Ivy & Ronald

One of the greatest compliments I can receive as a photographer is when a family invites me back to document another chapter of their lives.

A few years ago, I visited Rachel and Craig's home to create portraits with their family and horses during the quiet beauty of February. Fast forward a few years, and life has moved on in all the wonderful ways it tends to. Ivy is older, full of personality, and there is a new four-legged family member stealing hearts and causing a little mischief along the way – Ronald the sausage dog.

This spring portrait session was a beautiful reminder that the most meaningful photographs aren't created once; they're created over time.

Children grow and change so quickly. One moment they're toddlers, and before you know it they're confidently exploring the world around them.

When I first photographed this family, the focus was very different. This time, the session centred around Ivy and Ronald, capturing the special bond that is already developing between them.

Ronald certainly kept us entertained throughout the shoot. Like many young dachshunds, he has plenty of opinions, endless enthusiasm, and a talent for finding adventure wherever he goes. Armed with a love of chicken, cheese, squeaky toys and footballs, he brought so much character to the session and ensured there was never a dull moment.

Family portraits become even more valuable as the years pass because they allow us to look back and see these changes. Not just how everyone looked, but who they were at that moment in time.

One concern people sometimes have about booking another portrait session is whether it will feel too similar to their previous one.

For me, every session should tell the story of where a family is right now.

While their first session took place at home with the horses during winter, this portrait experience embraced an entirely different season and feel. We headed straight out into the local country park which was full of bluebells. 

The vibrant colours, fresh greenery and soft woodland light gave these portraits a completely different atmosphere from their previous session. Add in a growing child and a mischievous little sausage dog, and the result was a collection of images that felt entirely unique while still fitting beautifully alongside their earlier portraits.

This is something I love helping families create – a visual story that unfolds over the years, with each session capturing a new season of life.

As photographers, we are often present during some of life's most precious moments. Being trusted once is wonderful, but being invited back years later is something I never take for granted.

It means becoming part of a family's story. Watching children grow, meeting new animals who have become beloved family members, and documenting the connections that evolve over time is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

The portraits we created during this session aren't simply photographs of Ivy and Ronald in a field of bluebells. They are a record of a fleeting moment in their family's journey – one that will look different again in a few years' time.

And that's exactly why these sessions matter.

Because life changes. Families grow. New members arrive. Children become teenagers. Dogs grow older. Horses retire. Seasons come and go.

Photographs allow us to hold onto each chapter before it slips away.

If you've commissioned a portrait session with me before, perhaps now is the perfect time to tell the next part of your family's story. I'd love to help you create another collection of artwork that celebrates where life has taken you since we last met.