Interested in a Spring photoshoot in Dorset?
The changing seasons mean that now’s a great time to book a spring photoshoot in Dorset with me.
Spring is my favourite time of year because the beautiful flowers that emerge are always an absolute delight.
Daffodils, tulips, bluebells, snowdrops, and blossoms all create a stunning backdrop for outdoor portraits, and they look amazing whether photographed in the morning or at dusk. A photographer’s dream!
Timeless outdoor portraits among the spring flowers
Around about now, in early spring, vibrant yellow daffodils and delicate white snowdrops come into bloom. Blossoms are also starting to appear. These pretty pastel flowers are lovely to feature in your family portraits.
Bluebell sessions
Later in the Spring, usually around April/early May, colourful tulips and beautiful bluebells then begin to emerge.
Sadly, many of my favourite spots for bluebells here in Dorset closed last year and won’t be reopening this spring. The crop was so damaged by people who didn’t stick to the pathways. It’s such a shame! Hopefully though, in time, the crop will regrow to its former glory.
There are still some lovely patches of bluebells around though, so I do still hope to be able to offer bluebell woods sessions this spring.
If you’re particularly interested in a bluebell shoot, get in touch. I’ll add you to my waitlist and I’ll keep you posted when I know where the best places are this year.
Spring family photoshoot locations in Dorset
Every year, I scout out new locations to take my clients for outdoor portraits among the spring flowers, and this year will be no different. I always manage to discover some wonderful new places, literally bursting with colour!
An example from a few years ago would be this field of vibrant yellow rapeseed that my friend Jackie and I came across one evening. Here’s my daughter Lizzie (looking a lot younger than she is now) among them in the gorgeous golden light, just before sunset.
It was a beautiful location for my spring family photoshoots that year, and I returned with clients often.
Why book a spring photoshoot?
There are so many reasons to book a spring family photoshoot with me this year – whether you choose a spring family photoshoot or an outdoor maternity photoshoot.
- For one thing, it’s always nice to get outdoors, particularly after a long cold winter.
- Another reason is that you can enjoy the beauty of the emerging spring flowers while also having some fun as a family. If it’s a maternity photoshoot that you’re interested in, you can enjoy some peace and tranquillity in beautiful surroundings before your baby arrives.
- Plus, you’ll be able to update your photo albums with your new springtime portraits or get some beautiful new artwork onto your walls at home.
Since time passes quickly and children grow and change so fast, even if you had a family shoot a few years ago, wouldn’t be nice to get some updated portraits now the kids have grown?
What happens during a spring family photoshoot?
All my spring outdoor photoshoots are held at locations within Dorset. I’ll make a recommendation nearer the time based on the flowers that I know are in bloom there.
It’s suitable for up to 5 people and lasts around 1-2 hours.
I’ll take care of everything. As well as sourcing the location, I’ll guide you on how to interact and pose for the camera on the day.
I’ll encourage you to relax and simply enjoy the time together and, while you do, I’ll capture a variety of individual and group photos.
Spring photoshoot outfit ideas
I will help by giving you ideas and recommendations on what to wear to your spring photoshoot.
Mummies and daughters are also welcome to use any of my princess-style dresses. I have them in many gorgeous pastel shades that complement the stunning colours of the blossom and bluebells, making them ideal for outdoor portraits among the spring flowers.
Aren’t they fabulous?!
I also have some cute outfits for little boys and accessories that I can bring along too.
Book your Spring photoshoot in Dorset today
Both outdoor family portrait sessions and outdoor pregnancy sessions are available this spring, but slots are limited.
The flowers don’t stay at their best for long, so if you’d like a spring family photoshoot or an outdoor maternity session, please don’t delay in booking!
Take a look around the website for details of my prices and packages, then contact me to book.
I’d love to capture portraits of you and your family this year. I guarantee you won’t regret taking some time to be photographed together among the spring flowers – they really are beautiful!
Karen x
Bluebell woods portraits: It’s finally time!
Bluebell Photoshoot
Yay! So it’s nearly BLUEBELL photoshoot time!
