Inspiration — Kitty Rose | Family Photographer

What wonders we can make…

When did you last hold a properly printed photograph? Taking time to study it thoroughly, appreciating the tones of someones skin, their expression, the light?

While some people like to sort their own printing out, I love being asked to help with this stage of the process. Bringing the digital files to life by turning them into beautiful, tangible prints - hands down one of my favourite parts of being a photographer.

I think we engage with the images in a much more meaningful way when we can hold them in our hands, see them on a wall, larger than life rather than a tiny square to be scrolled over in a second.

This recent commission was extra special to me and I jumped for joy when the family said they would love to make a photo book along with several framed prints.

We created something wonderful, with room to breathe and the chance to absorb the images in their full glory.

The book came out beautifully. The design and layout process is always so satisfying - working out how the images flow together - and all this made possible (not to mention affordable) with the help of rosemood.co.uk.

The framed prints made such an impact, especially the portrait of Annie which was larger than life!

There’s nothing quite like seeing the final product in this way. If you’d like to know more about printing and photo book options then drop me a line here and I’d love to talk you through it!

In the meantime here are some more highlights from the session with 4 month old, Annie. Did I mention I love my job?

Thank you Team A. x

Kitty GaleJune 21, 2022Kitty Rose Photographerfamily photography, family photo book, family album, family photographer kent, family photographer london, private commissions, framed prints, portrait gallery, family portrait

Hero & Albert

A look at the most recent of my Portrait Stories.

Collaborating with the children I photograph is one of the things I enjoy most about this job. Directing people to ‘stand here” and “look there” has it’s uses but there is nothing quite like fully going with the flow. It might be a suggested activity or a spontaneous outfit change - I love it when kids take the lead.

Taking this approach is what led me to the idea of Portrait Stories. Spending a decent chunk of time together and letting things evolve naturally creates a wonderful body of images that tell a bigger part of their story. We capture a world of expressions and moments because we let the chaos rule and it’s so much more fun for the kids and for me!

I find that when they’re left to fully inhabit their own environment it brings an openness which in turn empowers them to share things with me as and when they feel comfortable.

This recent shoot with siblings, Hero & Albert, is a perfect example of when things just click (please pardon the camera pun)!

If you’d like to know more about Portrait Stories or are interested in making one together then drop me a line here. I’d love to hear from you. x

Kitty GaleMay 17, 2022

You don’t have to smile (but you can if you want to)

As parents we want to see our children happy and confident. While a smile can light up someone’s face - a wonderful expression of both those things - it will only hold up if the smile is truly genuine.

As kids it becomes instilled in us to smile when a camera appears; a coping mechanism for dealing with the awkwardness of being photographed, and one that we carry with us into adulthood.

As a photographer I find myself drawn to the quieter confidence that manifests when someone is asked to just be there. The strength of their character comes through with a far greater conviction and longevity.

Of course if the moment evokes a smile, subtle or beaming, then I’ll be sure to make the most of it.

I’ve had the luck to photograph these three sisters several times over the years. Our first shoot involved cartwheels and roller skates and the second was much more about capturing the young women they were becoming. Each with their own style and energy yet still strongly connected to one another; it was no less fun than the previous session, purely a different type of engagement. More of a two way thing than the observational approach I tend to use with younger children.

I don’t have a favourite age to photograph. All phases of childhood bring their own level of confidence and awareness, and each child is their own person so you can never predict how someone will engage with being photographed.

I find that photographing teenagers becomes an even more collaborative process, and one that I really enjoy. Their ever growing sense of self awareness brings a new dynamic to a shoot and I love discovering who they are and how they want to be seen. They may not be little anymore but they’re still growing and changing every day. There’s so much to capture.

Kitty GaleFebruary 10, 2022

Made With Love

The magic of a photo book.

Last Autumn I collaborated with Ada and we made this little series of images using the costumes her Nana created for her during the first lockdown in 2020. A previous shoot in the Summer holidays inspired the idea to make a book that would celebrate the costumes - a beautiful gift for her Nana that Christmas. So one day in the October half term we took a walk in the Kent countryside; Mum, Dad and her little brother Sammy in tow.

With no specific plan in mind we let the scenery and the mood (and sometimes the wind!) take us. Ada’s love for the costumes meant that she was completely at ease and her movements were testament to how much she had lived in them all over these last two years. It was a joy to watch.

I loved capturing the changes in character that each outfit possessed her with, and this is a perfect example of how photographing children works best when it’s a collaboration. Ada knew who she was and how she wanted to be. And also when she wanted to stop and eat cake.

The series we produced made such a beautiful book; with a mixture of portraits, details and wider landscape shots. It’s often the way that you get a little sequence of movement and it’s difficult to choose just one; making a photo book is a perfect way to include everything you love. I’ve posted a few examples of the spreads below. The final book had 50 pages.

