A WINTER RAMBLE

Creative time is an idea that has been hovering around for quite some time now, but it is something I have never really bought in to. This year, however, I know that I have to reevaluate my focus and realise that creative time is the core of any business, the time to brainstorm and create new ideas that could essentially lead to new work and to also give my brain a section of time each week to just let go. I want to feel connected to my art again and I know that, for both James and myself, basing your career on your hobby can sometimes sap that connection out of you. So, whether creative time means pouring out all of the information I have jammed into my brain onto a piece of paper, researching new ways to market, or simply heading outside to take some photographs for myself, 2018 has got to see more moments of clarity. 

Last Wednesday we decided to do something that we don’t often do as self employed people and take an afternoon for ourselves. Sometimes, when people think of being self employed or working from home, they imagine that we spend our time floating out of bed at 10am to a long breakfast, followed by taking a few photographs here and there, and then meeting up with friends for lunch dates in coffee shops. As much as that is probably what I had in mind for myself when I entered onto this path, it really couldn’t be further from the truth. I for one have had to really force myself into a work schedule, train myself to switch off rather than working 100% of the time, and remind myself that it is OK to have a break. So Wednesday afternoon was exactly that: a break, with creative intentions. 

Living in the Shropshire hills it is easy for us to take for granted the beauty we have on our doorstep, so we ventured just twenty minutes from home up to the top of the Clee Hill. What we hadn’t anticipated was the thin blanket of snow that we discovered upon arrival. It was cold, but the air was crisp and the views were clear for miles. We trudged through the ice at our own pace, capturing photos as we went and stopping at short intervals to breath the fresh air deep into our lungs. It was the kind of cold that left your nose red and your lips chapped, that had us thawing out our hands over the car heaters when we returned, but it was a perfect afternoon nonetheless. We disconnected for a couple of hours and gave our minds a rest from the chaos and just adventured for a while. Sometimes, that is just what we need in order to create, to be our most productive selves. Sometimes we just need to stop, take a deep breath and walk on. 

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DERBYSHIRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER : HALEY & JERMAINE

Haley and Jermaine were a couple who were so truly loved by everyone in the room, not just for their incredible selves but their story seemed to have everyone at their wedding in Derbyshire captivated. As they each stood before their friends and family and poured out their hearts about their love, overcoming of ups and downs and nine year long connection there were very few moments that I did not find myself choking up. It was a day that showed me why I love capturing weddings, not just for the beauty they create but for the involvement of people’s stories, the ability to spend a day in their life and simply observe as they share the happiest moments of their lives with those that love them. 

The venue was set in the Derbyshire hills, a marquee on the grounds of the gorgeous Shottle Hall, with views as far as the eye could see. The weather held for us all day and the field of dandelions made for the perfect backdrop for evening portraits. 

MY LITTLE WEDDING SHOP EDITORIAL SHOOT

Jenny from My Little Wedding Shop has appeared a few times on this blog, as I have always jumped at the opportunity of working alongside her. As I have mentioned before, my own wedding dress was purchase from her beautiful shop, a quaint little boutique set upon cobble stones right beside my favourite corner of my home town, Bridgnorth in Shropshire. Shooting with Jenny always brings about those feelings I felt when first trying on my own dress, feeling like the little girl inside of me is living out her dream, feeling like five year old Beth would be proud. 

The collection itself was quite different to previous collections that Jenny has designed, although still carrying the same notes of ethereal beauty and elements of Hollywood glamour. Each gown carries the name of a rose and is unique in its own right, but Jenny’s signature flair is easily identified. The shoot itself was scheduled to take place within nature to reflect the secret garden theme, but with a little creative thinking and some amazing floral design by the lovely and incredibly talented Rachel Adams, we were able to bring a hint of natural, floral beauty to the upper room of Tanner’s Wines. The room in itself was quite special, with its original architecture in place, dark wood floors and whitewashed brick walls, with it’s very own elements of nature as the ivy from outside had broken in through the air vent and left its mark on the otherwise plain wall. Shot on a mixture of digital and film, here are a few of my favourites from this editorial shoot. 

To shop any of the pieces showcased in this blogpost, or to work with Jenny on designing your own bespoke wedding dress, make an appointment at My Little Wedding Shop. 

CREDITS:

Dresses & Veils : My Little Wedding Shop

Venue: Tanners Wines

Floral Design: Rachel Adams

MUA: Omie Megan

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HOW TO CREATE A SIMPLE FLATLAY

Throughout 2018, I wanted to create a mini series for my followers and readers who own small businesses or are wanting to improve their social media images. Specifically, I wanted to create a selection of posts including a few tips and tricks of the trade that are easily recreated at home if you are unable to get a professional on board, so that when I get questions from my lovely clients about how they can improve their photography, I could point them in the right direction. To get us started I wanted to create a guide to the humble flatlay, a simple yet effective way of displaying and photographing products. Here are my top tips for achieving flatlays that your favourite blogger would be envious off. 