I had an absolute blast last spring photographing so many gorgeous families among the beautiful bluebell woods. And with bluebell season fast approaching, I’m getting SO excited.
I literally CAN NOT WAIT to get started on this year’s bluebell photoshoots!
Bluebell woods portraits in Dorset
I’m planning to be doing my outdoor lifestyle photoshoots in the local bluebell woods from mid-April onwards when the flowers look their best and are at their most vibrant.
I’ll be visiting my favourite bluebell photoshoot locations but I’ve been busy scouting out new ones in these past weeks too.
Related reading: Interested in a spring photoshoot?
Natural portraits among the bluebell woods
Over the past few years of taking bluebell woods portraits, I have perfected my technique of capturing stunning family photos, like these, among the carpet of delicate blue flowers.
And I’ve mastered it, not only in the day but at dawn and dusk as well, as these pictures show!
Related reading: Bluebell portrait sessions in Dorset and Hampshire
Anyone who has tried to take a snapshot among the bluebell woods will know that it isn’t easy to achieve photos like these, which is why it’s worth hiring a professional.
Working with the natural and low-light conditions of the woods is a skill I have mastered over the years. And, in keeping with my photography style, I can engage with children of all ages and keep them relaxed and comfortable throughout the shoot, so that the bluebell woods portraits I take are natural and, most importantly, as you like them.
Book your bluebell woods photoshoot today
The bluebell season lasts just six weeks and, based on the popularity of these sessions last year, I know that it won’t be long before I’m completely booked up. So, contact me as soon as possible to book in for your bluebell woods session.
Bookings have been coming in earlier each year. I took my first bluebell woods portrait booking in January and have had a flurry of enquiries in the last couple of weeks. So, don’t miss out! If you would like bluebell woods portraits of your family this spring, contact me today!
To book your session contact me on 07749 270431, email me at karenwiltshire@me.com or the contact form on my website.
My favourite bluebell woods portraits
And, prepare for a Facebook timeline full of images from this year’s bluebell sessions! I’ll be sharing some of my favourite bluebell woods portraits with you on the KW Photography Facebook page over the next few weeks!
Karen x
Outdoor family portrait sessions in Dorset’s finest wildflower meadows
The summer is my favourite time of the year and I’m so excited to now be offering outdoor family portrait sessions among some of Dorset’s finest wildflower meadows.
This year, I’ve collaborated with the lovely people at Holme for Gardens in Wareham, and have permission to use their field for outdoor lifestyle portraits.
So, naturally, I’ve been making the most of this opportunity and taking my clients there in the past week or so. It’s worked out brilliantly and all the children involved have loved having their photograph taken among the beautiful wildflowers.
Outdoor wildflower portrait sessions in Dorset
Here are just some of the portraits I’ve created. Would like something similar of your family?
There is still time left in the season before the flowers lose their vibrant colours, and these outdoor portrait sessions are suitable whether you are after maternity/pregnancy photography, or child and family portraits. Contact me today to book yours.
Natural family portraits
What I love about these sessions is that the children and families who take part are so clearly enjoying the flowers and the freedom to be able to walk among them (while being careful not to damage them, of course).
You’ll see that there are no forced smiles or static poses. The family photographs I create natural, outdoor pictures that bring the best of the outdoors into your home, and everyone has a great time in the process.
I achieve this by keeping everyone involved active and entertained throughout. The little ones, I keep occupied by encouraging them to count the wildflowers while I take their portrait. As every parent knows, distraction is the key with younger children!
As both a mum myself and an experienced child photographer, I’ve got lots of tricks like this up my sleeve to secure the perfect outdoor portrait.
Dorset wildflowers are bloomin’ lovely!
Seeing the wildflowers popping up in fields, gardens and grass verges in the summer makes me really happy. And quite rightly! Who can fail to enjoy the wonderful colours and smells that these flowers create? They are simply fabulous, aren’t they?!
Every year I aim to make the most of the wildflower season. In a previous blog, I have written about how I can achieve perfect portraits in unlikely locations – take a look! It’s a behind-the-scenes insight into how I can create a stunning portrait in small spaces. A creative eye and even just a small patch of wildflowers is all I need!
