Help me to photograph David Beckham!

I don't usually enter competitions, although I should, but I was tempted by this one currently being run by Adidas.  They are looking for someone to photograph David Beckham - what's not to like?  I prefer shooting women to be honest but I guess I could handle having Mr Beckham in front of my lens.  I've only been able to enter one picture and I chose one that I took of Jax on the recce shoot we did in Formentera recently.  The theme of the competition is 'Take the Stage' and I love the sense of freedom in this picture as Jax is taking the stage in a very intimate, expressive way. If you like the picture please help me have a chance in the competition by voting for me here before the competition closes on 27th May - you don't need to register, just enter your email address and dob.

Thanks!

Lee Renee Jewellery Shoot

I couldn't resist posting a few pictures of yesterday's jewellery shoot for Lee Renee's new jewellery range at Studio 25 in London Fields.  Lee's new website is going to be up and running soon and I'll do a full blog posting with a link in a few weeks but here is a taster... My favourite piece was the stags head necklace in the first pictures.

Katie + James' Wedding at Swallows Oast, Ticehurst

I first met James nearly two years ago in Glasgow when I was photographing a wedding for Amanda and John. He hadn't even proposed by that point but I'm delighted that he and Katie had already decided that they were going to use me as soon as they were engaged! After a lovely engagement shoot in Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells near their home I was really excited about the wedding which was taking place in the gorgeous main barn of Swallows Oast. Despite driving down from London in hammering rain, as soon as I arrived at Katie's parent's house the sun came out and stayed out all day, although too late to go ahead with the ceremony outside. It felt like a summers evening as after the meal everyone gathered outside to throw confetti and for katie to toss the bouquet to the usual female excitement and male nervousness!

Make- up by Caroline at Powder & Glow

Flowers by Bespoke Floral Designs.

The food was provided by Capers Catering provided the meal which was finished off with a dramatic, sparkling (literally), profiterole pyramid.

You can view the whole wedding album and purchase images here. The password is James' surname.

And lastly a warm thanks to Amanda and John whose wedding I photographed in Glasgow nearly two years ago on the same day as the World Bag Pipe Championships, which was taking place in the park opposite! They did a beautiful reading for Katie and James and it was wonderful to see them again.

Claire + Lee's Wedding at The Barn at Bury Court

Only six months ago I photographed Katie and Alex for their engagement shoot and then their wedding at Great Fosters, and last month I had the opportunity to photograph Katie's sister Claire at her wedding to Lee.  I'm quite disappointed that there are only two Lee sisters in the family as both weddings have been an absolute delight to photograph - obviously they are beautiful girls; but they also have a great style and taste. The venue for this wedding was The Barn at Bury Court in lovely leafy Hampshire, just down the road from my parents.  The rape fields were in full yellow blossom, there were horses in the fields next door and the church was picturesque.  The morning started grey and we had heavy showers throughout the day, but when the sun did break through it was glorious and there was lots of time for the guests to enjoy the fabulous grounds.

By the time I had arrived in the morning the grand main hall was already dressed.  Claire has such amazing eye for detail and had put so much time and effort into every little detail which were all deeply personal to them as a couple.  Every part of the day was touched by her creativity, generosity and joy and I am very grateful to have been a part of this lovely family's life again.

Claire was so relaxed all morning and even the rain didn't faze her.  It helped that she had such a great bridal party who kept the fun and laughter going throughout - Claire gave them each gifts from from Westwood Rocks, which along with the heartfelt messages in the cards brought a few tears.

Claire and her bridesmaids had use of The Oast Cottage on the grounds to get ready in which overlooked the gardens.  They had their hair done by their friend Catlin and make up by Christina Panzini.  Her dress was by Alfred Sung which she personalised with belt and straps herself.  Both the shoes and jewellery were from Mamfii Bridal.

The very natural English garden flowers were by The Lavender Hill Company.

The fantastically creative food was by Jacaranda Catering and we ate tomato tarte tatin with rocket pesto, caramel goats cheese and wild rocket salad followed by butterfly lamb and for desert fresh berry and elderflower jelly with lemon posset, crushed meringue and vanilla ice cream or millionaires chocolate shortbread pudding.  AMAZING!  (I'm so lucky I usually get to eat the wedding meal - massive perk of the job)

I was delighted to be working with Dan the videographer of From the Hip who also shot Katie's wedding.  Later in the evening Coco Photobooths set up a brilliant photo booth.

