Antonella Muscat Photography

full post Kiki's shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:53:00 +0000

Finding a bit of time to blog is always difficult but I must continue what I started and post a few more delectable images from Kiki's shoot, as it's been a couple of week's since I posted a sneak preview. Kiki wanted a fashion style shoot in a derelict place. Her choice of location turned out to be unavailable and I forwarded a link to an interesting garage pretty close by. As a location photographer I am always on the look out for new and interesting places to shoot and this one had been on my radar for a while.

With lots of scope for different set ups and Kiki's massive wardrobe it wasn't difficult to come up with a few looks and we managed to squeeze in four looks in the time we had. It was a dark overcast and cold day and the mercury never shifted beyond the 4C mark.

Here are some of my favourites from the day. Let me know which are your faves! :)

Over the next few weeks I've got a few shoots lined up with fellow creatives I'm really looking forward to. It's great when you collaborate with like minded professionals to come up with work that is different to what everybody else seems to be doing. So excited by all of this!!!

Have a lovely weekend full of good things x

The INSIDE OUT and Proud! Project - the portraits!

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:20:00 +0000

The regular readers of my blog will notice that I put up a press release about the INSIDE OUT and Proud! Project a few weeks ago and in the meantime we have been working hard to organise a group of people who would best represent the project and photograph them. We, in this case is myself and Michelle Savage, big boss at Shelly Telly TV who I am collaborating with on this project. Apart from being an excellent filmmaker, Michelle is also deeply involved in Norwich Pride. We met as participants of the Business Growth Programme at the UEA a few months ago, and a few creative collaborations have stemmed from the group, including the INSIDE OUT and Proud! project.

I have always believed that there should always be a part of my work that is involved in Social issues. I would like my work to be socially useful, to create dialog and make people look at issues differently. Social inclusion for me is a subject very close to heart. I believe in equality and making sure each member in the community is respected whatever their colour, creed or gender. I think it is important not just to feel and think in this way but also to live in this way and do somehting about it.

Luckily, I came across the INSIDE OUT project which provided me an ideal platform for me to work from, and it was only natural that I collaborated with Shelly on the project. Norwich Pride has grown so much in recent years. However I am amazed it has been going on for only 4 years. So what was happening before that? So things haven't really been so open and easy for the LBGT community here. However, Norwich Pride is managed by an amazing group of people, several of whom I got to know whilst sorking on this project, and they have achieved so much in this short period of time. Big kudos to them.

All the participants in the project were photographed with a 50mm 1.4 Nikkor, either in natural light or via tungsten lighting with additional fill from a video light. The participants were asked to think about how they felt at the moment. Some chose to look directly, and nearly all required very little prompting to achieve the intensity of the image which was photographed. I admire the them all as I appreciate how difficult is is to be photographed in such a way.

Name: Di Cunningham

Personal Statement: "4th year of Norwich Pride! All Good!"

Name: Anthony Phillips

Personal Statement: "My name is Anthony, Anglo-American, 42 years old. I live in Norfolk and actively campaign for those in my community with HIV/AIDS. I look a bit stern and intense yet forlorn in this photo as I had just recently lost a very good friend who helped me through one of the darkest episodes of my life. I wish to dedicate this image to that person."

Name: Stevie Read

Personal Statement: ‎"Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true". I love singing with the Pride choir.

Name: Michelle Savage

Personal Statement: "This is how I feel on the day of Norwich Pride, just after the Parade has reached the Forum, feeling amazing, feeling proud, feeling relieved!"

Name: Eloise O'Hare

Personal Statement: I've been gay all my life. I don't know how to tell my boyfriend.
Eloise O'Hare

Name: Sally Chix

Personal Statement: "No one knows the story behind my picture, except me, my God and maker, and if I have to justify it I will do so with him or her not you !. Proud and still standing."

Name: Sean Seraphim

Personal Statement: " I am never proud to be anything but myself. If opening my heart and mind to accept other people for who they are is something to be proud of then i welcome it. I am proud to share an honest heart and mind with like minded others and those still catching up x"

Name: Michael Stonard

Personal Statement: "I'm thinking about Shelly Telly at the moment. She makes people smile!"

Name: Julie Bremmer

Personal Statement: 'This was taken at Future Radio during the Pride Live! show. I love DJing and raising the profile of the LGBT community in Norfolk so I feel excited and happy."

Name: Kim Gibson

Personal Statement: " Very happy and excited about Norwich Pride 2012 and all the good thing to come in the future!!"

