Ruby Dee is a Rutland based Vintage solo singer who specialises in singing songs from the 1900’s and up. Whether it be big band hits or jazzy classics, she loves entertaining people and will bring a bit of old school glitz and glam to your event. Ruby is the voice of several bands, you can find her singing with The Rutland Big Band, at weddings and events with a Soul & Funk twist with The Top Banana Band, and also with Midnight City Band, a new female fronted band who play Disco & Soul.
Roo needed some new images for her social media so we got together and one sunny day in Greetham I took these images along with a bit of singing of course. We even managed to find a lovely vintage car to pose with!
I love how the photos turned out, I did add a bit of an old film look on some of the final edits and I don’t always do this, but I think the style works with what Roo wanted so I’m happy. I wanted her to feel pampered and comfortable in front of the camera and enjoy the shoot, which is one of the main things for me, once my client is feeling happy the images flow and it makes all the difference to the final photo.
The East Angles Brass Band played in Norwich at the weekend as part of Head Out Not Home, a live music and entertainment thing that is on until 5th September. I went along to take a few photos in the sunshine, it was a really good day out. There is a Dinosaur trail around the city and Dippy is in the cathedral at the moment as well which I didn’t realise until today.
There was so much on throughout the day I highly recommend you visit the city and enjoy the free music while you can!
Becky came to me with a colour idea for her branding session, she needed some new images for her website and she wanted to match her images to her site. She got her hair and makeup done and we shot outdoors in a local public space.
Nerves!
I knew Becky felt nervous, as anyone would be when doing something new! It was the first time we’d met, like many of my clients. We sat and had a chat over a coffee and took some photos indoors before changing outfits and heading outside to shoot. We quickly got into the swing of things and the shoot went really smoothly. Becky was taking my direction in her poses and we tried different ideas, some worked, some didn’t as well but it’s always good to try a pose and just move on if it doesn’t suit. My expertise is in creating these natural and personality filled images that you can’t get with a selfie or a standard headshot
Choosing brand colours wisely can impact how people perceive your brand. In fact, using a signature colour can increase brand recognition by a massive 80%
After a career serving in the Royal Navy, Becky launched her business Your Productive PA. She knows all about outsourcing and that is why she knew that a branding session would enhance her business. Why struggle with things that aren’t your area of expertise when you can get someone else to help you grow? It’s important to put a face to your business, I’ve written about this in more depth HERE.
She already had her website built so these photos were to help tie everything together and inject her sense of humour and personality into the site. She is naturally bubbly and positive and I really wanted her to have a wide range of images she could use, from natural and friendly to the classic headshot type image.
Before our session I sent Becky a personalised Pinterest board with some ideas for her poses so we were both on the same page, it’s easier to show another photo than explain sometimes! You can send me photos that you want to try to copy if it helps you describe what you need. I had also sent her my info sheet on branding and how to prepare for the shoot, my aim is to help you get ready and know what to expect at your session.
After the shoot I edited all the best shots and within the week Becky had her new photos. It’s an uncomplicated process, I resize the images for online use and I can also shoot your images to fit your site easily.
I always ask my clients to tag me on social media or shout from the rooftops if they enjoyed their session, here’s what Becky said when she shared some images on her LinkedIn profile.
Not only did she put me at ease the instant we met, but she made the whole experience thoroughly enjoyable and I didn’t end up with faceache (as a result of holding a fake smile), as I found myself smiling the whole way through.
Thank you, Lucy, for a very enjoyable session and some fabulous photos for the new website. Give her a try, you won’t be disappointed.
You can find Your Productive PA online at the links below.
Last weekend we took Friday off and drove to The Cotswolds for a quick mini holiday.
I think we’ve all been cooped up for too long and a trip away somewhere different was really needed. We came back Saturday evening and had all day to relax on Sunday so it really was just a night away but still lovely.
My main excitement was the thoughts of all the pretty houses and scenery of the Cotswolds, but also camping in a really interesting campsite I found online, The Wildings. There didn’t seem to be many places that weren’t booked up or that we could stay for just one night, luckily this gorgeous site was available at short notice, and had enough mod cons to not feel like it was hard work!
The Wildings is a small & friendly, family run campsite that is nestled in the wildflowers and trees of their farm and it is the perfect escape for those who want to unwind and explore a pretty bit of Cotswolds countryside.
Our bed for the night was Meadowsweet, a spacious pod, fully insulated with lighting and power to recharge the batteries (my own and the camera!) It was much bigger than expected and was on its own little patch in the wildflowers away from everyone elses pods. We had also booked a firepit to cook over, you can’t go camping without the campfire!!
