A year with my family in Aix en Provence

A year with my family in Aix en Provence

A year with my family in Aix en Provence

Sometimes you actually make something happen that you have been planning and dreaming about.  Never give up on that plan.

I don’t know about you but I’m always dreaming up different plans and ideas for the family to action and the majority don’t get off the ground.  But on this occasion it did after an article in a magazine about a little village in Provence coupled with a long desire to spend more time in France led us to a decision to up sticks and live in Provence for a year at least.  The decision and the French experience led me to write a blog www.mydreamyprovence.com  about my experiences.  This awoke a creative side and with a new camera in my hand placed firmly on AUTOMATIC, I started to snap away.  This, in turn, led to a desire to study photography on my return from our year there.

Come and read my story…

I’m not alone…  Aix en Provence is a place people want live.  It’s bustling all year round with each season bringing something truly unique.  While the city is a tourist trap in the summer months and certainly the most popular time to visit, it is peaceful and atmospheric in the winter where restaurant owners replace the outdoor terraces with an enclosed cosier space to enjoy a chocolate chaud.  An almost alpine feel!

People come from all over the world to live and work here and we were another family passing through.  Some stay longer and others go after a while but our year gave us a better appreciation of life in France and a lifetime of family memories.  There were struggles with the children as they adapted to life at a small, international school, CIPEC,  hidden deep in the countryside outside Aix but in the end their experiences were so rich, they overcame their fears and bonded with children from many different cultures.   Lessons were split between English &  French and all the children played in woods near the little school two or three times a day.   The school experience felt a little like going back in time to my youth where their was more freedom for the children.

Aix en Provence balances a rich cultural life along with some of the very best outdoor flower & food markets in the whole of France.  Walking through the city is enchanting any time of the year with it’s magnificant historic buildings and architecture and exquisite boutiques and restaurants.  A food & shopping lover’s paradise!  Cafe culture reigns along the beautiful Bouvelard of the Cours Mirabeau and the pretty maze of streets inside the Roman walls.

Once we finally adapted to daily life we were able to explore a little further.  With the Luberon to the North, we regularly visited towns such as Avignon and St Remy de Provence as well pretty little Cassis to the South when the tourists had gone and a swim and a fish lunch was enjoyed alongside the locals.  Nice and St Tropez were accessible at weekends and the Southern Alps, which was particularly exciting for me as a skier, were within easy reach.

I joined the International Hiking Club of Provence and walked the Calangues of Marseille, Mt St Victoire in Aix and the hills of the Luberon.  The walk always ended at a bistro with wine and plenty of laughter (and relief for surviving the hike).  We picked olives in a local farmers field around Christmas followed with a picnic of local ham and pickles and joined a weekly kids french cooking class at L’athelier Mathlide.  I also attended cooking classes in local Provencal houses where I met families sharing their traditional cooking techniques.   The Patisseries became a little obssesion (there is a cake for every occasion) along with buying scarves and trying to wear them like the chic French women of Provence.  We attended French class & wine courses and local festivals and met wonderful locals and ex-pats and learnt about their stories.

Time passed too quickly and we returned to London mainly due to work constraints.  In the end making the decision to go was the hardest part.  We are so glad we ventured there and we will treasure the memories of our time there as a family forever.   I look forward to returning again to take pictures as a professional photographer.

Travel to Aix en Provence via Marseille or Avignon via BA or Easyjet or take the train via Paris to Aix en Provence.

Here are a few special addresses for your notebook:

www.mydreamyprovence.com/stunning-retro-chic-b-b-aix-countryside/  Perfect B & B

www.villagallici.com  Perfect 5 star

www.maisondauphine.com  Perfect rental

www.mydreamyprovence.com My blog

www.perfectlyprovence.co Perfect resource for region

www.lateliercuisinedemathilde.com Fab French cooking classes

www.carrieres-lumieres.com  Art gallery

www.mirabeauwine.com  Perfect story of a family move to Provence.  My favourite wine.

and finally:

www.maisonweibel.com  Exquisite cake & tea and total obsession

 

 

Wanderlust, London life & Photography Stories

Maecenas et nunc quis urna sagittis venenatis vitae non enim. Nulla consequat quam vitae elit aliquet molestie. Ut aliquet, risus dapibus tristique tristique, est metus posuere massa, vitae ultrices tortor erat tristique leo. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per.

