 In todays world of social media, platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn are vital to the success of businesses. Social media gives you a chance not just to market your product, but to show the personality behind the brand. This is so important in todays market where clients want to feel emotionally connected and invested in a brand or a product. So what better way to sell your business than using what matters most - you! Professional headshots are a chance for potential clients to get to know you and your business and to maximise that first impression. For many, your thumbnail on social media will be the reason why someone clicks on your business over the competition. A professional headshot should not only be technically correct but show your personality. If you are using a headshot at the moment, ask yourself what does this image say to your potential clients? Are you approachable, engaging, professional, relaxed and inviting? Are the images professionally captured, edited to a high standard and do they accurately represent who you are? If not then this is the perfect time to get in touch.
The images above are from a recent session with the talented and wonderful Danielle Cree of Danielle Cree Hair!
Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/daniellecreehair/
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“What should we wear?”
I always advise non branded/logo clothing because this can date an image as style and fashion changes over the years. With outdoor temperatures likely to be unpredictable at times my main tip would be to layer and keep warm. If the sun decides to come out it is easy to remove or even add layers this way. Katrina 💜 Want to take better images of your children at home? Tip 1 - Light Anyone who has had a photoshoot with me will have quickly recognised my obsession with light. In my opinion lighting is the difference between a good image and an amazing image. When taking photos you should look for a large SOFT light source such as a large window in your house or outside on a cloudy day at your favourite park. Soft light like this wraps around your child creating soft shadows where as on a bright sunny day the lack of shade or clouds will create harsh shadows.  TIP 2 - Catch lights They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, so true! Catch lights are those little glimmers of light reflected in the subjects eyes. You’ve probably noticed without even realising it, but an image without catch lights can make the subject look lifeless and drab. Catch lights bring life to the eyes and a feeling of connection. A great tip for perfecting this is to face your child towards the light source when taking the shot.  Tip 3 - Time of Day The time of day plays a crucial part in a beautiful portrait. Light at the beginning and at the end of the day has a beautiful warm like glow and makes for amazing images. The one thing I would always say is avoid midday sun whilst photographing your child if at all possible as this can be very harsh light and creates shadows under the eyes, nose and chin.  Tip 4 - Get down to your childs level A common mistake when photographing kids is not getting down to their level when shooting. Don’t forget to get down low and have your camera at eye level creating a beautiful empowering image.  Tip 5 - Don’t say the dreaded “SMILE” The stereotypical process of taking a photograph always involves the photographer saying “SMILE” right before they click the button. Avoid this word at all cost unless you are looking for awkward smiles, teeth showing and your child looking like they want to be somewhere else! Instead, why not snap the moments when children are interacting with their environment or naturally looking at the camera in their own way! Another good tip is to ask your child to make silly faces at the camera and snap these and the in-between moments when they will be laughing and having fun as these will be the moments you will want to be transported back to in years to come.  Katrina 💜  How adorable are these two gorgeous children??? Sibling images at any age can prove a little difficult, but that wasn't the case with this session. Little Zarah has certainly taken to her new role as big sister and was the perfect model in front of the camera. You could feel the instant connection between them both and know these images will be treasured forever.
 One of the most memorable family moments we will ever have and one we will always cherish. That's how I would sum up seeing Runrig play their final concert in front of the stunning backdrop of Stirling Castle surrounded by my favourite people in the world, my family. There was tears, laughter, happiness and obviously sadness, that such an amazing band were ending their careers, but what a way to end it all. Despite a little rain later on, it was the perfect end to a wonderful story of music, friendship, family and Scotland. Runrig have been a big part of our family for a long time, whether it's singing in the kitchen, rocking out in the car or providing the soundtrack to our road trips around the highlands and islands their music has kept us entertained. We first saw them live 5 years ago at Edinburgh castle and thought it would be difficult to match that, but somehow it was even better. The night wouldn't have been complete without a man synonymous with the band, Donnie Munro. Part of the original line up, Donnie played some old favourites and wowed the crowd with a timeless performance, followed by the amazing Julie Fowlis, a singer unmatched by any other when it comes to adding that Scottish touch! Fingers crossed a comeback tour is in the pipeline..........
