Friday Afternoon Confessionals - Friday Vibes
This week I’m sharing an adventurous, fearless, wild, brave spirit with a cheeky, compassionate soul.
‘Ellen the Adventurer’ (my new nik name for her). There was no tree un-climbed, no stretch of sand un touched as we rambled our way around Frensham Little Pond in Surrey a couple of late Monday evenings ago with two gorgeous dogs and fabulous Mum Maria in tow..
I recognise the tom boy spirit, that energy of youth + the props collected along the way came in VERY handy a little later on. We laughed, danced, ran + waded into the pond in the hope of capturing an awesome shot and not getting nibbled by the giant carp that inhabit the area.
The light, that summer light, later in the day, was divine and enriched colours + skin tones……bliss x
funnies + out takes……..
there are always funny moments, serious moments, moments of mania, dancing usually and lots of laughter and I am smiling sharing these moments in particular, the dancing and then the leggings rolled up to my knees in the water to get the shot because as we were walking I just in a split second saw a frame and knew if I ignored it I would regret it. The only way to get it was in the water too and hilariously Maria caught it! I am so pleased, I love behind the scenes ‘action’ pictures!! Thanks so much Maria xx
freedom feels like……….
LAST Night I had a fun couples photo session in Notting Hill......
The Light was dreamy and as I waited I found these awesome gems!!!
The Churchill Arms - apparently the local of Winston Churchill’s grandparents
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!!!!!!
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!!
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......
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!
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!!!
