Category: style

Lightpool Blackpool – Night II. Polar Compagnie Bilbobasso.

A french Tango and fire  engulfed St Johns Square on the second night of Blackpool’s LightPool Festival, part of the new network of Light Festivals across the UK.

Last night was pretty phenomenal. All I knew when I arrived was that it was moody and noir and there would be fire. It was a visual feast of showstopping performance. We are all so obsessed with staying in and watching XFactor? How would you know that if you just step into your local town centre you can experience some of this.

I have more images to show from this sumptuous show. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do photographing the performances.

Remember that if there is one thing  you should do this half term is get to Blackpool, Lancashire to witness history in the making.

“It would degrade me to marry Heathcliffe” – Photography Shoot

‘This is nothing,’ cried she.

Chapter 9 (“It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff”)

‘This is nothing,’ cried she: ‘I was only going to say that heaven did not seem to be my home; and I broke my heart with weeping to come back to earth; and the angels were so angry that they flung me out into the middle of the heath on the top of Wuthering Heights; where I woke sobbing for joy.

 

That will do to explain my secret, as well as the other. I’ve no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven; and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn’t have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.’

Model: Aisling Serrant

Stylist: Caroline Brown

MUA: Lauren Rippin

 

Where Dreams are Made – Photography Shoot

As time stood still and we fed our model with ideas of heartbreak, lost love, a love regained, an idea of love.

As time stood still and we fed our model with ideas of heartbreak, lost love, a love regained, an idea of love.

I liked the idea of hopeful love coming back to our model, my counterpart felt lost love was more in line with the tone of the shoot.

Beyond The Faraway Tree – Photography Shoot

Because the models were so different and of different ages, I feel they deserve a blog entry each.

Being playful in my children’s shoots is always key. Trying to make the subject forget themselves and have fun. Making up stories in my own head and feeding the playfulness back to the subject with as much energy as I can muster.

My mentor for the Photography Workshops suggested I slow down to really engage with what I am photographing.

Babes In The Wood – Photography Shoot

As we continued Carolyn Mendelsohn’s workshop Wandering On The Moors – Compelling Portraits. We were joined by our “mini” models for the afternoon: Anna, Claudia and Emily.

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With thoughts of “story telling” within our photography and further inspiration from my Author partner Rowan Coleman  We discussed how we could bring further narrative into our images. A book was agreed on as a prop and the wooded areas favored as backdrops.

I felt like our first model was an “imp” of the forest conjuring fairies and pixies as she read her stories out loud as the Folk of The Faraway Tree came to listen.

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Day Break Photography Workshops – Ponden Hall

Day 1. Carolyn Mendelhson’s compelling portraiture photography workshops, Ponden Hall.

Day 1. Carolyn Mendelhson’s compelling portraiture photography workshops, Ponden Hall.

Along with the rest of the group we ventured down towards the near by reservoir, gone 6.30am and the sun was peaking through. Still a fairly mild October morning, we scrambled down the reservoir bank and across a somewhat full stream to capture the magical morning light with Kizzy Brown.

The early morning light created an ethereal glow around Kizzy, so worth the early start to create images that were as magical as the atmosphere we shot in.

Wandering On The Moors – Compelling Portraits.

Wandering on The Moors with Carolyn Mendelsohn and other inspiring female humans, or Compelling Portraiture hosted by award winning photographer Carolynn Mendelhson and accompanied by guest photographer: Miss Aniela. In attendance 5 other inspirational females:

  • Gemma Brunton
  • Dani Heavens
  • Rowan Coleman
  • Rebecca LaChance
  • Kay Young

Based in  Haworth, Haworth the home of The Bronte Sisters and the setting for a photography workshop,  Ponden Hall was our base and home for three days,the potential real life inspiration for Wuthering Heights and setting a romantic but dark tone for the photography workshops.

As a photographer, you are constantly aiming to achieve the connection between subject and camera, I  attempt to portray narrative with or without figures within images, one of my first aspirations was to be an Author, I wonder if photography quenches some of that young “story telling” desire. If I am being honest I have never joined any photography workshops since becoming a full time photographer and considered this a huge step. But so many qualities of the workshop appealed to me: the location, the guest photographer (whose work I follow), Carolyn herself and the work she produces and her approach feels familiar and warm.

I keep looking a the images I have taken and tweaking ever so slightly in post processing and It is clear to say, I love them. Time will be spent over a few blog entries to enable reflection.

Bear with me as I take a little journey backwards.

  • Model: Ella McNeil
  • Stylist: Caroline Brown
  • MUA: Lauren Rippin
  • Photographer: CJGriffiths Photography

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