Taking Chances ~ Jo Jackson Photography

I can't believe we're almost at the end of January and a whole month into 2017! This month has flown by.

For me, this year is all about taking chances and the first of those chances was to enter 50 of my photos into an international photography contest!

That was the year that was, 2016 ~ Jo Jackson Photography

It's wild and windy here today as we come to the end of what has been a turbulent year for so many people.

For my camera and I on the other hand it's been a far more positive year - about exploration and development, about trying new things and changing for the better.

I worked with babies and brides, shot in sunshine and snow,  photographed families and friends, graduations and birthday parties and might have already made big big plans for the new year to come!

Christmas Traditions

One of the best things about Christmas is getting to do all those awesome and special traditions that your own family has.

Wishing you a very magical Christmas!

Wishing all of you a very magical Christmas from my little family to yours!

First lights... ~ Jo Jackson Photography, Nature photography

This week saw the start of the aurora season here in Northern Finland. Sadly I missed the more epic shows earlier in the week but I managed to catch these from my back garden last night.

It doesn't matter how many times I see them, the thrill is always the same. <3

Hopefully this is just the start of another awesome aurora season!

Anniversary ~ Jo Jackson Photography

Today was the day I know my whole family has been dreading for several months now. Today marks a year since my darling Dad left us.

It's been hard, so hard, and I know the pain never truly goes away when we have to say goodbye to loved ones.

Sunflowers ~ Jo Jackson photography

Finally, Rosie's sunflowers are ready to bloom. I know they'll be worth the wait, they always are.

Weekend in Kuusamo ~ Family photography, lifestyle photography, Finland

Last weekend we drove across the country to a little cottage not far from Murtovaara, near Kuusamo. There was cold running water and limited electricity from a solar panel down by the lake but it was just perfect. Open fires, wood burning sauna, the lake right outside the cottage, berries carpeting the forest floor and plenty of space for two small people and a giddy labrador to roam around without disturbing anyone.

The weather was very kind too, it did pour down on the Saturday night but we lit the sauna and after dancing around in the rain, we warmed up inside.

Obviously I took hundreds of photos but wanted to share a few with you.

Rain, rain... ~ Family photography, Oulu, Finland

...go away!!

I don't know about you but I'm not ready for summer to be over yet. We had glorious sunshine and patches of real warmth this week but we've also had the sort of rain that would make Noah start reaching for his tools!

Thinking back to the sunshine of last week, here are some shots of Rosie in the garden with the sunflowers she's grown herself some seeds she got for her birthday. They're my favourite flower so I was always going to be excited when the time came for them to bloom but she's just as giddy as me, which is awesome.

Evening at the beach ~ Family photography, Bridlington, Yorkshire

Before heading back to Finland, my family and I headed to the coast to spend the evening at Bridlington last week. Many many years ago it was our home, we lived right on the front in a holiday flat, and it will always have a special place in our hearts. <3

Luckily for us the sun was shining and as we remembered times gone by with those loved ones no longer with us, it was lovely to watch the girls enjoying the sun and sand just as we did when we were children.

Temple Newsam ~ Family photography, Yorkshire and Finland

Yesterday we spent a lovely afternoon visiting the animals at Homefarm, Temple Newsam. With several fantastic adventure playgrounds and lots of adorable animals, it was the perfect place to visit with energetic little people.

It was also a lovely place to visit with the girls as we were actually there 5 years ago when Evie had her photos taken at the age of 1 by the enormously talented Maryanne Scott.

We were lucky enough to see some very young animals and the girls were thrilled to see them so close - even if the smell was rather...over powering at times! ;)

Queen's View, Loch Tummel, Scotland ~ Family photography

Before we left Scotland yesterday, we stopped at Queen's View at Loch Tummel.

When Queen Victoria visited in 1866 she assumed it was named after her. It's believed it was actually named after Isabella, the first wife of Robert the Bruce some 500 years earlier.

Loch Rannoch, Scotland ~ Landscape photography

On our way back from Loch Laidon there was just enough of a pause in the rain to get some shots of Loch Rannoch, with the peak of my mountain in the background.

Loch Laidon and Red Deer on Rannoch Moor, Scotland ~ Family photography

During our trip to Scotland last week we visited a place that meant a great deal to us all. Ever since we were small we've visited Loch Laidon up on Rannoch Moor whatever the weather but this time was the first we went without my darling Dad. It was lovely to be there but very emotional for us all.

Red Deer Centre - Highland Safaris ~ Aberfeldy, Scotland

We had a gorgeous afternoon at the Red Deer Centre just outside Aberfeldy. The girls loved it. We were able to feed red deer, met a barn owl and they spent an hour panning for 'fools gold' and other gems.

The animals were magnificent - especially to be able to see them up close, the staff were awesome in every sense of the word (good humoured, polite, knowledgeable...) and the weather was very nice too!

Garden Fairies - Children's photography, Oulu and Yorkshire

I've had an idea in my head for a themed photoshoot to do with the girls for months. It was born out of discovering old bridesmaids dresses in the wardrobe and having a glimmer of inspiration.

Two boxes of dye, some floral headbands and a trip to Scotland later...and I have taken what I think are some pretty gorgeous photos of my girls as fairies. They don't have wings and I was originally thinking of adding some digitally but I decided against it and I just love how they've turned out.

Climbing Schiehallion ~ Rannoch, Scotland

Today I did a thing. A big thing. Today I climbed a mountain in memory of my darling Dad. The Scottish Munroe, Schiehallion, which I grew up seeing and never managed to climb. Until today that is.

Garden Visitors - Kinloch Rannoch, Scotland

Ever since I was a child, we've been visiting the small village of Kinloch Rannoch in the Scottish Highlands and now that I have children of my own I love bringing them here during our summer trips to the UK:

We stay on the Dunalastair Estate in some of their gorgeous holiday cottages. So far we've taken the girls to one of the houses called Maragdubh and this year we're visiting a charming little cottage called Rose Cottage which we last visited to see in the new millenium in 2000! Rose Cottage is opposite Schiehallion, the mountain I'll be climbing tomorrow in memory of my darling Dad and to raise money for the RSPB. You can read more about my fundraising here.

The cottage and it's garden look like they could have fallen straight out of a Beatrix Potter story and I can honestly say I love it up here. The cottage is surrounded by farm land, with sheep and cows meandering around, and the garden is packed with flowers, as well as a chamomile lawn and an impressive bird feeder that attracts tens of birds from dawn til dusk. Including a family of great spotted woodpeckers! So far we've seen Mum, Dad and three juveniles, which is an awesome thing to sit and watch from the kitchen window.

Playing around ~ Family Photography

Today the sun was shining and the girls and I thought we'd have a little play around with hairstyles and such for our planned photography project that we'll hopefully be starting soon. I'll be sharing more about it in the near future but I can tell you that if it works...it's going to be so good!!

Unfortunately Evie was feeling a little under the weather and so wasn't really in the mood by the time we actually got around to taking photos. Rosie, on the other hand, was definitely in the mood to pose and when I looked back through the photos I'd taken I was genuinely stunned at how grown up she seemed.

Growing up fast ~ Family photography

This week has been a crazy one in our house, lots of firsts for one thing!