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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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Family photo session in Villa Tasca, Palermo

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We met with Greta and her parents on summer evening in July for their family photos. I've photographed this family several times already, first when Greta was a a baby, and it always touches me deeply when families come for a repeat shoot. We picked villa Tasca park because they often spend summer evenings there, so Greta knows and loves the park and has several favourite spots there. As her mom told me that she's very much into exploring and researching now, I offered to bring a little basket and magnifying glass for her research. They also brought some books and a blanket to sit on. We started with one of their favourite spots - tree stumps and hammocks. There was a game of sticks, drumming, bouncing and jumping on the stumps, rocking on the hammock with some tickles.  I saw some interesting looking bushes with blooms and beautiful light, so I suggested we move there and let Greta play with magnifying glass. She was really excited about this new toy, so for a while it was dif...
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The magic of reading during your family photo shoot

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5 reasons to include books and reading in your family photos If you are reading this, you are probably considering a family photo shoot. I know all the different concerns that my clients have before their session. And one of them is - what do we do, how do we get those images with genuine moments and real emotions? During my 7 years doing family photography I've discovered one activity that always works - it's reading books with your kids. There are so many good reasons why integrating books and reading into your lifestyle family photoshoot can bring a touch of magic, warmth, and togetherness, while capturing beautiful and candid moments along the way. Below I'll let you know the top 5.  Let's get started! 1. Reading with your kids is great for those who might feel uncomfortable in front of the camera Because you do what you usually do - you sit down, take a book and read. You don't need to worry what to do with your hands - they are holding a book, or both the boo...
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Sand castles on East Sands

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First barefoot beach day (we do not really count those short runs on the sand in February, right :-) Really and seriously, with feet dipping and running on the water - this one is the first. First sand castle of the season. First sand fight of the season and first hand full of sand - this, and sand in the pockets, will stay with us well till November. And I truly do not mind, I love my barefoot beach days as much as these two. Matteo is building a bunker - tunnel covered with sticks and sea-weed, then with sand. Good camouflage, it was hardly different from the rest of the surface around the castle. He tested it after completing the construction - the structure resisted his weight and survived. One very proud engineer. We tried to build the moat too - it did not really work, water was too far. So it was abandoned after a short while. Maya was collecting small rocks and shells to decorate the walls and the big tower. They both carried big rocks to reinforce the wall...
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Fine art motherhood photo sessions, and giveaway! - Family photographer in St Andrews

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I have something to celebrate this week. All women do - it's International Women's Day today, and Mother's Day on Sunday. For me it's also 1 year since I made this giant leap of faith, published my photography web-site and decided to give it a try and make my hobby of last 12 years into something more, and share it with the world. So I am doing something very special to celebrate. It's about bond between mother and her child. It's about love, holding hands and messy hugs. It's about laughing together, exploring together, being together. And remembering what it felt like to hold the small hand of your child in your hand, or to lift up your little one and hug and twirl and laugh together. Photograph is one of the few things that can capture this special connection and love. That can help us to remember it and treasure for many more years to come. This is what my fine art motherhood photo sessions are about. And one of them I'd like t...
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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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Beach fun / Family photographer in St-Andrews

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Beach is fun all year around. And we had the cutest little explorer. We went to Maiden rock beach for this family session, just a short walk from East Sands. And we had lots of rocks to explore, shells to collect and sand to play, and driftwood tree to climb. This girl and her flyaway hair!  Here are some more of my favourites from this session. Her face says it all, it was a good fun!   Photographs are copyright of Julia Pagano Photography. Julia Pagano specializes in candid natural light photography of babies, toddlers, children and families, as well as children portraiture in St Andrews and Fife, as well as Dundee.
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Outdoor baby photo session in St Andrews | East Sands and St Andrews Cathedral

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Preparation As both parents are history lovers and always try to visit and explore historic places when travelling, St Andrews Cathedral seemed to be an obvious location choice, followed by a quick trip to East Sands beach and the pier, so that we had more diversity in the scenery. We spoke on the phone to sort out all the details to plan the session so that it's also enjoyable for them and manageable with their little baby girl. I was a bit worried to have an outdoor photo session in winter with such a young baby (she was about 2 months old when we did the photos), but she did so well! She liked our time on the beach much more than the Cathedral ruins, probably because we walked more there and she could sleep cuddled in her mommy's or daddy's arms. The weather's been a gift too, we had a lovely warm day which did not feel like winter at all and beautiful golden sunlight. The photoshoot We started with a little walk around the Cathedral ruins, followed by a short nursin...
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