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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Fife Coastal Path

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Our first walk of the year. Stomping through the mud, and lots of it. Some of us did even manage a bit of mud sliding. The sea had this surreal turquoise color, along with grey moody sky it was beautiful. Lots of dry grass, sticks and bushes, thorns. We did not go down to the beaches, it was too muddy and slippery for it. Next time.
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Family photo session - walk on Fife Coastal Path, St Andrews

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This one did not feel like photo-session at all - we did take photos, it was just barely noticeable. It was like going for a walk with friends and enjoying beautiful spring day. We talked so much. About politics, knitting projects, shells and bluebells, botanic garden, teaching maths at school and photographing older kids, challenges and tricks how to do better with these last tricky bits.  We explored small beaches along the Coastal Path, starting from East Sands beach, and then circled back to the harbor. Sun was shining, sky was blue and bluebells were in their full glory. Tide was out, leaving lots of treasures between the rocks to spot. The photos - they did happen too. In natural and unposed way, without tense feelings and expressions, with honest smiles and connection and fun.  Like what I do? Get in touch, let's chat about photos of your family! ...
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Autumn family photoshoot, St Andrews

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October is here, my favourite time of the year. Autumn has been giving us subtle signs of its arrival for a while already - with bright spots of colour appearing here and there, dew on the grass, apples and rowan berries. And the light - it almost feels different in autumn! This session was partly at home and partly outside, and the key thing was to avoid posing and anything artificial. So we went for a walk together in the woods surrounding their home and made sure everything happens naturally. Little Luna was the main guiding force here. I love photographing toddlers and young children, how expressive they are, how they show their personalities and little quirks, just doing their thing and being themselves - it's wonderful to capture it all and to get unique, unposed and natural photos! Parents just have to keep up - and this was not a problem either :-) Luna picked some pine cones with her dad, gave hugs and kisses to mom, took a ride on daddy's shoulders and played ...
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Garden project

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This project has been planned, postponed, amended - and finally implemented. Lots of serious work - weeding, cleaning some winter leftover mess, planting new flowers, as well as rake dancing and broom-guitar playing.
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Photo a day - September

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  Published on 24th of October 2023 These past weeks I've been reflecting a lot about my photo a day project, that I am doing for almost 3 years already, I started a few months before Mara was born. There are days when it feels too much and I have no inspiration and energy to pick up the camera. And then there are moments when I see my kids playing, a new trick or game or mess they are up to, a spot with beautiful light, an interesting combination of colours, and I want to take a photo. I've decided to go easy with this, with myself in the first place, because there's no creativity when you are exhausted and feel forced, and the photos show it. But I try to make time and space for this creativity, it's something my soul craves. And when I look back, all the things I've discovered and mastered, tried and experimented with, all the energy and ideas and feedback, it's amazing. The results are amazing, and not just for me personally (this project is my hobby and doc...
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"Work in love business" / Family photographer in St Andrews

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Every family is beautiful. Every family has its story. This one, I was humbled and honoured to witness all this love. I read recently that family photographers work in love business. It did not exactly make sense to me. Now I understand. I cannot thank you enough for this, Anna.   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, Cupar and Fife, as well as Dundee.
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West Sands - with two kids and a dog

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Little mid-term school break, the weather's been good and we were adventuring outside. We made a long walk along the Coastal Path from East Sands to Boarhills (where daddy picked us up and brought us home - I have photos from that one too but they still need a bit of work before being published). And we visited another of our favourite spots - West Sands. It was unusually lovely day for February - so much that the kids insisted on starting barefoot beach season. With us was Mollie - our dog-friend who we dog-sit every now and then. As usual, I was blamed for not taking any toys. As usual, these two have solved the problem just fine - with sticks and shells and just digging with their hands. As usual, I love to watch them play and be creative. As usual, we collect ton of shells and sticks that I am asked to carry and the bring home and we already have huge stash there - oh well :-) Masha was ahead and around, enjoying her book. They tried to build a sand castle - Mollie did...
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Outdoor family portraits with baby - Capo Gallo, Palermo

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This photo-session has been kept under wraps for a while because the photos were Christmas gift, presented as gorgeous custom-made album. That's why now in the middle of winter I am posting some warm and sunny summer photos. This baby stage when they sit but cannot yet walk, is absolutely adorable to photograph. Your little one is so expressive and active, yet mostly sits still - making it an easy job for both the parents and photographer :-). I do not recommend to have only outdoor sessions with young babies, before they master sitting, especially in colder seasons. Warmth and quiet of home create better atmosphere for young babies, to capture simple moments of life, holding and comforting your little one, and all the sweet details. When they confidently master sitting and first steps - then its perfect time for outdoor family photos. Little Greta was happy to play with her parents and be carried around and show her cheeky smile and funny faces. W...
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