A few months ago we met this lovely American Family who are living in London.  They have 3 boys who are aged between 7 and 12.  The family was so much fun from start to finish and were up for experimenting with the props in the studio and just having a fun day out as a family.

Megan found out about us through a stall that we had at a Christmas Fair. She said, “I had seen some of the work from Boggio Studios before and I really liked it. However, I was working at the Fair and didn’t get to stop by. It was our eldest son, who is 12, who spent a bit of time flipping through some of the photo albums on display. My son brought his dad to the stall and said that he should buy me a photo shoot as a Christmas present.  A brilliant idea – as we have never done a family photo shoot before – and something I wouldn’t have thought my son would be interested in giving as a gift.”

Megan carried on to tell us that with a busy family they just hadn’t found time to organise a family portrait. “The boys are always busy with school, football, music and just playing.  However, now we feel that we are at a precious and fun time in our family where it is important to capture the boys (aged 12, 10 and 7) and their relationship with each other.”

Our Photographer Kate absolutely loved taking the photos of this family and took some time at the start of the shoot to talk about what they wanted from their session with us.  Our Studio is like a treasure trove with all the props we have for families to use.  This was a great icebreaker for the boys coming into the studio.  Megan said, “The boys explored some of the props in the room and began to just play around.  We were just able to relax. The boys played around with balls, tennis racquets, chalkboards and jumped and danced as their photos were taken. It was actually great family time together.”

A few weeks later they all came back in for their viewing and absolutely loved the images that they were shown. “It was incredible to us how wonderfully our goal had been met. While we had a great time, we didn’t know what to expect from the actual images.  However, the photos were unbelievable, amazing. What was most incredible to us was how the photos really captured the personality of each boy and the bonds between the brothers and the whole family.”

Fun Questions:

How old are your children? 12, 10, 7
What’s their favourite toys\games\activity?
12:  football and music
10:  football, skiing
7:   card games like bridge and football
What’s their favourite books?
12:  Naughts and Crosses, Malorie Blackman
10:  The Mark of Athena, Rick Riordan
7:  Born to Run, Michael Morpurgo
What’s their favourite food?
12: pizza and ice cream  (chocolate)
10: sushi & chocolate
7: pancakes and french toast
What’s your favourite parenting advice?
Remember to enjoy the moment and have lots of patience!

They had found out about us online and Fawad says, “The images immediately captured our attention and the urban and chic look made it all the more appealing. We wanted to be part of it and also, with London being one of our favourite cities, we wanted to capture the essence of London by the I love London shoot.”

We arranged for them to do an I Love London shoot with Julia out around London and then they came into the studio for a couples shoot on the following day.  We arranged for hair and makeup as part of their studio shoot, which made them feel even more glamorous  and added to the whole overall experience.

We absolutely loved being able to spend a couple of days with this gorgeous couple.  They were so much fun to be with and absolutely loved being able to do a photo shoot in London with them.  When we asked them why they wanted to do a photo shoot Fawad mentioned that his wife had just hit a huge personal milestone prior to their trip to London and she needed to be spoilt for such a great achievement. “What better way to celebrate the new found confidence than by doing a photo shoot around one of our favourite cities.”

“For the outdoor shoot, Julia made us feel comfortable from the minute we met her and her warm, friendly, fun nature helped us to be at ease especially while taking photos in the middle of busy London streets.  The studio shoot was made very comfortable with the most friendly and cheerful team.  Julia and Katy were both fantastic.”

When we asked Fawad about why having these portraits was so important to them he told us,  “It was great to be able to remember those times which disappear in the blink of an eye.  It was also great to capture those precious moments of being with the love of your life.”

How would you describe us when recommending us to friends and family? Friendly, Fun, creative

Please describe your experience in three words.
Lovely, Fun, Memorable

We can’t wait to do more shoots with them in the future….they’ve hinted that they would love to do a family shoot when they have a little one in the future.  They are definitely part of the wonderful Boggio Family.

I am very privileged, as a photographer, to be able to be part of some very precious moments in a family’s life.  One of my favourite times to photograph is the arrival of a new little one.  I love to be able to do the artistic shots in a pregnancy shoot and then to meet the new little addition for their newborn shoot either here at our Wimbledon studio or at their home.

Last year we had a call from Therieza who had seen our display of pregnancy and newborn images in the maternity suite at Kingston hospital.  Being a mother to 2 boys she knew that she wanted to capture this third pregnancy in a special way, particularly because they knew that they were expecting their new baby girl.

Therieza wanted to book in her newborn shoot because she had fallen in love with the idea of having some beautiful portraits of their new baby daughter.  Having penciled in a newborn shoot she then decided that she wanted to treat herself to a pregnancy shoot as well so we arranged for her to come in to our Wimbledon Studio at around the 35 week mark.

“I have always loved the feeling of being photographed, but when I saw the display in Kingston hospital where I would have my baby, I fell in love with the photographs and was impressed with the quality of the shots.”

