The Light was dreamy and as I waited I found these awesome gems!!!
The Churchill Arms - apparently the local of Winston Churchill’s grandparents
CAKE!!!!!!! Grab a cuppa, it's afternoon tea time :-)
Cake Smash Central!!
Poppy turned one a couple of weeks ago + we had so much fun creating pictures of her to celebrate her 1st birthday with Mum + Dad and older brother Leo - who’s cake smash also involved a million hundreds and thousands lol
What a super cute family and where on earth does time go?? I feel like two seconds ago I photographed Mum, Dad + Leo for his 1st birthday and hey presto! Poppy is one and we spent a fun Sunday afternoon capturing fun pictures to celebrate Poppy - I AM IN LOVE with her tutu and REALLY want an adult version!!
Keeping the consistency with the backdrop so images could be matched along side each other when displayed at home, I also found out the fun black chalk board style box from Leo’s session to use too!
Much hilarity and chuckles ensued and hundreds and thousands ran everywhere <3
and two years ago……such a cutie!!
Friday Afternoon Confessionals.......
I still have the best job in the world....
When you get to work, ok I lie, when you get to spend the afternoon in a super stunning setting, basically falling in love with it AND then you get to create what you love to do, your heart sings + you feel full of positive vibes…that. Embrace that, smile, breathe it all in and then get to work….
Flowers √
Fresh Air √
Soft Light √
Amazing Client √√
Cute Model √
Texture √
Amazing Details √
ummm… my list is actually pretty endless lol
Textures, subtle colour, intricate details…..beautiful light. It is always amazing to observe a space as the light changes and witness how it’s look and feel changes too, the images below are a great example of this, strong shadows, bright light..
A certain ‘drama’ is added when shadows get involved, whether softer or a little starker.
Have an AMAZING weekend everyone!!! xx
June love vibes......grab a cup of tea + feast your eyes.....
ONE WEEK to go!!!
Just ONE WEEK until Bindi & Maarten tie the knot + get married and I am sooo super excited, I can’t wait to capture this next step in their journey together.
A few weeks ago we caught up in Hampstead Heath for their ‘pre wedding’ pictures and had such a gorgeous time, beautiful setting and perfect weather :-)
A super sweet love story.....
Joanna + Joe
Ahhh oh my goodness, this is SUCH a super sweet + SUPER cute LOVE STORY!!!!
I met Joanna in late December 2018, she had just moved to London to follow her dreams and during our session mentioned a great guy she had been chatting to + was meeting later that evening, joking “ha! imagine I meet the love of my life here”
No less than three months later she messages me to share the most exciting news that she’s engaged!!! I was soooo super excited and we caught up in Greenwich in late April to create amazing engagement pictures <3 So fun + so exciting!!!!!!
Sunday Morning confessionals......Venice Biennale......
ahhhhhhh…..Venezia!
There’s some magic in Venice..
I haven’t visited since 1998 when I was living in Milan and caught the train over for the ‘Carnivale’ in deepest darkest February with my fellow room mates + stayed up ALL night because as students we had no money + just thought we’d wing it. It was epic + even sheltering in a ‘Banco-mart’ adds to the memories and stories along with finally finding a cafe open at 5am and being told the photographers were in St.Marks square taking postcard pictures - as we zipped out the door and around the corner, mist rising off the lagoon, there sure enough were photographers eagerly capturing the ‘official’ postcards images of those costumed in their most elaborate finery.
I have fond memories but it had been a long time and now this week I was returning for an entirely different reason and with accommodation booked lol no sleeping in a ‘banco-mart’ for me!
My friends and fellow photographer ‘Jackie Neale’ is exhibiting at the Biennale and I went over to support her and well have a couple days of art immersion and hopefully some sunshine. This trip blew my mind. Great art, super food, amazing meetings of minds AND catching up with friends I hadn’t seen in FAR TOO LONG.
Jackie’s opening was Thursday + Friday evening at the European Cultural Centre and her work is based on Immigration. She has created beautiful, etherial LARGE cyanotypes which measure 5 feet x 7 feet and for their size hold a delicate beauty.
As I looked out of the window next to her work, the courtyard was full of people as was the two terraces , the air was full of an electric, excited but very cool energy - I was in Italy after all and they sure know how to do an opening!
Friday afternoon I met Jackie to listen to her artist talk and discussion on her work (+ take a selfie) + also re-look at some of the artworks which had been near impossible to get close to the night before. One of my absolute favourites was by an artist called ‘Maxim Wakultcshik ‘who created two portraits from coloured tooth picks!!!!!!!!!!! There are not enough exclamation marks to get across just how sublime and entrancing this was so I have included pictures below :-)
Friday night I met fellow photographer Marta Buso who lives in Venice and post art opening, took me for a delicious beer at a pretty secluded spot off the Grand Canal with fun view of the Rialto Bridge….my phone camera doesn’t do it justice but the light was pretty special!
