Getting to know: Photography by Helen

It's been a while since I last featured another business on my blog, so I thought I'd start it up again seeing as the last one with Snuggleband went down so well!

This time, we're meeting a local mummy friend of mine, Helen, who runs her own photography company and who we, as a family, have used previously. You might recognise a photo later on! Having studied photography myself at college, I'm a big lover of taking photos, whether that be on my phone or with a fancy camera. But one thing I've never been great at is being in front of the camera myself. I feel like it takes something special for a photographer to really make someone like me feel comfortable. The same for Joey, who at the time of the shoot we had with Helen was just about to turn 1, was notoriously shy. The fact that we'd known Helen a while was, of course, a bonus, but actually the way she is with families naturally made all of us relax and enjoy the experience. We got some fabulous family photos that we'll treasure forever, and I really hope you book a shoot with Helen as lockdown eases.

Hi Helen, what’s your name and give us an insight into your daily life…

Hi, I’m Helen from Photography by Helen. I’m a wife of a teacher and mother of 3 terrific little energy suckers. We live in Leicestershire and enjoy exploring nature, crafting and movie nights together. When I get time to myself I love a glass of wine and a book or Netflix with the hubby.

What does your business do?

I love running my own business, Photography by Helen, which I’ve had going for a few years but is just starting to grow a little and find opportunities. My passion is connecting with my clients and delivering natural, outdoor portraits. I work with families, children, couples and individuals, anyone who would like to capture precious memories to treasure.

What did you do before your business?

I used to work in schools as a Teaching Assistant, taking classes and running interventions, and I relished the community of the staff and helping the children progress. I left after having my first child and was so happy to be able to spend time at home with my little one, and subsequently 2 more little ones. I loved playing with sensory toys with them and found it so rewarding to watch their play grow and change. My days were full of nappies, preschool runs and searching Amazon for toy storage solutions.

How and why did you start your business?

I missed having something to work on for myself and so Photography by Helen was born. I had grown an interest in photography after a few courses and taking copious amounts of photos of my children and friends. I invested in a professional camera and started practise, practise, practising. Then came the scary bit of putting myself out there; making a website and reaching out to find clients who I could create beautiful memories for.

Who inspires you?

The people who inspire me are the families I work for. Hearing people’s stories about their lives, their families, their reasons for having photographs taken; it motivates me to make them smile, for the camera and when they see the finished product. l want to capture their special moments, personalities and love for them to keep forever. Being able to look back at the photos of your kids when they were smaller, or loved ones you’ve lost, I can’t stress how lucky I feel to provide that for people.

What celebrity parent/s do you admire and why?

I don’t follow many celebrities but I enjoy Giovanna Fletcher’s honest and family orientated posts. I often listen to her podcast while I’m editing – I love hearing birth stories! I’ve also recently discovered Joe Wicks due to his lockdown PE lessons. I like the way he is open about the choices his family makes bringing up his children.

What’s the first thing you think when you wake up in the morning?

The first thing I think in the morning is ‘shhhhh!’ as my kids do not respect early morning volume rules. But then I figure out what day it is, how we’re going to get through it and peel myself up from the pillow to try and meet it head on. I try to be positive in the mornings, ‘You can dress yourself and find your shoes’, ‘We can get to school on time’ ‘I can make it to 10.30 on one cup of coffee’.

What one thing could you not live without?

The one thing I couldn’t live without is my family. They mean everything to me and everything I do is for them. My husband is so hardworking and provides so much for us, yet still supports me going for my own goals, my children are absolute gifts and I am very thankful to have their little smiles and little voices singing ‘Let it Go’ every day.

What would you like to ask our readers/customers?

A question I would like to ask your readers is what is holding you back from getting some high quality portraits of your loved ones? And what can I say to persuade you how important it is to capture these memories to keep forever? I welcome any questions and conversations about it, do come and chat on my Facebook page, Instagram or website. I’d love to see you there.

Follow Helen on her instagram page, her Facebook page and learn more on her website here.