A belated Happy New Year

A belated seasons greetings to our customers and readers. We hope you had a fantastic festive period. Christmas proved to be a very busy period at Beeches Images towers. It is a popular time for family portraits and we were fortunate enough to be heavily booked with customers wanting to provide their family with photographic gifts.

Mark and Jack

Little Ollie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In an eclectic month we also had the pleasure of breaking into the corporate market, photographing the Skrill (formerly Moneybookers) Christmas party. It was a wonderful event, organised by Anett, one of the Croydon belly dancers I had photographed earlier in 2011, and held at the impressive Institute of Contemporary Arts in the Mall. Anett had booked the fantastic Max Pashm Band (http://www.myspace.com/maxpashm), who made the trip up from Brighton and gave the evening a an electro world fusion kick,  and the impressive magician Paul Martin (www.paulmartinmagic.com). I always thought I would be able to work out how magicians performed their tricks, but despite the fact I was standing only a couple of feet from Paul during his act I have absolutely no idea how he did what he did. As an aside Anett’s belly dance troupe now have their website up and running, and are already in great demand. (http://www.hipsinccandygirls.co.uk/).

Paul Martin has his audience under his spell

Max in full flow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closer to home we also provided the pop up studio for a parents Christmas party at Barrow Hedges School. It was my first attempt at shooting tethered (linking the camera directly to a laptop) so that I could produce images for customers on the night. To create a festive Christmas theme I hit Sutton’s Pound Shop. What a treasure trove of hats and gimmicks it proved to be. However, I did feel slightly ripped off when I found a 99p shop a little further down the High Street. It’s quite a coup being in a position to undercut the Pound shop. The large picture frame I bought earlier in the year proved to be a real winner, and the dad’s were more than happy to come and have their photograph taken if it managed to keep them from the dance floor for a little bit longer.It was a bit hectic photographing and printing on the same night, and on a couple of occasions the organised chaos threatened to take on the guise of an episode of ‘The Apprentice’, but it all came good in the end.

A record for people in front of our 7ft by 6ft screen

Framed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also made a return visit to St Martin’s to cover a Christmas event  run by the Sure Start centre. Again we used the pop up studio, and with some of the mothers turning up with their children in ultra cute Christmas outfits.

Different views on Christmas

2011 was a fantastic year for us. Weddings, baptisms, portraits, school shoots and charity events, we were able to cover all of our customers needs. More personally Louise and I got engaged and gave birth to Jack, our first child………. Well okay, to be fair, Louise had more to do with the giving birth side of things, I was there more in a cheerleader type role. We were both looking forward to Christmas this year, and Jack enjoyed opening up his presents a lot more than we ever imagined he would.

Jack enjoying his presents

Yet another present

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking ahead, 2012 is shaping up to provide some interesting challenges. Wearing my previous hat as an economic analyst, it is obvious that there will be a tightening of belts by many and the business climate will be harsh. For Beeches Images this is an extra incentive to be the best in what we do, offering a fantastic service at a keen price…………. So make sure you take full advantage of us.

Anett gets the Skrill Christmas party going

Skrill party decorations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This time of year is also traditionally a time to make new year resolutions. Bizarrely the post production side of photography doesn’t always lend itself well to leaving a lot of time to taking photographs. With Jack growing and developing by the day, I’ve decided to take at least one non-business image every day this year and upload them on Flickr. My other resolution is to finally open the clay hand print set we bought for Jack when he was first born and have never got round to using. I have a fear that his hands will be bigger than mine by the time we finally get round to using it. I’m also going to include a customers tip in each Blog entry. Have a great 2012 and make sure you book us early.

Pre-School Mayhem

Beeches Images was fortunate enough to be invited to photograph the children attending St Martin’s pre-school in Epsom recently (http://stmartinspreschool.com/), the largest pre-school in Surrey. Whilst my back was aching after spending 3 days shuffling around at near floor level, it was well worth the pain, as we managed to capture some great images. It also made me a lot more aware of how the school system has changed since I went through the ‘best days of our lives’. With our own son Jack now 8 months old, I was astonished to find that Lou and I should already be looking round for pre-schools. St Martin’s has a fantastic reputation locally which means you need to get the child’s name down before they can walk, but after spending some time with Caroline and her team I could see that their reputation was fully merited.

