Langley Priory wedding shoot (Part I)

Langley Priory is a real hidden gem of a wedding venue tucked away near Castle Donington, Derbyshire.


I teamed up with wedding dress designer Jackie Thompson for a wintry wedding photoshoot to show off the beautiful house and her gowns.


Lissa Cook, of Peak Princess, provided a couple of her gorgeous handmade Liberty print bridesmaid dresses and The Blossom Tree in Melbourne made up some super-pretty flowers.


Make-up artist Elaine, from Lips and Lashes, made sure that our model, Alison Turner, looked fab. 


It was a freezing cold day and there was snow and ice on the ground, but everything came together in the end and I'm really pleased with the results. Thanks to everyone for all your help!

www.thestudio-mickleover.co.uk
www.langleypriory.co.uk
www.jackiethompsoncouture.co.uk
www.peakprincess.co.uk
www.theblossomtree.co.uk
www.lipsandlashes.co.uk

Book now for Christmas!

I can't believe it's the middle of October already! I have no idea where this year has gone, the weeks are flying past at an alarming rate!

That means it's nearly half-term – time to dust off the Halloween outfits, or rush to Tesco's to buy the last one on the shelf (that's what I'll be doing anyway!).

Half-term is the perfect chance to bring your family into the studio for a portrait shoot in plenty of time for Christmas.

The sitting is £20, which includes a mounted print in either colour or black and white. Then, a few days later, you come back to look through your pictures and decide what you want to order. 

Mounted prints range from £20 up to £100 for a really big one. Frames and canvas prints start at £120. They make a lovely gift for grandparents, especially if you get all the grandchildren together.

We're also doing Christmas cards and chocs with your picture on the box.

And don't forget – you can buy a CD with all the pictures on it!

Lois, Holly and Sarah

I've been meaning to blog about this portrait sitting for ages... now I've finally got round to it!


Lois was given one of our gift vouchers as a birthday present and wanted to use it for some pictures of her and her best friends before they all went off to university.


We had loads of fun trying out different shots and outfits and the girls enjoyed their shoot. It was fun showing them their pictures at their viewing a few days later too and they managed to make quite a long shortlist!


In the end, they all clubbed together to buy a CD of all their images so they could keep them all. And Lois sent in her mum and dad to get some prints for themselves as well.


Hopefully the girls will be friends for life and have their pictures to look back on when they have teenagers of their own!

Sally & Andrew

Sally and Andrew had a lovely intimate wedding in Warwick followed by a reception at a golf club in Leamington Spa.


It was a small wedding and the happy couple did not let the weather dampen their spirits.


And a couple of cute bridesmaids is always nice for photographs!


Andrew said afterwards: "Thanks for dropping the disc in at the weekend. We're just going through them all now (for the 10th time!) and they're all brill. Thank you."

Jackie & Phil

Jackie and Phil came into The Studio today to view their wedding pictures for the first time.


I'm pleased to say that they loved them and had lots of fun re-living their wedding day, which was in August.


They are a lovely couple and both looked really happy on their wedding day and have come back from honeymoon feeling relaxed and bronzed.


They were really lucky with the weather on the big day and were pleased with the efficiency of the staff at their venue, the four-star Menzies Mickleover Court Hotel in Derby.


They have now ordered a gorgeous bespoke 60-page hard-cover book featuring their wedding day images.


Congratulations Jackie and Phil!

Hannah & James

Hannah and James booked us to do their wedding photography after seeing our pictures from her sister Rachel's wedding last year.


The couple got married at the pretty St Chad's Church, Bishop's Tachbrook, and held their reception at the nearby Mallory Court Hotel in Leamington Spa.


The bride looked radiant and relaxed and managed to dodge the rain showers on the day. 


Steve spent six hours photographing the big day and has got to know the family quite well over the two sisters' weddings! He even helped out by taking the bride's mother to the church after a slight transportation hiccup on the day!

Hannah said afterwards: "I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful photos! They're amazing! Thanks again."

Only 87 sleeps to go!!!

I know it seems like ages yet, but it will creep up on you like it does every year and it'll be Christmas before you know it.


Our diary is already filling up with Christmas portrait sittings, so now is the time to think about it.


Mounted and framed prints make the perfect present for family members and grandparents like nothing better than a gorgeous picture of all their grandchildren together.


This year, we are also doing packs of Christmas cards featuring one of the images that you order from your sitting. 


And you can also order a box of 16 yummy (I felt I ought to test them) chocolates with one of your images printed on the box. What grandma could resist?!


