בס"ד
I got to know this wonderful family through a mutual friend Suzie, but I only knew Joanna and her mother Marcie, so I was really pleased to get to know the rest of their delightful family when they came to my studio for family pictures.
My friend Suzie had given them a gift voucher to my studio.
When the family arrived at my studio, I immediately felt the vibes of such a happy family!
I love taking multi-generational pictures and here we had Marcie with her husband Peter, their daughter Joanna with her husband and two adorable children as well as Jo’s brother with his daughter! Grandparents, uncles, aunt and cousins, how lovely!
Taking photos of grandparents, children and grandchildren all together is something very special for me – it makes me emotional each time I do it!
I know how special these moments are and it is so important to capture these moments for life!!
Before the photography session I had a phone consultation with Jo and asked her
what is important for her, what combinations of pictures she wants, and I wrote it all down to make sure we don’t miss anything out. For example, pictures of each family separately, all the kids with their grandparents, the couples on their own, etc.
I took many more photos than was on the list, but it was really useful to refer to, to keep me focused on what was important for this family.
I'm really looking forward to photographing them all again, maybe next year in the park?
The kids will grow and these memories are forever! Do you have a family photo?
My mission is to create stunning family photos for you! Call me today for a free consultation!
Peter the grandfather kindly answered my interview questions.
It's always nice to get to see a deeper look into the family and to hear more about them.
Tell me more about you, your background, and where you were born and raised. I was brought up in Surrey, as a single child. Unfortunately my mother died when I was only 7, and at the same time, my Dad had a series of strokes, which he never recovered from, though he did survive for another 20 years. Consequently, I was brought up first by my Grandma, then by a series of non Jewish housekeepers. So my childhood was difficult, and very “anglicized”. It was only much later at university that I returned to Judaism, and met my wife Marcia.
How did you get to know your wife? I met my wife through a university friend’s sister, who she was living with in a Hillel House in Brixton South London. My Uni friend had encouraged me to go to the Jewish Society at Oxford Uni where I was studying. He did me a Mitzvah, not only helping me return to Judaism, but also indirectly introducing me to my wife. Marcia has transformed my life after a difficult first 20 years, she is a special person. Can you give 3 tips for people that want to succeed in their family life? 3 tips for success : 1. Never lose sight of your dreams, anything is possible. 2. Grab opportunities, don’t hesitate. 3. Talk things over with your partner, 2 heads always better than 1.
How would you describe these words: Success Happiness Love Success is to me the respect others have for you. Happiness is being able to sleep peacefully, not worrying about whether you have behaved badly towards others. Love is sharing your life with someone else, being comfortable with them, looking forward to seeing them, having a warm feeling when you’re together. This is most likely with any member of your family, young or old, not necessarily your partner. If you could do something differently what would it be? If I had my life over again, I would have followed a different career path. I would have done a profession or gone onto politics probably. Family circumstances made this difficult however, and I went into retail, working for M&S, because this did not require further study.
What 3 values do you think you have delivered to your kids? Actually, I do not think we have passed on to our kids the values we should have done. We spent possibly too much time building up a business, during their formative years. Our personalities are largely determined by birth, i.e. inherited, I believe. However, I’m proud to say that my 2 adult children are both good people, and try to behave towards others in the same way that they would like to be treated. They are so different, 1 strong, the other weaker, more sensitive. Who gives you inspiration? My wife gives me inspiration, because she is so generous of spirit, having time for everyone. My late Dad too, because even though he was sick & was not able to speak properly after the strokes, he survived and did his best to bring me up & give me the best education. How did you balance between family and work? At the time when I was most busy at work, I don’t think I got the balance between work & family right. When it’s your own business, this is difficult, especially in the early years. I do remember, when I was not working for myself, trying to get home early, to bath the children, when they were very young! And we enjoyed good family holidays. What's the biggest gift you would want to get from your kids? I just want my kids to be healthy & happy, and to enjoy life with their children. I would like to think that they will help me when I am very old or sick. I hope this will be because they love me, and want to repay some of the love I have shown them. This is important to me, possible because my parents died before I was in a position to repay them. What do you wish for yourself and your family for the future? My wish for our future is continued good health for us all. I would like my son to have a partner to give him love & understanding. I hope my grandchildren grow up to be happy & healthy, with fond memories of their Grandpa. Because I did not have a traditional family upbringing, family is now everything to me - which is why Tova’s photos have pride of place in our home!