Caroline drumming up support

Dealing with such young children needs a lot of organisation. Obviously a CRB check was necessary even though there were staff around during any photography. In my pre-shoot meetings with Nancy (the pre-school administrator) we had discussed the challenges of photographing in the confined space of their classroom. Nancy didn’t want a set-up that would take up loads of room, or prove dangerous to the children, but obviously still wanted high quality images for the parents. Fortunately we were able to offer Nancy the ideal solution. A combination of a Lastolite hilite which tucks against a wall for white background portrait shots, and a range of zoom lens for more candid classroom shots for those children who didn’t want to have their photograph taken with studio lights.

 

A visitor to the school

We decided to outsource production of images to ensure that parents got the very best  selection of products in time for christmas. The company we used offered a multi-pose proof sheet and a range of packages at affordable prices, which complimented our decision to select four shots of each child.

 

 

 

 

 

Very pleased with the children's response

For those who know me, one of my big weaknesses is forgetting peoples names. I bumped into a neighbour a few weeks after we had Jack, who congratulated me on our new son, but when he asked me his name I suddenly forgot it, and had to admit, that although I knew it began with ‘J’ the actual name had slipped out of my mind. Being faced with 70 new faces was going to be a big challenge. Fortunately Louise came along for the first day to help in matching names and faces, finding the children and hitting me over the head with various toys in order to make the children laugh.

 

 

 

Jack preparing for a cold spell with my cap

Nancy had suggested in our pre-meetings that I may want to set aside 3 days for photographing the children, which at first seemed rather generous. Once our pop-up studio is set up, it usually only takes a couple of seconds to get a couple of good shots, but I am so glad I listened to her. Sitting in front of studio lights can be a daunting prospect for such young children. Fortunately our experience of photographing children did allow us to put most of them at ease, and we managed to tease laughs and smiles out of the vast majority.

Chilling out on the sofa

Caroline ensures the children are always fully engaged. Structured story times, dance, songs, play and even outside visitors were all part of the day. I had always assumed that pre-school staff just watched to make sure the children didn’t injure themselves, but their role is far more intensive than that. There was a constant monitoring, all be it very subtle of how children were performing during the day, and a huge amount of encouragement. The key feature Louise and I took from the day was how the staff use the expression of “good and bad choices” when the children do something right or wrong……… we’ve started using it with each other !!!

 

 

Bulldog spirit

By day three the children had got used to me being around. In some cases that proved to be an asset. A couple of children who had not wanted to have their photograph taken on day one, actually asked if they could come and have some done. It really gives you a glow when you have broken down such a barrier. For the more confident children, it became a game not to  have their photograph taken. Shouts of “Mr photographer” would come from the schools wigwam followed by an explosion of children running out in all directions, hiding behind trees and other barriers to make sure I couldn’t photograph them. The hunt for photographs was often more like a safari than a portrait session. The three days were both fun and exhausting in equal measure.

First attempt on the swings

A big thank you from Beeches Images to the staff, parents and children of St Martin’s pre-school. Obviously I won’t be putting any of the photographs of the shoot on this page unless the parents agree, so I’ve put in a few of our own son Jack……….. in honour of the fact that I now remember his name !!! I’ve got to get back to photo-shopping out splashes of paint and bike grazes for the parents.

Parallel Universe in Blake Hall, Essex

This weekend saw Beeches Images covering our first wedding since I proposed to Louise in New York. Each wedding we are involved in now takes on an added interest in terms of planning our own. I think every wedding I have attended has thrown up at least one idea or a feature which grabs the attention, but the marriage of Matt and Hayley at Blake Hall in Essex (http://www.blakehall.co.uk/) was almost spooky in reflecting the types of things Louise and I love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I covered the event with Joe Gilbert, an impressive photographer from Gatwick in Sussex (www.joegilbertphotography.co.uk). Regular readers may recall I worked with Joe before at the Priory Barn in Herts. I’m not sure if Joe gets some masochistic enjoyment from the challenges of photographing  in low light, but Blake Hall is also a barn. Joe is a master of off-camera outside flash, so I did look forward to the day with some relish. I was a bit concerned for the couple in terms of the weather. With Autumn in full swing there is amazing scenery to be had………….. outside. With forecasts all week of heavy rain, it didn’t look as if the impressive gardens at Blake Hall would be much use to us. Whilst the barn hosting the service and wedding breakfast was incredibly atmospheric it would not be the same as getting the outside shots.

