Friday Night Confessionals

Friday turns in to Saturday

I had every intention to post last night, to sit down and enjoy writing about the week, Andrea + Wes’s beautiful proposal + finish off Friday, sunny side up - but when it came to it, words just weren’t there and I didn’t want to half ass it.

So here I am fresh as a daisy - Saturday morning after two photo sessions in London, sun is shinning + I’m heading home to my first Xmas party of the season! I’m very excited, it’s bowling and mince pies - what’s not to love!!

I worked with Wes to pick the perfect spot for him to propose to Andrea a few weeks ahead of their trip to London. We planned our interaction, me casually offering to take a photo of them and bosh, Wes got down on one knee and Hey Presto!

Following the shock, delight and utter happiness, we continued creating engagement pictures around St.Dunstans before walking along to The Tower of London + Tower Bridge where the light was super pretty (the north side of the river is always dreamy to photograph at in good weather as the sun rises the other side).

We found lots of fun doorways and textures to mid in with the epic iconic backdrops London has to offer and had so much fun!

If you’re planning a trip to London or a proposal over Christmas, do drop me a DM or call to discuss your plans and ideas + I’ll take it from there!

Friday Afternoon Confessionals

On this grey, rainy Friday I thought sharing these guys might lift the mood!

Photographed around Shoreditch + Brick Lane, I love the ever changing graphics, the blasts of colour casually illuminating the area and pops of wow when you see something new.

It had been a while since I photographed a session around this area and I always arrive way before a session is scheduled to reccy the area and with the light beautifully pouring down the high street I was excited with what lay ahead in our session.

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Super colourful London Love

These guys were so fun and open to ideas and beyond cute with each other!!

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Just beyond Spitalfields and on the way to Brick Lane is a outdoor studio delight - if you LOVE texture + rustic colours lol.

No understatement on how IN LOVE I am with this backdrop!!!!!!! Part Penelope Pitstop Part evil rider lol

As I mentioned!!! THAT LIGHT - I mean hello!!!! We also met the owner of the shop these two are in front of + who had arrived to open and kindly and graciously let some smooching happen before he got to work :-) #LOVELONDON

To book your couples session (or surprise proposal, it’s almost getting to that time of year!!!) drop my an email or give me a call and we can coordinate a plan :-)

Have a great Friday!!xx

Dora Maar @TATEModern

Sunday afternoon I headed down to TATE Modern to check out the recently opened ‘Dora Maar’ exhibition.

If you love old skool photography and miss the skill and delight of darkroom photography then this will get the brain firing + nostrils wishing for that chemical hit that only a darkroom can provide.

If you love a bit of ‘Surrealism’

noun

1. a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images.

then this is also for you! Original Photographs in all sizes from passport to A4 are displayed together enabling the viewer that intimate experience that only super tiny images can provide and ensuring you stay transfixed upon it, roving each small corner for all the details. Magazine layouts showing the final printed versions and the images on display are intriguing and fun to get close up to + figure out what was going on during their creation and perhaps how each part was layered over, printed, scratched.

There are 9 rooms in total and I literally squealed with delight in the first two rooms! Looking curiously at each image, inspired by their form and tone and technique. A few fireworks went off inside me as I referenced a personal project I’m currently working on - this was such a joy to behold.

The hesitation in writing steps in now because I left rather flattened. Here’s why - I LOVED the first rooms, I loved seeing hand crafted, considered pieces of photography and reading about Dora Maars life was fascinating yet I stalled at room 6 + 7 - I’m not sure if that’s the curators intention.

In these rooms the exhibitions and my attention turned to Picasso.

Because of this interjection I’m afraid my concentration on the beautiful work I’d seen in rooms 1 through 5 slithered away + became diluted. MY NOTE TO TATE Modern - Picasso was obviously an important part of Dora’s life BUT it seems a little unjust to dedicate some of the rooms to his work and her inspiration on him - as if a house hold name would ‘pad things out’ when that was the last thing that was needed. **The exhibition up until this point had been full and robust, inspiring in its freshness and the inclusion of the solarised image which inspired ManRay was sublime.

As a female photographer myself I applaud the ever growing inclusion of female photographers being displayed now because I remember a time in the not too distant past, when my photography history programme wouldn’t include even 1. + yes I realise that in fact makes me sound ancient - I’m not!!! However, I felt the reference to their relationship : single/complicated/married wasn’t needed, it didn’t add to the validity of her work and his work then overshadowed hers because it felt so off piste + random to have two rooms dedicated to it..

If you absolutely needed to, just perhaps one image representative of his painting of Dora during their time together would have sufficed, remove the fact she was having an affair with him and the huge image depicting the painting of both of the women in his life and we would have a gorgeous collection of images, inspiring the viewer to learn more about Surrealism/Photography/Dora.

I felt confused as to what you felt these rooms brought to the viewing experience aside from confusion and a peppering of annoyance?

The following 2 rooms of her return to painting was both textural and fluid although in part also looked like she was thoroughly pissed off their relationship had ended + in all honesty was how I felt that so much of his work had been included. I didn’t go to see Picasso, I went to see a little known female photographer and artist in a celebration of her contribution to the Surrealist movement. Step it up TATE, the work speaks for itself.