Name: Gary Fox

Personal Statement: "If there’s a story behind my picture it lies in the many sad and happy events that have shaped my life and brought me here today, I would not have missed the journey for the world, proud and still standing"

Name: Maggie Beat

Personal Statement: 'It’s not who someone is or what they are that matters - it’s how someone makes you feel that’s important. Embracing equality and valuing everyone that’s what Norwich Pride means to me'. xx

The photos and supporting statements have now all been uploaded to the INSIDE OUT site and we are awaiting processing and delivery of the posters.

More updates from me soon about how this progresses and with our plans on displaying the exhibition.

Keep following! :)

Let's take Manhattan

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:25:00 +0000

Just finished watching the fantastic David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton biopic on BBC4, which, if you're in the UK you can watch on BBC's iplayer here...

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, infamous British photographer Bailey wa instrumental in changing the vibe of fashion photogaphy in the sixties, and his muse Jean Shrimpton was what inspired this. The film is great in terms of showing off how difficult it was for Bailey to break the mold in an environment that, up to that point, was so rigid in it's approach. The film's really made me wonder about the dilemmas I often face in photography and life in general....

do you follow your heart and your vision, facing resistance all the way?

How much are you able to push? Would you risk losing everything for your ideas and dreams?

Do you, like Bailey, take a tough stance and just push your agenda through, or do you grit your teeth and smile as you take the bull by it's horns or do you just give up? (though the latter's really not me!)

It's a difficult choice when you either focus on being yourself and doing things as you believe is best, or you let go and do as you are advised, just because it it just too difficult to continue. Personally, I admire Bailey for the clarity of vision he had when he photographed for vogue. He was lucky that he did not have to take decisions based on marketing, which is what the modern day photographer has to consider. Work which is too innovative and possibly too intelligent may not be understood by the masses and the balance betweeen the 'art' and getting the food on the table is often precarious.

I'll probably watch 'Let's take Manhattan' once more before it is taken down from iPlayer, just as it's created a few thinking points for me and is generally so inspiring from the fashion photography point of view.

So let me know what you think of the film. and how would you respond to this situation if you had to be in it.

Speak soon! x

Sneak Preview shoot with Kiki

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:09:00 +0000

I know, I know! It's been absolutely ages since I've blogged regularly! Although I've been really busy and have lots to blog about I just can't find the time or inclination to post as often as I should do.

Just wanted to show you what sort of work I'm up to lately.... :)

Blog update soon.... x

the INSIDE OUT and proud! photo art project

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:10:00 +0000

Just cutting and pasting a press release that should find it's way to the local press in the next few days. Will be blogging about the project more in depth soon! :)

LOCAL TALENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PROJECT

Great Yarmouth photographer Antonella Muscat and Norwich film maker Michelle Savage (Shelly Telly) are joining forces in local group action focussing on the LGBT community, for the International ‘INSIDE OUT’ project.

INSIDE OUT is a large scale participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Everyone is challenged to use black and white photographic portraits to discover, reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world. These images are made into posters and sent back to the groups to be exhibited in their own communities. These exhibitions will be documented, archived and viewable virtually.

Antonella and Michelle met whilst during a Business Growth Programme at the UEA and decided to collaborate artistically on the project after Antonella spotted the call for participation via TED.com. “‘INSIDE OUT and proud!’, are looking for individuals in the LGBT community who are willing to participate in the project by having their photo taken”, said Michelle. “The resulting images will be turned into posters that will be displayed during the LBGT History Month in February.”

Individuals interested in participating in the project are asked to contact Antonella Muscat on 07748 197522, by Friday 13^th January, for further details, or by joining the ‘INSIDE OUT and proud!’ group page on Facebook.

Capturing Positive Energy - a photoshoot with Clairvoyant Caroline Senter

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:25:00 +0000

I recently photographed Caroline Senter at her home, during a lovely but cold afternoon. Caroline is a lovely lady who runs a successful business, the Positive Energy Centre, as a clairvoyant and healer. It was a joy to photograph her with her two lovely smooth fox terriers, Maria and Smiler. Being a dog lover myself, I enjoy shoots where happy canines are involved and I had fun coaxing the dogs to pose with Caroline. Smiler, the older dog, sat gracefully by his owner' side most of the time, whilst young Maria pranced round the room and inquistively pawed towards my camera, whist I struggled to maintain focus on her warm brown eyes.

Caroline naturally exudes calm and serenity. I soley used window light for her portraits, and the soft, low winter light complemented the peaceful atmosphere in Caroline's home as well as her complexion. Although I photographed both Caroline and the dogs separately as well as together, I thought that the latter shots really reflected Caroline and her relaxed environment.

Have a look at some of the shots and let me know what you think...