1. Keep it simple

There is a reason I titled the post the way I did, simplicity really is key if you are new to flatlays. There are a few reasons for this, the first being the fact that flatlays have a tendancy to look cluttered, a bad flatlay can look more like a photo of a pile of mess than anything else and if you bring too much to the table, you will find it very hard to make the focus of your image stand out. Another reason is that flatlays are deceptively difficult, the more practice you get the more you might want to experiment with extra props, but by sticking to two or three perfect props you will have more impact than if you have 20 random items picked from your drawer. 

2. Choose your props wisely

I have a drawer in my home filled with pretty treasures and trinkets that I use especially for styling product photography, detail shots at weddings and flatlays alike. Some props I recommend are:

• Your Main Focus - the focus of all the flatlays in this post are my prints, so just remember to collect your props based on whatever product you want to feature. You may want to collect some pretty calligraphy pens and inkwells if you are a stationer, for example. 
• Silk Ribbons and Fabrics - I purchase mine from the lovely Kate Cullen (she also produces these amazing styling kits and a selection of props if you want a flatlay one-stop shop. These are great for varying the texture of your image and can mean the difference between a clean minimal flatlay and a soft dreamy flatlay. 
• Magazines - my FAVOURITE being Cereal, you can use covers and the inside pages for varying backgrounds. Art books are also great for adding layers and depth. 
• Foliage -This is particularly easy for me as my home is filled with an array of plants. Foliage adds an instant natural feel and also a pop of colour if you like to keep your images super neutral like me. 

3. Nail Your Setup

Above anything else, setup is vital. The golden rules of the perfect setup are good light and a good background. The setup in the image below is a piece of grey mountboard and two pieces of white foam board all purchased from Hobbycraft. this setup cost me all of around £8 but is ideal for flatlays, product photos and styling details alike. I always use natural light, so by positioning the mountboard near the window and placing the foamboard behind and beside the card, I am able to knock out the majority of the shadows for a soft, clean light across my images. 

4. Curate your image

Now is for the fun part, the laying out of your props. This bit is really up to you and your eye, and will require a lot of trial and error the first few tries. Try experimenting with negative space, symmetric lines and varying textures. Try swapping out the props surrounding your focus peice and working out what vibe you want to go for. Start small and grow your flatlay. I always start with my focis piece, then lay the rest of my props around it, take a snap, then analyse what works and what doesn't, whether it is too much or too little, whether it feels right. When it clicks I shoot the image from a few angles and pick my favourite composition before editing and uploading it. 

In conclusion, I think getting the perfect flatlay takes practice and honeslty quite a bit of time. I reccomend shooting a few different flatlays of a few different prodcucts in one session so as to have a collection of pretty images to upload, rather than having to nail our setup every single time you get an idea or want to upload a flatlay! If you try any of these tips yourself, please let me know and I would love to check them out! 

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A TUSCAN ENGAGEMENT - ANNA & JON

For this post, I cast my mind back to spring of last year, the feeling I got opening an email that asked if I would be happy to fly out to Tuscany for an intimate wedding of a couple I had never met before. Although almost bursting with excitement and wanting to instantly shoot an email back responding 'ERM, HECK YES!!', I reservedly typed a professionally worded email, expressing my delight at the enquiry and requesting to meet them via Skype to discuss their options. Writing this post now, over a year has passed, the wedding both in Tuscany and back in Shropshire are long past, and my heart is full when I think of my new friend's Anna and John (who are currently on a six month sabbatical spending their honeymoon travelling Asia together), who made me and Jamie part of their family while welcoming us into their little bubble of wedding bliss in the tuscan hills.

It started with my favourite engagement session of all time, Anna and Jon pulled up beside our rented metallic grey Fiat 500 in the exact same car, and Anna floated out looking absolutely flawless in the sweltering heat in a bright red dress and lipstick, her dark hair trailing down her olive skin. We had originally planned to shoot in the old town of montecatini terme, but instead headed to the beautiful open spa in the middle of the town. It was everything you would imagine from an Italian spa, pillars of ivory marble surrounding an aqua blue pool of water, hand painted tiles boasting portraits of cherubs in rich, vibrant colours, surrounded by beautifully kept gardens. 

Growing up with a mother who was obsessed and enchanted by the idea of visiting Italy, I had an inherent desire to understand its draw, to walk through golden light among marble structures and perfect green olive groves. I couldn't have been truly prepared for the way it would effect me, the way it would speak to me, but I found myself so overwhelmed by the combination of practicing my art and being surrounded by the marvel of Italian countryside and architecture. Anna and Jonathon had unwittingly brought me to my favourite place in this world, and I will forever be grateful for that.

A BLIND CITY GUIDE TO BATH

Now I've visited Bath, its hard for me to understand why I've never visited Bath. It has all the magic of Roman architecture whilst maintaining the quintessentially Brittish atmosphere I crave from everywhere that isn't my home country. We came here as an anniversary gift from my wonderful in laws that we've been a little late to take up, but one night in this city has left us planning our return. Trying to put into words the atmosphere isn't easy, but I will give it a go in my blind city guide, from the perspective of someone who has never visited before. 

