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Preparing for our New Pre School Graduation Service

2012-01-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

I have been pondering for a while how I was going to conjure up some little people to help me with a very important job......posing for advertising material for our brand new Pre School Graduation service launch this year. After all, how can you advertise a service with nothing to show what you will be offering?

I was having a chat with my child minder sister Lynda, and she came up with a great suggestion...she would ask her mindee parent's if I could 'borrow' their children. I was chuffed to bits when three parents agreed.....Thank you Mummies & Daddies.

Well, today was the day and, after loading the car, I hit the road to Tadley...a 54 mile trip in what proved to be the foulest weather I have experienced in a long time. The traffic was horrendous and there was a stage when I didn't think I would arrive in time to get any photographs.

Check out my sister's blog as she has done a fab job writing about my mornings work.

Munchkins & Mayhem - Lynda's Blog Click here

That has saved me a bit of writing and she is far more eloquent in her words than I am.

What she doesn't have is the final images....yet that is, as I have promised her that I will send them in her direction as soon as I find a few minutes. In the meantime I thought I would let you have a sneeky peek at a few of the finished photographs.

If you are interested in booking our Graduation Service, please drop me a line

tina.allingham@ntlworld.com

Buffs Bash

2012-01-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Friday evening saw the annual RAOB dinner/dance at Thorngate Halls in Gosport. We were once again invited along to photograph this special event. For those of you who are not in the know, the Buffaloes are a group of people who do some fantastic work for charity. they are so super friendly and we always feel so welcome. Lovely to see so many familiar faces back again this year.

If you would like to take a look at their website please visit

http://gosportbuffs.tk/

Meet David....our liaison. Great bloke, fab at organising and a frequent flyer for our photographs!

As we all know, you can't manage it all on your own so I thought I would share a snap of Ian strutting his stuff at the computer.

Don't you just love candid photography. I am always pleased when I can find time to wander around snapping the realtionships between friends, and photography characterful faces.

Of course a formal evening wouldnt be complete without a few formal photographs

Happy Birthday to Ian who was celebrating his 72nd on the night....hope you liked your prezzie lol.

Once again, many thanks for booking our 'Shoot ur Guests service and we look forward to seeing you all again in the future.

Please don't forget your photographs can now be found online.

Buffalo Photographs- click here

On your Doorstep

2012-01-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

Isn't it amazing the beauty that surrounds you when you open your eyes and look?

Feeling a tad stuffy, I yesterday decided to grab a camera, one lens and head off for a wander down the road to Portchester Castle.

Portchester Castle is about a mile from me, but it is a lovely tromp across some fields then down by the waters edge. I was a bit disappointed to find the tide out....perhaps I should have checked that bit out ....but maybe then I wouldn't have found the images I did ( or got off my bum for a walk!)

My first photograph....not the best technically, made me smile.

Check out the name!

Patterns

Pretty I thought....simple but appealing

And finally the castle ...not often you can find it without people so I took the opportunity whilst I could.

Studio Development - Phase one

2012-01-07T12:46:00.001-08:00

Its been a busy Saturday, well, for Ian and Mark at least. I'm a tad excited as January should see the arrival of the builder....all eager to start work on my new studio.I thought I would share the studio development with you...as it progresses ( I do hope the builder isn't camera shy!)

It seems asbestos removal is an expensive business. So with that in mind, we decided that the roof might be something we could tackle ourselves and save a few pennies. Today seemed a good day to venture out and to tackle it's removal. As my garage seems to be spider heaven, this was defiantly not a job for me. Well volunteered Ian ( my better half) and Mark, my daughters very helpful fella.

What is soon to become my shiny new photographic studio

First job was to remove the door, not to challenging as it was half hanging off anyway. Out with the angle grinder...a little warm for the assistant! I should probably point out that Ian is holding the door just behind the sparks.

The Martians Have Landed

Safety first...and nothing to do with it making me giggle of course, Ian and Marked kitted themselves out with monkey suits and masks.....seems to remove asbestos you need these things.
Meet the workers!

Ninja Ian

Monkey Mark.

Time to get down to the more serious business of studio demolition.

Mark started the demolition process.....one foot through the roof!

The first piece is lifted

Time for me to leave I think!

Coffee Break....still smiling!

Nearly Done

Phase One Complete....spiders re homed ( probably next doors garage ooops)

Now just waiting for a confirmed date for phase two.

Thank you boys for all your hard work....hope the spiders didn't put up to harder fight!

A New Year & A New Start

2012-01-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

I don't know, turn your back for a minute and your whole blogger interface changes. I had thought that I would just pop in and say hi, let you know I am still going, and make lots of feeble excuses as to why I haven't been keeping my blog page updated. Truth to be, I have just been far to busy! It does seem that the whole photographic world has set themselves new challenges for 2012.... I have seen several people embarking on a 52 week or 365 day photo challenge.I myself have signed up for one. Will I keep it up.... Probably not so I thought I would set a more realistic challenge.....to update my blog regularly. Watch this space!Happy 2012 to you all x

Vickie & Alans Wedding Album

2010-08-13T02:42:00.000-07:00

Vickie and Alan married at Newplace in Shirrel Heath earlier this year. I am hoping to share some moment from their special day with you later.....as we all know I am on a bit off a catch up at the moment!

Anyway, they popped in last night to collect their wedding album and so I can now show you the finished article. They opeter for our 'Ruby' Package. A 12" x 12" champagne album with two framed prints. I would love to show you the album in a larger format but can't work out for the life of me why blogger only seem to let them be show small. Any advice on this will be very welcome!

Enjoy the show.

Lisa & Hayden's Wedding at the Alverbank Hotel

2010-08-12T03:50:00.001-07:00

Where does the time go? I thought I would pop in to update my blog and, not in my wildest imagination could I have thought that it had been four months since I last had time to popped in and do it!

Where to begin……Perhaps I should work backwards and bring you up to date with my latest exploits.

Here goes!

Congratulations to Hayden & Lisa ( AKA Mr & Mrs Young)

Hayden and Lisa came to visit me back in 2008 to book me to photograph their wedding ( yes wedding photographers really are booked that far in advance!) and Friday 6^th August saw the arrival of their special day.

Lisa and Hayden had only moved house a week or so before so it was proving to be a particularly busy time for them. The happy couple had chosen The Alverbank Hotel for their wedding venue. I love it!......everything under one roof and you can literally fall out of the door and land on the beach or park. I was really looking forward to making the most of the beautiful surroundings in the warm summer sunshine. What is it with the English weather? Every time you think you can guarantee perfect weather…….it rains!

Hayden and Lisa were fab. The rain didn't put them off venturing out….although Hayden did look a little perplexed at the thought of wandering through the park grounds under a frilly white umbrella offered up by Hampshire Wedding Videos lol.

Here are a few of my favourite shots of the day. I hope you enjoy them!

.
Help with her veil from her lovely brother.

How gorgeous .....Page Boy Noah

The final touches

Lisa all ready for the off

Hayden and the boys waiting at the Alverbank Hotel

Just scrummy!

The Happy Couple doing battle with the wind, rain video man and me.

Easter Sunday at the Isle of Wight

2010-04-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday was a real treat. It's ages since I last took a trip to the Isle of Wight and I always love a ferry trip. The weather was perfect and the views along the south west coast are stunning....but challenging. My mum had asked for one special camera lesson....she wanted to know how to use her filters with ladscape photography and produce 'smooshey' water.

The weather was gorgeous as we treked up and down coastal paths ( I wasn't sure how some could be described as such) in search of our 'sunset' lesson destination. We concluded that the Needles on the West Coast was to be an ideal location......that was until we realised that the chair lift was closed and we would have to climb down 188 steep steps to reach the beach. The walk down wasn't so much a concern.....more the trek back up after dark. What the hell.....we started our descent.

The easy way.....shame it wasn't open!

The Needles
Look behind and this is what you meet....Alum Bay

How you acheive 'smooshey' water

Set your camera on a tripod

Use a slow shutter speed.

The image above was taken at F22 for 4 Seconds at ISO 100.

Good Friday at The Weald & Downland Museum

2010-04-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

Easter has been most welcome this year. Not only did the Easter Bunny arrive with much appreciated treats, but with it arrived my mum for her Easter break. Still forever trying to improve with her photography skills, we decided to use a couple of days to venture out to develop her skills. Not wanting to be left out, I took my trusty D3 and thought I would see what I could find to share with you all. For those of you who haven't yet ventured out the the museum.....it is a must. A great day out for all the family and what is even better, they welcome cameras! I loved the simplicity of this old wash stand
Pots....but who could resist

The amazing light in this room was a must.

I liked it....what more can I say

Plummers use these.....apparently
Found in the working flour mill

http://www.wealddown.co.uk/

Portsmouth Wanderings

2010-03-29T04:42:00.000-07:00

I love Old Portsmouth. It is one of my favourite spots to walk. There is so much to see and to walk along the promanade on a Sunday is a real treat.

Rather than take the car round to Portsmouth, Ian and I opted to take a trip accross the harbour on the Gosport Ferry, have a wander round Gunwharf Quays before taking a meander round to southsea. Armed with just a camera and one spare lens, we headed up the prom towards Clarence Parade Pier. Grey days always prove a bit of a challenge. What can you photograph in such flat lighting. Well, I thought I would share what I found on my wanderings

Tanks - D Day Museum

Southsea Rock Gardens

It is so lovely to see the first stirrings of Spring.....at last!

Who could resist a shot like this!

Something a little more graphic perhaps?
Clarence Pier

There is always a little something around to photograph...you just have to open your imagination to find it. Imagine how fab the chairs would look as the sun was going down.....change the light, recreate the image.

Aikido - Well done Justine

2010-03-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

As my profile states, blogging to me isn't just about work.....it is about linking to all the important people in my life and sharing special moments as they happen. Today's blog post is dedicated to my daughter Justine. Justine has set her sights on life in the police force and is hopefully heading to uni later this year to study criminology. Everything she does is geared to reaching her goal and, earlier this year she joined Aikido.....a martial art which focuses on self defence. I am really proud to say that, on march 20th she passed her grading for her yellow belt.

Well done to Justine and all the others who passed their grading at the Ken Shin Kai

Peter's 30th Birthday Celebration

2010-03-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

I met Peter and Rachel when they booked out our 'Shoot Ur Guests' service http://www.tinaallinghamphotography.co.uk/wed-shoot.aspxfor their wedding evening last year. I was so please to be asked to attend Peter's 30th Birthday Bash at the Spinnaker Tower on Saturday 20th March as we had had so much fun with them.

The staff at the Spinnaker were great.....very accomodating. We had worried about how far we would have to carry all the equipment but needed have been as Abby ( the events co-ordinater) made arrangements for us to park right outside the tower. We set up in the reception area and were soon busy photographing the arrivals of the guests. I thought I would post a couple of images to celebrate the big 30!

Happy Birthday Pete!

Congratualtions to Matt & Becky

2010-03-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

The 12th March saw me at St Thomas' Church in Elson for the wedding of Matt & Becky, which was followed by a reception at the Alverbank Hotel.
As usual, the weather was to play an important role in the day as it was working on its own rollercoaster adgenda! Nothing too surprising there for a March wedding.