In fact it proved to be a great day. As soon as I arrived I noticed that the theme was the Rat Pack. Louise absolutely adores that style of music, and the old single records on each table was a lovely touch. I then found out that Hayley’s full name is ‘Hayley Louise Carter’. Louise asked to see an order of service when I got home so that she could see what her own name “Louise Carter” would look like in print. Even odder was that Matt’s surname is  Turnbull, the same as an ex-boyfriend of Louise. Actually maybe I shouldn’t have shown her how the names looked !!! Even the cake was a tower of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, I was tempted to ‘liberate’ one for the drive home, but managed to hold out.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better I found out that the main meal was going to be Pie and Mash, with obligatory liquor. For those uneducated in fine cuisine, Pie and Mash is a London delicacy. Historically there is a great rivalry between South and East London. Millwall and West Ham, the Richardsons and the Krays, and most importantly, who serves the best pie and mash. You can’t reproduce pie and mash, it has to come from a specialist shop. So specialist in fact, that all they usually serve is one type of pie, mash, liquor and eels. The only variation being the number of pies and scoops of mash you want. Fortunately Matt had seen the light, and despite being from East London, had turned to Manze’s, one of South London’s finest Pie and Mash houses. We are fortunate to have a branch just round the corner in Sutton, and as I sat down to my double pie, double mash my day was nearly complete. I almost had to brush aside an emotional tear as I tucked in. I sent Louise a text to tell her about the co-incidences falling all around me, like autumnal leaves, and her reply was a request to get out fast, as she believed I had entered a parallel universe in Essex, and that I may never return.

Of course there were photographs to be taken, and Matt and Hayley didn’t let us down. Matt had ushers, lots of ushers. In fact at one point I thought he had allocated one to each guest. Hayley and the bridesmaids looked amazing, with the dresses carrying through an autumnal theme. Blake Hall has wisely expanded the size of the windows in the barn, so it was surprisingly light compared with other barns I have shot in.

Perhaps most importantly, whilst the clouds didn’t really lift, the rain didn’t come down either. It meant we could have a stroll around the gardens taking full advantage of the backdrops it had to offer. Blake Hall certainly has a lot to offer in that respect, and if you have your wedding planned there you are in for a treat.

I really enjoyed the speeches too. They hit the mark on being not too long and fusing a blend of humour and sentiment, with guest wiping away tears of laughter and emotion in equal measure.

I didn’t stay around for the sparklers, although I’m sure they would have made a great ending to the day, especially with the wedding falling on Bonfire night. I enjoyed an easy drive home round the M25 watching various firework displays and listening to Heart’s club classics, included the track  ‘Flawless’ by the Ones, it pretty much summed up the day.

Beeches Images Facing the Axe

……… but fortunately not in a business sense. Rather, we recently had the pleasure of photographing aspiring actress Naomi Axe. Naomi had made the long trip over from New Zealand to pursue a career in acting (well can any non-Kiwi remember the last time you saw a film or TV show from New Zealand)

Naomi wanted some head-shots for her cv and we were happy to work with her to produce a suitable package. Obviously there are different types of head shot, and those used in the entertainment industry do deviate from a standard passport photo or mug shot, as you can see from the Hugh Grant example below

Unlikely to get you work image

More likely to get you work image

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although there is a similarity in that all three operate on the basis of concentrating on the face and a need for instant recognition,  there is a greater need to look look your best in any entertainment focused head shot. It also has to stand apart from the thousands of other shots doing the rounds. The photographer can obviously do a lot to help, but Naomi had done the right preparation. A good nights sleep and off the alcohol for the evening to leave her looking as fresh as a daisy, her skin in good condition and a good idea of what she wanted.

Naomi has amazing hair, which provided a great frame for her face, but I did stress the need to ensure that it didn’t actually cover any of her face. Any potential employer will have a stylist to do what they want with the hair, but it is the face they are really interested in, so it was important to show it off to its best ability.  Of course the background has to be neutral, as any distraction could cost you a job. Naomi had also brought a friend along to act as her stylist, and again wanted to keep her make-up quite neutral so that her face could be viewed as an open canvas. Oh and she brought along lots and lots of clothes to try out !!!

