Happy New Year

I just want to end 2008 with one of my favourite photos of 2008. This photo makes me feel all warm and squishy and I love it!

So what ever you are doing to see out 2008 and welcome in 2009, I hope you enjoy it and wish you a happy and peaceful year x

Claire and Bug!

Claire is a very good friend of mine who I met while we were planning our weddings together. We were both in wedding planning frenzy and when our friends and families thought we were utterly barking mad we turned to each other for the ability to talk wedding nonsense! And boy did we talk rubbish....all very relevant of course!

Claire and David's road to being parents has not been smooth but as I write this they are weeks away from the birth of their first baby....and it's a girl! This little princess already has an amazing nursery stocked full of the cutest things you've ever seen and will want for nothing. So it was only right that just before the stork arrived I captured the 'bump' moment for ever. I think you'll agree that Claire is positively glowing and I can't wait to meet her new baby.

Happy Xmas to friends old and new

2008 has be a great year! I've eventually had the opportunity to develop my photography skills thanks to Mandy Charlton , Gordon and Rona Bright (The Bright Image) and Gill Taylor. I've created some lovely images for friends and family freezing those memories forever. I get a huge kick from seeing my photos displayed proudly so keep sending them to me......you never know they might end up the subject of a blog post.

My Dad has continued to recover from his heart by pass surgery in 2007 which is a huge relief but he still needs to embrace life and look at life with more positive specs on LOL! We've holidayed for the first time together as a family of 4 in Corfu then had our 1st anniversary holiday snatched away 5 days before when XL collapses. Christie, my 16 year old daughter, has left school and is now doing A levels at college and I am so proud of the young woman she has become....except for the piercings of course!!! Neil got promoted and finally earns more than me again. My step-daughter Lauren is a joy to be around and it's lovely to see her growing up. Lola and Bea, the minxy duo, continue to astound me by their cuteness and seeing them every Thursday is one of the hightlights of my week.

2009 is fast approaching and it looks like a very busy year. 10 weddings to shoot plus many more with Gordon and Rona. I've also got Trash the Dress shoots lined up and going to try out some Boudoir too.....oooh la la!! So it's all VERY exciting. I'm also planning some gorgeous new camera equipment and that always gets my heart pumping.

So the year ends with a wedding in Cheshire with the highly talented Gill Taylor who has asked me to tag along to a wedding at an amazing venue. I really appreciate the help and support I've received from fellow photographers as I stary my journey and long may it continue!

And for my 2009 brides.....enjoy the planning and the excitement on the run up to your big day! I loved planning our wedding and walking down the aisle to marry the man of your dreams is just amazing and I am really excited to be there with you when it all happens. It's going to be fun!!

So Happy Christmas and I hope Santa is good to you all xxx

Kerry and Michael - a snowy wedding!

Kerry and Michael chose Otterburn Hall for their big day and what a beautiful venue with the most luxurious bridal suite I have EVER seen!!! The venue was all decked out with it's Xmas finery too making the whole wedding very festive.....the icing on the cake was the lovely 'proper' snow that fell making it look like Santa's grotto! Kerry and Micheal's son Jack was adorable and showed me how good he was at polising shoes while Kerry did a wonderful job of doing her own hair and make up. We took loads of cool shots in that room as it was uber posh! The funniest part of the day was the best man's speech where he had prepared loads of photos from the Stag Night totally humiliating the Groom.....one of the photos below gives you a clue! Kerry and Michael had some lovely guests and it was a pleasure to meet to you all but especially Aunty Alice who insisted we leave with a slice of the most scrumptious chocolate cake.

I was working with Gordon and Rona Bright from The Bright Image at this wedding - sending you a huge thank you guys!

My first animal portrait!

Meet Ralphie......he lives with Harry (see last post) and is adorable which is great praise coming from me seeing as I am not too keen on doggies. Ralphie was very welcoming and even stood still for a few mins wondering what on earth I was doing!

I don't think animal portraiture is for me but I do love this shot......

Harry....watch out for the snowballs when he's around!

I was very excited to wake up on Sunday morning and see a layer of snow everywhere knowing this would make for a more exciting photoshoot.....especially with a 5 year old.

So we have the basic ingredient of snow, add Harry and mix in a large dollop of high jinx and a sprinkle on some cheeky cuteness. Garnish with a photographer dressed for the North Pole and there you have it!

We had a great time and Harry is a great shot with those snowballs.....at one point one landed right on the end of my lens. Thank god I had the filter on!

