Using Gels

The effect of coloured lighting gels with off camera flash

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My Girl! x x x

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Global Angels

Instead of exchanging Christmas presents this year, we started saving the money we would usually have spent so that we could contribute towards a water project in Africa. We got our 5 and 7 year old daughters on board and explained that they would get small gifts from us this year because we wanted to be able to give as much as we could afford to this project.  Global Angels was recommended to us and we choose to donate towards the project in Tsavo, Kenya.  Many thanks to our family members who also donated rather than give us gifts.  We have managed to provide water for 55 people for the next 20 years -  and all for skipping a few xmas gifts!!!
Global angels is a great organisation - you can check them out here:
www.globalangels.org
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The Magic of Photography

Yesterday was pretty bleak, with a cold white sky, and not a particularly photo-worthy day.  However, I'd been walking with our hound in the morning and seen this tree on its side and wanted to get a flash lit shot there.  I collected my girls from school and tentatively suggested a trip out.  To my surprise they were up for it (must be hoping for good Christmas pressies!!!) so off we went, cookies in the car as sweetners!!!  When we arrived, it was the usual story, it had all seemed like a good idea, but they'd changed their minds once we'd got out of the car - to be fair, it was pretty grim!  However, I helped Em up on to the tree and set Aimee up with the flash (a great assistant, and only 7!!!) I took my ambient test shot - what a dull and boring image, then I dropped my exposure by a couple of stops, got Aimee pointing the flash in the right direction (!) and BAM!  This was the result!  Their reaction - WOW!!!  That's the power of photography!!!  It's magic!  Emma wants to know if she'll be famous now - I told her I couldn't promise that, but she'd definitely given me a shot worthy of a blog post!!!  Nice one, girls! : ) x x x x

BEFORE: - Uggghhhh!

AFTER: - YAY!

The Wildife Photographer of the year Exhibition - an Inspirational Day out in Tring

Francis House School
http://www.francishouseschool.co.uk/
Today has been a really great day.  It began at Francis House School in Tring where I had the honour of judging their first ever photography competition - there were 3 categories - 5&6 years, 7&8 years and 9-11 years.  The standard was superb and the enthusiasm heartwarming - several children had submitted more then one entry and many children had entered.  There was clear evidence of thought, imagination, creativity and patience on display - congratulations to all the children who took part for their superb achievements.

Tring Museum
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/tring/index.html
From there I went to the Tring Museum where the "Wildlife Photographer of the Year" is currently being exhibited.  It was truly breathtaking.  I found myself smiling, grimmacing, gasping in horror, wonder and awe.  I came away wondering why some people are still so reluctant to recognise photography as an art form.  For me it's a little like music - the response to a photographic image is immediate and can be articulated later, in the same way that you can be immediately moved by a piece of music - it doesn't need justification, it simply stirs the soul.  The exhibition served to comment on the current state of wildlife - -the most poignant for me being the impact of the ivory trade.  It also demonstrated without any shadow of doubt the awesome beauty and diversity within the natural world.  The animal portraits were amusing and thought provoking - I love the curious lion cub who is sticking his nose into the lens and the polar bear beneath the ice!  Some of my favourite images though were the more artistic and experimental ones - the kingfisher and his flight path, the ghostly owl in "Silent Flight,"  the energy of "Impression of Africa," the stunning lighting in "Resuurection," the imaginative composition of "Fish-eye view," the clever double exposure in "Magic mushrooms" and the beautiful simplicity of "The greeting."  And of course, the winner, Greg du Toit with his masterpiece, "Essence of elephants."  It is so fortunate to have access to this exhibition right on my own doorstep - I will definitely be going back to see it again - oh, and I brought the book..... and the calendar!  Oh dear!
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It's All in the Detail

Some of my favourite detail shots from recent weddings - it's a girl thing!!!
(fabulous floral arrangements are by Made with Love by Lyn
https://www.facebook.com/madewithlove.info

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Alice in Wonderland

Themed Shoots for Children

This studio shoot was great fun.  Tigs brought her own outfit, so just a few props were required to transport her to Wonderland for a fun set of themed photos!

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