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
International Women's Day gets closer!!!
Ladies First Exhibition 2019
Soooo more posting, I promised :-)
I've been working on a project for International Women's Day which goes live officially tomorrow but which has just gone up today in preparation!!
Ladies First Exhibition 2019
is a fresh opportunity to women all together + celebrate the wonderful variety women who live and work in Croydon.
These photos depict + honour extraordinary women in all their glory.
Undercroydon created this project with an aim to alter perceptions of women; bringing positive change to women from all backgrounds, sexuality + cultures.
Ladies First 2019, will be exhibited on Katharine Street, opposite Croydon Library, in the Fairfield Ward.
Credit : Supported and funded by Croydon Council
space is provided by the generosity of R & F Properties and John F Hunt.
Photography: Jackie King
Undercrodyon project: Susan Beresford & Jeanne-Marie Eayrs
This photo is presenting a variety of amazing women I had the absolute pleasure to photograph in Croydon (+ is being displayed outdoors opposite the Library) as a community project to inspire young women + each portrait is A1 size 🙃
If you get the opportunity do pop along, I'll be there hanging out tomorrow afternoon and then heading to the LNK charity event around 5pm if anyone fancies a catch up!!
Tuesday Cuteness!!!
Clementine is two weeks young!!!
It was SUCH a pleasure to spend a few hours with Naomi, Luke + Clementine on Sunday - she is just the cutest!
Friday round up :-)
Goodness, it’s been a week that feels more like a year x
So sometimes we pottle along with life, we get caught up in things, busy with work or time just seems to slip past, fly away or you blink and you’ve missed a month (or two!)
Being March 1st, I have actually scratched my head wondering quite where February went - this year I am very consciously working on more of a life / work balance - over the last 3 years I have enjoyed being massively busy but that comes with the flip side of not catching up with friends, seeing family or hanging out as much as you would like and seeing someones face is awesome.
I’ve said recently, many times, that I will post more this year bcos quite frankly last year I barely took a breath let alone posted very much and I intend that to change but more now, today I have to change that bcos I miss that connection (this now feels like a Friday night confessional lol) and I’m going to hang out, see friends, go to a supper club or three and ahh breathe. It’s funny how subtly the balance can tip and then all of a sudden it catches up with you. So Friday 1st March 2019, you got me, I’m on it :-)
Here’s to more Friday night confessionals - I know next week I’ll be in Croydon for International Women’s Day so expect pictures!! Have a great weekend everyone x
International Women's Day 2019
Happy March everyone!!
CROYDON 2019
Appearing in Croydon NEXT week, a series of portraits of inspirational Women will go up opposite the library + I am super excited!!!
a fresh start....
December 28th, 2018
Joanna has JUST moved to London to follow her passion for acting and enrolled on amazing course following her dreams and carving out a new life in our gorgeous capital following a messy divorce last year.
Our photo session was to encapsulate her sense of adventure ‘fresh start’ + we had SO much fun!!! My first planned route didn’t quite work + I am thrilled because we got to walk along the Thames a littler more and create these beautiful moments and start to an exciting new chapter!!
Naomi is due THIS week :-)
I am beyond delighted to share a snippet from last weeks maternity session in the gorgeous Hampshire countryside with Naomi.
Naomi is due this week and we had so much fun prepping our session and including a TUTU!! I know right!! OMG As a Ballerina and dancer, Naomi is so elegant and poised and we had a gorgeous white washed wall as a backdrop to create our magic :-) more to follow soon xx
