Spring


More sun, but still cold wind. First bulbs under bright sun rays, running noses, occasional flu and random snow drops, both flowery and icy kinds. The spring is moving on, there is no stopping it.

I am starting a personal spring photo adventure, 20 stories of spring. About adventures, mess, favourite and not only pastime of Pagano household, and of course about spring.

Piú letti

3 reasons to have your family photos in Villa Giulia park

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Villa Giulia is a park in historic center of Palermo. It has its origins in 18th century and is remarkable for its perfect square shape with diagonal alleys dividing the park in different sections. Marble statues and fountains, a sundial, shady alleys and open spaces, and wide variety of trees and shrubbery make it a popular spot both with locals and tourists.  If you'd like your family photos to have lush green background with a touch of special Sicilian atmosphere, this park definitely should be considered. It ticks all the boxes - plenty of space, nice surroundings, easy access, lots of options for things to do during your photo shoot to get natural and emotional images (anyway we don't do posed photos on the benches or next to flowering shrubs!).  Here are my top 3 reasons why villa Giulia is a great location for family photo sessions. Reason 1  Lots of space and diversity. The park has an alley with Ficus trees, a little bamboo forest, a hill with cacti and succulen...
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Best of 2022

  Best of 2022. It's been a difficult year, but it had its funny, tender and, well, best moments.  I wish 2023 to have more light, more kindness and more good things happening in the world. I wish for a peaceful blue sky above the yellow sunflower fields of my home country. Happy 2023 everyone! Like what I do? Get in touch, let's chat about photos of your family! Get in touch!
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Photo a day - March

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Published on 11th of April 2023   Smell of hyacinths, rain drops on the window, slow lazy mornings basking in spring sunshine outside on the terrace - me with coffee, Mara with watering can which she often turns into a puddle on the floor. Tiny purple bursts of crocuses I planted as bulbs in the pot with an olive tree. Blankets, seasonal bugs, messy curls I am still learning how to tame. Picking last oranges in grandma's garden, finishing her sweater - she was very good with tangling the yarn, multiple times. Rare week-end trips - because, the weather, or the bugs - and missing it dearly, cabin fever is the thing here. These are snippets of March. One place we did manage to visit during these rare week-end outdoor moments, is Bosco dell'amicizia on Monte Pellegrino. We discovered it by accident, it's just a turn from the regular path up to the sanctuary. It's an easy trip as Monte Pellegrinno is close to our home, so in just 15 minutes you have fresh air and nature arou...
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Family photos in Tentsmuir forest

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Beautiful summer evening in Tentsmuir forest. This family wanted their photos in a green space, not on the beach, so Tentsmuir seemed to be the best option. It is one of my favourite spots around St Andrews and offers a wonderful mix of scenery - forest, dunes and the beach. Plus, plenty of space to run, things to do and explore for two active boys. And this is what we did on a warm summer evening a few weeks ago.  I love to capture families in their element, talking and having fun together, without posing or direction. This was easy to achieve here, as our photo session was about a walk in the forest, with a variety of activities captured - balancing on logs and climbing trees, stick and pinecones fight, piggyback rides, races and who has the biggest stick competitions. Of course, some cuddles, tickles and stories were thrown in the mix, and flowers the youngest boy has found for his mom and put in her hair. The result was a collection of beautiful, natural, at times funny, emotio...
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Outdoor family photos in St Andrews

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This photo-session was about getting some natural and relaxed family photos, portraits of the girls, and some memories of St Andrews. So we went for a short walk around town, and ended up on East Sands where most fun happened. Baby Alex just wanted to be left free and crawl around. And eat sand. She was happily observing rocks and shells we found for her and did not mind some play time with daddy. But mostly she wanted to be free and explore - so we let her, and got beautiful smiles back. Big sister Rowan wanted to run around, play hide and seek, make surprise hugs and be tickled by daddy. So it all worked out really well for what we had in mind. Here are few more from this photo-session. Like what I do? Get in touch, let's chat about photos of your family! Get in touch!
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Gift vouchers for family and children photos

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Gift vouchers are available for all my photo sessions. Wonderful choice for any family and parents-to-be. It's valid for 12 months, comes beautifully presented and ready to hand over on Christmas, and make your loved ones very happy. At your home or outdoors, doing things you love, no awkward posing or 'cheese' - with this voucher you'll give photographs and memories that will make you smile every time you look at them. Act fast - special bonus worth £50 is included with the voucher, if you buy before 14th of December. Contact me to get your gift voucher.
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Botanical Gardens. Boys' style

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A walk in Botanical Gardens of St Andrews with a little boy. Forget about appreciating creative landscape design, enjoying alpine terraces and the pond, admiring cacti collection and finding all the spring flowers. This is about run, hide, find something interesting, invent games and more run. Some good finds. What can we do with them? A boat? I am a bit skeptical here. Nope, did not swim the right way. Some major engineering work to do. For some other story :-)
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Pieces of our summer / Children photographer in St Andrews

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Long walks, strawberries and home-made ice lollies, long days and late dinners. Pieces of our summer. This blog is going on holidays for a couple of weeks. See you on the beach! Photographs are copyright of Julia Pagano Photography. Julia Pagano specializes in candid natural light photography of babies, toddlers and families, as well as children portraiture in St Andrews and Fife, as well as Dundee.
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Picnic, races and shenanigans

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It has started with family picnic at St Andrews Cathedral (we already had one photo shoot here). Then some random seagull wanted to join. Then we did some flower picking, crawling, running, and kissing. Then came races, and shenanigans. Some participants did not take the start command seriously. And some daddy moment :-)
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St Andrews by the front door photo project

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I'm starting a little project. It's about us as a community and how we go through this new and uncertain time. We cannot get together with family and friends, but we are together in this as a community. Going through the same feelings and emotions, trying to figure out how to live this new normal, how to make sure everyone is safe and sane. It's a rough time, but there is also so much goodness happening. The idea is to document families by their front door, through a window or in their yard. Reading, talking, playing with bubbles or making chalk drawings by your front door. Just being together at home. I'll spend 5-10 min at each home, using my long lens to be sure there's plenty of distance, and we'll be communicating with our phones. I am not making a charge for these photos. Instead, I am asking that, if you can afford it, please make a donation to North East Fife Community Hub and Cafe , a local St Andrews charity supporting vulnerable people in our c...
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