You can view the whole album from this wedding, and purchase prints here.  The password is Lee's surname.

Mad Hatter Easter Party at Eclipse London

Spending the evening of Easter Sunday in a club wasn't really my plan at the start of the week but a last minute call came in from Ignite Group who look after Bumpkin (one of my favourite places to eat), Boujis and Wyld to cover their Mad Hatter themed party at Eclipse in Kensington.  So I took my leave of a very delicious easter lunch with friends and headed South. The event was sponsored by French gin brand G'Vine and Boutique Brands.  Eclipse is a great bar and I spent the first hour shooting the bar dressing, all cupcakes and teapots to match the theme and the fantastic and totally enthusiastic staff in full fancy dress, making cocktails before the guests started arriving.  By 11pm it was packed, a drummer was sat on the bar, and the cocktails were flowing.   And I headed home to bed; because I'm not 19, or single anymore (but my foot was tapping just a little...)

Laura + Alan's Engagement Shoot at Glasgow University

I've shot several weddings at Glasgow University and the cloisters there are beautiful so I was delighted that Laura suggested we meet there for their engagement shoot.  They looked totally fabulous for their shoot, and with Laura having modelled in the past it was a treat to shoot them.  She was a total professional despite it being SO cold and wet.  We were shivering under the arches most of the time but her smile was gorgeous, real and infectious. I offer a complimentary engagement shoot with every wedding package.  It only takes an hour or so and is a great opportunity to get to know each other better and for a couple to get used to being in front of the camera so that by the wedding day the whole experience feels a lot more natural.

Kate and James' Engagement at Dunorlan Park

Last weekend I jumped in the car and headed down to Royal Tunbridge Wells to meet Kate and James for the first time and to do their engagement session.  James had attended a wedding I shot for Amanda and John ages ago in Glasgow and so even before they had got engaged they had decided they wanted me to do their photography.  I'm looking forward to catching up Amanda and John at the wedding at Swallows Oast in April. Kate and James chose to have the shoot at Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells - a now public park that was a privately landscaped gardens with a lake, grecian temple and fountain so loads of great spots for shooting.

Just sit still

I really questioned whether I should write about something as private as a meditation retreat in such a public forum, particularly one billed as a photography blog.  After all, it's not called 'What Helen did next...' However, after pondering, I realised that I am not some corporation.  My business is me, that's all I have to offer and the more I develop who I am; through travel, literature, art, film, people and spiritually, the more I bring to my photography and those who experience it.  So here goes...

In my second year of university my best friend Emma and I signed up for a one day meditation course on the outskirts of York.  We hated it.  Hard as we tried to absorb and understand we were bored and felt out of place.  Fast forward ten years and the appeal of meditation still clung.  I knew there had to be something in it.  A few friends of mine had been on Vipassana courses and come back enthused about it, but for two years I sat back and made excuses why I didn't have the time or the money to attend.  Through a friend I attended a wonderful yoga retreat in Morocco in January and we practiced some meditation as part of the course and so finally I committed to attend one of the courses run by meditation teacher Burgs (a disrobed Western monk), at a course run by the Art of Meditation.

Jax (my yoga teacher) and I arrived flustered after a long journey taking much longer than expected and finishing in the dark, reversing into a hedge and stumbling in the darkness into the house where the other attendees were serenely supping their evening soup.  I looked every inch a blonde city girl in need of spiritual salvation.

The house itself, Poulstone Court, is tucked away in the Herefordshire hills.  A beautiful part of the country only 15 miles from Wales.  The red brick mansion house is home to numerous spiritually based retreats from Shamanic Healing to writers retreats - clearly catering for a range of tastes.

After an introduction on the evening of arrival, allocation of bedrooms (I was sharing with three other women) we took our vow of 'noble silence' which would hold (other than to ask questions during teaching discourses) for the next 6 days.  I found it wonderfully liberating to be able to truly meet myself away from the usual day to day distractions.  We ate our food (some recipes here) in a contemplative silence, enjoying and savouring each mouthful.  The days were gently regulated with the tinkling of a bell which woke us at 6am and sounded for the final discourse after supper each day.

