Photographing a 1940's wedding - Maizie and Darren style
Here is a photo story about Maizie and Darren...about on this August day, after being together more than 10 years and having four completely stunning children (two boys, two girls) together, they chose to get married in true 1940's style. It was not only a day to celebrate their relationship and all that they've experienced together, it was a day where they embraced everyone they know and love in their lives.
Now the 1940's is Maizie's favourite era and actually it's mine too, though she is without doubt the queen of all things exquisitely vintage. The detail was incredible, her bouquet was hand knitted by her mum, along with all the button hole flowers which were sent out to each and every guest before the day. The boys adorned waistcoats and long shorts and Darren was suited and booted for the era, complete with the odd cry from friends of "you look like an old-fashioned chimney sweep mate!" proudly wearing his flat cap. And as for THAT liquid gold-coloured wedding dress...
But I'm not going to talk anymore about the glorious detail of this day, because what was particularly unique about photographing this wedding was how naturally and effortlessly Maizie and Darren's families and friends blended together. How they couldn't fit them all in to the beautifully panelled modest-sized room for the ceremony. How M and D insisted that the windows were flung wide open so that everyone they wanted there could take part in their wedding vows. How they'd chosen the registrar - he'd recorded the births of their children those years before. And how the roaring sound of applause and whoops of delight could be heard right down the street.
The entire wedding party, including their very own personal musicians, took a walk through the town, through the park and down to the pier. Not onto the pier but under the pier, where an impromptu beach party was held. Children playing on the sand, the bride and groom chatting and singing with friends, friends playing guitars, champagne flowing - who was that clever guest who packed the bubbles on ice! - all this took place before going on to their main wedding party and provided great photo-opportunities for me.
This day was a true testimony to what a vibrant and connected couple Maizie and Darren are, and how much their families and friends mean to them in this world. It wasn't only authentic to 1940's detail, it reminded me of the simple fact that we seamlessly attract and connect with those people who we are ourselves.
a day in the life of a classroom
I have a great relationship with the school my daughter attends. Regular updates on her progress, interactions with teachers and plenty of social occasions that enhance my picture of life through her eyes with the teachers she learns from and children she learns with. Of course many of us understand how our children connect and behave within their learning environment. BUT what really happens in the classroom? What does it look and feel like to see them engage and show pure excitement when they grasp that mathematic equation, or how they work out some of life's debates through playground games with friends at break times?
It has been a privilege to witness this first hand, not just for my own daughter but for many other parents' sons and daughters lately. The traditional school photograph will always hold an important record of our children's time there. So I'm now offering an alternative approach through fly-on-the-wall documentary to show these profound moments as they happen in the classroom.
If this is something your school might be interested in hosting please do get in touch. I also donate a percentage of fees to the school's PTA fund.
martha's dancing heart
Martha was born on the 10th of January 2015, checking into this big and beautiful world a whole five weeks earlier than planned. It was an emotionally charged journey for mum and dad, Michelle and Rick leading up to her birth, with regular hospital visits until this gorgeous little lady was able to come home some weeks later.
Michelle and Rick, along with Martha's big brother Will have decided to raise £10,000 for the Children's Unit at the University of Wales Hospital by her first birthday. Without the love, support and care from the Unit, things may have turned out very differently for this family.
I asked Michelle to write some words about her journey to meeting Martha and how she came to launch Martha's Dancing Heart...
On the 23rd of December I went for my routine 32 week check-up with the midwife, I'd had an amazing pregnancy and felt really well all the way through. I was looking forward to Christmas then welcoming our new baby girl in February.
The midwife did all the regular checks and all was fine, she then said she wasn't required to listen in to the baby's heart beat anymore, unless I asked her to. She was smiling as she said it and I laughed and asked her to listen in.
It quickly became apparent that all wasn't quite as it should be - our little girl's heart was beating twice as fast as it should and it wasn't long before I was in the hospital hooked up to a monitor having fluid pumped into me.
I was kept in overnight as they tried to stabilise her heartbeat - it was 240 bpm (a normal rate would be 100-140) - and allowed home at 8pm on Christmas Eve on a cocktail of heart drugs, needing to come back to the hospital daily for ECGs.
The next three weeks are a bit of a blur to be honest. Christmas came and went and new year passed with me regularly staying overnight at the hospital. The heart drugs I was taking were slowing my heart, but having little effect on our baby. By Jan 9th my heart rate and pulse had fallen very low, so the consultants decided the safest option was an early delivery by c-section the following day.
On Jan 10th 2015 our daughter, Martha was born and diagnosed with a condition called PJRT ... it's a type of tachycardia and is basically an electrical short circuit in her heart. It's a condition that is rare in babies and needs to be controlled with medication.
