Last weekend on 9th October 2022 I hosted our second baby event in Poole. The first one was 3 years ago, and we had planned a second one 6 months after, just before the event covid took over the world. About 3 months ago I thought it was finally time to give it another go; so we finally did, and it was worth the wait! The event brought together many of Dorset's leading antenatal and baby services and suppliers, and provided a full schedule of FREE taster classes, talks and demos, as well as offering FREE entry and amazing FREE goody bags to the families who attended. Lots of fantastic local businesses joined me on the day, which was kindly sponsored by Biscuits By Sarah B, including: Talking Babies, Nature Nurture Love, Hartbeeps, Bourne Green, Little Leaps Sensory and Sign, FAB Dorset, Little Fingers Big Feet, and Daisy First Aid Christchuch Bournemouth & Poole. Many of these put on FREE talks, demos and taster sessions. Little leaps sensory and sign along with Little fingers big feet set up a lovely little play area for the small visitors to enjoy and this was very well used throughout the day. Throughout the day, some of the FREE talks and classes we had included baby massage, a hypnobirthing taster, first aid, sling demos, breastfeeding and cloth nappy Q&A sessions, a hartbeeps taster session and even a free biscuit decorating class at the end of the day! We also had an amazing raffle with over 100 prizes and managed to raise £168 for SPRING support who support families through the loss of their baby. I had such a great day meeting so many lovely familes, everyone I spoke to loved it and really enjoyed spending time talking to the businesses there, getting lots of advice and having lots of fun. If you came along I hope you enjoed the event as much as we all did. We have decided to host this event again, hopefully in January 2023, so please keep an eye out for the next date! Disclaimer: Most of these photos were not taken by me. I ended up being so busy organising and talking to people to take many, so this is a compilation of the photos taken by others too.
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If you have been following me since pre covid you may remember that I used to write school holiday blogs containing ONLY FREE activities for families during the holidays. This year seemed like the perfect time to re-start. We are all watching what we spend at the moment, so I hope these will help you out. 6 weeks is a long time, and I expect most of you have some plans already whether or not you are going away or have planned some fun days out , all of this costs money, so I am here to help you find lots of things to do all for FREE to fill up some of the days and keep the kids occupied. There is so much to do on our doorstep for FREE, but there are only so many times you can go to the local park, beach or out for a picnic. so look no further than my ultimate FREE summer holiday guide, Enjoy! Things to do in Dorset for FREE I thought I would start with a basic list for when you need inspiration, maybe you might find something on here that you haven't tried before, or something that you have long forgotten about. * Crabbing at Poole Quay, or Mudeford Quay * Visit the beach * Swim in a lake * Try geocaching * Go to the park * Go to a local splash park. There are so many locally including; Redhill Park, Littledown Park, Upton County Park, Hamworthy Park, Christchurch Quay, Boscombe Gardens, and Brewery Square * Fossil hunting * Watch the sunset/ sunrise * Blackberry and apple picking * Camp in the garden * Picnics * Prize bingo night * Movie nights * Games nights * Do some baking Free activities for TeensUp4Summer is a BCP initiative for young people. They have lots of free activities on over the summer holidays, please visit their website for more information. Summer Activities (upinbcp.co.uk) Watersports LibraryIt is now free to join and borrow paddleboards, kayaks and other water sports equiptment from The Watersports Library! You can find out more on the watersports library website. Reading ChallengeOnce again the libraries are running their summer holiday reading challenge. You can sign up at your local library anytime from now. The aim is to read 6 books during the holiday and you get rewarded along the way. FREE famliy attractions in DorsetPoole MuseumLearn about Poole's history at Poole Museum. On Poole Quay , and free entry for all. They often have quiz trails on for the kids. Home | Poole Museum | History of Poole | Poole Heritage | Maritime Museum Kingston Maurward Animal ParkKingston Maurward is now free to entry for all. As well as animals they have an indoor and outdoor play area and beautiful walks. Kingston Maurward Animal