Twitter Girls Charity Calendar

At last... I can finally talk about it!  After a strict embargo here it is!

Ages ago I saw a retweeted request on Twitter from @ByGinaEvents looking for models, venues, lingerie and photographers for a charity calendar in aid of PC David Rathband's Blue Lamp Foundation and Help for Heroes.  I thought why not?  I always like doing my bit for a good cause and it might be a good publicity opportunity for me as well...  So I got in touch with Gina (and her partner in crime, Jo) offering my services and pointing them at the Boudoir page on my website.  I assumed there would be loads of offers so forgot about it for a while.  Until I got an email through giving me a date and a location!

So on a beautiful if cold 2nd March I trundled off to Langley Priory armed with my camera, a few lights and a coat.

I arrived and was introduced to the models.  Vicky, Laura, Kerri, Candice and Helen were all lovely.  And terrified!!!  Let's just say there wasn't a lot of conversation...

Gina arrived and the girls disappeared upstairs to get changed and have their hair and make-up done.  That's no place for a 6'1" bald bloke with a beard so I went and scouted out a few locations around the venue for shots.  Unfortunately for the girls a few of them were outside!

Once Laura was done I took her off for a few photos on her own.  Might as well make the most of the moment!  Nervous isn't the word, but she was brilliant!  By the end I think she quite enjoyed herself...  Candice was next, then Kerri.  Who were both also incredible!  I think a few photos beforehand was a really good idea.  They seemed to relax into it and were ready for the group shots when everyone else was finished getting ready.  Especially Kerri "America's-Next-Top-Model" Miller!!

Next were the group shots.  We started on the stairs and moved into the Drawing Room.  Which, now I've read it back, sounds like something Barbara Cartland might have written!

Moving on...  The girls were all fab and settled into it really quickly.  I think they might even have enjoyed it.  Just a little bit...  Kerri had to shoot off so we cracked on and got as much done with all 5 as quickly as we could.  Then 5 became 4 and we moved outside.  I was NOT popular at that suggestion.  But, completely professional, out we went and stripped off in 6 degrees.  Not me of course.  I had a coat!

Laura dashed off as well so 4 became 3 and we moved inside to the fireplace.  That brought a few contented smiles.  But didn't last long once we went outside again!  I think it would be fair to say the spray from the fountain was cold!  A few shots by the lake followed by some on the bridge and we were done!

Vicky and Helen used the last few minutes to have some individual shots of themselves before we all packed up and went home.

A few hours of editing later and I'm very happy with the results.  I really did have the easy job in all of this though.  This has got to be the most fun I've had on a shoot for ages.  Gina has worked incredibly hard to organise the shoots all over the country.  Not to mention the amount of driving she's been doing!  The venue is beautiful and the hair, make-up and outfits were fab.  Vicky, Laura, Kerri, Candice and Helen were all incredible.  Fun, professional and hard working.  And let's not forget stunning!  All in all a brilliant day, a brilliant project and 2 brilliant causes.

I can't wait to see the results!

Disappointments...

Just thought I'd update on the new studio.  You might have seen on Facebook or Twitter that I've been in the process of sorting out a new studio.  Well I've had a bit of a setback.

Way back in October I found the perfect studio in Grimsby.  Well actually Cleethorpes.  Massive studio room, entrance reception, kitchen, toilet, main road location.  Just what I wanted.  I spent a while deciding then went through the long winded process of applying for planning permission for change of use to a photography studio.  That in itself was an ordeal with conflicting advice being given to me and the landlord.  But that's another tale...

But to cut a long story short, permission was granted and I went back to the estate agent only to be told the property had been let to somebody else!  Throughout I was told I was fine and I didn't need to start lease proceedings so I took the agent at his word.  Other words I can think of regarding the agent are unprofessional, unethical, misrepresentation along with several others not suitable for a mixed audience!

I obviously won't name the agent in question but they do have a reputation in the area so I should have known better really.  But I wasn't going to let a perfect property slip just because I didn't like who was letting it!

Gutted is not the word!  But as I said here and here. I can't let it get me down.  I think I've just about snapped out of the low spot now and have found somewhere else!  It's actually in a better area.  Not quite as big, but much nicer.  So once again... watch this space!

Unusual Wedding Gift???

Just looking for a bit of feedback really.  Please do feel free to comment below or get in touch with me directly.

I've just launched a new idea for my wedding clients.  Many couples already live together before they get married so the wedding list is a bit of a struggle to fill.  I know we had a job choosing things we actually wanted rather than stuff just to fill the list.  There's only so many toasters you can use!

We asked our guests to contribute to our honeymoon, which was great for us, but some of them still wanted to give us a "thing" to open.  Even if it was a voucher for somewhere.  Which got me thinking.  How about getting your guests to pay for your wedding photography?!

So my idea is this: once you've paid me your deposit, you then get a reference number unique to you.  You pass this to your guests (in the invitation) who go onto my website.  They enter the number and the amount they want to spend and I send them a voucher to that value for them to hand over to the happy couple on their wedding day.  In the background I'm tracking all the contributions and amend the final invoice accordingly.

