What is a cake smash?

by Claire | Feb 22, 2022 | 1st birthday parties, Horsham Photographer, Horsham Photography Sessions, Location Sessions, Photo Sessions for children with special needs

What is a cake smash?

celebration

A 1st birthday cake smash session, is a celebration of your babies 1st year! So much has changed and life has been crazy! But you have all survived and you have the most amazing little baby that is growing up so fast!! This is not only a birthday celebration but also a celebration of making it through your 1st year.

The session is split into 4 parts… family photos, individual photos, cake smash and finally the clean up.. ALL for ONE price!

family photos

The first part of the cake smash session is to capture some gorgeous photos of you all together. Celebrating that first year!

1st birthday Cake Smash - 05-02-22 (70 of 71)

1st birthday Cake Smash - 06-02-22 (1 of 90)

the birthday child

Prior to presenting the cake, is a great time to capture some cute photos of your little one, surrounded by banners and balloons. I like to keep my set ups simple, so that the birthday child is centre stage!

the cake smash

This is the part where the cake comes out. Now this doesn’t actually have to be cake.

It can be a bowl full of their favourite fruit, a donut or muffin, their favourite snack.. whatever you want.

One of the little girls above had a raspberry cake… she completely ignored the cake and went straight for the raspberries!! The look on her face was priceless and she just grabbed a handful (see below left)! In the end we had to remove some of them, to stop her eating the whole lot and making herself ill.

the clean up

For some children, they’re not bothered about the cake BUT they do LOVE the bubble bath!

This is a time for your children to play in the warm bubble bath and enjoy some splashing around. Some manage to make huge puddles around my studio but watching their little faces is a picture..

booking a session…

If you would like to book a cake smash session or would like more information, please click HERE and you will be taken to my cake smash page. All prices are shown. Normally, I say you will receive around 30 photos but quite often this can be more as we capture your child enjoying the session…. even when they don’t they still look cute though…

A few more of my favourites from sessions so far this year…..

What to wear for a bluebell photo session

by Claire | Apr 4, 2021 | Horsham Photographer, Location Sessions, Mini Sesions, Photo Sessions for children with special needs

choosing your outfits

colours

What to wear for a bluebell photo session doesn’t have to be stressful. It is about choosing one outfit and linking all of the rest.

I love neautral colours with one main colour. For example:

Blues, whites and tans.

Yellow, blues and whites.

Burgendy and neautral colours etc

patterns or no patterns

It is also important to not have lots of different patterns. Ideally choose one small pattern and work the other outifts around this. For example, if dad wears a check shirt, pick colours from that to dress everyone else.

textures & accsesories

Textures also look fantastic when mixing outifts. Chunky knitwear and scarves can be a great addition.

Below I have chosen some outfits which will give you a few ideas…

FOR MUM – I POPPED OVER TO NEXT

and h&m

what to wear for a blueblell photo session

for older girls I decided to head over to shein

Shein has a wide range of outfits so I wanted to find something that would look great but would also link with the rest of the family.

Lots of teenage girls currently like to show off some skin, so I decided to included some chunky over sized cardigans, to give an elegant look. These can also be paired up with crop tops or shorter skirts.

whereas for younger girls i went to h&m

and the boys, i also stayed at h&m

For the males, their outifts are pretty similar as linen trousers or chinos look great on them both. Paired with a linen shirt or jumper and they look gorgeous. Younger boys can even be in a smart pair of shorts with braces.

I really hope this has given you a few ideas about what to wear for a bluebell photo session but please do get in touch if you have any more questions. You can even visit my Pinterest page for a few more ideas.

For more information on a family photo session please head over to my family sessions page by clicking HERE

the portrait masters award

by Claire | Mar 18, 2021 | Family, Horsham Photographer, Horsham Photography Sessions, Location Sessions, Mini Sesions

The Portrait Masters award

Lockdown for photographers has meant we’ve had a crazy year with very little work. Being a non essential business we had to close down early and still aren’t open.

lockdown life..

In amongst home-schooling, providing snacks, entertaining my children, walking the dog, updating my website and keeping the house from turning into a complete bomb sight, I decided to enter some of my photos to a very prestigious photography competition.

what is the portrait masters award?