 Here in Ayrshire, we're only days away from the school year starting again and I can't believe how quickly this day has arrived for our youngest boy, Callum. Declan, our eldest son, is about to start his all important fourth year so you'd think that having experienced this once before it would get a bit easier but this couldn't be further from the truth, One minute you're holding a brand new bundle of life in the maternity ward, the next you're straightening their tie and kissing them goodbye at the school gates where they're about to discover a new found independence. I can't imagine our little boy, lining up in the morning waiting for the school bell to go, playing out in the playground at break without checking we're there, queuing at lunchtime to make the decision on what to eat (I'm pretty sure they won't cut his sandwich into 8 equal parts the way he insists on at home 😂) and taking charge of his gym kit without asking what shoe goes on what foot . Like most parents Monday will certainly be an emotional day and I'll be counting down the hours for the bell to go to make sure he loved his first day at school and for all our worries to melt away. With over 13.4k shares on Facebook, Emma certainly captures the emotion of ever parent on their Childs first day at school. Emma Robinson. https://www.facebook.com/motherhoodforslackers
 If, like me, you have a 14 year old rugby playing child or indeed a child that plays any other sport that means they routinely return home caked in mud then say hello to the boot buddy. This has been a lifesaver/timesaver recently, no longer do I have to hose down his size 13 (yes size 13) boots then scrub them and leave to dry for at least 3 days. Just add some soapy water, unscrew the head a little and clean with little effort. The boots dry quicker and theres little to no clean up operation required afterwards. Having the honourable title of ‘Chief Boot Washer’ of the Holloway household isn’t something I volunteered for but the boot buddy has certainly made life a lot easier.
With a 6am start, I packed my camera and headed to Sunderland to meet the amazing and talented Lisa Mccormick, for some extensive outdoor training. Lisa, being one of the UK's most sought after photographers/trainers in her field, has been on my bucket list of people to train with for a while.  After the 3.5 hour drive, I arrived to be welcomed by such a lovely soul. Lisa has the kind of personality that is warm and welcoming and after 5 mins you feel like you have know her for a lifetime. Her openness to share all her knowledge was incredible and certainly something I admire in a trainer.
The afternoon saw us head to the local park to meet a model Lisa had arranged. Little Beau was a true professional at such a sweet age of 5 years old! With her amazing attitude and stunning hair, she really was the perfect model. With it being a cloudy cold March afternoon, we used our surroundings to our advantage and achieved a lot of variation in the gallery.  I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to meet Lisa in person and have her help and advise me even after the course finished.
I look forward to hopefully meeting her again in the future and not being a stranger. She truly is a star. Katrina 💜 Thanks to the convenience of having a camera in our pockets that is occasionally used as a phone, we all too often take countless photos and then forget all about them. Every now and then when we get a chance, or you can’t take any more photos due to a lack of memory, we have a browse through them. Cute ones of our kids smiling and happy, blurry ones that are the result of rushing and pressing buttons before they lose interest and wander off, and of course the group ones from family days out. The next time this happens to you, I have a challenge for all you mums. While swiping through the countless images, take a moment and ask yourself this, how many photos are you in?  As a photographer, it is something I hear mums say all the time. “I don’t really have many photos of me with the kids” or “I seem to have loads of photos of the kids and dad but hardly any with me”. Why? Because lots of mums have assumed the responsibility of ‘family photographer’ and neglect the important business of documenting their time with their little ones. I know this isn’t always the case but being passionate about photographs, I think it’s important to remind ourselves why we take them. Photos are not just a freeze frame of a person, people, or a place. Looking at a photo, whether it be from your distant or very recent past, should evoke all the emotions, connections and feelings that were captured the very millisecond light passed through the shutter and the image was captured. Every time you look at the photo you should be transported back to that moment. It is truly magical that a bunch of pixels on a screen, or a picture on a piece of paper in your hand has the power to do that, but there you go, it is a magical universe we live in. So, if you are one of these mums who put other people first when it comes to taking photos, then please remember, DON’T! Worse still, if you are a mum who doesn’t like having photos taken for self-conscious reasons then remember, photos are only for the world to see if that’s what we choose. As human beings our memories, no matter how they are recorded, are for us, nobody else. Unless we choose to share them, they can be exclusively for us to enjoy. Never sacrifice the chance to add to those memories because someone has to be the one who presses the button, or because you’re not feeling your best right now. Remember, the camera doesn’t care how we look when documenting our lives, so really, why should we? Love Katrina 💜
Last week, I had the pleasure of photographing Little Reggie, at 7 days old! It was clear from the moment I arrived just how much love filled the room.  After a quick look around the house, mum and I decided on the session being carried out in Reggie's beautiful nursery. This was certainly a great temperature for the session to take place. With little Reggie needed a little longer to get into a deep sleep, we started the session off with a few wrapped images which he certainly enjoyed.
This was then followed by (after a little top up of milk) one of my favourite set ups on the beanbag. This collection of images are shot in a timeless simplistic style to showcase baby and all his newness just a few days old. These images are perfect for capturing baby in a natural yet posed position, which can be cherished for years to come.
I am asked at most sessions what my favourite things are about newborn images, as hard as this question is to answer, I think the following three images represent what I love! I love capturing these little details and are something parents will hold so close to their hearts in years to come. How tiny these little hands are, whose nose they were born with, and every detail we sometimes forget to document ourselves, and will be transported back when the are all grown up.
