family photography, documentary photography Mina Milanović family photography, documentary photography Mina Milanović

Family Photographer in Surrey

This family photo session took place earlier this summer and was part of my community project. The family photoshoot took place at the family’s Surrey home, which is a village away from where I live. To get to their place, I walked a few miles through fields and woods, and in turn discovered a lovely local walk which I now frequent.

I wanted to photograph the family at their house, to capture some of the memories they’ve made during this unprecedented time. They have been spending a lot of time outdoors, the boys playing in the garden. After an energetic start and a few action shots of the boys around their playhouse, the family settled on a bench and had a nice quiet time with a story and a cup of tea. I like the high energy kinds bring to photoshoots. It keeps me on my toes - I have to think and act quickly, often changing the ideas I may have had at the start.

I am so grateful to all the families who have supported me and my community project during the pandemic. The reality has been so different for people living in urban and non-urban areas. When I started this project I imagined photographing families behind windows and on doorsteps. However, a lot of people in my community, like me, have had the good fortune during the pandemic of space and gardens. And therefore, a lot of my photographs documenting families during this time, all taken outdoors and following government guidelines, are of families enjoying their time outdoors.

My family photo sessions have evolved to become physically distanced, and to exclusively take place outdoors. If you are thinking of commissioning a family photo session, please contact me to discuss your requirements. I would love to hear from you!

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Surrey Hills Family Photoshoot

This multi-cultural family received a family photography gift certificate from me as a christmas present last year, but due to Covid-19 we only managed to arrange the photoshoot late in the summer. We arranged the family photoshoot in the Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, more specifically a lovely little walk around Friday Street. An outdoor location needs to tick a few boxes for me - to be an appropriate distance for the age of a child, to have a nice variety of locations and to provide some shelter from the weather. On this particular day, the forcast was overcast but dry; however the weather decided to do its own thing so it rained for the first half of the session. Luckly, the old oak trees in the wooded part of the walk provided a much needed shelter. Once the rain had stopped, we continued our walk through the pine forest, around the pond, along a lovely little stream and into the beech forest. This great variety of habitats provided wonderful backdrops for a family action shots, children’s portraits and family portraits.

I offer gift vouchers for newborn photoshoots, pet photoshoots and family portraits. If you would like to purchase a gift voucher for a friend or member of your family, please visit my store, or get in touch to arrange a tailored-made photography gift voucher. I look forawrd to hearing from you!

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family photography, children photography Mina Milanović family photography, children photography Mina Milanović

Family and Children's Photographer in Surrey / Documenting Isolation

Working as a Surrey family photographer, I was interested to document the lives of families during corona virus-imposed lockdown. I set out to incorporate documenting family life in Surrey, as part of my daily exercise, always following the government’s advice on social distancing, and working exclusively outdoors, photographing from a safe distance.

I find children photography both challenging and really fun. Some situations present challenges, and these are mainly if parents or grandparents would like to do one thing, and the kids would like to do something totally oposite. Showing a bit of interest in a child’s life and letting them guide you to photograph their world can result in really natural, and ful photographs.

I photographed these two sisters playing in their back garden during lockdown. We started talking about their experience of isolation, and they both told me that they really enjoyed spending more time at home and not having such a busy schedule. When I asked them what they liked to do in the garden, they both exploaded with fun creative energy and were so keen to show me all fun stuff they got up to. Note that the T shirs are also their own creations!

This family photoshoot in Surrey (minus the parents) gave me such a burst of positive energy and whenever I look at these photos I get a warm feeling inside. Kids are amazing, so reselient and they inspire me every single day.

I have started booking in family photo sessions, pet photo sessions, and headshot or passport photography. If you would like to arrange a session, please get in touch. You can also purchase a voucher with a one year validity from my on line store.

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Surrey Family Photographer / Photographs of life in Surrey during Covid-19 outbreak

Like many other self-employed people, my work has been greatly impacted by the current situation.

I found myself compelled to do something positive and to document life in my community during these unprecedented times. I came across an article about a New York photographer Stephen Lovekin who started photographing self isolation and messages people wanted to convey in his neighbourhood in New York. This inspired me to do something similar in my community.

Working as a Surrey family photographer, I set out to document how families spend their time during lockdown, photographing outside, from a safe distance, socially distancing and incorporating photography into my daily exercise, as per government guidelines.

Lockdown has been hard, especially for people living in cities where space is tight. I used to live in London but moved to the countryside a few years ago. The transition has been challenging at times, but I got to appreciate countryside living a lot more during the past couple of months. Although hard at times, there have been many aspects of lockdown that have been really nice for me and my family. This has been the case with a lot of neighbours who I chatted to while doing this project. Being together as a family, the slow down of busy schedules, having the time to potter around the house and garden, bake, taking up a new hobby or re-exploring an old interest. This project has been one of the most positive things I’ve done recently. It helped me connect with my community and meet a lot of lovely people up and down my road.

Below is a set of photos from my first project - my next door neighbours spending time as a family in their garden, reading books and playing in the sand pit with their one year old daughter.

I hope you enjoy the photos!

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