We had a fun couple of hours of tea, music and photography. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and managed to fit in a lot of different lighting set-ups, hairstyles and clothes changing. It was the girls first visit to Carshalton and they wrapped up their day with a Sunday dinner in one of the many excellent pubs in the village.

So readers, keep an eye out for any future TV programmes with the name Naomi Axe in the credits, and if you need any head shots taken drop us an email. All of the images here are untouched as Naomi really did want to keep them completely natural, but of course retouching is another service we provide.

Double Trouble Belly Dancers

You may recall that fairly recently Beeches Images had the pleasure of collaborating with the girls from Hipsinc Candy, a belly dancing troupe based in Croydon. (https://beechesimages.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/belly-dancing-forget-the-middle-east-and-get-to-the-middle-of-croydon/ ). The girls are all experienced in their art and are in the process of setting up their own website.

Olicia strutting her stuff

We had already done a couple of shoots together, but in a move of almost extravagant expansionism the girls have doubled their numbers, and so needed a few images of the new members and group shots with all six. The Geordies may have Jimmy five bellies, but Croydon’s six bellies are a much more attractive proposition.

Irena makes her return

The latest shoot offered up a number of technical issues. We were using the girls dance studio, which lacked any large neutral background, and I only had a couple of portable studio lights. These are great for lighting a couple of people or a tight group, but obviously the girls wanted to show off their talents in a more spread out form. Unfortunately a red coloured ceiling made the conditions even more difficult. However, a big black sheet of cotton managed to help with the first problem and careful use of the lighting we did have, reduced the amount of shadows being thrown around.

Mel joins in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As before, the girls were energy demons, and managed to fit in a number of costume changes in the short time we had. The original three were joined by Olicia, Irena and Mel. Mel revealed that she had done some modeling in the past, and with Chantel again doing most of the directing we pulled out a really productive session. There were also a few props used this time round, with huge golden wings and dangerous looking swords and mini tridents making an appearance……… I really wouldn’t want to cross these girls in the streets of Croydon.

 

 

 

Their website is now looking really good, and as soon as Anett has it up and running publicly I will post a link up. The girls would be a great addition to any Christmas party you have planned, but get in quick as they are collecting bookings faster than Joey Barton.

Engaging moment at Tiffany’s

I’ve had a bit of a lull in updating this blog, but as well as a lot of photography shoots, there has been a bit of a change of status in Beeches Images towers. Just to prove the point that photographing lots of weddings doesn’t kill the romance of the occasion, I whisked Louise off to New York to propose. The full account of the couple of  days can be found in my more social based blog http://beechesdad.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/i-said-what-about-breakfast-at-tiffanys/ 

 

Faceless wonder

Needless to say it was an unforgettable couple of days for us both. I tied it in with the 50th anniversary of her favourite film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. New York is of course a photographers dream, and it would have been rude not to have grabbed a couple of images while we there. I think we both decided it is a place we just have to get back to, although maybe for slightly different reasons. I found it very inspirational, and we had hit the City during a bit of a news frenzy, with Steve Jobs dying and the Wall Street protests in full flow (both are included in the Youtube clip below)

Iconic view

One thing I did love in relation to photography was the number of married couples posing in Central Park. I don’t know if it is a New York tradition or a result of the amazing weather we were lucky enough to enjoy, but I did try out a few sniper shots. They were mainly Far Eastern brides and grooms, and I’m a bit sparse in my portfolio on such couples

An arty wedding shot ........... quite literally

Anyway, here are a few images from the trip in the form of a Youtube video clip I made. I hope you don’t mind Alicia Keys too much !!!……….. oh and fortunately Louise said yes !!!

A day at the Carlton Club

Beeches Images run of weddings at exclusive clubs continued with a trip to the Carlton Club on St James’s Street (http://www.carltonclub.co.uk/) , described as the oldest, most elite and most important of all Conservative clubs. I did fear I would be in for a stuffy day when I did my background reading on the venue, but it turned out to be a fabulously fun affair. They say that comedy doesn’t travel well across the pond, but this was my first event with Croydon based American photographer Randall Murrow (http://randallmurrow.com/blog/), who produces a very entertaining blog and takes a pretty mean photograph too.