There are not too many things that I enjoy getting up early for on a cold Saturday morning in the middle of January. The hustle and bustle of December should be offset with weekend long lies and peaceful normality in January. The exception to the rule? When one of your wonderful sons are playing rugby. By far my favourite, no in fact, the only sport I love. The togetherness, commitment and all for one attitude is evident through every age group Declan has played for. It’s something he and his friends are passionate about, lets face it, it’s a game that unless you have that passion you’re not going to play for long. For mum, it’s a reminder of how independent your son is becoming but also a chance to capture some memories without the argument’s! Everything I have discussed here – cold, togetherness, independence – are all sentiments on display in my images from Saturdays game. Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort, the boys suffered a defeat. Something they are not used to. One thing is for sure though, they will dust themselves down, pick themselves up and be ready for the next game. And so will mum!          Well look no further. I have put together a list of games which will certainly make it a day to remember. Whether it is a small intimate get together or a hall full of family, friends and work colleagues, these games are sure to add some fun. There certainly isn’t a better way to have everyone come together. GENDER VOTING Requirements - A chalk board Pink and blue chalk What better way to start the games than to have a Chalk board set up at the entrance. This way guests can guess on the gender of the little one. PLAY DOH BABIES Requirements Each guest will receive - A paper cup with a small lump of Play Doh A cake cup holder to place there finished masterpiece Optional pencils, stencils to help with the design. With Play Doh being nostalgic, fun and lets be honest probably part of daily life if you have children of your own, each guest will have 15 mins to create the cutest baby they can with the mum to be selecting her winner.
NAME THE BABY Requirements A selection of cards Pens One jar for boys One Jar for Girls What great way for the Parents-to-be to have there guests suggest their favourite girl and boy names. This is a perfect ‘extra game’ for guests to participate in as they come and go from the party. BOBBING FOR TEATS Requirements A large bowl Baby bottles Teats Water Stop watch So you have probably played bobbing for apples, right? Well this game is played exactly the same only you exchange the apples for the teats. (Maybe a few disposable shower caps would come in handy here) 😀
I hope you found this helpful and I would love for you to share any baby shower games in the comments below. 💜
 Love or loath reality tv, it can be hard to avoid it! Baby safety is the single most important aspect of newborn photography and something I take very seriously! We all adore seeing images that appear to have babies supporting their head in hands or newborns being held in the air by dads hands showing just how small they are. It is important for myself and other newborn photographers to educate parents out there on how the images are created! Composite images and the use of photoshop are a photographers best friend when it comes to achieving these images. Whether it be babies laid on a beanbag to create the illusion of them floating or mum/dads hands being removed during the post shoot process, I would rather spend more time editing in photoshop than ever putting a baby at risk! Here are a few examples to help give you an understanding of what is involved......
No magic or daredevil stunts used! Just clever software giving the image an authentic look. No risk, no nervous moments and no worried parents!!! 💜
Sometimes you hear a song or watch a video online and it can have an emotional effect on you. Well this song did for me and I'm guessing the majority of parents out there!
My husband and I are blessed with two amazing and beautiful children Declan (12) and Callum (3). I can honestly say hand on heart I do not know where the time has went! I'm sure I'm not alone in this as one moment you are holding your baby in your arms for the first time in hospital then you are singing happy birthday a year later! As a photographer we can be so lost in documenting our clients memories that we forget to document our own. So for 2016 I promised myself I would have my camera by my side to do just that. So I give you a challenge, whether you are on holiday or in your garden. Try to simply slow down, make memories and please do not forget to document these. As these images will be something you will treasure forever! Try to think outside the box, don't always go for the smile at the camera pose. Try to make a story board by documenting the little details to create a story of that day together. These are the memories we tend to forget about, but when documented in such a way will take you back to that moment in years to come! Take care and don't forget to simply 'slow down'! Katrina ? As some of you know, I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my work and day to day life! I believe that continual training leads to personal and occupational growth and always look to learn from the best in their field. So who better to go to than the amazing Gary Hill for training in lighting! Gary, in my opinion is one of the best photographers in this field and he certainly proved this on the day. Whether it be butterfly, loop or rembrandt lighting, his attention to detail and patient explanation for each set up of the images below was fantastic! I have included some examples taken on the day, which I'm sure you will agree are stunning and truly timeless which Gary is well known for!  Image styled, lit to perfection and set up by the phenomenal Gary Hill. Images taken and edited by myself.  Image styled, lit to perfection and set up by the phenomenal Gary Hill. Images taken and edited by myself.  Image styled, lit to perfection and set up by the phenomenal Gary Hill. Images taken and edited by myself. The training was hosted by Jo Rutherford (www.jorutherfordphotography.co.uk) at her studio in Southport where both Jo and Gary were kind enough to offer training at the weekend!