Park & Gardens | Dorchester, Dorset (kmc.ac.uk) Fancy's Farm, PortlandAnother amazing free farm is Fancy's Farm in Portland. They have lots of animals and a large indoor playroom. Fancys Farm FREE summer holiday events in DorsetHere are some date specific events that are taking place over Dorset to keep the kids entertained. All are free. Please make sure you check with the event providers for up to date information and if you need to pre book etc. Festival Coast LiveEvery Tuesday Poole Dream Machines takes place on Poole Quay. Visit to see a huge display of motor bikes. Every Thursday from 21st July to Thursday 25th August, Poole Quay will be giving you FREE live music, entertainment and fabulous fireworks from 7pm until 10pm. Art Workshops 23-27th July, Gather, Poole Dolphin CentreArts2educate are holding free "setting sail" art workshops for children. You can book a space via eventbrite. Summer Live in BournemouthThere is lots of free family entertainment going on in Bournemouth gardens this summer. Please check the Facebook Event for more information. Small business netwalking - Wedneday 10th August 10amIf like you me you run your own business and would love to meet up with other likeminded parents for a walk and chat. This is for you! I have been going to Joannes netwalking events since they first started many years ago, we meet up once a month and in the summer holidays we can bring the kids too. We meet at Potterne and walk (the kids usually bring their scooters) through the woods to Moors Valley. Please visit Joannes Facebook event for more information. Crazy Golf at Brewery Square - Tuesdays in AugustCommonwealth Games Trails, until 9th September5 different trails in Bournemouth have been created to raise awareness of the Commonwealth games this summer. Each trail is between 1.2-1.6k , you can find more information here: Maumbury Rings Family Fun Day - Sunday 31st JulyAs a "Plastic Free Poole Business Champion" and with it being plastic free July I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share with you what I do to stop single use plastic in my business, and in my home, and hope that you can take some of the ideas to do at home yourself too. What I doBack in 2020 I applied to become a plastic free business champion for Poole. To do this I had to do a plastic audit of my business to see what I could swap. You would be surprised how much single use plastic you use without thinking about it. It was a real eye opener for me. Some swaps I made were stopping putting my prints in plastic cellophane bags. I swapped disposable change mats (which I was using a lot of!) for re usable ones, which to my surprise are actually 100% leak free and they look pretty too. I get these from Cheeky Wipes and simply wash them in the machine when they get wet. All of the snacks that I offer my clients during sessions are now in plastic free packaging. Loose prints and client gifts are wrapped in tissue paper with eco stickers. Even the company I order my boxes and USBs from package without these items plastic. All of my packaging is plastic free, even down to my parcel tape. What you can doAs a family, we are keen to do our bit to save the plant. These are some of the simple changes you can do , if you don't already, that won't cost you a fortune: * Keep fold up shopping bags in your handbag, your car, baby change bag, by your front door and anywhere else you can think of so that you always have one with you when you are out and about. * Remember to bring your own cup when you buy takeaway coffee, you sometimes even get a discount/extra loyalty stamp for doing this. * Stop using cling film and food bags. Make use of any reusable tubs that you have at home, and keep ice cream and margarine tubs to store leftovers in. Cling film can be substituted with beeswax wraps , which can be expensive to buy but are so simple to make. See below for instructions to make your own. * Try soap instead of shower gel, shampoo bars, and mouthwash / toothpaste tabs to reduce plastic bottle waste. See what you get on with , even one small swap helps. * Switch to bamboo toothbrushes and cotton buds. I think these also look nicer in your bathroom too! * Try to buy loose produce from supermarkets and try out your local plastic free shop for other loose food items. * Start carrying a reusable water bottle with you. I never leave the house without one. Even making one small swap helps. How to make your own beeswax wrapsTrust me it is super simple, all you need is some material of your choice (cotton is best) some beeswax pellets (cheap to buy on amazon) some baking paper and your iron! 1. Firstly choose some material in patterns that you like (I went to the Dorset Scrapstore, and took the kids to fabricland to choose some that they liked) and cut it to size. It is a good idea to make a few different sizes depending on what you are going to use them for. I mainly use mine for sandwiches and to cover bowls of leftovers. 