If you would like to contact Caroline, do have a look at her website. She is wonderfully calm and reassuring and will always leave you with positive thougths to focus on.

I hope you like this blog post. As always, I look forward to your comments. :)

Hillside Animal Sanctuary

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:47:00 +0000

Ever since I picked up my very scruffy mutt Robbie, from rescue kennels almost three years ago, I have become more sensitive to the needs of animals needing care and also the individuals and organisations who care for these lovely creatures. Robbie was abandoned because he was too old, too scruffy and the wrong size but I love him to bits because he is just that, a bit gruff and a bit difficult but fantastic for us. I cannot imagine why there are people who look at the aesthetics of a pet, and not at the love they can give...

I was early to a photoshoot in West Runton yesterday, when I drove down the beaten track in the search for somewhere quiet for a catchup with reading. It was lovely and sunny but very cold, so the plan was for me to sit in the car and pick up a book I had started.

Unknowingly I had driven to the Hillside animal sanctuary, I place I had not even heard of before. I came across wide open fields with wild horses and cows, and the sound of barking in the distance. It was incredibly beautiful and serene, with the low sun shining through the horses manes and lighting up the grass. I still feel so moved by scenes like this, after five and a half years of living in Norfolk, coming from a country where animals are not treated well and they do not have the space to roam and the care they find here.

I mananged to take a few photos of the highland cows and wild horses, moving quietly as not to disrupt them. It was so peaceful and not the place for me to interfere. Hopefully I will be back there when they have their open days, and take some more photos, and in the meanwhile I hope you like what I have already photographed there.

If you want to donate to the Hillside Animal Sanctuary or adopt one of their animals, or maybe a looking for your next canine companion - you can have a look at their work here :)

Have a lovely weekend! x

Wanderings round Camden Town

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:25:00 +0000

I must admit to have been finding opportunities to leave Great Yarmouth for work or leisure particularly welcome recently, for a number of reasons...

However I rarely do publish or even post process images taken on my travels, often because work obligations take over and I find myself blogging what people are expecting to see rather than my personal work. This is all well and good of course, but my personal work is my development as a person and a photographer, a documentary of what catches my eye, and the feelings that evokes, as well as an opportunity for creative freedom I sometimes crave.

The following is a set of images I captured last weekend in London, totally shot using a 20mm 2.8 wideangle lens. I have always been a fan of wideangles and I love the fact that you can get in close and personal to document happenings and capture great big objects in all their magnificence. Being a prime lens user means I am used to working with a fixed lens and am happy to move around to capture the perspective I am looking for and I certainly don't need to practice using just one lens for a length of time because that is what I do 90 percent of the time.

OK, so we start with an image from the British Museum... this is my take on a well known shot... love the symmetry in the glass structure...

next, the delicious view from one of the tantalising displays in a Patisserie Valerie outlet. Oh my! What wonderful gateux and millefeuilles to look at! I can only imagine how good they taste....

Strolling towards Camden we came across the Elms Lesters Painting rooms and stared at the unusual tall door at the back. Seems like they may have very large paintings on display there! :)

the contradiction in styles... the cold and functional highrise facade warmed up by the orange hue contrasting with the burger graffiti in the window...

mysterious mix of necrophilia and haloween-iness.... at Thames and Hudson

and can anybody enlighten me as to what this means? To me it's a mix of tetris and pacman... :)

straight towards the mad and eclectic mix of people and wares in Camden Market...

and a well exectued coffee.... twice!

I don't like crowds, and I guess the feeling is mutual. Love how the 20mm captures that documentary element and skews the perspective creating a sense of space that just did not exist... are these people real or are they caricatures?

shop fronts that would not look out of place in Great Yarmouth....

some stuff that caught my eye....

the architecture and expressions captured...

some spaces look like they were designed from comics - they momentarily took me back to my childhood staring at 2000AD

a myriad of stalls full of stuff for collectors and holidaymakers, confusion in shape, style and colour ... This is London aka This is Camden Town! :)

Loved the Proud Camden Music venue in the heart of the Stables Market, what a place! Gallery by day, shrine to music by night. Feel jealous of the photographers who are able to shoot gigs there. I felt a tangible aura from the place as I photographed it....

and the very best of the Camden stables, bedecked for Halloween....

Nothing better than a cold beer (cider in my case!) after a long walk in a bustling market. Pity it's £4 a tipple at the Camden Eye but the lovely trompe d'oeil deco makes it excusable! ...

and who says portraits need to be taken at a comfortable distance and using anything from a 50 to 85mm lens? This is Paul looking totally relaxed photographed with my 20mm. My take is that rules are there to be broken and my day with a fixed lens is just about that...!