Sue Bryce is one of the worlds biggest names in portrait photography and her work is AMAZING! As a photographer trainer, The Portrait Masters Award was created to allow photographers to submit their work to be judged by a panel of international expert judges. Enabling them the chance to win prizes, accreditation points, and awards. The accreditation program, is for portrait photographers of all genres and is recognition of ‘high professional standard.’To find out more about this award please click HERE to visit Sue Bryce Education website.

why enter?

Entering competitions is a great way to help us grow and rather than competing against other photographers. It is about improving your own ability.

Photographing a family is about capturing a feeling. To me, it’s more about the love between a family and spending time together. Recording a precious moment in time. It’s not about getting the perfect pose, it’s about your family connection. Capturing YOU together and creating a memory for you, to look back on with happiness!

Whereas, for a competition all the details need to be perfect, right down to the smallest part.

Because I was in lockdown, I chose to include 2 photos from newborn sessions and 2 photos of my children. Not everything is perfect but I do love these photos. (For example my sons socks definitely did not match the rest of his outfit).

the results

Choosing these four images meant it showed a variety of work that I do. Each photo is judge by 5 different photographers from around the world and the result is an average of these scores. To be awarded a Bronze you must score over 70 points.

Waiting for the scores to come out was very tense. But I couldn’t believe it, I was SO excited! I had been given a Bronze in all four images. I was expecting to be given a score under 70 but really hoped I’d get at least one bronze. So I was completely shocked to get four! And even more surprised that one of them was only one point away from a Bronze distinction!

This means that my photographs have been recognised to be of a professional standard by some of the worlds top photographers.

I am so proud of myself and my two amazing children, who are always there to support me. They are often dragged out to help me and rarely complain!

Next time, I will definitely set out to capture some “competition specific” photos to see if I can improve my score, so feel free to watch this space…

If you would like to book a photography session, when we come out of lockdown please head over HERE to my main website where you can find more information.

A stunning holiday let, that you must see!

by Claire | Jan 21, 2021 | Holiday Let Photography, Horsham Photography Sessions, property photography

PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPHY – Belton Acre Holiday Let

If you’ve ever bought a house or rented a property, then you know that photos are what makes you stop and look or continue scrolling. Property photography is so important!

This stunning property needed photos to make you STOP because it is absolutely beautiful and needs to be shown off. More importantly, it needed multiple photos to show off the many rooms and flowing space. PLUS, as a holiday home, they will help you to imagine yourself spending time in this home.

The home…

Arriving at the property, the first thing that you notice is how inviting it is. Double gates as you arrive open up to a large space to park multiple cars. Once closed, the gates provide a really secure, quiet space for any guests.

Upon entering the property there is a very large entrance hall, that is flooded with light and has plenty of room to arrive.

Downstairs there are two bedrooms, sleeping up to 6 people, one of which includes a walk in wetroom.

The flow of the living space is just perfect. It’s easy to imagine yourself with friends and family, socialising in the many seating areas. The kitchen and dining area is open plan, with wall to wall bi-fold doors, which open up to a mature garden beyond. Can you imagine yourself sat here? Perfect for sipping a glass of wine with your friends, while preparing your evening meal?

Moving on to the living room, there is plenty of seating space. Another set of bi-fold doors connect the living area to the outside. Allowing plenty of light into the home, while ensuring that everyone can move freely inside and out.

Upstairs

Upstairs the bright and airy feel continues and boosts a further 3 bedrooms, an en suite, and a family bathroom.

Belton Acre is a luxury house with plenty of parking, nestled between the Surrey Hills and South Downs. The location is ideal for relaxing with family and friends, the beautiful countryside offers a variety of different activities. If you prefer spending your days by the coast, this property is also only 40 minutes from the South Coast of England.

For more information on this property please visit HERE

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BOOK YOUR OWN PROPERTY SESSION PLEASE DO GET IN TOUCH BY CLICKING HERE

10 free activities for children during the holidays.

by Claire | Aug 5, 2020 | Family, Horsham Photography Sessions, Things to do in Sussex

10 free activities for children during the holiday

Keeping children busy during the holidays can be so hard. So, I thought I would share a list of 10 free activities for children during the holidays, that I have loved to do with my own.

