In a touching speech by Marylyn's son, he told us that one of the things that Marylyn & Paul love about each other is that they laugh so much together. This was certainly true on their wedding day. Their smiles didn't leave their faces from the moment they set eyes on each other as Marylyn walked down the aisle.

No couple wants rain on their wedding day, but it did not dampen their spirits for a day filled with love and laughter. The newly refurbished Castle Hotel provided an excellent indoor backdrop for their photos.

This lovely couple met each other at a ballroom dance, so it was only fitting that their first dance was a choreographed waltz. They were then joined by family and friends for a variety of dances, and I left them dancing the night away.

Marylyn & Paul, I'm sure your smiles, love and laughter will continue you throughout your life together. Wishing you all the very best for the future, and thank you for choosing me to capture your special day!

I was back at Windsor's Oakley Court at the weekend to photograph the wedding of the lovely Melanie & Nathan.

It was an intimate day with close friends and family, with a distinctly autumn feel. Melanie looked absolutely beautiful, with hair and make-up artist Rosie Scott creating both an elegant day look and relaxed evening hairstyle.

Oakley Court has such gorgeous grounds on the bank of the river Thames; we were worried that after last weeks rain, we may be stuck inside for photos, but we were blessed with sunshine for some beautiful photos beneath the willows in the shadow of this gothic country house.

After a wedding breakfast with their nearest and dearest, they celebrated with a large evening party, complete with sparkler reception.

Thank you both so much for choosing me to capture your special day, I wish you a lifetime full of love and happiness!

Wedding suppliers

Venue: The Oakley Court

Hair & makeup: Rosie Scott

Flowers: Lily's Flowers

Event styling: The Light Touch

Dance floor & DJ: The Experience

A lovely client recently shared some behind-the-scenes photos and videos from her newborn photoshoot. I'm sharing them here to give you a feel for the kit I bring with me and how I set it up in your home to give you the kinds of photos you see on my website.

As well as a camera and a couple of lenses (for wide-angles and close-ups of tiny features), my newborn photography kit consists of a studio light, and a beanbag and frame which holds your choice of coloured backdrop. I bring wraps for your baby which will co-ordinate with the backdrops you choose. I often start a newborn session by wrapping baby - this helps them feel cosy, warm and secure and can help settle them for the photography. The following video shows me wrapping the baby.

Behind the scenes of a newborn photoshootWatch newborn baby photographer Abi Moore wrap a baby ready for his photoshoot

Finally, I've recently created a video explaining why I do what I do - capturing newborns whilst they're still tiny before time flies past and they grow up fast!

Newborn photographyWhy newborn photographer, Abi Moore, feels newborn photography is so important

The second part of my blog about protecting your memories is all about backing up your images! It's a quick one, but I feel it's important enough to warrant it's own post.

backing up - yawn but pay attentionyawning newborn baby photographed in black & white Now, let's be honest, whilst it's important I realise it is quite boring.

It's something you may not even think about until a hard-drive crashes or your phone dies and you use months, or worse, years of photos.

Again, this is a symptom of our digital age where everyone has a camera phone in their pocket. We take more photos than ever, but we don't print them and we don't always protect them.

I'd like you to ask yourself this: if your phone was lost, stolen or died today, how many photos are on it that you don't have copies of elsewhere?

backing up - boring but importantblack and white photograph of a grumpy boy I've seen it happen to friends and family, and it can be devastating if your phone contains photos of your baby's first steps, or a special day out that you won't repeat. Even if it's just every day photos, if you lose a year's worth, that's a big gap in your photographic memories.

I recommend to my clients that they keep their images in three places:

• on their PC/ main tablet device
• on an external device such as a USB, external hard drive or their phone
• in a cloud back-up

This should cover you for all eventualities of loss.

With client images I take back-ups very seriously - my job isn't done when I leave a family photoshoot or wedding, I upload the images from my memory cards to my hard drive, then back them up to an external hard drive and a cloud back-up service, so before the day is over four copies of your images exist.

When I hand them over to you, although I keep a copy, I ask you to follow the steps above to ensure you don't lose your images.

