A little miracle happened in Aylesburyy and most of Southern England… it snowed! Ok, it was nothing like the blizzards of Colorado or the depth of parts of Scotland, but it was enough to make snowballs and throw them at the Neighbours!
Of course, I just had to take a photo of somekind, I could not think of anything more appropriate than a soft toy I just happen to have lying around the house. So, along with my lucky Red Tie I wrapped it around the toy and took a few shots.
I don’t know about you, but every year it becomes harder and harder to identify what Christmas actually means, but last year I found it by helping out at St Marys church right in the middle of Aylesbury. The church organises a team of volunteers and sets out a meal for the homeless, the elderly, the disabled, the poor and the lonely. The act of buying presents and giving in that way means little to me, but being able to talk to someone over a Christmas meal and a cup of tea brings a entirely new meaning to giving.
For the past 3 years now I have adopted a custom of watching The Muppet’s Christmas Carol every Christmas Eve. That is when Christmas officially starts for me; I go round to my good friends the Jeffries and they host a gather of like minded people who also like to eat, drink (lightly) and watch a Muppet’s classic. It just so happens that I bought along my Nikon D3 to take some photos.
Technically, the room was very dark. I wasn’t sure if even the D3 could take photos in poor lighting conditions, but with a low shutter speed and steady hand I managed to get some shoots I knew I could adjust in Lightroom if I had to.
I would suggest Aylesbury is like most towns in the UK; very ordinary, unassuming and just typical. So I wanted to know if I could get some interesting (I hope) shots of a very ordinary town center. Just to make it more interesting instead of using my Nikon D3 I took out my little Nikon D40x and a slow 18-55mm lens.
I had a great time. I had to look at the town through new eyes, as if I had never seen an English town before like a tourist would. I think I did ok, what do you think?
Hanna and Chris had their relative photograph their actual Wedding Day, so I invited them to get some post Wedding photos taken. I set them up in my studio and took some close up to three quarter length shots. They were great to photograph. What most people do not realise is that it does feel very unnatural to pose and listen to instructions from the photographer that may seem alien to the subjects; however Hanna and Chris relaxed very quickly and we got some great shots.
Mr and Mrs Keeler are a beautiful couple to photograph. They are so vivid with an abundance of life. It has to be said Mrs Keeler was the most natural, Mr Keeler was merely following her lead. She makes it very easy for a photographer to capture. I can only hope my other brides will be this energetic and well natured.
It is taking as long as I expected to process the photoshoot with the girls. There is alot of correcting to be done because I demand these photos are the best they can be. It’s also good practise to test myself in how quickly I can process a huge batch of photos down to the ones that are keepers.
It is always wise to keep the skills in your profession razor sharp if you are to be competitive so with the help of Kelly we rounded up her girlfriends and set off around Buckinghamshire to find the most secluded places to photograph them with. The day was terrific fun, there was lots of energy and laughter from the girls throughout the day in a church, a cornfield (without the corn because the farm had already cut it) and the local woods.
We started at 10 and finished around 5; a long day, covered many miles and shot “lots” of photos. I ended the day on a high, there were minor signs of people lagging so rather than drag on it is far better to finish while the girls could still enjoy it.
I had to post this photo up! It was just an ordinary gate, but from a certain angle the nail at the center really emphasized the the focal point.
I was walking home and noticed this flower appearing to emerge from the wall. I liked how such a small object could make a big impact on my ordinary journey.