2. Cut some baking paper to just over twice the size of the piece of material. 3. Put the baking paper on the ironing board, then the piece of material, then sprinkle some beeswax pellets over the material, then fold the baking paper over the top making sure that it completely covers the material and there is about a 1inch gap around the outside to stop the wax going onto the ironing board as it melts. 4. Gently iron the baking paper to melt the pellets. It is very important that the iron does not come into contact with the wax. You need to coat the entire piece of material with wax. If you find you don't have enough pellets to cover the whole piece simply wait for it to set them peel the paper off and add more pellets into the gaps , then re melt. 5. There is no need to coat both sides as the material is porous and the beeswax soaks through. Allow to cool then peel off the paper and your wrap is ready! To use the wraps simple wrap up your food like you would with cling film and use the warmth of your hands to shape the fabric to fold it. To clean the wraps simply wash in cold water. I hope I have inspired you to make at least one change to reduce your personal single use plastic. I would love to know how you get on and please let me know if you decide to try making your own food wraps.
A couple of weeks ago I enjoyed a stunning photography session at Sandbanks beach with 2 beautiful children which I am delighted to be able to share with you. They came fully prepared for their photoshoot with a suitcase full of beautiful matching outfits, which there parents had spent time co ordinating. We managed to have time for a few outfit changes whilst still keeping the session as fun for them and the photos as natural as possible. We spent an hour at a few different spots on the beach and promenade, and we also visited the park. I love the diversity of stunning natural backdrops that Sandbanks has to offer, from the sand & sea, to the sand dunes, flowers and the beach huts. There is also a lovely little play park for the children where we finished up. The children were just 2 and 4 years old and both were absolutely brilliant. Towards the end of the session we could tell they were starting to get tired so, confident that I had plenty of beautiful images to share with them we finished up. I would like to thank this lovely family for allowing me to share the photos of their beautiful children and I hope this article inspires you to think about me capturing some beautiful memories of your children in a lovely natural location that you all love. Please drop me a message or visit the family photography area of my website to find out more.
I have been photographing newborn babies and families for over 9 years now. In this time I have done the odd cake smash here and there at the request of clients and in their homes as part of family lifestyle photography sessions but until now I have never offered this as a photography package here in the studio. So what changed my mind? I had a bit of a lightbulb moment, whilst the traditional cake smash has never been my thing, I have been thinking about how I can make it be. Like all my photography sessions your baby or children are always the centre of the images. So I have managed to create my own set ups where props (and the cake!) are minimal and neutral, and compliment your baby to create the most beautiful, natural photographs possible to celebrate your precious little bundle turning one. Ok, so opening my own brand studio a few months ago may have also helped in my decision here! A couple of weeks ago I had my test run with this gorgeous little man. To see if the ideas in my head worked. I am so pleased with the results that I simply had to share them with you. We tried out the beautiful rag bunting that I made myself, and some greenery for the backdrop. I love both and I am now happy to be able to offer a few different set ups for cake smash sessions. After the cake smash fun as part of the smash & splash package it is bath time! I filled up my gorgeous little vintage wash tub with some bubbles and was time for baby to get in to get clean and for me to take some more beautiful photos. Everyone loves this part just as much, if not more than the actual smash itself! Bubbles are baby's best friend and help create the beautiful reactions that I capture for you. A natural cake smash session is the perfect way to celebrate your baby turning one in my beautiful natural light studio.
