We all take them nowadays. SLR’s are no longer a camera reserved for the rich or paparazzi, and the internet can now teach us a little, and a lot on how to use them, depending on how much you care to master.

Aperture anyone? F.stop numbers? I just cannot get my head around it all. I so badly wish I could for the sake of my own family photography.

This frustrates me to NO END. I have dreams of snapping pictures of my growing family just like P-Dub, or at worst, if I cannot master it, employing the services of Jules Trandem, and Heidi Hope – seriously guys, go check em out. Ah-mayzing. I need to share with you right now the beauty of it all, beautiful family photography, that I know those people will treasure forever.

I absolutely admit it, I stalk their photo blogs because the images they capture are just stunning. Be warned though, especially with Heidi’s blog, do not enter if you are feeling just a tad bit broody in the slightest.

I am kicking myself that Mr S and I have not chosen to live in either San Diego or Rhode Island just for the family photography opportunities!

Image copyright - Heidi Hope Photography

Image copyright - Jules Trandem photography

Problem is you see…. The photo studios and freelance photographers in the UK churn out this type of imagery…..

No offence to you whatsoever if this style of studio photography adorns the walls of your home, but it just isn’t ‘my style’. I’m not keen on the ‘family/couple in a big white box with cheesy grins’ kind of thing.

Other problem is that I CANNOT find a photographer within the UK that are as inspired as their American counterparts with regards to family photography (or I am just bad a Google searching in order to find them). Mr S and I have decided that unless something utterly crazy happens over the next decade, we are staying put in England.

Awesome, because I love tea, and the Royal family, Wellington boots, country pubs and the British weather (cough:cough) but I do not love the thought of not capturing this life in photo’s the way I know that it CAN be done.

I guess the nature of this post is firstly to ask any of you if you know a good UK Photographer who is inspiring, willing to travel to the South West, inexpensive and of course – specializes in family photography.

Some friends of Mr S’ and I came to visit last weekend, and brought along with them a slideshow of their engagement shoot. Read: Jealous!

Now I want one myself, but if I am to convince Mr S to part with his time and some of our cash then it’ll need to be absolutely worthwhile.

UPDATE: I have just seen the synopsis for this book on Family Photography and it looks great. Onto the Amazon wish list it goes…

Photographing Your Family: (and All the Kids and Friends and Animals Who Wander Through, Too) (National Geographic Photography Field Guides)

USA

UK

Please put some linky links at the bottom if you are/know of a great UK based photographer.