Styled 30th birthday photoshoot with Ayo

March 2023 update: The above image has just won a Highly Commended Award in the February Portrait competition run by the Master Photographers Association (MPA).

MPA Chairman and Judge Ray Lowe FMPA commented, “I just love the great lighting, vibrance and feeling of spontaneity in this picture: her pose is very natural and realistic and she has a great expression. Everything about it is delightful and it works.”

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Ayo’s CV would surely run to more than a few pages… she’s a Chartered Civil Engineer, Deputy Mayor and sustainability champion.

She’s always wanted to be a children’s TV presenter, and finally – after a long, long planning, filming and editing process – her first CBeebies series will be released in May this year.

She’s well into the first draft of her first book, a non-fiction title that will share many hard-earned lessons and insights from Ayo’s tendency towards deep thinking.

She’s also a passionate horse rider and fitness fanatic who does a 5km power walk most mornings and has an intense thrice-weekly gym routine.

And all this is on top of earlier experiences as a pageant queen, dancer, model and theatre performer (Ayo would love to head back to the stage next year and maybe do her first panto!).

I first met Ayo back in 2021 when she came into the studio for a headshot and branding photoshoot (see the images here).

I was struck by her energy, her variety of informed and considered opinions on so many big topics and the many huge goals she’d already achieved.

So when she got in contact more recently to ask about a 30th birthday photoshoot, I couldn’t wait to see her again and bring her vision to life.

Ayo had seen a gorgeous set of themed images taken by photographer Marina Williams in a kitschy style, and that was our starting point for Ayo’s birthday session.

We booked in a thorough phone chat to plan out the details, and added unique touches to the shotlist here and there.

Then, it was time to source some props: some of the items are custom-made – like the professional birthday cake – others are hired, and some were bought outright.

Once the colour theme was agreed, Ayo dug through her wardrobe and hit the online retailers to pick outfits that would add the right feel.

Then, she headed to the hairdressers to brave the chop, choosing a style she’d wanted to try for ages: cute, gamine and super-flexible.

Ayo’s stunning new haircut, curated outfits and a styled set unlike any other I’ve had before: everything came together beautifully to create images as memorable as Ayo herself.

And with so many achievements to celebrate by this milestone birthday, I can’t wait to see what the next year brings for Ayo!

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If you’re interested in celebrating your birthday in style, please get in contact.

Sarah Plater AMPA is an award-winning qualified, certified professional studio portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

She is the Master Photographers Association Young Families Portrait Photographer of the Year 2022 and Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).