Children tend to get bored because they don’t know what is available for them to do. As an adult, how many times have you sat doing an activity with your children, they then walk away and you’re still sat there doing it? I know I do.

The following activties can be done with any age group, if they’re bored and you join in with them they will enjoy it.

1. Visit Tilgate Park

Now, anyone that knows me knows I love to visit Tilgate Park and Nature Reserve because it has so much do. You can walk round the lake, visit the animals, play in the park, go boating on the lake, fishing, cycling, Go Ape and more. The list goes on. Parking is available but it does fill up fast in the summer. There are plenty of toilets plus a cafe in the walled garden and Smith & Western restaurant.

2. Sleep out on the trampoline

I’m not sure who loves this more me or my children. Some parents leave their children to it but this is where I used to get my best nights sleep. Fill the trampoline with blankets, putting some underneath you because it can get chilly in the middle of the night. Add some duvets, pillows and fairy lights then lay back and relax. Eventually, we turn off the fairy lights to enjoy the stars and maybe even a comet or shooting star. In the morning my children then get up and play in the garden, leaving me to sleep! (This never normally happens!)

3. Watch a sunset or star gazing

There are some fantastic places to go in West Sussex for star gazing. It can be done anywhere near your house, as long as there are no lights to stop your night vision. The perfect time is during the no moon phase, as the sky will be at its darkest. It takes about 30 minutes for your night vision to work so keep torches to a minimum but if you do need one try to use one with a red filter. A great website is Go Star Gazing as you can view on a map which local places are good for viewing the stars plus it will tell you which phase the moon is in.

4. The beach

There are so many gorgeous beaches in Sussex. I think my favourite is Goring. It has free parking, two amazing cafes right on the beach (Sea Lane Cafe and the Bluebird Cafe, the latter allows dogs) which are perfect for walking between and has beautiful sunsets.

5. Lancing Sea Front

We love to head over to Lancing in the evenings, as it’s normally quiet and is a great place to take scooters. There is plenty of parking, plus a large green for playing rounders or having a picnic. The The Perch Restaurant is lovely for food or there is a small kiosk next door. The beach itself is stony and there are also toilets nearby.

6. Pond Dipping

This is such a simple activity but one that can entertain children for ages. It doesn’t need to be a large just big enough for a child to use their to see what they can find. Don’t forget to take a tray or bucket to see what you can catch. Please be safe around the water and take care of your children.

7. Cycling along the South Downs Link Path

This is a, mostly, flat route than goes from Guildford to Shoreham. Click the link HERE to view the West Sussex guide to cycling the Path and the various cafes, car parks and local amenities.

8. Den Building

There are so many places to go Den Building. Firstly it can be done indoors or outside. My children love to build a den in the living room and then have a movie and sleepover in it. Great places for den building outside include: Box Hill, St Leonards Forest or Leechpool Woods

9. Shaving foam painting

This is such a fun activity. On a piece of paper, spread some shaving foam across it then add dollops of paint. With a tooth pick you can then draw patterns in the shaving foam and leave it to dry.

10. Fire Pit & S’Mores

What better way to end the day than with a fire pit and S’mores. If you don’t know what S’mores are let me explain. These are originally from America and are made by roasting a marshmallow over the fire then sandwiching it between two Graham Crackers and adding a piece of Hersheys chocolate. A quick way to make them in England is to use marshmallows but then put them between chocolate digestives biscuits. They are so tasty but please take lots of care around the fire.

If you like any of the ideas I have added please let me know, or even tell me if you have any of you own.

For others ideas please visit my other blogs:

Things to do in West Sussex 2

Where to visit in West Sussex in the Autumn

Things to do in West Sussex

Walking along the Wey and Arun Canal

I hope you liked my 10 free ideas for children during the holiday.

Have a great summer.

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Please can you add me to your mailing list about upcoming photography sessions.