I met Becky at her parents house for photos of the bridal preparations before heading off to the newly carperted St Thomas' to meet the groom.

I covered the ceremony from the balcony at the back of the church. I was a little dissapointed not to be able to take more personal photographs nearer the front but, as a photographer you really need to abide but the vicars requests. This is not to say we couldn't take some lovely images during the service.

After the first kiss I headed outside for some informal shots before heading the Alverbank Hotel where the majority of the photographs were to be taken. In true british style the weather let us down as, the moment we arrived outside the venue the heavens opened!

Not to be deterred we juggled some furniture and set about taking some family group shots inside the hotel. A special thanks to Karen and Kate for accomodating us so well.

I have to say Matt and Becky were stars. Both took the weather in their stride and we just had to jiggle about plans to accomodate the showers.

Making the most of the beautiful staircase

Photos that should have been done earlier in the day, were moved to later. My 6pm finish turned into a 7.30pm finish but it was all worth it when the weather decided to flip itself on its tail and produce a stunning sunset.......just as the speeches were about to begin! Once again Becky & Matt took it in their stride and we jumped into the car and headed for the beach to make the most of it.....sorry Kate ;)

A beautiful day for a beautiful couple. Congratulations to you both x

A Little Help Needed

2009-08-22T02:34:00.000-07:00

I have cowered away from competition entries in the past but, as I curled up with my new Practical Photography magazine, I couldn't help but be drawn to this months competition.....dereliction.

Armed with camera, tripod, filters and all the other paraphernalia that tends to accompany me on my outings, I headed up to a local building which has become derelict over the past few years. I won't mention where exactly this building is as I think its beauty should be preserved.

There is something unnerving about entering a derelict property and outbuildings. An eerie silence all around and the only sounds are flapping wings of the disturbed pigeons. This building is a fascinating place.....stuck in the 1950's. I had my Dad and Daughter with me as no gal should travel alone to these places...you never know when the spiders might get you! I could have spend hours exploring but, as my daughter got VERY spooked, spent about 20 minutes before leaving the building.

Anyway, my trip asides, I am hoping you could help me decide if any of my photographs would be worth submitting to the competition. I thought I might set a poll just to see which photo you favour. If you think they are not good enough, please just let me know with a comment ( don't want to make a fool of myself now do I?)

A-Rusty Kettle

B - Mangle

C- AGA

D - Rotting Curtains

The Winner 'A Typical Britich Summer 2009'

2009-08-22T02:27:00.000-07:00

Congratulation Mum on winning your first photo competition. Perhaps now you can believe in your photography skills.

Well done to all the entrants, the photos were great and it just goes to show what a clever family I have!

The Winning Image

Thank you to all all our visitor judges and Mum, your prize will follow shortly.

A Typical British Summer Competition Submissions

2009-08-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

I never knew my little family competition would prove so popular.....a late runner gatecrashed in the form of my Mum.

The theme of the competition set was ' A Typical English Summer'

I am now pleased to be able to post all their submissions for you to admire.
After a few last minute submission hiccups here are the final nine pictures ready for judgements.

Please post all your comments and place you vote for your favourite image before 21st August 2009. The final winner will be announced on Saturday 22nd August

GOOD LUCK

A-Friends

B-Yellow Flower

C -The River

D-Ice Cream Heaven

E-Playing in the Park

F-Diving

G-The Lily Pond

H-Bowls

I-Just The Two Of Us

Jon-Paul & Izy - A Sneaky Peak

2009-08-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Izy & Jon-Paul who were married at Fareham United reformed Church , followed by a fun reception at the Lycees Hotel.....great staff by the way!

Another first for me with both venues.....and a first wedding with uniforms. Who would have thought that a man in uniform cannot sit down! I had a great time on Saturday and I have to admit.....couldn't have had a better bunch to work with. Cheers guys for indulging me with my whims in spite of the heat, ow you managed to cope all day in uniform amazes me.

Now I know I shouldn't, but i just can resist. After hunting down Izy and Jon-PAUL on Sunday to let them know their secret wedding gallery password, I was hoping to open up the main wedding gallery for you all to have a look at before the happy couple headed off to Disneyland on Monday. No such luck! No, email in my inbox, no text on my phone.....no nothing to say that all their guests could have a look in the gallery. A dilemma!

Now, I think I will be forgiven for letting you have a sneaky peak at a few of the photographs lurking in the gallery.....a little something to whet the appetite.

Thank you so much to Sam for calling me on Sunday...it was lovely to hear from you and it is nice to know we were appreciated for all our hard work on the day. I have to also give a little mention to Jack.....I need a Jack at all my weddings. A great help with all the organisation. Never has group photographs run so smoothly.

Congratulations to you both and thank you for inviting me to share in your special day

Family Rivalry – Photography Challenge

2009-08-10T03:55:00.001-07:00

My Daughter has finally left for her annual holiday to Granddad & Grandma's house in Tenterden. Now why would this event make my blog pages you may ask? Well, Justine seems to have inherited her Granddad's competitive streak and has asked that I set a photography competition for them whilst she is away. Rather than keep this among ourselves. I thought it might be nice for others to see what they have been up to and to help judge their work

Rules of the game

No hiding each other's equipment
No stealing each other's shots
Three images from each contestant are to be emailed to me by Friday 14^th August
Images can be taken on either SLR or point and shoot cameras
All submitted images must fit in with the given theme

The judge (me) will be looking for technical capability, artistic flair and an image that fits in with the given theme.

What is this theme? (I know my daughter has been badgering me for the theme title to get a jump start on the competition…tut tut Justine)

TYPICAL ENGLISH SUMMER

Please feel free to post you comments about the photographs when they appear.

GOOD LUCK XX

Peter-Sam & Theresa's Dive into Marriage

2009-08-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

August is ordinarily considered a pretty safe bet weather wise for a wedding day. Friday 31st July.....warm and sunny, Sunday August 2nd.......warm & Sunny......I can't help but feel that saturday August 1st was a little early prcatice for a Peter-sam & Theresa's Maldives diving honeymoon.

I have to be honest, I am a bit of an avid weather watcher on the lead up to a wedding and, forever wanting the best for the happy couple, I tend to hop around different weather channels and fix my mind on the best on offer ( a little naive perhaps but I am always the optomist) After scouring all weather options, I had no choice but to admit defeat and accept that Saturday was destined to be 'nice weather for ducks!'

My kit bag had all the usuals but in additon, one camera coat and an extra 3 umbrellas were added. I usually add a spare pair of trousers for myself (a nasty experience with a muddy puddle at an previous wedding) but this time I thought 3 sets of clothes may be prudent (this wedding had a river , and from past experience we know that me mud and water don't mix)

Car packed, umbrellas at the ready we headed off to the Kings Community Church in Hedge end to meet the boys for a few early photos. I was glad to see that they were not dispirited by the drizzle and were happy to pop outside for a few snapsA little brighness on a rainy day!
With the weather getting wetter, the guests were escorted from their cars by very kind gentlemen with umbrellas......it made me smile and I couldn't resist taking a quick snap before heading in to prepare for the Bride's arrival ( after all, rain and Brides should be kept well apart)

Still raining I decided to set up for a couple of arrival shots in the louge room ( Thank you to the church for being so kind as to jiggle a few things round for me) Theresa arrived and there was just time to capture a couple of formals before she was heading up the aisle (apparently 15 minutes late......sorry Peter-Sam ;)

Forever the optomist, I had been hoping that the skies would clear and the sun would pop his hat on. Now I am not greedy, I would have been just as happy if the rain had just gone away.....but no......still raining when the Bride and Groom imerged a Mr & Mrs.

Now as of yet I don't think I have mentioned that the reception venue was Bossington House. Bossington House is a beautiful house in stunning grounds. I had popped up to visit the venue on Thursday and, had been told that the only suitable place for photographs in the wet would be the dining room. The dining room would be fine for the smaller groups but I knew that I would have serious difficulties squeezing in larger groups so had opted to shoot a couple of the large groups at the church before we left.....little did I realise just how large the groups would be. Room was still a bit tight and, as time was short, decided to abandon ship and head straight out to Bossington in the hope that conditions would improve.

THANK YOU....weather lifts in time for a few much needed photographs.

I love this photograph.....just thought I would share that!

The caterers said 4pm for the meal....4pm the heavens opened again ( I reckon they had had a private word with him upstairs!)

As if there wasn't enough of the wet stuff.....a little more to make you smile.

When the rain puts in an appearance on your day, a little smile will bring back the sunshine.
My Morning Greeting

Richard & Janet - Wedding Showcase

2009-08-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

A little artistic imagination can go a long way. Wedding albums have changed throughout the years. No longer do we have to abide by the traditional rules and have one overlay ed photograph per page in an album design of years gone by.

Each wedding has it's own personality and as such, deserves an album personal to the day. Wedding guests travel from far and wide and as such, many may not get to see the finished album. With this in mind, I have decided to showcase an album of my favourite images. I should point out that this is NOT the final design as the happy couple are yet to decide which images are to be incorporated.

ENJOY!

Richard & Janet Tie the Knot

2009-07-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Richard and Janet who took the plunge on Saturday in a truly personal service at the Kings Community Church in Hedge End. This is a venue I am getting to know quite well as I seem to have had the privilege of photographing a few weddings there over the last couple of years.

It was a beautiful ceremony and friends and family travelled from far and wide.....some from as far as New Zealand! I have to give a big clap to Maisie, what a little star! Maisie proved to be the most well behaved 2 yr old flower girl that I have ever come accross.

I have to admit, this little game off peeka boo was instigated by a naughty photographer.

I love to instill a little fun into my wedding photography and Richard and Janet were just the couple to indulge me. The bridal party joined in fun and helped to create some fab photographic memories of the day.

On a Lighter Note

Now I have to admit, sometimes not everything I do pays off. So I thought I would share what was supposed to be a great idea that went ever so slightly wonky.

The idea behind this image was for me to shoot the happy couple dancing together......or rather NOT dancing together, from the balcony above. After a little chat, and feeling fairly confident that they knew to stand VERY still, I headed up on the balcony to make my exposure. Hmmmm, now when I set up my tripod, the couple were stood central in my frame but, as the music played they began to dance. I waited thinking that they would stop dancing and stand still, tipped the wink to the bridesamaid to get them to stand still.....all I can say is they obviously got far to engrossed that they forgot about little ol' me!
The idea was supposed to show a static couple....nice and sharp in the centre of the frame, with the movement of their friends dancing all around them. Just goes to show.....things do not always go to plan lol.

Ta to both of you for allowing me to share your special day.

On a Further note......

Meet Peter-Sam & Theresa. Keep an eye out on my blog for news on their wedding day, to be held next week at the KCC followed by a reception at Bossington House.

I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed for great weather for you both.

See you Monday!

Tedworth House 1970's Night

2009-07-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

Abbamania hit Tedworth House for this years annual summer ball. This years theme.....the 1970's. A bit of a blast from the past when in walked a ' Bay City Roller'. Now I have always regarded myselfs as more of an 80's girl but I have vivid memories of my sister's Les Mckeown days....tartan trimmed trousers & tartan scarfs are memories to be treasured. Anyway, enough of all that!