I would have loved a service like that when I got married!  What do you think???

It's Just Genetics!

I think me being male puts a lot of women off having photos taken wearing only their undies.  Or even less!  But there is really no need to let that affect you.  I am a man for the same reason women are women.  Genetics.

To me photography is a hobby, a passion and a career and I get just as excited about a baby, a wedding or a stunning sunset as I do a lady in lingerie.  The fact that I'm a man and she's a woman is just a coincidence of chromosomes.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the concerns, but they are not necessary.  Setting up as a photographer is a bit of a long-winded and expensive way to see what I can see for free on the internet!  It's my job and I approach it with complete professionalism.

So if you were thinking of having some boudoir photos or a maternity shoot then please don't let that Y chromosome put you off!

Do You Get What You Pay For?

I think you probably do.  People often ask me why it costs £950 just for a wedding album.  And my answer is it doesn't!  It costs £950 for a wedding album, 50 thank you cards, a proof book and about 20 hours of my time, either before during or after a wedding.


There are photographers out there who will do a wedding for £250 including an album.  I would advise caution.  I can't buy an album for less than £250 from my supplier.  That's because his product is of excellent quality and is only available to professional photographers.  That is to protect professionals so we can still make a living from it!  It also shows off good quality photos in the best way possible.  It is very likely that the £250 photographer has got his album from an online site available to anyone.  The photos may be great, but the album quality is likely to be far inferior.

And also beware of photographers who guarantee at least 800 pictures, all on a disc, for just £500. If this is what you're after, insist on seeing all 800 pictures from a real wedding.  Don't just settle for his portfolio shots.  They are by definition his best.  See how many of the 800 pictures you would actually want to look at again.  I bet it isn't 800!

Which brings me onto my final point.  Do you really want to miss out on an album to save some money?  I understand that times are very hard at the moment, but think about your holiday photos.  You get home, download them onto a computer, maybe stick some on Facebook and then never look at them again.  If you just have photos on a disc the same thing happens.  Your mum comes round and wants to see your pictures and you say, "just let me login to Facebook" and you huddle round a small screen and look at your pictures with your friends' comment underneath and a load of adverts down the side.  How much nicer would it be to be able to hand over you personalised, hand made wedding album for her to browse through at her leisure?  It is a unique, stunning, beautiful reminder of a time in your life that only lasted a single day.

If you're on a budget you have to have what you can afford, but think carefully about which areas you want to cut back on.  And then get in touch!

Onwards and upwards...!

It has been, shall we say, not the best start to a year I've ever had!  It actually started just before Christmas with what I though was a chest infection leaving me very short of breath all of the time.  More on that later though...

January has been very quiet for me.  It's my first proper January so I didn't really know what to expect.  I thought it might be quiet but not this quiet!  It's been tough to be honest.  February is looking better and then there's Mother's Day in April so March should pick up a bit...  I hope!

The next worry was all about my new premises.  I am mega excited about having my own studio in Grimsby (if a little terrified at the same time) and was all geared up to be in during February.  Well, the Council have put a stop to that little plan!  It's still going ahead but the planning application process I have to go through to change the use is incredible.  The most complicated form I've ever seen and more scale drawings than you could shake a stick at (if stick shaking floats your boat).  And it's not cheap either!  And to top it off they gave me and my new landlord 2 different bits of conflicting advice meaning the 8 week process has been delayed by a further 4 weeks!  It's become a bit of a personal rant, but I would have thought they would be making it as easy as possible to get businesses into premises on a road with 40% of the shops closed!  And breathe...

And last but not least: last week I was diagnosed with a blood clot above my left knee!  No idea how I got it or even how long it's been there, but I am now having clexane injections in my stomach and warfarin tablets every day for the next 6 months.  And the best bit is the shortness of breath I had before Christmas could very well have been a pulmonary embolism!  Woohoo!

But let's not dwell on the negatives...  After all, a problem is just an opportunity in disguise!  At least I now know that January will be a quiet month so can plan for it next year.  My move will happen at some point and it will be amazing!  (Watch this space for a big opening party...)  And I caught the clot before anything really bad happened.  So not such a bad start really.

Why Bother Blogging?

Not sure really...  Someone said I should so I have.

Well that's how it started.  From a publicity point of view it's great.  It's another way for people to find me on the internet which is a big bonus.  It also gives me opportunity to get good links to my website that helps with Google.  Links like wedding photographer in Lincolnshire and portrait photographer in Grimsby really do wonders for my rankings. And yes that was a blatant plug!  It also helps my studio to rent in Grimsby as well...

But it's also quite therapeutic.   I don't keep a diary or journal and this is a good way to get things down.  I quite like taking a few minutes out of a week to sit and write stuff down.  Yes it helps the business but I also quite enjoy it.

So if you're reading this and haven't got a blog.  Get one!