**Perhaps the exhibition’s natural ending was in room 5 with a last room (6) full of her sojourns in to painting, her development + experimentation in to this area along with her return to the darkroom + lifting Picasso from his bereft dessert because the exhibition up until this point had been full and robust, inspiring in its freshness and the inclusion of the solarised image which inspired ManRay was sublime.

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

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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

Sunday Morning confessionals......Venice Biennale......

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

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

Sunday Sass

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....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

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!! 

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!!

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Gorgeous Brighton & Hove

So this week saw me head down to Hove to photograph the amazing Mary + Caroline of Skinirvana and spend a couple days creating their new brand portfolio. I LOVED every second AND working outside got a little bit of sunshine and the start of a tan, so excited and MORE than delighted to share these gorgeous pics....more to follow :-) 

Lives Not Knives

March 8th, 2018 - International Women's Day 

The energy in the room at last nights event was exciting and inspired! At Lives Not Knives, Upper Mall, Centrale, Croydon we presented our ideas and advice. The vibe afterwards filled this amazing space with everyone mingling, laughing and chatting. This morning I've been wearing my 'Lives Not Knives' T-shirt with the broadest smile. It's great to have been part of such an amazing event!

and in other news......

Thrilled to share this.....

As part of the #LoveinLondon photography competition I was asked to answer 10 questions....here's what I had to say.....

PhotoVoice

©JackieKing2018

Photo Workshops!!! Time for a challenge??

ONE 2 ONE TUITION * PRIVATE WORKSHOPS

10am - 4pm * Spitalfields + Around London * Throughout 2018, 

New Year and time to shake things up??

Did you get a new camera for Christmas or decide over the holidays to step things up + improve with your photography??? Brilliant!! Welcome to a new adventure, this is very exciting.

I have dates throughout 2018 + whether you are an absolute beginner or want to refresh your skills do get in touch!!! Email me or call me on 07754 757716 and we will make a plan!

Hello January!!

And just like that....we begin a new year...full of eager anticipation and excitement for what's in-store!

A friend shared this content and I just loved it, I soaked it up and it really resonated with me, so much so that I've already re-read it more than a few times...so..I'm sharing it to make the start of the NEW YEAR, a time for us all to connect, reconnect, smile and reach out and help one another when we can.

(This image was't supplied with the writing, I just LOVED it + wanted to share xx)

“You can have flaws, be anxious, and even be angry, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world.

Only you can stop it from going bust. Many appreciate you, admire you and love you. Remember that to be happy is not to have a sky without a storm, a road without accidents, work without fatigue, relationships without disappointments. To be happy is to find strength in forgiveness, hope in battles, security in the stage of fear, love in discord.

It is not only to enjoy the smile, but also to reflect on the sadness. It is not only to celebrate the successes, but to learn lessons from the failures. It is not only to feel happy with the applause, but to be happy in anonymity. Being happy is not a fatality of destiny, but an achievement for those who can travel within themselves. To be happy is to stop feeling like a victim and become your destiny's author. It is to cross deserts, yet to be able to find an oasis in the depths of our soul. It is to thank God for every morning, for the miracle of life. Being happy is not being afraid of your own feelings. It's to be able to talk about you. It is having the courage to hear a "no". It is confidence in the face of criticism, even when unjustified.

It is to kiss your children, pamper your parents, to live poetic moments with friends, even when they hurt us. To be happy is to let live the creature that lives in each of us, free, joyful and simple. It is to have maturity to be able to say: "I made mistakes". It is to have the courage to say "I am sorry". It is to have the sensitivity to say, "I need you". It is to have the ability to say "I love you".

May your life become a garden of opportunities for happiness ... That in spring may it be a lover of joy. In winter a lover of wisdom. And when you make a mistake, start all over again. For only then will you be in love with life. You will find that to be happy is not to have a perfect life.

But use the tears to irrigate tolerance. Use your losses to train patience. Use your mistakes to sculpture serenity. Use pain to plaster pleasure. Use obstacles to open windows of intelligence.

Never give up .... Never give up on people who love you. Never give up on happiness, for life is an incredible show.”
Pope Francis

Have a GREAT Year everyone + See you soon! xx

Time to get creative!

As the studio shuts down for Christmas and a little break, my attention turns towards little jobs I've been meaning to do and haven't quite gotten around to!

This is one such mission (in a good way!) I've two rolls of 120 film from my Holga camera that have been developed and it's time to take a closer look at them and see what I've got.

West End Cameras in London did a fab job of developing and scanning them for me + now as ai rub my palms together in glee it's time over the next week or so to see exactly what's going on and I'll let you know my progress and what I find when we come back in January :-) 

Have a brilliant break, enjoy + Happy 2018 xx

Small Business Saturday!!

Excited to be a small business, making connections with my clients who become friends, watching families grow, businesses expand and new ventures develop. Here's to a super weekend and THANK YOU for choosing me xx