What an amazing effort on the costumes! I just have to share a few from the night. I always think of the 70's as flowery costumes but there was a wide array of differnt ideas.....bay city roller being just one of them. A Eric Estrada turned up complete with chips outfit, a storm trooper, pimps and Abba lookalikes were but a few of them.

Outside the entertainments came in the form of dodgems, candyfloss, and coconut shys etc.

Well done Nick on a great first event!

James & Laura's Wedding

2009-07-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

July 4th saw us photographing James & Laura's wedding at Allsaints Church Botley followed by our first reception at http://steeplecourtmanor.co.uk/ Not having had the pleasure of photographing at this particualr venue before ( actually I have to admit I didn't know it even existed) we opted to check it out before the day to ensure I knew the layout. The owner was welcoming and showed us around the ample grounds. Forever having my foot in my mouth, I made comment to the 'beautiful little garden' only to be shot down in flames with a comment of '14 acres actually' Ooops!

Inside the Marquee at Steeple Court Manor

Now every couple wishes for beautiful weather and I, like them, keep one eye firmly on the weather reports on the run up to the special day. The weather had been gorgeous all week and, on the morning we woke to rain.....typical! I couldn't have even imagined what a beautiful day it would turn out to be.

This sign just about summed it all up!

The bride looked beautiful as she walked down the aisle. As the ceremony commenced I had to have a little chuckle at their little flower girl as she took centre stage.

As the service commenced she pulled up a prayer cushion and did a great little mimic of the vicar.....absolutely delightful.....if only you could bottle it!

This is the first wedding I have attended where there was a stop off at the pub on route to the reception....a real welcome break from the heat!

Steeple Court Manor is a lovely venue but I have to admit, flexibilty did not seem to be the order of the day. Time for photographs was in short supply and there was NO room for negotiation. We did however manage to grab a couple of lovely shots before having our knuckles rapped. I appreciate that chefs need to be on time but surely 10 extra minutes at the couples request is not unreasonable. Thank you to the usher for trying so hard to earn us a little leaway. I hope you all like the images

Congratualtions to you both and may you have a long happy life together. I hope you like your photographs!

Prom Season- Brune Park College

2009-06-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

This Years Prom Committee

Great Job!

Prom season arrived for another year and once again I was amazed by the efforts put in by the parents and students of Brune Park College in Gosport.

The welcoming committee

June 25th was as hectic as ever and this year I wanted to offer a little ' extra something' in the form of our greenscreen service. As I was tied up photographing the students formals, I recruited and old college friend to photograph the kids in front of the green screen. Two complete setup in one room at Sultan Wave Club meant shifting a great big pool table.....nothing two tough girlies could't manage together.......just as well seeing as all the fellas couldn't be seen for dust!

The 'little something extra'
The evening was great fun. the kids were patient....just as well as we were rushed off our feet from the moment we arrived till close of play. The evening started for us outside this year. There were crowds of parents outside the venue in readiness to great the array of transporting vehicles. I wasn't outside for long ( doing battle for photographs with news photographers is not my idea of fun) but long enough to appreciate the individuality displayed by each student.

A unique take on transport......Ooops!

Check out the shoes!

If you need a prom photographer for 2010....give me a call on 01329 826844

Busy Busy Busy....School Photography Service

2009-06-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? Life is so busy that I have to admit my blog page has had to take a bit of a back seat recently. So where do I start with my catch up? I suppose the logical place would be where the blog started to fall behind. Who would have thought that my newly launched school photography service would prove so popular so quickly.

For those of you who know me, you will know that I took a year out from working in nursery schools to honour a contractual agreement I had with the larger school photography company. ....a year in which I have not been idle. My year has been spent in preparation for the launch of my independent service on May 1st. New ideas have been developed alongside new services and my website has now been updated for staff and parents alike. Be sure to take a sneaky peek. I have to thank my website designers for working with me for the May 1st deadline in spite of them being bogged down with new work generated from this years focus on imaging show in February........you are all stars!

May proved very busy. Letters went out introducing our new service and, on followup calls to nurseries I have been greeted like a long lost friend. I was a little concerned that my year out would make people forget me. Bookings have come in thick and fast and are continuing to do so. My first nursery was booked for June 9th with another four following fast. I am pleased to report that all have generated repeat bookings. Thank you to all who have put their faith in me.

A few shots to whet your appetite

A special thanks goes to all the children's parents for allowing me the honour of publishing these images.
Should you be interested in our new personalised schools service, please give me a call on 01329 826844.

Greenscreen Unleashed

2009-06-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Friday night saw the launch of our new greenscreen service. Now this has been something I have been contemplating for a little while now but, forever cautious, had decided to hold off until I was sure it would behave itself.

Now Friday night also saw St Vincent's Summer Ball as HMS Nelson.....spot the link here? The greenscreen wasn't meant to be launched, a flipant offer to the organiser had been declined in favour of a more tradtional backdrop....so what changed?

Forever the girl guide i do like to be prepared. HMS Nelson was a venue I had yet to work so I thought it prudent to go visit prior to the event. As my new schools service has also recently been launched, spare time has been few and far between. Two days prior to the event, during a meeting with the events co-ordinator, I am informed in passing that I am in fact providing our greenscreen service ARGHHHHHHH!!!! Why did I not know this? A quick check of students attending tells me that perhaps it may be feesible. How hard can a greenscreen launch be with 95 students? Break it in gently...no sweat......accept I had no backdrops to use.

My photoshop skills are far from perfect but I can generally bluff my way around to get what I want so, upon my return home, I set about designing my 007 themed backdrops. A couple of online tutorials and here is what I came up with.

Friday night was a great night. The kids were great, and the sytem behaved itself. Luckily as it turns out as the 95 students were in fact to 250 on the night!

From this to......

IF YOU ARE HAVING A SPECIAL EVENT WHICH REQUIRES SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT, GIVE US A CALL.

Lessons to be Learned

2009-06-01T10:50:00.001-07:00

The Haven seems to becoming more of my second home...a bit of a training ground for family members as they strive for better photographs. It has only been a few weeks since popping down to the Haven with my Dad for a little photo session and it never ceases to amaze me how you can photograph the same location on several occasions and each time come up with something new.

Mum paid me a visit this weekend armed with her camera in the hope of 'bagging' some great shots for her photography course. After having a little confidence wobble, we decided a little 'one to one' tuition was the order of the day. We all have our favourite genres and Mums is landscape photography. If I could rustle up an exotic location...so much the better!
Landscape photography is all about lighting and composition. The best hours of the day to venture out are dawn and dusk. Needless to say the summer is not the best of times to tackle the genre but, summer it is so sunshine was going to play a huge part of our trip.
First stop of the day was a beautiful little village called Bosham. Bosham, has claimed many a car as during high tide, the water rises right to the houses along the water's edge leaving no room for cars. We arrived at low tide but, if you looked around carefully, there were little tell tail signs as to the tides intentions.

Seaweed at the base of household steps make a fine photograph!
I have to give Mum her due, she spotted the next photo opportunity, but I decided to sneak in for my own composition.

Two visions of the same subject. Just goes to show that we all see things in different ways!

Just a little funny from the day!

Bosham can offer fantastic photo opportunities....just less often on bright, sunny days so, uninspired we decided to head off for pastures new.

A little gem Mum....well done!
As I say, there is little scope in Landscape photography but this was a great spot. A quick chat with the model ensured the bottle was in the right place at the right time and a little photoshop tuition and.....BINGO!!

The Haven

Last stop of the day was Titchfield Haven. As the sun began to drop, the Landscape lit up. At last, what we had been waiting for. Finally a chance to bag some great photographs.

Here's the pick of the bunch....mainly Mum's with one or two of mine thrown in for good measure.

Up Up

and away!

Ever been in that situation where you wait....wait....and wait some more whilst swans majestically glide towards you. You will them to take flight.......then wait some more whilst they make their grand entrance? Finally, they arrive and, as soon as you turn your back they finally take flight when you are totally unprepared! Fortunately for us they were in a showing off mood and gave us a double fly past! A photographer should ALWAYS be prepared!

The best shots rely on angles that have yet to be discovered.

Thanks Mum and you took some fab pictures.

Good luck with your remainig college time and I look forward to seeing your travel shots xx

Titchfield Haven

2009-05-26T13:31:00.001-07:00

Meet my Dad. I love my Dad Loads. He visits me fairly often and I love his visits. it means we can spend time together and,he also loves to get out and about taking photographs so it is a great opportunity for me to enjoy taking photographs for the the shear enjoyment of it!

These were taken on a little trip out with my Dad. Thanks Dad, I enjoy our trips immensely and look forward to many more.....my pictures are definately better though ;)

First Holy Communion

2009-05-26T12:34:00.001-07:00

Sunday 17^th May saw my First Holy Communion in the form of St Vincent De Pauls and The Church of the Holy Families annual first Holy Communion. I am always up for new challenges and this one came at short notice and a bolt from the blue. Their usual photographer pulled out last minute and left them stranded with nobody to record these special moments. I felt very honoured to be trusted with such an important task.

Thank you so much to Liz and Maureen for looking after me throughout both ceremonies....I couldn't have done it without you help. Father Louie was a delight to work with. A very welcoming man who made my job so much easier by allowing me the freedom set about creating images. The children were fantastic...so brave to step up in front of so many people and do their readings. It was a real treat to witness their first communion.

Special Moments to Treasure

Adam & Jo’s Wedding

2009-05-26T11:55:00.001-07:00

Firstly, apologies for the lack of blog updates in recent weeks. All I can say in my defence is I have been so hectic with the launch of our school photography service alongside my current work load, that there has been little time for blogging. I will update you with how this part of my service is progressing soon but, for now at least, I have popped in to congratulate Adam and Jo on their beautiful wedding last week.

This was to be my first assignment at Portsmouth Registry Office and, having taken a sneak peek around the venue prior to the day, was looking forward to it immensely. On my visit, the gardens were looking beautiful. The ceanothus was blooming alongside the wisteria covered pergolas. I just prayed that they remained this way until the Saturday.

The Gardens
I kept an eager eye on the weather and, in true British weather style; the weather took a nosedive toward the end of the week and, as the wind whipped up, rain was forecast for the Saturday. As it turned out, the weather whipped up such frenzy it blew the rain right past us......fantastic!
Portsmouth Registry Office run a bit of a conveyer belt system and, as the photographer you have to be a bit on the ball or you could easily photograph the wrong guests. Couples seemed to arrive about every 30 minutes and guests arrived in a steady stream. As one couple went up the beautiful staircase to the ceremony room, the previous couple headed to the gardens for the photographs. As the last ceremony of the day, I naively thought that we would have free reign of the gardens until we were done.......seems I was sadly mistaken there as we were chased out the gardens after 25 minutes. A real shame as I would have loved to spend a little more time with all the guests. Fortunately, Adam and Jo are a super couple and were more than happy to head down to Old Portsmouth for some private photographs.

A quick snap as we were leaving

As these have proved to be some of my favourites from the day I have decided to share some of these with you.

Congratulations to you both and I hope to catch up with you upon your return ( I'm not jealous at all!)

Daniel is a little star...thank you Daniel for making beautiful photographs!

