WHAT A WONDERFUL YEAR!

Well what a wonderful year 2017 has been!  Paul was returned to full health after surgery at the end of 2016 and we started the year by celebrating 25 years in our Tunbridge Wells Studio.  We have run lots of competitions, we have welcomed back past clients and met lots of new ones too.  
We joined Emma's Diary Baby of the Month in February and have had a fabulous first year.  Paul was awarded Photographer of the Month in April and we have had 4 runners up and 1 winner. We are delighted to support The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust by donating every time we enter an image into the competition.
We introduced The Beams, which is a new prop handmade by Paul.  If you are looking for something different, you really can't get The Beams anywhere else!
We ran a crazy summer of mayhem asking what you would bring to your photo shoot.  We had dinosaurs, a barn owl, dogs, a fitness family who brought along their weights and a little boy who brought memories of his Dad with him.  We had such a fun time shooting those sessions, so expect to see another promotion along similar lines in 2018!
We would like to wish all our clients the most wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year - we look forward to seeing you in 2018!

Stuck for Christmas Gift Ideas?

Our fabulous value Christmas Portrait have been flying out the door!

Call 01892 523134

Some tips and questions for a Newborn Photo Shoot - Tunbridge Wells

We get asked lots of questions about our Newborn sessions, so I hope to answer as many as possible in today’s blog.

When is the best time to book a shoot?

We only schedule a couple of Newborn shoots a week.  That way when one baby arrives late but another arrives early, we can manoeuvre sessions around.  Once your payment has been made you are guaranteed a session.  Unfortunately, we can’t hold sessions without payment.  The best time to book is as soon after your 20 week scan as possible. If you would like to take advantage of the free Bump shoot we would schedule that for between 33 and 36 weeks and then the Newborn shoot within 10 days of the expected due date.  We understand that you have a lot to do in the run up to a new baby arriving, but we ask that you keep us as up to date as possible to enable us to reschedule if needed.  It’s a good idea to nominate a close family member as our point of contact, so that they can drop us an email when you know baby is on the way.

Why does the shoot have to be in the first 10 days?

The absolute best time for a Newborn to be photographed is as early as possible within the first 10 days and certainly no later than 14 days, our record so far is 2 days old!  Newborn babies have a period of time when they are still getting used to the big wide world. They sleep a lot and quite deeply.  After the 14 day mark the little ones are becoming more aware of what’s going on around them and are harder to settle.  They also get very good at stretching their arms and legs which means we lose that lovely tucked up posing of a younger baby. Having said all of that we can do a session later but your expectations should be different, as a 4 week old is very different to a 10 day old! The best thing to do is contact us as soon as possible and we will always do our best to help you.

What do I need to bring?

We completely understand that once a new baby has arrived getting out of the front door becomes quite a mission!  We always ask our new Mums and Dads to only have the photo shoot in the diary for that day.  Hopefully that will mean everyone will be nice and relaxed.  It is very important for you to remain calm otherwise little one will pick up on Mummy’s stress and become anxious too.

You don’t need to bring too much on the day.  If you are bottle feeding make sure you have a made up bottle with you.  Some muslin's are a good idea for mopping up, spare nappies and wipes.  If you are using a dummy, please make sure you bring one with you.  If you want to include a favourite teddy or blanket please bring them along.

What does baby and parents need to wear?

We photograph baby mainly in just a nappy, but if you want to bring baby in your favourite outfit we can always start with that.  Mum and Dad, you need to wear layers as we have the Studio toasty warm and it can get a little uncomfortable for the adults.  Also, think about any family shots you might like.  Do you prefer skin on skin or clothed?  A vest top or bandanna style top/bra is a good idea.

How will the session work?

We have years of experience and training and that’s what you are paying for!  In most sessions there will be both Paul and myself present.  We aim to achieve as natural a pose as possible.  We don’t do composite images, as we firmly believe that a Newborn shouldn’t be put in position that it can’t do naturally.  With your permission we will handle your baby from the minute you arrive.  Little babies are very perceptive and if they smell Mummy they might think it’s time to have a top up!  You can relax and watch the shoot with a cuppa if you like. We will use a selection of different blankets and backdrops to create a variety of images for you to choose from. Also, we can do a passport photo if required during the session.  We offer this for half price (£6.00 for 4 prints + key ring) if completed during your Newborn Photo Shoot.