After the pregnancy shoot Therieza loved the images so much that she couldn’t wait for the baby to arrive so that we could do the newborn shoot. We always advise doing the newborn shoot within the first 10 days of the baby’s life so it’s good to pencil in a date, we can always change it if the baby decides to come early or late.  In Therieza’s case their little girl took a little longer to arrive but when she did, they came in as a whole family for a wonderful shoot together to celebrate her arrival.

“We wanted to capture the earliest memory of having our little girl. It was so overwhelming to have our only family portraits immediately after she was born. It was very special. I really couldn’t wait to have our photos enlarged.”

“The warm, calm, and stress-free environment of the studio was an added bonus. There was a toilet, which shows that Boggio Studios understands the necessities of being pregnant and a new mum. There was a portable heater, which worked wonders for our baby girl, and there were so many different kinds of interesting props that my boys played around with. I loved the different types of backdrops.”

“Our photographer was Katy. She was very patient with us, she waited whilst I fed and put our little girl to sleep. She was playful with the boys but very gentle with the baby. She recommended poses and ideas and took on board our suggestions.”

“It was a memorable experience with lots of fun, you will be glad you went.”

Some fun questions about the family.

How old are your children?

At the time of the photoshoot, 9 & 8 yrs and 5 days old.

What’s their favourite toys?

The boys particularly love to play with battleships, scrabble & nintendo wii.

What’s their favourite books?

T likes Just Williams books and M is currently into Beastquest series.

What’s your favourite children’s book?

Kenneth (Dad) likes Sam & the Firefly and I, The Little Red Hen.

What’s their favourite food?

They would eat anything and everything (yes, even greens!) but T loves pizza and M’s favourite is Tony Romas’ rack of ribs (like me!).

What’s your favourite parenting advice?

Aim to excel in school and finish University. It’s your armour for the rest of your life.

This week’s family is no exception.  Ellie and Sarah first heard about us through the Wimbledon & Wandsworth NCT group.  They said, “We are keen to support local business in the area and after looking at the website we liked the feel of the pictures and hoped that the shoot would provide us with something unique.”

When asked about why they chose to have a family photo shoot they said that that they wanted to really celebrate their baby’s birth. “It was a special occasion for us. After our baby was born in August 2012, we wanted to celebrate the new addition in our family.”

“A family portrait captures a moment in your life and can be shared by all family and friends. Photos make a house a home and we wanted something unique/quirky for our home which reflected our personalities.”

The shoot was obviously a very relaxed affair as Ellie and Sarah both said, “Things never seemed a rush and it’s very relaxed. We had plenty of time to play with him between shots and this really helped to get the most of the shoot. Kate, our photographer was lovely and we couldn’t fault her efforts in trying to get our little one to smile, which is no mean feat when a camera is pointed at him! The studio was relaxed and welcoming. After we had a lovely cuppa and a chat, the shoot seemed to take no time at all and our baby particularly enjoyed the car. It was just a shame he was too young to sit up in it!”

When Ellie and Sarah came back in for their viewing, they brought Sarah’s parents with them as well. Ellie says, “We really enjoyed popping in to view the photos and Sarah’s mum was particularly impressed and shed a few tears!”  They chose some gorgeous images for their wall and I would like to think that we met their dream of creating with something unique for their family home.  It’s not every day we get to help a little one to fly!

We absolutely loved having you in the studio, Ellie & Sarah. We’ll have to get the three of you back in again when your little one is big enough for the car…our creative juices are flowing on how we can create a car themed piece of wall art for you.

Fun Questions:

What is his favourite toy? His door bouncer

What is his favourite book? “Is this my nose?” by Georgie Birkett

What’s your favourite children’s book? “The Famous Five” series by Enid Blyton.

What is his favourite food? Pear and sweet potato, although mostly he still loves his milk.

What’s your favourite parenting advice? We are still learning as parents but our advice would be, there is always time for fun and cuddles!

Styled Family Location Shoot

We would love to come to your home or favourite park to do a family location shoot in London.

For Easter holidays we have a fantastic offer for you:

A 2-hour family location shoot for £95 rather than the usual £295. To take advantage of this offer you must book in your shoot to take place on a weekday between 2^nd-12^th April.

Designer Art Session

If you prefer to be in the warmth of our studio, then you can come and experience our new Designer Art Family Portrait sessions on Saturday, April 6^th and 13^th.

To celebrate this launch we are offering the 1-hour portrait sessions for £20 (a saving of £175).

Our highly skilled post-production and design team will transform your family portraits into custom-made designer art.  We have just launched these with great success and would love to decorate your homes for you. We only have a few sessions available for this, so please do call and book in to avoid disappointment: 020 7042 9777.

It’s not every day I turn up at a shoot and think that the mother looks like she could be my sister. But that’s how I felt when I turned up at this family’s gorgeous home in Kensington. I immediately went back to the studio to download the images to show everybody my new relative.

Andrea had been referred to us by another client of ours in Kensington. We love referrals! In fact, Andrea has said she would describe us to her friends as “friendly, flexible, thoughtful, kind and understanding.”

I loved photographing Andrea and her beautiful boys. As you know, I’m passionate about the importance of family photography. Andrea says, “I did not realise it was important to me until I saw the pictures. I am so happy Julia captured my boys in our home.”