Kathy & Kevin

2009-04-21T12:07:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Kevin and Kathy on their wedding on April 4^th at St Mary's Church in Alverstoke. Ordinarily this post would have been posted just after the happy event but, as usual, I am running drastically behind on my blog due to work commitments.

All photos have been posted to the gallery but, for the first time I have been requested to keep them under wraps until the Kevin & Kathy have had time to browse the gallery at their leisure. From what I hear this should prove a lot easier upon their return than using their internet connection in the Maldives! I can assure you that the gallery will be open for all guests VERY soon.

So back to the wedding day, and what a wedding day it was! Who could have guessed that the weather would prove to be so glorious at the beginning of April? They say the sun shines in the righteous and boy, was the sun shining.....in fact shining just a little too perfectly for my liking (photographers are fussy people) The best images are never produced in full sunshine and finding shade was to prove a challenge!

After a lovely ceremony (thank you Father Ted for not banishing me to the bell tower) it was my intention to take a few shots outside the church but, having been greeted by wall to wall sunshine, found it prudent to head down to Crescent Gardens for a few shots. Great little location as it is right opposite the Alverbank Hotel. All guests could pile into the bar for a drink whilst the photo formalities were being taken care of. Thank you everyone for being so patient and for being so receptive to my ideas.....I really hate taking photos of soldiers standing in a row so it was a pleasure to work with you all.

Andrew

HMS Alliance was to be the venue for the reception....a fantastic venue and a first for me. My first visit on a submarine, in fact my first visit to the museum myself which is terrible really as I have lived in Gosport for 23 years. The staff were fantastic.It was lovely to meet Andrew Poole and nothing was too much trouble for him.... I was made to feel very welcome which is not always the case for us lowly photographers lol. I hope you all feel the photographs do your venue justice.

A few Pics in the sub

A fab sunset to round off the perfect day

I should point out that I was extremely lucky to take any of the photographs at HMS Alliance as, a stupid error on my part, meant my much prized lens, was sitting on a bench in Crescent Gardens whilst I was at the Submarine Museum....not ideal I think you would agree. Thank you Kevin for having a hotline to the Alverbank Hotel and a big thank you to the chef who hot footed it over the road to rescue it! That was nearly the most expensive mistake ever!

My first ever HDR photo

I am now looking forward to getting to grips with the wedding album design upon the happy couple's return.

The Little Blue Cart

2009-03-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

A little update . Remember the little blue cart that was rescued from a junk shop in Portsmouth? I am please to say that it is now ready for work and has had it's first outing.

It is now already....minus it's handle.......to travel to nurseries with me for our school photography service. A big thank you goes to Ian who has spent hours in his workshop painting and sanding to make it all shiney new again.

A Year in Photographs Week 10

2009-03-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

Week 10 has been a busy week. Portrait sessions Galore, a Band for promotional photographs alongside preparation for the Alverbank Hotels Spring wedding fair....busy busy busy. in amongst all this I have been busy putting together my material in preparation for our school photography launch on May 1st....I Can't wait! Anyway, moe about that later. So, time to share some photographs for week 10.

Remember Casey my aspiring model. well, after the succsess of our location shoot, Casey had asked for a portrait session to work alongside the photographs. Once again she was great. I decided to bring a little sparkle into the session and have some fun by mixing the requested bikini shots with bright backdrops. Wanting to be prepared, I grabbed my daughter ( on her way out the door I might add) and asked her to try out my backdrop with a couple of props I has bought......here is what she came up with.

Thanks to my daughter for acting the fool and making a mum proud....daft as she is!

My favorites from Caseys shoot

Well Done Casey

A Year In Photographs – Week 9

2009-03-18T10:13:00.001-07:00

Now if you are a regular visitor to my blog, you may have noticed that I been taking a little time out from my blog recently. It isn't that I have nothing new to share with you….quite the opposite! I have just been too busy to update my blog. I have been busy beavering away with lots of new projects on the go, as well as trying to keep up with the jobs as they arrive. I have now found myself with a few minutes to spare so thought I would spend them with you.

So what did week nine bring?
Week nine saw a visit to my family in Kent. Always lovely to catch up with everyone but who can travel without even a little photography. Week nine saw me visiting my sister Paula and her merry band of handmade bears. All the latest bears that were to head off to Kensington Palace to a bear fair. I had decided to purchase some new colour backdrops in preparation for this little visit as, if we possibly can; we get together and photograph all the latest additions.
Meet my big sis….she is sooooooooooo clever. If you would like to check out her website please visit:
ALL BEAR by PAULA CARTER
In the meantime, after a good girlie gossip and general sister time, I can now share with you some rather special creations

A Year In Photographs - Week 8

2009-03-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

What happened to turn my week so totally upside down this week? My year in photographs is still running to schedule......just....... it is the postings that have been letting me down! February probably wasn't the best time to tackle my week seven subject, and I have to thank my Daughter for being such a sport about appeasing me.

I love Old Portsmouth and am constantly looking for new ways to utilise the area for my portraits. I was hoping to find an old graffiti wall as Justine, my model for the day, has a fab hoodie that would fit perfectly....no chance! I am always drawn to piers and more often than not, the area under the pier proves to be alluring more alluring than the pier itself. South Parade Pier is a little weather beaten and now has little commercial use so it is a great place for a photographer to play.

Heading under the pier, I set about setting up my SB800's using the wireless system. I metered to underexpose the ambient lighting by 1 stop and set my first flash at approx 45 degrees to my subject. It was freezing so I took pity on Justine and let her keep her coat on for my first shot.

After I was comfortable with the lighting setup, I aksed justine to take off her coat ( a bit mean as it was only about 2 degrees!) Justine pulled off some great shots which I think really show off her personality to a tee.

Pushing my luck a little further....and I was given approx a three minute window, Justine agrred to wear a little white dress and paddle in the water. I was hoping to acheive some beautiful shots of Justine messing about in the water.....perhaps we shall try this again when the weather is a little warmer!

A special thank you has to go to Justine for being such a star. I am soooooo glad that your defrosted, and your feet returned to normal....eventually. Next time we will wait for the Indian summer to arrive and perhaps give that litte red dress and outing! A little photo editing has aided the eviction of Bob & Joan xx

A Year in Photographs – Week 7

2009-02-17T06:22:00.001-08:00

Half term has arrived and to me, this means a little time to spend with my daughter. Justine is seventeen now and working hard at her AS levels. She obviously acquired the brain gene that seemed elude me. She is studying Psychology, Communications & Culture, Maths & of course photography. This was supposed to be her fun subject but it seems she really enjoying exploring her creative streak and, as she now has her final project set, I feel this week will be a time for taking her out and about so that she can collect her images in preparation for her exam. I am hoping to share her images with you as she progresses with her chosen theme of 'Relationships'

With all the preparation that comes with college work, it set me thinking as to my project for this week. Forever looking for new techniques, I have found magazines and excellent source of inspiration. This week's Digital SLR had a great little project on Refraction. You know the type of thing. How water bends objects? Anyway, never having had a bash at this, I thought it might be worth a bash.

After a couple of false starts….mainly that water doesn't seem to sit so nicely on glass as it does on plastic, I set about creating my first ever refraction photographs.

As you can see, my camera is fixed on a tripod and the tripod has been weighted down. VERY important if you don't want to have an expensive repair bill on your hands!

Now I am sure that there is plenty I could do with this idea and, hopefully, before the year is out, I will be able to come up with something a little more creative. For now I am very happy with the results. I have to admit, that there has been a bit of tidying up in Photoshop necessary. It seems that shooting with a macro lens shows all the sensor spots in full glory! I feel anther trip to Nikon coming on!

Just for fun, lets see who can guess all four right! What are they?

A Year In Photographs - Week 6

2009-02-10T08:28:00.000-08:00

I have to give a special thanks to Casey for giving me my material for this weeks post. Casey has decided that she is going to be a future Britain's Next Top Model and at 13 yrs old....she might just be right!

MEET CASEY!

I have always put off producing model portfolios when asked, but, as this year is a year for developing my photography, I decided to take on the challenge. These photographs are from the first half of our session, the second session will be taken in my small home based studio.

This was to be Casey's first independent shoot and I must say, she was a little star! We headed over to Old Portsmouth, a favourite haunt of mine, to take a few snaps. This is an ideal location as there is plenty of covered areas to use and, with the weather being its usual awkward self, this proved to be an excellent choice of venue.

Considering the temperature was around -2, I reckon she did a great job hiding the fact that she was freezing.......who said modelling was glamorous job!

Once again my creative lighting system came into play....I think I might be getting to grips with it

Snow Picture Update

2009-02-10T08:22:00.001-08:00

Just a quick update on the progress of my ' what is it' winter photo posted last week. Thank you for all the guesses....most of which have landed in my email box apposed to comments on my blog. No it is not my car windscreen, nor is it my birdbath....a spider's web was also an interesting guess.....but not even a little bit close!

So what is it?

It is in fact a solar light in my garden! Once again thanks you for all your tries. It has encouraged me to test you all further. I will be heading out armed with my macro lens to see what I can find.

A Year In Photographs - Week 5

2009-02-05T09:54:00.000-08:00

As you are all aware, the weather has been a major factor this week so it was only logical that I would be heading out to make the most of the 'white stuff' First stop was my garden. You tend to forget about out little feathered friends whilst cosying up indoors but, on taking a peek out, i witnessed the birds trying desparately to rescue some little tit bits from the snow ladne feeders hanging in the garden. I thought about trying to make these my subject but, I have no patience whatsoever and, as I opened the backdoor, the birds beat a hasty retreat to the large fir tree in my neighbors garden....humph!

My first photograph is a little tease. Can you guest what it is? I think I will leave that to the imagination and maybe post the answer next week. Lets see if any of you can work it out!

The following images were taken at a place close to my heart....100 Acre Wood. No Winnie the Pooh or Piglett playing in the snow....just a giggling, middle aged couple taking a few precious moments to build a snowman....a real pleasure to witness. It just goes to show we are all kids at heart when it comes to the really wintery pleasures.

Starting with Carting

2009-02-01T06:41:00.001-08:00

Just a quick little update as I really wanted to share with you my latest prize finds. On heading to Fawcett Road in Pompey, I was delighted to find this little gem sitting outside and little antique shop, filled to the brim with old pub sign lettering. It was so hidden we almost missed it! I am constantly looking for those little special delights to add some charm to my child portraiture and think this will fit the bill perfectly.

My special little cart is now firmly ensconced in Ian's workshop waiting for a little tender care. I am reliably informed that this is a genuine Victorian Child's cart….complete with genuine Victorian repairs. Now I know you are not supposed to mess with the authenticity of antiques but, as I wish to use this with children, it is to be stripped of all its paint, sanded, repaired and introduced to my ever growing collection of beautiful things. Watch this space for progress reports.

A special thanks to Ian for taking on this project for me.

I am thinking navy blue to fit with girls and boys....any opinions?

A Year in Photographs – Week 4

2009-01-28T07:46:00.001-08:00

Time has flown by this week and before I knew it, it was the last day for my Year in Photographs posting and I had nothing in the bag! Looking out the window determined that I would not be venturing so I decided I would have to set about 'creating' something indoors.

