According to the Mail Online “Children pay an average of £27.37 on cards and gifts for their mums, according to research. But they are far less generous with their fathers, typically spending just £14.45”. Men are notoriously hard to buy for so with Sunday 16^th June less than a month away here are a few gift ideas for Dads.

A beautiful framed photo of your family for his desk or by the bed
Photography gift voucher towards a lesson with me on taking photos or even how his camera works!
Photography gift voucher towards a headshot for social media such as Facebook, Twitter or Linked-in
Family silhouette (we could do this in the studio too) http://tinyurl.com/qhph8kf Photo and baby foot print artwork like this one http://tinyurl.com/nh3sapm

If you are on a tight budget, here are some you can make yourself.

Photo book
A montage of his favourite photos together on a canvas
Create a multimedia slideshow of his favourite pictures with music, borders and special effects and save it to a disc.
DIY Baby foot/hand/thumbprint artwork (personally I love this one but not sure I could have done it with either of mine when they were young. Perhaps you have to do it while they are asleep
http://tinyurl.com/q78pd98

Or if he likes his food

Recipe for DAD shaped cookies http://tinyurl.com/ohttp-www-margle-co-uk-seaIf your Dad is a golfer, here is a recipe for Tee-time cupcakeshttp://tinyurl.com/p4uvwcq

I believe the King Edward I steam engine made one of its final journeys today before an overhaul which could see it out of service for up to ten years.  I happened to be by the river when it travelled across the Brunel Bridge in Maidenhead. For more details of the train visit http://www.6024.com/home.htm

Yesterday I was photographing Poppy and Alfie at their home near Reading.  The weather wasn’t good (unlike today) so I had to take the photos indoors.  We got out for a couple of minutes and Poppy posed by the shed coaxed by her owner Claire and lots of treats.  It was a great fun taking the photos and catching up with Claire who is an old friend from boarding school days.

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Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.

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Here are some photos of frost which I took early in the morning to capture some winter images.   I was using a wide aperture to throw the background out of focus and for the grass images I was shooting into the sun to make the frost sparkle.

If you try this is you might find that frost like snow can fool your camera’s meter into thinking the scene is lighter than it is so your pictures may come out dark.  Using exposure compensation of one and a half stops usually works but the easy way is to just keep checking your histogram.

If you would rather use one of myimages than capture your own please contact me and I will send you a copy without the copyright logo. All I ask is that, where possible, you include a link back to this site please.

Was this helpful? Is there anything else you would like to know? Post a link in the comments box and I will get back to you with more details. Or feel free to leave your own tips on this subject as well.

Special Offer

Two poses, two airbrushed images to view from and your choice of one as a 9×6″ print  – £75.00

Three poses, three airbrushed images to view from and your choice of two as 9″ x 6″ prints  – £99.00

You will need to arrive with your hair and make-up done but I can offer advice.

Call me on 07931 238280 to book a studio session which will last around 45 minutes.

These two lovely sisters Bridget and Sue came into the studio today.  They wanted a professional photo of themselves to go on canvas to give to their Mother on her 80th birthday next month.  We had a lot of fun taking the photos and thank you ladies for letting me share this photo on my blog.  It really makes me smile.

Photographing someone when they are pregnant is such a pleasure and a privilege.  However, it isn’t often I get a chance to show these images as many Mums To Be  prefer to keep their photos for themselves and their partners.  I was delighted when my recent client said she was happy for me to add hers to the website.  I am sure you will agree she looked truly radiant.

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I have been off my feet for a while due to an operation so I couldn’t do my photo of the day either.  However, I am back in action and have been busy making up for lost time.  Last week my daughter and I photographed the Furze Platt prom at Legoland in Windsor.   It was a lovely surprise when these flowers arrived as a thank you.

Cactus.

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Special 20% discount offer in time for Mother’s Day (3rd April). Quote ACPMD2011 when booking. Applies to gift vouchers too.

Continuing with my goal to post a photo a day, here are my photos for March.  Please click on the link below to view more images.

