A morning at the beach with the Buttery family...

We're in September now.  The time of year were when you get up in the morning you decide a sweater is the way to go, clothes wise.  Then by the time lunchtime hits you're sweating!  That being said, I do love September - the teasing of Autumn starts.  You notice the mist first thing in the morning and there is the scent of the cooler, crisper days to come in the air.

But today, I'm taking us back to the month prior.  Only a week before September arrived, but yet we still had much warmer days.  Like a switch was flicked on the 1st of September.  Having said this, myself and the wonderful Buttery family did have reservations at to whether some summer showers would hit us on the early morning trip to the beach.  The forecast was mixed, but we took a chance.  And, oh, did it pay off.  

We spent an hour together.  And what I love most about having that amount of time to document is that I get the best of both worlds as far as documenting 'you being you' is concerned.  The slightly more formal shots are captured, the ones that grandparents and traditionalists love; happy smiling faces, engaging with the camera.  And in slight contrast to that we have the story telling.  The documentary style images that show you as you are.  The details, playing, laughing, loving...

I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into the Buttery families gallery.  Many thanks for looking.

x Fleur x

(as always, click into the images to view a better quality version...)

What the Davies' do: The desk of an eight year old at dusk...

I'll admit - this is probably the most boring blog post to most people.  But not to me.  Do you ever look through old photo albums, view old home videos - even if it was only from a year ago?  Or do you check your 'time hop', 'on this day' or memories on social media...?  I do.  I do it a lot.  And I always marvel at the amount of times I think, ahhh, yeah - I forgot about when they said that, or wore  that outfit, or were obsessed with...

Well that is what this blog is about.  A moment.  A tiny space in time when my eight year old loved Hubba Bubba and her blusher and garish eyeshadow palate.  Now I'm sure in years to come she might still love these things.  And I don't mind her experimenting with make up - I know she's eight, but there's nothing wrong with her having fun with it.  It not like she contours for school or anything.  But actually she has quite a talent, even at her tender age, for being able to apply these colours with skill and enjoys watching YouTube with me to copy tutorials and takes time practicing with this make up and some face paints too.  

So for me (and her) this documentation might be the first glimpse into a real interest, hobby or even work as an artist of our future.  I might look back at these images in 25 years while my daughter accepts an Academy award for Best Makeup and say "Look, this is where it all started..." - OK, maybe I'm exaggerating, but you never know...  Ha!

Thanks for reading peeps.

x Fleur x 

I'm Aunty Fleur!

There really is something about time flying with newborns.  I have sat on my backside and forgot that I had these precious images of my brand new niece here and all set up for an announcement blog post!  

I've been an Aunty since mid July and captured the images on this blog when my amazing little niece was less than 2 weeks old.   So now, as I type this I am marvelling at just how much she has grown already since meeting her.  My brother and sister-in-law came home to visit with her last week and her growth makes these photographs from just a couple of months ago seem like a lifetime.   And on their latest visit we captured some further images of her in my studio.  I'll pop a little teaser of her 'now' while I think about putting a blog together covering our studio time...  I'll aim to post that before she starts school!  Ha!

(as always click into the image to see a better quality version.)

And the 'now'....  With me - AUNTY FLEUR!

Thanks to my brother for taking the camera to get this.

The Back To School mini sessions, so far.... 2017.

I couldn't be happier with the collection of families who I have preserved memories for at the start of this new school term.   The 'back to school' mini sessions are just over half way shot, so I wanted to share with you some of my favourite images from the lovely kids I've documented so far...

A huge thank you again to everyone that has made my first studio based mini sessions such a great success.  I've been incredibly touched by the wonderful feedback and want to thank not just you as parents for choosing me as your photographer this year, but your children also for being their fabulous selves, wonderfully polite and a pleasure to work with!

Best wishes,  ~ Fleur x

(as always, click into the photo itself to see a better quality version...  Thanks!)

"Fleur, the pics of the kids in their school uniforms are amazing.  Thank you."  [Gary. S]

"Oh my god, I love them...  Memories to treasure."  [Claire. B]

My own kids....  Ha!

"I love them, especially the arms behind (his) head."  [Sian. M]

"Thank you so much!  Can't wait to print them off and frame them."  [Sophie. D]

"Thank you so much.  They are beautiful.  We have picked 5 for our wall." [Michelle. B]

"You are AMAZING!!  I absolutely love the girl's pics.  Thank you so much."  [Helen. M]

"Oh my god.  Thank you so much."  [Chel. W]

"I just love them...  What an amazing job you do."  [Gemma. T]

'Thank you so much.  You were brilliant with the kids."  [Hilary. M]

"Love these.  Thanks again, you're fab."  [Natalie. C]

In the garden with the Wildman family... memories of summer.

It seems that we've hit September and autumn has settled itself right in weather wise.  Now, I'm not one to moan - I love autumn; the colours of the leaves, the smells of spiced foods and drinks, the tv dramas set to air in the darker evenings.  And my birthday is the end of September too - so what's not to love?... Ahh....

But,  I do spend a little while - maybe a couple of weeks or so once the cooler weather arrives, to mourn the summer.  As I fold away our t shirts and shorts, our dresses and sandals, I think about how much I'll miss days spent in the garden, afternoons at the park and evenings at the beach in the warm air.   What is wonderful though is that I document so much in the summer - all our days out and family time in the sunshine.  And I have also been blessed this year to document other families too.  The Wildman family being one of them.

It has generally been a warm summer with a few odd showers here and there in August.  One of those months were you wake up to cool, and sometimes damp breezes, to arrive at lunchtime with the sun cracking the flags and you're getting desperate for an ice cream.  The day I visited the Wildman home was just like that.  The evening prior had been wet and windy.  The rain didn't really go off until the early hours on the day of our session together.  And fortunately for us the contrary weather last month was on our side.  I arrived mid morning to a sun filled back garden and I was invited to document the fun the family had together.  Watering the plants and flowers.  Visiting the playhouse.  Watching the bees collect pollen and running and jumping together.  Altogether a wonderful time spent preserving a little bit of summer for a lovely, fun loving family.

Here are a few of my favourites from their session.

Thanks for looking ~ Fleur x 

(as always, click into the images for higher quality viewing.)