John Major not happy with the tie situation

Varying degree of success

The Carlton Club is a very grand venue, but I was a little surprised and very pleased to find the groom Dave in a pair of jeans and t-shirt when I arrived. It turned out that one of the quirky features of the club is that whilst only members are allowed in on weekdays, they are not allowed to venture into the club at weekends, and so if you hire the venue you pretty much get the run of the place to yourself, a rarity in Central London. I knew it was going to be a relaxed day when David took me to meet the ushers, who were all sitting around a pc watching the rugby world cup.

A 'decent' shot from the library

A room full of ushers

David actually had two best men, both his brothers, one of which was his twin, and the rest of the guys had known each other for years. We had a great shoot in the morning, mixing up formal shot of them getting ready with more informal images. Everywhere you photographed seemed to include a Tory great glaring down at proceedings. It took the guys a little while to work out how to tie a standardised knot, and you could almost see the disdain in poor John Major’s face that it took an American usher to take the lead in proceedings.

It really is !!!

Picture perfect

The cellar library provided a great background. A darkened wooden room filled wall to wall with copies of Hansards. The lads then warned me that they wanted a series of shots of an old tradition they have. All I will say is that 1) they are from Portsmouth, 2) there was a rugby player among them, 3) I now know the term ‘wedding tackle’ can cover ushers as well as groom, 4) thank goodness for tails, and 5) I won’t be putting the images on here……. In the words of Millwall fans, Nuff Said !!!

A proud moment

The couple also had exclusive access to St James’s Square for a photo shoot, which was an amazing opportunity, considering there were no outdoor areas in the Carlton Club. It was great having the keys to a massive photographic canvas, and even better being able to lock everyone else outside, including a big group of German tourists who happened by.

If your name's not down, you're not coming in

Holding back a German invasion

Dave and Christina were a really natural couple, who were so comfortable with each other they all but forgot there were two photographers circling them. They had decided that they wanted to do Dave’s first sight of the dress in the park. Randall had explained it is something very popular in the States, and it is a great idea. With everyone watching  against the backdrop of a formal service, the groom is usually limited in how much he can share this intimate moment with the bride, but in a big park with no-one else around it does provide a real fairytale moment. With even the ushers and bridesmaids kept outside there were only the four of us around, and using quite long lens meant that Randall and I didn’t intrude on their special moment. It did also provide one of those opportunities when it is great having two photographers, to ensure both the bride and grooms faces are captured (and also the challenge of two photographers dancing around trying not to get in each others way).

Dave's first glance at the bride

Park wife

We swept around the park making the most of all it had to offer. I did spot a cherry picker outside and thought what a great image that would provide. I’m going to check out how much they are to hire…….. and how much the insurance would be !!! If any potential brides fancy having their group shots with them and their groom set 20 feet above the rest of their guests, do let me know !!!

Getting to grips with married life

A classic couple

Runaway train

Fortunately the weather held out right until the end of our shoot when it started to spit a little. The last thing you want is a bride turning up with ruined hair, so my reflector was put to good use for the first and only time during the day as a makeshift shelter, before the ushers arrived with umbrellas.

Uses of a reflector #87

Great ushering

I had noted that there was a zebra crossing right outside the venue, so I asked the ushers if they would join me for a quick reconstruction of the Beatles Abbey Road iconic photograph. Unfortunately, none of us could remember how the shot actually looked, and perhaps even more importantly there was a Syrian demonstration passing the location, not a key part of the Beatles image. Still we managed to have a couple of attempts between the large buses thundering down the road and banners trying to stop torture and killings.

Ok, so there was a couple more than the original

One of the superb rooms in the Carlton Club

The ceremony, wedding breakfast and dancing were all held in various grand rooms in the venue, each  superb and atmospheric in their own unique way, and although there is nowhere outside to shoot group shots, the ornate staircase provided a stunning backdrop suitable for the job. Whilst Dave is very understated about it, the speeches did make mention of his work with the St George Foundation (http://www.adecentlife.org/), which he was very instrumental in setting up.

Happy days

No, I'm Michael Howard !!!

A final note should be made about their DJ Guy Stevens. A very charismatic chap who has managed to get some great gigs, and comes with the quote “Joan Collins said that the music was exactly what she wanted at her wedding, and Cilla Black said it was the best discotheque she had ever been to”…………….. some things you can’t just follow, and I left the well dressed guests at the wedding to fight through the mini skirted crowd waiting to get into various clubs. Louise and have noted that increasingly the trains we now catch home are full of people just coming out.

The first dance of many

Cake cutting in the staircase