A mother sits on the floor of her Cheltenham home with her three children sat looking at her

meet CLAIRE

Family is everything.

Before becoming a photographer, I was a secondary school teacher for 10 years. A job that actually has many parallels with what I do now - working alongside children, encouraging them to feel confident in who they are, looking to bring out their best.

So why the career change? When I became a mum, I realised just what people mean when they say that time goes too fast when you have kids and I desperately wanted to slow it down. I still do.

Photography gave me that magical power - to capture forever the moments that can be gone in an instant - the feeling of their tiny hand in yours; the touch of their cheek as they nuzzle into your neck; the look in their eyes as they check to see you’re still by their side.

Those tangible, precious memories and feelings, brought to life in a photo.

So when I meet your family and take your photograph, I do so not only as a photographer but also as a mum, looking to pause time for you in the same way I’ve done with my children. Because family is everything.

What I’m proud of…

Apart from my 3 boys, having a number of my photos selected by ‘Vogue Italia’ and coming 3rd in the international ‘Birth & Beyond Photography Awards 2020’ is definitely up there for me.

What I love…

Beautiful light, travelling (especially in the USA where we lived for a few years), books, geeking out at the garden centre and pottering about with my plants, eating cakes (and attempting to bake them), macaroni cheese…in fact anything with cheese, Netflix binges and cuddles with my boys.

What I’m up to…

When I’m not creating joy-filled, love-bursting photos for my wonderful families, you can probably find me either hiking over the Cotswold hills with my husband and my little tribe or curled up with a good book and some maltesers on the sofa!

about you

You are looking for photos which capture your family just as they are - whether that’s loud and energetic, adventurous and inquisitive or quiet and gentle. You love to play, run and dance with your children, taking every opportunity for quality time together. You are always happy for just one more cuddle, one more kiss and you just can’t help a quick ruffle of your kids’ hair as they walk past. You value real moments and genuine connection in your photographs so that when you look at them, you don’t just see the emotion but you feel it too. You want to capture the imperfectly perfect memories with the people you love the most. And that’s where I come in…

find out what a session with me is like:

the experience

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FAQ: How much do your sessions cost?

For me, photography is an investment. An investment in a photographer who has the experience, equipment and artistic skill to create beautiful, lifelong images you’ll treasure forever.

I am fully insured and have spent many years honing my craft and building the knowledge and skill needed to give you the best experience as well as stunning images.

I have put together a number of pricing packages which you can view here

FAQ: Where do your sessions take place?

I hold my photo sessions in two places: in-home and outdoors.

In-Home: This means that I come to you and run the photo session in the comfort of your home. This works perfectly for newborn sessions but also for family or maternity.. In fact, I think it’s the perfect place: it’s where you’re all most comfortable and the place which is such a big part of your family story.

Outdoors: I use a number of outdoor locations here in the beautiful Cotswolds. Once you have confirmed your booking, I share my location guide with you which takes you through all the options so we can choose the one which is right for you!

FAQ: How long do your sessions take?

I tend to allow one hour for a couples’ photo shoot, two hours for a family photo shoot and up to three hours for a newborn shoot. This longer session time is to allow for feeding, nappy changes and all the variables of life with a newborn baby!

FAQ: When is the right time for a newborn session?

This is very much a personal choice.

If you’d like photographs to capture those early days when they’re still very much newborn, I suggest within the first 4 weeks.

You may prefer to wait a little so you can all settle into your new routines. I have done ‘newborn’ sessions up to three months old when they’re showing more personality & making eye contact.

FAQ: How many people can be in our photo session?

A family photo session is for 6 people. But if you have a larger family or perhaps are celebrating a family reunion, an Extended Family session would be perfect. Have a look here to find out more about the packages I offer for this.

FAQ: What do we wear?

This is a very common question before a photo session and definitely something worth thinking about as it can make a big impact to your photos. Once you’re booked in, I share my Preparation Guide which has lots of advice about what to wear. And I really encourage my families to talk me through their outfit choices so I can advise and help pull it all together.

I don’t have a ‘client closet’ because just like everything else, I want your experience to be unique to you - wear your favourite dress which your kids will remember and see you in again; dress your little one in the baby grow you picked out for them and will squirrel away into their memory box forever.

FAQ: What if my kids play up?

Don’t worry! I’m a mum of 3 boys and I was a teacher for 10 years so I have a lot of experience being around children so nothing phases me.

My photo sessions are fun and relaxed so the children don’t feel any pressure - and there’s absolutely no “say cheese”! We play lots of games, they get lots of cuddles & kisses from you and most importantly, we capture lots of real, genuine, beautiful moments.

FAQ: How do I book a session?

When you first get in touch, I send over my Welcome Pack which gives you more information about what I do.

Then if you’d like to go ahead, I ask for a £100 deposit and a signed contract to secure the booking. The remaining balance is then due the day before the photo session.