Book your wildflower portrait session today!
There are plenty of stunning flowers on display this year and they are currently in full bloom. So, don’t miss your chance to get some updated family photos taken outdoors among the beautiful wildflowers while they last!
If you’d like to book one of my outdoor family portrait sessions, get in touch as soon as possible to secure one of the last few slots I have available this summer.
And, if you haven’t already, do pay the Holme garden centre a visit! It’s a family-run business and has beautiful surroundings, a relaxing ambience, gorgeous plants to take home with you and unrivalled gardens to enjoy. I think you’ll love it!
Karen x
Beautiful bluebell portrait sessions in Dorset and Hampshire
It’s one of my favourite (and busiest) times of the year again – yippee! The beautiful bluebells have begun to rear their heads and so I’ll soon be kickstarting my bluebell portrait sessions in Dorset and Hampshire.
Related reading: Bluebell woods portraits: it’s finally time!
Why hire a professional photographer for a bluebell portrait session?
Bluebells are an absolute joy to photograph, although are tricky if you don’t know how.
If you’ve ever tried to take your own photos among the bluebell woods, you’ll have realised that it’s harder than you probably imagined!
It really is a fine art balancing the delicate colours of the bluebells with the darker colours of the surrounding trees and woodland, while getting your subject and the delicate bluebells in sharp focus.
Add in the fact that there are typically low light conditions in bluebell woods, and you can begin to see why, if you’re armed with only a smartphone camera and only a basic understanding of photography – you can struggle to achieve the images like mine.
Which is why so many families every year choose to hire me and book one of my now infamous bluebell portrait sessions in Dorset or Hampshire.
As an experienced professional photographer who is equally comfortable outdoors as I am working in my photography studio, I’m literally in my element photographing families among the outdoors during springtime.
The very best bluebells in Dorset and Hampshire
Another reason to hire me for bluebell portraits is that I seek out the very best patches of bluebells; usually well off the beaten track.
My friend Jacky and I are often on the scout for new outdoor locations and so far, this year we’ve already discovered some lovely patches of emerging bluebells across Dorset and Hampshire which I can’t wait to take my clients to.
Unfortunately, my favourite spots for bluebells in recent years have become more and more popular and the poor bluebells are getting trampled on by those who don’t realise just how delicate these pretty little flowers are.
Did you know that bluebells take up to seven years to grow back after they’ve been squashed?!
If you’re planning a visit with your little ones, please do remember how easy it is to damage the flowers. When you visit, please stick to the paths as much as possible and encourage your children to do the same.
Book your bluebell portrait session today!
My outdoor bluebell portrait sessions in Dorset and Hampshire are extremely popular every single year, and always sell-out quickly.
So, if you’re wanting some gorgeous maternity, child or family portraits among the pretty bluebells this spring, like the ones I’m showing here which were all taken on location last year, then be sure to get in touch with me ASAP to secure your slot.
Perfect portraits captured in unlikely locations
Perfect portraits
Hey, everyone!
If like me, you have been enjoying the great outdoors this summer, then you can’t have failed to notice the grass getting long and that patches of wildflowers have appeared. The council has also been leaving it longer between grass cuts.
This is great for the wild bee population, and the butterflies have been in abundance this summer.
The long grass and wildflowers are not only great for the insects though – I love it too! (Except on the A31, where it’s really dangerous coming to the roundabouts!)
Through the lens: What I see
Every day I drive past a small but perfectly formed patch of wildflowers on the way to school. To me, they are just crying out to but used in a photoshoot!
I’m sure most people would think I am slightly nuts getting excited about this. After all, it’s just a small patch – a couple of meters long – at the side of the road! But what I see through the camera lens is different to what others see.
Despite what you might think, as a portrait photographer, I don’t need a sweeping meadow or an amazing vista as a backdrop. I can see the potential in even the most unlikely locations.
I know how to make a perfect portrait in the most unexpected of places and even in very small spaces.
Trying out an unlikely location
So, armed with one of my many new dresses from the studio, and a willing small person off I ventured.