I am eager to learn as much as I can about Nikon's creative light system and, as I have all the components for it, thought I would find something to photograph using it. Heading to the fridge for inspiration, I found a lovely tub of juicy strawberries…..a possibility there perhaps? What could I do with them? On numerous occasions now, I have seen some stunning shots involving a glass of water and some ice cubes. In true Blue Peter style, I set about creating my image. How hard could it be after all!

I retrieved some black fabric from my shed, and set it up as a backdrop over my dining table. I found a glass, a reasonable looking glass but not quite what I had in mind, filled it with water and set it on my backdrop. At this point it dawned on me, my glass…full of water, was sitting on my rather expensive dining table with only a little bit of fabric separating the two….not very clever! I grabbed the coffee table glass top, placed it over the fabric and then placed my glass on top……ah, much better!

So what about the lighting? As I say, I really want to get to grips with the CLS, so I decided to use three flash units. The first was set to 'Master' and attached to the camera; the second was set to backlight the glass and set to TTL, the third was set as my fill light and set manually to 1/16. If anyone is reading this and wondering why I set up this way…..I have never done it before and thought it seemed right OK. Any advice always gratefully received!

To narrow the light output I made myself a little snoot….not very pretty but effective.

My first image was achieved by dropping ice cubes in the glass and firing the shutter when I thought the time was right. After a few attempts I came up with this image.

I decided to try using some strawberries in another shot with a different glass but the glass was too plain and the images were VERY bland. Rather than abandon ship, I thought I would have a little play and see what I could come up with on the computer by combining the two shots. It seemed such a shame for the strawberries to sacrifice themselves in the name of art and not to even get published. After a few tweaks in Photoshop……

As for the table, it survived the ordeal but, drawing a conclusion to my indoor play time……hopefully practice makes perfect!

A Year in Photographs - Week 3

2009-01-20T02:55:00.000-08:00

I knew my year in photographs was going to set me some challenges, and for week three I decided the time had come to take out the Nikon creative light system and put it to the test in the field. I have owned the equipment for some time now but never seem to find the time to master the techniques.

This week I had been asked by client, to photograph some scarves using a couple of models. I love Old Portsmouth so suggested we meet here. The arches offer some respite for the coastal winds and, should it rain we would still be able to take a few shots under the arches protection.

I decided that, as the light was a little flat, the photographs could do with a lift. Ordinarily I would have used a direct fill flash....but for this occasion I had promised myself I would try some 'off camera' flash. I set about mounting an SB800 flash on a light stand, and, as I wanted to use a soft fill, chose to shoot through an umbrella and I then balanced the flash the ambient light. All nicelly set to go......till the wind took hoold of the umbrella and sent my rather expensive flash unit crashing to the floor!! Not a good start to the day!

Once the setup was repositioned, we moved our model into place and took a few shots.

My next image was taken just around the corner in a lovely little alley I had found on my New Years Day outing.

Once again the flash was mounted on the stand and an umbrella was used to soften the light. I must appologise to all the walker on that day...who felt it necessary to find another route....sorry people!

Thanks to Rose Black Accessories for putting their trust in my abilities...Hope you like the results!

A Year in Photographs - Week 2

2009-01-10T06:34:00.001-08:00

As some of you will already know, one of my New Year Resolutions was to get out and about and take two photographs every week for the next year. For week two of my challenge, I decided to head off to Brighton for the day and see what I could find.

I have only ever visited Brighton in the summer months so was a little unsure of what to expect. One thing I did know was that it was going to be cold......oh so very cold....in fact SO cold, the car windscreen washers remained frozen solid the entire journey!

So what of Brighton? It was pretty deserted when we arrived. I can only assume, as a party capital, the locals start late. The sun was high, a beautiful crisp day so we headed to the Lanes for a bit of sightseeing. I must admit, they had changed beyond recognition from my last visit. I had hoped to find the little antique and junk shops that had greeted me previously. Unfortunately, all we found were designer clothes shops and jewellery shops in their place, a sad sign of the times.

As the sun began to lower in the sky, we grabbed the camera and headed along the promenade to the pier. I was going to have another bash at a panoramic shot from the pier's end, as the sun had cast a warm glow across all the buildings.

RESULT

It was here that we met Clive Reedman. He is a regular photographer around Brighton and if you want to take a look at some of his images pop into his flickr pages. Not sure what all his red shoes images are about but hey.....different strokes 'n' all.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/creedman/
As the sun was dipping, we set about our task of choosing a good vantage point of the pier to await the arrival of the starlings coming home to roost. The first arrivals appeared around 3.45pm, as we watched the skies, more and more birds joined the spectacle. By 4pm there were thousands upon thousands of birds dancing in the skies. What a site! It is these images that I have chosen to share with you for this week. Camera mounted on a tripod, filters in place, settings on the camera set for maximum effect, I just stood and watched the formations develop above the pier. Fortunately, I did remember to keep my finger on the shutter to record some of them for you.

Happy Birthday Dad.

Today is my father's 73^rd Birthday. Happy birthday to a very special man in my life. Dad joined us in Brighton yesterday for our little outing.......and a free lunch lol. A little note just for him "I know the years creeping up on you Dad, but I can assure you, I was not trying to Cryogenically freeze you on the beach last night"
Happy Birthday Dad!
Love Tina xxx

A Year In Photographs

2009-01-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

This new year has bought new ideas and a new found enthusiam for learning. I often read about new techniques but rarely find the time to put them into practice let alone master and perfect them. This year I have decided things are going to change and have set myself a challenge. I have decided to produce two personal photographs each week on subjects that I rarely get to encounter in my day to day work. You will see my disasters as well as my triumphs and any critisisms or advise will be really appreciated. Please feel free to click on the comment box and let me know how you think I am doing. Hopefully, as the year progresses, so will my abilities.

PANORAMICS

I have often seen beautiful panoramic shots adorning the pages of glossy magazines and think to myself ' I must get out and give that a go' Well, on New Years Day it was time to put on Wooly Hats and scarves, drag out the tripod and head off to Southsea to have a go at a panoramic. Ian had bought me a shiney new tripod head for Christmas and it was calling for an outing and Old Portsmouth seemed and obvious choice.

The weather was bleak but dry and, as this was a technique outing rather than a perfect shot outing, I didn't feel the need to worry about the 'perfect light'

In old Portsmouth, there is a small jetty and it was here that I decided to set up my tripod.

To be honest, I was not too sure what would make a good panoramic and it was all a bit of hit n miss guess work. I made sure that the tripod was level using all three spirit levels and the secured my camera to it. I took and exposure reading and, as the light was flat and unchanging, I knew it would remain the same for each separate image taken.

HMS DOLPHIN
This panoramic consists of 6 separate images stitched together using photoshops 'photomerge' facility. The angle of each image was changed by 15 degrees each time until I had completed the entire composition.

My second shot was taken from the same spot but facing towards the Round Tower. This image has been created from a series of 9 images. Once again it was merged together in photoshop and some cloning was needed to smooth out some imperfections. I boosted the contrast and saturation a little to improve the finish.

PORTSMOUTH ROUND TOWER.

Please feel free to post your comments

Goodbye 2008.....Hello 2009!

2009-01-02T10:53:00.000-08:00

2008 came and was an eventful year in more ways than one. As we now rush head long into 2009 it is time to step back and take stock of the highs and lows that business has bought and decide how I should press forward this year. Our 'Shoot Ur Guests' service has flourished and we are taking wedding bookings for 2010 and beyond. So what will be new for 2009

We will be attending Focus on Imaging in February and will hopefully be submitting a collection of images to qualify for the BIPP certificate, as well as looking at the latest equipment and hopefully finding some new innovative suppliers.

April will see the launch of our new School Photography service.....an area of photography that I am really looking forward to returning to. I have lots of new ideas and look forward to meeting with those I have worked with in previous years.

Personal goals have also been set. It is my intention to submit photographs for competition (assuming of course I find some spare time) as well as spending time mastering some new techniques....I will share my results as they develop

So a Happy New Year to you all and I look forward to meeing you in 2009!

As Gangster Season Draws To A Close........

2008-12-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

Monday evening saw us saying a sad farewell to the Gangster & Moll Christmas Parties held at Cams Hall Golf Club. We have met some great characters along the way and the staff have been an absolute pleasure to work with.....thank guys!

I thought I would just share a few of the photos from the evenings festivities.

ENJOY & HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!

SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR FOR MOULIN ROUGE XX

Nics & Rachels Winter Wedding

2008-12-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

December is a busy time of year for everyone. For me it has meant numerous gangster nights alongside two weddings. For Rachel & Nic it meant pushing Chritmas aside and preparing for their wedding day. December is getting everymore popular for weddings and Rachel & Nicolas had chosen 5 days beofre Christmas to tie the knot in a beautiful festive ceremony.

As the nights draw in, the photography becomes ever more challenging. Low light brings challenges that you rarely find during the summer months. Ceremonies finish and you have precious little time to capture those special moments before the darkness decends. It means a change in tactic to capture some beautiful images.

My blog today is to share with you just a few of those special images taken in situations where the light was challenging....and a couple just because I like them.

All comments are really appreciated.

I hope you enjoy the results!

The little details that count for so much!

The first lighting challenge. I wanted to create a little warmth within the room so decided to turn the lamps on and balance with flash to compliment the ambient lighting.

The Solent Inn at Whitely have a beautiful reception area and the Christmas tree made a perfect setting for some group shots. Once again the lighting prooved more than a little challenging but I think the results are worth the extra effort.

Our Bride and Bridesmaid having a little fun time.

Congratulations to you both and I hope you enjoy your Christmas break.

Speak to you when you get back!

The Great Gangster Shootout!

2008-11-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

Cams Hall Golf Club are this year staging Gangster and Moll theme nights and we have been given the pleasure of attending these evenings on the run up to Christmas.

The Great Gangster Shootout has begun!

The dining room complete with gangster hats for the boys and boas for the girls!

Meet Dave the DJ extraordinaire!

Thanks for being my model Dave and the suit looks sharp! Something missing perhaps? WHERE'S THE GOATIE!

Everyone made a great effort on their costumes and you all made my photos look fab!!

Thanks to that all who visited the studio throughout the evening. I hope you all enjoy looking at your photographs as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Slimming World Xmas Ball

2008-11-30T06:48:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy week one way or another. A week filled with variety and fun. The week started with us exhibiting at the Alverbank Hotel's Autumn Wedding Fayre and ended with us shooting gangsters! More on those later.

Thorngate Hall was the venue for the Slimming World Christmas Ball and our 'Shoot Ur Guests' print on the night service had been booked for attendance weeks ago.

The car was loaded by 5.30pm and we headed to the venue for 6pm allowing plenty of time to set up. Little did we know how eager the attendees would be! We were putting the final touches to the setup when the first eager beavers popped their heads round the door. "Not quite ready" we replied and the pressure was on. A few technical issues arose in the form of communication problems (and I am not talking human here!) The camera was talking to the computer but the computer was not talking to the editing programme. In plain English.......the pictures were not arriving for print!

More eager beavers were arriving so, the decision was made to shoot the images and sort the technicalities when we had a spare moment.......after all, there is ALWAYS a quite five minutes.

