Thursday 20 April 2017

[New] The Baby Plan: Watch your Little One Grow!

We have brand new and fabulous set of sessions for you at Blue Lights Photography in the form of our Baby Plan at our Barnsley, Studio!


The Baby Plan gives you 3 sessions over 12 Months to capture how your little one changes and grows over that period of time.

There are a couple of options on how you can look at planning The Baby Plan depending on how old your little one is at the minute.

Look at the difference between Newborn and 4 Months!

3, 6 and 12 Months or 4, 8 and 12 Months

This captures your little one at some of the most perfect moments.

Around 3-4 Months they are starting to smile properly when people make silly noises and responding more to people. They will be starting to grab things and grabbing their toes etc. We may even get them holding their head up on tummy-time if this is something that they've previously enjoyed!


6-8 Months is the perfect age to get them sitting and showing off their new found skills. They'll enjoy laying on their tummy and interacting with the camera. This age is such a great age to show how their personalities change and develop.


12 Months is such a special milestone for creating memories for their first birthday. A great time to also get an up to date family photograph and you can even upgrade to include a Cake Smash.


6, 12 and 18 months

As above, 6 Months is the perfect age to get them sitting and showing off their new found skills.


12 Months is such a special milestone for creating memories for their first birthday.

18 Months is the time that they've mainly started to reach toddler-life. Tootling about, climbing and showing off their cheeky character! A perfect way to show how much they've grown!

When can I book?

You can book your Baby Plan anytime from now!

Upgrade to The Baby Plan - Digital and get a personalised USB Box.

If your little one is not yet 3-4 Months then we can get you booked and pencilled in your date.

If your little one is already 3-4 months then we can book you in for one of our next available appointments.

Little one 6 months old or almost 6 months old? Book in for your 6-18 month baby plan now! You don't have to miss out!

Drop me an email or message on facebook quoting "baby plan blog" and we will send you a special baby plan offer!

The normal Baby Plan Pricing is £99 for your 3 inclusive sessions and a beautiful 3-image trifold at the end.

Terms & conditions apply.

Tuesday 18 April 2017

[Cake Smash] What is a Cake Smash?

You hear about people talking about Cake Smashes but you sit there sometimes and think “what is a cake smash?”

Basically, a Cake Smash is a great way to celebrate your little one turning one. We put a baby and a cake together and photograph what happens!

A lot of parents want to mark their child’s first birthday by doing something as a keepsake rather than throw a party that they won’t remember.



At Blue Lights Photography we use our own Cake Maker so cakes are made to order with colours and themes to celebrate your little one's birthday. People tend to put these photographs for everyone to see, but Kitchen’s are popular for Cake Smash photographs as well as the child's bedroom too!

Because we use our own Cake Maker we can look at cake smash sessions for children with allergies too!

Not all children get fully into it and super messy it's very much exploring new textures and foods and is great fun for everyone!

But be warned, everyone will get covered in cake!

To find out more about our Cake Smashes head over to the website or alternatively drop me an email






Monday 17 April 2017

[Weddings] Why I love photographing Weddings at Waterton Park Hotel, Wakefield

Waterton Park Hotel, Wakefield, taken in October 2016

Being a Wedding Photographer I love shooting at different venues, but I do love photographing Weddings at Waterton Park Hotel!


Being one of the recommended photographers for Waterton Park Hotel almost half my Weddings are at this venue - and I love photographing every single one!

So why do I love photographing at Waterton Park Hotel so much? Well, there are different reasons!

The popular Archway, taken in April 2017

The Venue

The venue is such a beautiful setting for Weddings. Just a stone throw away from Wakefield itself, but it's not exactly on the main road so it's hidden and secluded and unless you are actually going to the venue you won't just stumble across it! With its Waterside setting, it's just simply stunning for Weddings all year round!
Photographs from the decked area at the back of Waterton Park Hotel
Photographs taken whilst the couple are stood in the popular Archway at Waterton Park Hotel

Not only has the outside got plenty of beautiful locations for group and couple photographs it also has places inside too should you get married on a rainy day.


I've regularly photographed Weddings all year round at Waterton Park and managed to get outdoor photographs at every Wedding at some point during the day! 


Beautiful Greenery around the Venue

Limited Weddings

Despite reading on other various posts online previously, Waterton Park only does 2 Weddings per day and this is one thing I love about it. Not only that, but they have thought about how it should work so that the brides don't cross paths!
Confetti photographs must be taken on the mainland as confetti can not be thrown on the island

The Weddings are at 12-Noon and 3 pm by the time Wedding 2 is happening and having photographs then the first Wedding is eating! Even as a photographer who grabs my lunch in Charlie's Bar it's very rare that I see the other bride! How the Weddings are planned out means that the brides don't cross paths! I love how it works as I've been to venues where I've had to hide the bride from other brides before - not cool!


The Waterton Suite set up for a Ceremony and Wedding Breakfast

The Rooms

There are two rooms available for ceremonies. The normal ceremony venue and date dependent the Waterton Suite.
You then have the County Suite or Waterton Suite available for the Wedding Breakfast and then the County Suite or Boat House for the evening reception.


