She is 5!

Maya is 5 today! 5 years of adventures and giggles and running after this little girl of mine.



Maya at 5 loves to dance and wear dresses, beach and Christmas, to eat ice-cream and to watch Peppa Pig. Her best play (and mischief of course) buddy is her brother, she has a bad day at school when there's painting. She is passionately avoiding any green leaves in her food (like parsley or spinach - big no no). Her next big project is to learn to ride 2 wheels bicycle. And her birthday cake request is chocolate with raspberries and pink frosting - so I am signing off for the day to work on that, and balloons, and surprizes, and yes there's also ice-cream stashed in the freezer :-)

This is her official birthday portrait. By special request - with glitter. Lots and lots of it!


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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In search of snow / Family Photographer in St.Andrews

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We did not have much snow this winter. We usually do not get much snow here at all, which may be surprising considering how far up north we are. But the truth is, winters in St Andrews are mild. We wanted some snow adventure and real winter experience, even as a short break. This desire took us to Glenshee. It was beginning of March, but we were lucky to find some snow patches, good enough for sledges. And small snowman. And snowballs. And of course snow lollipops. Result - some hours of driving and a bit getting lost, even with navigator - or despite :-) Couple of children who got car sick. Fair amount of fighting over how three children share two sledges. Couple hours of fun on the slopes. Five pairs of soaked shoes and socks. And this true sportswoman, who bravely pulled sledge up the slope for the next ride. All on her own. Photographs are copyright of Julia Pagano Photography. Julia Pagano specializes in candid natural light photography of babies, toddlers ...
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5 simple and practical tips how to take better pictures of your kids/children photographer in St Andrews

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It's something I've been working on for the past couple of weeks, and I am very excited to share it. A guide with 5 simple and very practical tips how to take better pictures of your children. They are not technical - it does not matter what kind of camera you photograph with. The tips will work also if your camera is in your phone. Curious? To get the guide and more interesting infos, practical tips and inspiration  - please fill in this form:  Please fill in * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name
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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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3 important things to know about villa Trabia

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Top location for candid family photos right in the center of Palermo Where should we do our family photo session is one of the most frequently asked questions I get from my clients. On the one hand, it's nice to do it in a place that has importance and meaning for you, like a favourite park where you come regularly, where your kid has his or her favourite hiding spot or climbing tree.  But maybe you are looking for something new, your favourite park is closed for maintenance works or it does not suit as a photoshoot location because it's small, or there is some other issue. When choosing a location for your family photo shoot in Palermo, there are several things to consider - how big is this place, does it offer diversity in backgrounds and possible things to do, how easy is it to reach, does it have crowded periods which are better to avoid. In this article, I'll talk about one of my  favourite parks of Palermo that provides the perfect background for a natural, unposed an...
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Two little brothers / Family photographer in St-Andrews

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I was photographing these two little brothers a short while ago at their home. I got a lot of serious looks. I got some sweet details and very real moments, like this one below. Some more of my favourites from this session. 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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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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