Complete with your choice of a cake, donut stack or a watermelon and a few beautiful natural props. With not a plastic balloon in sight. Please contact me for more information Or visit the cake smash photography area of my website. You may have read my previous social posts or blogs before about natural newborn posing. Baby led newborn photography is what I am all about. Your newborn photography session with me here at my natural light studio in Poole, Dorset is completely led by your baby, and not by a strict posing work flow. I use my 9 years of experience to work with your baby to produce the most beautiful, natural photographs possible that you will treasure for many years to come. When you visit me with your baby, you will still get full choice of which props and colours you would like to use. . However none of the props that I have define the image, your baby will always be the centre of each and every photo that I take, all of my props simply compliment each other and your baby. What makes me different to most other newborn photographers is that I do not guarantee any particular "pose". My job is to work with your baby and photograph them in their most comfortable positions from all angles to create a stunning collection of images for you to choose your favourties from. If you love my natural baby led approach to newborn photography and would like to see more, please visit the newborn photography area of my website or get in touch to request a booking information pack.
9 years wow! I am so happy to be writing this, especially after the past 2 years we have all had. As I write, I am also already starting to plan a big party to celebrate the big 10 next year.
What a year it has been, despite having to close temporally AGAIN due to covid so much has happened for me this past year. The biggest thing being my brand new gorgeous newborn photography studio at the back of my new house that I moved into in October 2021. I am still in Poole and still less than 2 miles from the town centre which I am so pleased about as I love this beautiful area so much. As well as being fortunate enough to photograph many brand new babies, first birthdays, and families this year I was also able to update my own headshots which I absolutely love.. My wonderful friend Carly from C Y Wild Photography took these for me down at Sandbanks beach. To top it all off, just yesterday I was told that I had made it into the three best rated photographers in Poole! You can see me here: 3 Best Photographers in Poole, UK - Expert Recommendations (threebestrated.co.uk) Special discount for all 2022 sessions booked in January
To celebrate 9 years, I have a fantastic offer on this month for any 2022 session that is booked in January. You can find all of my price lists on the website. This offer is valid for ANY session; Maternity, newborn , baby, first birthday photo sessions, or family.
Win a £100 Gift Voucher!
If you would like the chance to win a £100 gift voucher which can be used for ANY photography package, all you need to do is leave me a comment on this blog post below telling me how you know me , or if you don't know me yet please tell me where you found me and what type of photography session you would be interested in.
Competition T&C's This competition is open to anyone to enter. The voucher can only be used for new bookings only and not in conjunction with any other offer or discount. The competition closes on 31st January at midnight and a winner will be chosen at random. Newborn and baby photography in PooleI have had my business for almost 9 years now and 8 weeks ago I moved house, complete with the most beautiful newborn photography studio attached to the back of my home. I couldn't be happier with how it looks and feels, so I really hope you want to read on to see for yourself too. 9 years of photographing newbornsIn January 2022 I will have been running Samantha Prewett Photography for 9 years! I was so fortunate to have a gorgeous light open plan space in my previous home , where I started offering newborn photography sessions almost 9 years ago. As well as my family, my business has also grown and it was time to move into a bigger home with a separate newborn and baby photography studio. I officially opened my studio in Poole (less than 2 miles away from where I lived before) at the end of October and immediately fell in love with it. My first session was absolutely everything I could have wished for and more. You can read about it here if you would like to. Natural light newborn photographyAs a natural light photographer, the available light is absolutely essential when choosing a space for my newborn photography sessions. I spent a lot of time looking at houses, and at different times of the day to assess the light coming in through the windows (and as it turns out , even the roof!) If you would like to find out why I choose to only use natural light, the answer is the word, it is "natural" . If you are interested to read into this more, you may like to check out my natural light newborn photography article. Home comforts, and more!My photography studio has a beautiful brand new sofa which doubles up as a comfy place for parents to chill out during their session (whilst I take care of their baby and create beautiful memories) and a place for the parent and baby photos. I have found myself migrating to the sofa over the past few years rather than a backdrop as parents are more comfortable and relaxed, so this helps produce beautiful natural images. It also makes the perfect setting for cosy family photos should you have any older sibling(s) that you might wish to bring to your newborn session. I have a lovely brand new coffee machine , which uses recyclable pods (I am working on getting reusable ones) and plastic free snacks available, as well as cold drinks. I have wi-fi access for you to use, with the password on the wall. The studio is attached to the back of my house, with the kitchen right next to it should you need to warm up bottles. I am a naturally clean and tidy person so you should feel at ease if you need to use the bathroom whilst you are here. I ensure this is thoroughly cleaned before each photography session. Beautiful selection of neutral propsI have built up a stunning collection of neutral co ordinating props, outfits and wraps over the past 9 years. I love putting the natural colours and textures together to create beautiful set ups that compliment your baby. Your baby is always the focus of every single image I take, not the props.
