Laughing, Learning and Shooting

On Saturday a great bunch of friends and fellow photographers got together with 2 gorgeous models to shoot an urban spectacular in an effort of bonding, learning and fun. I got shown some really funky lighting tricks, my favourite of which involved straws!! I'd link to them all but I'd be here forever but Jamie, James, Matt, Mark, and Chris, I had a blast and yes I can't wait to do it all again in the very near future.

Photographers, I can't encourage you enough to make friends with other photographers, you'll learn and grow, you'll have fun and you'll have friends who actually know what the hell you're talking about when you have those camera geeky moments, if you're really lucky they may even teach you a drinking game or two ;o)

So, I'm pretty sure that the guys have the most awesome and inspiring shots and I know I'm pretty bloody chuffed with the stuff I shot and I have no problem with saying that compared with the guys I know virtually nothing, they are off camera lighting geniuses!

Wanna see some shots?




Tammy, one of our gorgeous Models



and Lauren, our other beautiful hardworking Model.



I really wanted to share the kinds of things which go on and wanted to record the process as well as the results.



I love this one.



and this one too!



Spot James in the back Enhancing (ruining) the shot!

Jamie was literally risking his life for this shot, below lies the central reservation motorway.

This whole experience has left me itching for more and makes me appreciate the great friends I have in my life, all brought through the medium of photography, it beats staying home watching Saturday Kitchen of a weekend!!

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The Wedding of Laura and Michael - Holdsworth House, Halifax

I was recently honoured to travel to Halifax for the wedding of Laura and Michael, part of the joy of my job is that I get to travel all over the country and I'm so glad that I took the opportunity of Laura and Michaels wedding because these guys are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside.





The wedding was at St James Parish Church in Thorton, Bradford




and the reception was at uber swish and gorgeous venue Holdsworth House in Halifax





Thanks to Matt Wagster for his second shooting and wonderful assisting abilities, we work so well together and he helped me create the following group shot, proving that large group shots don't have to be boring.



On this occasion the whole wedding ran late but we were as ever unphased and shot the portraits just as twilight was coming, it's a brilliant time to shoot portraits anyway so we didn't mind!

One of my most favourite shots ever!

Laura and Michael, I wish you love and luck and a long future of happiness together, thank you so much for letting me share in your special day.

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A little Musing on Derren Brown

For the past week and a half the country has become Obsessed with Derren Brown and how he managed to correctly predict the lottery, I myself have been a daily reader of internet news articles, You tube videos showing split screens and suchlike.

Derren Brown is so brilliant and yet infuriating at the same time, even when he tells you he's telling you the truth, he'll quickly say that maybe he's not!

I'm one of those irritating people who doesn't really enjoy magic because I always want to know how it's done, I see lots of magicians at weddings and though they are usually brilliant I still can't help myself wondering how did he do that rather than just sitting back and enjoying it.

This last week and a half I have literally scoured the internet for answers, journalists, magicians, commentators and even some of the 24 who helped "predict" have come out of the woodwork.

It's funny because it's enthralled a nation and whether you love him or hate him everyone has an opinion, I'm guessing lottery sales are up and Camelot are happy, I know that Derren will be delighted, you have to have the X Factor to be able to create the kind of reaction he has, I wish I could even do just a teeny bit of that for my business but my magic skills lie in the art of photography and not in strange tricks disappearing elephants and eiffel towers!

Tonight Derren is going to hypnotise us all and glue us to our seats, now this in itself is a strange old thing because I thought that there were rules governing hypnosis on TV and I do kind of worry about the more suggestible citizens of the UK tonight, I have to include hubby in that too as he's incredibly suggestible. I'm counting on it not working on me, I'm too analytical, I'm the hypnotists worst nightmare, I'm a control freak too unlike Paul who likes to leap in and let himself go with 2 feet!

Whatever you think of Derren you have to admire the buzz he's created, something which all businesses would love to do, I know I'll be tuning in and when Paul is stuck to the settee like superglue I'll still be asking "how on earth did he just do that?"

You have been entertained!

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Daniel is 2 and a half

I first met Daniel last September when he was nearly 1 and a half and a couple of weeks ago I was back with him and mum Amy to get some updated photographs and my how he's grown....





We met up at the beach to get some natural photographs and have some fun



he really is a bundle of loveliness

he really is a big boy now and has just started nursery last week too.



With mum Amy who is also doing great things!



what a great way to spend an hour, I really do love my job



If you want to book a family or kids photoshoot be quick because as the portrait season shifts into gear with people wanting shoots to provide those all important Christmas presents there's already a 2 month wait for some days.

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Vow Renewal - The Shebang is Official

Much has been happening in the world of moi lately, I have far too many family portraits and weddings to blog but I'm hoping that next week might be quieter and I can get down to the serious business of blogging them.

In my personal life things really couldn't be better, today saw the posting of the first batch of Save The Date cards for our vow renewal on 14/04/10, we're so happy and delighted with the efforts of the very wonderful and talented Paula at Heart and Design, I really recommend this wonderful purveyor of semi bespoke invitations and pretty much everything else you'll ever need for your special event. Paula is even making the vow renewal certificate to match in with the Save The Dates and the Invitations.

We've secured As You Like It in Jesmond as the venue after many wonderful experiences there both personally and professionally.

We've also been honoured that our wonderful friend and former groom Joel has agreed to officiate at the ceremony and of course as I previously mentioned we have our photographers Matt, James and Jamie my great friends who are going to be collectively known as "The Power of Three" I've been dropped snippets of info and we really are giving them carte blanche to provide us with something so amazing we'll never forget it. Apparently they're having a meeting soon, with an agenda and minutes, oh to be a fly on the wall at that one, lol!

The search still goes on for the car, of all of the wedding service providers I've contacted securing the car is the most troublesome.

I'm also delighted that we've booked Emma Cuthbertson to transform my face for the day, I've worked with Emma in the past and she does the most amazing makeup, fingers crossed that my face isn't too much of a challenge!

Of course the theme of the day is vintage glamour and I was slightly worried that people might not want to dress up but so far everyone is as excited about it as we are!

There's just over 7 months to go and I'm guessing the time will fly over, stay tuned as I continue my very own bridal adventure!!

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Wendy and her girls [photographer newcastle]

A couple of weeks ago I went off to the beach to meet up with Wendy and her gorgeous girls, I've photographed them before so this was an update session and they've really blossomed!





They're just like girls should be!



Fun, cheeky and lovely!



No wonder mum Wendy is so proud of them all.

It was a really great catch up session and if you are an existing client and want an update session remember that you'll only ever pay £10 for the session.

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