Raining today.

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Here’s a short video of a recent photo session.

I was very pleased with the results from this wedding. Here is a short video montage

This year I have given myself a project of collecting a picture for every day of the year.  If you have any suggestions or topics of what to photograph, I would love to hear from you.

Cinnamon sticks.

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This year I have given myself a project of collecting a picture for every day of the year.   I take a lot of portraits with my work so the aim of this project is not  just to improve my photography of people but also other subjects such as macro and landscapes.  To see the rest of  this month’s photos, please click on the link below.

31st January 2011 Couldn't resist these cherries. My favourite fruit.

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Gone are the days when the camera-shy could hide behind their desks.  With the rise of social media and online networking means that practically all of us need to show our faces on the internet.  Many people take their own photos and it’s not that difficult to spot – surprised expressions and raised shoulders can lead to an altogether uncomfortable-looking result.

I recently took a business portrait for Rachel Fletcher, a financial coach who is launching her own business.  This week, I sent Catherine Osborn to interview her and find out how it went!

CO:  What were you looking for in your business photo?

RF:   I wanted a really great shot that would look professional whilst letting my character shine through.  It needed to be personal.

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When you’re in the car, do you ever find yourself admiring the view and wishing you had your camera with you? One Saturday a few weeks ago, it was my turn to do the early morning journey to take my daughter to work in Henley.  On the way back I was drawn to the view of the river but realised I didn’t have my camera with me.  I decided to use my phone and surprised myself with the results.  Then, I went back via Marlow and spotted the rowing club preparing to go out so I took a few more photos.

Mobile cameras are getting better and better so next time you see something that catches your eye, just reach for your phone!

Recently, my friend Catherine and I took advantage of the beautiful sunshine we’ve been having to take some outdoor shots of her two children, Daniel (4) and Elena (2). I’m not unaccustomed to taking shots of kids of course, but I decided to introduce a few new challenges for this shoot!

1. By moving out of the studio and into the garden, we benefit from the injection of colour from the beautiful spring flowers, but the wide open spaces give the children (and, therefore, me!) more scope to run around and it can be quite exhausting to pin them down. Toys offered a welcome distraction and we had most success with toys and objects that were new to them, such as the croquet hoops.

2. Daniel has just come out of a stage of not wanting to be photographed and, thanks to years of coaxing by his mum, now wants to say, “Cheese!” at every opportunity. The key here was to give him time to relax and start playing, and try to catch him unawares.

3. Elena, on the other hand, is the most serious-looking two-year-old I’ve ever met! Although we did get her to smile in the end, Mum was more than happy with the serious shots. Catherine told me, “These photos sum her up perfectly and when I look at them I see echoes of me at the same age and also my late mother and grandmother.”

Whether they’re overly serious or too obliging with the cheesy grins, it’s a real pleasure to photograph kids with character and we’re already planning the next shoot!

Today was Gemma and Paul’s pre-wedding photoshoot at Cookham Dean Church and Old Luxters Barn in Hambleden near Henley on Thames.  Coined as ‘England’s best Kept Secret’, Old Luxters is tucked away at the top of a long winding lane surrounded by beech trees and its own vineyard.

Gemma and Paul are getting married next month and I am very excited to be photographing them at these beautiful venues.  Gemma’s grandparents got married at the same church and she and Paul are keen to repeat history by posing at the door and by the lych gate.  The first thing I noticed as I walked up to the church was scaffolding which I was told will be there on the day.  One way to solve the problem is to photograph Gemma and Paul at the gate facing the church.  Hopefully you will agree the view through the gate looking away from the church is also pretty.

I hadn’t been to Old Luxters Barn before.  It is well worth a visit.   There is a countryside mural on the wall inside which, as you can see, works very well as a backdrop.

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I have been photographing boots and shoes for www.lamapeach.com for the Autumn/Winter 2010 display book.   The boots and shoes are sold in top London stores and range in price from £200 – £350.  However, if you really want to get your hands on this vintage footwear, visit the website direct or talk to my lovely friend Geraldine Pipping at Scarlett Monroe in Marlow, Buckinghamshire – www.scarlettmonroe.com.