Thank you to everyone for being so understanding. What a great crowd you all were.

After our false start, Ian managed to bluff his way around and found another route to the printer and, I must admit, he did a sterling job! Just as well really as that 'quiet five minutes' failed to arrive. As all the ladies were looking so glam, we decided to offer them a little Christmas treat in the form of a ladies only photograph offer. I never could have guessed it would have been so popular!

So, for all those out there in the slimming world, the following photographs should offer you incentive on your journey.

Blitzed 1940’s Style

2008-11-22T12:02:00.001-08:00

Saturday was a busy day. As usual, last minute I decided to have a little brainstorm as to how I could add that little extra something to the photographs planned for Paula's 1940's birthday bash. I had booked out a special backdrop for this particular evening and was looking forward to putting it to the test. The backdrop was probably sufficient but, I always like to go that little extra to give my clients the photographs they deserve. I must admit, on this occasion I was a little stumped.

First stop was the fancy dress shop. I knew costumes would be covered but thought that I might find a little something special to add to the photographs. I didn't really find anything to inspire me but did manage to pick up some fake cigarettes to add to the atmosphere......scuse the pun!

What I really wanted was something for my models to sit on. It had to be authentic, nothing too big, but not too small either and the biggest challenge would be to find something to wasn't going to cost the earth!

We headed to a place in Southsea called ' Langford's' Now Langford's has got to be one of the most interesting.....but disorganised places around. It is an antique shop with a difference. It has just about everything imaginable....if you can plough through, (and I mean plough) to find it. As time was a little pushed, we decided to ask the owner if he had anything that might suit my needs. He came up trumps and sent me to his friend who also runs an interesting shop called 'Sabre'

What a shop! Now I have lived in this area for a lot of years and am not quite sure how I had never stumbled across this place. It is an amazing shop. Anything military you can think of, this guy has. Rumour has it that this store supplied costumes for all the soldiers in Saving Private Ryan.

A quick poke around the shop and we had found our treasure in the form of an old wooden ration transit box and an original metal ammunition box. The best bit was that the shop owner was happy to hire them out to me so no need for me to find ever decreasing storage space in my little house!

With my booty firmly secured in my boot, I rushed home to make the final preparations for the evening celebrations at the Alverbank Hotel.

What a great evening. The effort that had gone into the preparations was phenomenal. I thought I would share a few of the evening's photographs with you. People had put so much effort into their costumes......sometimes less is more! ( If you were at the party you know who I am talking about!) Great effort all round and we had a constant stream of visitors to the studio throughout the evening.

Meet the band

Thank you for inviting us to share in your special evening. Happy Birthday Paula

Marriott Hotel Wedding Fair Port Solent

2008-11-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

The Marriott Hotel - Port Solent - A quiet moment and time to grab a snapshot!

Today saw my second wedding fair. I would have warned you that I was going to be attending but it was a very last minute thing. Friday, I recieved a telephone call from the organiser of the Marriott Hotels wedding fair, asking if I would like to attend as I had been recommended when a photographer bowed at last minute. As you can see, I was a little under prepared as I am waiting for my new display unit to arrive in readiness for the Alverbank Hotel's wedding fair in three weeks time. Please feel free to come along on November 23rd. We would love to meet you.
http://www.alverbankhotel.co.uk/

I am very pleased to be able to tell you that we were very well recieved and had many comments on how reasonable our prices were and how good our albums were. A really positive reaction all round. Booking for 2009/10 are coming in fast so, if we met you today please give us a call to secure your date.

Meet the neighbors!

Situated next to us was a lovely couple who run a DJ / entertainment business. I would have suggested you pop into their website for a look but it seems they do not have one....in 2008! Give Chris a call they have great kit and are very competitive on price.

Tel: 01329 289213

And Next?

2008-10-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

A wet wedding means the great dry out. Who would have guessed that it could be such a lovely day not more than 12 hrs later!

Whilst the brollies are drying, the editing begins.

Just a little insight into my world after a wedding.

Neil & Kat's Wellie Weather Wedding

2008-10-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Katrina and I have known each other for a couple of years now. We first met when she attended a Party Plan Portrait session I was running for a mutual friend and we instantly hit it off. She is as mad as a hatter and very easy going. I had never met Neil, I had heard about him, but our paths had never actually crossed. That was until Sunday.

Katrina had called me a few months back and asked if I would photographs her wedding ( so the man was real!) I thought about it ( for two seconds) then jumped at the chance as I just knew it would be a fab day! I knew I would be in for a hard weekend as I was attending another wedding the day before ( and they had booked the 'Shoot Ur Guests' service for the evening) but I wouldn't have wanted to let her down so booked the date out of my diary and looked forward to the wedding day.

We had arrived home from Jason & Jenny's wedding at 1.30am and, knowing we had Katrina and Neil's wedding at 11am in the morning, set about uploading the images to the computer and charging batteries in readiness for the morning. We finally hit the sack at around 2.30am.

For those of you who pop into my blog on a regular basis, you will know that I like to be prepared for anything and everything that I might come up against on the day. I had checked the weather as usual....... sunny and dry Great!

Sunday morning arrived with a vengeance! Rain hammering on the bedroom window and wind whipping the wisteria against the glass........a right royal awakening. We dragged ourselves out of bed and set about preparing ourselves for the day ahead. Why is it that is isn't until you have been out of bed for half and hour that you realise the clocks went back and you should have had an extra hour in bed! Not a great way to start the day!

The wet weather kit was loaded in the car but we were keeping our fingers crossed that the skies would clear and the promised sunshine would appear.........no such luck!

I had expected to meet Neil at one of our pre wedding meetings..........but it wasn't to be! The first time I clapped eyes on him was Sunday, at the wedding! That was a first for me as I have usually built up a rapport by the wedding. Not that it was a problem as he was friendly from the off. I must admit, I don't think he was entirely prepared for my style of photography but none the less, he was happy to indulge me in everything I asked of him and his groomsmen.

The rain held off for the boys photos.....well just......and arrived with the Bride and the Limo. The wet weather kit was broken out to protect the bride from the worst of the weather. There was no chance for photographs outside Cams Hall, which is a shame because it is a great venue. We headed for the entrance hall for a few shots before the ceremony and hoped that the weather would be kind enough to ease for some photographs after the ceremony. Seems this was not to be either.....good old British weather sure picks it's time!

We took advantage of the beautiful staircase inside Cams Hall.

This is one of my favourite photographs of the day.......any dry spot we could find was used to it's full capacity!

Still, smiles all round and the weather was not going to dampen any ones spirits.....least of all Katrina's who kept a smile on her face the whole day!

As I say, every day has it's quirks and this day was no different. The afternoon was to boast a garden party...complete with silver and purple bouncy castle, hog roast at Cams Hall Buffet Car......in theory.

It seems bouncy castles don't come out in the rain which was a real shame. The company switch for garden games.

Me seeking refuge under my brollie!

Your wedding day is what you make it. If you are prepared to take on the challenges of the weather , the photographs will reward your efforts as Katrina found out.

The rain finally stopped after dark as we headed to the Spinnaker Tower for the evening celebration. As always, things can change no matter how well you are prepared. On arrival at the Tower, we found that the lights were no longer white...........but pink. Inside the lightin had also changed. the staff were great and very helpful allowing us freedom to photograph whatever we liked.

Here are some final images as promised.

It's all about the shoes!

Congratulations to you both x

Jason & Jenny's Masquarade Marriage

2008-10-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend had been a tad hectic to say the least. Jenny and Jason had chosen the last day of BST for their special day......and were not getting married until 3pm. It became apparent, that if the wedding ran a little over, some of the photographs would be taken after dark........and according to the weather the possibility of rain could also mean some long exposure work.

New challenges are always recieved with enthusiasm, but as always, I like to be prepared. Preparation is the key to a succesful wedding. Imagine my horror when, on the morning of the wedding, I found my tripod head had given up the ghost. It was time to purchase a new one.......and in a hurry!

I am very fortunate to live not too far from a reputable camera dealer...........and it just so happened that this store is in the same direction as the wedding venue.....how handy was that. We decided to pack up the car and head off a couple of hours before we were due at the venue.

Travelling light is not an option when our 'Shoot Ur Guests' service is booked out!

Parkers in Woolston is a great store until you arrive and find out that they have sold out of all suitable three way heads! Feeling a little dispondant, Ian suggested that we should head to City Photographic in Southampton. Just as well we had left plenty of time! City Photographic in Bedford Place, were very helpful and had just the right head for the job.......and even knocked a tenner off for the lack of box (not that I needed the box!) Thanks Guys!

On to the wedding. Meet the boys!

I always like to meet the boys early for a few piccies if possible.

Most weddings have their little quirks, it's what makes them personal and ultra special..........but I wasn't quite prepared for the little mice (or they might have been bunnies) that invaded this wedding! They first put in an appearance at the alter.

Then they popped in to sign the register

They even fancied their chances with the confetti!

It seems these little critters have visited all over the world!

I must point out that they allow us the chance for some more traditional photographs.

I did get the chance to give the new tripod head an outing. Thanks you Mr Rolls Royce driver for being kind enough to hang around and indulge my nightime photography.

The evening entertainment was met with a fantastic extravaganza of dancing..... a first dance to remember! The hall was dark so the lighting was a bit of a challenge but the dance was spectacular....a real treat. The masks and costumes were fab and added a real theatrical feel to the evening.

Our 'Shoot Ur Guests' service was very popular with many of the guests visiting us on more than one occasion. We had great fun and our newest veiwing system proved to be a hit, Ian was great in dealing with all the requests for prints. Here are a couple of the more 'individual' photos from the evening.

Congratualtions to the happy couple.

We think you're fab! Hope you and you funny bunnies (or mice) have a very happy future together.

New Additions to the Family

2008-10-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

Just a little update on a couple of new family members. I made the desision this week, to purchase a new camera. Now, most people who know me will know that I am a bit of a gadget girl and that the three cameras I own at present should be plenty for one person. The problem came when Nikon decided to launch the new D700. I had been pondering for a while whether or not to indulge in a second D3. This is a super camera..........but it does come with a pretty hefty price tag! Why do I need two you might ask. Well, as we are now running a full print on the night event photography service, it is imperiative that the sensor is spotless at all times. There is no time to pop into photoshop and zapp the pesky little dust spots and they look very unsightly in left in place when an image goes to print.

On a recent visit to Nikon for yet another sensor clean, I happened to bump into photographer John Clements. I first met John when I enrolled on a flash course at Nikon. Well, to cut a long story short, he suggested that the D700 might be the answer to all my prayers. It seems that this camera is a smaller version of the D3....but with an inbuilt sensor cleaner...........and the best bit of all is that it is half the price of the D3! So, last week, ahead of Saturday's wedding and Masquarade Ball, I popped along to my local Jessops store, and whooped with glee when I found they has one left on the shelf.

Now, this is where my next little dilema came. It seems Canon had launched the very pretty G10 just two days earlier. I had had my eye on the G9 since my holiday. I had tried to purchase this little gem to keep in my pocket. The store were out of stock. Just as well as I am now the proud owner of the updated G10 as well as the D700. No more having to lug around my big cameras when capturing those family snaps we all love to take! (Funnily enough Ian loves this little camera as well,....I wonder why!)