Thank you to Gary for an incredibly insightful and well delivered day. The 4 hour early Saturday morning drive was well worth it! I am excited to add these techniques to my style of photography! 💜 During a recent session a mother asked if she could 'photograph the photographer'! Of course I agreed and decided to put together a story board which might help give you an idea of what to expect from a photoshoot with Katrina Holloway. I had the pleasure of photographing the gorgeous Remii who was 6 days old and her stunning big sister Rii who is 3! 
 Images taken by Jo-Dee Gault 💜 Getting back to work and both girls were very co-operative and a dream to photograph! Only wish I had known I was going to be in front of the camera as well as behind it as I would have made more of an effort with hair and makeup 😀
Packing your hospital bag can be a stressful time for first time parents and like most of us you don't know exactly what to expect, reading newborn books and hearing first hand how every birth is different makes packing every thing but the kitchen sink for every eventuality mind boggling.
So here are a few essential that will hopefully help guide you through this time... For Labour... An old nightshirt/tshirt for the birth. Slip on slipper as these will come in handy for walking around the ward. Hairbands/kirby grips. Facecloth. Mp3 player, book, magazine or a colouring in book to pass the time. A selection of snacks and drink as labour can be lengthly so make sure you keep up your energy. Phone charger to make those important calls. Camera to capture that first moment after or during birth. For Birthing partner..... Comfortable clothing and shoes. Change of clothing. Snacks and drinks Charger After Labour Toiletries, toothbrush and toothpaste. Hairbrush. Nightshirt. Disposable pants. Super absorbant sanitary towels. Bras and breast pads. For baby Sleep suits. Vests. Mits, socks and hats. Nappies and cotton wool balls. Going home clothes. Carseat. It may also be a good idea if you have children already to buy a gift for your newborn to give his/her brother or sister as this can make them fell special at such a life changing moment. Please feel free to share any tips you may below xx “I wasn’t actually sure what to expect”! This is a quote I can attribute to the vast majority of my photo shoots. It is a busy and stressful time having a baby and when arranging a session it is understandable that a lot of new parents have many other things on their minds other than the idea of lights being set up in their living room, props complimenting their baby’s cuteness, the room being slightly warmer than usual etc. So how should you expect the day to pan out? There’s a lot to take in so what are the most important things? Lets see.  I try to minimise the amount of boxes and bags I bring along, a few essential pieces of equipment, some props, some outfits and two or three backdrops. As for your preparations, there really aren’t any! Turning up the heating a little higher than usual can make a huge difference in how the session flows. Your baby will be unclothed or close to it for most shots and therefore being cosy and warm will help to keep them sleepy and comfortable. Don’t panic at the sight of my car being unpacked, it might look like a lot but we wont take up too much room! The initial setting up will give you time to ask any questions you might have regarding the shoot and also relax into the session. Its then time for baby to take centre stage and create some beautiful images and memories! Its understandable that there will be a few breaks for hugs and feeds and the session will always be dictated by how happy baby is throughout the day. After 2-4 hours we should have plenty of images to work with and you will have your living room back! I usually find that parents have really enjoyed themselves by the end of the shoot, seeing their brand new pride and joy being photographed professionally for the first time and their excitement to see the finished product begins as I leave. Having recently got my business up and running along with my website and all the social media platforms the world has to offer (the links to which can be found on my site ;)), I was featured in an article for the Evening Times. Although my professional passion is photography and taking pictures of others, I am afraid I don't have the same passion for being in front of the camera. Also, being a photographer gives you control of the stage you set and allows you to direct your subjects who ultimately create the image you are looking for. When it comes to babies there really is nothing cuter to photograph or anything that creates reactions of "aaawww" or "ooohhh". When it comes to having my photograph taken for a newspaper theres nothing more nerve wracking or anything that creates a personal reaction of "aaaahhhhhh"!!! Having the control and results taken out of your hands and relying on someone else to create the image you are looking for is not easy to take! However as always is the case with these things, we build them up in our heads and let our imaginations run wild until all we see is something we wish we didn't. Looking back on it you usually end up saying "wasn't really as bad as I thought it would be" and eventually "I'm glad I did that".
The motto of the story is and should be - immerse yourself in the moment and let cameras capture what they see. If they see a happy relaxed person looking back at them, they will photograph a happy relaxed person. And happy relaxed parents are exactly the kind of memories we would all like to capture! 💕 x |
AuthorKatrina Holloway, Newborn Photographer, Ayrshire Glasgow & Surrounding Areas Archives
March 2019
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