Hi! I’m Emily…
A photographer for 17 years, although let’s call it 12 years to allow for three house renovations, eight (!!) house moves, birthing two humans and general parenting paraphernalia. I’m hoping the more chaotic life events are now behind me and I can finally focus a little more on my career.
I primarily photograph families in the pretty parks of Tunbridge Wells, Kent and Bedgebury Pinetum but I also love an excuse to whizz down to the stunning sand dunes of Camber Sands, East Sussex. Equally happy to hop on a train to the buzz of London.
My story RE WORD MASSIVELY
It started age 17, asking my art teacher “what‘s behind that locked door?”. My (apparently great) school had been hiding a fully fledged photography dark room and never thought to mention it! Well it opened up a new world to me. I used my dad’s SLR camera for the first time and coaxed my (very embarrassed) sixth former friends to be models. Reimagining/recreating the All Saints albums covers in ‘edgy’ areas around the school. Then the excitement came, in this secret dark room, when I first developed the rich, black & white prints in the (probably highly toxic) chemical solutions. So exciting to slowly see the image come to life. Oh the patience required back then.
I then got the bug even more after somehow managing to get a photographers press pass at the front row of the Clothes Show Live catwalk at the Birmingham NEC, now that was REALLY fun, such an adrenaline rush. And that was the moment I decided I wanted to be a photographer.
So although I officially started my photography business in 2009, I have in fact been photographing faces for 25 years, not sure I should be admitting that!
find negative to me at front of catwalk photo - might be in mums negs?
I attained a First Class Honours degree in Photography then went on to work for magazines in London for a few years followed by (nervously!) photographing weddings for a few years more. Eventually I decided to concentrate on family & baby photography, having now photographed well over ??? lovely familes, ??? if you include all the family group shots and guests shots at all the weddings I photographed.
My photography Style
When updating my website it gave me a chance to see my last (almost) 20 years worth of photos all together and these are some words (or ‘observations’?) that resonated throughout…‘closeness’, ‘cheeky’, ‘movement’, ‘joy’ & ‘heart’. And what a privilege to have a meaningful job that strives to capture and record these types of moments in a family’s life.
Favourite part of my job…
When I get home from a shoot and excitedly upload all the (thousands of!) photos then proudly enjoy my first look, especially if I notice that stand out shot that I know will make the parents beam with excitement. And, better still, knowing how important that photo will be for the children when they’re older. I take great care and pride in capturing photos good enough to last their life time and beyond.
To read some of the kind words that previous mums have … please click here
head shot
me ‘in action’ holding cam with fam infront of me
Away from photography, here are a few (very random) facts about me:
My guilty pleasure - Enya & fabric samples
I write far too many lists
I can’t sit on a sofa without dragging a cosy blanket over me
I've never had a manicure & can’t stand wasting time at a hair dressers, this gives you an insight into my general appearance
Dream job - a cellist for Ludovico Einaudi, saxophonist for Mark Knight’s ‘Man with the Red Face’ OR an olympic 100m runner. Says the girl who does no exercise & plays no musical instruments.
I'm a painful perfectionist… you wouldn’t bekeiev how many paint samples I’ve tested over my lifetime or photos that I went through for this website. My husband’s ‘80/20 rule’ doesn’t work for me… It’s draining!
I'm sentimental about… everything
As you’ll notice from the 3 aforementioned musicians, I have a wide & passionate love of music! Just anything but ABBA! ;)
3 from behind manobier beach
me as child holding cam?
My happy place (x 7 if I may):
On a Welsh beach with a hot flask (as the Welsh beach is usually cold, but oh so beautiful)
The exhilarating feeling when walking out of a freezing sea swim, but not the feeling of walking in!
Savouring a fully loaded scone, cream & jam…. in that order ;)
My old list would have written ‘evenings out with friends’ but id now defitnyl write ‘walks with friends’ instead! Much better for the soul, vocal cords and additional Vit D!
Wandering the (classier) streets of London admiring the old residential buildings (no interest in the shops)
Bare foot on the grass or sand (just don’t look at my ugly feet!)
Friday night G&T bopping about to some euphoric trance music in the kitchen, with three other members on the guest list.
Well I told you I liked lists! But that’s enough about me, what about you? I’d love for you to get in touch and tell me a little bit about yourself and whether you’d like me to photograph your lovely family? Please EMAIL ME (hyperlinked)