One final but important thing to do........add my shiney new D700 to my wireless network. A quick call to System Insight and a chat with the wonderful Steve, their tech wizard..........and I am all up and running for Saturday! Thanks guys...........again!

http://www.systeminsight.co.uk/

Scouting for for that perfect image

2008-10-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

As a child, I was both a Brownie and a Girl Guide and years later, my girls followed in my footsteps. Boy how uniforms have changed throughout the years! I remember my sisters heading off to Brownie meetings in their Brownie dresses and berets looking oh so smart. When it was my turn to join, I saw the introduction of the pom pom hat.....a bit of a fashion crisis! Uniforms were so formal. Year later, my girls joined up. Their uniform was joggers and polo shirts with sashes for their hard earned badges. No longer the pom pom hat but now a baseball cap. Oh how times had changed. Now another 10 yrs or so down the line, I was surprised to see the uniform had changed when I turned up to the local scout groups family photo day.

Now take a look at the uniform...far more trendy and user friendly! A few of the kids.........and some adults turned up proudly displaying their uniforms for family photographs. The family days are a great way of fundraising as we offer a generous commision rate on all sales. Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves and we have some fantastic photographs as proof of what should proove to be a very succesful day.

Only one reluctant model on the whole day......and he was just five. He quickly earned a place in my heart with his bravery. Now on these family days, I ask for all shoes and socks to be removed ( much to most mens distain) This proved to be a major sticking point with this young man so exceptions were made with the promise of some fun............like sitting on his sister! This did the trick.

It wasn't long before this young man had found the confidence to join his furry friend and bare his little tootsies to the world.
Definately a little man in the making!

This young man made his impression on me that day. I though he was going to be a bit of a handful when he arrived as wasn't too keen on the thought of having his photo taken. Dad to the rescue.

Its funny how things go. Later, when Dad had gone and things had gone quiet, he told me he thought it was fun having his photograph taken and could he have some more! He is a great lad, full of spirit...just how I think all kids should be.

I am sure he will be a little heart breaker in a couple of years!

Thanks to everybody who came and supported the Scouts family photo day..........it was great to meet you all. I hope you enjoy looking at all your photographs as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Shhhhhhhhh..........it's a surprise!

2008-10-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

Friday seemed to be the day for birthdays. Our Shoot Ur Guests service was booked out for a 13th Birthday party. This was to be my first time flying solo and I must admit, I reckon it went pretty darn well! I say flying solo, but I did have a little help. I have to give a great big thank you to my daughter for giving up and hour of her birthday to come and help me set up. Here's my baby being my test dummy checking that the lighting setup was ready for the off. She did a grand job modelling her birthday badges then promptly asked me to buy her a birthday drink at the bar. I did, however, point out that a badge the size of hers might be a little give away that she was not actually 18!)

Happy birthday Justine xx

Shannon's 13th Birthday bash was a fab night. The birthday girl and her friends had great fun and were a lovely bunch of kids. A few of the lads took a little coaxing to join the fun but soon got the hang of it when yanked from their seats by family and friends! All came to see me on several occasions throughout the evening and had a real blast! Families took the opportunity to have precious family photographs taken, and I am sure that more than a few Christmas photo presents are now firmly secured in time for the festive period.

Girl's Just wanna have fun!

Boys are a little more reluctant

I had a great time on my solo jaunt in spite of being stepped on at least 50 times
( my own stupid fault I should point out as I managed to set myself up right in the path of bar!)

Happy Birthday Shannon and thank you for letting me share in you special day.

Spinnaker Highlights

2008-10-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

It isn't long now until Katrina and James get spliced so the preparations for me have now begun. Each and every wedding brings it's own challenges......this one has it's own unique features. October has arrived and with it comes the dreaded clock change. The wedding falls on Sunday 26th.........the day of the clocks fall back. What does this mean to me? Nightime photography! My Bride and Groom have requested some photos in the evening at the tower..........both inside and out. Now for any of you who have visited the Spinnaker Tower, you will perhaps appreciate my initial panic. The tower dominates the skyline and I am expected to photograph the happy couple in front of a 400ft structure.........in the dark.........and make it look it look beautiful! At nightime the tower is lit, both inside and out. Now that should make my life easier.........accept they change the colours on a regular basis so I am not really sure what I expecting.

It may be green, as rumour has it they are expecting an alien invasion. Could make for some interesting wedding photos!

It could be blue............if Pompey are playing at home that weekend. Maybe red, white or could even be a combination of them all. Only time will tell.

I have to be honest, I have not really done much nightime photography since leaving college and, as this is such an important occasion, I felt it necessary to check out the venue. The staff were fantastic and I was even invited to pop in on a Saturday evening to have a little practice session............exactly what I decided to do!

Last night, I packed my kit up, dragged Ian out of his comfy chair (just off night shift) and headed over to the tower for 8pm.

The photo above was taken when we first arrived at Gunwharf, there is still a little light in the sky but it rapidly diminished.

First attempt at the tower after dark.

Across the water with the boats behind.

A quick pic of the two of us..........doesn't happen often!

Up in the tower with the cityscape behind.

A little mess around on the glass floor with some timed exposures so I could play.........not often you can have your photo taken in the Spinnaker at night time!

Should be fun....we had fun! A little practice hopefully makes perfect! Bring on the aliens!

Nick & Jo - Bucklers Hard

2008-09-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

A little thank you to Nick & Jo for allowing me to share in their special day...........and what a super day for a wedding. The sun shined, water glistened as friends and family arrived to share in what was to be a very personal service. The perfect day for a wedding..............but not quite such perfect weather for the photographer!

I enjoy sunshine as much as the next person but sunshine on this level can cause some serious issues. I must have seemed barmy hunting for any patch of shade that I could find.........and this was no mean feat in itself! Wall to wall sunshine was the order of the day. For the picture above, I was actually stood in the sea sludge of the receding tide. Luckily, on this occasion, I managed to stay upright!

A little photo to make Jo smile. Thank goodness for differencial focus eh Jo ;)

The speeches proved to be more than a little emotional, not a dry eye in the house (Ian included) Young Josh did a super job and is officially the youngest person to have made a wedding speech......well, at a wedding I have been to anyway.

Congratulations to the happy couple and a special thanks to Josh for all his chasing around searching for people for me...........you did a grand job!

Food Miles

2008-09-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Do you know what a food mile is? I certainly didn't on Monday when I was asked to go along to Front Lawn School, Havant & Middle Street School In Brighton on Monday. My task was to photograph the students learning about food miles on behalf of Kenwood ( you know, those people who make all the wonderful kitchen gadgets)

First stop was Front Lawn School. Lovely bunch of kids and oh how clever! I was amazed as they answered all the questions thrown at them with such involved answers. There was me, standing in the corner, feeling like the class dunce and hoping against hope, that I would not be expected to know the answers! Should I point out that these kids are only yr 6....perhaps not!

So what is a food mile?

Taught through smoothies, the kids had to calculate how many miles their smoothie had travelled to arrive in their cup. They were amazingly clever. They knew all about buying local produce or if they didn't, the effect it would have on local farmers. They understood how global warming affected crops and why some had to be imported because of climate............they were really REALLY clever!

Off to Brighton for the afternoon. Traffic was pretty abysmal, parking was even worse. I drove round the block 4 times, gave up and ended up parking a 15 min's walk from the school., only to find upon my arrival, the school had it's own car park!!

I managed to throw pineapple juice all over the floor.......don't think I was popular for that! Why is it that is doesn't matter how much you wash the floor you still end up with shoes sticking to it? This time we had less room to work in........there were 29 kids and 4 adults shoe horned into a shoe box! That aside, once again the kids were great. I am amazed at how much is now being taught in school about our environment and how this generation can make a difference.......and they are really grasping the concept. They are all far cleverer than me!

Want to check out what its all about?

kenwoodcookforlife.co.uk

Mothers & Daughters

2008-09-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

Mothers and cameras.............mmmm, now there is a combination. Now I am sure the majority of mothers are happy to live in blissful ignorance as to how they work. They click the button and, hey presto, there is a little image on the back of the camera. Not all images are perfect, but none the less, there is an acceptable image for the family album.

Then there is my mother. My Mum is a little different to most. She likes to live a little dangerously. She paraglides, bungees jumps, and has even been know to indulge in a little white water rafting. Meet my Mum!

I love my mother dearly........she's fab. She came to visit me this week..........camera in hand...........and a request for a little lesson on how to use it. It seems her latest challenge, is a college course on digital photography. Great I thought, they will teach her all she needs to know. Great in theory, but it seems she now needs to know how to use her camera before lessons start. Here is where I come in.

My daughter has also started her As level photography this year..........and also needs to learn how to use a camera. So me, in my wisdom, decided to spend a little time out and about teaching them both a little about camera shutter speed Meet my Daughter.

My daughter has a wicked sense of humour and delights in laughing her head of as Gran Gran attemps to errect a tripod. Tripods at the ready, time to get them learning a little about shutter speeds.........unfortunately that means me being the model.

Here is me kicking a ball. Easy peasy. With a shutter speed of 1/15 the ball is nicely showing some movement, the building is sharp, not a bad picture. Just as ordered!

Next lesson was to take the camera off the tripod and take the picture again........exactly the same.

The Result

Nothing is sharp. Bacause the camera was being held, there has been a little hand trembling. The shutter speed was too slow to hold the camera.

Now Idon't want to get all technical and bore you, but this concept, I believe, has now been grasped by all..........some a little faster than others (mentioning no names) but, by the end of the session, both Mum and daughter were doing well.

As I say, My mother is no ordinary mother. She would shoot me if I gave away her age but I must point out that she is a pensioner (sorry Mum) My lesson was obviously boring her as, when I said I would like them to freeze the action of me jumping, she decided she would join in the jumping rather than the photography. I was a little worried about hips n things but I wouldn't dare tell her she wasn't capable!

CRACKED IT!

The Strangest of Places

2008-09-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Through my job, I meet people from all different walks of life, and some relationships are struck up in the strangest of places. Lisa comes from this category. Many months ago, I got chatting o Lisa whilst sitting in a hospital waiting room. We hit it off and, my number was duly input into her mobile with a comment of ' you never know when you i'll need a photographer' To be honest, I never expected to hear from her again, but true to her word, she called me a couple of weeks ago and booked a studio session.

All studio sessions are carried out in my house.........and it isn't very big but it is amazing how versatile it can be. All these images were taken in one session.

Most of my portrait sessions are working with children or families............I love it! Lisa was stray from the norm and was an absolute pleasure to work with. The picture of the head on the bust was a little fun idea I had on route. I thought of stately homes with their static heads on columns and thought I might create one of my own. A bit different don't you think!

Thanks Lisa. I hope you like the images.

The American Ganster Hits Gosport

2008-09-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

I don't think I have told you yet, but we have booked out our 'Shoot Ur Guests' service out to Cams Hall Golf Club for the Christmas festivities. Cams Hall are running their parties under the theme of 'Gangsters & Molls' so it is only fitting that we provide a suitable backdrop for the photographs.

