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]]>I am going to dedicate my first blog of 2017, and sorry I hope you will indulge me, to my amazing trip to the big white Continent, Antarctica, in November last year. For any of you that know me well this has been a long time in the planning and also with two failed attempts in both 2014 and 2015 it meant a huge amount to both me and Chris, my husband, to finally reach this incredible place. It was in all fairness this was Chris's grand plan and has been for a long time but I always relished seeing the scenery and oh obviously the photographic opportunities it would present. I mean it is not exactly everyone's idea of a relaxing holiday jaunt and particularly for me as someone who struggles massively with the cold and travel sickness it theoretically is my idea of travel hell! That being said Travel has always been one of my great passions and in a way has driven my own photographic journey so to speak. I have always had a camera in my hand wanting to document and record our trips, but not always in the early days having the skill to do the place, people or landscape real justice I felt. I know you have your memories in your head but a photograph can take you right back to a different time and place even to a point where you can remember how somewhere smelled (in a good and sometimes bad way), the temperature on your skin, and how you felt at that moment. It is such a powerful medium and it is why I just love what I do.
A few people have asked "how long does it take to get to Antarctica?" and in reality to get even to the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula it is probably a minimum of four to five days in total travelling from the Uk particularly if you are travelling by boat from the most southerly City in the World Ushuaia at the bottom tip of Argentina.
Our journey started in Buenos Aires, home of the Argentine Tango, a fascinating city bursting with colour and culture and also a steamy 28 degrees centigrade a great way (not) to get yourself acclimatised! This city is such a grand old Dame with beautiful architecture and a fascinating if not somewhat torrid history. We met up with our lovely friends from the fated failed first Antarctic attempt Hilary and Ches in a wonderful old Buenos Aires Bar for a catchup and I suppose for me at that point I really began to feel excited of what was to come.
The next part of our journey was another three hour flight to Ushuaia which neither of us were particularly looking forward to having had a pretty awful experience on our first attempt with awful turbulence. Second time round thank goodness so much easier and the views coming in to the airport of the Beagle Channel and the surrounding snow topped Andes Mountains really started to get me excited. This was it, almost there almost on the boat, almost on our way!!!!
We watched our ship quite literally come in to the harbour the afternoon we arrived and after a meet up and dinner with Australian friends Peter and Sue who were also "three timers" at my favourite seafood restaurant in Ushuaia we were ready to rock and roll. We set sail passing through The Beagle Channel and by late evening were out into the relative calm of the ominous Drake Passage known for its huge swells and powerful waves. I think the sea Gods were with us that night as to be honest we made our passage through the Drake with not too much drama.
We reached latitude 60 degrees South in the early hours of the morning of the 15th November making us at that stage, officially, biologically and physically in Antarctica. Yay!!!!
This first short animoto video documents the first half of our journey covering the South Shetlands Islands to our night camping on ice on Orne Island. Seeing our first iceberg, The penguins, the light, and the stillness and silence just blew me away. This is as about as untouched as I think I will ever be lucky enough to see. In a way it is almost indescribable, humbling and at the same time a harsh unforgiving place where weather can change at the blink of an eye. I so hope you enjoy and part 2 is still to come lol!!
I would like to take a brief moment to thank the incredible Team at Trailfinders http://www.trailfinders.com for arranging, and rearranging our trips and being just amazing over the last few years particularly Connor, Sarah and Adrian who bless them had to manage my disappointment at times, but also the fabulous Captain, Crew and expedition team of the MS Expedition at http://www.gadventures.com for their skill, care and boundless enthusiasm who really made this trip come alive.
Whatever you are doing have a fabulous Sunday Evening. Until Next time XOXO
]]>I have known Tom Bosworth for quite a while now. for any of you who don't already know him he is a Team GB Race Walker, British Champion and record holder over 5, 10 and 20km distances but also more recently a proud Olympian who walked his way to a spectacular 6th Place in the Olympics in Rio this year. If you want to learn more about Tom the athlete visit http://www.tombosworth.com. I have thoroughly enjoyed documenting and photographing his progress this year.
I met Tom's partner Harry and his family briefly back in June at the Olympic Race Walking trials in Leeds. I was so excited to hear that Tom had proposed to Harry at the Olympics in Rio, having gone down on one knee on Copacabana beach no less! Who says romance is dead. Their announcement on twitter went global, being seen by over 1,000, 000 people (and no I haven't added too many zero's on). It was also reported in pretty much every major Uk Newspaper including The Times, The Telegraph, The Mail, The Mirror, The Guardian and The Independent. I guess everyone loves a good Love story.
I love doing engagement shoots, it gives me a chance to get to know the couple and also for them to get to know me and to understand my style. To be fair with this one I reckon Tom knew what he was letting himself in for. He is pretty much used to me lying in the road to get shots of him race walking so I guess this was going to be a walk in the park (or on the beach so to speak) although I am not sure Harry was as prepared.
A good shoot is always going to be better for me and my subjects if we have have all had a hearty breakfast and plenty of hot steaming coffee and this day was certainly no exception. The French toast with maple syrup and bacon was to die for! Tom definitely has a penchant for a great cup of coffee, I think Harry is more of a tea drinker but either way once fed and watered we were ready to get out on the beach and just enjoy the day.