The minute I walked onto the site I felt relaxed, I can only recommend you visit for yourself.
Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.
Eeyore
Before we checked in, our first stop in the Cotswolds was the small medieval town of Burford, we wandered around for an hour before deciding we were hungry and then it was off to Bibury. Lunch in the Swan Hotel was very welcome after a long drive so we sat in the sunshine and had a lovely meal sat outside in the sunny courtyard. It’s easy to see why William Morris called Bibury ‘The most beautiful village in England’ with it’s famously picturesque cottages of Arlington Row, built in 1380 and owned by the National Trust. It was such a sunny day, we spent a couple of hours walking around the village, had some much needed icecream and wandered up Awkward Hill.
Pretty cottages at Arlington Row, Bibury
Bourton on the Water was next, a mile from the campsite and often referred to as the Venice of the Cotswolds. This pretty village is situated on the river Windrush, with tiny bridges arching over the river it’s the perfect place to sit and cool off under the trees while people watching. We had a look around the model village before checking in to The Wildings to set up our beds. To finish off our day we drove to the Slaughters, the lower and upper villages are just pure prettiness! I loved the cottage gardens in full bloom and being near the river, the old water mill looked interesting but was unfortunately closed as it was getting quite late. I took loads of photos!
The next day we managed to fit in a bit more exploring. Breakfast in Bourton watching the world go by followed by escaping the Dragonfly Maze, definitely worth checking out if you can (it has a fun twist.) There is a bird park in the village too which we didn’t visit but apparently a long time ago when my dad moved overseas they took in his African Grey parrot Phillip.
We survived the maze and headed to Winchcomb for lunch and a walk around the grounds of Sudeley Castle, taking in the pretty surroundings and taking more photos. In Stow on the Wold we had cake and coffees in Lucys Tea Room, which was a bit of a shambles due to the social distancing rules, the town had some interesting shops and we visited the famous doors of St Edwards Church which have been said to have inspired Tolkein in the lord of the Rings.
Trying to fit loads of things in we decided to find the Cotswolds lavender fields in Snowshill, it looked really busy because it was such a lovely day so we just parked up away from the tourists and enjoyed the view of pretty purple fields before a long drive home.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about all the pretty places, there’s so much to see and do. It was a lovely mini weekend away with loads of walking and sunshine and I can’t wait to go back!
While we are in Covid lockdown I know sadly so many of you have had to postpone your wedding date, so our planning chats will probably be next year.
I thought it would be helpful to share with you a few things I go through with my couples to get organised for the big day. You can search online for planning tips and advice but nothing beats your photographer having experience of a real wedding day.
I have to say as well, you can plan and plan but sometimes things will still over run or get forgotten about on the day so please don’t feel like you’ve failed or that it’s a disaster… it’s unnecessary drama!!
Your wedding photographer/videographer will most likely be with you throughout the whole day, so they will act as a timekeeper, a shoulder to cry on sometimes and a general mood regulator!! We take on anything (well, I do anyway) to keep the day running as smoothly as possible and keeping our brides happy so we get those lovely naturally ‘glowy’ photos, stress shows and we know it! (Don’t stress that you’ll feel stressed!)
So, looking at the timeline and planning your photos is really helpful, basically the more we plan our timeline for the day, the more we can fit in.
If you know exactly which sets of family photos you’d like(or not)we can get them done and out of the way first, they can all go off for drinks and then there’s solo time for the couple portraits.
I love having this time with my couples because it’s a bit of a relief for them to be out of the limelight for an hour and relax together as a married pair for the first time. Some people really hate having to pose and have photos so getting away from everyone and not having them watching is good too!
Family Group photos can look like this:
Couple with bride’s parents
Couple with bride’s parents and siblings
Couple with bride’s parents, siblings and grandparents
Bride with parents
Bride with each parent individually
Couple with both sets of parents
Couple with groom’s parents
Couple with groom’s parents and siblings
Couple with groom’s parents, siblings, and grandparents
Groom with parents
Groom with each parent individually
The list can go on and on…
Even if you gave each grouping two minutes, you will be spending 30-40 mins here, then you have the Bridesmaids and Groomsmen to shoot with the couple as well so add another 15-20mins on top. A lot of people feel like they have to have the family shots but don’t want to spend a lot of time doing them and also underestimate how long this really takes, especially on the day when everyone is excitable, it can be like herding cats!
I do suggest that we do some of these shots in the morning if possible. (Bride with mum, Bride with dad, Bride with siblings etc) These informal family shots before the wedding would be my choice of photo, they always seem to be more relaxed and look less stuffy to me.