External hard drives with a terrabyte of storage can be purchased from around £40, which is usually enough to store a lifetime of personal photos.

There are a number of cloud back-up services available from Google to Amazon to Apple - many are included free with another subscription so you may already have access to these.

I use iDrive for my business and personal photos and can highly recommend it - it backs up from both my PC and my mobile.

So that's it... it's quick and not that exciting, but please take action and ensure you don't lose your precious memories.

Oh, and a reminder of last week's message - please print your photos too - it's another way of ensuring you never lose them.

If you've any questions or would like advice about printing or storing your photos, please feel free to contact me.

The printed photo is becoming extinct

Last week, when Apple launched their latest phone, much of the focus was on its cameras (plural!). In fact, the iPhone is the world's most used camera.

In the UK, nine out of every ten adults has a smartphone, and therefore, a camera.

So it's no surprise that more photos are being taken today than at any time in our history.

But... fewer photos than ever before are being printed.

I totally get that we live in a digital age. We love to document our lives and share them on social media.

Here's why I believe we mustn't let the printed photo die!

Your photos deserve to be printed

Your photos deserve to be printedUSB, album and prints from a newborn baby photoshoot with Abi Moore Whether it's your holiday snaps from your phone camera or your images from a professional photoshoot, your photos deserve to be printed.

It's such a shame if they're hidden away on your phone or camera.

You may share them on social media, where there'll be seen for a second then forgotten.

By displaying them around your home they will put a smile on your face every day.

For this reason, all of my wedding, family and baby packages include both digital images and printed photos - from a simple set of professional prints that you can frame yourself, through to wall art and albums designed with your favourite images and colours.

If you're investing your time and money in asking me to create your family memories, it follows that you should print and display them too.

Crisis of comparison

It's well-known that social media can have a negative impact on self esteem.

It takes one second to take a photo - everything can look perfect in that one second; the sun is shining, families are happy and loving, filters are used to enhance appearances. And that's what people share. Two minutes later the toddler may have dropped his ice cream or someone may have been stung by a wasp, but all you get to see is the perfection.

US Pastor Steve Furtick put it best when he said, “The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.”

Your photos deserve to be displayedCircular wooden sphere displaying a baby photo from a newborn photshoot with Abi Moore Throughout the current decade, self-esteem in UK children and teens has been falling, and many claim social media is to blame.

Now, let's flip that on it's head... Imagine displaying your own perfect moments around your home.

Your children will get to see their own photo displayed lovingly in a frame.

When you come home to see the memories of your amazing holiday or happy family day out, it will raise a smile and have a positive impact on your family's self esteem.

Future proofing

There is another reason why printing your photos is so important...

Do you ever visit parents or grandparents to find they've got out the old photo albums?

Print your photos 3Family heirloom photo I love to look through old photos. On a visit to my Grandpa's a few years ago he showed me photos of his parents on their wedding day and his father in his military uniform - even though I'd never met these people, it was so special to see my great-grandparents. This one he had of my mum as a baby is so precious.

Your family photos should be printedFloppy disks Now imagine going back to the 1980s and finding there were no prints, but the images were on a floppy disk. What would you do with that disk?

Today cloud galleries and USBs are ubiquitous, but technology will always move on.

The prints from one hundred years ago live on and can be accessed without out-of-date technology, the same will be true one hundred years from now.

In Part 2 of this blog, I share options for backing up your photos. For now, a reminder that a print will not be lost when a phone dies or a hard drive crashes.

An aside on where to print

Print your baby photosPhoto album from a newborn baby photoshoot with Abi Moore I'm sometimes asked which print labs I recommend. The labs I use for my business are professional trade labs that I've chosen over the years of being in business.

I can't recommend any specific consumer print labs, as they can change over time and without the experience of using them, I'm unable to vouch for their services.

What I do always recommend is that you print your photos somewhere that specialises in photo printing - whether that's a high street photographic shop or online photo labs.

The instant machines in supermarkets and pharmacies will not give you the same qulaity of print.

