The JOY of Childhood
As a specialist Little Baddow family photographer, I have had the pleasure of spending time in the company of some wonderful children. This was certainly the case when the I photographed these three girls. I met the girls at their stunning grade II listed home, located in the picturesque village of Little Baddow in Essex. My aim was to capture the joy of childhood.
The youngest of the three sisters, greeted me at the door and welcomed me into the family home. It was a beautifully furnished country manor, surrounded by green fields and captivating gardens.
It was apparent straight away that we were going to have a fantastic day. The girls were so polite, friendly and relaxed. I knew we would have great fun on the shoot. And ‘fun’ is exactly what we wanted to capture for the family; to encapsulate a care-free, childhood summer with some beautiful, natural photographs.
Playing Dress up with Ponies
I had already chatted to the girl’s mum, to find out what they liked to spend their time doing. It was important to reflect this in the photographs. It was clear that the girls loved to dress up and play with their ponies. So that’s what they did on the shoot. They seemed so young and yet so grown up, already very capable horse-riders, with an obvious love for their animals. I think this shines out in the photographs.
The girls spent the rest of the shoot playing in the gorgeous summer sunshine. Being able to capture the free-spirit of such lovely children on a perfect English summer’s day was a privilege. Before the day was through, I joined them as they played in their treehouse. I watched as they picked peas and strawberries in their walled garden and then covered themselves in war paint and hid in their den. I was very much led by what they wanted to do – the shoot was about them, after-all.
Finally, after a quick acrobatics routine on the lawn, they showed me around their own bedrooms, enabling me to capture some images of them in more reflective mood, and to celebrate their individuality.
The day resulted in some delightful photographs showing the joy of childhood. I hope the photographs provide the children with a treasure trove of memories to look back on, all set in the charming surroundings of their very special home.
