Nan's 90th!

March 30, 2022 by gill thomas

I was booked for an hour to cover this 90th birthday celebration at the Tewkesbury Park Hotel. I last saw this family in October 2020, when they held a socially distanced family reunion. Click here to see the photos from that post. A year and a half later and they had got together again for another family gathering, but without the social distancing!

We started things off with a few formal group shots outside before heading into their private room for photos with Nan. There were a lot of group photos to get through, as per the request of the client, but once we had worked through the list, it was on to more casual, informal shots. Below is just a sample of images from the evening.

If you have something to celebrate and would like to book something similar then please get in touch using my contact page or send an email to info@mouseabouttown.co.uk. Alternatively, give me a call on 07983 465414. Thanks!

Emma Jane's Surprise 40th!

December 17, 2021 by gill thomas

Wendy Varley booked me for a one hour slot to help celebrate her daughter’s surprise 40th birthday party at Cowley Manor. The event had already been postponed a year due to Covid so everyone was really looking forward to it. Emma Jayne, Wendy’s daughter, thought she was just meeting her parent’s and sister there for a quiet family meal. Little did she know about the other forty guests who would be joining them! I think the look of utter surprise on her face says it all! I used a combination of flash photography and natural low level lighting. Below are just a few shots from the night.

David's 60th Birthday Bash

September 18, 2021 by gill thomas

I was booked to cover this 60th birthday bash at Temple Guiting Manor by a London baed events company. I had been asked to arrive an hour early to capture shots of the setting and grounds. From 6.30pm, guests made their way down to the Manor for drinks before sitting down for dinner at 7.30pm. During this canapés reception I took a combination of formal group photos and unposed, informal shots. It was a fun evening and as guests sat down to eat, so I departed.

Lockdown Family Reunion

October 14, 2020 by gill thomas

Kathryn contacted me back in August about a family reunion she was trying to organise. They were booked into a Cotswolds cottage in the gorgeous village of Kingham and they were looking for a photographer to capture their black tie event. A quick telephone call later and I was booked for an hour on the evening of the 3rd October from 6.15-7.15pm.

Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, Kathryn’s family from Sweden were unable to fly over and on the night, to adhere to Government guidelines, the family split themselves into two bubbles. It was a lovely evening, great to be back out and working again, and lovely to mix with such a pleasant group of people. Speeches followed informal drinks and canopes before the family sat down for a three course meal, which was my cue to leave.

Kathryn and her family loved the photos. They contacted me twice after the shoot to tell me how much they had enjoyed my company on the night and how the photos really captured the occasion. Check out my review page to read exactly what they said.

A New year, A New Proposal!

February 10, 2020 by gill thomas

What a great way to start 2020 for lucky girl, Emma! Her boyfriend, Luke, surprised her with a wedding proposal at Park Campus in early January! Luke had been planning this for a while and had first got in touch with me back in the Autumn. Park Campus is a special place for the couple as they both went to University there and it’s how they met.

I’d never met Luke before the shoot, but we agreed the spot where I should position myself - across the lake opposite a bench. The couple arrived, he got down on one knee and she said yes! We then spent a further 30 minutes walking around the park together taking some informal pictures of the pair of them celebrating their new engagement.

If you have a surprise planned and would like to book something similar then please get in touch using my contact page or send an email to info@mouseabouttown.co.uk. Alternatively, give me a call on 07983 465414. Thanks!

A 50th Wedding Anniversary

September 30, 2019 by gill thomas

Lisa booked me for an hour to cover an intimate family celebration at Ellenborough Park to celebrate her parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. We were blessed with a fabulous evening and a wonderful light fell across the surrounding fields. After some family pictures outdoors we went inside for some informal shots. The family popped some champagne and casually chatted as I took some discrete pictures. They headed through to the dining room for their meal, where I captured a few more shots before leaving them to enjoy their dinner.

If you would like to book something similar then please get in touch using my contact page or send an email to info@mouseabouttown.co.uk. Alternatively, give me a call on 07983 465414. Thanks!