Thank you

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Things to do in West Sussex – Tilgate Lake, Crawley

by Claire | Jun 29, 2020 | Family, Fathers Day, Head shots, Location Sessions, Maternity Photo sessions, Mini Sesions, Mother’s Day, Photo Sessions for children with special needs, Things to do in Sussex

Things to do in West Sussex with children – Tilgate Lake

During lockdown, it is so hard to come up with things to do in West Sussex with your children, that

a; aren’t full of other people and

b; don’t cost a fortune.

Tilgate Park and Lake, in Crawley, is fantastic. It is the perfect place to go to, especially for the evening, after a hot day in the sun. It was away from the crowds and a wonderful place for the children to relax and enjoy.

Tilgate Park also has so much to offer . It has a a couple of lakes, large green to play games or picnic, wooded areas, play parks, trim trails, golf course, cycle trails and nature centre. It also has a cafe, restaurant and a Go Ape high ropes course. In the summer it has some fantastic inflatable games plus boating on the lake and in the winter Father Christmas comes to visit. There is so much to see and do, it really is a must if you haven’t been before.

About Tilgate Park.

The address for Ti l g ate Park is: Tilgate Drive, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 5PQ

There is one free car park near K2 and the rest are paying but procedes from the car parks do go back into the park!

Dogs are allowed in the park but not in the walled garden or nature reserve.

Our evening

This jetty was perfect for chilling out on but as we arrived a couple of teenage girls, also thought the same.

Unfortunately, for one, she managed to drop her phone through the slats of the jetty, into the water below. As we had fishing nets, we offered to help, also because she was panicking her mum would be really mad at her. We managed to locate the phone and helped to guide her underneath the jetty to pick it out.

I have to say, if this was my daughter, even if the phone had broken, I would’ve been so proud of her! She didn’t hesitate to get down to her swimmer, to enter the water to retrieve the phone. She even went under the jetty where there were all sorts of things lurking.

Having left, to give mum the bad news, we then had the jetty to ourselves. To enjoy the evening. From across the lake we could even hear music, from someones stereo, and the air was so warm, as the sun started to set. It was so peaceful!

Whether you want to walk, cycle or take your scooters Tilgate Park is great for burning of energy with your children. It is also perfect for picnics and playing games on the large green.

THE OUTTAKES

All photo sessions are meant to be fun!

A little bit of photobombing while taking some photos.

Family Photo Sessions

If you are interesting in booking a fun, relaxed outdoor photo session, capturing the true personality of your family please visit my Home page by clicking HERE

Social Distancing Head Shots, Horsham

by Claire | Jun 22, 2020 | Head shots, Personal branding

Head Shot Photography Horsham, West Sussex

Meeting the lovely Debbie Beling from Women’s Transformation

Debbie runs her own Women’s Wellness Business, focusing on those approaching or going through the menopause. Providing guidance, health and food tips plus fitness sessions, she really is a wonderful help to her clients. Helping them through what can be a tough time.

Debbie’s head shot and branding session was arranged during lockdown, so it was important to adhere to social distancing. We weren’t allowed to meet indoors, so I met Debbie at her house. She had a fantastic area outside, where we could easily set up for the session.

It was easy to have a range of backdrops and Debbie was able to pop indoors to change her outfits, truly maximising the time.

Your own branding or headshot session

£75 for 3 digital images. Retouched up to 3 times. Extra digital images can be purchased at £50 per image

Together we will discuss the options for your session, whether you would prefer formal or casual images. Head shots or personal branding, to show your business and what you would like included.

Not many of us enjoy being in front of the camera, so, I will work with you to ensure you feel relaxed and get the images that you love. I am happy to continue until you are happy so the session could last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour depending on your goal.

After the session I will then send you the digital images on a private gallery, where you can choose your favourites. We can then discuss any further “touch up” work that you would like.

If you would like to discuss your options for a session please get in touch using the contact form below. Or feel free to call me on 07904 980885.

Contact Claire to chat about a Head Shot/Branding Photo Session

For more information on Claire Wilders Photography please click HERE to head to my homepage.

Fathers Day Mini Session

by Claire | Jun 8, 2020 | Family, Fathers Day

Fathers Day Mini Sessions, Horsham, West Sussex.

Fathers Day is coming and we can all agree that 2020 has been a crazy year. When we celebrated the New Year, none of us could’ve imagined that a couple months down the line we’d all be shut indoors, trying to keep our families safe.

Fathers Day Mini Sessions are for that special man in your life. I want to help you remember Lockdown of 2020 and the special times that you had as a family.

This session can be purchased for Fathers Day and used at a later date. I can provide you with a gift voucher to be given on the day and redeemed when lockdown is relaxed even more.

OUTDOORS

These sessions will be run outside, to ensure you are safe and to maintain a social distance.

If you have a large garden I can run the session from there, or alternatively it will be in a local beauty spot, such as Southwater Country Park. Backdrops can either be natural or I can provide a plain one.

Who can be in the photos?

A maximum of 6 people can be in the session. This can be parents, children, grandparents, cousins, the choice is yours. If you wish to have more people included, please get in touch so that we can discuss the options.

How does the session work?

Prior to your session we will discuss the best place to meet, normally in the Horsham area. The great thing about outdoor sessions are that children tend to be more relaxed. Allowing us to get fun, smiley images.

Clothing plays a large part of the photos, therefore, I will give you some guidance on what to wear. Although, ultimately, as long as you are all comfortable, it really doesn’t matter.

Being relaxed and having fun is definitely a main part of the session, as we really want to capture the love and happiness within your family.

Fathers Day Mini Session

Up to 6 people

£75

Includes a 30 minute photo session
10-20 images to view on a private online gallery
Three free digital images
One 7×5 inch print

Fathers Day Mini Session Plus

Up to 6 people

£150

Includes a 30-45 minute photo session
20-30 digital images to view on a private online gallery
Ten free digital Images
Three prints up the A4 size

Fathers Day Mini Session All Inclusive

Up to 6 people

£200

Includes a 30-45 minute photo session
20-30 digital images to view on a private online gallery
All digital images included
Three prints up to A4 size

PLEASE NOTE: These sessions are only valid until August 31 20120, unless lockdown is extended further.

What happens afterwards?

After the session I will edit your photos and provide you will an online gallery. You will be able to choose your photos from the comfort of your own home, at your own leisure.

I do sell wall art and additional prints if you wish to purchase and photos for gifts.

For more information about Claire Wilders Photography please click HERE or you can email me at clairewildersphotography@gmail.com

Walking at Ditchling Beacon.. and meeting a lovely couple expecting their first baby

by Claire | Jun 6, 2020 | Maternity Photo sessions, Things to do in Sussex

Walking at Ditchling Beacon

Walking at Ditchling Beacon in West Sussex, near Brighton is just beautiful. From the top you have the most amazing views of both the lush green countryside AND of the sea, in the distance. Amongst the green, however, was a tiny splash of red…

Poppies… Seeing the pop of red in a field of green is just wonderful! But I think unfortunately most farmers see them as weeds, so tend to get rid of them. They also don’t like people trampling over their crops to get to them, which is probably another reason. I decided to take the dog for a walk around Ditchling to see what I could photograph. Being a beautiful afternoon, I wasn’t disappointed!

Cheeky cows

These cows were so cheeky! I was following a footpath along the top and either side of the path were cow fields. As I walked along they came running up to me. Thankfully, there was a very strong fence between me and them, as they seemed quite keen to get close. I did love the one of them all walking together, it made me wonder where they were off to. Once I got to the end, though, I needed to go through their field, so decided to head back, as I didn’t want them coming near me or the dog. I’d love to know if anyone has walked though this field and whether the cows tend to stay away.

There is a car park near here, at Stamner Lodge, which is only open from 9-5pm. From here there are lots of lovely footpaths, so please do stick to them and do not cut across farmers fields. The fields also have cows in them, so do take care. If you are walking towards the poppy field please only use the footpaths and remember these crops ARE a farmers livelihood.

Meeting a lovely couple and offering to capture some photos of their bump.

When I arrived at the field there was a lovely couple taking photos. The lady was expecting a baby, so I offered to take a couple of photos of them, together. Due to lockdown, I kept my distance as all times. When I got home I then emailed them their photos as a reminder of their evening together.

