Anaïs et Ludo – Les Marais
In France for Christmas. Happy times.
The village I come from is by the marshes and I was lucky this morning to do a photo session there with Anaïs and Ludo.
It was 8 in the morning, it was cold and foggy and they both were fabulous.
A workshop …
Last Wednesday was a very exciting day for me as I met wedding photographer Fer Juaristi.
He gave a workshop at Aspire in the Lake District and I was lucky to be there.
At the end of the day, I felt inspired and even more enthusiastic about what I do…
Here is a couple of pictures I took on the day:
Baby S. and Family
It was fantastic to go to Baby S and her family’s welcoming house.
Baby S smiled and laughed during the whole session.
Baby E. and family
A couple of weeks ago, I went to see Baby E and family. She was only two weeks and a bit then. Isn’t she pretty? She made my heart melt…
A wedding in St Andrews
Yesterday was an amazing day for me as I had the opportunity to shoot at a wedding in St Andrews.
The venues were absolutely beautiful and the bride and groom so kind.
My assistant and second shooter…
My assistant and second shooter definitely deserves to have an entire post dedicated to him.
Neil, my husband, has always supported me with my dreams of becoming a photographer.
When I started taking photos, he was my first model. I remember taking him to the studio.
He was so patient with me and my silly requests.
He created this beautiful website, made it easy for me to use and changes some features when I ask him to.
He looks at an infinite number of photos every week and is my best critic.
He now helps me at weddings.
He organises the groups in a very professional way and takes the photos I am not able to shoot like this one…
I am more than thankful to have him ♥.
Tina and Graeme’s Wedding
I am pleased to say that Tina and Graeme’s wedding photos are now in the gallery.
You can click here to view and/or purchase the photos. Should you wish to buy enlargements or other products, you can contact me and I will be more than happy to help you.
And here is a little slideshow of the day
Tina and Graeme’s Wedding – Seamill Hydro, Ayrshire
Last May, we visited Seamill Hydro for a pre-wedding photo shoot with Tina & Graeme. The beautiful beach with its view towards the islands is fantastic and I could not wait to take photos of these two in their wedding outfits!
The wedding day was a success. From the lovely dresses and waistcoats beautifully made by the mother of the bride herself to one of the most touching groom’s speech. Tina and Graeme’s happiness and love for each other contaminated everyone at the party.
Dear Tina and Graeme, we were honoured to be part of your day and we wish you a lifetime of happiness!
To see automatically when Tina and Graeme’s wedding photos are online, you can like my Facebook page.
Hollie and Luke’s Wedding
I am pleased to say that Hollie and Luke’s wedding photos are now in the gallery.
You can click here to view and/or purchase the photos. Should you wish to buy enlargements or other products, you can contact me and I will be more than happy to help you.
And here is a little slideshow of the day
Hollie and Luke’s Wedding – George Heriot’s & The Caves, Edinburgh
Last May, I had a great time taking Hollie and Luke’s engagement photos. However, yesterday was even more special as it was their BIG DAY.
Hollie and Luke made the most of having their wedding in Edinburgh by choosing two fabulous venues: George Heriot’s Chapel which was built in an earlier gothic style and The Caves in the old town which has beautiful original stone vaults. Of course, all the details added to the romance of the day: the delicate lace wedding dress, the vintage pink colours, the romantic ranunculus bouquets…
The love that Hollie and Luke feel for each other and the kindness of their families and friends gave the perfect atmosphere to the day.
Dear Hollie and Luke, we were honoured to be part of your day and we wish you a lifetime of happiness!
Style.
“Style has no formula, but it has a secret key.
It is the extension of your personality.” Ernst Haas
Earlier in the year, I was telling a friend, who is a landscape photographer, that even if I had been given the talent to take photos of landscapes, I would not, it does not fit with my personality. Although I admire the work of many landscape photographers, I could not imagine feeling great satisfaction in taking photos on my own in the middle of nowhere.
The reason why I have chosen portraiture is that “the act of portraiture is collaborative in nature.” Meeting people, getting to know their unique stories and what is behind their enigmatic faces is what I feel passionate about. This became clear quickly after I got my first DSLR.
What I feel is more complex to understand is my ever growing enthusiasm for Black and White photography. Is it because it is part of my culture, because I discovered photography through Doisneau and Cartier-Bresson? Probably. However, I also think that with Black and White, the superflous disappears and emotions are in the limelight. It is easier to loose touch with reality and to enter a world of poetry.
This poetry is my quest. I want to explore the world of Black and White further and my father gave me a wonderful opportunity by finding a film camera at the flea market. It is now loaded with a Black and White film… I am ready to go back to the roots of photography.
Nathalie et Yvan – Leurs photos de mariage
Vous pouvez dès maintenant consulter les photos de mariage de Nathalie et d’Yvan en cliquant ici.
N’hésitez pas à laisser vos commentaires sur cette page ou à nous envoyer un email si vous avez des questions.
Flo & Karim
A mini photo session with two good friends of ours, Flo and Karim. They make such a lovely couple!
We wandered in our hamlet for a little while. It was fab to have old wooden doors and beautiful stone stairs as a background.