When do I see the images?

When we have finished the session, we will book an ordering appointment in the diary for you.  You are welcome to bring along Grandparents to the viewing.  We will give you a copy of the price list when you leave the Studio but if you would like to view one before then just drop us an email.  We will run a slide show and then help you to create a short list of your favourite images.  Once we know what kind of product you are looking for whether that be prints, digital files, frames or canvasses we will help you to select your absolute favourites.  Our print collections start from £150 and digital file collections start from £295.  

How long before we receive our order?

We usually aim to turn an order around within 4 weeks of the order being placed.  Every image is professionally retouched and printed and this takes time, but rest assured we will be in touch as soon as everything is ready.  We ask that you collect your chosen products from the Studio.

Well, I think that's it!  Fingers crossed I have covered everything but if you have any questions please let me know.  To discuss your session please call the Studio on 01892 523134.

A good start to the year!

Well, we have had a great start to 2017!  
We have just announced the winner of our first competition to celebrate our 25th Anniversary - congratulations Nicki Parrett!  We were really overwhelmed with the number of entries - THE CUBE is obviously still as popular as ever!
In the coming weeks and months we are going to be introducing some new sessions and will be doing a model call so that we can test run things first, so please keep an eye on our Facebook page as that is where all the announcements will be made.  Sometimes Facebook doesn't show all posts to all our FB fans, so just keep checking in so that you don't miss out.
We have also given away a Family Portrait Sitting and a Mounted print in our Six Nations guess the score competition - congratulations Emma Sinfield, we are looking forward to seeing you soon.
We are also very proud to have been selected as your local approved and recommended Baby of the Month photographer.  This is an exciting new one off session for babies up to one year old where you stand the chance of winning 1 of 5 £100 Mothercare vouchers and the possibility of winning £5000 in the Baby of the Year competition.  You will also receive Tembo* your own soft cuddly toy elephant (*subject to a £1.50 donation).  These sessions are great for those families who only want to do one session, as opposed to our Cherub Baby Club 3 sessions over the first year.  Both produce wonderful images to treasure, we are just keen to provide our clients with more choice. Baby of the Month is a stand alone session and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion.  It is FREE to enter but a £10 refundable booking fee will be required to secure your date and time in the diary.  This can be exchanged for a £20 credit voucher against purchased images or refunded at the viewing session.
Don't forget we also do passport photos - half price for our Cherub and Baby of the Month clients and a free key ring.
We will continue to blog and keep you all updated for things to come.  Thank you for all your support and good wishes!

It's Competition Time - Tunbridge Wells

We are celebrating having the Studio in Camden Road for 25 years - so we feel it's time for a competition!
We will be running a CUBE competition starting in the next few days with a fabulous first prize worth over £300 and 25 runner up prizes!
Make sure you have liked our page so that you can be one of the first to enter our "Spot the Difference" competition.
There will be lots of exciting things happening in 2017 so make sure you check in as often as possible.

2017 is going to be a good year!

Well, can you believe that January is almost over already.  I'm not sure where the time goes!  My New Year's resolution for 2017 is to blog more often, to bring you news of what's happening in the Studio and some helpful advice and tips on our sessions.

2017 is a big year for us.  We have been in the Camden Road Studio for 25 years!  At one point we rented two shops in Camden Road and had another Studio in Ashford.  But after 7 years of driving up and down the M20, we decided to base ourselves solely in Tunbridge Wells.  We still have loyal customers that come to see us from Ashford, which is just lovely.  Camden Road has changed over the years, but we still love the community feel that Camden Road gives us.  We love to support local charities and if we can help a charity, school or club by donating a voucher to help raise much needed funds, please just let us know.

We were really bowled over by the support we got from our clients when Paul was taken ill last year.  But something like that brings you up short and really makes you think what is important.  Family is THE most important thing.  Money, holidays, fast cars all bring an instant pleasure, but family is with you come thick or thin, good times or bad and so that is what we are going to celebrate first in our 25th year with a very special offer - details to follow!

Make sure you have liked our Facebook page to be the first to see what is happening next!

12 Days of Christmas - DAY 12 - Tunbridge Wells

#locationphotoshoot #familyportrait #funphotoshoot