A bit of portraits, and a bit of personal


I've been exploring fine art portraiture. I am glad I have a model who can be made easily available. Or convinced. Or bribed. With frappuccino in Starbucks, for all that matters. 

I have more portraits, still unedited, and something stops me there. The perks of being perfectionist and trying to fix something that you cannot even grasp, you just feel that its wrong or not yet ready. This is part of my creative journey.

And I want to leave these words here, that I read recently and they struck a cord.

"Very little grows on jagged rock. Be ground. Be crumbled. So wildflowers will come up where you are. You have been stony for too many years. Surrender".

There is a lesson here that I am still learning, the light I am still searching.

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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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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Botanical Garden

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I was not planning to photograph today. I've counted yesterday, there are 16 sessions I have to edit. But it was a lovely sunny day, which was a major point because I've started recently experimenting with direction of light in my photos, and I need sun for it. So I was looking for a nice place where I could take some pictures and have sun behind the children. We ended up in Botanical Garden after school. The good point, I found this place. The bad point, we were too late, the sun was behind the trees already. Another bad point, these children run away and always in different directions, and never listen, and I had nothing to bribe them with (Matteo at least :-). Another bad point, the battery in the camera was dying. So all the major disaster factors present and accounted for :-) And then I come home and upload the photos and whoa. I am the only one who knows how dirty her knees are on the picture at the top :-)
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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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I luoghi migliori a Palermo per fotografare la tua famiglia

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Ville storiche e parchi di Palermo Dove faremo la nostra sessione fotografica è una delle domande più frequenti che ricevo dai miei clienti. Da un lato, è bello farlo in un luogo che abbia una qualche importanza e significato per voi, come un parco che frequentate, dove tuo figlio ha un posto preferito per nascondersi o il suo 'albero da scalare. Ma forse stai cercando qualcosa di nuovo, perchè il vostro parco preferito è chiuso per lavori di manutenzione o semplicemente non è adatto come location per uno shooting fotografico perché è piccolo o presenta altri problemi. Quando si sceglie una location per le foto di famiglia, ci sono diverse cose da considerare: quanto è grande il luogo, se offre diversità di sfondi e possibili attività, ma anche quanto sia facile da raggiungere, o va evitato in alcuni orari perchè troppo affollato. In questo articolo, parlerò dei miei parchi e giardini preferiti di Palermo che sono perfetti per una sessione fotografica di famiglia. Villa Trabia  è u...
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Servizio fotografico di famiglia - offerta speciale

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Mini session all'aperto   Vuoi conservare i momenti speciali della tua famiglia, con foto che non siano soltanto belle, ma anche uniche e particolari?  Magari i primi passi del tuo bebé, mano a mano mentre camminate, un sorriso dopo il primo dentino perso, con un giocattolo o libro che deve stare sempre con voi perché sennò non si può andare da nessuna parte...  Ci sono molti momenti nella vostra vita che meritano ricordi belli! Come noi tutti, hai fatto tante fotografie ai tuoi figli in tutte le situazioni con il tuo telefono, ma non hai quelle belle dove siete tutti insieme, dove tuo figlio ti dà un abbraccio a sorpresa o tua figlia ride piena di gioia negli occhi.  É un vero peccato, perchè quelle sono le foto che tu e tuoi figli vorrete vedere e rivedere, sempre di più, più passa il tempo!  Ho un'offerta speciale per te - una mini session, un mini servizio fotografico. Si svolge all'aperto e ti dà  un'esperienza divertente e rilassata , senza...
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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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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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A bit of magic

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 I have a secret. It is about magic, so do not tell anybody! It is a very magical trick! We got this idea with Matteo to fill a hat with autumn leaves and play around. This is what we've got :-)
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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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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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