Nathalie et Yvan – Saint André-le-gaz, France
Quel plaisir de marier ma cousine et son cher Yvan et quel honneur de prendre leurs photos de mariage!
En voici d’ailleurs quelques unes…
N’hésitez pas à laisser vos commentaires …
VIVE LES MARIES!!!
Artisan in the Alps – Savoie, France
A little hamlet in the French Alps. Twenty five houses. One is ours, one is Hélène’s. Hélène and her family live there. Everybody else comes for a holiday.
When we first visited this secluded place on a sunny autumn day, we met Hélène. She told us about the hamlet, its people and what to expect during the winter. That was five years ago and since then we have become friends.
Her shop is at the top of the second lane. So is her house and her workshop. While you push the door to go in, a wind chime warns Hélène of her visitors. As you walk in her vaulted shop, you can admire her wooden craft. There is always an ongoing project waiting beside the till and sometimes Hélène will carry on her work while her visitors have a look around.
As a little girl, Hélène used to spend hours crafting in her dad’s workshop. She, then, wanted to be a cabinet maker, unfortunately, this career was reserved to men at the time. This is why it is not surprising that when Hélène and Patrick decided to have a change of lifestyle and move from the city to the mountains, she opened her own workshop.
The forgotten picture
Yesterday, I took the time to look through the photographs of our daughter as I want to make her first photo album. You can imagine that I spent a few hours looking at them. I often get carried away when I have my camera, hence the ridiculous number of pictures.
What would have been in the analogue era “the photo of her first smile” is in the digital era “the photos of her first smiles”. Making an album in the past must have been a faster process than nowadays!
This made me wonder if my countless photographs had less value in my eyes. After all, I do not print them all. However, on reflection, I do favour the digital era. Isn’t it better to have all your photographs filed in your computer than kept in a shoe box (something we used to do at home), and if you really want to print one, you can. I think that you are even more likely to display the ones you print nowadays. Would you agree?
While I was flicking through my files, I found this photo of BabyMelimelo and my husband. I took it when she was 2 days old and have no recollection of taking it whatsoever … Seeing this photo brought tears to my eyes and it is definitely one that will be in her photo album.
Tina and Graeme – Seamill Hydro, Ayrshire
We went to the West to meet Tina and Graeme. Going West always remind me of my first years in Scotland. That was 10 years ago!
Tina and Graeme showed me around their wedding venue and went through the organisation of their big day. Needless to say that it is super organised. Everyone who knows Tina will have guessed that already! Seamill Hydro was first built in 1879 and is a charming hotel with easy access to the sandy beach. Tina and her family used to come here during their holidays and she has a lot of memories there.
Our engagement photo shoot was very relaxed. Tina and Graeme are so natural in front of the camera.
Here is a selection of photos. Feel free to leave a comment at the end of this post.
Hollie and Luke – George Heriot, The Quarter Mile & The Meadows, Edinburgh
Let me introduce you to Hollie and Luke. I met Hollie about two years ago. She is always smiling, enthusiastic and full of life. Yesterday was the first time I met Luke and they are perfectly matched! These guys were so comfortable in front of the camera and accepted all my silly requests for their engagement photo shoot!
We met at George Heriot which is not only a beautiful school but also a wedding venue. The chapel was built in an earlier Gothic style and is exquisite. This is where Hollie and Luke have chosen to get married later on in the year. We then went to the Quarter Mile, I find the contemporary buildings great to use as backgrounds during portrait sessions.
Here is a a black and white selection ending with a pinch of colour.
Let’s start with Contemporary Reflections
Laura’s family – Johnston Gardens, Aberdeen
What a gorgeous Saturday it was!
I had never been to Johnston Gardens before. It is a small public garden in Aberdeen full of flowers, streams and waterfalls. I was told that bridal couples liked to have their wedding photos taken there and I am not surprised.
However, I did not meet with a couple this time but with a lovely family i.e. Laura’s family. It was great to see Laura and Chris again and to be introduced to Jill and Callum. These guys know how to look at the camera and are very relaxed when photographed. I am so jealous of the colours of their eyes, especially Callum’s crystal blue eyes.
Rachael & Paul – Johnston Gardens, Aberdeen
Up North for the weekend where we spent some quality time with Rachael and Paul.
Their big day is coming fast and I really wanted to have an engagement photo session with them. I am so pleased that they accepted.
I can’t wait for the party!
Portraiture
Three days ago, I received a book entitled Tête à Tête: Portraits by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Cartier-Bresson portrayed an incredible number of renowned artists including my favourite photographer Robert Doisneau and one of my favourite sculptors Alberto Giacometti. I find it amazing that he met so many inspiring people and had the opportunity to photograph them. However, I also find his anonymous portraits of ordinary people as wonderful. Cartier-Bresson’s portraits are transparent. When you look at his photographs, it is as though you were meeting his “models”. As Paul Caponigro said “it’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s another thing to make a portrait of who they are.”
Last Saturday, I had a photo session with my neighbour who is a real gentleman. I like to think that the photographs I took of him are faithful to his personality.
Maternity
” To be pregnant is to be vitally alive, thoroughly woman, and undoubtedly inhabited.”
Anne Buchanan & Debra Klingsporn
This is a really beautiful quote that expresses so well the feelings we have during pregnancy.