I was surprised to find that at least half of the 32 attendees were returning for their second, fifth, twelfth time.  Having been expecting to walk away from my first time retreat 'fixed' I soon realised that I had taken what is in fact a very small step on a journey that will last a lifetime.   Initially I found the sessions daunting.  We started with sitting for 20 minutes, cross legged on our cushions, at a time and worked up to 45 minute 'sits'.  The discomfit my body gradually lessened and the deeper I fell into the rhythm of my body the less I felt in pain.  The twice daily practice of Chi gung helped to realign the body after the sessions, with it's combination of rhythmic breathing and mindful movements.

A blog entry is in no way sufficient (without outstaying my welcome) to convey the experiences I went through or the fascinating teachings that I had the privilege to have the opportunity to learn from Burgs.  He is a teacher of great skill, presence, depth and humour.  A rare combination and an inspiring one.  We literally hung on his every word, drinking up the simple suggestions for a more peaceful and happy life.  I look forward to the next retreat in six months.

“If you can quieten the mind enough to begin to listen to the heart, you will find that you already have the answers you seek.”

A Brighton Love Story

A few of my favourite pictures from a pre wedding shoot with Matt and Meredith down on the Brighton front. It was a gorgeously crisp day with a blue sky and we had the use of very fancy 1934 Rolls Royce for an hour. They were great fun to work with as you can see from the smiles.

These boots were made for walking

I was recently introduced to the lovely Louise at her fabulous boutique The Jackson's on All Saints Road (also on Ledbury Road) and helped them out with a little picture of their latest delightful offering, these AMAZING suede boots (these are blue they also have black). Being 5'11'' I'm not often found in heels but these felt like I was floating on air. Incredibly comfortable and super flattering they made my legs go on for miles. They stock the most gorgeous range of clothes, shoes and jewellery and I'm heading back there on Thursday to photograph some more of their stock. It's cruel really as I know I'll want to take it all home with me. Take a look at more of their stuff at The Jacksons - they have a fantastic sale on at the moment. Love, love, love.

Nights at the theatre... (a Valentine's treat)

A little treat on Valentines day - some cute girls in their smalls.... I had a wonderful afternoon in Brighton last week at The Proud Ballroom shooting some very gorgeous and very talented burlesque dancers on a shoot organised by Melissa Love Design and Tigz Rice in conjunction with Joanne Fleming Design and She Said Boutique. Hair and make-up by Miss Honey Bear.

Oscar

I had a lovely email from an old client and friend yesterday; Nathalie.  I photographed Nathalie twice at the end of 2010.  Once when she was 4 months pregnant and then again when her gorgeously little boy Oscar was born and he was only 2 weeks old.  Nathalie's email reminded me that Oscar was already one now and ready for his next portrait shoot which I am so delighted to be doing.  It's a lovely aspect of my job that I get to meet and know families - and watch them grow.  Similarly I am fortunate to be shooting the weddings of two sisters of two different brides whose weddings I have photographed over the last couple of years.  It's always wonderful to follow and be part of the lives of my brides as their own families grow. A couple of pictures of Nathalie pregnant followed by Oscar aged 2 weeks... I'll have the updated versions by the end of March after our next session....

Family or baby portrait sessions are from £250 and include a couple of hours shooting time at c. 30 images on a disc for you to keep and print from.

Starting 2012 the yoga way

To ensure that I was fully in mind and body to start the wedding season of 2012 I kicked off the year with a friend at a yoga retreat on the coast in Morocco.  This was the first retreat I had ever been on and so I arrived with an open mind and willingness to embrace whatever was on offer.  Needless to say the excesses of the holiday season had taken it's toll and I was happy to cut out alcohol, caffeine and meat.  Our group of 10 were effectively guinea pigs for the soft opening of the resort and so we had the run of the place. The resort itself, Paradis Plage, sits just along the coast from Tagazhout, a surfing town 40 minutes outside of Agadir, the nearest airport and has billed itself as a 'surf, yoga and spa' retreat .  The tiny fishing village sits along side hills that ripple softly like fabric and the earthy coloured buildings squat low to the ground.