Sittings are £20, which includes a mounted 5x7 print. Give me a call if you need more details or would like to book.


Ho! Ho! Ho!

Vicki & Omar

Vicki and Omar chose a fab city-centre venue, Waltons Hotel, for their gorgeous wedding.

The hotel, in The Park area of Nottingham, is beautifully furnished and provided a lovely setting for the pictures - from getting ready in the room to the speeches on the terrace.

The couple really brought their own style to the wedding which was elegant and relaxed, with lovely extra touches.

Congratulations Vicki and Omar!

Lucy & James

Lucy and James had a gorgeous day for their stunning wedding at Woodborough Hall, Nottingham.

The day captured their personalities perfectly and was elegant and classy as well as being fun and relaxed.

The venue was a beautiful backdrop for their pictures and we wish them loads of happiness for the future!

A quick break!

We're just back from grabbing a week away in beautiful Cornwall.

We stayed in Carbis Bay, near St Ives, and had such a fab time. The beaches are stunning and the kids spent ages running around and exploring.

We went to Land's End (which I thought had been spoilt by all the touristy 'attractions'), Lizard Point and St Michael's Mount as well as spending time in St Ives and discovering all the coves and beaches nearby.

After a short walk from a National Trust car park, and dodging the waves to cross the beach (it was high tide!), we discovered Kynance Cove. Waves were crashing over massive rocks and onto the sand and the crystal clear water filled the rock pools. And the icing on the cake was an amazing little cafe serving just what we needed on a slightly chilly and blustery day - hot Cornish pasties!

Can't wait to go back!

Cheeky chaps

I had such a lovely time photographing these two cheeky monkeys and their mum and dad when they came in to The Studio for a family portrait session recently.

Our family shoots are really relaxed and fun. There's no clock-watching, we just carry on until the little ones have had enough. We stop for drinks and biscuits or a change of outfit.

Understandably, some children are unsure at first, so we take our time to settle in. We've got some little toys to play with and we blow some bubbles. Then, once they've found their confidence, there's no stopping them.

The oldest of these brothers was jumping around and having a great time by the end of our session and showing off his model poses.

The family came back about a week later to look at the edited pictures from their shoot in colour and in black and white. A mounted 5x7 print is included in the price of the sitting, which is £20. This family decided to go for a big canvas print as well as a copyright-free CD with all their pictures on.

For me, having two girls, the 'world of boy' is totally alien. Everything in our house is pink and flowery and has some sort of fairy or butterfly on it. But these two little chaps go to prove that boys can be every bit as cute.

Call 01332 523523 for more info or to book a sitting.

Wonderful wedding!

Everything was perfect for Sarah and Paul's wedding – gorgeous flowers, a glorious sunny day and a fabulous venue.

The couple had seen our studio, in Vicarage Road, Mickleover, after we opened in November last year and booked us in to do the photography at their wedding last month at Shottle Hall, near Belper.

They wanted relaxed pictures, which captured the atmosphere of their big day, without spending hours posing for shots. They made a list beforehand of all the set-up family pictures they wanted, which was no problem at all.

My husband Steve, who did the pictures, said what a lovely wedding it was with a great atmosphere and Sarah and Paul were a brilliant couple to work with.

After the wedding, we sent them a copyright-free disc with all their pictures on it (about 700 in all!). This included a selection of the best ones in black and white and with adjustments made.

It's always nice to get feedback from our couples, and Sarah was really happy. She said: "Thanks for doing a great job at our wedding – we really appreciated your non-intrusive and relaxed style. We are really pleased with the pictures. You have done an excellent job. Thanks very much."

And Sarah's mum even popped into the studio to say how pleased her daughter had been and to have a flick through some of the pictures.

Take a look at the shots below for some inspiration if you're planning a wedding and give me a call on 01332 523523 to have a chat about your photography.

Gorgeous and glowing

I've had two babies - each more than nine pounds.

I've struggled to squeeze into toilet cubicles and had to get my husband to paint my toenails. The last thing I felt was either gorgeous or glowing.

In fact, the only pictures I have of me pregnant are when my enormous belly protruded into the frame in the background of some other family snap.

But nine months goes by in a flash (with the exception of the last two weeks) and the little darlings are on their way to school before you know it.

Having a pregnancy photoshoot at The Studio is a great way to capture that special time and make you feel fabulous.

You can reveal as much or as little as you feel comfortable with, get changed into a different outfit and stop for a chat and a coffee if you need a rest.

Whether it's your first pregnancy and you're loving it, or your last baby and you want some pictures to look back on, give me a call on 01332 523523 to have a chat.