Safety is really important to me – as you can see from the video below, we were at a safe distance from the road. And mum, of my model Betsy, is right there too, keeping an eye on the children while I take the portraits.
Another thing to point out is that it is hugely important to me that we don’t damage the flowers at all. We don’t wade through the patch, reeking havoc! Instead, we stand on the edge and I can use clever camera angles to make it appear as though the child is actually in among the flowers in the final photo.
Betsy loved the flowers and the dresses and we had a great time getting some lovely location portraits for her mummy.
On another occasion, I took my daughter and her friend back to the same spot for a few more.
And on that day, we also found a patch of long grass which I didn’t even know was there. Although this all took place so close to home, it’s not something I had noticed before. It goes to show what beautiful things we could all be missing out on, right on our doorstep!
Perfect portraits captured in unlikely locations
So what do you think?
Would you have known that these portraits were taken next to such a small patch of flowers alongside a main road?! I suspect, not.
I love creating perfect portraits in unlikely locations like this!
Do get in touch with me if you would like something similar. Contact me on 07749 270431 or you can email me at karenwiltshire@me.com or complete this contact form.
And let me know in the comments if you know of any little patches of flowers locally that might be suitable for your very own location shoot!
An invitation to enjoy my new outdoor photography studio
Outdoor Photography studio
At the rear of the KW Photography photography studio, I have a large garden and I had it excavated last year. I’m planning to turn this space into an outdoor photography studio. It was hugely overgrown – more like a jungle! It took weeks and weeks of hard work to clear it. But now, at last, you can actually see the wood for the trees, so to speak!
Well, suffice to say, it was a job well worth doing. Because, this year I am now able to offer you the option of having your portraits taken outdoors as well as indoors, all on one site!
Yep, if you are looking to have natural, outdoor portraits taken of the kids this summer, then look no further. This is exactly what I am now offering in my new outdoor photography studio (a.k.a the garden)!
Studio and on-location photography in one session
On the days when the weather has been kind recently, I’ve started inviting clients outside. Everyone I have taken out there so far seems to be loving the new outdoor photography studio.
They like that they can get both indoor and outdoor portraits taken in the one session with me, which naturally results in a wider variety of images for them to choose from and buy.
And the cherry on the cake, of course, is that it’s now possible to do this without us all having to leave the premises and that it’s available at no additional cost!
A natural backdrop for maternity, baby and family portraits
I planted thousands of bulbs last year after the garden was cleared and am thrilled that these have mostly been successful. I had a carpet of bluebells in the spring, and now have a lovely mix of shrubs and grasses which have created a lovely backdrop for the outdoor portraits.
As you can see, baby Jennie loved being in the garden! I took the miniature enamel bath outside and she splashed away in the fresh air! It was lovely to watch. She even gave me loads of smiles despite the pain she was in with her pesky teeth that day.
And when this gorgeous little girl decided that she didn’t want to have her photo taken in the studio, the outdoor photography studio was the perfect solution!
Come and discover my garden studio
Another great thing about the garden studio is that it extends quite far back and so there’s lots of scope to create a variety of pictures.
I had a fabulous giant swing installed earlier in the year which is ideal for the bigger kids and adults, and I’ve also got lots of props like vintage trikes, chairs and wheelbarrows which are cute to include in pictures of the younger ones.
I’m so thrilled that I am finally getting to use the outside space here at KW Photography HQ in Poole. I’ve wanted to for years now. And I’m really pleased that feedback has been so positive about this exciting new service.
Book your outdoor photography studio session today
The outdoor photography studio is a safe and welcoming place for both children and adults. I look forward to inviting you to come and try it out for yourself.
Remember, I’m able to create professional portraits of you, your children or your entire family, and I specialise in both styled studio portraits and relaxed outdoor photos.
So whether you want to combine a studio session with some time in the garden, or if you just want an outdoor session, the choice is entirely yours.
Please contact me to book your session. I’m available on 07749 270431 or you can email me at karenwiltshire@me.com or complete this contact form.
Karen x