Boggio Studios photographs many families in the Kensington & Chelsea area, so please contact us if you are interested in a home shoot.

By popular request, Boggio Studios is offering photographic training courses for parents who want to take better photos of their children at home and on holiday. The course consists of 4 lessons, covering:

Lesson 1: Introduction to your camera. Learn how to take your camera off automatic and make more creative decisions with your settings.

Lesson 2: Composition and how to create stunning images. Learn about depth of field and further experimenting with creative camera settings.

Lesson 3: Natural posing. Learn techniques for getting the best out of children, babies, women and families.

Lesson 4: Using light. Understanding natural light, reflectors and camera flash modes.

There will be a practical element to the lessons and two weeks in between each class in order to practice what you’ve learned.

WHEN: Dates for the spring term are April 17, May 1,15 and 29 and it will run from 7-9pm
WHERE: At our Wimbledon Studio (Unit 5, The Apprentice Shop, Merton Abbey Mills, Merantun Way, SW19 2RD)
COST: £250 per person.
TO BOOK: Click HERE or call 020 7042 9777

The course is limited to 10 students.

Kaz Fernando, who often works with us on make-up and hair on our boudoir shoots, decided it was time to bring her children, Jess and Max, in for a shoot. “I’d been thinking of getting some proper photographs together with my children for a while and I decided to finally get my act together in time for Mother’s Day this year.

“Before we know it, they’ll be grown up and gone so – I know it sounds a cliché – but these photos are actually a once-in-a-lifetime thing. We‘ve taken plenty of casual shots of the family over the years and, of course, they’re great.

“But for once I wanted something that was a lot more professional and maybe a bit iconic – you know, the one set of shots that become a family milestone. Everyone at Boggio Studios made us all feel so at ease and the results are absolutely fabulous. Can’t think why we waited so long now!”

On Mother’s Day (March 10), we are offering just FOUR SPACES for four lucky mums to be photographed in our couture gowns with their children. We’ll spoil them with Prosecco while getting their hair and make-up done. As Kaz says, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The slots available are:

9:15-11:00am
11:15-1:00pm BOOKED
1:45-3:30pm
3:45-5:30pm

The experience includes 1hour of hair and make-up, followed by a 45-minute shoot.

Couture Mummy Shoot only: £395
Couture Mummy Shoot plus small frame (16×14″): £600 (saving £95)

To book your space, please phone us right away on 020 7042 9777. Spaces will go on a first come first served basis.

We want the images to be timeless and classic, so once you have booked, we will be in touch to discuss the shoot and to advise you on clothes for the children.

Happy Mother’s Day!

While the rest of London worried about the snow, our intrepid group met up at the RSA and had a fabulous time. The RSA boasts a number of great shooting spots, including the big windowed arcade upstairs and the mysterious vaults. It’s a wonderful place for a wedding.

Here are the results of the shoot. All credits are at the end.

Credits

Venue RSA House
Styling & Coordination UK Alliance of Wedding Planners
Make up Mariam Jensen
Hair Severin Hubert
Flowers Mary-Jane Vaughn
Wedding dresses Johanna Hehir
Bridesmaid dresses Twobirds Bridesmaid
Suits Cad & The Dandy
Stationery Cutture
Accessories Victoria Millésime
Cake Tempting Cake
Hire (tableware etc) Options Hire
Models Chloe-Jasmine Whichello, Joseph Bader, Sjaniel Turrell

In honour of his super-cool attitude, we decided to give him the cowboy treatment. I’m sure you’ll agree that he looks very cute. Mummy Annelieke said, “When we came across the studio’s stand at a show, we immediately loved the display and the examples of other families’ photo shoots.

“We will be leaving the UK in a couple of months to return to the Netherlands. After having lived here for almost 7 years and with two little additions to our family, we wanted to have a memory of our time here. At first we thought of buying a painting of London. But a photo with the British flag as background creates a real nice memory, and it is far more personal!

“Although this photo will look dated when our children grow older, we can show them how we all looked during this phase of our lives. I still love to see old photos of my mum and dad with 60′s glasses and outfits. I hope our children will feel the same when they are older and are browsing through family pictures.”

We love having fantastic families like this in the studio. It’s important to us that they have a good time and enjoy their time with us. Annelieke continues, “We felt very welcome and loved the experience of the photoshoot. There was no time pressure and we could take a break to ensure our children stayed happy and we were looked after well.

“Hollie, our photographer, was very nice and patient and came up with good suggestions on positions to take and came up with a few of the many objects available to add to the setting.

“Our experience was memorable in three ways: first the shoot, second the images and third as a good memory for our children in the future.”

Thank you for your kind words, Annelieke! And good luck with your move back to the Netherlands!

Fun Questions
How old are your children? 2 years and 7 months
What’s her favourite toy? Our 2-year-old’s favorite toy is her teddy bear named Edgar (he actually appears on a few shots)
What’s her favourite book? All books from Charlie & Lola
What’s your favourite children’s book? I love the signed copy I got for my daughter from Julia Donaldson’s The Paper Dolls
What’s her favourite food? They both love mangoes!
What’s your favourite parenting advice? Give your children space to take their own initiative and support them so that they can grow into confident little human beings.