Extended Family Shoot in Oxfordshire

Spring is not just in the air but arriving in our gardens every day.  The snowdrops here in oxfordshire are coming to an end and being replaced by the first daffodils. I was helping out at my son's school the morning and we making spring flowers from card and tissue paper to serve as table decorations so perhaps the end of winter is truly here.  I love the arrival of spring but before we leave the winter months completely I wanted to share with you some images from a Christmas shoot.  I never like to blog my clients shoots until they have had plenty of time to review the photos with family and friends - after all it is their shoot!

Emily contacted me in November last year looking for a photographer in the Oxford area.  A large party gathering was occuring over Christmas and with three generations of the family getting together for a holiday she wanted to capture some images of the occasion.  The shoot took place on Boxing Day - not usually a day I work but their stay was short and I had a pre-booked engagement the next day taking my son to the pantomine with his grandparents!  The shoot took place 5 minutes from where I live so I knew even if it was snowy I would be able to get there.  As it was we didn't have snow but a clear winter's morning. The children were adorable and comfortable in front of the camera.  here are a few of my favourite from the day, I hope you enjoy them.

Oxfordshire Christening, Bridal shoot, Family portraits....reflections on 2011!

Bring on 2012!
Coming to the end of January and so many plans are beginning to form for the coming year.  First though a time to reflect on 2011.  Its been a great year after our move down to Oxfordshire and finally getting the business up and running.  I had some wonderful shoots - highlights include a gorgeous oxfordshire christening on a perfect summer's day and despite the tricky lighting with full sunshine captured some great images.  A golden wedding anniversary provided the chance to catch up with old friends and a summer picnic in Suffolk provided the perfect backdrop to the close of summer.  For me the year finished with a lovely extended family shoot on Boxing Day.

Its always great to network with local businesses whether you have a new or old business and so this year has seen me working with florist Holly Green at Thanks a Bunch in Faringdon, helping her with images for their new website.  We also worked together with Cariad bride on a bridal shoot at Kingston Bagpuize House near Abingdon - you can see the images in the new wedding brochure for Kingston Bagpuize House.

Its also been a year to keep up to date with my own personal development: workshops with Morag Macdonald and John Denton have been inspirational and allowed me to further my own creativity in my photography.  Next year will hopefully see more of this as I plan to undertake a personal mentoring course to take my photography to a higher level and really make my business deliver at the highest level.

Last but not least thanks to all those who were part of 2011 - my customers, suppliers, friends and family have all been a big part of my year and from whom I take my inspiration that pushes me forward.  As always a year comes with mixed blessings and like so many I have experienced highs and lows in the year, the joy of welcoming new life into the world as well as sadness of loved ones departed who will be greatly missed.  Photography is about capturing those moments in life that are meaningful to us and maintaining a record for years to come where we can look back and relive the memories and reflect on those times.  Life will never stand still but an image can capture a moment in life forever.

Some of my favourite images from 2011 are below, I hope you enjoy them and here's wishing you all a very happy, healthy and successful 2012!

Jx

Model Portraits - natural light

Between shooting and editing its great to squeeze in time for training.  Not only does this get the mojo and creative juices flowing but its also a chance to learn from some of the top photographers in the business. Last week I joined a small group of photographers for a SWPP members day session with John Denton.  John is an established photographer with a hugely sucessful business at both ends of the spectrum - shooting and training.

John works with a number of top models and for this session we were lucky to have the services of Fredau Hoekstra to provide our muse for the day. The morning session covered natural lighting techniques while the afternoon covered use of flash for more creative images - more on that session in my next blog.

One of the tasks we were given was to take 6 head shots (and no more!) of Fredau, putting her in the poses of our choice. My six photos are below and using tips picked up from John, I was very pleased with the results.  A good training session and more skills to bring to my next shoot. I'll be checking the SWPP members board to book my next training date!

If you are interested in a portrait shoot please contact me at judi.checketts@gmail.com to book your session. My rates are reasonable and I keep the session fun and informal!