Contact me

 email: Jilly@jillycowdryphotography.co.uk

Tel: 07808724330

An inspiring interview with Karin from Yo flow and Good Life Designed

An inspiring interview with Karin from Yo flow and Good Life Designed

An interview with Karin from Yo flow & Good Life Designed

Lifestyle branding photography session for Yo Flow & Good Life Designed

Its always exciting to be a part of a growing business that offers something unique.  Karin combines a fascinating mix of life coaching & mentoring through her work with Californian based Good Life Designed and her business, Yo flow, which offers restorative yoga practise, mindful journaling & mindfulness through art & journaling for kids.

I interviewed Karin after taking some images for her portfolio.  You will find it below the images.

 

Tell us a little about your background?

I am from a tiny village in Denmark and have lived in Richmond for 14 years with my husband and two daughers (9 and 16 years old).

As a holistic coach, yoga teacher, journalist and author, I combine a deep fascination for the way we live our lives, ancient tools of yoga and meditation and a modern down to earth approach to self-development.

I have my own wellness company Yo Flow and am part of the Amercian community and mentoring company Good Life Designed and have helped develop a powerful process that will enable you to live your best life.  I work with lots of different people and whether I am teaching my Karma Kids sessions or working with women nagivating challenging changes and phases in their lives, I am passionaate about inspiring and empowering everyone to find what works best for them and create a realistic dream life.

What are your current goals and dreams?

To embrace the paradox of my desire to live a simpler, calmer life whilst still pursing my curiosity, new ideas and developing my business

How has motherhood changed you?

I believe that fundamentally we are who we are and as we develop and grow, we get closer to the essence.  I don’t think motherhood has changed me as a person but it has certainly had a huge impact on me.  It might sound like that is the same but for me there is a difference.  Becoming a mum changes your world but not necessarily you and that does bring a whole set of challenges so it’s easy to forget you and your needs.  When I had my first daughter (almost 17 years ago) I remember how my comfortable life was suddenly penetrated with an extreme range of feelings on a daily basis and I would swing between all consuming love to scary taboo feelings.  I have been on an emotional rollercoster ever since and it’s lots of fun but there is never a dull moment.

Any advice for a new mother?

Two really great pieces of advice supported me through the first couple of years.  One was from a friend who said “Don’t forget to kiss your husband and drink some red wine”.  The midwife encouraged me to always trust my own instincts.  I could add alot more ‘Sleep when the baby is sleeping”, “dare to be honest with self and fellow mums” and “don’t put yourself at the bottom of the to do list”  It’s very easy to loose track of yourself when there is always someone else who needs your attention.  I have learned the hard way, that it’s ok to say to your children – and other people for that matter – that you are simply not available.  My time is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

Where would you like to be a few years from now?

My worst  fear is getting stuck, therefore I would like to remain in a place of open curiosity and explore my life.  When I turned 50, I read Ilchi Lee’s book “I have decided to live to 120”  It inspired me to look at the age on my birth certificate with a new perspective.  Any age can feel old if you are not in a good place with yourself.

Favourites places in the UK and why?

I am going to have to say Richmond.  I love being on the doorstep of this cool, inspiring, open-minded and constantly changing city that is London while still living in a green oasis.  You get the best of both worlds, and as a person who loves to travel, explore new places and ideas, I can’t imagine a more inspiring base.

Favourite spots abroad and why?

I have a longstanding love relationship with vibrant New York and a soft spot for California with its laid back yet energetic and experimental vibe.  As a family we love to spend a few days in the swim club at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs.  Lying in 40 degrees, listening to the cool DJ mix of old songs and contemporary artists while staring at mountains and towering palm trees in the hazy horizon brings the perfect mix of chill out and inspiration.  Two more stand out, my summer haven in the Danish seaside town of Kikhaven, where I start my days embracing my inner Viking with a dip in the (often) cold sea water.  Oaxaca in Mexico is the most soulful place, super charming old town with vibrant colourful houses, cobbled streets, hidden bars, colourful markets with artisan design, small galleries tucked away, gorgeous food and friendly people.  You will not leave without snacking on grasshoppers, sipping Mezcal and falling in love with Mexico.

How do you handle a bad day?

