For my entire career I have worked with children and animals, and I absolutely love it!
My career working with children began as a childminder, whilst raising my own children. I took care of two children from the age of 4 and 7 until they went to secondary school which was so rewarding. Seeing a child grow and blossom into a young adult is a privilege and to have positively influenced their life in some way is quite an honour. Then I trained to be a nursery nurse and over the years qualified and worked my way up to management level achieving two degrees along the way. I enjoy studying, now, not when I was younger, and also achieved NVQ’s in the childcare sector and several other qualifications including working with children who have speech impairment, ADHD, ADD, SPD and other disorders. I have worked on a one-to-one basis with children who need additional support and found this very rewarding. If my family and friends, and even clients, were to say one thing about me, it would be that I have patience!
I have loved working with all ages of children but there is something special about the age of three. It’s the constant stream of wonderful and wild questions, they have zero filter, truth telling skills are at their finest and their curiosity equally makes me laugh and warms my heart. Across my career I have worked in pre-schools, school nurseries, private day nurseries and after school clubs. Then came one of the hardest decisions I had to make. I was working seven days a week, and long hours whilst working in a childcare setting and growing my photography business. It was time to choose one pathway before I ran myself into the ground. Eventually, after a lot of deliberating, I chose my photography business and since making that decision I’ve been busier than ever! Luckily, I still get to work with children and enjoy photographing them and creating wonderful memories for their family.
For me, working with children and animals makes me happy, offers me spontaneity and I love not quite knowing what will happen in the studio. This is especially true when working with dogs! I have dogs of my own and they are my fur babies as my children are now adults. Dogs bring nothing but utter joy and loyalty, their intuition to comfort and make you laugh is vastly underestimated. Dogs are always welcome in my studio for their own photoshoot or as part of any photoshoot I offer. I’ve had many dogs accompany a newborn baby and many families will bring their dogs for their family photoshoot too, both in the studio and outdoor.
This year I had an entire week dedicated to photographing dogs in the studio for portrait and prop photography. It was utter chaos, and I loved every moment! Never underestimate the power of cheese. Photographing puppies is like a dream come true for me, literally bundles of cuteness. I have reputable dog breeders who often come to the studio to photograph their puppies. Dogs of all breeds and sizes are welcome. Just as you wouldn’t leave a baby unsupervised when using props, a puppy/dog is never unsupervised either. There is always a responsible adult right by ensuring they are always safe.
I have also photographed horses and their owners. It is truly special to capture that unbreakable bond between human and animal.
There really isn’t an animal I wouldn’t hold and embrace in the studio. On a recent trip to Perth Australia, I fed giraffes at Perth Zoo, held a six month old koala and fed kangaroos at Caversham Wildlife Park, I also fed a five month old joey at Sunflower Animal Farm and held baby goats and lambs. I have had a snake around my neck, birds on my shoulder, held spiders and have a tortoise at home. When I say all animals are welcome in the studio they really are!
If you would like more information on photographing your pet, please click on the link below.
Pets – Natalie Allix Photography
View photos of my successful dog week at this link
Pet Gallery – Natalie Allix Photography
Make memories with your pets, after all they are your family too!