Photoshoots for families, in an accessible photostudio

A special day in the New Forest

At Our Bench, we offer our guests a unique opportunity to enjoy a photoshoot with Helen, either at our holiday cottages or on location in the New Forest. Helen is a part-time photographer at RenoufDesign and one of the photographers for Butterfly Wishes, a national organization that captures special memories for families of children with life-shortening conditions.

Photos are delivered via an online gallery on RenoufDesign once your holiday is over. This gallery can be password-protected on request. There is no charge for the shoot. You can choose 6-8 favorite images from the online gallery, which you can have as digital files to print, share, and treasure if we have permission to share them on our website. Any photos you dislike can be removed from the album.

You are welcome to share the entire album with friends and family. There is no obligation to purchase additional images, but you are welcome to do so. Additional digital images are normally £19.99 each, with prints starting from just £10, which will be sent directly to you. You can place orders once you have returned home.

If you would like to arrange a photoshoot, please let us know when you book your holiday or even upon arrival (subject to availability), and we can arrange a convenient time.

Since 2020, we have access to an accessible photography studio less than 2 minutes' walk from the holiday cottages. This means we can accommodate photoshoots for families whatever the weather and, subject to availability, may be able to arrange last-minute sessions during your stay.

Our Previous Guests

The Green Family - Christmas in the New Forest

Toni, Em, and Beth from Brisbane spent their Christmas holiday in the New Forest. The amazing Toni looks stunning after losing over 40 kilos in weight, and her incredible daughters Beth and Em were right by her side. They traveled all the way from Australia for a four-week stay, making the most of their time together and creating beautiful memories in the enchanting surroundings of the New Forest.

The Peterson Family Studio Sesssion

The Peterson family—Mum, Dad, Oliver (age 7), and Louisa (age 2)—were captured in the RenoufDesign Photostudio. When we found out that Louisa had missed out on her baby photos due to prolonged hospital stays in her early years, we had to capture some fresh memories for the family.

The Adachi family school holiday adventure

The Adachi family—Eunmi, Yosuke, Kai (age 9), and Haru (age 7)—enjoyed their holiday in the New Forest during August when the heather was in full bloom. Their photos were captured near Whitefield Moor, close to Brockenhurst.

Henry and his mum's horse

Ten-year-old Henry came on holiday to the New Forest with his parents, and his mum brought her horse with her. She found local stabling near Brockenhurst and planned to enjoy a few adventures in the forest—an amazing spot for riding. Mid-week, they noticed the photos on our holiday walls and asked if it was possible to capture a photo of the whole family in the forest. Despite the weather being a little wet, that didn't stop Mum from riding to our location on horseback, where we met Dad and Henry to take some unique family photos and capture memories that we hope will stay with them forever!

Bob and Rowena celebrated 50 years of friendship

Bob and Rowena celebrated 50 years of friendship and their 49th wedding anniversary during their stay in our holiday cottages. The original plan was a photoshoot on their favorite walk—the tree top trail—but they spent such a lovely week enjoying the garden of Little Bench and Bench Cottage that they decided to have the photographs taken there instead. They also made new friends, Jan and Rob, who were staying in the cottage next door. It was a pleasure to capture these photos of them both.

The Jackson Family

Four generations of the Jackson family have stayed in Garden Bench on a couple of occasions. This year, we took the opportunity to take them to nearby Woodside Gardens to wander around the garden with almost two-year-old Kenny, his mum, grandparents, and great-grandparents. We were able to walk around the accessible gardens, enjoy the flowers, spot a squirrel and the fairy doors, and then have some time enjoying the park. We adored being able to capture such precious memories for the family to share.

Hannah's Hampshire Holiday

Hannah came for a holiday in Bench Cottage with her carers and had an amazing week. She visited Exbury, Monkey World, saw New Forest ponies, played crazy golf, ate out, and cooked in our accessible kitchen while planning all sorts of exciting adventures. At the end of her holiday, her carers asked if we could squeeze in a photoshoot so that Hannah could gift her parents a photo of herself for a special anniversary. We just loved capturing her humour, her smile, and her joy!

Wetwheels Adventure

Jane and Henry came to stay in Lymington to celebrate Henry's 70th birthday. They chose an amazing week to come and stay in the New Forest, as Wet Wheels Hamble was on tour that week, offering boat trips from Lymington. I was thrilled to be invited along to take photos of them on the boat, and afterward, back in our accessible photo studio close to the cottages. There are so many different activities available for our guests in the New Forest. We have tried to list as many of them as we can on our website, and if we are available, we may be able to join you to capture some amazing memories.

Sisters

Emily, Matt, and their children Lydia and Annie came to stay with us during the Easter holidays. They had a lovely week making memories in the New Forest, and I was able to bring the whole family together on a damp morning during their stay to capture some memories and magic moments. Children grow up so quickly, so it is important to capture their energy and smiles!

Three Generations

Our Bench Holiday cottages offer the opportunities for families to spend time together, whether as a holiday with three generations staying in the holiday cottage as with 4 month old Josie, her mum, dad and grandma or as a base for those with mobility needs to stay so that they can visit loved ones and met the next generation in the New Forest area. Our accessible studio space which is just 2 minutes walked from the holiday cottages offers the opportunity to capture these special memories to treasure for a life time, and can be planed into your holiday whatever the weather.