Martha was cared for by the amazing staff at the Neonatal ward of University Hospital Wales, and the staff of the Children's Heart Unit for Wales, After four weeks we were able to take her home. She's now doing fantastically well, and we know that without the love and support of her hospital angels, she could have been very poorly. So we want to say a huge thank you by fundraising in lots of different ways throughout the rest of 2015. We want to be able to donate at least £10,000 to the Children's Unit at UHW before Martha's first birthday.
We'd love your help and support xxx
http://www.gofundme.com/nt8b0c
Magenta Change... "make each day your masterpiece"
Sue Revell got in touch with me as "a self-confessed hater of having my photo taken" but on the brink of launching her new website and brand, she accepted the inevitable that this couldn't be avoided any longer. So this was the start of our honest and creative relationship together.
I have certainly found one of the most fanatical tennis addicts - that's watching or playing it - and she's also rather partial to her jazz, in fact she's taken up singing lessons specifically around it. This lady is quite the inspiration, I've loved every minute of getting to know some of what makes her passionate in this life. Her colourful and authentic energy was an absolute delight to work with.
magentachange.com is about daring to be you, being unstoppable, and Sue loves guiding people to stop holding themselves back and to create something extraordinary. One of her favourite quotes is
“make each day your masterpiece”
"We start off by simply talking about what the client really wants to achieve through working together and, in that moment, something changes. As soon as we start to articulate our thoughts and breath our dreams into life, the journey of personal transformation begins. As coaches, we often talk about creating and holding space for our clients and that’s a huge part of what we do.
But great coaching is more than that. The soul focus of a great coach is to walk your journey with you, to will you on, and to witness your transformation. By igniting your unique potential, your life becomes a powerful expression of your unique talents! Helping people to create something extraordinary is a huge privilege as a coach. I love helping people to increase their confidence, create more impact and to become UNSTOPPABLE!"
when mum and dad got married
Traditionally, a wedding day is about two people starting out in the world, but what is particularly lovely here is that this was a true family wedding, they all got married together.
The happy couple have had five children together and everyone had a starring role as bridesmaid, page boy, best boy and ring bearer. They got to watch their mum and dad get married in a sweetly simple almost eloping fashion. All this happened in a beautiful old registry office in the heart of Brighton. Between the usual daily breakfast mayhem, which included the two family cats and their five new born kittens, there was a trip to the hair salon for a few and a last minute game, in between getting dressed, on the X-Box for the others. Although it was a day planned and day of celebration, it was like it fitted snuggly into a normal Thursday afternoon, and the clock stopped for a short while in a busy family's life.
we're going on a bear hunt
The all time classic children's book, We're Going On A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen was chanting through my mind as we tramped across fields and followed tracks lined with tall and thickly woven majestic trees. Brandishing a strong long plastic sword and armed with many snacks fit for a bear hunt, a young knight named Griff led us deep in to the forest in search of his bear friend. His faithful fair maiden sister, Anwen took control when times got hairy. Swinging off fallen branches and large boulders in her bare feet to help her little brother reach victory and glory. When the going got tough, tickling each other seemed to keep up spirits on this gritty journey.
Martha's Dancing Heart
Martha was born on the 10th of January 2015, checking into this big and beautiful world a whole five weeks earlier than planned. It was an emotionally charged journey for mum and dad, Michelle and Rick leading up to her birth, with regular hospital visits until this gorgeous little lady was able to come home some weeks later.
Michelle and Rick, along with Martha's big brother Will have decided to raise £10,000 for the Children's Unit at the University of Wales Hospital by her first birthday. Without the love, support and care from the Unit, things may have turned out very differently for this family.
I asked Michelle to write some words about her journey to meeting Martha and how she came to launch Martha's Dancing Heart...
On the 23rd of December I went for my routine 32 week check-up with the midwife, I'd had an amazing pregnancy and felt really well all the way through. I was looking forward to Christmas then welcoming our new baby girl in February.
The midwife did all the regular checks and all was fine, she then said she wasn't required to listen in to the baby's heart beat anymore, unless I asked her to. She was smiling as she said it and I laughed and asked her to listen in.
It quickly became apparent that all wasn't quite as it should be - our little girl's heart was beating twice as fast as it should and it wasn't long before I was in the hospital hooked up to a monitor having fluid pumped into me.
I was kept in overnight as they tried to stabilise her heartbeat - it was 240 bpm (a normal rate would be 100-140) - and allowed home at 8pm on Christmas Eve on a cocktail of heart drugs, needing to come back to the hospital daily for ECGs.
