DJ Alex Cudeyo has been my fav DJ for a while now and there are some of his sessions on YouTube I play over + over + over and today I have this one on (link above) + it's totally making me smile whilst I catch up, get ready for next week (+ do a few chores) so I suddenly thought it would be fun to share!
Crank it up HIGH + boogie about :-) ** Have a FAB Saturday xx
Behind the scenes!!
Caught in action photographing Lara in Hale Mans studio, Croydon.
Our project is coming together nicely and the women I have photographed are just incredible, all so inspiring with brilliant, bright stories to share <3 more soon!! xx
Casual Friday snaps!!
CROYDON: Friday January 13th 2017
I'm photographing awesome, inspiring ladies for an incredible project....more details soon! Until then, Donna Frazer + I after today's photo session :-) xx
We've been featured on 'Wedding and Wedding Flowers'
What a mega exciting start to the new year!
Jon & Juliet's gorgeous Suffolk wedding as been featured this week on 'Wedding & Wedding Flowers' magazine blog. I'm so thrilled and am loving popping some more of their images here to share <3
Have an amazing weekend everyone xx
Friday LOVE Vibes :-)
Such fun + giggles + GREAT Textures + patterns :-) x
Finishing the first week of 2017 with a love fest!
In the run up to Christmas and the holidays I had a brilliant Saturday combining two things I absolutely LOVE!! Firstly mega early on this particular Saturday I taught several yoga classes in Hampshire then jumped in my car and zoomed up to the Studio + atmospheric fog of Crystal Palace and rocked a 'Bump' session with Charlotte & Cedric.
oh baby.....
I was soo excited to work with Charlotte & Cedric and became like a child in a sweet shop as the fog got thicker the closer I got to the park.... I know, either sounds very British or completely MAD lol - BUT what light! The fog beautifully softens and defuses everything so you have soft shadows (if there any at all) and a gorgeous atmospheric photo session.
The colours, tones + textures were intensified and we had such fun meandering around the park and nearby streets (amazing textures + backgrounds) + finished up in the studio for tea and a warm up!! (+ a lot of movement from their daughter lol)
I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of their daughter, I can't wait to meet her + create wonderful new born images very soon!!
Happy Friday everyone! Have an awesome weekend xx
On BBC The One Show
Well, my image, not me personally :-)
Super fun to get a call yesterday for a request for one of my images to be used on last night's BBC The One Show. A couple of months ago I covered an awards ceremony and last night's show was celebrating people and their achievements!
Congratulations David!! have a brilliant 2017 x
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
December 31st 2016.....LOVE + getting engaged: Photographing this moment was so precious!
What better way to end a year and start the next than filled to the brim with LOVE? Well, that's exactly what happened in 2015 AND 2016!! + I'm so super excited to share this....
Flash Back to December 31st 2015...a gorgeous setting in Surrey and the wedding of Amy & Nick. A country winter wedding with gorgeous sparkling bridesmaids dresses, a beaaaaautiful bride + fabulous bridal party. Spending the whole day photographing this with my assistant made me beam with delight - I always LOVE weddings but this one had poignancy as it marked the end of the year and that point where you are excited for the new year and new beginnings but have NO idea what they will hold (which is part of the excitement + anticipation).
Photographing this on New Years eve REALLY set me up for the year to come and so wrapping up the year with a proposal near the same location was extra special and made me glow contemplating just how special it is!
Whatever you have lined up for 2017, enjoy every second! xx HAVE AN AMAZING NEW YEAR xx
In print!!
'London Bride 2017' just landed through my door!
+ My image of Lynsey and her brothers is featured on the 'Tears & Laughter' article!! "I love this shot because it captures Lynsey's fun relationship with her brothers. She had just wiped food off Bret's cheek before we captured a gorgeous formal picture of the three of them. A comment or joke I couldn't quite hear was shared and all three erupted in laughter with Lynsey laughing so hard. It makes me smile overtime I see it"
LOVE seeing how clients use the images we create!
I'm always so thrilled to see how our images integrate into a clients promo and these beauties made me beam!!!
Ernest and Matilda and I worked together on their lifestyle and fabric ranges and had great fun creating these images below and many more gorgeous ones :-)
In session with......
Last weekend I had the complete pleasure to hang out...I mean work...in a studio in North West London photographing my cousin's recording their new album...they're AAAAMAZING!!
They are also playing in Islington, East London Sunday December 11th, 2016 at the 'Old Queen's Head' at lunchtime...perfect accompaniment to your roast!
Check them out on Facebook with the link below :-)
Small Business Saturday!
Happy December!!!! YeHa!! Gearing up for #smallbusinesssaturday ! It's such a super exciting time of year + keep a peak out over the next week for #photography #xmasgifts#photosessions #prints #giftvouchers #headshots#familypics Have a great day!! xx — feeling energized at Jackie King Photographer.
