Pop-up photo sessions in Cowbridge with Gemma Griffiths Photography
Well, my pop-up mini photo sessions are going down a storm at the moment and I've just announced a new date for June! The pop-up sessions are 10 minute, free photo shoots for your little ones. There's no tricks up my sleeve, so secret sales technique, you can buy one image, three images or ten images, whatever you fancy. There's no surprise price list, in fact the price list is very simple - it's £12 for a 5"x7" print and £15 for a 10"x7" print. If you want digital files they are also available at £15 each. Simples!
As they are only 10 minutes long the sessions are only suitable for 1 or 2 children at a time, or child and Mummy or Daddy, so we can't squeeze a whole family shoot into one slot. The slots are also booked back to back so if your little one arrives and decides that they aren't in the mood for photos then I can just add you onto the list for the next pop-up session instead. (Note: chocolate buttons are a good blackmail technique. Just saying). There will be one more pop-up session in June and possibly one in July and then that's it for the time being. Keep your eyes peeled on my Facebook page for new events.
A lot of my pop-up clients are repeat customers that have already had a full family shoot or nursery shoots with me in the past and are updating their images. If you'd like a family photo shoot and don't want the constraints of a 10 minute pop-up then I offer lovely family shoots out and about around the Vale. There's no time limit to them and we get the choice of different locations, outfits and loads of variety in terms of family groups, siblings together, individual portraits etc. You can see more from my family shoots on my family portfolio page.
In the meantime, I wanted to share this gorgeous set of images from a recent pop-up session at Llanblethian Baby & Toddler Group, just outside Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan. These images were taken in a 10 minute time slot with two beautiful sisters. There's only half the set featured here, so there were plenty to choose from!
If you're interested in my pop-up sessions or would like to book a full family shoot, please get in touch for a chat.
Gem x
Pop-up portrait sessions with Gemma Griffiths Photography
The main bulk of my work is photographing families on location in the beautiful countryside of the Vale of Glamorgan but a few times a year I offer pop-up photo sessions at local playgroups or seasonal mini sessions. This year, I changed the way that I work a little bit. I have experience as a headshot and school portrait photographer so I used the same methods to take portraits of little ones at their toddler groups. I used to aim for around 4-6 images per child and always try and make sure that I had the 'eye contact' shot and focussed on producing a few head and shoulder portraits for parents to choose from.
This year after a fab training session and some market research amongst my clients I discovered that parents didn't just want the head and shoulder portrait. They actually wanted a mixture of posed and unposed shots. They wanted images to show off their child's personality and the environment they are in. Well, this was music to my ears because I've always preferred unposed and natural images, so I decided to experiment with my Spring toddler groups and tried to capture more than just a portrait.
The response has been awesome from parents. I've presented between 10-30 images to families with a variety of posed and unposed images. Images that have more authenticity than a 'say cheese' picture and it feels brilliant!
At these toddler sessions I only have 10 minutes per child, so most of the images have been taken in the same spot. I wanted to show you an example of some of the images from this little girls gallery - she had 33 images in total and I've only shared 16 here. As you can see, you can get a gorgeous set of images in a short space of time. You can see her cheeky little grin, her thoughtful moments and a little bit of sass thrown in for good measure. The session took place at the Colwinston Baby & Toddler group which is held in the village hall in Colwinston, just outside Cowbridge. The garden behind the hall has a carpet of wild forget-me-nots at this time of year and they provide such a lovely backdrop to my Spring portraits here.
If you run or attend a local playgroup and would like me to visit for a pop-up portrait session then please get in touch to let me know. You can also keep in touch by following my Facebook page. I'll add new events as they get scheduled throughout the year.
If you have a group of friends or family members that are interested in a photo session then there is also the option of booking a private Group Mini Session for you all. Group Mini Sessions are a longer than my pop-up sessions and can include whole families, friendship groups and cousins etc. You can find out all about the idea behind my Group Mini Sessions on my blog.
Gem x
5 things you can do to prepare for your pop-up portrait session!
5 things you can do to prepare for your pop-up portrait session!
Twice a year, in the Spring and Autumn time, I visit local preschools and toddler groups in South Wales for portrait sessions. The pop up portrait sessions are a chance for parents to get some lovely portraits without having a full family shoot. They are also a great way to showcase my work and often lead to family sessions being booked to include siblings and parents too!
Each season brings wonderful backdrops and I love seeing the same children twice a year and see how much they've grown! You can see some images from my previous portrait sessions at Cowbridge Baby & Toddler Group in the Autumn and Colwinston Baby & Toddler Group in the Autumn, Llanblethian Baby & Toddler Group in the Spring, and Colwinston Baby & Toddler Group in the Spring on my blog.
Here's a useful guide on how to prepare for your slot!
1. Timing is everything.
Everyone is given a 10 minute time slot, so it's important to be ready when it's your turn. The sessions are pretty informal and relaxed and I'll try and get as many images as I can in the time allotted but will need to stop when your 10 minutes is up. Often children can take a while to warm up or are simply not in the right mood. I promise to try my very best but sometimes it's easier to book a full family photo shoot so that they have plenty of time to relax and you don't have the time pressure. Find out more about my full family shoots on my pricing page and family portfolio.
2. Clean those little faces.
If you have baby wipes or tissues, please try and make sure faces, especially little noses are clean. Photoshop can only do so much. :)
3. Clothing is important.
Have a think about what you'd like your child to wear for the session. Try and avoid large logo's and pictures on clothing. Also avoid very bright blocks of colour but patterns (checks, wide stripes, flowers or spots) are all fine. If in doubt stick to neutral colours, cream, pale blues, pinks, lemon yellows all look good. You can't go wrong with navy or denim either but steer clear of large blocks of black or white. Think about what might be appropriate for the season - in the Autumn, mustard yellows, deep reds and burnt oranges can look nice. In Spring, opt for lighter colours.
4. Don't worry
I'm pretty relaxed when it comes to photographing little ones and they don't respond well to stress. I'll try a few different poses with them and see what works but please don't feel under any pressure for them to perform. I've worked with children for years now and don't expect them to sit still and smile sweetly at me (although it does happen occasionally!). Please don't feel stressed or pressured - with little ones we have to go with the flow.
5. Bring along something that will make your child smile.
You know your child best, so if there's something that's guaranteed to make them giggle, then bring it along. If it means you have to stand behind me and sing 'Baa baa black sheep' or do 'the floss', then feel free. The aim of the session is get some nice natural relaxed portraits, so making your child laugh is the easiest way. Don't worry though, I always work with an assistant and my trusty toucan puppet Dave is always on hand to put on a show if he's needed.
So that's it! I'll be popping into Llanblethian Baby & Toddler Group and Colwinston Baby & Toddler Group in the Spring and Autumn. If you'd like to book a 10 minute slot at any of the sessions, please drop me a line.
Always keep your eyes peeled on my Facebook page for information about new portrait sessions. To be the first to hear about all new events, sign up to my mailing list - pop your email into the box at the bottom of my homepage. My mailing list always get exclusive updates on new dates and events before I publish them online.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Gem x
