Once someone has booked a photoshoot with me one of the most common questions I get asked is
"What should we wear?"
So I thought it would be a good idea to put my thoughts here and include some images as examples.
It's important to note that this advice is just for photoshoots around October/November time, at other times of the year I would suggest slightly different colours.

I think the most important thing is that you all feel comfortable in what you are wearing, I want you to look relaxed in the photos I produce and wearing something you feel comfortable in is an important starting point. If you are a jeans and trainer person (like me) don't feel that you have to wear a dress, similarly if your daughter adores wearing dresses then let her and if your son insists on wearing his batman outfit we'll make it work, as long as you match!

Plain colours tend to work better than stripes, patterns or tartan. With family groups it's ok if one person wears a pattern, striped top etc as long as everyone else in the group opts for something plain. This is one of the reasons why its worth planning ahead what you are all going to wear. If one of you is going to wear a pattern then it's a great idea to use this garment as your starting point and pick colours out from it for others in the group to wear.

Logos (especially big ones) are best avoided, It can really date the photos.

Layering clothes not only looks great but helps to keep everyone warm. Think knitted jumpers with shirts under or knitted jumpers with a body warmer on the top. If you can avoid big coats, alternatively we can just remove any coats for a short amount of time to get shots.

Accessories can be a great way to bring your outfits together eg hats, scarves and boots.

Footwear is also important, it is possible the ground might be wet so make sure everyone is wearing something suitable. No one likes wet socks!

Autumn is always a time of year when I try to update my own family photos, so it seemed appropriate to use them to hopefully give you some ideas and illustrate what I have said above. 

We are now into the second week of primary school for our little boy. In summary it's exhausting! (for him and us)
This last weekend his emotions were all over the place, its like you can see his brain expanding with all the new information it is trying to process. He only recently turned 4 and never really completely stopped napping, we were probably down to about 1 nap every 3/4 days so as expected one day after collecting him he didn't quite make it the short distance home before falling asleep.

So, like any photography (Tog) mum I couldn't resist the urge to capture it. I have a feeling that it wont be long before the days of napping will be a distant memory, having said that I think that sucking his thumb will continue for a little bit longer.
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If you look further down my blog you will see some similar images I posted of him asleep after he started pre school, I can't believe how much more of that sofa he is taking up! I can't stop him growing up (and wouldn't really want to) but what I can do is make sure I record these moments in time. 

​It's a day filled with mixed emotions, I think/know he is more than ready to begin his school journey but he has only just turned 4 and in some ways seems so small. I know he is going to have the best time and having his big sister at the same school is an added bonus. In fact I think she might have been more excited for his first day than him!

Due to Covid 19 we weren't able to take him into the classroom, we just had to wave him off from the car park. It feels a bit weird not to have been able to help him hang his coat on his peg and introduce him to his teacher. 
But he has been going to the school nearly everyday for most of his life as he was about 6 weeks old when his sister started at the school so he is very familiar with the classroom and as it's a small school everyone know him too.

He's a lovely lad and if he approaches school in the same way as pre-school then I know he is going to have lots of fun, friends and a great learning experience.  ​

​I had a feeling the weather might not be so good today with drizzle forecast so I decided to take these images a couple of days ago when it was a bit sunnier. ​

The house is very quiet, I think it's going to take a while to adjust and get used to the 'new norm' after a strange 6 months. 
I hope anyone reading this who has little or big ones starting a new school are currently sat with their feet up having a well deserved cuppa. This parenting journey sure is a rollercoaster of emotions, the balancing act of wanting to let them spread their wings and fly but at the same time holding onto them tightly and not letting them go because you'd like them to stay just they way they are for a little longer.
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​A little note for his sister starting year 4, Keep doing what you are doing, you make us very proud. 

It was a big day for the littlest Robinson at the end of April, it was his first day of Pre school!
This day seems to have come around quickly, he is not quite 3 and it feels like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital.  On the other hand he is definitely a master of his own destiny and we felt like he was more than ready to begin his school journey.  
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We began the first day by nipping out to the front gate to take a few photo's before setting off to drop his big sister at primary school. Next stop was the pre school, it was the first settling in session. I stayed for an hour and we played with the cars, the train set and the lego. Then I quietly said I was going to go for a coffee and i'd be back to pick him up later. He was so engrossed in what he was doing he didn't reply.
I then sat with a coffee finding it hard to relax wondering if he was ok. An hour later when I went back to collect him, although he gave me a big cheeky grin he didn't seem that fussed about coming home with me! 
Was it a one off? if he realised this was going to be a regular thing would he start to cling to me as I tried to leave?
It was a few days before his next session (he's only going  a couple of mornings a week) This time he confidently walked in and went straight to the cars. I followed him and said "I'm off now."
This time he replied "Bye MeMe". (not sure why but that's what he calls me)
Right then, thats my cue to leave.......I almost wanted to repeat myself maybe he didn't understand. Surely it couldn't be this easy.

