Archive for May, 2007
Naomi House Hospice
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007[photopress:Fashion_model.jpg,full,alignleft]In the course of a week, I have the pleasure to meet and work with a diverse set of people, commercially and privately. Today I photographically supported an event in our hometown for the Naomi House Children’s Hospice. Set up in ‘92, NHCH opened to provide respite, terminally ill care and bereavement support for children and families across the south of England. But don’t be confused about the NH abbreviation. This is not a government financed initiative, there is no statutory funding available. And don’t get me started on the politics of where we do manage to channel the finances of laziness and ill gotten deserved gains from our taxes. It costs two million pounds per year to keep the hospice doing what it does so well. Fortunately, charity exists and there are people who work hard in their own time to see that establishments like Naomi House can see children and families through the good, difficult and sadly – the last days of their lives. In this case, a huge amount of praise should be heaped upon Sarah Arrowsmith, one half of the husband and wife partnership that deal with us on a day to day basis with our photographic printing, for organising a fundraising fashion show in their own back garden. Around one hundred guests this afternoon managed to raise a combined total of £10,000. The phrase ‘charity starts at home’ was certainly applicable and in evidence today.
Silchester with The Slatterys
Saturday, May 5th, 2007[photopress:Wedding_pose_hips.jpg,full,alignleft]Boy does it feel good to return to the venue that hosted our own wedding reception; Silchester House in Berkshire. It always feels like we’re returning home and that’s a special emotion. So it was a real pleasure to follow Jennifer Newport and Martin Slattery through their day, from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Saturday morning, to the reception at S.H. There is a particular location within the house I absolutely love, for the following reason. I was mentored at the start of the year by a highly acclaimed Australian wedding photographer who encouraged a room full of enthusiastic professionals to start seeing light differently at venues, to put down their flash units and use ‘The Force.’ If Obi-Wan had been a photographer I imagine this is exactly how he would have worked. Downlighters are fabulous sources of light. Many are really quite powerful and in all respects, become mini flood lights. Forgive me for the technical shooting data, but since this appears within the ‘techniques’ category too, indulge me please. 800 ISO, just under the threshold where Nikon gets a little noisy, a shutter speed higher than the focal length of the lens and a nice sexy hip and stretch pose; this is the result. This also appears in the ‘Wedding day tips’ cat, only because as a couple, sometimes as you look round your venue, you’ll no doubt spot fresh photographic opportunities. I don’t expect couples to look with a photographer’s eye; after all, that’s why they are employing us. But I’m never offended if you see a prop or a light that you think could add a fabulous page to your album. Congratulations to two very special people, it was an honour to spend the day with you.
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