Now spring has arrived at Tylney there are a plethora of opportunities for beautiful backdrops. Can you tell us your favourite locations in the Tylney grounds throughout the spring months?
Well, to be honest, Tylney offers the perfect backdrops all year round! But spring is particularly colourful...
March: The carpets of daffodils that line the front drive, down by the boating lake and also in the water gardens are just gorgeous. I also love to photograph children and families in amongst the cherry blossom all around the grounds for some lovely, dreamy images.
April: This month sees the crossover between the daffodils and the bluebells. There are some lovely displays of the latter at the back of the hotel, both sides of the vista. They provide the perfect setting to capture the imagination of children and for the most captivating portraits. And if that wasn’t enough the most gorgeous light falls on this area too, especially during the longer evenings
May: This month sees the continuation of the Bluebells but also the Rhododendrons all around the grounds suddenly burst into blossom. And in the second half of the month, we’re treated to the most amazing displays of Wisteria
What style of family photography do you do/ what’s your approach?
Natural, tender, ‘in the moment’ and full of emotion. I love to capture the character and personalities of my subjects and the relationships between them. My approach is to choose a location where everyone can feel comfortable, relaxed and even inspired. Of course, the grounds of Tylney are perfect!
How does a family photo shoot session go? What's the format?
Many of my clients are repeat customers so they are already familiar with how the sessions run. However, for new clients, I send them an information pack that helps them with things like what to wear, what to expect – everything to help them get the most out of the shoot. I also invite them to have a chat through it all if they so wish. When it comes to the actual session, we spend approximately 1-hour exploring different areas of the grounds according to the season and also where the best light is. This is all very relaxed and informal and conducted in such a way that everyone can have a lot of fun and really be themselves. This is when the magic happens and I go about capturing a series of beautiful photographs of everyone in different combinations, individually to full group.
I’m sure each family/photoshoot is special/different but is there one that stands out for you?
It’s really difficult to single one out but generally, the shoots that give me the greatest sense of fulfilment are always the ones where a child arrives feeling very nervous, shy or just uncooperative, but by the end of it they are full of laughs and just having a great time. I end up producing a great set of images that the parents thought wouldn’t be possible.
They say you should never work with animals or children, how do you find working with the latter? And any tips for parents with wildlings?
It’s about really trying to work out what a child wants to do and more importantly what they don’t want to do. Somehow I have a worrying ability to think like a child in order to get the best out of them. As one of my clients once said: “AJ is perfectly suited to be a photographer of little ones because he just gets them”.
The environment is crucial – open space, places to explore and finding ways to make them laugh along the way. In actual fact I’ve learnt that when it comes to photographing children they are no different to the rest of us. The trick is to take their attention away from the camera and to get them more in the moment. My biggest tip for parents? Don’t ask them to smile! No one likes to see a child grimacing or gurning like they are sat on the toilet! Find a way to entertain them and to make them laugh whilst clicking the shutter.
How did you get into photography?
Like most people, I always enjoyed taking photos but with my young son becoming more and more active I became very frustrated that my little ‘point and shoot’ camera never seemed to allow me to capture that moment or the cheeky expression that I so dearly wanted to ‘freeze’ in time. It was only when I picked up my first DSLR camera 10 years ago that the feeling of utopia arrived and suddenly my son became the most photographed little boy in the world! Some very pleasing results gave me the confidence to explore my camera to its full potential and before long people started to commission me to photograph their families, weddings and events. At that stage it was just a part-time hobby, providing the perfect escape from my accountancy day job and the pressures of corporate life. Never in a million years did I think I’d be successful enough to turn my passion into a full-time career but that chance was created in 2011 and, with some amazing support and understanding, from my family I haven’t looked back.
Find out more about Family Lifestyle Portraits at Tylney Hall