Harry's 21st

September 14, 2019 by gill thomas

A few weeks ago I was booked to cover a 21st birthday party in Birdlip. It was a two hour shoot and the brief was natural, reportage. After capturing some shots of the dinning area, I worked my way through all the various different groups of people, trying to capture as many faces as possible. It was a great night, plenty of champagne and plenty of candid moments caught on camera!

If you have a family celebration coming up and would like to book something similar then please get in touch using my contact page or send an email to info@mouseabouttown.co.uk. Alternatively, give me a call on 07983 465414. Thanks!

Will You Marry me?

April 30, 2019 by gill thomas

This was my second shoot photographing a marriage proposal and it was even more unusual than my first! This time I hadn't even met my client, so relied on a basic description of what he would be wearing with a bit of last minute frenzied texting to make sure I was in the right position and on the right bridge, and there are a lot of bridges in Bourton-on-the-Water!! Thankfully it all came together in the end and the best part is...she said YES!!

Gran Crisps's 80th

April 27, 2019 by gill thomas

I was recently booked for an hour to cover an 80th birthday party in Charlton Kings. I arrived as people were finishing their mains, just in time for the speeches. Gran Crisp is clearly a much loved Grandma, Mum and wife so touching were the fond words her friends and family had to say about her. There was much cheering as she said a few words herself before a rendition of Happy Birthday and the blowing out of the candles on her cake.

It was a beautiful day outside so we went into the gardens for more photos and an Easter egg hunt. The children did remarkably well to contain their excitement while some formal family pictures were taken. Not to deny them of their fun for any longer, they were soon sprinting away searching for eggs. This prompted more fun, candid shots. Here are some of the highlights.

If you have a party coming up and would like to book something similar then please get in touch using my contact page or send an email to info@mouseabouttown.co.uk. Alternatively, give me a call on 07983 465414. Thanks!

A Wedding Proposal

March 14, 2019 by gill thomas

It’s shoots like this one that really make me love my job. I feel incredibly privileged that I get to witness seminal moments in people’s lives . That they ask me to document it is just fantastic.

When Rav contacted me back in January I was blown away by how much thought he had put into making sure his wedding proposal to his girlfriend, Jas, was a complete surprise. He had whisked her away form London for a romantic weekend in the pretty Cotswold town of Stow-on-the-Wold and had booked them onto a creative coffee making course. I was in on it from the start. She had been told a photographer would be coming along to take some marketing shots, (she’d even signed a waiver!) On my arrival, I had to pretend that I’d never met or spoken to Rav before, which I found slightly awkward! Little did she know that half way through the session he would present her with a cup of coffee with a wedding proposal inscribed in the top! It would be fair to say she was more than a little surprised!! After she’d recomposed herself we went for a short walk around the town to take some shots of the newly engaged couple. So much fun!

If you have something similar planned then please get in touch using my contact page or send an email to info@mouseabouttown.co.uk. All pictures are included in the price of the shoot. Alternatively, give me a call on 07983 465414. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks.

Wonderland 40th!

February 22, 2019 by gill thomas

What an epic party this one was! Probably one of the most exotic, exciting and entertaining shoots I’ve ever done. It was held at the gorgeous Ellenborough Park Hotel in Cheltenham. I had been contacted by the events company employed to organise the party. They booked me from 7.30pm through to midnight and when I left, I got the impression the party was just getting started!

The group was made up of friends from London and Paris, and certainly the party felt more like a Parisian nightclub than a smart hotel in a sleepy Cotswold town! They had really gone to town on the costumes too, with many dressed in full theatrical gear with stunning head pieces. No expense had been spared and by the end of he night I was kinda wishing I’d had an invitation too!

If you have a party coming up and would like to book something similar then please get in touch using my contact page or send an email to info@mouseabouttown.co.uk. All pictures are included in the price of the shoot. Alternatively, give me a call on 07983 465414. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks.