G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S!

When I decided to take up photography last year, Danielle was one of the first people I called on to 'model' for me. I mean, look at her - she's not exactly been hit by the ugly stick!
She was 18 at the beginning of this month (I feel old) and so I asked her to model for me again. It's always great to try new things with Danielle because she's not camera-shy.
We went to the uber-glamorous location of (drumroll, please!) Barnsley Bus Station for these shots.



One thing, however, which didn't go to plan was my idea to have Danielle surrounded by bubbles! I had bought a bubble gun but didn't bring batteries (what an idiot!!) Needless to say it was so windy that she only had to HOLD the bubbles before they all started blowing back in her eye...
Here's an outtake shot - I didn't manage to get a proper one because by this point she had bubble soap in her eye! Whoops!

Dolly does burlesque!

For a few months I have been learning how to burlesque dance to keep fit. I go with my mum and aunt-in-laws to the class in Wombwell and we have an absolute scream.
Today, eeeek, was our first show day where we performed our routines in front of an audience. Thankfully my workmates didn't crash the party as threatened. I was starting to get a little worried for a moment there. I am happy dancing in my little class but, let's face it, I have no rhythm and no style.
Here I am in my most burlesque-y outfit I own - as taken by my lovely husband James.

And then especially for Justin Timberlake and his 'Sexy Back' (take note, James, the lyrics are NOT hairy back!) here I am being 'street!' Oh yes, I AM Legend!
Word.

And my mum - flirty and in her 50s!

My mum is BOUND to kill me when she sees this but I just have to say - she's 51! Can you believe it?! I always joked I get my youthful looks from her and I think she looks great. (But of course, I would say that!)
This weekend, she asked me to take some shots of her. For my mum, this is a big leap. She HATES her photograph taking. We have very few where she isn't hiding from the camera.
But, it emerges, she has a plan. She is 'with the programme' and has joined Facebook! Alas, she was without a profile picture. So I took these for her...and yes, I have warned her about picking up random men on the internet :-) Now, mum. You know the rules. Don't go taking sweeties from strangers!
And playing with lens flare again...


And here, playing with lens flare....

My sister - the glamazon!

Okay - let's set the record straight. At school my sister Keeley was always the trendy, popular one. I was the bookish nerd who worked in the school library vountarily (oh, I wish I was kidding!)
I vividly remember us leaving the house to walk to the bus stop - she always made sure she was a good few paces ahead of me to keep her street cred. She used to hustle to the back of the school bus and someone ALWAYS saved her a seat. I always got sat with the freakish kids who nobody spoke to...well, nobody other than me because I felt sorry for them and - let's face it - I was pretty freakish too!
It took me years to realise that there was a reason she was popular. Not just that she was funny, that she was a little crazy, and not just that she was always the centre of every party...but something much more basic than that. She was pretty. And as we all know, when you are a teenager in secondary school, that's some mucho grando street cred right there.
We talk about those days sometimes and laugh (I remember her flicking a cig end at me, and she always denies it.) But now, over a decade later, I can still look at my sister and understand why she is still popular.
It isn't just that she is pretty - because she clearly is. But it is because she is a good person - and that shines through.
On a side note, the above photo was experimenting with lens flare. I am not sure I like it - I will let my blog stalkers decide!

The Real Thing!

Okay, so after sharing the funny out-takes from my family day out, here are the 'real ones.'
This is my cousin Chloe, 15. I think the most hilarious comment of the day came from her mum who said she didn't look like herself on any of the photos...it took a while to realise she didn't look herself because in these photos she's actually smiling!
She will most likely come after me for portraying her as anything other than an angst-ridden teen but I just can't help it because look how pretty she is!!
She has no fear - she was up this climbing frame like a limber little thing and left me hanging on for dear life, hoping I didn't drop my camera.

The Out-Takes...

With every photoshoot, there are inevitably out-takes. You have blinkers, lens flares and camera shake to contend with...normally these out-takes are thrown into the vault of 'never-to-be-seen again' to protect the dignity of your subject...
HOWEVER, if those subjects are your family, well, I guess those rules go out of the window! The thing you need to understand about my family is this. We are LOUD (for all of you who knows us, I can see you nodding yes!)
We meet at the grandparents every Saturday and the decibel level rises and rises as we compete to be heard. There are usually about seven conversations going on at once...my grandad is selectively deaf. He tunes us out when he wants to but you can bet he will hear you the moment a swear word slips out! My nannan usually sits at the top of the room, laughing at the same conversations we have every week...and my husband James. Well, he is the one who is the most screwy because, let's face it, he joined my family by CHOICE! He is usually a quiet type but on Saturdays he will join in, cracking the odd dirty joke that makes my Uncle David laugh.
This week, we went to Hillborough Park to do some shots of my cousin Chloe. She's 15 and is pictured above, laughing at the rest of the family who was chasing a squirrel up a tree so it wouldn't get eaten by a dog.
I thought Chloe would be a great subject to practice some new techniques on...
But my family being my family all came along to watch...and while I was hard at work, here is what they were up to...
What has to be my absolute favourite - my mum and my sister, Keeley, doing the rodeo...

Keeley strutting through the park, mocking Auntie Charlotte's jacket by singing 'Daddy, Daddy Cool....'

My Auntie Charlotte (call me, Choz) doing her most glam pose to jump in shot...

And my husband James, trying to be a Gladiator on the 'Hang Tough' event. He's 6ft 2. This is a kids playground...his feet were scraping the floor...

Mary and Dunstan (the story so far!)

As promised, here are some more of Mary and Dunstan's e-session shots which were taken in the uber-glamorous Hillsborough Park.
Dunstan is a solicitor and Mary is a journalist so we decided to go for an super funky magazine style format to their shoot.
I always like to try something different in photos - see how it works. I particularly like the scuffy surroundings, I think it makes their fancy clothes just pop!

Mary and Dunstan - e-session!

Despite having footballs kicked at our heads by some irritating youths, our park shoot turned out some cutsie images.
Here is the first, showing Mary in all her vamped out glory.
More to follow over the next few days - see you later blog-stalkers!

First magazine appearance!

I feel thrilled to bits today, as I have just got my copy of Wedding Professional* and I am in it!
I wrote a feature on the trend for vintage weddings and my photography of the lovely Victoria Moy from the English Tea Party was featured.
It all came after a visit to Luella's Boudoir, in London, a gorgeous shop filled with everything wedding related. There, I met several vintage wedding experts, it was a great time!
Also in the piece was specialist vintage wedding planner Tiffany Grant-Riley from Grant-Riley Weddings! She has some absolutely gorgeous 'inspiration' boards for brides so be sure to check out her blog http://grantrileyweddings.blogspot.com/.
(*Wedding Professional is a business to business magazine for everyone working in the wedding industry.)