OH + the chance to have my picture taken against the most beautiful textured wall…turns out I just laugh when a camera is pointed in my direction lol there is no hope! LOL
AND THEN SATURDAY! MAMA MIA!
21 years ago I met these two amazing, kind, lovely ladies when we studied at NABA in Milan, it’s been 15 years since I have seen Harriet (right) + 12 years since seeing Irene (left picture). OH MY GOODNESS, SO SO SO GREAT to see them, they both travelled from Bologna + Milan to Venice on Saturday for our little reunion and well, it was as if no time had passed and we spent the whole day chatting + laughing + remembering all the funnies, it was so special to see them both again!! (we even checked out St, Marks Square for good measure too)
It’s been the most inspiring, heart filling few days + I’m off to get a new phone that can take a half decent, ok fully decent picture when I don’t have my camera with me lol + just let the glow of Venice remain with me for as long as possible :-)
Have an amazing week everyone xx
Little People.......an afternoon of giggles....
So now….this little cheeky chap…..he TOTALLY rocked our session and TOTALLY knew how to work the camera lol Blowing kisses, flashing a cheeky grin as he dashed across the grass to a snack, making mummy laugh + effortlessly bringing his ‘A’ game :-) So much fun in Crystal Palace Park last week, his mummy + I needed a tea to soothe our aches ribs from laughing so much!!
Friday Night Confessionals.......a week bursting with love x
Amy & John marry in September……I’m SO excited for their wedding!
It’s been a week of adventure, of love, fun, laughter, new places, beautiful golden hours, little people sass + checking out angles on a site visit ahead of next weeks commercial photo shoot for an amazing lovely client!!!
So!! This week!! last Saturday I met Amy & John at Kensington Gardens Cafe to explore the Italian Gardens and create pre wedding, engagement pictures for them - they marry in September + I can’t wait!! Our ‘pre-wedding’ sessions give us the opportunity to become a little more familiar with each other, with me directing you + also standing back letting you both be cheeky to each other and chat away as if I wasn’t there + it’s also great for you guys to be together in front of the camera. .
It’s TOTALLY NORMAL to feel hesitant, to even hate having your photo taken, although please don’t say that too loudly or I’ll ask for a pound (£1 - if I had a pound every time someone said that…I should have started collecting them when I first started taking pictures…I’d be sipping cocktails, retired in Aruba by now lol) so it’s my job to help ease away those suspicions and feelings and help you enjoy the whole process so that when it comes to your wedding day you know what to expect and you feel more relaxed….I’ll be posting a separate blog post on Amy & John’s whole engagement + all the sessions mentioned here in the coming weeks :-)
On Sunday I met Bindi & Maarten (who marry in June!!!! + This is going to such a super special wedding!!!) at The Pergola at Hampstead Heath, it was an overcast afternoon and so luscious light and I just had to share this wide angle dramatic shot because I just love how you can see the structure yet to much of the greenery surrounding it feels as if it’s cushioning + hugging the building…..
Monday evening in Greenwich with Joanna & Joe….these guys!!! So late December I photographed Joanna on her new adventure + chapter arriving in London to pursue her acting career + telling me about this guy she’d met - well, hey presto!! They got engaged and Monday we captured their engagement pictures!!!! We also had a celebratory vino afterwards too!! :-)
Post engagement session celebratory drinks……..
Tuesday it was time to catch up with Flynn Austen, 15months young for his one year plus pictures. Crystal Palace Park was our destination + again the light was just gorgeous!! There was A LOT of laughter + A LOT of cheekiness from this gorgeous prince. He’s gotten so tall and just started walking so I’m sure by the next time I see him he’ll be running around all over the place!! :-)
Post session selfie….I’m getting in to this lol
Giggling mummy
and…so Thursday was a prep day, well it was an editing and prep day for this gorgeous shoot next week….I get to spend the afternoon picture taking in this very special and spectacular venue…..+ I’m super excited!!
Friday Morning….Kensington Palace……waiting for my family client to arrive I admired the flower beds with the spectacular tulips!!
Friday afternoon at RIBA photographing their graduation ceremony…my 5th consecutive year + loving the inspiration from their key speaker
I do feel truly blessed as I start my journey with lovely Amy, John, Bindi & Maarten and continue it with Joanna + Joe, Amy + Flynn, it really is magical and looking back on this it’s been pretty busy but it’s been epically amazing to connect with all this awesome souls and visit all the different venues - Heres’s to an awesome long weekend!!! Happy FRIYAY * SATURYAY & SUNDAY oh hold MONYAY too lol that doesn’t quite work lol Have a fab weekend + Thank you for allowing me to share and capture your journey and new chapters xx
Friday Night Confessionals...EASTER FRIYAY xx
The EASTER weekend is upon us!!