Liquid refreshments done we then took the Underground to continue with our travels.... there's always time for a quick snap in manual mode for a long exposure to get some quick motion blur on the escalator....

followed by a flying visit to the lovely St Pancras station, to admire the magnificent architecture - just awesome!

and had a look at the sculptural tribute to Sir John Betjeman...

as well as the lovely and powerful 'brief encounters' sculpture from Paul Day which left me in awe.... beautiful, intriguing and a point of discussion...

That's all from me today... I hope you liked this blog post and that my point of view as a photographer is intriguing to you....

Look forward to your comments.... :)

Fashion at the Fisher

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:19:00 +0000

As we seem to be on a Vintage and Fashion roll, I was asked to cover the Spoil Yourself Sunday pamper event, held at the Fisher Theatre in Bungay by the Waveney Valley WiRE a couple of weeks ago.

Charming Susie Fowler-Watt, well-known presenter of BBC's regional news programme, Look East, was the host for the event organised by two local business women, Lisa North and Gemma Parker, who run the Waveney Valley business networking group for women.

Many local businesswomen set up a stall for this well-attended event, including print maker Mandy Walden, jewellery designer Jane Pennington, master glass engraver Lesley Pyke and Lingerie Indiscrete, whose bespoke lingerie was modelled on the catwalk much to the oohs and ahs of the ladies present. :)

During the event, Lisa was preparing the models makeup for the fashion show...

and a demonstration was given on the importance of colour choice in our wardrobe...

whilst Emily Barclay imparted some expert knowledge on wine tasting...

Some ladies seemed very interested in a cheeky calendar...

Most importantly, the event was held in aid of Breast Cancer Care raising more than £800 for the charity!

I leave you with a few images from the fashion show taken at ISO 4000 and natural light only. Hope you like them!

Bye for now! :)

full post - the Out There festival 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:53:00 +0000

It's about time I posted a full set of photos from the Out There festival, isn't it? Well not quite a full set! I took about 2000 images that weekend, of around 350 made it to the final cut. I'll post the link to my two online albums with the images later in the post, but I thought I'd put some of my very favourite ones from the leading acts in here. :)

Starting off with the lead show for the event and the Saturday night. Nofitstate circus and their fantastic performance, Barricade...

A wideangle of the magnificent Drill Hall in Great Yarmouth with Norfolk performer Whydini in the background

and Whydini in all his vintage performer's glory ...

children enjoying the flower props brought over by Bui Bolg...

and Bui Blog themselves in one of their many incarnations :)

the ingenious ffffrench chefs at the Trolls Kitchen preparing meals for the Troll...

Gregor Woolny entertaining the older kids :)...

who else?.. ah yes, the Indian dance/acting troupe FIPA who had fun scaring the locals with their amazing costumes and wearing stilts...

The pirates of Northants, singing boisterously....

The graceful stilted creatures from Close Act, interacting with the children...

and the humans behind the costumes...

the fantastic Magmanus, a really impressive duo...

Eostid Ar Stangala, who managed to engage the locals in their Breton dancing and set up a fantastic performance....

and finally a photo of the kids and parents at the pottery tile making tent...

You can see a full set of images split into two albums in my Facebook Business page here... Hope you like them as much as Seachange Arts did...

Leave a comment about the sets if you can, I'm always keen to receive comments about my work!

Blog again soon! :)

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:48:00 +0000

I was very pleased to have been given the opportunity to photograph the Mad Hatter's Tea Party during Norwich Fashion Week, held a couple of weeks ago. Norwich Fashion week is growing from strength to strength and fashion conscious ladies in the county (and beyond) and is engaging women from different walks of life in the search for new approaches to fashion.

The event was jointly organised by Becky Hoh-Hale from A Most Curious Party and Karen James-Welton from Blue Sky Vintage events, with a Mad Hatter's Tea Party theme, as both ladies are at the forefront of the vintage movement in the Norwich area. Although I've not uptaken the vintage approach in dressing myself (I'm comfortable in my own eclectic style of dressing), I follow the vintage movement with a lot of interest - particuarly because I appreciate stylish approaches to fashion.

Together with my good friend Gill Keeble from Cupcakes to Your Door - we left for Norwich pretty early on a Sunday morning to set up a joint stand for the event. We have recently launched a joint photography/wedding cupcake package that we are offering for brides to be who want two of the very best local suppliers but who are on a tight budget - but that's subject of yet another blog post I plan to publish soon! :)

The event was held at the Library Bar and Grill, which was packed with the public, models and stall holders raring for the catwalk show. There wasn't much space to move around, however I found just enough space to be able to capture the models in their wonderful attire...

