Introducing a new mini session for children
Little personalities: a portrait series in the grid
As any parent, I remember quite vividly the love at first sight when my son was born or more honestly, after the first sleep following our 27-hour long home birth. We were all so exhausted but after that, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was perfect to me. The funny faces he involuntarily pulled, the yawns that were too cute, the never ending milk-drunk dazes.
I always planned to rest when he slept, but I would lay there, ogling him, touching him, completely in awe. Those were our restful moments. I photographed him endlessly – from every angle imaginable. A bit over the top if you ask me now. In hindsight, he was my little guinea pig at the very beginning of my newborn photography journey – without knowing it at the time.
But this isn’t about newborns.
This is about our deep adoration of our children’s expressions – at any age.
Why I care about more than smiles in photography
I’ve been round the block three times! But now they are older, they are less cute but more funny. We are regularly stared down with one brow raised, disgust or indifference on their faces. It makes me laugh (sometimes with some delay) and sometimes, I just want to whip my camera out because their faces are a picture.
When I was little, having a photograph taken meant occasion. My godfather was the documentarian in the family (funny, I’ve never spoken to him about it). There was no endless digital storage, no hundreds of near-identical images or every angle imaginable. Having a photo taken with a birthday cake was that kind of special event and it was always about smiles – wide, all teeth showing, ready or not.
Even now, as a photographer, I often hear parents urging their children to smile. I gently discourage them. Not because smiles aren’t beautiful or wanted, they are, but because I’m far more interested in genuine emotion than rehearsed ones.
But also, it’s not just joy that’s worth capturing.
All of it matters.
The idea behind these portrait series
My last session of 2025 was a Christmas mini shoot, without the Christmas décor. My clients asked to capture the many faces of their two-year-old to create a series of canvases as a gift for the family.
Smiles weren’t the ultimate goal but we wanted to capture his personality. And if you’ve ever worked with small children, you’ll know two things to be true:
They’re (wonderfully) unpredictable.
At 2, emotions live right on their faces.
In just half an hour, he didn’t disappoint, at times, it was super chaotic and loud but at the end, we captured a great variety, entirely unprompted, totally him.
“We contacted Petra for some last minute photos. She went above and beyond and got us booked in the same day. The photos were perfect and I have recommended her to family and friends. ~ Dylan M.
And that’s when Little Personalities: a portrait series was thought of. And more I thought, more I liked the idea of this session.
Framed for illustration purposes only.
Coming full circle in my 18-year career in photography
If you’ve known me long enough, you’ll know my training wasn’t academic. I learnt family photography on the job, in a local studio nearly 18 years ago, quite accidentally.
After leaving there, I never returned to traditional family studio sessions. There was a lot of unlearning over the years, finding my own style, learning my own rhythm and what genuinely inspired and mattered to me.
These sessions feel like coming full circle, just reimagined.
They are free-style portraits, natural light, child-led as much as possible.
Do I need children to sit still? Not really, it’s not about posing or getting them to smile.
It’s about allowing them to be just as they are.
What are Little Personalities sessions?
A moment captured in time.
Sometimes I glance at the photographs on our walls and think they were taken just a couple of years ago – only it’s been like five or more. The days felt long when they were little, but the years pass so quickly.
Chubby cheeks disappeared as soon as the school started. Our boys’ curls got chopped without warning. They changed so much!
We hear the term of “pictures freeze time”and I used the phrase in the past too but these feel like honouring this time rather than stopping.
A small window into who your kiddo is, right now.
Studio-based portrait mini sessions
30 minutes long (short enough to keep it focused but engaging)
For children of any age (I recommend from around 7 weeks onwards for variety of expression)
Focused on expressions, personality and presence (but not forced)
One child per session
Siblings welcome (we will add time for their photoshoot)
What's included in the session
Because we’re working with children, one size rarely fits all. Plus I love to provide you with variety. That’s why I’ve created two core grid options, with flexibility built in.
You’ll choose your grid after your session and if you fall in love with more images than planned, we can create a bespoke grid and size.
Starting packages:
4×4 image grid — £250
5×5 image grid — £300
Your grid will be printed on a 10×8″ fine art lustre print in colour or B/W and placed in white mount ready to be framed. You will also receive all digital images used in the grid.
Siblings receive their own grid at half price (includes extra half an hour photoshoot, their mounted grid and digital images from their own grid).
Commonly asked questions
If your child is unwell, we will reschedule your session to the next suitable appointment. I’d much rather photograph them when they’re feeling themselves.
All children are welcome. My style of photographing is very much child-led, we don’t need them to perform for us, it’s an interactive session with you as a parent and I.
I’d recommend to keep their outfit simple, with a top without printed picture across it so your eyes are drawn to their faces.
During the photoshoot, I don’t expect them (depending on age) to sit on stool and perform for us. We’d play some games to grab their attention, I have small selection of toys, balls, books that hopefully your child will find interesting. I may lean on you – as you know them the best – to assist me at times, all depending on situation.
Absolutely, you will be in the room with us.
Yes you can and you can hop in one too if you like. However, these photos are not a main focus of this session and will be taken at the end of the session.
Any additional images are charged £25 each and won’t be included in the grid itself.
We will add half an hour extra to your original booking (depending on availability in my diary).
Each child will have their own time. Please bring some entertainment for your other children so the session can run smoothly. Just in case you think that your other child might not want to get off their tablet or a phone to have their turn when it comes, I’d recommend to bring something else like colouring etc.
In my home-based studio on Dundonald Drive, Leigh on Sea.
We can include full-body images or moments that reflect your child’s milestones – such as sitting or standing. Please see the example above for how this can look within the grid.
It’s important to note that when more than one or two full-body images are included, your child’s face will be smaller within the grid unless they are spread across few windows.
If this is something you’d prefer, please communicate it before your photoshoot.
Note: you will receive your individual digital images exactly as they were photographed (these can include some full body shots). I generally recommend keeping the grid images with your child appearing as large as possible for visual impact, possibly including only one or two full-body photos across different windows within the grid.
You’ll receive a private online gallery within one week of your session. I will include all best images (excluding any blinks, accidental blur or identical images). From there, you can choose your images for your specific grid (16 for 4×4 or 25 for 5×5 grid)
The grid is designed intuitively by me (according to chosen photos either in colour or B/W), focusing on balance, flow and how the images work together as a whole.
You’ll receive a proof of the grid design before it’s sent to print, so you can review it and feel confident before final production.
Note: number of photos included as well as the final size can be completely bespoke. If you have something specific in mind, please ask, I’m always happy to advise.
Your digital images will be available to download within 1–2 weeks of your session.
Printed grids will follow after your approval only and can be either collected or posted at the end of each month, when print orders are processed.
Please contact me via my contact form here.