A Jubilee Celebration.....!!

I love a celebration and though the bunting may be coming down here's a reminder of the fabulous events held over recent weeks with this patriotic Jubilee shoot.  Hope you had a great time too.

If you are celebrating a special event get in touch and I can ensure you'll have the story of your day captured in some amazing images.

Judi x

Family Shoot & Fun Day!

The weather has been very wet and rarely have we been able to enjoy a warm spring day this year.  Good Friday last month was an exception and we had a near perfect spring day of sunshine and cloudless skies.

I had organised a shoot for Jane, Neil and their three lovely boys. We had great fun and we finished the shoot with some chocolate lollipops for the boys - well, its was Easter weekend!

They are an amazing family and Jane has organised a Family Fun Day to be held in Stanford in the Vale this Saturday, 19th May.  The event is in memory of  their daughter Emma Kate Braddy who sadly died in 2007 just 7 weeks old and will raise money to support the children's charities Great Ormond Street and The Sick Children's Trust who provide support to them during the time of Emma's illness.

The day starts at 12 noon and is packed with stalls and events for the whole family to enjoy including the opportunity to have your photo taken with yours truly!!  I will be offering 15 mins slots for individual or group portraits to provide a 8x6" mounted image for the special price of £15. All profits will go to the charities.

You can book your photo slot on the day or why not book ahead and reserve your time slot now. Call 07535 613606 or email me to secure an available time.  All images are taken using natural light and ideally will done outdoors...the forecast looks favourable but if there's a bit of rain bring your wellies and umbrellas - we can still get some great fun images!!

Please do come and support the event and help celebrate Emma's short life; more details available here where you can also make donations if you are unable to attend on the day.

In the meantime here are some images from our shoot last month and fingers crossed the weather will be just as beautiful on Saturday. I hope to see you there!

Judi x

ASPIRE...just fabulous!

Such downpours as we are experiencing up and down the country right now always take me back to caravanning holidays with my parents in the Lake District. My parents were not for going abroad so we spent our summer holidays in Scotland, Wales and most often the Lakes.  On this particular occasion we did not step out of the caravan for four days due to heavy and continual rain - it was pretty miserable, even as a 6 years old the delights of camping in a forest were staring to wear thin. Mum kept us busy doing drawings and sticking pictures in our holiday scrapbook.

The similarities and contrast with my visit in March to the wonderful Aspire photographic training school were marked!  The weather was glorious - warm and sunny and awash with daffodils.  Spring at its best in the Lakes! Although not my first trip to Aspire, this visit was to be the first of many training sessions to come over the next 12 months as I embarked on their renown Bespoke programme.  I met my fellow Bespokers for the first time and was happy to be amongst a bunch of like-minded creatives with a passion for photography, each pursuing their own business goals.

The three days flew by and covered an array of different topics;  Catherine and Jane welcoming us and preparing the business ground work, highly motivating as always; Melissa Love discussing branding and creating our personal scrapbooks - yes, here I was about to get sticking again!

Our photographic shoot was led by Tamara Peel - her warmth and individual style put a smile on our faces and kept us engaged as we hunted for perfect light. By the end of the session we were all adopting brummy accents and "fabulous" catchphrases!  Finally, Phil Barber engrossed us with workflow and post-processing, and inspired us with a selection of images from his wedding shoots.  With our heads buzzing and emails of homework pouring in as we packed up to leave it was an inspiring start to our year of learning. First thoughts running already as to where to get hold of our scrapbooks...

I can't wait to see what is in store for the next visit later this month.  Until then, here are some images from our shoot on day 2 with Tamara and our gorgeous model Courtney with her Mum Anne-Marie. Tamara really couldn't have put it better. It was all "just fabulous"!



Judi x

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.

Bespoke Photography Albums - your story book!

In the digital age, print is becoming a luxury item for the discerning customer who still enjoys the feel and touch of an album. I don't ask you to choose between a DVD or album as every album comes with its own set of low resolution images on disk suitable for use on your computer or social media sites so you can enjoy both! A bespoke family photo shoot is an significant investment and you will review a choice of 50-75 images from your session - it may take a while so don't worry I'll put the kettle and provide the nibbles while you relax and choose your favorites.  No doubt you will want to choose some as framed prints or canvases or perhaps a multi-aperture frame of those special images.  However, nothing quite captures the story of your family than an album where you can document all the family in flattering individual and group portraits while mixing into these relaxed, informal shots which capture everyones true personality.



There are some truly beautiful albums for customers wanting the ultimate presentation following a bespoke photo shoot.  The choice and range of styles is incredible and makes it impossible for a photographer to keep every option in stock.  My customers are looking for stylish albums with a contemporary feel that will remain a classic (and classy) choice in years to come.  Like the photographs within, the album does not want to appear dated or unfashionable in the years ahead - these are keepsake albums to be treasured and passed down through the generations.  Your memories of your life's journey are held here and I will ensure you have the products which exceed your expectations.

I have chosen two album suppliers which offer the very best: Loxley and Albums Australia. Each provides a high quality album in a range of styles and materials with choice to satisfy every customer.  Loxley albums are produced in Glasgow and include digitally printed magazine story book albums as well as matted photograph albums.  These are a classic choice and allow for a wide range of layouts. Albums Australia offer a luxurious product reflected in the price.  These albums are hand crafted in Australia and are truly bespoke. Consider a unique fine art album using your own specially chosen photographs printed onto fine art paper with a choice of cover designs, making your album one of a kind. Also available are gorgeous magazine and matted albums and a choice of leather, suede, acrylic covers in modern colour choices.

Whatever your choice, you can be assured of a superb album from the very best suppliers in the industry. Following your photo shoot I will help you select the photographs you love most and which tell your story. I will then use these to design a beautiful album for you. All albums will be boxed on delivery, ready for that thrill when you open it for the first time!!  I guarantee you won't be disappointed and you will have an album you'll keep returning to relive precious moments and share with friends and family.


Judi x

Share the Love on Valentine's Day: A Joint Promotion with Thanks A Bunch, Faringdon

I've been working with Holly at Thanks A Bunch in Faringdon almost since we moved here to The Vale of White Horse in Oxfordshire 18 months ago. I have done a collection of images for her website as well as promotional images for special occasions - Christmas, weddings and recently Valentine's day.

In the summer Debbie joined Holly and they have expanded their weddings portfolio and we did a bridal shoot at Kingston Bagpuize House. I really love going into their shop in Faringdon - the gorgeous smell or floral blooms hits you as soon as you step through the door.

Now that spring is on its way (well, it was approaching... I had a daffodil almost in flower and then the cold snap arrived!!) and Valentine's day is round the corner it presented a fabulous opportunity to do a promotion together.

Everyone ordering a bouquet of red roses (or equivalent spend) with Thanks A Bunch will receive a voucher for a complimentary photoshoot with me - What a fantastic opportunity to get some great images!!

If you are one of the lucky couples to get engaged on Valentines's Day what better than to celebrate with some romantic photos of just the two of you. A lifestyle photoshoot is all about celebrating your relationship and documenting a moment in time which forms part of the story of your lives together.

Many people wait for their wedding day or a significant date in the calendar to celebrate their love but this doesn't need to be the case - share your love this Valentine's Day with your partner and family and have a bespoke photoshoot to remember how much their love means to you.




Judi x

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