If you walking around Ditchling Beacon, I would love to know your favourite walk and what you like to photograph, using the comments below.

Feel free to contact me using the contact form below or pop over to my maternity photography page for more infomation. For anything else head to my main page, by clicking here.

Family Photography after lockdown… back open and taking bookings

by Claire | Jun 3, 2020 | Horsham Photography Sessions

Family photography after lockdown.. sessions now available as lockdown eases in Southwater, Sussex

Family photography after lockdown is more important than ever. Having been through such a tough few weeks as a family, why not celebrate and book a photo session? We have all come to realise our families are extremely important and sadly during Covid 19 many people lost family members and wished they’d booked that last photo session.

Now that lockdown has eased slightly, I am available for outdoor family photo sessions around Horsham, West Sussex.

My studio space is not suitable for adhering to social distancing safely. So, unless you have a large enough indoor space any session will need to be done outside.

It is still possible however to use backdrop. The headshots below were all taken outside, on the same day, using various backdrops.

Outdoor session venues

There are so many beautiful areas in Sussex! I am happy to travel to your favourite area or can choose a suitable place for you.

Being outside is ideal for families because it enables your children to be free. They are able to be themselves and play during the photo sessions.

Having a long lens means I am able to stay further back from your family. Keeping you safe, at all times. Also allowing you to interact with your children without me getting in the way.

If you would like to know more about a family session please click HERE to be taken to my family photo page. If you would like to know more about head shots and personal branding please email me at clairewildersphotography@gmail.com

Can I book for later in the year?

Yes, I am taking bookings for later in the year, including Christmas and Autumn sessions. I believe Claire Wilders Photography will get extremely busy as families update their photos, so it is important to book sessions as soon as possible. If you are pregnant and wish to book your newborn session, we can discuss the options, so please do get in touch. You will find more information on my newborn photography page HERE

How do we keep safe and are you following guidelines?

I will take all the necessary precautions when taking bookings and during sessions. At the moment only 6 people from different families are allowed to meet so I will adhere to these rules too. You as clients are extremely important to me and I intend to keep you safe. As the numbers ease and we can meet in larger groups, I too will work to this.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

What is a cake smash?

celebration

family photos

the birthday child

the cake smash

the clean up

booking a session…

choosing your outfits

colours

patterns or no patterns

textures & accsesories

FOR MUM – I POPPED OVER TO NEXT

and h&m

for older girls I decided to head over to shein

whereas for younger girls i went to h&m

and the boys, i also stayed at h&m

The Portrait Masters award

lockdown life..

what is the portrait masters award?

why enter?

the results

PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPHY – Belton Acre Holiday Let

The home…

Upstairs

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BOOK YOUR OWN PROPERTY SESSION PLEASE DO GET IN TOUCH BY CLICKING HERE

10 free activities for children during the holiday

1. Visit Tilgate Park

2. Sleep out on the trampoline

3. Watch a sunset or star gazing

4. The beach

5. Lancing Sea Front

6. Pond Dipping

7. Cycling along the South Downs Link Path

8. Den Building

9. Shaving foam painting

10. Fire Pit & S’Mores

Join the mailing list

Things to do in West Sussex with children – Tilgate Lake

About Tilgate Park.

Our evening

THE OUTTAKES

Family Photo Sessions

Head Shot Photography Horsham, West Sussex

Meeting the lovely Debbie Beling from Women’s Transformation

Your own branding or headshot session

£75 for 3 digital images. Retouched up to 3 times. Extra digital images can be purchased at £50 per image

Contact Claire to chat about a Head Shot/Branding Photo Session

Fathers Day Mini Sessions, Horsham, West Sussex.

OUTDOORS

Who can be in the photos?

How does the session work?

Fathers Day Mini Session

Fathers Day Mini Session Plus

Fathers Day Mini Session All Inclusive

What happens afterwards?

Walking at Ditchling Beacon

Cheeky cows

Meeting a lovely couple and offering to capture some photos of their bump.

Family photography after lockdown.. sessions now available as lockdown eases in Southwater, Sussex

Outdoor session venues

Can I book for later in the year?

How do we keep safe and are you following guidelines?

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