Last month I moved house and officially opened my brand new beautiful newborn photography studio. I am still in Poole, still less than 2 miles from the town centre, so not much has changed location wise, but now I have the most welcoming, calm, peaceful space dedicated purely to newborns (and babies up to 5 months) A couple of weeks ago I welcomed my first lovely family in with their brand new baby girl who was just 12 days old. The session was an absolute dream from start to finish and I couldn't be happier with how it went so I wanted to share it with you all. Natural light newborn photography studioIf you have ever been to me before you will know of the beautiful large open space that I have been using for the past 8 years in my home for newborn photography sessions. I absolutely loved this space so finding a new family home with a perfect work space was not easy! I still cannot believe how lucky I am to have found an even more perfect space this time aound. Natural light is very important to me (you can find out why in a past natural light newborn photography blog that I wrote) so I simply had to have this when moving. I now have a beautiful conservatory used just for newborn and baby photography which has the most perfect flooring which I have beautifully decorated and filled with my natural props and outfits which I just love. Parent and baby newborn photographyMy new parent area provides the perfect area to chill out and have a cuppa and snack and also I use it for parent and baby photos. I love the natural style of parent sitting cuddling their baby so it works perfectly. I also have found myself leaning more towards this over the past few years rather than "posed" parent photos with a plain black background. Natural newborn photography propsNow that I have my own dedicated photography studio space I can store all of my props for families to see when they arrive for their session. They can choose which ones they would like to use and which colour wraps, fur and stuffers they prefer. All of my props and colours compliment each other so I know the gorgeous neutral colours that I have work well together Newborn baby Christmas photos!I have a selection of Christmas outfits for newborn sessions taking place from October onwards. This lovely family asked for a Christmas photo for Christmas cards. I would like to thank this lovely family for being the first to bring their beautiful baby girl to me for their newborn photography session and letting me use their photos for this blog. I enjoyed this session so much and I will never forget it. You can find more information on my newborn photography section of my website, or please contact me for a booking information pack.
A couple of weeks ago I welcomed these two beautiful boys along with their gorgeous big brother here at Samantha Prewett Photography in Poole for their newborn photography session. I just wanted to share their cuteness with you all. I hope you enjoy looking through their photos as much as I have enjoyed creating them. Identical twin boys!There is something very special about watching twins side by side. How they snuggle into each other and settle each other is just magical. I could have watched them all day, I know that Mum told me she spends so much time watching them. To me that is the most important thing you can do with your baby, just soak up the moments and enjoy them, they are not this small for long. Newborn twin feet!You will also know how much I love baby feet!! So for twin sessions I get to capture double the baby feet cuteness, awwwwwwwww. Newborn twins and siblingBig brother came along to the photography session too , and he was absolutely amazing! He even had a few photos on his own too. He loved posing with his brand new baby brothers. Individual newborn twin photographsI always love to capture twins on their own too, like all babies it is so lovely to see how different they are. Even when they are identical! For more information about my newborn photography sessions, please visit the newborn section of my website. I would love to hear from you if you are expecting twins and would like me to photograph them for you.
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