Ava's Christening

On Saturday I had the absolute pleasure of photographing gorgeous Ava's christening and 1st birthday party.

The 1.30pm christening was held at St Mary and Corpus Christi, Down Hatherley and was followed by a drinks reception at the the very elegant No. 38 The Park. 

Ava's parents had put on a coach to take everyone to the Church, which has sentimental meaning to them having been married in it themselves. It was a warming ceremony, although Ava wasn't too keen on having the water poured over her forehead!

After a few family photos outside the Church, the drinks reception followed. No flash was used at any point, despite the low light levels towards the end of the evening. Wherever possible I always prefer to work with natural light. The photos always come across with so much more depth and warmth. 

I hope you like the photos. There were 324 in the final collection that Ava's parents received. If you are thinking about doing something similar then please get in touch using my contact page or give me a call on 07983 465414. All files are included and there are no copyright restrictions, so you are free to make copies and print as you wish.

NCT 1st Birthday Party

I've done quite a few NCT birthday parties since Mouse About Town opened it's Mousehole door for business back in 2013. I'm always in my element with oodles of gorgeous children to photograph!

This particular NCT party was in Cirencester and had been organised by Helen Kings. I've done quite a few family photo shoots for Helen with her daughter Alila and husband Tom, so it was great to catch up with them again to celebrate little Alila's 1st birthday!

It was a great party with the little ones all having a blast! There were plenty of presents, cake and mayhem to be had not to mention  THAT jelly smash!

I hope you like the photos. It's a small collection from the full set. If you are interested in booking something similar you can expect to receive all the digital files included in the price of the photo shoot, so no hidden extras. Check out my prices page for more info.

 

Nana's 70th!

Last Sunday was another busy one in the world of Mouse! First up was a trip to Winchcombe. Naomi had contacted me a while ago as her family were having a little get together to celebrate her Mum's 70th birthday. None of them get to see each other very much as they are all scattered throughout England so it was a chance for siblings, cousins, parents and grandparents to catch up.

The brief was reportage with a few posed family portraits, in particular Grandad and Grandma with all three grandchildren; Matilda, Dillon and Orla, which was no mean feat! 

Here is a selection of photos from the 60 minute photo shoot.

“I hired Gill to capture a special family event and after much searching on the internet I found her website and work to be the best. We were not disappointed! Gill was extremely friendly and made 3 under 3s feel at ease (as well as the adults!) The photos produced were perfect and are now treasured by every member of our family! Thank you Gill.”
— Naomi Bugden, November 2015

Barnaby's Baptism

On Sunday I had the pleasure of photographing baby Barnaby's baptism at St Michael and All Angels Church in Brimpsfield, Gloucestershire. 

The ceremony was very touching. The beautiful church, which dates back to the 1300's and is located on the edge of a promontory, reached by means of a long footpath across a field, was filled with the laughter of lots of tiny people and their Mummies and Daddies. It was a pleasure to capture this most special of occasions for them. 

The ceremony was followed by a small buffet and drinks reception in the village hall in Brimpsfield. James and Amy, Banaby's parents, made a small toast at the end.

Alila's Naming Ceremony

Alila is a beautiful little girl who I have photographed on a few occasions now. 

Helen, Alila's Mummy, wanted to celebrate the birth of her daughter in a non-religious ceremony. It's a lovely idea, which is becoming more and more popular.

I was very excited when Helen asked me to come along to capture the special day. It was my first naming ceremony but in a way it was very similar to the many weddings that I photograph, (check out www.gillthomas.co.uk for all my wedding work). My approach to weddings is very simple. I'm very discreet and subtle. I document events gently from the background. Many people are hardly aware that I'm there, as I tend to pick out unusual spots and angles. The results are very natural , very unassuming photographs that capture tender and real moments. 

I arrived in time to capture the build up prior to the ceremony, the ceremony itself, and a little bit of the fun after too, (including the hog roast, which I was lucky enough to sample!) 

70th Celebrations

This really was a family affair! With 4 generations there were brothers, sisters, Mums, Dads, uncles, aunties, husbands, wives and of course Grandma! 

I met Cate professionally a few months ago, she runs a private Orthodontic practice in Cheltenham. On this occasion, she asked me along to take some photos of her family celebrating her Mum's 70th birthday. Like most families, it was a struggle to find a date that they were all free but they found one, and even chose a sunny day!

We started the 30 minute photo session with some formal family shots, at the request of Cate. The last 20 minutes or so were spent with the children generally causing mayhem, being silly and throwing on every single piece of fancy dress they could find in Cate's vast dressing up box, (I had fancy dress envy!)

I hope you enjoy the photos. If you could like to book a similar photo shoot please call me on 07983 465414 or drop me an email using the contact page. Thanks!

Britain's Got Talent!

I was recently approached by The Cotswold Children's Party Company about becoming their official party photographer. I met with the lovely Danielle, the brains behind it, and was soon on board. Only a few days later, I got the nod there might be the opportunity to head over to Chipping Campden to photograph a 9th birthday party. 

It was another super sunny Saturday morning as I drove across the rolling Cotswold countryside. Just over an hour later and I pulled up outside The Chequers, an idyllic looking pub with a great interior to match.

It was a fairy theme for the two hour party and Danielle and her team were up to their elbows in woodland moss, toadstools, enchanted books and fairy characters when I arrived. 

At 11am, Lexi and 5 of her friends arrived, all very excited and bursting with excitement. They were the cutest little fairies, such a delight to photograph. And what a surprise I got when Lexi's Mum turned out to be star of Britain's Got Talent, Amanda Holden. 

Sharky and George provided the entertainment, which was a fabulous and fun packed programme of craft, chocolate making, fairy painting, silly games and jokes. After two hours of non stop action, the girls were ready to sit down for their fairy themed banquet. 

It was a wonderful afternoon spent in the company of lovely people. 

NCT 1st Birthday Party

Reaching your child's 1st birthday feels a bit of a milestone. Just before Christmas, I was asked to photograph such an event for a local NCT group in Hatherley. It was a relaxed setting in the village hall with about 12 little ones running around like loons, diving in and out of the ball pit, jumping off giant bouncy pillows and chasing each other through tunnels. Mum's and Dad's seemed pleased to have the chance of a chat and the odd glass of fizz!



Farewell Party for Leo the Pony

It all began with a rather strange phone call, from a lady, (Anna) who was interested in booking a photographer to capture her son's pony's farewell party. 'Leo' was to be returned to his owners in Surrey after a Summer long loan at his holiday home in the Cotswolds. It was all very touching. 

We broke the shoot down into two parts - the first part was to focus on Anna's son, Ettie, and Leo. I met them at the stables and we spent an informal hour together, snapping Leo and Ettie's final farewell. For pictures from this shoot go to http://www.mouseabouttown.co.uk/pets/

The following week I went round to Anna's house in Charlton Kings, for Leo's final farewell party. It's not often you walk into someone's back garden and find a pony and a make shift 'Costa' coffee. The children's moods weren't dampened by the rubbish weather, and Ettie, along with his two best friends, gave Leo a send off to remember. Bonkers but brilliant!