Berkshire-based Success Network, a business support network for women, has recently linked up with Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce and Business Link to allow its members to tap into a valuable new source of business support and this week, I went along to the Hilton in Reading to meet the ladies involved and take some publicity shots.

L-R: Mary Fraser (Success Network), Ginette Gower (Thames Valley Chamber), Ute Wieczorek-King (Success Network), Henrietta Bailey (BusinessLink), Shemila Tharani (BusinessLink).

Success Network has recently announced that collaboration is its theme for 2010 but the concept is not a new one.  In 2009, one of the group’s Inner Circles (peer-support business clubs), of which I’m a member, worked together to produce an e-book of success ‘recipes’ to inspire other women who are starting out in business.  We’re not profiting from this book, which is available to download free of charge from the Success Network website.

Roselin D’Costa runs an up-and-coming home-based catering business called Shantana’s which specialises in business lunches and parties with an unusual flair.

The difference is she uses her Goan culinary expertise to create an impact with colour and flavour, especially in her curries which use a lot of coconut and fresh chillies to enhance her special Goan flavours, likewise with her home-made samosas.

Her speciality is her green sandwiches, which use a secret ingredient to make them an unusual alternative to the everyday business lunch.

And Roselin boasts a three star award for catering and food hygiene, so you know you are getting value for money.

Contact Roselin through www.shanatanas.co.uk or on 07930 371524

Diane Tyler, who is now aged 89, joined as a VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment, organised by the British Red Cross Society for first aid and nursing) in 1938 at the tender age of 18 to train up to help out during the Second World War. She was posted out into Germany and France, also at Dunkirk during that famous evacuation, when she accompanied her patients back to Britain in the hospital ships.

This cape is special because it is a most carefully preserved example of its kind. Each nurse received the soldier’s badges when they died as mementoes, and they sewed them on the inside of their capes (the red side) as a very private gesture. This particular cape shows badges from English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French, Australian, New Zealand, Indian and Polish soldiers, and probably some more that haven’t been recognised, but one of them is Diane’s Princess Mary Nursing Corp badge.

Because the cape is still in such good condition, and considered the best example seen, the family have donated it to the Medical Military Museum at Aldershot, where it will be brought out on display for special exhibitions, otherwise suitably stored to expertly preserve it for future generations to remember.

Alison took photographs of this cape before it was passed on to the Museum, so that there was photographic evidence of it being worn by Jan, Diane’s daughter, even if it is inside out!

Oscar was christened at St Peter’s Church, Furze Platt today.

He was such a good boy.  All that water and not a tear!

Congratulations to his parents Becky and Gavin for a lovely day.

Just a few images of flowers from a great day out at Hampton Court Flower Show.

Get the children involved with photography projects this summer whether you are going away or not. Encourage them to look at the world a little differently, see things from unusual angles, notice patterns and experiment with cameras as much as they like. The great thing about digital photography is that it is instant which kids love.

Keep a photo diary for a day
Spend a day taking photos of interesting things they see during the day. This can be anything from having breakfast to Dad washing the car. Encourage them to use photojournalist skills by organising the photos in a diary, writing captions under the photos and even include their own drawings and funny comments.

A day in the life of their pet
Similar to the above but this time they get down to the level of the pet to learn what their pet sees (if you saw Jonathan Ross you will remember he put a camera around his dog’s neck for the day and then laughed because he had lots of photos of his other dogs’ bums)!  Kids will of course think this is hysterical.

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Over the last few weeks I have done a number of friendship parties.  Last weekend Ellen and her friends came to the studio for a photo shoot to celebrate her fourteenth birthday.  I really enjoyed photographing the girls who asked me to pose them a little but mostly wanted to just have fun and let me capture them being themselves.  They bought a change of clothes, I supplied some props and they threw themselves into it  with real enthusiasm as you can see from the images below.

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These two are my favourites … You can find the rest of the images here.

