Coronavirus Update
I've had lots of enquiries asking whether I'm still able to offer shoots during at this time, so I wanted to give you a quick Coronavirus update!
Are shoots still going ahead?
Firstly, yes, I am still offering shoots at the moment. The current Welsh Government guidelines mean that I can continue to offer shoots. I'm also able to travel to different counties for work. I cover the whole of South Wales, including Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, RCT, Bridgend and Swansea. I am based near Cowbridge, in the Vale of Glamorgan but if you live in a different county, I am able to travel to your county (not vice versa,). There are lots of fabulous locations everywhere, so don't worry about not being able to travel!
All my shoots take place outside, which means that we are much safer, out in the fresh air. Social distancing is also easier outdoors too. The lenses that I have are able to capture you from a distance, so there's no need for me to get close to you. Of course, I carry hand sanitiser with me and use it before, after and sometimes during a session.
Finally, I am offering password protected online galleries to clients as an option, instead of in person viewing sessions. This means that you can view your images from the comfort of your home. I'm available to chat over the phone and help with any advice that you might need.
Latest work
In spite of this nightmare, I have actually been really busy since the Summer. Want to see what I've been up to since lockdown restrictions were eased earlier in the year?
To finish my Coronavirus update, here are some images from recent family shoots at Southerndown beach, Dunraven Gardens, Nash Lighthouse, Ogmore Castle and not forgetting front gardens!
Follow me on Instagram to see lots more of my latest shoots!
Check out my newly updated family portfolio, children's portfolio and headshots and personal branding portfolio too!
Gemma Griffiths is a Cardiff family photographer, based in the Vale of Glamorgan. She offers outdoor family photo shoots across South Wales.
South Wales - Local Days Out
Easing out of lockdown - Local Days Out in South Wales
I don't know about you, but I'm finding the transition from lockdown to less of a lockdown a bit tricky. One minute I'm safely tucked up at home and the next minute, I can go shopping, play group sports and go out for dinner! The rules seem to be changing so quickly that I can't keep up.
Now that school is over (finally!), I've been thinking about local day trips that we can make as family, whilst still keeping to the current rules. As a Cardiff family photographer, I'm lucky to spend time with clients outside in lots of great locations, so I've got plenty of ideas!
I can't wait to get out and about and back to some of our favourite places.
So, here's my top 7 places that make great family local days out in South Wales - without the crowds.
7 Local Days Out in South Wales (in no particular order)
1. Dyffryn Gardens
This place is a firm family favourite. We've been National Trust members for a few years now and so we regularly visit Dyffryn Gardens for a family picnic and stroll around the gardens. At the moment, you'll need to pre-book an arrival slot online. It's very straightforward. There's a one way system to get in and out of the gardens and it's so spacious, that there's loads of room for families to sit and enjoy the space without going near anyone else.
The shop and toilets are now open, so you can buy an ice cream and enjoy the peaceful views. Some of the smaller gardens and the play areas are closed right now but there's still plenty of space and things to see.
Here's a picture of my two, in the rain, when we visited last week.
2. Porthcawl to Rest Bay
We do this a lot. We park at the quieter end of Porthcawl, usually in a residential street and then walk, scoot, skateboard or bike to Rest Bay. Once there, we'll enjoy a picnic or a swim in the sea. The lifeguards are now back on duty and more people are visiting the beach but as it's such a big space, there's plenty of room to find a quiet spot.
After the beach we normally head back to Porthcawl for an ice cream before going home. The shops and cafes are all now open and operating under social distancing rules. You can pop to Beales for some fish and chips or stop at one of the cafes on the esplanade for a coffee.
3. Three Cliffs Bay
The beaches in the Gower are some of my favourites in South Wales and this one is a stunner. We visited last weekend and it was glorious. There's a few different ways to get down to the beach. We found a random field, advertising parking and parked there but there's also official car parks, including one run by the National Trust. The beach is big and because it's not so straightforward to access, like it's neighbours, Langland Bay and Caswell Bay, it's quieter. Make sure you check the tides before you go though and be careful that you don't get cut off by one of the beach rivers that zig zag the bay. The walk from the car park is around a mile, so be prepared for a bit of a trek but it's worth it.
4. Margam Park
You can lose a day in Margam Park. There's so many different parts that it can keep you occupied for hours. It's another family favourite of ours but we haven't been so far this year yet. It's now open from 10am-4.30pm. The toilets and cafe are open but the children's play area, castle, train and gift shop remain closed. They are restricting visitor numbers so it shouldn't be crowded.
5. Southerndown beach
A bit closer to home for us but I couldn't complete this list without mentioning my favourite local beach - Southerndown (Dunraven Bay). At the moment, the main car park on the beach remains closed but the car park at the top of the hill is open (£6 for any time longer than an hour, you can pay via your phone).
Due to the difficult parking situation the beach remains quieter than it's neighbour Ogmore and so it's a better option if you're looking for a socially distanced day out. Please be careful around the cliffs though. I've seen lots of people sitting underneath the rocks at the base of the cliffs and it's super dangerous. Rocks fall off the cliffs and you don't want to be there when they do.