The rooms are all spacious apartments, simply decorated and with stunning views of the sea.  The yoga sala was perfectly set upon the edge of the sea with 240 degree views of the coastline.  Jax May Lysycia the instructor is the most beautifully honed woman whose body is an inspiration!  She led us through 4 hours of yoga and meditation each day; two hours in the morning after a silent beach walk during sunrise as the long shadows reached across the textured sands of the empty beach, and two hours in the evening as the sun dropped into the sea in front of us.  Under her reassuring guidance I found myself able to discover a flexibility in my body that I never knew I had, leaving me feel strong, supple and graceful before the end of the week and with a craving to do yoga daily.

We were particularly lucky to have had a group of 10 who bonded immediately and we spent a blissful week relaxing in the gorgeous winter sun, surfing, trekking in the dusty but aptly named Paradise Valley, paddle boarding on lake and enjoying a hammam in the spa.

And then the drive back to Marrakesh for two days of city (and excessive eating!) with new and old friends and staying at the spectacular Villa Filali with it's eclectic mix of traditional Moroccan style with flashes of kitsch.

The retreat was organised by Formentera Yoga who are based in Ibiza and run retreats throughout the year.  I can't wait to book onto the next one and it will be without doubt and ongoing pilgrimage.

Jess & Adam's Winter Wedding at Bath Abbey

The first wedding of this season fell very early this year - on January 14th in fact, only one day after I returned from my yoga retreat in Morocco.  But it was from one winter sunshine to another as Bath was bathed in gorgeous frosty sunlight on the morning of the wedding.  The early drive there was quite spectacular with the sun rising up over the bare trees and a white covering across the hills.  It took my breath away and had me smiling in anticipation of what I knew was going to be a beautiful wedding at the majestic Bath Abbey.

I remembered Jess from the wedding of my friends' Tom and Emily - she had sung so beautifully for them, and now, two years later she contacted me to photograph her wedding after seeing some shots I had taken at their wedding.  Singing would prove to be a highlight of her wedding as she had the full choir with whom she performs with on hand to sing during the ceremony - an unexpected but moving performance for the guests.

Jess wore the most exquisitely elegant lace dress by Allure and looked stunning with flowers by Classic Flower Designs.

Her entrance was inadvertently intimidating as a large crowd had gathered around the abbey door to see the bride, and an even larger crowd was waiting as the wedding party departed the abbey and Jess and Adam led their guests, crocodile fashion, across the roads and down the slope into the gardens.

Jess had always planned for a winter wedding and the setting was to be Bath Abbey with the reception a short way across the road to Parade Gardens where she had chosen to host the party in a Kata teepee style tent from Papakata dressed in candle light, fairy lights and heated with central open fires.  Long bench style tables seated the guests who enjoyed beef bourguigon followed by pot luck fruit crumble served at the table from caterers Tu Mangetout.

As I prepared to creep away into the night the dressing up box had just come out and one of my favourite pictures from the end of the evening is Jess and Adam in their oversized comedy glasses, dancing and singing the night away and having the best day of their lives.

If you were a guest at Jess and Adam's wedding, you can view the full gallery and purchase prints here.  The password is Adam's surname.

An unusual birthday present

It was my birthday on Sunday and I had the most wonderful present from a good friend in the shape of the opportunity to shoot an absolutely gorgeous model.  When we were at the National Portrait Gallery to see the BP Portrait Prize exhibition earlier this year we were drawn to a beautiful nude which we were surprised to see that his uncle had collaborated on with the artist Louis Smith.  Fast forward six months and I receive a birthday message from Holly, the model, who has been booked by my friend for a half day shoot.

It's put a smile on my face and goes down as the most creative and thoughtful present of this year.  I can't wait to start planning an extra special shoot with her in the New Year.

A few hours in Luxor

I haven't blogged at all this week and that's mainly because I have spent the bulk of my time, since Monday, on an aeroplane on a crazy route that has shown me (or at least seen me touch down in) Jordan, Ethiopia, Israel, Portugal, America and finally I am on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.  I didn't get much time for photography but I did steal a few hours in Luxor, Egypt and made a visit to the temple ruins at Karnak, on the edge of the Nile. Whilst I love the architecture, for me the people give these places character and provide a context for a story, a history and point of interest.  After I left the temple I walked slowly back to the hotel, enjoying the street.  It's pretty quiet in Luxor at the moment, the hotel was virtually empty, because of the recent troubles in Egypt.  I found the people very friendly and warm and overall receptive to my camera.