Last week I spent a couple of days in Cornwall and had a chance to meet my nephew for the first time. Although he was about to go to bed and the light was fading fast I managed to grab a few shots of this gorgeous boy. I am sure his parents won’t mind me saying that their garden is less than landscaped so finding an uncluttered background was tricky. I got around this by throwing the background out of focus which also drew attention to his cute face. Plus, keeping Max in one place wasn’t easy either. I spotted the cardbox box and popped him in it. Turning the image antique sepia gives it a timeless feel and also disguises the fact that the box was bright yellow which clashed with his babygrow!

Lorna Weller has recently launched herself as a virtual assistant.  She is also a Mum, a great friend and the most camera shy person I know!  After a cup of tea and a bit of persuasion that even at 40+ she really did need a photo of her on her website I found a spot in my garden and took this image.  It certainly makes her more approachable than the arty shot of a pot of pencils she was going to ‘hide’ behind!

Read on and you will see as well as having a wonderful bubbly personality Lorna has a wealth of experience in business so please bear her mind the next time you need a solution to your admin problems.  You can call her on 07940 198980 or email lorna.weller@googlemail.com

 Where were you born?

Greenock, Scotland and I still feel as excited as I did as a child any time I go “north of the border”.

Where do you live?

Bourne End, Bucks – living by the Thames calls to me on a summer’s day.

Favourite Place to Eat?

Now I’ve reached 40+  I try to arrange a real treat once or twice a year and Sunday lunch at Cliveden has proved a great favourite – combining the grandeur and luxury of the dining experience with such a lovely setting and the choice of following lunch with a stroll through the grounds, or tea in the library.

What do you do?

After working for the last 18 years as a senior PA at a subsidiary of ICI in Slough where I joined to work for the Managing Director, I was made redundant at the beginning of the year.   I have really enjoyed having some time out and am now setting up as a Freelance PA / Virtual Administrator.   I am finding that my vast experience of office procedures, PC skills and event management are just as useful to small local businesses.   I love the diversity of working with different small businesses, by helping with their admin, routine or otherwise, it frees them up to do what they do best, and of course I love the flexibility it gives me.  I can be contacted at lorna.weller@googlemail.com.

What is your favourite movie?

Out of Africa – I’d let Robert Redford wash my hair any day!

Favourite Food?

Dare I say mint chocolate chip ice cream, but to prove I do have some sophistication my favourite drink is definitely champagne.

Best piece of advice?

Always smile when answering the phone – even if you can’t be seen the tone is instantly set.

What was the last book you read?

An hilarious booked called “I don’t know how she does it”; about a city broker juggling life as a working mother.   It was full of recognisable situations in a working mother’s life.

What is your favourite holiday destination?

Where do I start? – I had the most amazing time on a safari in Kenya which literally was a dream come true.   A couple of years ago I had a wonderful holiday with a couple of best friends and our kids at a villa in Spain – just playing in the pool all day or snoozing in the olive grove – bliss!  But I couldn’t possibly not mention Scotland with all its rugged beauty.

What do you hate most?

The increase in gun/knife crime, and the fact that so many kids get involved in alcohol/drugs – it’s a huge worry for parents.  We do, however, have to learn to let them go although we will always worry about them.

What do you value most?

My friends.   Childhood friends – we have supported each other through our own teens, marriages, divorces, children.  Local friends I’ve met through the children’s schools and friends from my marriage that I see infrequently but nevertheless still have a strong bond with.

Who or What has been the biggest influence on your life?

My mother – although she died when I was only 10 I think of her as a real go-getter.   In her youth she played hockey for Scotland, was a county tennis and badminton player and loved mountain climbing (something I’d be absolutely terrified to do).  She was a Land Girl during  WW2 and I wish she’d lived long enough to share her memories with me.  I know she wouldn’t take no for an answer, thought there was a solution to every problem and was always positive.  Unfortunately, she died aged 45 of breast cancer before they had the treatments they do now.   I try to remain true to some her beliefs and principles.