There's also some lovely walks in the area. You can walk along the cliffs in both directions - heading towards Ogmore one way or Llantwit Major in the other direction. There's plenty of room up on the cliffs for a quiet family picnic. Just keep away from the edge. Probably not the best choice if you have small children or dogs.
6. Hensol Forest
A little hidden gem in the Vale. The forest is big but we usually follow the same path when we visit. We park in the car park near Welsh St Donats and do a figure of 8 around the forest. There's usually a few dog walkers and families around but it's peaceful and quiet most of the time.
7. Bryngarw Country Park
With over a 100 acres of parkland, there's loads of room to explore the area without bumping into anyone else. There's a pay and display car park and toilets available. The children's play area and cafe remain closed in July, but may re-open in August.
It's a fabulous location for a family photo shoot too - especially in the Autumn time. I love this image taken there on an Autumn shoot.
Do you have any more suggestions of local days out to add to the list? I'd love to hear from you with family day out ideas that avoid the crowds!
If you fancy a family photo shoot, there's lots of great locations that we can use, off the beaten track.
Get in touch to book your outdoor family shoot. You can see more of my work in my portfolios or follow me on Instagram for more recent shoots!
Mini Beach Shoots 2020
MINI BEACH SHOOTS 2020
After the success of my mini beach shoots 2019, they are back in 2020 but with a few tweaks! The perfect gift for Mother's Day!
I very quickly realised that I can't do a shoot at the beach in 30 mins, so I've extended the time to an hour. I also discovered that to get the best combination of tide, weather and sunset times I can only do one shoot per day. This is all good news for my clients as sessions are now longer and more flexible. Hooray!
So, what's included in the Mini Beach Shoot package? Well, you have an hour long photo shoot at the beach, plus 5 prints and matching digital images for only £199! If you fall in love with the rest of the images (I will warn you that EVERYONE that had a shoot last year bought extra images, with most clients upgrading to the full digital package), there are upgrade packages available.
I'm only offering 10 slots (I ended up doing many more last year), as I need to make sure I've got time and weekend availability for all my family shoots too.
So, if you want one, be quick! You can book directly through the website.
See below for a small snippet of my beach fun from 2019. There's a real mixture of shoots, from a baking hot day to a crisp windy day. There was also a grandparents session, a maternity session and loads of gorgeous sunsets. If you want to see more, visit the blog, or check out my Instagram account.
BOOK NOW!
Gem x
BOOK A BEACH MINI SESSION NOW!
Maternity beach shoot near Cardiff
Maternity beach shoot near Cardiff
This maternity beach shoot near Cardiff, is one of my favourite shoots of 2019! I love maternity shoots and so I was super excited to have a client that wanted to meet on the beach at sunset. We're so lucky to have such a beautiful coast line so near to Cardiff.
She looked absolutely beautiful in her baby pink maternity dress, which perfectly matched the sky as the sun set. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect scenario. A walk on the cliff tops was followed by a small panic, (we thought the baby was going to make an early entrance!) but luckily all was well and we managed to get down to the beach just as the sky was washed in the most gorgeous pink hues.
A wonderful set of images for them to cherish and to show their son when he's older.
After each photo session, clients visit my home office to see their images in a slideshow. They also get to see a 9 image collage of images created especially for them. They can choose to order the 9 image collage as a print or in a multi-aperture frame. I really enjoy putting the images together to suggest how they might like to display their images at home. See more about my products on my products page.
I'm now offering limited edition beach mini sessions for 2020. You can book a shoot directly through the website, or drop me a line to find out more.
See more beach shoots on my Instagram account too!
Gem x
South Wales Sunset Photo Shoot
Check out this gorgeous South Wales sunset photo shoot! When I started photographing families 13 years ago, it was primarily families with young children. Over the years there seems to have been a shift in that pattern and now I'm getting lots of bookings with older children. Maybe it's because my children are growing up and I know lots of people with older children. Or maybe it's because families have started to realise it's never too late to capture the magic of their kids - no matter how old they are!
This shoot was booked to capture 3 cousins together and I managed to twist Mum's arm into joining in with the shoot and getting some family photos taken at the same time. I'm pretty sure she's pleased that I did and now they have a gorgeous selection of images of ALL of them before their eldest finishes school. I feel very passionately about encouraging parents to include themselves into the family photos. It's a shared history that is not complete without every member of the family being featured.
The beach at sunset it my favourite place to be and I'm very grateful that my clients agree. We had a spectacular sunset on this shoot - scroll down to see the amazing colours. We started off with a walk around the gardens and on the cliff tops. Then went down to the beach to watch the sunset. There was some hot chocolate too - nice one Mum!
If you fancy a family shoot on location in South Wales - be it at the beach or at a favourite location of yours - drop me a line.
You can follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see more of my latest work. You can also check out my family portfolio and pricing information too.
Gem x