After years of struggling to leave his older sister without lots of tears and tantrums (from her not me!), It really has been that easy, even on his 3rd settling in day it seemed like he actually wanted to go. Maybe it's because is the second child, maybe it's because he has spent his whole life taking his big sister to school so doesn't see a big deal with being left or maybe it's just who he is. Whatever the reason I hope it continues.
On the last settling session he stayed for lunch, as soon at we left the carpark he was fast asleep, I managed to transfer him successfully from the car seat to the sofa (amazing the skills we develop as parents.) I think if I had let him he would have slept for hours, I had to wake him after 2 for fear of him not wanting to go to bed. 
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The school have sent me the following email: 'We are so pleased at how well he has settled in this term. He is a pretty solid character and has got stuck in to everything - with the occasional cuddle enroute!'

​So to all you mums (and dads) that are about to leave your child for the first time it is without doubt one of the hardest things you will have to do. Your child may cry floods of tears resulting in you doing the same once you reach the car park, or they may walk in and not even give you a second glance at you leaving.  Whatever reaction they have remember that this is an important part of their development and independence. It is ok to worry if they are ok, if they ate their lunch, if they played nicely with the other children as parents thats part of our learning too. 
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Hi there. It is fair to say this blog is long over due (my last one was back in October!). Another reason that this one is long over due is that these images were taken almost a year ago, which means this little dude is about to celebrate his 1st birthday. I have enjoyed looking back over them and reminding myself of the time I spent with his mum and dad, the first few weeks of a baby's life are so special and it goes past so quickly.  It really is a honour to capture some of those moments.

On a Friday afternoon in a small village in Wiltshire at 3:15pm it's not uncommon to see this pony collecting his owner from the school gate. It makes me laugh I can just imagine one of those home to school transport surveys.
How do you travel to and from school? Car, bike, bus, walk, scooter or pony!
I don't suppose there are many children that get to ride their pony home from school, this is one lucky boy.
It was such a privilege to be able to capture the bond between them in this gorgeous setting in Milton Lilbourne. The session was scheduled to start at 4pm at 2pm there was a downpour and I considered cancelling but I checked out my trusty weather app and it said there would be sunshine, well it wasn't wrong, the light was amazing.

September 2018 marks the start of year 2 for this one. She loves school so much that on day 2 of the school holidays she told me she was desperate to get back!

We had an amazing summer and got up to lots of fun things (I'm planning a blog post so you can see what we got up to), and then just like that the holidays were over and it was time for the new academic year to start.

I feel very lucky that she loves school, she was eager to start the term to see her friends and embrace school life. Although she has had a growth spurt she still isn't quite able to reach her peg, her teacher told me today that by Christmas that usually sorts itself out :)
​I am a very proud mummy, I hope she continues to thrive throughout her school life.

And then there is this one, he's mummy's little mischief maker! 
He is not due to start school until September 2020 but I think he maybe ready now.  When I drop his sister off he sits down on the carpet with the other children and tries to join in with what they are doing.  When it's time to go it's all tears and tantrums. 

What crazy weather we seem to be having, at the end of April and start of May it was wet and cold and now its so hot everyone is in shorts and t-shirts. It's hard to believe it's still spring and not summer! 

The Bluebells only last for a short time and although they flowered late this year they are now all gone, so I thought it might be nice to put together some of my all time favourite family shots taken in the Bluebells. I've included 2 cheeky sisters, a just walking 1 year old with his yummy mummy and 3 brothers with their lovely mum. These were all taken in West Woods near Marlborough.

​We are so lucky to have this wonderful display right on our doorstep, I drive my husband and daughter crazy as once the Bluebells flower as I keep pestering them to go for walks. I'm obsessed with trying to find the perfect light and locations for up and coming shoots. They are probably both relieved they have now finished flowering, but what they don't know is I now have my eye on a lovely field of wild pink flowers which has popped up recently.

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In May last year I had the pleasure of photographing this young family in the Bluebells which can be found at West Woods in Marlborough, Wiltshire. This couples 'story' is like something from a film, a real life fairy tale. She is from America and he is from the UK, they met whilst on holiday in a country thousands of miles away from either of their homes. They had only known each other for a short while but it was enough for them to know they were meant to be. Soon he went to visit her in the states for a short holiday and then it wasn't long before she got a flight to England with the intention of staying for 6 months, the rest you could say is history. Fast forward 2 years to when these photos were taken, they are now married and have a gorgeous daughter who makes up their little family. She may have only been 9 months old but she was already walking and enjoyed exploring the vast carpet of Bluebells. Shortly after these photographs were taken they moved to the States, but I am hoping they come back to the UK soon so I can take some more photo's of them.

So my idea of getting some lovely family images in the snow didn't go so well this morning. I have waited for a long time to have the opportunity to get a photograph of my two kids standing together. The youngest is now 19 months and only just getting steady enough on his feet. Safe to say my first attempt didn't quite achieve the results I was hoping for. I'm not sure exactly what the problem was, maybe it was the freezing temperatures or the biting wind or the fact he had so many layers on it was hard to move or it could have been the fact his had gloves on preventing him from sucking his thumb. Anyhow it wasn't long before we were all back inside!

So after spending most of the day inside waiting for the wind to drop, take 2 in the late afternoon went slightly better, I think he began to see the fun side of snow and on a plus side at no point was he made to walk or stand in the white stuff!