Wednesday 28 March 2012

A Family Outing at A Disused Railway Station in Rayne

Natalie contacted me about a family photo shoot way back in October and I was delighted to say yes to her. Also a photographer, Natalie mentioned that there is rarely a photo with her in it and she wanted to experience what it felt like to be the subject for once.

The morning of the shoot was foggy and damp and I really worried that we might get caught in a rain shower. However once I arrived, the sun just broke through the clouds and spoilt us with a gorgeous sunny sky in the middle of October! I met Simon, Natalie and Erin in the carpark of Rayne Train Station and we took a walk along the path where the train tracks once ran.

Erin really stole the show on this shoot, she was good as gold and as cute as could be!













 













Monday 26 March 2012

Kerry O'Brine Portraits at Firstsite

A while back, Kerry and I met for some lunch and I offered to take some pictures of her, sometimes its just nice to shoot for fun, and after we wandered around the Firstsite building we took these outside.






Friday 16 March 2012

One Frame Friday: 16.03.12

My zebra finches are expecting again... there are two tiny baby finches in their nest (and two more eggs!) so in a few weeks its going to get noisy in my living room as the babies start to scream for food until they are able to fly the nest themselves. I'm actually quite excited to see how this nest turn out seeing as their parents are both pure white.

I broke my own rules with this picture this week. I intended this project to be black and white only, but I just couldn't convert this one. I tried, tweaked and adjusted, but it just didn't have the same charm in black and white. Plus these little birds have gorgeous bright orange beaks, I didn't want to hide that!

If anyone would like to rescue their babies from a new home at the pet shop, get in touch they are free to a good home and once they're a bit bigger I can let you know if I have male or females. 

Wednesday 14 March 2012

What to Wear - Family Photo Shoot Edition

With Mothers Day on the Farm approaching (this Saturday!) I thought I should get a post together to help you with planning your outfits for your photo shoot debut.

My only rule when it comes to dressing for your photo shoot is to not try to match too obviously. Blue jeans and white shirts for the whole family are out, and look like something from the 80's. Instead, I advise to dress in a similar colour palette or even work around an accent colour. 

If you decide to go the accent colour route, remember to think of your decor at home. If you plan to display your pictures on the wall you'll want to co-ordinate with the colours you've chosen to decorate your home with. 

Lastly, I always advise to dress smart/casual. You want to look a little more dressed up than normal, because you're going to see these pictures everyday. Wear an outfit that makes you feel amazing, the confidence will show on camera and confidence is the key to beautiful pictures!

In the example below I chose red as an accent colour, because it pops well in photos and should brighten up even the dullest day. Each outfit then just had to include a pop of red to bring the whole family together into a co-ordinated harmony.



Kids Outfits for Photo Shoots





Adults Outfits for Family Photo Shoot




Monday 12 March 2012

Mothers Day on the Farm This Weekend!

In just 5 days I'll be photographing lots of lovely families on a farm in Elmstead Market, I am beyond excited about it and cant wait to meet them all.

Mothers Day on the Farm, is a new idea I had this year. It's a chance for you to bring your family along for a quick 15 minute photo session. Each family will receive a digital copy of their favourite picture and the opportunity to purchase further prints if you want to. Most of all it's just a fun day out at the farm!

How often do you have the opportunity to have some relaxed pictures taken of you and your family? Hardly ever I'd imagine, and I also bet you're always the one taking the pictures! This is a fun, inexpensive way of getting some gorgeous pictures to decorate your home with.

I still have a few places to fill for this saturday's photo sessions on the farm. You can find out how to book, and more information about Mother's Day on the Farm by following the link below;


Here's a little test picture I took at the weekend of Ben and Harry, I hope to see some new faces this weekend!


Tuesday 6 March 2012

A Photographers Shoot Swap

Last thursday I met up with five photographers at the Salthouse Harbour Hotel in Ipswich. We'd come together in order to photograph each other for fun and also so we could update our 'about me' pictures on our websites. 

Working for yourself can be incredibly isolating at times, especially if you work from home. I sometimes feel like I go days without stepping outside or interacting with real people, so it was really refreshing to spend the day outside with a group of likeminded people. We spoke about business and bookings, about things we'd been trying. Shared tips on shooting and ate lunch in the sunshine. 

Below are my photographs of Amy Jordan, Ross Dean, Sara Thomas, Rachael Pereira and Nick Ilott




















The photos taken of me by this brilliant bunch, will be added to my website, facebook and twitter accounts very soon.



Friday 2 March 2012

One Frame Friday: 02.03.12

Yesterday I met up with a group of local photographers, to chat shop and practice on each other. It was something I was so glad I did as sometimes working for yourself can mean you work from home and barely see or speak to people for days. It was just nice to stroll along the waterside in Ipswich with the sun on our faces and speak about photography and the business of photography.

Being in front of the camera is always a strange thing for photographers, but we all offered to pose for each other in order to feel what its like to be a client and of course come home with pictures to update our profiles! 

It's always so interesting to see how other people shoot, and how differently others see things from you. 

I want to do more of this, not only to make some brilliant friends, but also so I come away as refreshed and inspired as I did yesterday.