Have an AMAZING one whatever you get up, rest a little, laugh a lot, smile, chuckle, breathe, drink coffee, drink wine, eat chocolate or carrots lol + enjoy the company of whoever you’re with <3 xx
Never work with Children OR Animals....PAH!
BRING…IT…..ON…..!
Well now…who hasn’t heard that age old saying about never working with animals AND children, I have busted that line out and laughed about it a few times myself in the middle of photo sessions with clients BUT the truth is I love it! What is not to love?
Unpredictability, chuckles, laughter, inquisitiveness….the list actually goes on and..ummm.. it’s fun. In what other realm is it possible to revert back to being a child yourself or act like a looney in order to get a great shot or just do your job….I’m sure in any other environment I’d get fired for blowing raspberries at my clients lol BUT this last week I worked with both and I just had to share these out takes !!
If I didn’t know I was playing ‘Peek - A - Boo’ with Henry I could totally read that as him being exasperated by me lol + ‘Whiskey’ here totally laughing at my jokes….I am very funny lol :-) Have a super Afternoon everyone!!
Friday Night confessionals....Dublin + once home, a trip to A&E.......
On set at the beach in Ireland
Well now, it’s been a week and I really could start with “Well now Universe, enough playing around, this year you’re really whipping up a storm”….and just like one of those books you can get where there are two or three story lines you get to decide upon which ending you’d like - I feel like it would be possible to write that out, although that would be rather dramatic.
Last Thursday (I skipped last weeks confessional as I was standing in the rain in Dublin, merrily working on a film set) so last Thursday I flew in to Dublin for work. My friend Patricia who I met 19 years ago on a feature film had written a short film and hired me to take the stills photos for it so off I went.
I was full of excitement to head home, a city I had lived in for 2 years, where I met + made the most amazing friends, created an awesome life for myself, fell in love + discovered photography was my thing.
Working with Patricia again felt like I had come full circle and wandering around Dublin between being on set enabled me to take trips down memory lane, to ponder how life had gone over the last 19 years and see how Dublin had changed, evolved and like old friends we had catching up to do.
Seeking out The Gallery of Photography I smiled so broadly!! (It hadn’t changed a bit) It was here I would bring my rolls of film to develop and make contact sheets and then prints of the film I worked on and cut my teeth on. The film that propelled me in to a new career, a new direction + an enormous amount of opportunities I never imagined existed. 2000-2002 was a time of growth and change in Ireland + everyone was so friendly + helpful. I love that I can walk around now and have such fond memories, I can see where shops have changed and new ones take their place or the old ones exist + have weathered the storms of the past years. Breathing through the kinks of some memories, I set some of my own ghosts free.
The BEST place for an ‘Irish Black Russian’
Ahhh Captain Americas!!! A wonderful accompaniment to a Thursday evening :-) + a good place to start a night out! The MOST epic cocktail ever circa 2002 was The Irish Black Russian
Part Kalhua, Tia Maria + Vodka, 4/5ths cola + a smash of Guinness - well worth trying!!! :-)
So back to the film…..A wonderful two days photographing the stills for a great film with an amazing cast + crew and being back in the thick of it all was great fun.
Now, what started as a cough tickle on Thursday went full blown by the time I got home on Sunday evening and by 10pm after calling 111 three paramedics were on my doorstep. I’d had difficulty breathing and called 111 to ask for some advice, by the time I was chatting, well I’d like to say I was chatting but the fact is I was drawing heavily for breath + in quite a lot of pain by the time I spoke to “Katie” the lovely call handler - she was great + could hear I was in trouble, I always feel like I’m making a fuss or wasting their time so must have apologised about 15 times before she said she was sending out the troops.
It was a bit scary, they ran tests when they arrived and asked me to pack a bag as they were running me in to hospital for extra checks. After a series of blood tests + an ECG I was allowed home + diagnosed with a Viral lung infection - delicious! Not delicious. I discovered this week, even when really sick I am a rubbish patient and for two days was fighting with myself and my virus until Wednesday when I finally gave in, lay down and slept. I’ve been reading, colouring (a new one on me) + drinking so much juice, squash + tea it’s amazing I’m not just a puddle right now. Anyways, it’s been a week of delights and leaning in to being ill, giving up and surrendering and waiting and allowing whatever is next to come along. I feel so blessed to have been part of the film crew in Ireland and I am excited to see how it develops and what the future holds for it over the coming months. As for me, I’m off to lie down again and read, hoping that this virus disappears very quickly!
Have an amazing Friday everyone + super weekend!! xx
and ACTION.....