It's difficult to choose a few photos to post here, so I've added a random few as well as a slideshow from the images taken from the day...

If you want to look at the image set in more detail, have a look at my facebook business page here. Feel free to tag yourselves and your friends and add me to your likes! :)

Bye for now! x

sneak preview - Out There festival

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:50:00 +0000

Hello!!

Just wanted to blog a couple of lines before I sit down to the mammoth task of sifting through about 2.5k images I and my partner, Paul took at the Out There festival in Great Yarmouth this weekend.

Fantastic spectacle of arts and circus that was, just not sure the locals appreciated the richness of this great, and totally free event held here.

I'm just blogging the first three photos I've post processed, two of which I sent and were published by the EDP and Yarmouth Mercury this morning.

The first image is from the act, a trio of graceful Alien blue birds from the Close Act performers, who moved through the crowd in St Georges' park, engaging both children and adults alike.

The second set of images is from the NoFitState circus, whose impressive performance, 'Barricade' was the highlight of the events on Saturday.

Hope you like the work and look forward to hearing from you if you were one of the performers this weekend.

Look forward to be posting updates with more images as I post process them! :) x

the Out There festival

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:05:00 +0000

Don't think I've blogged about this before but I've been appointed as the official photographer for Out There which is the largest free circus and performers festival in the East of England.

I'm nearly ready to go off for my weekend's shooting but thought it would be good to put down a couple of lines and tell you about this event, should you have some free time this weekend :) If the weather holds it will be a great couple of days out for both kids and adults alike.

Below is a quick iPhone photo of a day's work yesterday, planning a timeline and a coverage plan for myself and my partner Paul who will be my right hand for the day.

Good event coverage is not only about the images and the kit but also about having a good plan of what to do on the day, making sure no important happenings are missed. The style of work will mostly be documentary, and I hope to be planning a sneak preview in a couple of days.

Hope you have a great weekend and come and say Hi if you're around! :) x

The European FIA Drag Racing Finals 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:18:00 +0000

This weekend has seen the 5th and final round of the FIA Drag Racing Championships held at Santa Pod. Having been to the Easter Thunderball event (photos from which I still have to post process and blog!!), we decided it was worth the trawl to Bedfordshire for this event as some of our friends were competing.

I've mentioned in passing earlier on in my blogging that I have a history in motorsport that includes Drag Racing. Whereas I competed in full race Minis and a Marcos, my brother raced a BDX rear engined spaceframe Mini for a while. Dad was president of MDRA (Malta Drag Racing Association) for a number of years and therefore the drag raceway at Halfar turned out to be our second home, for a number of years as we visited the racing strip for different reasons.

Hence it was only logical, that when we heard there was going to be a strong Maltese contingent this time at Santa Pod, that we were tempted to go watch the event.

It wasn't the first outing at Santa Pod for Maltese dragracers as the Mr Whippy Team and the Elbros team fought things out for a championship place back in 2001. There has been a continued presence over the years from the Maksar Racing Truck team and also from Simon Giordimaina in his modded Hayabusa. We were therefore quite keen to go and support our old friends during this latest venture as well as have a catchup with how things were going back home.

Initial doubts on whether we would be recognised, quickly erased themselves as we were welcomed to a nice cup of coffee and lots of smiles from the Joe Carabott and his Mr Whippy team. Good to see dad's expression glow as he rekindled memories of his good (and often difficult and worrisome) times managing the Halfar raceway with Joe Carabott, who unfortunately confirmed things had changed a lot over the years and the carefree years of racing me and my brother enjoyed when we were younger were now things of the past.

My son, Matt, could not immediately understand why he was being introduced to so many Maltese speaking people who were grinning at him. He later confided he had no idea my dad was so involved and that everybody in that circuit knew us well (pity you forgot Matt!).

I managed to take a few photos of my dad, brother and Matt with Joe and his car/team, however as space was restricted (and I still mainly use my beloved 50mm 1.4) I sought a better perspective using a ladder they had.

Below are some action shots from the day, limited by the fact I was in a packed grandstand for the day.

Some of the general racing...

and some of the Mr Whippy run, whilst we were surrounded by flags and general enthusiasm! :)

Well done Manty for the 5.5s run! See you guys next year, hopefully!

Exciting times!

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:53:00 +0000

I was left quite dumbfounded a few weeks ago when my son Matt announced he was taking up AS level photography for Sixth Form. I must say I didn't see that coming! Not that Matt isn't interested, far from it, but I would'nt have thougth he'd actually choose that subject as one of his choices for continued study.

