We are so pleased to be finally able to share with you the photos we took of the wonderful Coates family, winners of our Free Family Photoshoot. To say it was a joy would be an understatement. These guys are brilliant! Such a wonderful, happy and fun filled family. When they asked could we meet at Hilton Court Gardens, we were pretty happy about that too. If you've not been yet, you should check it out. Its a wonderful place, full of hideaways and hidden gems in the middle of trees and landscaped gardens. A perfect place to explore with little people (and also a wonderful wedding venue!)
In order to get the most from the shoot and capturing these guys as they are, we did what we always do and just hang out and have fun. Ben and Amy had brought some bubbles along, which were much entertainment for us all and Hilton Court provided many opportunities for exploring and adventures.
It really was such a pleasure to be able to provide these guys with images of themselves as a family. They have two truly scrumptious little ladies and their two little characters shone through in such wonderful ways. 100% coincidentally, we already know these guys a little bit. We met them when our little ladies were attending gymnastics sessions and when both Amy and Myself were pregnant with our youngest children. To see their youngest little lady trundling around was such a delight, when we saw her last she was a neat and tidy (nearly due) baby bump! We are also pretty chuffed to be photographing Amys sisters wedding next year too. Beautiful and wonderful coincidences that make us love our job even more. We cant wait to share in the day with you guys too.
Thank you so much for entering the competition and for being just truly easy and wonderful to spend time with and photograph x
Once youve had a chance to look through these photos have a little read of the lovely things Amy and Ben had to say about the shoot. We really feel its important to know how an experience like this is for our clients and are always happy to share feedback and experiences too.
If you would like to know more about our family shoots please do drop us a line and we would happily chat about capturing those special big and little humans who make a difference in your life.
Here are some very kind and lovely words from Ben and Amy about their photoshoot...
How did you find out about the free photoshoot? We found out about the shoot on the o&c Photography facebook page that we follow.
Why did you want to win the photoshoot? We shared the competition to support the work of our friends, Owen and Charis. I wanted to win because the photosthat I've seen are pretty darn good and I wanted some fun family shots of my troop in that natural style.
How did you feel when you won? I was a bit late in checking the result email as I rarely win anything. When I realised we had won I was super excited and quickly replied so that someone else didn't swoop in for my unclaimed prize!
Tell us about your photoshoot experience ... We decided to visit a place that we enjoy as a family. We have two small kids and love being outside with them and we wanted pictures of us just being ourselves. Charis was a delight. She's like a stealth ninja, taking shots that you're unaware of. The kids are usually a bit camera shy, pulling jibs or grimacing, but they had fun, they were relaxed, they smiled and played as if the camera wasn't there. I thought that I'd feel a bit of a lemon, not knowing what to do or looking a bit awkward, gotta give this girl something to work with! But it was a totally cringe-free experience, chilled and just plain fun.
Tell us a bit about the photos you received ... They are beautiful. I'm not ashamed to say I had a tear. They are so clear and have spirit in them. You can see the kids personalities and the essence of our little world in a frame. Very precious.
Any pearls of wisdom about having a photo shoot? I'd say choose somewhere you enjoy, especially if you have kids, go somewhere where they can be free and play. Don't worry about the camera, it's not in your face. You genuinely don't have to 'try.' I think that's the point and the skill of these guys. They make pictures of real life. Beautiful shots of ordinary stuff, ordinary people, but they find the glances and the glimpses to treasure forever
Suoer huge thanks Amy and Ben for your lovely review of your photo shoot experience. It really was a joy to capture your scrumptious tribe and to share in a bit of Coates family fun! If you would like to know more about our family shoot drop us a line here and we would love to chat x