The next 3 weeks are a bit of a blur to be honest. Christmas came and went and new year passed with me regularly staying overnight at the hospital. The heart drugs I was taking were slowing my heart, but having little effect on our baby. By Jan 9th my heart rate and pulse had fallen very low, so the consultants decided the safest option was an early delivery by c-section the following day.
On Jan 10th 2015 our daughter, Martha was born and diagnosed with a condition called PJRT ... it's a type of tachycardia and is basically an electrical short circuit in her heart. It's a condition that is rare in babies and needs to be controlled with medication.
Martha was cared for by the amazing staff at the Neonatal ward of University Hospital Wales, and the staff of the Children's Heart Unit for Wales, After 4 weeks we were able to take her home. She's now doing fantastically well, and we know that without the love and support of her hospital angels, she could have been very poorly. So we want to say a huge thank you by fundraising in lots of different ways throughout the rest of 2015. We want to be able to donate at least £10,000 to the Children's Unit at UHW before Martha's first birthday.
We'd love your help and support xxx
http://www.gofundme.com/nt8b0c
Kirsten and Laurence
Last weekend I walked away after a photo shoot realising I had experienced something very real and special. It's quite rare to get the opportunity to photograph a couple simply to celebrate who they are. We all lead such busy everyday lives and in the main, our relationships all too often are given a back seat.
As far as couples go, Kirsten and Laurence are naturally and visually connected. But something more happened that day, not only did they stand still long enough to take a bit of time to look at where they'd come from and where they are right now...they actually trusted me enough to ask them some pretty personal questions. None of us knew what the responses might be, though I truly feel these images gave us a few of their answers. I sat in my car afterwards and let out a long breath...felt humbled, grounded and completely certain about what a great and honest relationship between two people should look like.
We're going on a bear hunt
The all time classic children's book, We're Going On A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen was chanting through my mind as we tramped across fields and followed tracks lined with tall and thickly woven majestic trees. Brandishing a strong long plastic sword and armed with many snacks fit for a bear hunt, a young knight named Griff led us deep in to the forest in search of his bear friend. His faithful fair maiden sister, Anwen took control when times got hairy. Swinging off fallen branches and large boulders in her bare feet to help her little brother reach victory and glory. When the going got tough, tickling each other seemed to keep up spirits on this gritty journey.
A week with Bethan
Day 1 Jo was not only adamant to teach me the rules of photography, but the feeling and the story behind it. I realised before long photography isn’t just about the final result of the photos, but the story behind them, the people you meet, and the places you discover during the process. Before I knew it, I’d already encountered my first “decisive moment” as photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson proclaimed. Then we met Nicholas who travels around with his rucksack and dog. I’ve always had an appreciation for great stories, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to hear in such a short amount of time. I sat open mouthed in astonishment as Nicholas told his tales, and I only wish he could have stayed a bit longer. Jo then sent me off with my own little project inspired by Philippe Halsman, asking strangers to jump. I did get about six shots in the end, and most importantly met some interesting people on the way. After finding a television crew filming the Gadget Show, I spoke to the producer, observed the set and took some photos. I sat down with Jo afterwards, and she helped me find my weaknesses, ones I know I can improve on throughout the week. Day 2 My Tuesday morning consisted of a tea from Costa, a walk up through Chepstow, and a visit to Fletch’s tattoo parlour. Jo’s friend Aimee, was happy with us both observing and taking photos of Fletch touching up the 4 portraits of her young children on her back. I stood in amazement for the first ten minutes, taking in the atmosphere, the people and the art that was taking place in this tiny little corner. I realised soon enough, tattoos weren’t just an act of spontaneity, but something meaningful that would stay with that person forever, which is what I tried to capture in my photos. As I stood quietly, hovering, I tried to capture the connections between Fletch and Aimee; artist and client. They were both so at ease, so comfortable considering the permanent project being etched into her skin. Aimee was brave enough to trust Fletch with this massive responsibility, something she was passionate about, something that would stay with her forever, something she couldn’t afford to go wrong. She put complete faith in Fletch. Day 3 I began to create my own book of photos, as a keepsake and a way of displaying some of my achievements throughout the week. Jo then showed me some of her products, which is in some ways equally as important as the photos themselves. I learnt about the different ways to display photos, from a marketing point of view, and from a personal perspective. I now understand how every picture has a different need in how it’s displayed, depending on its content, colour and its audience too. Day 4 Jo’s taken part in a project including other artists, a story teller, a group of children and a residential home; ‘connecting the ages’. As the children finished off their Mosaic they’d started with artist, Stephanie Roberts, Jo and I hovered once again taking photos of the children and the piece of art they were creating. In all honesty I did find this project a little more challenging than the others. The children were constantly moving, and light has now become my best friend and my worst enemy. Nonetheless I enjoyed my afternoon, and even contributed a little to the mosaic myself!