If you are reading this blog then a HUGE congratulations on your upcoming bundle of joy! This can be a very exciting time filled with lots of other emotions too. I remember when I was expecting my first baby.. all I wanted to do from the get go was nest nest and nest! They say this comes right at the end of pregnancy a few days before you go into labour... but not for me. This was an urge that I felt all of the way through. I guess this was a good thing for me as it meant tha

Is your little one almost at their first huge milestone... their very 1st birthday? It can sometimes be overwhelming trying to plan a huge party or a family get together, and we all feel the pressure to do something big for their birthdays, especially the first ..sure we want to spoilt them, but lots of my customers that come to me for their cake smash sessions tell me that they are just doing something small and their main event and gift is the photo shoot itself To me this

Seasonal mini sessions such as a Christmas theme are fun, short and affordable for all customers! How mini sessions work: These sessions are less than half the price of a normal photo session, therefore making it affordable for all customers. They are fun and quick so just the perfect amount of time for young babies too. You will see advertisements from Annie Allen Photography a few weeks before the sessions slots go live. You can find these on my Facebook page, so if you are

When I first started photography I went down the wedding and party route, but I very quickly realised that just wasn’t what I wanted to do. In all honesty I felt a little lost. I’d finally found this thing that I loved, that I enjoyed and was really passionate about, but I didn’t know where I wanted to take it. I was still working full time in a care home and just used photography as a hobby for the next few months... but I knew I wanted to take it further. My friends started

Christmas gifts for expectant Mums We have all been there when we are racking our brains trying to find that perfect Christmas gift for an expectant Mum. You don’t want to get them something that they can’t use for months or something that they won’t enjoy whilst they are pregnant, and so I have put together a little list of things that I myself would of loved and got a lot of satisfaction from when I was pregnant with my little one Firstly let’s start with practical gifts A

I love a big collage of mainly detailed shots Most people would just grab one single photo, frame it and pop it up on a shelf Why not be extra brave and design a big collage of 6 or more images in their own individual frames and find a beautiful spot in your home for them up on the wall These are the types of shots that I aim for during our newborn sessions The squared crops make it easy on the eye and compliment those sweet detailed shots facebook.com/annieallenphotography P

I am very big on treasuring little keepsakes and keeping photos and things for memories. I always had a little memory box growing up which I filled with things from holidays, things I had when I was a baby, letters from my Grandma etc... I don’t often get to look in it but maybe once every couple of years I sit and have a look through and reminisce. It’s such a lovely thing to have. So.. when I found out I was pregnant I decided to start a little keepsake box for the baby. I

I’ve always classed myself as a ‘light and airy’ Photographer and although I still adore this style and will always continue to shoot with this look in mind, I wanted to try something slightly different regarding newborn babies to see if it was for me. A couple of months ago I brought 2 newborn baby models into the studio to practice a darker black & white style of shooting. Of course the main key here was to still go for the natural authentic approach, but to make the images

Calm, relaxed and simple... These are the things that I try to project during my newborn sessions, resulting in images that show these exact emotions. I always invested in the newest posing training out there and brought super cute accessories, outfits and props. They were beautiful and super fun to use, but I always felt they stole the focus from the baby. So last year I sorted through everything in the studio, sold them all and began my more natural approach to newborn phot

Hi Everyone, I hope you are all well! I apologise for mentioning the C word so early on.... but as my Christmas mini sessions were so popular last year I am already nearly sold out again this year and I haven’t even advertised them yet. So... I now have just 4 slots left for the Xmas mini sessions! The slots for these sessions will be: 6th December 11am 11.45am 13th December 11am 11.45am £99 - 30mins - 5 images (Fully retouched high resolution digital download images) I will

I finally did it!! During recent photo shoots most of my customers have asked me if I was going to have any maternity pictures taken before baby arrives.. As anyone that knows me, you'll know how much I adore capturing memories.. (well that's kind of obvious anyway otherwise id be in the wrong job!) BUT.. I don't particularly like photos of myself. I think this is because I am so used to being behind the camera, rather than in front of it. I don't like the way I look when I

''Why don't you just try a taster course and see if you like it?'' he said back in 2011. Id always had an interest in photography. I had the free editing software on my computer and used to retouch my holiday pictures of the night time beaches and the morning sunrises. But it was all just a bit of fun.. Little did I know that it would turn into a real hobby and that people would soon contact me to take photos of their little ones. I turned my whole living room upside-down so

Why Newborn Photography Costs What It Does Two of the main questions that I hear a lot are ’Can’t I get a price for just 1 picture?’ And ‘Why is the other Photographer so much cheaper?’ ...And of course we can’t expect people to just know... so I thought I’d take some time to explain what goes on behind the scenes before and after your shoot. This blog also explains why we charge what we do, as there are so many things to factor in when looking for the right Photographer. Equ

Sometimes it is just nice to be able to give something back! And this is why I have created a cute discount for the next 5 customers to book! 20% off their photo session and a free gift!! This is a great chance for some of my customers to be able to save themselves a little bit of money.. and also treat their little one to a free wooden toy!! This offer is valid for any newborn, baby or 1st birthday photo session. Gift vouchers are also available if booking for someone specia

During a newborn photoshoot babies are often awake and trying to focus on the world around them. Sometimes capturing that ‘perfect’ shot on camera isn't as easy as it seems. Rather than waste this time trying to get them to settle I sometimes hover over them with the camera in hand waiting for some funny faces, yawning and any facial expressions that show their little personality. Most Photographers would unfortunately delete any bloopers or outtakes as they believe that pare

Studio sessions are perfect for your maternity, newborn, baby, & cake smash photo sessions. They are simplistic and baby led, keeping away from fussy props and instead focusing on your baby's natural beauty. The cosy studio is purpose built and is located in my home garden in Aldershot Hampshire. It is the perfect size for my tiny customers and has a homey relaxed feel. ​ Using professional studio equipment & lighting, soothing sounds to settle your baby and access to my acce

A day in the life of a newborn photographer Every day is different depending on what session I have scheduled, and depending if my husband is home to walk the dog and help me tidy up in the morning. Yes.. I make him help me with that :) (This schedule is based on a newborn photo session) ~ The studio is always cleaned, prepped and ready to go the evening before a shoot ~ 7.45am The first thing I do is make a lovely hot cup of tea. I couldn’t function without one of those! 7.5

So it's that wonderful time of the year where we all rush out to snap up a good deal during the January sales. Im one of those overly organised people that grab the left over Christmas decorations that are reduced in price, or try to find nice sale items if I have some upcoming birthdays etc. But lets face it.. the shops are too crazy at this time of the year and so its probably a lot more sensible to try to get these deals online, from the comfort of your sofa with your new

It can sometimes be hard to know what kind of gift to give to someone. It may be a leaving present from work to go on their maternity leave, a gift for their baby shower, or a gift for your granddaughter/grandson. You want to give something special and want it to be something that they will actually use. This is why a photo session gift could be the perfect thing. I offer a range of different photo sessions so I am sure that you will be able to find just the right one. ​ Mate

Family is super special to me. I have always been quite close to all of my siblings (I’m the baby of four) and so when I first found out I was going to be an Auntie for the first time I was sooooo excited, as you can imagine. At that point I had only been capturing newborn baby photos for about 1 year, so it was all still quite new to me. I just couldn’t wait to photograph the new addition to the family :) Little Heidi was born & had a newborn session with Mum & Dad, then a f