Charlotte - the cutest baby in Durham!

Today I had the honour of meeting a lovely family - Atina, Steve and the most scrumptious little girl, Charlotte. Charlotte is six months old with a lovely smile and quite obviously adores Mummy and Daddy! I had a great chat with Steve about all things photography which was great as I just usually bore my husband!

Atina and I were planning our weddings around the same time are were both regulars on a forum. It is great that they now have a beautiful daughter and enjoying married life.

It was bitterly cold today so we stayed warm indoors but I have been invited back to capture her first birthday where we can get outside in the garden........looking forward to it!

Endulge me....one more of Beatrice.

Beatrice Isabella Callaghan Wright. Age 1. Here she is with her Yummy Mummy, Ann.

One half of the minxy-duo 'Lola and Bea' - can't wait to see them both tomorrow xxx

Tony and Donna hit Newcastle's Quayside

It was November 16th and we were ready for whatever the british weather could throw at us and guess what? It was blazing sunshine! Let's hope this bodes well for Tony and Donna's wedding in June 2010....

Tony and Donna are a lovely couple just starting out on life's journey together with a new house and a wedding date set so it was a great time to capture them looking all smoochy together. We took a trip to the Quayside which is a amazing place for a photoshoot and ended up in the park opposite my house (another good place to shoot) for some greenery.

Beatrice takes her first steps!

Unfortunately this was a rare occasion when I didn't have my camera. So in celebration of the event I thought I would post a lovely photo of her that I took on her first birthday last month.


Also I am pleased that so many couples are interested in booking me for their weddings next year. Just today I met Ashley and Peter who are a great couple and getting married at The Littlehaven Hotel in South Shields next July. It's an amazing location and I can't wait for those beach shots!

see http://www.karenmcgowranphotography.co.uk/ for more details.

No Turkey thanks to XL - But rainy London was great!

Many of you already know that we lost our first anniversary holiday to Turkey when XL went under but not to be beaten we went to York instead. But afterwards LLoydsTSB were 'kind' enough to give us our money back so off we went to London! It was a busy weekend in the capital what with the Lord Mayor's Parade and Rememberance Sunday so we tried to avoid the crowds while remembering those who lost their lives fighting for our country in our own way. As per usual the camera came with me and I chose the D40 as it's a amazing camera especially for travelling as it's so light. I missed my zoom lens though and tried to make do with the kit lens. Not great but I was only shooting snaps remember!! We visited St Paul's Cathedral (beautiful), The Tate Modern (no wonder that place is free!!!), Greenwich (pretty and great markets), Covent Garden (loads going on) and load of shops and bars. I've sneaked a photo of my hubby in too....well we have been married now for 1 year and 2 months and he still looks quite good!

Lauren Poses!

I am lucky to have a fantastic 8 year old Step-daughter, Lauren, who just loves all things Hannah Montana and High School Musical! She also loves animals especially cats and dogs...and dolphins. She is so kind and caring and her Dad doesn't want her to grow up into a stroppy teenager.....I can understand why. Lauren was one of my bridesmaids and was first to walk down the aisle - my knees were shaking but she just walked in with her head held high and we were both so proud of her. Here are a couple of photos I took at the weekend, she is going to break hearts when she gets older!

o

Beautiful Photography for Everyone

Special moments in your life deserved to be captured so you can treasure them for years and years to come......but what happens when you can't afford it? I know from talking to friends and family that not everyone can afford to pay considerable sums for a professional photographer but they still want great photos. I think I might have the answer! I believe beautiful photography should be within reach of everyone and you may be pleasantly surprised by my great value, credit crunch busting packages. Everything is simple, relaxed and fun.

Interested? Well.......

Visit www.karenmcgowranphotography.co.uk to find out more and if you like what you see then get in touch for a chat.

I cover Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, Durham, Sunderland, Gateshead and all surrounding areas.

Beatrice is One!

This week was special as my gorgeous niece, Beatrice turned one! Recently, Bea and Lola have become the most photographed little girls on the planet (or it just seems that way!) and I think you can see why. Not only did I have the chance to capture Bea on her special day but you also get a rare apprearance from my daughter Christie. Being 16 you've got to catch her on a good day as genrally she 'can't be bothered' with her slightly mad Mam and her camera. The person responsible for my amazing family is my Mam, Joyce, and here she is looking every inch the Yummy Grandmummy she is.