If I have time or the Groom is nearby I can usually go over to where he’s getting ready and shoot the boys earlier as well. Having a best man or head bridesmaid on hand with my family shot list is something I always have, they normally know everyone and I give them the job of shouting at people so I can concentrate on taking the photos!
Another factor we have to think about is dinner, the bell normally goes at 5pm for dinner and couples want to enjoy the reception too and mingle with friends before the sit down part of the evening, somehow we have to fit everything in!
If you place alot of importance on your photos then try and work your timeline to fit, chat to your venue, tell them what you need, push dinner out later on.
Time of year can be a major factor as well, sunset and golden hour photos are lovely but in the summertime may sometimes be in the middle of dinner, are you prepared for your wedding photographer to drag you outside?! Later on in the year it will get dark earlier, this is sometimes forgotten about.
My main advice is talk to everyone involved, be on the same page, plan ahead for the images you really want, these things don’t happen without your involvement in the planning process, it is your wedding after all!
Gretton’s first ever cycling sportive for all the family was on 9th June 2018.
115 cyclists chose a 30 or 64 mile route around the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside before returning to Gretton for a well needed Barbecue and entertainment from the fabulous Top Banana Band. It was a great day out for all the family whilst also raising funds for The Travers Foundation to continue their great work.
As you probably know, I’m not a pro sports photographer, that’s fine; it’s not my ‘thing’ but it’s something that interests me when I see some of the amazing sports photography out there, a friend of mine James Mitchell does really great triathlon photography, you can scroll through Instagram and see some lovely travel and outdoor work but I do not have the correct equipment or the time & dedication that some photographers might have for their speciality. But I love photography and will try anything!
Saying that, a couple of weekends ago I had the chance to go out into the beautiful Rutland countryside on another hot day and take some cycling photos at one of my favourite spots, the Harringworth Viaduct.
The Rutland CiCLE Tour by ITP Events had three routes, 62miles, 78 & 105! Ouch! Based from The Giant store at Rutland Water, the routes are carefully planned to take in many of the picturesque hills and little villages in the area. The first person over the finish line on the short route did it in 3hrs 42mins, sore bums all round!
It was so relaxing to drive around the pretty villages in the sunshine and see where I ended up. I got a bit sunburnt looking for the perfect photo spot so next time (and there will be more cycling photo opportunities soon) I will definitely be more careful!! I really enjoyed the challenge, I admire the hard work the cyclists put in and learnt a few camera/sunshine/speed/composition lessons along the way!!
I’m quite happy with the photos I took, I got a few smiles from the cyclists and it was definitely a learning curve! Have a look and let me know what you think!
A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable..William Wordsworth.
I met Jo after taking some photos of the wedding band she sings in The Moog69’s, ( they are brilliant check them out!) she came to me looking for new photos for her website and solo church side of things, so we had a chat over a coffee, clicked straight away and started planning. She was very open to ideas and naturally goes with a bit of a rock chick vibe, I like to try to push things a little out of the ordinary but still stay in that comfort zone so it’s not forced and unnatural, so after talking to Jo I knew Jill would be brilliant at bringing all of our ideas together, more coffee… loads of ideas.. we always tend to go waaaaay beyond the brief, get super excited then nail it down to something not too scary! So off we went to Glendalough one morning, it was an awesome day outside in the cold, wandering around the beautiful lake and playing in the trees, it was really fun! and this is what happened…….
I did share a few photos before but I love them so much I had to show you some more, It would be the perfect romantic spot for an engagement shoot or even a family portrait session with the kids splashing by the water.
Thanks to Jill for her styling on the day and to Jo for being so good at standing in cold water!!
Here’s a fun shoot I did for fellow photographer Rebecca and her lovely family, we had a blast eating lollys and messing about down this well known graffiti’d lane in Dublin, I’ve been allowed to share a few images from the session, hope you enjoy!
Here’s a little peek into a fab wedding from last week in the beautiful setting of Trudder Lodge in Newtownmountkennedy ( the longest place name in ireland…)
After nearly a week of lovely warm sunshine the rain started to pour down on Friday and didnt stop, you can imagine how gutted I felt when I realised we wouldnt be doing many photos in the Monsoon outside!! My bride and groom were absolutely calm and nothing was going to spoil their day!! We are in Ireland after all!
It was a very relaxed day, from the minute i was welcomed into the family home in Dublin until the end of the night when the band were rocking, it was such a lovely day. I loved all the personal details, Adam made his own homebrew especially for the day and Laura had Converse for dancing the night away in, the wedding cake was a family tradition birthday cake and its really those little things are what make your day really special to you.
Thankyou to Laura and Adam for letting me be part of their day. 🙂
Suppliers: ( i will add the others when i find out more!)
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