't like swings!  So, for us as photographers, it's a great place to capture joyful, happy images of our children, with only a few things to worry about :)  It's a win - win as far as I'm concerned - your child is enjoying himself and you get to play too! 

Here's some tips for photographing your child on a swing.