A fun day at the office!

I had a lot of fun photographing this great team on a full day’s shoot at this well-established architectural firm in the city of Nottingham. The directors wanted images for the new website, articles, publications and social media.

Having shot numerous buildings for the practice over a few years now, it was great to finally get to meet the whole team, and to put faces to names. The office is based in an old building that has been beautifully converted over 3 floors into a modern and light contemporary space.

There is a wonderful roof terrace with tables and benches for staff to have lunch or simply take a break with views of rooftops and the city.

I’m so looking forward to photographing future projects for this team in the coming months!          

Breast feeding campaign in Nottingham

Small Steps Big Changes (SSBC) is a lottery funded organisation working with local communities to talk about and encourage breast feeding.  The campaign ‘Feed Your Way’ is a breastfeeding public health campaign designed for Nottingham. It was co-created with thousands of Nottingham families and residents, health professionals and business owners.

 The campaign focuses on the real, lived experiences of six Nottinghamshire families and they currently feature on billboards and banners across Nottingham City, including the City Council House on Old Market Square.

 I covered the launch event of the campaign in the ballroom of the beautiful Council House in the centre of Nottingham. The council are working alongside SSBC to help promote the campaign with a huge banner placed on the outside of the building.

Headshots for a newly qualified nutritionist

Janet has just qualified to become a full-time nutritional therapist and is in the process of setting up her business. She needed bright, natural and authentic images reflecting who she is for her new website and social media. We met pre-shoot to discuss the sort of images she needed and on the day of the shoot collaborated to set up the shots and bring her vision to life. We had a large kitchen to work in with plenty of natural light flooding in which help to make the fresh fruit and vegetables we were using look appetising and pop with colour.

WellSpring Church in Wirksworth Derbyshire

A corker of a job in the lovely market town of Wirksworth in the Derbyshire Dales. I was lucky to find myself there on a beautiful summer’s day and had help moving bits of furniture from the different rooms I was shooting from three very helpful members of the congregation who had volunteered to help me.

 This build is a wonderful example of how to add a contemporary new extension (and modifications to an existing structure) to what was originally a Methodist church built in 1886. The extension houses a new community kitchen and dining area along with new stairs connecting the kitchen to the rest of the church.

 The structure is filled with natural light thanks to the installation of the large windows on one side and the high ceiling over the kitchen area gives a sense of grandeur to the space. Likewise, the dining area is light and open with plenty of space for people to mingle and chat over some food and drink.  

The modifications are in the large community room where children’s and other activities take place during the week and the spacious prayer room in the old church which is so well linked by the main staircase to the new community kitchen beneath it.   

Interior design - Woolaton in Nottingham

A wonderful morning collaborating with interior designer, Hilary Marconetti, who has completed the first room in this newly purchased (and soon to be completely renovated!) house. This is my preferred way of working where we discuss and try ideas on the shoot to ensure I deliver the shots Hilary wants for her portfolio. The contribution of designers like Hilary bring a fresh perspective to a room and it’s clear that Hilary has the vision to elevate what could be ordinary to something really beautiful, tranquil and extraordinary. I love the soft pastel colour palette and the very cool furniture Hilary sourced from her known suppliers. The room is a calming space with great light streaming in from that gorgeous bay window. I know the family who commissioned her to do the work were delighted with the result and I look froward to seeing what Hilary does with the other rooms in the house. 

Sobraon Barracks Lincoln classrooms and vehicle maintenance area

Here I’m making images of the training classrooms for cadets and the servicing area for army vehicles where cadets are taught mechanics and vehicle maintenance. The two classrooms I photographed have great light and could be made into one large open space when the moveable wall separating the two rooms is pushed back.

 The maintenance part of the building beneath the classrooms is so large that it felt a bit like being in an aircraft hanger! When I saw the size of the army trucks parked outside I understood why so much space was needed. The shutter doors were also big and solid and everything around me seemed oversized. Hence lots of work with my wide-angle lenses to show off the different perspectives of all that space in the servicing and maintenance area.

Sobraon Barracks in Lincoln

My first visit to an army barracks! I really didn’t know what to expect but was very quickly put at ease by a very friendly, soon to retire gentleman, with a classic handlebar moustache and cheeky grin with sparkly blue eyes. He’s such a character and had so many stories to tell about the long list of tours he had undertaken, I could have listened to him all day!

 However, there was work to do, so after my cup of coffee and chat I got to work on this new build which the architects responsible for this new structure had commissioned me to photograph. There were three parts to this shoot and I’m starting with the gym.

 These images are of a large, light filled, spacious and well-equipped gym where cadets, reserves and staff members would be using the excellent facilities. The architects requested I photograph the gym with people in it for some shots but sadly that wasn’t possible as the new facility was still waiting for the fire safety certificates to be issued so the gym wasn’t yet officially in use.

 It’s always a challenge to work in mixed lighting situations and tricky to not accidentally photograph myself in the long mirrored walls but I’ve enough experience and practice now to make sure my reflection is clear of all shots.

W Creative Beauty Salon

I had the pleasure of photographing this new beauty salon in Nottingham recently. I loved the colour palette used in the main area downstairs from reception all the way to hairdressing in the back of this substantial space. Upstairs, where the treatment rooms are located has a different feel entirely, with a clean monochrome look but the two areas do work well together.

