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.
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.
Its a minefield out there when it comes to choosing rings, read on for some helpful tips.
Getting engaged can be overwhelming! It’s such an exciting thing to happen, my proposal story is a lovely one that I will remember forever and I’m sure you feel the same. I love hearing the romantic and sometimes funny stories from my couples and over the years I’ve gathered a few bits of advice to help you if you are going ring shopping together.
I said YES!
You’ve just got engaged to the love of your life, how do you choose a ring that will last a lifetime?
Aardvark Jewellery, Birmingham
First of all, are you a traditional person or would you prefer something more unique? If you are like me and DON’T want a ‘Normal’ engagement ring then traipsing around shopping centres and high street jewellers windows will frustrate you.
There are clearly two styles of engagement ring in the high street shops, that is a solitaire ring or a Halo style ring. The solitaire is the classic one stone diamond ring and prices vary massively. There are rings that look like a solitaire ring (one stone) but they will have 4 smaller stones to look like one, these are generally more affordable.
The benefit of the halo ring is that the halo is made up of lots of tiny diamonds and their purpose is to encircle the main stone and make it look bigger and sparklier. They will all come in different types of gold which vary in hardness and colour. It is a good idea to have a look and see what you do and don’t like. I quickly realised that I liked rings that had different shapes, and I liked the main stone offset with smaller stones either side. During a try-on in one shop the assistant told me the ring I had picked wasn’t really an Engagement ring. It was a 3 stone ring that looked pretty, I didn’t need her opinion!!
What is your favourite colour?
Alice ring by Alison Moore
So what can you do if you can’t find a ring? Instagram and Pinterest are great places to start but the main thing I think is to think about you, your own style, your lifestyle and your ethics. If you are a quirky type of person who loves colour, you may want a coloured gem, if you are very active you might choose a stone that is bevel set or has prongs holding the stone in place that won’t catch, or go for a platinum ring which is a harder metal. Many couples are choosing lab grown diamonds, fair trade, ethically cut diamonds or gemstones like Moissanite. My favourite are Grey diamonds and salt and pepper diamonds which have become very fashionable recently and they are beautiful, like small galaxies created naturally by inclusions in the stone. Each one is unique but you won’t find one on the high street!
Help. There are so many options!
This pretty solitaire is set by Lilia Nash in her signature flower setting and would be perfect for the person who doesn’t want prongs catching and it looks so unique as well. There is a really useful page on her website with design info and advice.
Rock n Roll Brides
If you prefer something that not everyone has, use colour and shapes, the symbolism of things that may be important to you like birthstones or a star theme. I’ve seen skulls, custom engraving, even tattoos. A custom ring may take up to 8 weeks to be made so this is something you need to factor in. This beauty by Ellie Air is all kinds of amazing!
Wedding Bands
Imagine what kind of wedding band you will need to fit your ring or buy a set that goes together. This pretty wishbone ring is so dainty and the gentle shape would fit with lots of engagement rings.
Custom Rings
If you have a custom ring made for you, think about the wedding band as well, will you get the same jeweller to make a matching band, will you be able to find something that will fit the same style?
Buying Online is perfectly OK!
It is lovely to get to try on rings and see them in person but it is totally fine to buy online, as long as you have done a bit of research into the company and know your correct size. I looked online first and then decided to choose a shop in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham so I could visit in person and see the rings. If you find a smaller family business or local maker it is easier if something happens to your ring like a stone coming loose or if you want an upgrade in the future. I chose a custom ring and it was really good to be able to get an idea of size because alot of the jewellery you see online are magnified by macro lenses in the photography, so being able to see if it suits you on your finger is a good idea. You could also mock up a ring at home using the measurements and see if it looks how you imagined, this is definitely something I’d recommend if you are buying your stones loose.
A lot of jewellers offer ethical custom rings now and are happy to work with you on a design. Here’s a few that I like!
Mark creates bespoke lamps and other lovely pieces for your home from junk. To you and I it may be scrap but rusty bits of engine, tank parts, even an old jet wing have been transformed by Mark into some fantastic objects that would look stunning in anyone’s home. This is the art of Bear Industries. He is a real life Womble!
I was at the warehouse to record some behind the scenes action while he was getting filmed for a new TV show that will be airing on Quest very soon. The crew were recording the big reveal of his newest work to his client, all very cloak & dagger. He really hadn’t seen it so the reaction on TV will be real.
If you’ve read my blog before you might normally know me as lucytakesphotos, wedding/portrait/boudoir photographer from Peterborough who likes music, but on this day I was doing a different kind of photography I also enjoy, creeping around watching how things work and getting those documentary style behind the scenes shots.
I do enjoy being a wedding photographer, especially here around Cambridgeshire, the countryside and venues are really lovely, I’m looking forward to next year when hopefully all our lives will be back to some kind of normal after this terrible Covid-19 disaster.
There are always projects that spark my creativity a bit more than weddings though and working with other artists, musicians and creatives really is something I enjoy and want to do alot more of!
I remember my partner coming home after rehearsal one day telling me I’d like Marks house because he has loads of cool stuff and Lego, they play in a couple of bands together and often I’d go to the gigs and take photos, but I didn’t know about the amazing lamps he made. So when Mark asked me if I’d help him get some decent product photography for his new website I jumped at the chance.
If you’d like to see more of Bear Industries I’ve done a lot of product photography for Marks new website which is looking fab so please do click through and have a look at his work.
So, according to theOne Eyed Catswebsite they are a …
High-octane rock & roll, cool blues, jumping rhythm, driving rock or a hair-down sing-along, the Cats always deliver. And deliver incredibly well.
Their large line up is suited to their huge sound, with a fiery brass section, rocking guitar and rolling piano.
Their music is always lively, passionate and entertaining. They always aim to lift the roof off, rock socks off and leave everybody fully entertained – having had a good laugh, boogie and night.
All with immense enthusiasm, fine humour and unquestionable musicianship.
As cheesy as it might sound, I have to agree!
I was at a gig last week in theBrewery Tap, Peterborough, a very popular and well established pub, Thai restaurant and micro brewery, if you’ve never been before then make sure you go because if you like a quiet pub there’s a spot in a corner for you (they have good beer) and if you like it louder then there’s loads of different DJ nights, soul music, bands, a Prince tribute night is coming soon and tomorrow they haveThe Peterborough Big Band.
So back to the gig, It was a Thursday of a bank holiday weekend no less, so it was bound to not be a normal Thursday night! The crowd had had food, were drinking after work, any band would do well but the Cats brought a little something different tonight, they have many years of gigging experience behind them and they turned up, plugged in and rocked the place! The Cats filled the dance floor and by end of the night left everyone wanting more. All the band are brilliant musicians, you definitely wont see any backing tracks here, they seemed to enjoy the night as much as the crowd so if you want a good night out go find the Cats and bring your friends!
lucytakesphotos 