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Wellesbourne Family Photography, Warwickshire
A 40th Birthday family shoot
For most of us, pandemic birthdays have consisted of squinting at our relatives on Zoom, doing our bit for local business by ordering an enormous takeaway, and another bloody loaf of banana bread.
Not so for Nikki! (aka @fopperholic)
Nikki had big plans for her 40th this year. Originally, she was due to head off on the holiday of a lifetime with her husband Chris and two-year-old twins Grayson and Lawson. When the pandemic hit, the plans were scaled back, and she arranged an evening out for dinner and drinks with some friends…which later turned into a small, intimate tea party at home…and when even THAT became impossible, she hit upon her best idea yet – a family shoot with me!
In fact, I was Nikki’s 9th resort for her birthday celebrations (I’m not offended, honestly…), but I like to think that in the end our shoot was a bit of a silver lining for an event plagued by clouds. I hope the pictures will remind her of the joy her family managed to find even amongst all the chaos of this year.
As with every shoot I do, I had a chat with Nikki beforehand about her ideas and what she wanted to get out of it, so that we could think about suitable locations and get planning. Nikki knew that she wanted to come away with some pictures of her boys out enjoying the autumn air, as well as some portrait pictures of her as she reaches the big 4-0.
We decided we’d head to the glorious Ettington Park, just down the road, to make the best of the remaining autumn colour (and perhaps even get a birthday cream tea while we’re at it). It was a great setting for Grayson and Lawson, who are two very bouncy, smiley boys full of energy.
You never know, meeting a family, how younger ones will respond to having a new face and a camera around – will they ignore you totally, or be super shy, or have fun playing up to the lens? I always try to make kids feel more comfortable around me and the camera by getting down to their level (physically – I’m already there, mentally), so I took a muddy seat with the twins and suggested they head off and explore a fallen tree nearby.
Once they realised that the only expectation was that they played and had a good time, they were super relaxed, and they got on with doing what two-year-olds do best – being curious and playful, and smiling and laughing with their mum and dad.
Ettington Park was looking gorgeous and the boys really made the most of the delights of the season – they headed straight for a large embankment which was covered in fallen leaves and had the time of their lives rolling around in them, scooping up big armfuls to throw up in the air. It was lovely to see them so naturally enjoying their surroundings and it was a dream scenario for a photographer!
Of course we’re in Britain so the rain started to threaten before too long. Not to worry – I’d come prepared with some fun rainbow umbrellas that the boys loved playing with, even if they did end up being more effective at swordfighting than actually keeping dry. It’s moments like these, when no-one’s being self-conscious, but just laughing and enjoying spending time together, that I try to foster during a shoot, because that’s when I get to capture a really special feeling that people want to remember in years to come.
As well as the one I’m shooting with, I always bring another camera to family bookings as many kids are fascinated by the technology – let’s face it, who doesn’t love pressing buttons and switches! Experience has taught me that it’s really helpful for when younger ones are a little frightened of the camera to begin with – they get to have a little play with it, take some pictures of their parents, and overcome their fear of the photographer. Nikki’s boys were really relaxed and boisterous, so I didn’t get the camera out until later, when they were running out of energy, and this new toy kept their interest in the shoot until it was time to head in for a well-deserved hot chocolate.
The heavens really had opened by this point but there was just enough time for me to capture a few shots of the birthday girl with her balloons before we had to call it a day.
I had a great time with Nikki, Chris, and the boys, and I’m really glad I could help her celebrate her birthday. It wasn’t a total wash-out after all – not only did Nikki get to spend her special day with her gorgeous family (and me!) but she also now has a set of pictures which capture a lovely moment in in the midst of this topsy-turvy year.
Family Photography, Wellsbourne, Ettington, Stratford upon Avon