They always seem to surprise me and they are so much easier to handle in the comfortable hindsight.  I have become alot better at accepting off days as part of my life.  If I’m having a bad day, I go quiet and escape to the yoga mat.  If people around me are having a bad day, it seems more stressful because my instinct is to help and fix it.  But really all you can do is accept it;  just be there and let it pass.

Work ethic?

As a Scandi, I am fairly laidback in many ways.  However, when it comes to work, I have this “work first, play later” ethic drilled into my bones.  I can easily overcommit to work and have spent many years fighting my inner workaholic.  Even though I have given my work life a complete overhaul and work flexible hours, any small assignment will quickly move to the top of my list.  The positive side is that I’m very driven and feel alive when I explore buzzing new ideas and connect with like-minded people.

www.yoflow.co.uk

www.goodlifedesigned.com

 

 

 

 

 

Wanderlust, London life & Photography Stories

Maecenas et nunc quis urna sagittis venenatis vitae non enim. Nulla consequat quam vitae elit aliquet molestie. Ut aliquet, risus dapibus tristique tristique, est metus posuere massa, vitae ultrices tortor erat tristique leo. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per.

Contact me

 email: Jilly@jillycowdryphotography.co.uk

Tel: 07808724330

Six tips to help create a beautiful garden family photography shoot

Six tips to help create a beautiful garden family photography shoot

Six tips to help create a beautiful family garden photography shoot

Family memories to treasure captured in a garden in Richmond

When photographing a family, my goal is to keep things as relaxed as possible.  Sometimes a home setting works better, particularly if you have a lovely garden.  As a family photographer I’m always looking for interesting backgrounds to add colour and texture to the shot but it’s not absolutely essential as the subject and main focus is always on the emotional bond between the parents and children and the individual charactor of your little one.

On this occasion, Alice Su had awoken from a nap and was ready to play.  I was looking forward to seeing her as previously I had photographed her in her Mummy’s tummy and as a newborn so it had been a while.  There is something wonderful about returning to photograph children and catching up with the parents journey.   I always focus on the parents and allow the child to come to me and that’s when we are ready to have fun and take some shots.  I never rush and if it’s not working that day we re-arrange.   As a family photographer, I love natural and emotive photography and play with a variety of angles bringing the parents into the frame if they feel comfortable.   We generally have fun with different outfits and I advise ahead of time on this and what works best.  The light is critical in my work as I don’t tend to over edit or photoshop a great deal in post production so I will often ask to visit your home prior to the shoot so I’m prepared.   If the shoot is away from the home then I am constantly looking for new and interesting places to offer clients to meet.   The end result via a gallery is shared together to select images for print or framing and I love this part of my job.

Tips to prepare for the garden family photography shoot are as follows:

Think about your outdoor space and how you can style certain parts of your garden to allow for a few different areas to photograph ie steps, a garden chair, a blanket that complements outdoor colours or a veggie or flower bed.  A cut flower or beautiful leaves sometimes gives a child a focus and adds something special in the photograph.

Bring one or two precious toys that your child loves as they can be brought into the shoot for comfort and to document their bond.

Clothing is dependant on the season ie Autumn works better with navy blue, yellows and browns to compliment the outdoor leaves.  Try to keep clothing plain and avoid big patterns which take the eye away from the main focus of the shot.

Have plenty of snacks and drinks ready and perhaps some distractions like bubbles or something that make your little one smile.

Get inspired to create some pinterest boards and see what style of family photography you like, particularly if you want to present it in a frame on your walls.  Share it with me ahead of time.

Never worry about changing the date if you or your little one isn’t up to it.

 

Testimonial

Jilly has so far done three photo sessions for us.  The first when we were expecting our baby girl, the second at a week old and our latest at two and a half.  I think this tells a great deal how we feel about Jilly.  She has always been brilliant and immediately made our daughter feel comfortable and somehow even manage to capture her personality.  Jilly is unbelievably easy to work with and blended easily with our family.  We absolutely love her and her work and will treasure the beautiful moments captured forever.

London life, Wanderlust & Photography Stories

Welcome to my little blog and a chance to share snippets of London life, travel and my photography stories.  There will be interviews & stories, offers & suggestions as well as things that I dream of but haven’t experienced YET…….  I look foward to sharing with you and hearing your thoughts.  Jilly x

Contact me

 email: Jilly@jillycowdryphotography.co.uk

Tel: 07808724330