Just the girls!

Maggie, her wife, daughter, and granddaughters came to stay in the New Forest for an early spring break and took the opportunity to have some all-important "Girl Time!" We were able to capture some wonderful photos of the five of them to treasure in our accessible photostudio, which is just a 2-minute walk from the holiday cottage. They struggled to choose their favorite photos and decided to purchase the whole album of images!

Mike, Julie and Josh

Mike, Julie, and Josh have stayed with us a couple of times. We discovered that Mike had a paddle board and, as keen paddleboarders ourselves, we were delighted to take him out on the water. This allowed him to enjoy some of the local area while we planned a lovely riverside walk for Julie and Josh. They had the opportunity to relax over ice creams and smoothies, creating some relaxing moments together. We captured a few photos and memories for the family to treasure.

Charlotte and her family

Four-year-old Charlotte came and stayed in Garden Bench on holiday in the New Forest with her mum and dad (Gemma and Nathan) and her grandparents (Sue and Brian). During their stay in one of Our Bench's self-catering cottages, they took the opportunity to request an accessible (powerchair-friendly) walk in the New Forest. We captured some wonderful photos of them making memories together and enjoying their time in the beautiful surroundings.

Jack and Chloe

Jack and Chloe came to stay with their family in Bench Cottage. Their parents requested some photos of the two of them together and individually during the school holidays to share with family members and friends. Jack and Chloe, being twins, had a really busy week using the New Forest as their holiday base. It was lovely that they both chose to dress up for their photography experience.

Jack and Chloe Grew up!

Jack and Chloe came to stay with their family in Garden Bench for a second holiday with us, two years after their first visit. It was amazing to capture these wonderful twins once again, seeing how much they have grown and how their personalities have developed. A chat with Chloe led to some photos with a more teenage vibe, perfect for sharing with her friends. These images highlight just why capturing your memories is so important, as children grow up before your eyes!

Lorraine and Ellen

Lorraine came to stay with us for a second visit in the summer of 2021 with her carer Ellen for a two-week stay while she had essential work done at home. The idea of her holiday was to ensure Lorraine had access to the accessible facilities she needed, a break from her normal environment, and an amazing holiday. During their two-week stay, they incorporated an incredible variety of activities, from a Wet Wheels boat trip to a New Forest Pedall forest bike ride, trips to Exbury Gardens, Longdown Activity Farm, the Science Centre at Winchester, several swimming trips to a pool with hoist facilities, and more. We loved hearing about it and joined Lorraine and Ellen on a walk in the forest to tell them more about the area's history and to enable them to enjoy a quiet forest walk. It was lovely to see the relationship between these two friends. You can view the gallery here: Lorraine's Forest Photos.

Samantha and Sparky

Samatha came to first stay in 2020 and made great friends with our dog Sparky. For her 2021 holiday, she wanted to have her photo taken in our nearby accessible photostudio with Sparky. She even brought along some tennis balls to play with during the shoot. You can see some highlights of the shoot here . At the end of the holiday, Samantha told me that we had made her mum cry when sharing the photos with the family—happy tears, of course. They left for home with Samantha declaring she had had the best holiday and booking to return later in the year.

Sam, Mum and Dad

In 2020, they came back to stay in August. The weather was not suitable for an outdoor shoot, so we visited the neighboring accessible photostudio to take some photos of Sam and his family a year on. You can see highlights from this shoot - https://www.renoufdesign.co.uk/Photos/Photo-Galleries/Sam8 They came back for another visit in 2021, and this time we were able to shoot outside and arranged to include Sam's grandparents too. Family Accessible Photos 2021 

Irene and John

Irene and John booked a photoshoot for the Monday of their New Forest holiday. They had discussed the idea of visiting one of Helen's favorite areas of the New Forest. Despite the rain overnight, a quick text check in the morning confirmed they were happy to brave the showers and head out to the New Forest. Helen joined them in their car and gave them directions to the Tall Tree Trail and Ornamental Drive near Brockenhurst. She then took them on a 1.2km power chair-friendly walk, sharing stories about the trees in the area, the importance of the forest during the war, and capturing photos of them both.

After returning home, Irene sent us this email - "Oh what wonderful photos . So many and so hard to choose from... They are all so wonderful. Such happy memories to treasure...Thanks again for a fantastic day in the forest!"

Lois and David

Lois and David stayed for a holiday in Little Bench. It was the first time they had professional photos taken of them together since David was diagnosed with his condition. We made the most of a short spell of sunshine and captured a selection of images in the front garden of Little Bench and Garden Bench.

Photoshoots for holiday guests at Our Bench Holiday Cottages offer a wonderful opportunity to capture and preserve the special moments of your stay. Whether you're celebrating a family gathering, a personal milestone, or simply enjoying your time together, our professional photoshoots allow you to create lasting memories. These sessions provide a chance to see yourselves in a new light, capturing the unique personalities and emotions that define your relationships. With the beautiful New Forest as your backdrop, the holiday cottage gardens or our indoor wheelchair accessible photostudio, the photos become cherished keepsakes that tell the story of your holiday.

Our accessible studio space ensures that everyone can participate, regardless of mobility needs and weather, making the experience inclusive and enjoyable for all. Let us help you preserve the magic of your holiday with a photoshoot that you'll treasure for a lifetime.