The family sent me a video of the moment Ada’s Nana first saw the book and it was so moving to see how much it meant to her. I may even have got something in my eye.

We landed on the title ‘Made With Love’ - it made perfect sense as every element of the book had been created with just that.

A perfect reminder of why I love being a photographer.

Kitty GaleFebruary 3, 2022

How They Grow

“All children, except one, grow up.” - J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan.

‘How They Grow’ is a collaboration with my niece and nephew made on a recent trip home to Cornwall.

I’ve photographed Dan & Rosie since they were babies, almost every year of their lives.

This summer, it has finally happened. They are both taller than me. I’m 5’3 so it doesn’t take much but psychologically this feels like a huge shift.

Still kids, but with the physical presence of adults, I was surprised at what a difference it made.

So we roamed the fields around the farm, where they live, and mucked about with apple trees and the golden hour.

Rosie is 12, on the brink of teendom, fluctuating between child and woman as her body and mind grow.

The youngest on the farm, with three older brothers, she has always shown a strength and independence that is totally inspiring.

I remember once, when she was six, following her into a field full of sheep. It was lambing season and one of the ewes hadn’t survived so Rosie’s job was to feed it. She walked and stood in the middle of the field, with a bottle of milk raised high, and this tiny lamb came gambling and bleating towards her.

So calm and confident.

She thinks she’d like to be a veterinary nurse one day.

Daniel will be 14 this autumn. He’s both tall and strong and has done ballet since he was small, until recently when he “just kind of grew out of it”.

He developed his first vitiligo patches when he was 3.

I love and admire him for knowing himself so well at this age. He has confidence in his body and what it can do.

He’s never been afraid to challenge things, or stand up for himself. Nor been afraid of being afraid.

I love them so.x

Kitty GaleAugust 25, 2020#howtheygrow #familyportrait #familyalbum #goldenhourlight #teenspirit #femalephotographers #family #kidsphotographer #allthingsgrow #teendom #knowyourself #proudauntyblackandwhite

Woodism - celebrating a unique team during Autism Awareness Month

“I’m so glad the world got to meet you” - Woody.

Woody is seven, and has high functioning autism. He said the above phrase on his Dad’s birthday and it’s one of the most recent quotes to be turned into a linocut print as part of their art collaboration - woodism.co.uk.

Their project together is a beautiful one, elevating the ‘kids say the funniest things’ idea to a whole new level. Woody’s phrases are refreshingly direct and his honesty is utterly charming. At the same time they cover a vast spectrum of emotion, often stemming from his overwhelming love for his family. The insight into his perspective on life is a poignant reminder that we are all individuals, and our differences should be celebrated not avoided.

I first met Woody in November last year at his house in London. His Mum and Dad (Charlotte & Sonny) were there, along with his little sister, Essie, who is two and properly brilliant. She prompted the creation of another recent print “I HATE how much I love you”, a gorgeous summary of the sibling bond.

As with all my shoots, we took our time and I let Woody lead. We went wherever he was comfortable and when he talked I listened. He didn’t like my camera much and openly proclaimed that this was “the most boring thing EVER” on several occasions, but there was also enough curiosity there to allow me to photograph him. He showed me his room and we talked a lot about Star Wars. I also got carved up by a lightsaber on several occasions, which I took as a huge compliment.

The second time I photographed Woody I let him take some pictures too. Later he asked me if he could borrow my camera “just for a couple of days”. I’m looking forward to what might happen next time we meet…

Kitty GaleApril 29, 2020autism awareness, woodism, family photography, portraits of children, family album

The Lees Family

“We live in strange times. We also live in strange places: each in a universe of our own. The people with whom we populate our universes are the shadows of whole other universes intersecting with our own.” - Douglas Adams.

These definitely are strange times - 2020 will now inevitably be remembered as the year of coronavirus, and we each have our own situation and individual struggles to adapt to. For me, the open-ended-ness of it all is the thing I am struggling with most, at the moment. I’m taking huge comfort in focussing on my two boys - watching their relationship grow as they spend this intensely intimate time together. It’s illuminating, and both heart-warming, and heart-breaking in equal measure.

Not everyone has a sibling, but for those that do it is a lifelong bond.

I love photographing children individually, but when the opportunity comes along to document the bond between them (be it siblings, cousins, friends) it’s a truly wonderful thing.

Looking back to last Autumn, when I spent the morning with the lovely Lees Family, I’m reminded how natural they all were, making it a total pleasure to capture these moments. The shoot lasted about three hours, at their home in North London, and we chose to just go with the flow and document the kids in their own environment. From snacks to stories, with a total freedom to explore, this collection really captures the different energies of that morning.