This week we've had the pleasure of spending time in Croatia. It's a fabulous country and the break has certainly let my creativity recharge and refocus, not only with street photography but my portraits too..

People often ask me how I take portraits, the settings I use and the compositions I'm looking for.

So to help you create some great photos of your own family here are my top three tips.

Tip One

Use a low f stop. My current favourite is 1.4 as it creates incredible background blur. However you can shoot up to f4 and still get lovely shots. Get to know your camera, lenses or phone and see how far you can take it.

Tip Two

Play with lighting. Side lighting can create mood, back lit subjects really pop out from the photo. Experiment and see the difference while you create your style.

Tip Three

Focus on the eyes. It might sound obvious, but with a large aperture it can be tricky. Whether a subject is looking down the lens, off camera or within the frame, focusing on their eyes will help you capture a great photo for the wall rather than just a snap.

I hope these tips help you with your own photos, do let me know how you get on.