Having said that, a poor quality print is better than no print at all!

Now... go, print!!

I will finish with a challenge. Look around your walls and shelves - have you got photos of your family printed? Have you got photos on display that were taken in the last 12 months?

Print your photos 4Framed images from Abi Moore's family photoshoot If the answer is yes, then give yourself a pat on the back.

If the answer is no, pick your favourite snap from this summer and get it printed this week!

And if you'd like some professional photos of your family, you know where I am... :)

Click here to contact Abi

(And just to prove that I practice what I preach - to the left you'll see our images from our last family photoshoot, proudly on display in my home. I'm currently working on printing canvases from photos taken this summer).

So, the six week summer break is coming to an end. Whether you're ecstatic that the kids are finally going back to school, or dreading the summer ending (or like me, a bit of both!), the start of the school year is always a big milestone.

It's a particularly big occasion if your little one is starting school for the very first time, or moving up to middle, secondary or high school.

It's the time of year when we see social media flooded with images of little ones in their school uniforms ready to start the school year.

Read on for my six tips for making your 'back to school' photos just a little better or more interesting...

Back to school photoshoot 5Take better pictures of your little one's first day at school 1. Location, location, location!

I do realise that the ubiquitous ‘front door’ photo is a classic, but possibly also a little clichéd. Think about where you might have great locations around your home…

I love outdoor natural light, so I’ve always preferred to take mine in the garden against a plain fence.

If you do want to go with the front door option, then outside to get the natural light, rather than indoor in a gloomy hallway is a far better option.

If it’s raining, then standing your children by a plain wall near a window to get the natural light will give you lovely photos.

Or taking it away from the home, maybe you'd like to capture a natural shot of your little one walking to school on their first day.

back to school photoshoot 3fun photos of kids starting school 2. It's emotional!

On the first day of school, emotions may be running high - your little one may be anxious starting a new school, you might be feeling a little sad at them growing up so quickly (and they may pick up on this), or they may be super excited and desperate to get there, not willing to hang around for photos.

You know your little ones best. Ask yourself whether they’ll be in the right frame of mind to take photos on the morning before school. If you think they might not be, then you may like to take photos the day before they start. Alternatively, maybe take one when they come home when they’ll be happier to have the first day over with (although they may not look quite as smart!).

Don’t be afraid to have some fun with your photos and capture your children’s true personalities and some fun emotions - let them mess around and have a giggle!

3. Prop it up!

back to school photoshoot 1starting school chalkboard childrens photoshoot Decide whether you would like to keep it simple with them in their school uniform only, or whether you’d like to add some props to give some context to your photo.

My chalk board shoots were really popular and you could take inspiration from the idea. Write some facts about your child on a blackboard or piece of paper and get them to hold it up - you’ll love looking back in years to come seeing what their favourite things and ambitions were when they started school.

Don’t forget the little details such as their shiny new shoes. Consider including their schoolbag or lunch box; if they’re taking both, it will really highlight how small they are when carrying these.

4. A sense of perspective…

Speaking of highlighting how tiny they are, think of locations that give perspective as they grow, if you're planning to take a picture each year or when they finish school. This is where the front door photo has it’s benefits - this year they may only just reach the letterbox, but over the years that will change significantly.

If the school sign is easily accessible, consider taking a photo there - each year you’ll see how they grow against this sign, and they may be towering over it by the time they leave.

Back to school photoshoot 4fun photos of kids 5. Safety first

Internet safety experts recommend that you don’t share details of your child’s school on social media as it puts your child at risk. If you are sharing details, then ensure your social media profiles are private.

Remember that this doesn’t just include naming your child’s school in the post, but the logo on their school uniforms, as well as if you include pictures of the school or its sign.

I’ll be honest, and admit this is not something I’d thought about until the last year or two, when I’m hearing this advice more and more.

My personal social media profiles are private, but I’ve previously posted photos of my sons in uniform on my business profiles which are open to all.

I’ve now tried to remove all these photos and I am now careful to ensure photos shared on my business pages (of my children or clients') don’t include any school details.

back to school photoshoot 2studio photography of children in school uniforms 6. I'll say it over and again: Put yourself in the picture!