Fighting off some bugs.....
Cure Me Tea from 'The Yoga Kitchen' cookbook
This past few weeks I seem to just be a germ magnet, I love the crisp days with blue skies and a chill in the air + we've been blessed with warmth during the days too, for some reason maybe the bugs are stronger and more resilient this year - who knows! Staying hydrated has been a challenge so I have been on the hunt for less caffeine + more adventure lol I found this recipe in a new cook book, purchased in lovely Bath last weekend!! I got a little addicted :-)
Not as bad as it sounds!!!
1 litre boiling water
2 cm ginger
2cm turmeric OR 1 tsp
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cardamon pods
1 heaped TBSP YEP tea (YEP = Blend of Yarrow, Elderflower, peppermint) If unavailable use peppermint or green tea
1/2 lemon sliced
1 tsp Manuka honey
Place all ingredients in a teapot and steep for 15 minutes
OR place in a covered pan + Simmer for 15 mins
I've been drinking this all week!! At first I was like 'God this sounds like pond water' BUT I was pleasantly surprised and I also created my own variations with YEP tea or coriander and I have felt really warmed by it, more alert and hydrated which is perfect with this crazy weather!!
Let me know if you try it, what you think xx
NOW I can start talking about Christmas :-) xx
BOUDOIR SESSIONS are now BOOKING!
Fancy treating yourself, a friend or surprising your partner this Christmas??
I have two packages to choose from so whether a boost for your own confidence, a super fun gift for a 'bride to be', hen party idea OR to massively surprise your favourite person....these make awesome gifts!!
The 'Mini' Boudoir Package £175, One hour of photography, a beautiful concertina album containing 10 images
The 'Deluxe' Boudoir Package £375, Two hours of photography, a stunning 8x8 inch boxed album containing 20 images
BOTH INCLUDE: A password protected online gallery, smiles, fun + bubbles (or tea and cake)
To include Hair & Make Up, Please add £75
““It was quite a nerve wrecking experience doing a boudoir photo shoot but Jackie King made me feel completely relaxed and comfortable. We had a real giggle whilst having the photos taken and with that Jackie managed to capture some really lovely shots.
The photos have really helped build my confidence with my body image, it was a fabulous experience.
I would absolutely recommend Jackie to anyone for a boudoir shoot and if I wasn’t married already I would have definitely asked Jackie to do out wedding photos. It was such a wonderful experience working with Jackie.””
For more information or to BOOK your session please email OR Call me on 07754 757716
A Sunday country walk....so divine!
A rare Sunday off and my whole being was screaming to get out in the fresh air and soak in the last of the AMAZING Autumn colours we've been blessed with this year!
Not far from home I stopped to enjoy this little picturesque setting, the colours of the tress and the little dock teamed with the lili pads, the reflections and the small tress in the foreground had me smiling and then I saw a duck merrily schwooshing around and had to capture this moment + then share it :-)
Have a great week everyone! xx
London is POPPING right now with Photo inspiration!
I started off my Friday Photo Frenzy dropping these off for development - I HAVE NO idea whats on them!! Should be fun collecting them next week :-)
Friday turned out to be a whirl of visual inspiration and delight. Amongst the rain drops I whizzed between Bethnal Green, Tottenham Court Road, South Bank and finally over to the V&A for an "In Conversation with...." Saturday morning and I'm sitting here aglow, head slightly spinning and feeling like a sponge that just got dipped in a crazy colourful watercolour rainbow..........
First STOP......
4th - 21st November 2016
I popped in to this exhibition on the South Bank en route last night to the V&A + whilst there are tough subjects to look at I was intensely moved by the diversity and inspired by the stories which visually unfolded in front of me. These are stories which are in all of our subconsciousness's (I may have just made a new word up! I apologies).
Farming and deforestation in Borneo is having a HUGE impact on our fragile eco system and the Orangutan's who live there - these images big and bold accompanied by the text was really humbling and the whole wildlife section was really beautiful but tinged with an edge of sadness yet after viewing all the other incredible, humbling and moving stories I returned to this area to soak in the colours of the amphibians and peacefulness of the whale swimming with it's cub.
All of the stories are harrowing, don't get me wrong I don't live in a bubble oblivious to suffering or what's happening in the world but there are times when it feels like we are only seeing bad situations and awful acts of human brutality but this is a relatively small, concise exhibit (it's split in two + spaced either side of the auditorium). The winners stories here depict our every day lives over the course of the last 365 days. It's current and beautifully, beautifully put together. The size of some of the pieces - bold and large stop you in your tracks, whilst the smaller pieces encourage that intimate connection with the photograph. As you would expect, the consistency in layout and descriptions ensure maximum information delivered quickly.
