I met Melody while she was planning her big birthday bash.  You only turn 25 once and it is a great milestone to celebrate.  For this special event, Melody’s boyfriend had designed her a stunning pink and gold African outfit as a special gift to her, while all the other guests arrived in white and gold to compliment the scheme. Melody had made cupcakes, her boyfriend had created some special punch in personalised bottles for Melody.  The apartment was decorated, there was a makeup artist and DJ on hand alongside a chocolate fountain and a huge spread of mouthwatering home cooked food which made this a memorable party. Amongst the guests of friends and family was Melody’s little niece.  The cutest of little 4 year olds who also happened to have her birthday on the same day as Melody’s.  Such a great little dancer, it made sense then that she should be able to come and party with the big kids! The celebrations were a great hit and at the time in the evening when other parties might be coming to an end, Melody and her friends headed off to London on a privately hired coach to party until the small hours. Happy Birthday Melody xx

When you photograph any couple, you get to see a connection.  The way they share each other’s personal space, how they look at each other when they are together, the trust they place in each other.  Its difficult to say what that little spark between two companions actually is, but it something very special, and unmistakable when you see it.  My job is to get it in the frame!

Finley and Maggie were no different in their relationship.  Finley’s mum asked me to take some photos of her son with his best friend Maggie as a Christmas present for him. The two spend so much time together, and it recently occurred to Finley they he didn’t have a single photo of himself with his beloved four legged friend.  Time to put that right!

The photoshoot was a lot of fun all round. I love shooting outdoors in all seasons but Autumn brings a certain beauty with the low sun and orange leaves on the ground.  The fresh and open spaces allowed Finley to be himself and interact with Maggie in a natural way that had no limits.  It was great exercise for myself too, as I tried to keep up with the pace of an 11 year old boy and a dog that was full of beans.   Finley’s zest for fun and adventure had me in stitches many time during our time together.  Such a character.

I enjoyed this shoot so much that I began considering getting a dog of my own, until my husband reminded me that soon I will have my own 11 year old to contend with.  Maybe I’ll see how that goes first!

I like coming to London so see all the sights, but I mostly enjoy capturing the scenes and people on the streets.  In the past I have gone there with the intention of taking some images and then not braving getting my beloved camera out of my bag through fear or losing or damaging it.  Silly, I guess.

This year I’ve invested in a different camera strap.  There are various types of these, mine is called a “Quick Rapid” I think, and it enables me to wear my camera like a handbag, so when I’m not snapping, it just conveniently hangs there, on my side.  I always keep the lens hood on the end to prevent any damage to the end of my lens as I brush through crowds.

The benefit of all this of course is that it keeps my hands free to have a firm grip on the kids while we jostle on and off the tubes!  Every year we say we want to go to Notting Hill Carnival but there has never been a perfect time.  Either the weather wasn’t right, perhaps we were on holiday or our kids were just too young and still in buggies or the midst of potty training.  I  have fond memories of going to Carnival with my dad when I was younger.  All the bright colours, the elaborate costumes and grand oversized floats, the hypnotising rhythms and the general party party atmosphere. This year, we really wanted to go for it…. So we did and it did not disappoint!