Forest

Back from holidays. There was a city, a forest, a river, and a sea. There were friends and family we did not see for a while. Sun, sand, waves, mosquitoes, barbeques, ice-creams. Shorts, sandals and dresses. 
And some 16 gig of photos to sort through :-)

Piú letti

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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Our lockdown life

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Here's a little update about our lockdown life. I'm still here, still love photography, and try to keep creative in these tough times. There've been days when nothing made sense and I did not pick up the camera for a while, but there were also good days, and I am developing my skills, experimenting, and learning new things so that I can do more when life comes back to normal. It's been... different, this living in our own bubble. Boring and fun, creative, and confusing. We read books and watched movies, tried new crafts and did some DIY, baked cakes and built Legos, spent too much time in front of computers, jumped and shouted, went for walks, found fossils and new sticks. Stay well, and stay safe x More personal updates Like what I do? Get in touch, let's chat about photos of your family! ...
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7 reasons for having your family photoshoot outdoors

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Sometimes my kids pull out family albums, and I hear their happy chatter, remembering what happened in that photo, what kind of adventure they were having, who did the most silly thing - splashing each other in the sea, Maya putting sand on her brother's head, jumping on hay bales, having picnic on a hill watching sunset. I love hearing this, because I loved those moments. And as a family photographer, this is the kind of photos I want to take for you. Just imagine. Instead of dressing everyone nicely, driving to a studio and sitting still for 15-30 minutes while lights and reflectors are adjusted, posing is corrected and photos are taken, you are going outside to play, explore and have fun. You will share this experience as a family, and you will have natural and unique photos as a result. In all my years as a family photographer in Scotland and here in Sicily I've done dozens and dozens of shoots outdoors, parents and kids both love them, and here's why. 1. Photo sessions...
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Sunset

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I realized that it is my first post in 2016. With holidays, travels, settling back, school and all the daily routine there was no time, or no energy, or not enough coffee (and never enough excuses :-) I am reconsidering my photo editing process, which is part of the reason too why I've been reluctant to process the whole sessions I was photographing, and post them. Once they are posted, it is done and I am still not happy and still searching for some little something to improve my editing. On the other hand, till something is out - it is like not yet finished and blocks me from doing something new. Instagram is easier in this regard, as it goes one photo at a time. I am posting more regularly there - @yuliapagano , should you be curious :-) Some sunset races and football, taken during a walk to the beach shortly after we came back home. Matteo became a fan of silhouette photos, so we might produce more :-)
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Photo a day - May

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Published on 15th of June 2023     It's June, school's over, and summer is finally here. It's a bit late this year, but I am not complaining, heat is not my thing. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike summer! I am looking forward to spend days (and evenings, because - sunset!) on the beach swimming and splashing and digging in the sand, and all the fruit and summer salads, ice-cream and long evenings on the terrace. It's the heat that I have problem with, my brain just switches off and all I want is to find a cool corner under air conditioning and hide there with the book.  We've finally started our photo wall. The project was complicated - we wanted a photo and art wall that tells about us, that reminds of Scotland, and has each of the kids equally represented (they checked!). For now it has some framed art, artistic map of St Andrews, photos in vintage frames we had in our home in Scotland, and new photos too. I'm already thinking what else to print, an...
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Beach fun photo session in St Andrews

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Beach Fun Mini sessions - for all the lovers of dancing on the beach and jumping in the waves, flying kites and climbing rocks and playing with sand! Let's have some beach fun and create beautiful unposed photos of your family or your little ones! Maximum 5 slots available in the evenings between 3-6 of July. St Andrews, East Sands or West Sands. 30 min shot, min 15 photos to choose from, 3 digital images with print rights or 10 printed photos. Photo-session cost - £100, option to upgrade. Please get in touch for more details, and to book.
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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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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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