There were two projects in the area displaying the refuge crisis projects which have stayed with me too. I found the images really powerful and stood shaking my head to myself thinking.."what year are we in - we're not in the dark ages yet sadly it feels in many ways we are".
*****Go see this exhibit!! It's FREE
Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall
Belvedere Road, London, United Kingdom
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/
~In Conversation with Cathleen Naundorf at the V&A Image©CathleenNaundorf
Breathtaking and mesmerising.........firstly I'd never been to the V&A Lecture theatre before and was in awe of the design and space, secondly it was fantastic to listen to Cathleen's life story and how her work evolved and unfolded. From travelling to Mongolia and capturing tribal portraits to Brazil and then to Paris and the Haute Couture scene.....obviously my description is extremely brief!!! Using only Polaroid since 2003 Cathleen has created exquisite works of art and I loved hearing of her persistence and connections and workings of a fellow photographer. It was really enjoyable, refreshing and stunning to look at the slides projected behind her. (my camera phone doesn't do it justice + for me they are reference but I'm sharing here :-)).
This Friday Photofrenzy was just what I needed..I've been asked a lot recently what personal work I'm working on and in truth...just ideas...I'm searching, I have a list of projects I'd like to do, a book idea which I'd LOVE to bring to fruition but I just need to focus. The dust is settling on a whirlwind of a year and with winter approaching it would be great to have a hibernation project to work on! :-) I'm off to get a fresh sketch book and begin....the hardest part is starting...I'm off to do just that!
Have a great weekend everyone xx
It's been an amazing 10 days....
Talking, chatting, demonstrating, acts of kindness, smiles, laughter, photography, yoga....
Sometimes you go along and you're super aware and engaged with your surroundings and sometimes you're just not, life is hectic, things get in the way, weeks fly by in what seems a blink of an eye or a sneeze and whoosh! it's gone.
I've just gotten over the flu and it was not pretty AT ALL...I was a sneezing, snivelling germ bag walking around in a cloud of garlic....how people came near me I'm not sure, my cough alone sounded like I smoked a million cigars since I was 2 years old and well it's amazing I feel better at all ...lol ok, ok...perhaps I'm tipping in to man flu territory now lol...I digress...
Amongst me feeling absolutely dreadful were wondrous moments which made me sparkle (I knew I was sparkling but I have a feeling the snot hid it for a while!!) I'm wondering if I noticed them more because I wasn't racing at a million miles an hour and my brain couldn't do its normal multi tasking thing or the universe was just delighted I'd slowed down...I'm not sure BUT I wanted to share these moments because they are so lovely and too good not to share and pass my smile on...share it around, feel the love and delight, warm up on it, beam...
FIRSTLY....I had an AWESOME photo session in London with Aparna & Jayesh...such a wonderful couple, super cute together and so much fun and not only really natural in front of the camera, super playful too and busted out some fab dance moves and brilliant lifts!
The very next day still delighted with the session in London I headed to the beach! I am happiest like a little piggy in do do when in my shorts and wellies with my camera in hand AND I was doing all this AT. THE. BEACH. sooooo cool! Above is the last shot of the day where Ellen made a funny face and whilst it's soft focus I love it because she is such a live wire.
This is our annual photo session and I was so delighted when I approached her car to meet her and her daddy, she saw me and just lit up, excited for pictures and to run around on the beach I think..it's really special to photograph little people and watch them grow + I think this is our 5th photo session....so precious.
Wednesday came around that week and I participated in a fabulous night of Photography as part of Photomonth London. Luke Dodd of the Guardian and Observer spoke about the influence of Jane Bown for our 'Girl Town' residence + we followed with a panel discussion on influential women in the industry. The panel comprised of an awesome line up : David McCoy, Creative Imaging Manager at the Guardian, Karen Harvey of ShutterHub, Dan Gaba, Photo editor of the Wall St. Journal, Maggie, Founder of Photomonth, Becky Warnock, Projects Manager at Photovoice and me (Me in action above!!)
Some of our FAB speakers in action (photo courtesy of Kate O'Neil)
Images: Top: Melanie Eclare, Wendy Ewald, Jane Bown, Bottom: Mary Ellen Mark
OK, so that was just a few days.....I rolled on with the flu.....edited, photographed..AND THEN.....the weekend rolled around and a few amazing things happened. I didn't really tell many people what was on the horizon as to be honest I was a little nervous! I have spoken about photography and taught photography for years so I can stand up and chat away BUT this weekend I spoke for the first time on Yoga. (my other passion!) I was so excited and delighted to be asked to join my wonderful friend Yvonne Bishop Weston and discuss stress and how yoga can assist in managing it. Yvonne is a nutritionist and so these two talks complimented each other perfectly and enabled us to form pieces of a jigsaw puzzle when it comes to healthy ways to tackle stress, OH and the talk was at OLYMPIA...yes the one in London, the big venue lol
IT. WAS. AMAZING.a whole room doing alternate nostril breathing, chair yoga + being given tools to help manage their stress. The goose bumps I had as I left carried me all the way home and well in to the following week. I guess now would be a good time to confess that when I'm not photographing, I teach yoga + I love the combination of this dual career :-) My yoga instagram snap below.
