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Welcome to Laura Shimili Mears Photography

To read more about me and my journey, click on this page.

About Laura Shimili Mears Photography

My love for photography began in 2002 when I was a student in Paris. That was my first experience of leaving home and being in a different country. I started taking pictures of people in the street, my friends, Paris which I loved.

Years later I met my husband who is from Devon, in Albania and we got married and decided to move to London together for one year. 11 years later we are still here, have 2 boys Edward (8) and Elliott (5) and live in Tooting.

When I am not working, you will see me out with my two boys, catching up with friends and doing a lot outdoors.

Before starting Laura Shimili Mears Photography I worked in policy and marketing for 14 years, building a totally different career. Following a redundancy from my last position, I took the leap and started my own business, as scary and exciting as starting a new venture can be!

In the last year and a half I have been very lucky to work with families, pregnant mums and tiny babies and have had great feedback for my work. I also work with individuals looking to update their photographs for their website or Linkedin and with businesses wanting to showcase their work.

Having lived in different countries and the experience of motherhood have helped me truly understand the value and importance of great photography, of capturing those fleeting moments which otherwise would get lost and making them solid and whole in photographs.

My charity work 

I support 4 charities and I organise regular events and fundraisers. I also donate from my bookings to these charities who all support children across the world that are in difficult and vulnerable situations. The 4 charities are:

Help Them Grow created by me and five other Albanian mums in London to send second hand toys and books to Albanian state nurseries. You can always help and bring a bag of toys that you want to clear out at one of the sessions we do together.
Cup of Uji feeds underprivileged children in Kenya with a daily cup of porridge that keeps them in school.I have raised £220 for the Cup of Uji so far. The story behind the event I organised and why I support them is in a recent blog I wrote here.
Samara’s Aid Appeal started by Samara a mum from Brighton, helps displaced people in the Middle East with clothes and emergency health support. I have raised £150 for Samara’s Aid Appeal so far and have taken part in a number of their clothes collections.
SOS Children Villages care after children who are on their own and vulnerable by offering them a “home”. We sponsor a child that is part of an SOS Children Village in Albania and in addition I have organised an event “Headshots for charity” where I raised £215 for SOS Children Villages.

If you would like to get in touch, you can call me on 07934788100 or email photography@shimilimears.com