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One Summer Day

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Canon EOS 5D Mk III – EF 24-70mm f2.8 – f/7.1, ISO 200 – View of Eastbourne pier from the garden (just few plants). Very pretty from the outside, but inside it’s mostly betting games and cheap English food (i.e. fat, salt and sugar).

Summer finally arrived in London last Monday (the 23rd), and it seems it’ll bid farewell by Friday—taking 10°C with it and bringing back the rain. To make the most of this rare sunny spell, we took a day off today to hit the beach with the kids.

With the Olympics around the corner and school holidays in full swing, we planned carefully to dodge the traffic. By 10 AM, we were on our way to spend the day in Eastbourne and the nearby Seven Sisters Country Park.

With a glorious 31°C along the south coast, it felt more like the south of France. Unsurprisingly, everyone was out making the most of it!

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Canon EOS 5D Mk III – EF 24-70mm f2.8 – f/2.8, ISO 200 – Mother and daughter enjoying an icecream on the pier after an healthy lunch (fish fingers, fries and pies). Chiara would have liked Chocolate Ice Cream as usual but we managed to trick her to take Vanilla – it’s less dirty on the clothes …

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Canon EOS 5D Mk III – EF 24-70mm f2.8 – f/7.1, ISO 200 – Eastbourne beach. It’s not sand – so Chiara did not like it, pretending she could not walk on the rocks. She wants sandy beach … pretty rare in the area. The sea front was quite busy, I let you imagine the same weather on a week-end.

After lunch, we set off on a leisurely 5km walk (flat and buggy-friendly) to admire the white cliffs. A quick dip in the water was on the agenda, but it didn’t happen—the sea was far too cold!

The buggy-friendly path was a win-win: Olivier could nap comfortably (too small for the backpack), and Chiara could hitch a ride when she got tired (too heavy for the backpack).

We wrapped up the day with a late lunch before heading home, making it back by 10 PM—and blissfully, without any traffic!

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Canon EOS 5D Mk III – EF 24-70mm f2.8 – f/2.8, ISO 200 – Chiara and Sab having fun when JP is checking the signs, assuming bike friendly tracks had to be buggy friendly too. Chiara walked a lot.

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Canon EOS 5D Mk III – EF 24-70mm f2.8 – f/4.5, ISO 200 – Olivier smiling, just before we put his feet in the cold water of the ocean – and that he did not like at all. Messing up with the sand was enjoyable too (sand play not easily compatible with picture taking).

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Canon EOS 5D Mk III – EF 24-70mm f2.8 – f/10, ISO 200 – We travelled by car an extra 15mins to take the postcard view of the cliffs – on the other side of the river we walked along before. I waited for the bird to take the shot, but not sure it’s really adding much value to this already very pretty landscape.

Holidays for Kids

We just returned from a week of family holidays in Greece. Yes, it was an all-inclusive resort, but with 4 adults vs. 4 kids, relaxation wasn’t exactly on the itinerary. Between endless rounds of sunscreen application, meal times, naps, and the occasional “educational disagreements,” we barely squeezed in a few ping pong games and massages.

That said, Zoe and Chiara had an absolute blast, and for the rest of us? Well, at least we got to enjoy the sun!

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Canon EOS 20D – EF 50mm left, EF 70-200mm right – f/4, ISO 100 – Our resort was club-med style without the French touch. Quite massive an built up a cliff, it had a nice pool with view of the sea. Both sea and swimming pool were cold according to Chiara standards (i.e. she didn’t want to go first time).

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With our Rwanda trip just days away, we’ve sold our 5D Mark II and dusted off our trusty old 20D paired with a 50mm lens. After a bit of sensor cleaning, it’s ready for action. Despite being nearly a decade old, it’s still a joy to use—though its age definitely shows when it comes to usability!

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Canon EOS 20D – EF 50mm – f/3.5, ISO 200 – Beach attitude, pin-ups on the first plan, mothers and babies in the back – father outside the frame drinking cocktails …

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Canon EOS 20D – EF 50mm – f/3.2, ISO 100 – Left Chiara smiling wrapped up in her ghost-towel, later in the afternoon, our usual time at the beach. Right view of the main bar/swimming pool of the resort (the one we could never get to as they had a no-children policy).

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Canon EOS 20D – EF 50mm – f/3.2, ISO 100 – Heavily modified picture of Sab and Olivier on the beach. The sun was coming from behind left so I had re-opened shadows at a maximum to see the faces (Olivier would typically blink facing the sun so it’s easier to get him eyes opened like this).

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Canon EOS 20D – EF 50mm – f/3.5, ISO 400 – Chiara doing a cuddle to “her baby” during a quiet time just after nap time in the middle of the afternoon.

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Canon EOS 20D – EF 50mm – f/3.2, ISO 100 – Left Olivier smiling at her mother, apparently very happy with his cap. Right, the two girls playing sand-burying, and crocodile feet attack on the last day of the holidays.

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Behind the Scene of a few US Pictures

Remember those autumn landscapes or a few other scenic shots we shared from the trip? Well, thanks to Guilhem and Céline, here’s a quick behind-the-scenes look at how they were created. Spoiler alert: it’s all trickery!

And just to clarify—no children were harmed in the making of these photos, so please, no hate comments! 😉

1. The Flying Shot

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No, she wasn’t really flying. The magic was all thanks to Sabrina, the photographer, who shot from a low angle toward the sky. Add a touch of Photoshop to remove the top of my hands, and voilà—Chiara looked airborne!

In reality, she was never more than 30cm from my hands. A bit boring, maybe—but completely safe!

2. The Climbing Shot

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The climbing shot used a tried-and-true technique that also works with small kittens. Once you place them on something vertical, they freeze out of fear and just stay put. Same with Chiara! I helped her into position, adjusting her hands and feet, then stepped away. She stayed perfectly still—looking like she was climbing, but in reality, she wasn’t moving at all!

3. The Mountain Shot

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Getting the perfect shot often means going the extra mile—or in this case, wading through cold water. To avoid the crowds and capture the shot on the left, I ditched my shoes, grabbed the tripod, and crossed a chilly stream. It was a bit risky (the camera’s fate was hanging by a thread), but all that effort makes the photo feel that much more special!

4. The Fence Shot

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Chiara wasn’t too thrilled about sitting on the fence, so we had to move quickly and keep her distracted to capture the shot. There’s even one where she’s on her own—but don’t worry, Sabrina was just a meter away, ready to catch her if she wobbled. Safety first!

5. The River Valley (and other landscape) Shot

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Finding all the viewpoints wasn’t just luck—it was all about the gear. We had an iPad loaded with GPS-enabled National Geographic maps of the parks, complete with topographic details to pinpoint elevations, distances, and hidden lakes or viewpoints.

On top of that, we had a photographic map of Grand Teton’s best spots, complete with pictures, exact coordinates, and the perfect times to visit. Total cheats—but incredibly effective!