As you can see we had such a lovely time pottering around Whitstable, laughing and enjoying the late Autumn sunshine. Both Tom and Harry are just the easiest couple to photograph and you can most certainly see the close connection between them. I always believe that both from the photographers and the clients point of view you definitely get out of a shoot what you put into it. I truly Love the images from that day and feel that it really reflects them both as a couple, just fun loving and easy going. I gave them both a camera to carry at one point to carry and an impromptu short lesson and they were off, they actually got some great shots between them and I cannot take credit for the seagull shot lol that is all Harry's work!
The day was brilliantly rounded off with Harry being the only one out of the three of us to attempt a fresh Whitstable Oyster (I tried a little bit but got a crunchy bit!!!!).
Thanks so much Tom and Harry I know that you both are going to have a very long and happy future together! Can't wait till the Wedding now :)
For now this photographer is signing over and out. Until next time xoxo
]]>This year has been fabulous for so many reasons, some of which I will begin to share with you all over the next few weeks. I collaborated on my first styled shoot back in April this year having been fortunate enough to have met Sarah Poole, who runs and owns the fabulous Westenhanger Castle near Hythe in Kent, through a mutual friend. This venue is stunning and quite unusual in many ways with a dovecote attached at the back of the main Manor house. This has been recently restored and is an amazing space for some unusual and unique Wedding Photographs. Don't worry no Doves were actually harmed in the making of this shoot.
The concept for the shoot was provided by Lisa Carey from www.mostcuriousrose.co.uk, a fabulously innovative floral stylist who specialises in using British seasonal flowers. In her words "We combined the beautiful elements of modern botanicals, perfect for the classic Bride who wants to engage in some of today's hottest trends". We have been honoured that images from this shoot have already been featured in September/October's edition of Your Kent Wedding Magazine http://www.yourkent.wedding
I hope you all manage to have a lazy Sunday, enjoying for now the mild weather. I am signing out for my own lazy Sunday lunch with friends including great food, company and a walk in the park. Until next time x
I would like to thank the amazing suppliers who worked so hard with me on this shoot, a really creative supportive and lovely group of people.
- Photography by Jodi Hanagan http://www.jodihanaganphotography.com
- Floral stylist Lisa Carey http://www.mostcuriousrose.co.uk
- Venue Westenhanger Castle near Hythe in Kent http://www.westenhangercastle.co.uk
- Dress designer David Tutera http://www.davidtutera.com
- Bridal Boutique Mia Rose Bridal http://www.miarosebridalboutique.co.uk
- Cakes by Kate Feakins http://www.kfcakedesign.co.uk
- Bespoke Bridal Head pieces and Jewellery Helen Morris-Clarke http://www.helenmorrisclarkedesigns.co.uk
- Hair and make-up by Kristy Cook http://www.blackcherryhairandbeauty.co.uk
- Stationery By Blossom http://www.byblossomweddingstationery.co.uk
- Model Torie John Hayhow
So on my last blog I promised I would be introducing you to some of the very special Athletes that I have recently had the pleasure to meet. I was contacted by Ian Byers at 17 Management http://17management.com asking if I would be interested in photographing Will Bayley http://willbayleygb.com the current reigning para World Table Tennis Champion C7 and ranked number one.
Will was born with a congenital condition, arthrogryposis, a severe curving of the joints causing serious muscle weakness. From the age of three months old he underwent many painful operations at Great Ormond Street hospital, one of which involved his feet being cemented to his legs, and was told he may never walk but from the age of three through sheer determination and persistence he began to take his first steps. Even at this young age he was showing the signs of the characteristics that would be required for him to become a Champion. At the age of seven in another cruel twist of fate he was also diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma and it was whilst he was recovering from this that he was bought his first table Tennis Tennis table by his grandmother. I suspect he has never really looked back. Will currently is a full time athlete and is based at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
The purpose for the photoshoot primarily was to provide some new photographs for Will's website and to promote him in what will be a very special year for him in preparation for the Paralympics in Rio in the summer. Will is already a silver medal winner at the unforgettable London 2012 Para Olympics.
I met Will at the Byng Hall Table Tennis club http://bynghall.net, for part one of the photoshoot, based in Tunbridge Wells in Kent the town where Will was born. It was founded by Gary Howes whom I also had the great pleasure of meeting there who has dedicated a good part of his life to coaching young table tennis players and they must be doing something right as not only is Will a former member but also Danny Lawrence who is currently ranked number 4 in the British under 21 rankings. The club has a fabulous atmosphere friendly and welcoming although I am not quite sure what they made of having three photographers there for the evening. Let's face it we weren't exactly unobtrusive but nothing was too much trouble and things were moved around to accommodate us which was brilliant.