You see, for many years Matt has been really convinced that his way forward is that of a game designer. Unflinchingly, he has been researching every aspect of this business and is well aware of how multiskilled you have to be to get there. Marketer, business man, character builder, designer, 3D design, animation, knowledge about multiplayer and networking games etc etc (Matt will probably add a dozen more roles in there if I let him!!

I was actually introduced to this multiskilled aspect of the gaming designer about a year ago through Matt via the work of Extra Credits, some of which you can see here The voice over on the videos is a bit naff but these animations are educational and thought provoking (which I like!)

Undoubtedly photography will be very useful to Matt in his perusal of Game Design excellence in whatever role he choses to be working in. Knowledge of how light works, perspective, composition etc will be invaluable.

For this reason, I have been giving Matt some tuition in basic principles of photography, which he seems to have grasped with ease. We have been, for some years now, dissecting light and composition in cinema and film whenver we are looking at stuff together and he has developed essential skills :)

I was really pleased when he said he needed to work on a portfolio topresent to his photography tutor to be accepted into Photography class, and I have had to kick his backside somewhat to get him out on the road to get this done. To be honest he prefers doing reseach as well as online gaming to gettting out and about! However, he's done pretty well (see below) - I hope his tutor will agree - and I'm pretty chuffed as he is already showing signs of developing a personal style!

I am sure Matt will be my right side in the future when it comes to post processing and a multitude of technical issues we photographers face as technology advances. He will be my assistant for as long as he will and can and even though his career will take him on a completely different path, I am sure we will keep an open collaboration for both of our benefit.

Good luck Matt!

limited blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:06:00 +0000

Hello everybody!

A couple of quick lines as I listen to a webinar whilst sorting out my paperwork and accounts on a long bank holiday weekend when most people are enjoying a break ;). First of all a word to the budding photographers... if you want to go into photography because you love photography forget it! Being a photographer is a business, you are a businessman/woman all of the time, and a photographer only a little of the time. If you have no idea of how to deal with people or don't have any business skills, or need your other half to do your accounts, then think again, this may not be for you!

The other thing I wanted to say today is that I'm aware I'm not blogging enough. I just don't have the time to do all I'd like to do unfortunately and I often tend to fall asleep at the pc at the end of the day, which is my best time for writing. That's not good for my google rankings, I know but then... I noticed there are a few people who are following what I post to the n'th degree. One in particular has been sort of doing the same sort of stuff as me, in a similar way, to the point of also copying my BNI strap line (not sure how that happened!). I'm sorry I actually got to know, as I'm a firm believer of 'ignorance is bliss', but I stooopidly followed a link from one of my facebook friends.... sigh!!

So I've been holding back on blog posting, no more blaming lack of time and energy, the brakes are on! because I want to have my own personal space in this very competitive world for a little while. I'm doing this just for some breathing space, because the ideas I have are not exclusive, and I've probably picked bits and pieces up from other places, just that it's very irritating to find the kid next door doing the same!

I've always been a leader not a follower. I gain inspiration from stuff that is very remote from what I live and breathe every day. When in Malta, I used to look to the UK, now I'm here I look to other places, people and situations. I am sort of pleased to be plagiarised and get lots of hits from colleges and uni's where people analyse my work to bits but please, for your sake, be ORIGINAL, it's more fun and pays more :)

If you are a client and want to see more of my portfolio, get in touch, we can meet and I can show you stuff I've not published, over a nice cup of coffee or two :)

Peace out for now, will blog tomorrow! xxx

Full post Queenie's shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:42:00 +0000

You may remember some weeks ago I posted a preview photo and short blog post from a fanastic shoot I had with Rachel Duffield who turns back the time in her role as Queenie. Rachel is the only freelance Queen Elizabeth I in Norfolk, and she skillfully puts herself in the role of Bess using two magnificent costumes which portray the younger Queen and later at the time of the Victory over the Spanish Armada.

It's about time I posted a set of photos from this shoot isn't it? :)

I started photographing Rachel as she prepared her make up - moving on to adding on items to her attire as was custom in that period, to complete the look.

Luckily Rachel does not have to smear her face with potentially dangerous make up containing Lead like Queen Bess did! Thank God for modern make up! :)

This coming shot is my very favourite from the whole shoot, very moody and totally in line with Elizabeth's character. Rachel is such a great impersonator!

The photo below is another of my favourites, and, unlike the earlier one, very soft, mellow and peaceful....

I look forward to Rachel adding these images to her website and her marketing portfolio, I hope she is as pleased as I am with them! :)

Have a great weekend! x

a memorable anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:08:00 +0000

A quick blog post today... writing this as we travel from London Liverpool Street to Norwich on the train after a lovely couple of days in Brighton. I've thoroughly enjoyed our little break on the South Coast and will blog about this once I've post processed the best photos I've taken.

