Review | Family Photo Session With Ewa Jones Photography

*Gifted Session

Getting the perfect family photo can be tricky, can’t it? In fact, we have so very few of all us together that when I was trying to find some for photo frames, I spent ages scrolling through my laptop and could only find one. Yes, we have lots of funny selfies but I want to be able to look back at all of us as a family and have fond memories of us having fun together. We haven’t ever had a family photo session, not a maternity one, not a newborn one, and each time I looked around for some I was always put off by the staged images in a white studio– that just isn’t us.

When Ewa got into contact with me it wasn’t the first time we had spoken online, in fact, we have followed one another for around 18 months now I should think? I love the art of photography and her Instagram photos immediately caught my eye so when she reached out to discuss a joint collaboration I was very excited. Her style is most definitely to my taste and because she also offers outdoor shoots I was eager to go down this route. And so we came up with a plan on working together. Here is a little more on Ewa and my review of our session.

About Ewa Jones Photography

Ewa’s photography passion began in 2011 when her husband gave her a DSLR camera for her birthday. She fell in love with capturing those everyday moments and realised she wanted to be able to develop this into a business where she could do this for other people. Based in Basingstoke, Hampshire, Ewa and her husband have 2 adorable girls and they love exploring all of what this lovely area has to offer. Being a photographer gives Ewa the best of both worlds: having a job that she loves and one which she can work around family time.

“I remember picking up an album at my mum’s house from my childhood and I was just mesmerized by the simplicity and natural look of the photos. I have then decided I want my photos to be the same! Photos that show real emotions, fun and life loving people!”

Ewa Jones

And because Ewa feels this way about photographs she is happy to do beautiful homely photoshoots of you and your family or outdoor sessions in your favourite chosen location. With her keen eye and expert knowledge, she will be able to talk to you through all of your options, advise what would work for your family as well as what time of day would give you the best overall look and feel you are aiming for in your final pictures.

So, whether you want an intimate indoor newborn shoot, a stunning maternity capture or a fun-loving outdoor family session, all is doable with Ewa.

Planning Your Session

Before every family photo session, Ewa will contact you via email and phone. She will be able to fully advise on what to expect from her, timings and what the session will entail. It is also a chance to discuss what you have in mind and to bounce some ideas around. Ewa is so relaxed and will always go with your flow, but she is on hand to give you some hints and tips plus she also has some great ideas for locations if you choose an outdoor shoot. On top of this, you will be sent a wonderful session guide that will clarify the previous points and help you to decide on clothing choices for your photoshoot. She even has Pinterest boards for inspiration which I found so helpful because I really like to have visuals when it comes to making decisions. Once I had read the guide, Ewa sent a follow-up email to see if I had any further questions and to ask me a few questions about the family. This was a great way for her to understand who was who, what interests the boys had so that she could quickly build a rapport with them on the day and to check if we had any worries. Even though I didn’t get a chance to meet Ewa in person prior to our session (due to COVID-19) I felt confident that she knew exactly what I had in mind for our photos and that she had a really clear idea of us as a family.

Our Family Photo Session

When we met Ewa at her recommended outdoor location, it was honestly as though I already knew her. She was welcoming, smiley and friendly and was very easy to talk to. We chatted about where we would get shots, the type she would go for and, as she now also offers videography, we agreed to go ahead and have a video of our session made too.

We began with simple walking shots, allowing the children to get used to their surroundings as well as having the camera around (luckily they are very used to Mummy always asking them to stop for a photo so they took to the situation really well). Ewa snapped away and said not to worry about what we were doing as they would all look really natural. She really put me at ease and completely took my mind off overthinking it all.

As the shoot went on, we moved around the heath to always ensure that we always had the best light. Ewa chose the golden hour (when the sun is going down) in order to get a great effect in the pictures but to also prevent us all from squinting. Now, due to this, we were out later than we would usually be with the children and it was past their bedtime. I wanted to bring this up because this was my main worry for the shoot– tired and niggly kids who wouldn’t play ball! We, therefore, had spent the day just chilling at home with the TV and slow play. We didn’t want to wear them out for the evening and we certainly didn’t want any new accidents (William!) This really did seem to help come the photoshoot, I mean I’m not going to say they didn’t have their moments, they certainly did, but Ewa took it all in her stride. She continued to chat to the boys, to make them laugh– Jake particularly liked it when she was getting him to come up with silly names– and she snapped them getting up to their cheekiness. She reassured me that they were absolutely fine and to continue to enjoy it all.

During our session, we had family shots, ones with one either me or Rob with one child and then with the other, we laid down on a rug, we used this rug as part of a game for the children, we did the hokey cokey, we walked together and the kids ran and played. Ewa was very much on the ball and grabbed any opportunity for a gorgeous shot, such as when William was playing with a blade of grass, when I lifted William up, when the boys started climbing on a fallen branch and when we just had kisses and cuddles. I just knew that we would have a wonderful variety of photos at the end of it all.

The Photos

Ewa explained that we would have around a 2 week wait for our photos to be fully edited and uploaded to our online gallery to view but being the efficient person that she is, we had our images back within a week… And my word, they are beautiful! My biggest struggle in writing this blog was choosing which photos I should share with you because I loved so many. Ewa has truly captured us as the family we are:

I am going to cherish these photos forever. They mean so much to us all and we are so grateful to Ewa for capturing us perfectly as the fun-loving, cheeky, outdoorsy, happy family that we are.

If you live in the Hampshire area, I can highly recommend Ewa as a photographer, so much so, that I have already booked her in for a newborn shoot for my sister. She offers different packages so please do go and take a look over at her website to see what she could do for you in terms of a family photo session. To view more of her work, she is also on Facebook and Instagram.

*We received a family photo session package in exchange for an honest review and social posts. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.

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