I don't think you truly appreciate how fast these professional players move and how fast the ball moves too as Tom can confirm as he got hit in the temple by a fast moving ping pong ball (what we do for our art LOL). I actually secretly think he was quite proud to be hot in the head by Will Bayley's table tennis ball and will probably dine off that story for a fair few years to come. Both Will and Danny were amazing allowing us really close access which I suspect wouldn't be possible in normal circumstances with Danny standing in as a temporary flash gun stand at times too! It was a club evening so Will took time out to play with some of the younger players which they loved. Let's face it would be great to say you had played table tennis with a World champ!
The second part of the shoot was on Sunday to get some more urban edgy shot's for Will's website, so I chose Brighton remembering some great Urban graffiti on the walls near the Marina end when I was last in town. Brighton has such a great edgy vibe I figured we wouldn't go too far wrong. To be honest we couldn't have chosen a worse day weather wise it was about as bad as it could get with driving rain and wind and to be honest flipping cold. Will was brilliant though never once complaining even though we were showing him some pretty random places to have his photograph taken, a car park, a flooded underpass (to be fair I do love a good reflection shot!!) hardly the most glamorous photoshoot locations!! Luckily he had the foresight to let us do our thing although I suspect there were several moments where he wondered what he had let himself in for. He was so freezing at one point that we had to wrap him up in coats and scarfs, was slightly worried that we would give him a dose of hyperthermia or pneumonia! Fortunately no Table Tennis world champions were irrevocably harmed in the making of this project and in case you are at all worried we did all have a very welcome hot chocolate at the end to warm up :)
What I realise about Will from the short time that I have known him is that he just seems to take life in his stride but in a calm, unassuming but also a determined way. To be honest what he has achieved to date proves this entirely and I know there is definitely more to come from him. He truly is a super likeable guy but don't doubt that when he is on court he will want to Win. I am so looking forward to following his progress at the Rio Paralympics this summer, would quite like a shot or two of that Gold when he gets back too!! No pressure Will :)
Do take a look at this short animoto video of the two shoots I hope that you enjoy them https://animoto.com/play/qW1QdjTs7hPxvXmT6Nu1Pg . We had a brilliant time shooting this and hopefully it shows in the photographs. For now a tired photographer signing out (from the departure lounge at Washington Dulles my life is so money supermarket!). Until next time x
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I have decide that this will metaphorically be my Olympic year, a year to push myself and my business just that little bit further. Life has a funny way at times of challenging you, and certainly for me last year there were a few of these such challenges, but without meaning to sound pompous and trite I have realised that it is how you choose to deal with these challenges in whatever form they may take that will ultimately help to shape you and in turn your future.
I would like over the next few weeks to introduce you to some great Athletes that I have had the pleasure to meet and photograph over the last few months, people that have truly inspired me.
I would firstly like you to meet Tom Bosworth http://tombosworth.com . Tom is a GB Race Walker, current British Champion and holder of three British records. He is from Sevenoaks in Kent but currently now trains at the British Race Walking Centre in Leeds.
I first met Tom last June on a soggy June day at the Finish line of the gruelling North Downs Run in Kent. I was photographing the event and Tom was handing out medals to the participants. We started chatting whilst sharing the same umbrella and I was interested to hear about the challenges that face full time Athletes in this country particularly in less well known sporting events. Tom's mission is to put Race Walking well and truly on the map and be in no doubt he will do it.
Race Walking is a technically difficult discipline but trust me Tom can walk fast VERY FAST. Only two weeks ago in Bratislava he smashed the Btitish 5km record yet again! I was lucky enough last November together with my great friend and fellow photographer Laura Caiels to spend a day photographing Tom, recording quite literally a "Day in the Life of a Race Walker" up at the British Race Walking Centre in Leeds. The training is gruelling and quite frankly it took us two or three days to recover only photographing it but it was an amazing day and a real eye opener in terms of the hard work that our Elite athletes put in to stay at the top.
I am convinced that he will go on to greater things this year with Rio obviously being his main focus in the Summer. He has an air of quiet confidence about him that is somehow difficult to argue with but as well as that he is genuinely likeable person, easy to get along with and who was more than happy to chat to us at his favourite coffee bar with a latte and a cheese toastie ( the cheese toastie was to die for although serious training would be needed to shift those calories!)
Tom is an Ambassador for Athlete ally http://athleteally.org, promoting sexual equality in sport and also a champion of the charity to raise awareness of Prostrate Cancer. I am sure Tom would agree he also has a great team supporting him including amongst many others,his coach Andi Drake and Manager, Ian Byers from 17 Sports Management http://www.17management.com
I am so looking forward to August this year and the Rio Olympics and Paralympics. I remember the buzz of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and how it seemed to get people from all backgrounds engaged in sport. I wish Tom all the best is his forthcoming ventures and am excited to see what this year brings for him, I have a hunch it will be a good one in fact I know it will be. Please support him on his way via twitter https://twitter.com/TomBosworth?lang=en-gb or via his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TomBosworthAthlete/?fref=photo . He still needs funding each pair of trainers cost £150 and I suspect he gets through a few pairs!
Please take a look at my animo to video of my day with Tom http://animoto.com/play/aiIGU34WqiMiqDHdz3J9xA I hope you enjoy it. For now here's a tired photographer on pancake day signing over and out until next time. I have my own exciting projects to come this year which have yet to unfold so watch this space x
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