Well it's Matt's 16th birthday tomorrow, an important date in itself, characterized by much cake eating and picture taking, but it's an even more important anniversary today for both of us.

On the 10th of August, 5 years ago, we won a long and extremely difficult court case to allow me to take Matt away with me to start a new life in the UK. This is something that is not normally allowed back home. I had to fight for custody for Matt a second time, and Matt had to face a battery of psychological and psychometric testing to allow the judge to decide he was mature enough to speak for himself in front of the court. This of course did not occur in a normal court sitting, but privately, but was still a major test of courage and determination on Matt's part, something that he could have so easily not been up to.

I have many thanks to give, the people who supported me in all this I continue to be grateful to, particularly to my family who saw me go through a very hard time previous and during the court case. The lawyer who saw me through this also gets my eternal gratitude, particularly as I had been to other six before this, some took my money and promised me they'd get me to the end of the case, when they had no understanding of my position nor the knowlegde and preseverance needed to get there. Others were concerned about the possibility of receiving threats and quickly dismssed me. Others were not bothered to tell me what they thought of me, decided they knew all there was to know and passed judgement on me, telling me they weren't interested in taking up my case.

5 years down the line, I am happy to report all is well in our little world. Matt has grown into a handsome young man I am really proud of, and I have adjusted well to the demands that have been placed on me as a sole breadwinner of a small family two (plus our much loved Robster).

Just a few iPhone photos from me today, just because I'm on the train and blogging on the go, and also because these are photos of my dear son, who needs no post processing or image adjustment to look good in my eyes.

To Matt with Love, Mum xxx

should you take product reviews or advice on the web seriously?

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 10:59:00 +0000

You hear of a new product, service or deal... what do you do? what millions of us do every day of course... type that into Google and see what comes up. Lists upon lists of mentions of what you're looking for. We build an instant impression of what to expect. Things don't look good if negative reviews fill the first page, and we abandon the search. We move onto page two if the reviews look good. We may be tempted to ask on forums or within our friends list on facebook. We believe what our friends say, maybe because they've purchased the product themselves or because we think they have superior knowledge about a subject matter.

If you think about this carefully though....

is this advice really objective,

is there a vested interest in the subject matter?

is the person offering an advice or review really knowledgeable, and more importantly,

has the product or service been tested in different applications?

In the photography world there are too many people who buy kit blindly, not sure of the specs and the applications of the product, it's strengths or limitations. They believe money buys the best and will often buy kit because it looks nice or because this or that photographer uses them. They often have now idea that their scant technical prowess means they will using 25 percent of what the kit can do when pushed hard.

You may know that motorsport is a big passion and continued interest of mine. I have hillclimbed, sprinted, drag-raced and street raced (not in the UK roads though!!!). I have spent a good number of years in garages, doing elementary engine cleaning, maintenance and other odd jobs whilst family members would be prepping the more complex mechanical, tuning and performance bits of the car. In the search for performance and elusive top positions i have scoured the web for information, joined forums (that's where my twitter/facebook handle se7enmad comes from) and emailed and phoned specialists with highly technical queries.

I did that at the time from my native Malta. We sort of had an inferiority complex back there, where we believed that because we were limited in scope and availability of products, that asking people in other countries, would open us to a wealth of knowledge that we never had. And indeed that was true! When you contact a real specialist with enormous mileage in terms of experience that is what you get. Precious advice worth a pot of gold. However not everyone is a specialist, there are lots of people who have created an alter ego who is special and knowledgeable, and the web they spin is a trap for newbies and those who don't have a lot of insight into the real world....

I first became aware of this a good number of years back, when I was looking in to buying some performance tyres for my Caterham Seven. I would have bought slicks if I wasn't using the car on the road, but I wanted to take my son out for spins in the car, and not just enjoy the car on my own. I put a posting up onto a forum I was a member on and people kept recommending Avon ACB10's to me. I bit the bullet and bought a set of four locally, at tremendous cost (due to the tax/import licences back home). I kept the tyres on for a couple of years, regretfully because they were just d*** awful for my application and because I could not find anybody to resell them on to there. They are fantastic tyres in their own right but they failed for me because:

1. I did not have the power in the car to make the compound work as it should

2. the tread pattern did not suit the rubbish tarmac we had back home

3. the compound was too hard, I had to do long burnouts before getting any meaningful heat in the tyres and I could not use 'tyre grip' otherwise my tyre life would have gone out of the window

This was a classic example of good product/ bad advice/ application which cost me lots of ££ or in that case Lm!

