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.   

Sobraon Barracks Lincoln - exterior

The exterior shots of the building which is matt black in colour and looking amazing against all the greenery in the daylight.  Again, I showed as many different perspectives as I could, to give a sense of the scale of the build and how the structure presents in its immediate surroundings.     

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.

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 celebration of the great British garden

I had my work cut out for this shoot given how many buildings I had to get round but also extensive grounds that I could have happily worked in all day. The weather was beautiful and the garden was well organised with distinct areas for growing, playing and sitting in quietly to eat and drink, read, reflect or just listen to the birds. The colours and textures were rich and varied and I realised how much joy it gave the owners to walk around the space and enjoy the different areas of their garden.  I wanted to show how the distinct areas all connected so that prospective buyers could get a feel for the layout of the garden and just how much it had to offer. I admit that exploring and photographing this garden did make me want to have my own little green space to cultivate and maybe even photograph. In the meantime here’s some of my favourite shots from photographing this wonderful space.     

A lovely home in the countryside on a perfect shoot day

I admit I got very lucky with the weather on this shoot. Beautiful blue skies and a lovely part of Lincolnshire to be working in. This home is down a quiet country lane and externally is quite understated. The outdoor space is very generous and the view out of the kitchen is wonderful. You could sit peacefully on the patio looking out all afternoon! A great space for entertaining friends or hosting a large family gathering. The interior was a joy to shoot as there was lots of sunlight streaming through the windows and cosy rooms to settle down in for the evening with wood burners and large sofas. The owners were very friendly and accommodating by clearing surfaces and tidying up so that I could move from room to room easily and concentrate on what the best angles were to make images from. This is a small selection from the shoot.

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.

Small really is beautiful

Images from a show home on a brand new development in the centre of Newark in Nottingham. This house has two bedrooms and is an excellent example of well planned layout and bold interior design. Any home, no matter what the size, can look beautiful and feel luxurious. It was wonderful to be working on this project with a progressive housing association keen to build such great homes for people to live in. I had so much fun walking around and shooting this home. I was lucky to have a good weather day with lovely diffused light coming through the windows. I can’t wait to start the next project with them and share it with you.

When one shoot leads to another......

I started working with a new branch of this estate agent and was pleased to be asked to also do headshots of each team member as they were looking to update their profiles in both print and on the web. The team wanted to have shots that obviously identified them as estate agents but also showed them as professional, friendly, trustworthy and open people to work with.  I look forward to working with them on more impressive properties for sale in the near future. 

Beautiful Properties in the East Midlands

It's always an honour to enter someone's home who is willing to give me total access to take photographs. I don't take the trust for granted so I move from space to space as discreetly as possible and I'm acutely mindful that I'm in someone else's home. Although I work systematically I take the time to think when I'm in a space and consider where the best places are to place my tripod and begin work. As ever, the devil is in the detail when shooting property, so I am constantly assessing the space as I work to make sure everything looks right. Wherever possible I will remove or move things around to make the image work as well as possible to show off the space. Getting back to my desk, shortlisting and editing each photograph is where I finally decide which images will be shown to the estate agent and vendor of course. It's lovely to get positive feedback but I continue to learn all the time because I want to produce the best images I possibly can.

Dance rehearsals at Alea Nottingham

A fantastic opportunity from Rebecca Hart, the Director of a dance company called Dance Equation, who wanted to have some images of her professional dancers in rehearsals at Alea Nottingham for a cabaret night they were due to be hosting there. There were numerous styles of dance and the accompanying change of costumes and all were photographed in the available light at the venue so that the images reflected what the routines would look like on the night. All the dancers were fantastic at running through routines and working with me to ensure we got the best images possible. The images have also been used on publicity materials for the company and on the new Dance-Equation website so do check it out - www.dance-equation.co.uk.

Charmaine Roche, Lifeflowbalance Coaching and Consulting Ltd

Charmaine has worked in the education sector for over 20 years initially as a teacher and now as a coach in education establishments working alongside staff. She specialises in coaching consultancy related to promoting organisational change, resilience, leadership development and well-being. As an executive Coach she works with teams individuals and groups. It was a delight to work with Charmaine as she was calm and easy to work with. Charmaine had requested a variety of images of her running a workshop at The University of Nottingham and also headshots which she could use on social media, publications and websites.      

Product shots for Nottingham based Crowe's Sauces

Having photographed the first iteration of Crowe's delicious chilli sauces back in November 2016 things have moved on somewhat for the owner Alessandra Crowe and a year later the business is going places. The production has now moved from Alessandra's residence to a unit at Sneinton Market and a now an even hotter sauce (can you believe?!) is being developed and tested. In December Alessandra is off the Brazil for a month to do research and see what other sauces she might be inclined to develop and put into production for 2018. In the meantime here are the latest product shoots. 

More headshots for East Midlands speech therapy business

So back to the speech therapy company for more headshots of a couple of new members of staff. The company had, of course, moved offices once more and are now situated in the loveliest coach house in West Bridgford. It was great to see everyone again and I even had time to have a cup of tea and a quick catch up with them afterwards before we all had to head off in different directions and get back to work.   

Nottingham's newest aquatics centre opens in Arnold

The owner of this new aquatics centre has already built a very successful online business selling fish and other pet foods. He now, however, has decided to take the next step and open what he hopes will be the first of a number of outlets in Nottingham and potentially across the UK. It was a pleasure working with him and his team in the new shop and already there were plans to purchase additional tanks for the tropical and marine fish room so it will be interesting to see what other ideas they have to utilise all the space this premises has to offer.   

Corporate Images for Online Marketing Business

I was commissioned by the MD of this business, specialists in online marketing, to shoot images for their website. Yet another East Midlands business seeing significant growth and quickly out growing their premises. It was a pleasure to work with a such a friendly and happy team and i look forward to working with them more on future projects. If you’re in need of specialist help with paid per click advertising then this is a great company to talk to and this is their website: www.keyprinciples.co.uk