A Fabulous Day For a Photo Shoot
What can I say? The sun was shining, the birds were singing and I was heading up the the Lake District! It doesn’t get better than that! Well, actually, yesterday it did. I was heading up to Kendal to spend the day with Becky Deighton, to do a Fashion shoot and what an amazing day we had! Fellow friend and photographer Chrissy Mathew was also there, and in the Lake District heat and glorious sunshine we took a tour of Staveley and got some magnificent shots.
The sun was a little harsh at times, so finding areas to get a bit of top shade was part of our mission! We had a very productive day and I’m very pleased with how the shoot went; I got some brilliant shots and as Becky is such a pleasure to work with, I’m really looking forward to teaming up with her again soon.
We ended the day with a trip to The Eagle and Child to get a cold drink and cool down – I think we all deserved it. I, as usual, didn’t learn from past experiences and ended up sunburnt – so badly that Chrissy commented “You could fry eggs on your shoulder’s….” Yeah…..thanks Chrissy!!
….so next time I decide its a fabulous day for a photo shoot, I think I need to remember to apply the suncream as well!
Home….
I love the Lake District. My Husband Ian and I try and go up there walking whenever possible. It’s a place of relaxation and happy memories. We giggle like children when we relive some of the stories from our Lake District escapdes; it’s also the place we had our first holiday together nearly a decade ago. My last two birthdays have also been spent there – I simply adore it. Although we’ve never lived there, as soon as we pass the sign for Cumbria on the M6, we both feel like we are “coming home”. We instantly feel more relaxed and get giddy about the day ahead of us, the air, the scenery, the people, everything really.
In the car on the way up, I return to Lorna aged 8…..I feel like a child on Christmas morning, bouncing up and down in the passenger seat, clapping my hands together and grinning manicly! Once up in the fells, it’s so peaceful, so serene and nothing else matters; everything pales into insignificance. You’re a tiny dot among the beautiful landscape and the views are simply breathtaking; it feels like another world.
We’ve been up to the Lakes quite a few times recently, the last time being on Sunday just gone. We walked from Ambleside, up to Wansfell and then down into Troutbeck, before returning back to Ambleside. The weather was glorious, the views were stunning and the company, as always, was the best I could ask for and on top of all that it finally felt like we were home….
Scarecrow Obsession!
There are days like today, when I return home from a little photography “expedition”, and know that I’ve had a good day. I know it’s been a good day for a few of reasons:
- I’ve run out of food
- I look at my watch and suddenly realise 4 1/2 hours have gone by and I hadn’t even noticed
- I come home a bit grubby from where I’ve been crawling around on the floor to get the shot that I want!
So today was a day well spent. When I realised how glorious the weather was going to be today I set off to Tatton Park eager to explore the gardens. They were absolutely stunning, in full bloom and so much to photograph. Today I was very taken by all the flowers and the erm….scarecrows! Now, that might sound a bit odd – but somehow I managed to reach the age of 32 without ever seeing a scarecrow, up until about 6 weeks ago…..and now its like I’ve developed an obsession! So when I saw just how many scarecrows were out and about at Tatton, I was in my element!
The other things that fascinated me today, were the big wooden rocking horse in the middle of the field and an abandonded teddy bear. I love finding things like that – something so precious to someone, yet somehow it either ends up lost or discarded. It seems such a shame. So I had to photograph it – I always do when I come across something like that…..
So that was my day really…..very pleasant and very productive, with many scarecrows to satisfy my scarecrow obsession!
Bal and Kit's Vibrant Wedding
On 12th June I was lucky enough to photograph a beautiful, vibrant wedding to celebrate the marriage of Bal and Kit. I had an early start to the day, (4am to be exact) as I had to be over at Kit’s house for 6am to photograph him getting ready for his big day. The house was buzzing with family members running around trying to get everything ready and some of them hadn’t even been to bed the night before!
The wedding itself was so colourful and beautiful, seeing the two families come together and watching traditions unfold before my eyes was truly amazing. I’m glad I had the opportunity to document the start of their life together and I wish Bal and Kit every happiness for the future.
As for me, my day didn’t start off brilliantly when I realised part way to Kit’s house that I had left my favourite lens in the hotel room – D’oh! When I discovered I had the wrong number for the hotel, I called my husband in a blind panic at 5.30am on a Saturday morning to get on the case and contact the hotel! Luckily it was still in the hotel room and the Reception Manager locked it away in a safe for me – the trouble was, after the wedding I had to drive back across London to collect it before driving back home! Oh well – you live and learn…..
Absolutely Fabulous!
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to do a Boudoir shoot with Becky Deighton and Deborah Ingram. Without sounding too much like Gok Wan, the idea of the shoot was to get women to celebrate who they are and what they’ve got.
Some women freeze with fear even at the thought of getting changed at the gym - but I want all you women out there to celebrate your curves and femininity! (Sorry – I’ve gone into Gok Wan mode again). Seriously though, lots of women hate having their photo taken because they don’t like how they look in the end result. Well, I’m here to show you how absolutely fabulous you can look!
The Boudoir shoot is about celebrating YOU! It’s about embracing who you are and what you’ve got. Think Marilyn Monroe, classic black and white imagery and a classic, simple lingerie look. Think “Old Hollywood Glamour”. Its an amazing experience and it’s done in the comfort of your own home as well. Let’s celebrate your fabulousness ladies!!
Thank you to both Becky and Deborah – both girls were amazing to work with. I’m lucky enough to be doing more work with Becky this weekend (26th June), so look out for the results!
Fashion, Flash & Funky Locations!
Here is the first of what will hopefully be many posts of what I have been up to. Last month I attended a course with Brett Harkness learning how to use flash and softboxes. Being someone who only ever uses natural light, I really had no idea how I would find the course – or even if I would enjoy it! But the urge to learn new things and step a little bit out of my comfort zone was calling and I couldn’t ignore it…..I love a challenge!
As it happened, I had nothing to worry about, it was a brilliant day and I enjoyed it immensly. The morning was spent doing some studio work and the afternoon was spent playing out on location in some woods. Absolutely brilliant! I learnt a lot from Brett and if you’re a photographer and haven’t attended one of his courses – I suggest you look into it!
Anyway, here are some of my favourite images from the day. Thanks to Perry and Feli doing such a fantastic job of modelling for everyone.
I've got a Blog!!!!
Yikes! I’ve FINALLY done it…….I’ve got me a blog! This means that I’m actually starting to get organised. It also means that I will be able to start posting some photos and information about what I’m up to…..
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’re after a shoot and we can discuss your requirements!
Filed under: General | Comments Off