HAIR OTT, COSHAM
Today’s super fun shoot was at the awesome + amazing HAIR OTT. Capturing their staff and clients in action - I also got snapped, behind the scenes!! :-)
Tuesday turned in to Wednesday
and whilst I was in the zone + flying with productivity, I started a blog post and by 7pm was custard lol I had to step away + eat + get some fresh air :-)
This morning I’ve taught a yoga class + worked out, fuelled up on beans on toast and caught hold of the day! So now, I’m sharing a few favourites from the super cute wedding a couple weeks ago - I love the drama of Black & White images and these make me smile :-)
Happy HUMP DAY everyone! Enjoy the laughter + love below x
Sunday Sass
Katharine Street, Croydon - The Ladies First exhibition up until May
Just for this week, Friday night confessional moved to Sunday Sass!
Whoooo-eeeee I’m sitting here, Sunday night, Mothers Day, full of delight at having spent a fun, laughter filled day with my parents. Sunday roast, a little trip out around the countryside and a nap when I got home lol well, I did do a ‘Blaze’ class this morning before all this exuberance and I am feeling it tonight :-)
This past week has been full of family photo sessions mostly in London and with gorgeous families with teenagers (as opposed to teeny people) + the energy of London mixed in with young adults really sets you up to have perky, energised interactions and days - up in a super fun way!
On Friday after a session near London Bridge I caught the overland down to Croydon to say Good Luck to Jack at Lives Not Knives. He has been such an amazing influence within the charity with all his work on the schools roadshows and mentoring young people + is leaving to pursue other interests which I just know he’ll be amazing at!!
Whilst in Croydon AND with it being sunny I took advantage of the visit to swing past Katharine Street and check out the Ladies First exhibition opposite the Library. It looks fabulous! and I made a little video for instagram which I’ve shared above :-)
Happy Sunday everyone, Happy Mothers Day + have an amazing week ahead!!
Friday night confessional - Wedding Vibes!!
A lovely Hampshire Wedding…..
This morning I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding ceremony of a lovely friend of mine + his gorgeous bride in Hampshire! Such a treat + such a gorgeous blast of colour!! I’m super excited to go through and edit all the images but just wanted to share these two that jumped out at me immediately :-)
Also this week I wandered on down to The Goring Hotel in London (the most amazing corner of peaceful London) + caught up with an awesome friend just in town for a few days. The service and vibe here is amazing + I’ll definitely be popping back!!!
It’s been a great week of variety as yesterday I also captured the moment PPF in Croydon presented MIND Croydon with a cheque for £10,000 + this was so special to hear about all the fundraising and hard work that had gone in to raising the money and where it will be utilised.
PPF presenting MIND Croydon
Phew well as Friday draws to a close, I’m loving these Friday Night Confessionals and am gearing up for the weekend, have a great one! xx
Friday night confessional......
This wk has been chock full of gorgeous little people!
Phew! All week I have been dodging rain drops and chuckling with a variety of little people at a variety of locations around London and it’s been SO MUCH FUN!!! My youngest model or fabulous family member has been 15 months and the oldest 11 years and we have told silly jokes, jumped up and down and literally rolled around laughing :-)
The snap right, was caught by the amazing Molly for her travel blog (#explorethroughlife) I’m capturing her eldest son.
Clementine
When Monday feels all snuggles and snoozes
Remember Naomi’s baby bump cuteness???
Ahh yes…..this gorgeousness!!
Wellllll……….Clementine has arrived and is a super gorgeous bebe with full dark hair and ooodles of cuteness!!
Friday night confessional....Croydon.....
WOWZERS!!!
Last night saw the official launch of our ‘Ladies First’ Photography project and I am so proud it’s up!
I'd love to say I breezed up to Croydon to check out the exhibition, elated and full of delight but truth be told - I was elated and full of delight with my stomach in my mouth as I approached lol - I hadn't seen the prints before they went up so I had no idea what they looked like. I mean obviously I’d worked on them and knew how they looked but just not in print! and there is always that second mental check list “wondering if the highlights were in check, the blacks weren't blocked up” and generally the printing was fabulous.
I was delighted!!! The prints look epic! Printed on a stunning Matt paper finish, the detail was sublime!
On show until May please pop along and take a look and share a photo or two, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Enjoy xx
Before I was a photographer.....I was.......
Lisbon, October 2018
This video just popped into my life yesterday - I work with an awesome vacation photography company called ‘Flytographer’ + during our ‘meet up’ in October last year we made this wonderful video about what we did before we were photographers + what it means to be a photographer! So neat! Enjoy xx
Happy International Women's Day!!
TODAY our fabulous exhibition officially opens! Angel & Julia of the Croydonist have written about us https://www.croydonist.co.uk/iwd19/ Please check it out :-) x Have a great Friday Everyone xx