Loving oysters

I was having supper at my favourite place in London to have oysters the other night, Tom Conran's Irish Pub, The Cow on Westbourne Park Road and it reminded me of a set of images I took earlier in the year at The Jersey Oyster Company which I hadn't got around to posting yet.  My family are from Jersey and my uncle is involved in growing oysters.  He took me down to the oyster beds where the oysters are placed in metal bags and held to the beach in order to be subjected to the tides.  They are later taken to the grading shed and packhouse behind my grandparent's house in St Martin with the larger oysters retrieved and the maturing oysters returned to the bags for further growth.  It's a fascinating process and quite labour intensive.

Boudoir Shoot

I spent most of Saturday at Pout Studios in London photographing the beautiful Ruth for a boudoir series.  Whilst Ruth is obviously an experienced model, boudoir photography is becoming increasingly popular for pre-wedding shoots for brides-to-be, or as a present for partners or even just for women to have a beautiful keepsake of themselves.  It can be a hugely liberating experience and lots of fun to be pampered by hair and make-up artists before being shot tastefully in a series of gorgeous outfits.  These shots were taken in a studio but shoots can take place in your own home, or a hotel.  If you are interested in booking a session please email me for details.  If you book a session before Christmas (a great stocking filler...) then I am offering a complimentary album filled with your pictures.

Aylin + Benedikt's Wedding in Perth

Watching Wuthering Heights the other day really reminded me of the moment I pulled up at the end of mile long drive way to arrive at Alexander House, Auchterader, for Aylin and Bene's wedding. I stopped my car when I was in view of the house to get a few shots before arriving and literally my car was rocking with the strength of the wind! It was so dramatic, with bruised skies and rolling hills with this house just perched at the top.

I love doing small weddings and this was one of the smallest. Only about 20 guests, all staying for most of the week at Alexander House with Aylin and Bene who only recently moved to Glasgow from Germany. In fact, when I met them in September they had only been there few weeks. After being together for many, many years Benedikt proposed and then drove Aylin all the way to Perth to show her where they were going to get married.

She looked stunning in an elegant white shift dress and jacket from Tiger of Sweden, shoes by Phillip Hardy and a cute key necklace from Tiffany's. In her hair she had a cute fascinator from Melle Cloche (thanks Lisa at MC for putting Aylin in touch with me!). Her flowers were by Glasgow's Roots, Fruits and Flowers.

A number of American wedding photographers have recently introduced the concept of a 'first look', where the bride and groom meet before the ceremony in order to take the couple shots then, therefore allowing the day to run more smoothly. This was the first time that I had the opportunity to do this. And in fact I loved the fact that Aylin and Bene were getting dressed in the same room and that he zipped up her dress and she turned to him with such a beautiful look.

As the day was closing in we took the group photos in front of the house before all getting on a bus to Perth for the registry office. Being early and it being a new city for almost all of the guests we took a little detour around the town and up to the rather majestic Scone Palace before arriving at the Old Council Chambers on the River Tay for the ceremony.

After the ceremony whisky was enjoyed before heading back to the comfort of Alexander House for champagne and canapes by Alison Kerr at which point I took my leave and left them to enjoy a week of great company and joy with their family and friends.

Scales Plantation

I'm very lucky to work with a fantastic boutique travel company called Canopy and Stars, an offshoot of Sawdays, who specialise in luxury camping.  I met Tom who runs C&S down in Bristol after shooting the Yurt at Inshriach House and have subsequently done a number of their sites to provide images for their websites and national media. In the summer I turned up on the train to meet Tabitha at Penrith Station who took me back, settled me in to my gorgeous shepherds hut, one of three they currently have dotted through their forest.  Each camp has handcrafted traditional shepherds hut with (a very effective) woodburner, a cosy wooden kitchen and bathroom block and compost loo and firepit.  My site had a wooden deck, complete with deck chairs perfect for sitting and gazing out over the spectacular North Lake Fells.

I luckily got to spend two nights there, slept extremely well under my feather down duvet and could happily have stayed a week in such amazing peace and tranquility.  I hope to get back there next summer although I intend to work my way through a few more C&S sites.  I've got my eye on the treehouse next...