BREAKFAST 

There is something about being on holiday that turns breakfast into the most important meal of the day for me. I don't know what it is, I just LOVE going out for breakfast. So our first day we upkeep a long standing family tradition of Macdonalds on the way, then had second breakfast at lunch time at the amazing Boston Tea Party, which was happily situated right beside our accommodation. It is actually part of a franchise, but the decor, food and service was second to none. Not to mention the incredible venue, flooded with light from the huge windows and glass roof, filled with plant life and the buzz of city dwellers. I had the best eggs Royale I've ever tasted (and believe you me, I've tasted a lot of Eggs Royale in my time) and devoured my Pancakes and bacon at the same rate the following morning. 

THE CITY

Limestone buildings, cobbled streets, an insanely talented array of buskers, cold air and beautiful window displays. The buzz of city life without the intensity and hurried atmosphere of cities like London and Paris. Architecture that makes you r neck hurt from looking up on every corner. corridors and street corners, hidden bookshops and coffee shops. The city of Bath is not only beautiful, it is alive in a way I have never experienced. Even the array of high end chain stores you are used to seeing in every city you visit have something different, an extra bit of attention to detail, a feeling of being independent from the rest. I've always loved the cities of my home, Oxfords wealth of academic history, the adorable and mismatched architecture of York, but Bath has floored them for me. The luxury that comes with the wealth and grandeur it exudes, whilst maintaining an indescribable small town feeling. We Stopped off at the wonderful Society Cafe, which was a tiny hub of creativity, walls decorated in work by local photographers and artist, stacks of books and magazines on art, photography, culture and poetry and their very own society Cafe Newspaper. 

tHE BATHS

A slice of ancient Italian architecture right in the heart of England - could you think of anything more perfect? The museum itself is fascinating, if not a little long winded, but it is worth every penny to see this coming together of natural phenomena and man made beauty. It is a true masterpiece and a huge part of our heritage - not to mention the true feelings of decadence and the ability to get lost in the surroundings and imagine it as a centre of the Roman lifestyle. 

THE ACCOMMODATION

Jamie and I always choose to go with Air Bnb when we go for city breaks, so we were delighted when Jamie's parents chose a beautiful air bnb right in the centre of the city, just off the main high street. Air bnb makes you feel like a local, you can pretend for a few days that you are at home in the city, and this particular apartment was truly perfect. Chic modern decor, immaculate cleanliness and the my favourite part, the view. We overlooked rows and rows of rooftops, stacked on top of eachother into the distance, the cathedral painting the skyline beautifully. 

I know I will be dreaming of Bath for a long time and returning very soon - until then check in again soon when my Australia Posts begin! We're currently in Brisbane and the surrounding areas and I will be keeping record here on my blog. In the meantime, check out my social media and share this post with anyone who you think might love it! 

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ALEXANDRA ROSE WEDDINGS - AN EDITORIAL ON BRITTISH FLOWERS

ALEXANDRA ROSE WEDDINGS • THE SWAN & OLD MINSTER MILL • SILK & PURL • LAURA ELIZABETH PATRICK

In a garden full of roses, my favourite place to wander in June, we pulled up outside David Austin and called Alexandra from inside the landscaped area. The flowers were climbing the walls and archways around us as we went to meet her in the tea room. The table was stacked with a healthy amount of wedding magazines, notebooks and scraps of paper as we took a seat and ordered tea together. We started to dream up a shoot concept to help Alexandra show the world that alongside her Wedding planning and styling, she also showcases an incredible skill in floristry. Her signature is that each bouquet of wild, tumbling, natural foliage is created with only British flowers, taken from flower farms and walled gardens in the UK, rather than importing them from abroad. The mood board came together incredibly naturally, with Alexandra ready with an array of ideas and an open mind to James' thoughts for creating a bespoke editorial film and my own take on what the imagery should look like. By the end of our lunch date we were wandering the gardens together discussing options for bouquets, styling pieces and other vendors who may like to be on board. We parted with a hug and a date in the diary to meet at The Old Swan And Minster Mill for a shoot in late August. 

The premise of the shoot was simple. Fine Art, floral beauty in quintessentially British surroundings, with a small selection of up and coming vendors to compliment Alexandra's brand. The Old Swan & Minster Mill was the ideal location, set in the heart of the cotswolds, surrounded by stunning grounds and decadently beautiful frontages. We also were excited to include the amazingly talented Silk and Purl, who's stunning silk ribbons complimented the undone feeling of the bouquet, as well as the wonderful Laura Elizabeth Patrick who created a floral inspired bespoke set of stationery with her hand written calligraphy gracing each piece with effortless beauty. The vast majority of this shoot was shot on 35mm Film, which i'm doing more and more on shoots such as this. It was a great opportunity for me to really express myself and show my own creativity.