Reachout Arts UK
Reachout Arts UK are a brand new organisation set up in Shropshire, offering a huge variety of creative resources, programs and workshops, catered for all ages and run by an incredibly talanted group of people who asked me to come along and photograph one of their first sessions, to show off all of the wonderful things they do.
You can learn more about it here
Summer Rain
We're one week into the school summer holidays and so far it's been mostly soggy keeping us stuck inside and our house being thrown into chaos while we have a new bathroom fitted. It's been stressful, so I've been self soothing by taking pictures of pretty things and thanking my lucky stars that I actually rather like the rain.
Multi Session Packages
I’ve recently put together a selection of digital, multi-session packages offering product and commercial photography designed for businesses that require regular photography work to promote their products online, like these images shot recently for The Homemade Tie Company.
This is particularly useful for sellers in need of dimagery that needs to stay up to date with seasonal trends, as well as for building a catalogue of commercial images of stock, products, designs and other creations which are regularly being updated online for websites, online shops and social media.
Get in touch via the contact page for more info.
Ropewalk Dingle
The Ropewalk Dingle is a little patch of woodland in Bridgnorth High Town. Once an orchard, a few remaining fruit trees litter the landscape along with nature walks and a disused train tunnel. And you just know I'm going to be returning to shoot it again in the autumn. Very creepy indeed.
That's Nice Interiors relaunch
Those of you who have been following this blog for a while will be aware that I've been working with the wonderful Natalie of That's Nice Interiors, shooting products to build a catalogue of images for their online store. Recently Natalie has taken over the running of the high street shop, too and over the last fer weeks has been working like a crazy person, transforming the space and putting her own stamp on it. She very kindly invited me to the launch part before the store's grand opening, and I snapped a few pictures to give you a taster of what the place looks like now. But if you're in Bridgnorth, you should definitely go and see for yourself! It's gorgeous.
Weekend Wanderings
Last weekend we went for a picnic beside the river after a walk through the woods that run alongside the old traintrack from Bridgnorth to Ironbridge. It's one of our favourite spots around here, and has been since I first met Chris. The woods are old and wild and at this time of year so beautifully lush and green, but the paths are clear enough that Rory can run around and explore and there are rarely any other people around, besides the odd cyclist or dog walker.
She spent most of her time skimming stones and collecting fallen feathers to make a crown from them until she looked like some sort of majestic bird queen.
Krafty Gifts Uk - Session 3
So much of our shopping is done online these days so a business' website, social media pages and online store often plays the role of a virtual window display, the first point of contact for your customers to decide if they want to come inside, look around and make a purchase. But as they are making this decision soley on what they see, having images that accurately show the craftsmanship, quality, style, of what you're selling, is essential.
The beauty of working with independent, small businesses is that each one of them has their own unique aesthetic and differing requirements for their images depending on where the products will be advertised, which means we aren't ever confined to shooting with a 'one size fits all' approach which would lead to the sorts of images people would scroll by without a second look. So even when shooting something as strict as eCommerce images on a white backdrop, we can use light, styling and props to make sure the images stand out from the crowd, that attract the right audience, catch a shoppers eye and that give them the best possible representation of your products.
Wild
Over the last few days I've been joining in on a two week photo challenge on my instagram, and for today's 'wild' prompt, I shot this beautiful patch of wildflowers growing at the end of my road.
Bridgnorth Castle Garden
Since moving to Bridgnorth, one of my favorite hobbies has been exploring the sometimes hidden, usually unexpected and always plentiful areas of beauty that this town has to offer. Initially, these missions were inspired by a desire to catalogue all of the places I'd like to one day use as a backdrop for a photoshoot (you can view some more of these posts here), but after spending so much time walking around the town while training for the Bridgnorth Walk, I've developed a genuine enjoyment from just getting away from my desk, strolling around no matter the weather, and admiring the things that are so easily taken for granted when you become used to your environment. I still wouldn't exactly describe myself as outdoorsy, but moving here has reawakened a fascination with unpredictability of the nature that surrounds us, and I'm hoping that with my camera in hand Ill have an excuse to keep this spark ignited, and to get back in the habit of using my (spare) camera for something that's just for me.
So I decided to start this little project where I started.
The castle garden in Bridgnorth was first place I fell in love with in this town, a place I would walk to every morning with my daughter, so she could play while I adjusted to my new surroundings. It's just so impossibly pretty there, so well cared for, and in July it's arguably at it's prettiest. Every flower is in bloom, every lawn perfectly tended. There's a nature walk, and a veggie patch, military themed topiary, a bandstand and a gravity defying wall that people keep insisting to me 'is' a castle, though I'm sure anybody would have a hard time living in it, in its current state. There's a bandstand and little stream and views of the Severn Valley Railway where you can sit and watch the steam trains go by. And it doesn't matter when I visit, I've watched the sunrise there in the dead of winter, kicked the leaves along the castle walk in the autumn, made daisy chains for Rory in the springtime and enjoyed the ice cream in the summer, it's always beautiful and always different.