OH + whilst I was traveling by train to the venue, hacking like an old women about to loose a lung, the guy next to me offered me a mint...how kind and what a lovely gesture....for a few seconds I hesitated worried it was drugged or laced with something nasty (because that happens so often right!!! omg!!) + then I quickly thought, it's a packed train, I'll be ok and accepted his SUPER KIND offer and we started chatting. so lovely+ so rare to have a whole conversation on the train, but it was so wonderful, such a lovely act of kindness that I really treasured and appreciated.
Two speaking events, on two of my fav subjects in one week was just incredible. So inspiring and uplifting. London, the beach...photographing in great locations AND......
My dad surprised me too - I've been looking (this is not photo related at all) but I've been looking for a bench to go with my dining room table, a well loved, bashed up a bit, shabby chic number..we've had a few chats about where I could find one and my hunt has been consistent......that was until visiting my parents last week they suddenly said "Oh, we found you a bench"...oh my goodness what a find! What joy...when I asked where, Dad just said he bought me one and as mum led me to the garage she tutted," he didn't buy it, he MADE it"!!!! So in time for my birthday next week, my dearest dad has made me a wooden bench + I love it! No pictures yet as he's still painting it, but what AMAZINGNESS!
Have an awesome week everyone! Smile at everything (without looking like a nutter) + enjoy the incredible array of colours Autumn is blessing us with this year xx
PHOTOMONTH - Jane Bown, An Influence
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19th - 6.30pm - St.Margarets House, Bethnal Green
We are all mega excited for this event tomorrow night, Luke Dodd discusses Jane Bown's work and panel guests discuss who has inspired them!
Panel members include Dan Gaba, David McCoy, Jackie King Photographer, PhotoVoice, Shutter Hub, Photomonth will share who have influenced them and their careers! Free to attend & all welcome! #GirlTown
Come along, please RSVP, free entry!! Be there!! x
Great review from a delighted 'Boudoir' photography client! x
Its fantastic to receive super feedback from clients and this note just made me beam! Thanks so much M xx
"It was quite a nerve wrecking experience doing a boudoir photo shoot but she made me feel completely relaxed and comfortable. We had a real giggle whilst having the photos taken and with that Jackie managed to capture really lovely shots. The photos have really helped build my confidence with my body image, it was a fabulous experience.
I would absolutely recommend Jackie to anyone for a boudoir shoot and if I wasn't married already I would have definitely asked Jackie to do out wedding photos. It was such a wonderful experience working with Jackie".
In Print...
So thrilled and excited to see the Crystal Palace, Autumn edition of 'pip' magazine!
I had the absolute pleasure to photograph the front cover and inside portraits on one of the hottest days of the year BUT everyone looks fabulous and Emily has recently welcomed her baby in to the world :-) So amazing and delightful!
Congratulations Emily xx
London Engagements.......
I LOVE weddings AND I LOVE capturing Proposals!
If you were at a talk I gave recently, you would have seen I was about ready to burst with delight mentioning them.....here's why......I stood up after the amazing Kate O'Neil had presented and fabulously announced "If you can shoot weddings, you can shoot anything!" YEP, absolutely! I beamed listening to her describe weddings as every possible photographic event on one day (Landscape, Still Life, Portrait, Event....you get the gist). It's true!
I still LOVE photographing weddings, I love that it pushes my creativity, I LOVE that I get to interact with people ALL day, some peoples idea of hell, my idea of Heaven!! I love that I set the scene with Landscape pictures. Capture the details and stillness in my still life pictures and get to smile ALL day long whilst capturing and creating moments between two people that will last long after their wedding day. I get to chatter and banter with all the guests when I take their pictures, their laughter and cheekiness, hilarity and fun. I get to set up some pretty awesome lo light / dark pictures using giant sparklers and a wall or my tripod. This summer I have a mix of destination and English countryside weddings to capture, hurrah!! I'm so excited!!
I REALLY LOVE capturing the surprise, the shock and the delight during a proposal too......The start of a new journey together and an amazing chapter in two peoples lives.
Allan & Gaufaloupe visited London in June from beautiful Brazil. Guadeloupe had wanted to visit and see Phantom of the Opera as a small girl and her very thoughtful soon to be fiance organised secretly and totally under the radar, for me to be at Her Majesty's Theatre ready to capture his proposal. OMGoodness......super delightful. Allan proposed inside in a private room and then we went outside before curtain up to capture some more special moments!! These smiles!!! Their looks of love and delight...Congratulations Allan & Guadeloupe, wishing you both an amazing future together xx