Sourcing something unique has been a bit trying. I approached my usual backdrop supplier........he was too busy. I approached an art student neighbour..........I think he has now gone into hiding. I spent hours on the net looking for something suitable...........but got quotes between £800 - £1500! This left me with a dilemma! It seems the Uk is sadly lacking in this department so with trepidation I headed abroad. I had an idea as to what I wanted so emailed a picture to an American Company, parted with my money and delivery was expected one month later.

This week was D Day..........notification that I could expect it Monday. I was torn between excitement and nervousness, what if it had all gone horribly wrong? Fed Ex knocked the door, I opened it expecting to see my large box..........but it was tiny! It must be the wrong size backdrop. I opened the box, and out of the small carton, came a full 10ft x 20ft backdrop.

Next stop was the fire station to put it up to see what it would photograph like.

What do you think?

Just the Job!

Congrats to Nicola & Andrew!

2008-09-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

The Moorhill House Hotel is a fantastic setting for wedding...........everything under one roof, no charging around from venue to venue, and the location for Saturday's Wedding.

I started my day by meeting up with Andrew and Jonny for a few shots before heading up to the Bridal Suite in search of Nicola.

Now I must admit, I do not usually lose a Bride but, on reaching her room, she was nowhere in site! It crossed my mind that maybe I had got the wrong room.......but a quick dash to reception confirmed I was right, we tried phoning the room........nothing. The Best Man tried her mobile.........still no reply. Where had she disappeared? Now time is at a premium at a wedding and those last precious moments fly.......they move at light speed when you can't your Bride!

Why does everything happen at once? The receptionist phoned the bridesmaid's room as the Bride phoned the Best Man and at last.........I had tracked her down!

A quick dash back upstairs and I had found a very relaxed, chilled out Bride and we headed back to the Bridal Suite for a few snaps.

Nicola and Andrew had a fab bunch of people to share their special day. Now, as this was such a lovely bunch of people, after the ceremony I decided to try a little something different that would involve everyone for a group photo. Now this was to prove no mean feat.

For a while now, I have had it in my mind to step away from your standard 'everybody' shot, where faces are hidden or spots in the distance, this was the perfect location to give something new a go! I thought for a little added romance, I would group everyone into a heart shape, and shoot from above (well it might work!)

If you look real close, you can spot me up on the balcony trying to organise everyone. Now, if I had had any fore thought, I might have been a little more organised and marked the ground for people to stand in the right shape, but, this after all, was a little spontaneous moment. The only tools at hand were Mr Best Man Jonny ( thanks mate) and my rather large mouth.

After a bit of jiggery pokery, between us we managed to rustle up this!

Not too shabby eh!

Some of the old wedding traditions seem to have fallen by the weigh side......tossing the bouquet seems to be one of them. This wedding not only followed with tradition.........but also added it's own little twist. Andrew and his mates belong to an ultimate Frisbee team. Need I say more!

A new bride in the making?

A possible new Groom?

Uh oh, it must be fate.......the same Guy catches the boys Frisbee toss!!

Video Albums

2008-09-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

Thought it may be a nice idea if you could take a peek into the world of Story Book wedding albums. I have been pondering how to get around showing them on my blog and the best solution I have come up with so far, is to produce a video in a software called 'Proshow Gold' and upload using the video button. This does seem to be quite time consuming so if anyone knows a better way, please let me in on the secret!

I have been having a little play (this blogger thing isn't the easiest thing to get to grips with) and changed a few of the setting and I reckon it all fits a bit better now.

This is an album have produced for ( yes you've guessed it) David & Natalie. A couple of minor changes to make and the album will complete.

Take a look and let me know what you think by posting your comments.

Come Forth Southsea Common!

2008-09-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

This last couple of weeks has been a tad busy so this is the first time I have managed to pop in to update my blog. So what has been happening?

It's been a funny week. It seems Southsea Common came fourth in the Warburtons National Picnic Awards so off I went to photograph Councillor Terry Hall accepting the award from a Warburtons representative. Can't say the day was a perfect picnic day...............there was hardly a soul in sight let alone any picnic baskets!

Well, if you want to check out he plaque, rumour has it that it will be placed by the play park.

Well done Seamus & the boys!

Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head!

2008-09-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Blue Skies, Fluffy white clouds...............my sun dance had worked! Saturday morning and, as I opened my curtains in preparation for the days wedding ahead, I was greeted by a beautiful morning. Whooping with glee, I set about gathering my gear in preparation for the day's festivities. Now my childhood girl guiding has had it's uses. It taught me to be prepared. Now, no matter what the weather promises, I always load the car with my little ' wet weather kit' and boy oh boy, was I glad I did on this occasion!

First stop of the day was The Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea. A quick stop off to drop all the studio equipment for the evening's 'Shoot ur Guests' service. What a fantastic hotel. The staff were helpful and friendly and the suites are stunning.....a place where your every need is accommodated (which is not always the case for photographers)

Check out those chandeliers! Wouldn't fancy cleaning them but they really are spectacular.

This was just a quick pit stop as we were due with the Bride at 11.30am.

Although windy, the weather, up to this point, had stayed dry. It was as if we were being watched from above. As soon as we arrived the heavens opened. This put paid to any ideas I had had of taking photographs in the garden, and no one was volunteering to go out in wellies with umbrellas (me included I hasten to add as my hair really doesn't cope too well when under attack from cats 'n' dogs!) The weather needing beating into submission. I was not about to let it get the better of me. It was time to re group, gather my thoughts, and come up with a counter plan.

Ah ha, the bedroom. Claire's Mum & Dad have a beautiful home and the bedroom seemed the perfect place to shoot some bridal portraits. Not enough room for full length shots but plenty of room for close ups. The few requested groups to be shot at the house could be tackled in the lounge. The rain had stopped but the garden was sodden and not a place you would want to be in a beautiful white bridal gown............and boy was this one a picture! I think I would have been strung up if we had headed for the garden.

Forever the girl guide, studio lights were retrieved from the car and set up in readiness. All systems go!

Time flies and before we knew it, it was time to make a dash to the castle to meet up with the boys for a bit of fun.

Him upstairs obviously thought things were going too swimmingly ('scuse the pun). As soon as we arrived in the castle grounds new drops began to hit the windscreen. Sheltered spots are few and far between in castle ruins but the castle does have a little covered area in the entrance. Problem with the entrance is, that although you can stay dry, it is like a wind tunnel. Battling the elements was challenging but a challenge I was willing to accept. Nothing was going to dampen my spirits.

I think 'him upstairs' was humouring me, having a little game. No sooner had I finished fighting with the wind to get individual photographs of the Groom and his Groomsmen, when the rain stopped. Totally stopped. Not even a drizzle. GREAT! Time to have a little fun with the boys. All were very
relaxed...............especially Nathan, the Groom. I had heard rumour that he was laid back but hadn't realised quite how laid back. He was an absolute pleasure to photograph and altogether a lovely bloke.
Time for the serious stuff...........wedding due at 2.30pm and the Bride was expected, complete with horse and carriage, any moment. Rumour has it that there was a last minute change of carriage due to the weather. Think the Bride and her Father would have got soggy in the original one planned so thumbs up to the carriage company who looked after them so well.

The rain held off until the minute the Bride stepped into the church and resumed again 5 minutes after leaving the church.

Confetti was not an option! The rain hammered down but spirits remained high. No mumbles or grumbles, moans or groans just acceptance that what would be would be(and I resigned myself to the fact that it was going to be a bad hair day!) All umbrellas up, and a quick route march to the castle in search of a roof.

I have to say, Claire and Nathan were fantastic, they never stopped smiling all day. All group photographs were captured in the keep and I would like to thank everyone for their patience. Rainy day photographs take a little longer to sort out. Once again the weather favoured Claire and Nathan and the rain stopped briefly, long enough to shoot some special images within the castle grounds. A quick last minute detour to the hospital to visit Nan (special moments like these are always accommodated) before heading off to the hotel to enjoy the rest of the festivities.

Still smiling

I had a lovely day ( even if the waiter did call me 'Sir' grrrrrrr) At least he had the courtesy to blush lol.

NOTE: If anyone stumbles across my white umbrella, please can I have it back. Ta

To Nathan and Clare.

May the sun always shine down on your marriage (you've sure had enough of the wet stuff to last a lifetime!)

Best Wishes for the future

Tina & Ian

Charge.........it's Full Steam Ahead

2008-09-05T01:28:00.000-07:00

Good morning.........well I had hoped it would be but looking out the windows it seems the weather has other ideas! Not that I had planned to venture out today, today is the day before Nathan & Claire's big day so for me, it's prep day. Now you might wonder what a photographer does the day before a wedding? Now I can only speak for myself as I am sure all photographers do different things to prepare...but I am sure that we all begin with the same....that wonderful cup of morning coffee. Kettles on so now it is full steam ahead into the great battery charge.

It seems I have accumulated quite a few now. Why nobody makes a multipurpose battery is beyond me!

Nikon D3 = Two
Nikon D2x = Another Two
Nikon D100 = Another four
Nikon WT4 = At least three as it eats them
Pocket wizards = 8
3 x SB800 = 12 + 12 backups

Forty three batteries! Now that is where my morning will vanish and the national grid can expect overload!

Next job is to clean all lenses, put my camera kit together, gather the wet weather kit, (make a mental note to self to include spare trousers for myself , but that is a whole other story!) Sort out all studio equipment for evening ' Shoot Ur Guests' service, prepare the shooting list for the groups, phone the Bride and last but not least.....decide on my own wardrobe for the day. This can be a challenge in itself. What can a girl wear to a wedding, that looks smart, allows you to run a marathon, weight lift, climb ladders and walls, roll on the floor, dries quickly when wet...but doesn't make you overheat if sunny, and still looks good come 6pm when you can finally switch to casuals for the evening studio session. I don't want to even think about the shoes that will do the job.........leave no blisters..........and match the outfit!

Nathan & Claire are marrying at St Mary's Church in the grounds of Porchester castle, a beautiful venue. The weather is looking a tad shaky at the moment so I will be doing a little sun dance for them with both fingers and toes crossed.

Good luck for tomorrow!

Website launch

2008-08-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Whey hey hey.......we are up and running!

Welcome to the new look website, let me know what you think.

A big thank you has to go to Stewart at Phosys. He has done a grand job putting it all together and I think he has created a fabulous site!

Anyway, what news for this week?

Congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs Hayward. Married Saturday 16th August in a beautiful ceremony at St Mary's church in the grounds of Portchester Castle. A wonderful day was had by all and the weather, after threatening rain all week, held out long enough for everyone to enjoy this special day. Special thanks goes to you Nicola for being such a sport, your enthusiasm for fun photographs was infectious and a great time was had by all.

BRWCA Summer Ball

Congratulations on the success of your first Summer Ball! Thanks for entrusting our 'Shoot Ur Guests' service to photograph your evening. We had a fantastic time and we think you are all a bunch of loons! (Ian's stress levels have now reduced thanks to the humour of the liverpudlian 'brummy'!) See you Sunday for your fun day!

New to Blogger

2008-07-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

My website is having an overhaul! As happy addition, Ithought it might be fun to add a little personal touch in the form of my own blog.

Keep an eye out for updates as to what is happening in my world.