Wedding Ceremony images taken in the popular Ceremony room

In general, if you have your Wedding Reception in the Waterton Suite your Evening Reception will take place in the Boathouse, both on the Island. If you have your Wedding Reception in the County Suite your Evening Reception will be in there too on the "mainland" in the hotel.

Wedding Ceremony images taken in the Waterton Suite

The Staff
Not just the Wedding Co-Ordinators but the Staff in general at Waterton Park are lovely. I've not come across a member of staff I've had an issue with or had attitude from. They really are just lovely. A lot of people may think that I say this purely because I am a recommended photographer there, but if I didn't get on with the staff and didn't think that they would look after you then I wouldn't want to be a recommended photographer there! 



How hotels treat photographers says a lot about how they treat everyone else.

If you are looking for a Wedding Venue then don't forget to have a look at Waterton Park Hotel! You will probably fall in love with it!

Snow Machine is available for Winter Weddings too!

I really do love being one of the recommended photographers for this venue! 



Sunday 16 April 2017

[Wedding] Kim & Paul, A Beautiful Yellow Wedding this Easter at Waterton Park Hotel

On Easter Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing Kim & Paul's Wedding at Waterton Park Hotel.

A little bit chilly on this Bank Holiday Weekend, but it definitely wasn't as cold as it had been for their pre-shoot! 

I started with Kim, her mum & bridesmaids at the hotel where they were getting married. With them not getting married until 3pm I even managed a little lay in myself! 


Kim's bridesmaids were all wearing yellow multi-wear dresses whilst Kim had opted for a Champagne lace dress with delicate straps. She had sprigs of gypsophila in her hair matching her bridesmaid's bouquets.


When Kim was ready the registrars came in to speak with her before Pauline, the Wedding Co-Ordinator brought in Kim's Dad who saw his daughter as a beautiful bride for the first time.


Kim's bridesmaids walked down the aisle first, before Kim & her dad followed where Paul and his best man were waiting at the bottom for her entrance.

By admission, they chose the shortest version of everything during the ceremony. The shortest vows and no readings, however, the registrar added in a reading so the ceremony wasn't over too super quick!


We headed outside the ceremony, with a chill and breeze in the air but the sun was shining! So we gathered everyone for a big confetti photograph before heading over to the island for welcome drinks and family photographs.


Standing in the shade it was a bit cool, and then the wind picked up after we had done the larger group photographs so we headed to the side of the building for smaller groups and everyone stood in the sunshine which was lovely and warm. 


After group shots were finished we spent some time photograph the new happy couple. Even getting caught in a very quick rain shower! I reminded Kim that it's good luck to rain on your Wedding Day! 

I do love how Waterton Park has such gorgeous places for us to take photographs!


We then headed back over the bridge to the hotel side of the island where Kim & Paul were heading to have their Wedding Reception in the County Suite. Decorated with Yellow, White flowers and fairy lights it looked beautiful and they had such an amazing cake!

After the meal, there were speeches and then straight into the evening reception.

Thank you for allowing me to share your special day with you!

Monday 3 April 2017

Wedding: All because two people fell in love, Nikki & James are married!

On Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing Nikki & James' Wedding at Kings Croft Hotel, Pontefract.


It was so lovely for Nikki & James to ask me to photograph their wedding. I have known Nikki from school, and as they've been together 11 years it's almost like I've known James a long time too!


I started with Nikki as she was getting ready at the hotel. She was having her hair and make-up done by Emily from The Laurels and was also joined by her Mum, Sister Zoe, Sister-In-Law Vanessa and James & Nikki's daughter Hannah. 


When James arrived I headed downstairs to take some photographs of him with his two Best Men, plus the Dads with the car before heading back upstairs for Nikki to start getting ready.


The nerves were kicking in for Nikki who was starting to feel a bit sick now before putting on her Wedding Dress and her Dad seeing her for the first time - there wasn't a dry eye - including the Bridesmaids! 


Nikki was walked down the aisle by her Dad. She followed her bridesmaids and Hannah down the aisle to James and their family who were waiting.

We headed to get some photographs with the car before Nikki and James had a quick drive about to spend one of their only 10 minutes they'd get to each other on the Wedding Day before they headed back and we started to take requested group photographs.



A mixture of photographs of them with their guests and each other were taken before everyone was called into the Kings Room for Dinner. 


The room looked beautiful with lots of handmade things finished with Chair Covers by Something New Wedding Specialists

Nikki's flowers which were by Frenchie Loves Flowers definitely tied all the colour scheme together too.

Speeches were after dinner, and I asked Nikki and James to pop back out for a few more photographs of them both a little bit more relaxed by this point with the light being a lot softer.


After these we headed inside for the Evening Reception to start. Lots of music, laughter, dancing, hog roast and even a Lip-Sync Battle...
Thank you for choosing me to be sharing your special day with you!

Congratulations Mr and Mrs Ramsden!


Real Time Web Analytics