I apologise, if you’re a regular follower, you’ll have heard me say this several times before. You must include yourself in photos with your children! In years to come, they don’t care if you’re not wearing make-up or if you’ve got a few pounds to lose. All they'll want to see is themselves with you.

It's also a great measure of time - you'll see them grow, but you'll also see how you (and fashions, etc!) are changing over time.

However you decide to take your first day of school photos, they are precious memories that you'll treasure forever. I wish all the little ones starting school this week the very best of luck!

Newborn photoshoot skin before & after 2Concerns over newborn photoshoot - Photoshop fixes all I sometimes get a call or email on the morning of a newborn photoshoot from a worried parent. Maybe their baby has scratched their face or their little one has woken up with blotchy skin.

I totally understand their worries as they are hoping for gorgeous photos of their beautiful newborn, and it's a shame if blemishes put a stop to that.

However, I can reassure any worried parent, that it's not an issue. Newborn baby photos - skin before & after 4Photoshop can fix baby spots and scratches I have years of experience of using Photoshop to retouch blemishes to ensure your new little bundles of joy look exactly as you'd like to remember them.

I can solve all of the following issues with retouching:

• spots
• milk spots
• baby acne
• scratches Newborn baby photoshoot concerns - skin before & after 1As a professional newborn baby photographer, I can retouch all issues in Photoshop
• red eyes
• gunky eyes
• dry flaky skin
• blotchy skin
• red skin
• jaundice

Baby photoshoot concerns - skin before & after 3If you're baby has flaky skin, a professional newborn photographer can retouch it In fact, I've yet to meet a challenge that I haven't been able to solve with Photoshop. To the right you'll see a few before and after images that show you how an image will look after I've waved my magic wand!

The worries aren't just limited to the new baby either. I'm a mum of two and I know that in the first fortnight (when most newborn sessions take place) you are recovering from labour, running low on sleep, and your tummy is yet to return to it's usual shape (in fact seven years later, mine still hasn't returned - I don't think I can still use baby weight as an excuse!). Most of us have dark circles under our eyes and we're lucky if we've washed or even brushed our hair in the last few days, let alone had a chance to put on make-up.

Newborn baby photshoot with parentsBacklit beautiful newborn photography with parents - relaxed and natural for all Again, I urge you not to worry. In this instance, I hide a lot of this when I'm taking the photo before Photoshop even gets anywhere near your image.

I take close-ups so there's no wobbly tummies on view. I light to flatter tired skin. I ask you to look at your baby rather than at the camera, so by looking down your dark circles aren't as prominent. And my favourite of all is the back-lit semi-silhouette shot that you see to the right - it hides everything!

In years to come, I guarantee you'll kick yourself if you haven't had a photo taken with your new baby, so I encourage all new parents to have at least a few taken. If you don't like them, you don't have to choose them, so you have nothing to lose.

If you're thinking of booking a newborn photoshoot, you can find out more here. I hope I've managed to put all your concerns to rest, but if you have any questions or if you'd like to book a session, please get in touch.

When I met Skye & Martin they described their wedding as a fun and relaxed day that was going to be very non-traditional. I loved their approach and I cannot think of a better setting on a summer's day than in the shadow of Oakely Court overlooking the River Thames - what an amazing day!

Eschewing tradition, the bride waited as the groom walked down the aisle accompanied by his mum. The ceremony was led by Skye's sister in the gardens at Oakley Court surrounded by wildflowers. Skye, Martin and their guests then celebrated in the marquee in the hotel's grounds near its kitchen garden. The guests enjoyed garden games in the sunshine whilst others relaxed on beanbags with ice cream cones.

The afternoon was completed with speeches from Skye and her maid of honour, and Martin and one of his groomsmen, before the guests moved indoors for their evening entertainment. There was no first dance, but Skye was surprised with a flash mob dance from her bridesmaids and Martin. Such a fun and different wedding!

Thank you both for choosing me to capture your wedding day - wishing you all the very best for a happy future together!