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

October sunset

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The sun sits low on the sky, creating gorgeous long shadows. Which I like. A lot. So here we are on a warm October evening. Playing rock-paper-scissors, carrying around first golden leaves, stumbling but still running in the sun patches, and having some serious sister-brother conversations.
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Her. And my personal photo challenge for 2017.

This was our special photo project for 2017, hers and mine. We were supposed to do a portrait a week. It was interesting, useful and a challenge in more than one way. Some weeks we did more, than we had weeks of doing nothing. Sometimes we both were excited, later we both hated it -  each of us for different reasons. Yet we are proud with results. Here are my favourites, and some of them I am getting printed. Quite large :-) 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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Family photo session in St Andrews, West Sands beach

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West Sands did not disappoint - beautiful dunes, moody sky, wind. But then, it very seldom does, especially if you do not mind the wind. We met on a beautiful September evening for this photoshoot with Marion and her daughters. Our destination was the very end of the beach, by the Eden estuary and sand dunes. Marion picked some flowers and decorated Keira's curls, girls shared some secrets and treasures found in the sand, wind was playing with Keira's hair. And me - I was observing it all as it unfolded in front of me, and clicking along. I often tell my clients that photo-session is like going for a walk together - this one was no exception. I am a very silent companion on such a walk - I might suggest something interesting if I see beautiful spot or some nature details that would make beautiful background for you. But more often I just follow what's happening and how you enjoy this beautiful walk and your time together. From Marion: " Very relaxed photo shoot ...
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Behind the scenes - photo session with kids

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I'm showing, and telling, something different today. Some behind the scenes moments, what and how things happen during a photo session with kids. I had help of 4 beautiful children, and it all took place in Capo Gallo (Mondello side).  Before the shoot we had a little chat with parents to prepare - to discuss how things will go, what clothes to wear, and what their kids like to do outside. So we had a little plan of their usual and favourite activities, plus I also prepared some ideas for games and things to do. I was a bit nervous - mostly because of communication and language issues. My Italian is pretty decent when it comes to conversation, it's writing that's the problem - but photo shoot is always an intense and emotional experience when you have to keep track of what's happening, if everyone is feeling ok and enjoying it, if we're moving ahead and getting some photos, if we need some new ideas and activities or just need to move to a new spot, if my camera set...
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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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9 essential tips for taking great photos of your kids on the beach

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A lot of Sicilian summer is about the sea - it's a place to escape the heat, to relax and have fun on the beach with your kids, be it splashing, swimming, collecting shells or digging in the sand, reading or even napping! As parents, we often find ourselves reaching for our cameras or smartphones, eager to capture these moments and memories of the summer.  However, there are quite some challenges when it comes to getting beautiful photos on the beach - the biggest are strong sunlight, crowded space, kids moving all the time. During my 7+ years as a family photographer, I took hundreds of photos of clients and my own kids on the beaches in both Scotland and in Sicily. I've learnt and discovered a lot, what to do, and what not to do, to get beautiful kids' photos on the beach. Here are my top 9 tips and tricks, that will help you to elevate your beach snapshots to beautiful photographs. It's about essentials, nothing technical, and will work both for your phone and camera...
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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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Peter Pan, catch your shadow

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The shadow we've got, in a girly way with a wee bit of pink :-) The sun, sitting low in Scottish sky, invites for all sorts of shadow plays. We already had this , and this a while back. And will have some more probably, with a new twist.
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