There’s lots of natural light coming into the building so it makes for a welcoming and airy salon to spend time in. I love the cinema seats in the reception area below those inspiring words and the pink neon on the brick wall behind the coffee bar. Not to mention the excellent playlist that I was listening to while I worked. Clearly someone has great taste in music!

The latest shoot for a housing association

I’ve worked on a number of shoots for this housing association and have always been impressed by the quality affordable homes they produce time and again for the clients. This was the smallest development I’ve worked on for them and it was based in Lincolnshire. The majority of these homes were already sold so there was little point in dressing an entire show home but the housing association wanted the images for their own records and to use on social media as examples of their builds.

Photographing new homes that are without furniture always makes the job much simpler but a little more challenging as it’s difficult to make empty rooms look interesting! Luckily we had some props to put in the kitchen and bathrooms so that they could be dressed and so make for better images.

I had a lot of strong hard light which made for harsh shadows on some of the external shots but it was great to have some of the homes bathed in all that lovely sunshine to show off the brick work and new roofs.

A lovely family home in West Bridgford, Nottingham

I was asked to photograph this home by the family selling it. They were keen to have their own photographer tell the story of their home to ensure that only the best images were used by the estate agent. I was blessed with great light on the day of the shoot which meant I could shoot the exterior extensively to show off the large garden and different planting areas. The rooms are all spacious so the light flooding into them made the colours of the furniture and artwork stand out against the freshly painted white walls. I love the projector and large screen in their cinema/library and the bi-fold doors in the lounge/dining area. A great house to work in as a property photographer!

Headshots for the amazing Claudine Jackson at Trent Wills and Estates

I think the last time I worked with Claudine was five years ago and she decided that that was a long time to have the same shots so got in contact to see if we could work on some new ones together. She’s good fun so of course we had a great time making these images at a local cafe and park as we were having a catch up with lots of talking and laughing. The best images do happen when both subject and photographer are relaxed and enjoying themselves during the shoot. It makes for a more authentic representation of the person being photographed, which is exactly what’s needed when we are showing Claudine as the friendly, approachable and professional entrepreneur that she is. We were lucky with the excellent venue with the deep rich green walls and blessed with great weather in the park.

Halton Manor

Out in the countryside photographing an exquisite property with a large cellar, extensive grounds with fruit trees and a series of outhouses which could provide workshops, studios and a large utility room. It was the the best day to be working in a property like this with sunlight coming through all the large windows to show off the beauty of the very different rooms and spaces around the property. The front of the house is discreetly set back from the narrow lane so walking through the front entrance definitely gives the wow factor and a feel of just how beautiful this property is as you make your way inside. I was keen to capture that sense of wonder and awe for prospective buyers as you step inside the front door and into one of the spacious reception rooms offering tranquil views across the grounds.

A stunning new build home in the village of Boothby Groffee in Lincolnshire

A beautiful newly built home in the village and civil parish of Boothby Groffee in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire. The weather was changeable so there was a little stopping and starting with the outside shoot but it’s all part of the job. Both the developer and I are really happy with the final images. 

New builds that haven’t been ‘dressed’ are less complicated to shoot as there’s no furniture to have to work round. However, it’s then all up to the prospective buyers to visualise themselves in the house and think about how their furniture and personal belongings will fit in. How to bring the best out of their new home to make it comfortable for them and welcoming for family and friends?

Some people have the gift of just knowing how decor, furniture and artwork all work together but others will consult with interior designers to help find the best ideas and colours for each room. It’s exciting to start with a blank canvas and I imagine the person who buys this house will have a lot of fun creating a wonderful home.

Sports Facilities at Middlesex University Mauritius

Part of the shoot brief for the university was that I worked with students in the sports complex where they could use the gym and olympic size swimming pool. The Medine Sparc Uniciti is a modern complex and the university wanted to show students using and enjoying the facilities available to them. The marketing team at the university briefed me to provide images which would be used on publicity materials such as the annual student guide which is sent out all over the african continent in the form of a handy sized brochure. The images are also for use on the university website and social media. These are a small selection of the images I was asked to provide. All the students were great fun to work with.

A fascinating insight into the caves under the city of Nottingham

The year started with a wonderful commission by the charity that runs the City of Caves in Nottingham. The extensive revamp of the Broadmarsh Centre is due to start imminently and this means the usual entrance into the caves will have to be closed off for the next two years. So a new entrance has been constructed beneath the Nottingham Contemporary and that will need major signage to show exactly where the new entrance will be located.

I spent two days in the caves photographing the the most amazing spaces and people visiting and learning all about the fascinating history of these sandstone constructions that were used as dwellings, a tannery, hideouts, air raid shelter and even some mischievious goings on! I also had the pleasure of working with some actors who are regulars at dressing up and knowing exactly what to do to in order to illustrate the different uses of the caves over the years.

It wasn’t possible to close the cave down to visitors so I had to be patient and work around individuals looking round at their own pace and official tours which took place every so often. I was very grateful for my sturdy tripod and cable release as the light was challenging in some places and so I needed longer exposures but it was a small price to pay for the joy of being able to work on such an interesting project.