This week I had the opportunity to shop for a new set of tyres (again!). Looking at a set of new rears for my Renaultsport Megane Cup I came across what people dismiss for a budget tyre. I purchased a pair of 225/40 x18 Pace tyres which come in a interestingly grippy compound and put them to the test yesterday coming back home with a smile I haven't had for a while. If I took into consideration the bad reviews on the web I would have steered clear from these but the people who posted the reviews:

1. used the tyres on the driven wheels ie put the power on the tyres

2. have less of a balanced car than I have

3. may have less perception than I have, of the point where a tyre (indeed any tyre) loses it's grip

4. may have higher reaction times and less of the skill needed to maintain traction

Of course I do need to add some photographic evidence to this unusually wordy blog post of mine, so here is a photo of the new rear tyre in situ after the rain this morning :)

I will not delve into specific examples in the photography world... there are too many to list, and this applies to any product or service that you are looking to see advice on....

Remember there is a lot of free advice on the web. You may not be sure of the experience of the person who is giving you that advice. Even though they may be well meaning they might not understand your application or work in the same conditions as you would be in. You may also face the dilemma of being given contradicting advice by different individuals who are actually good at their jobs.

My advice is to always list the pros and cons of everything. Be clear what you want to achieve, and look for alternatives of how to get there. Spending lots of money does not always take you a step further!

Comments please & Have a great weekend! x

fun kids photoshoot

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:15:00 +0000

With my blogging being taken up by boudoir and portrait work, I haven't, unfortunately, had much opportunity to blog about children's photography. This is the time to make up for it, with photos from a recent shoot with two pairs of kids who are best buddies, and who made for one of the most enjoyable shoots ever, due to the fact that the children were awesome fun, and ever so easy to engage with.

I'm pretty sure the level of that interaction has been captured in these photographs... :)

We had lots of fun shooting in Ella and Ria's mum's garden, shooting in a mix of bright sunlight and cloudy sky. I wanted to capture both the fun the kids had in their playtime, bring out the best in their friendship and also shoot in different styles to capture each of the kids indiviuality.

When photographing children, the photographer must be able to make the shoot fun for the kids themselves, and even though I ripped a pair of jeans that morning in the trampoline with Logan and Josh, I had a right ball myself :)

It was really difficult to choose my preferred shots from the shoot so I've chosen 5 and put all the rest in a slideshow for you to enjoy....

Starting off with a shot of all four kids on a bench...

followed by quality time in the trampoline with Logan and Josh - love how the 20mm lenses' distortion has really brought Logan to the limelight...

Josh's character really comes out in this one...

more fun in the trampoline with Ella...

final shot with Ella, Ria and Logan :)

Hope you like my work and look forward to hearing from you! x

Preview post Queenie's shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:09:00 +0000

A quick preview post tonight, from one of the photo shoots I've most enjoyed recently. The opportunity arose to photograph Rachel Duffield, who works as a freelance Queen Elizabeth I. A fantastic opportunity really, as Rachel has a strong background in Drama and an in-depth knowledge of things Elizabethan, as well as it being a rare opportunity to photograph somebody in this role. Rachel impersonates ER I during educational sessions in schools but also uses the tactile element of her fantastic costumes in sessions for the visually challenged during 'touch tours'.

The shoot was a lot of fun, and we spent the greater part of an afternoon in the beautiful St Mary's Church, in Great Witchingham, Norfolk. The church was built in the thirteenth century, though contains influences from other periods, and I hope only the sharp eyed will be able to spot differences in the building which would not be pertinent to the Tudor age.

My focus was to portray the majesty of Elizabeth the First, as well as use the church background to shoot images which demonstrated the strength of the Queen's faith. I always take my shoots seriously, so I did not fail to do my part of reading on the Queen's life and also revisit Cate Blanchett's 'Elizabeth' and the BBC serial 'The Virgin Queen' with Anne-Marie Duff.

Rachel herself was the font for all knowledge on Queen Bess's clothing and lifestyle and I came back from the shoot much informed about life in that period.

So just one photograph for today, a taster, as I continue to post-process the rest the set, which I will blog in full about, soon! Hope you like it!

A big, big thank you for the shoot goes to Cassie and Selwyn Tillett for help in making this shoot possible and for access to the Church. Rachel's blog about her wonderful work as Queen Bess is here.

have a wonderful week x

shoot with Jess & Ben

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 12:41:00 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to photograph the lovely Jess and her boyfriend Ben. Jess is a writer and photographer and writes in two blogs of her own, Feeling Stylish and Love Norfolk. Jess is very much into fashion and wanted some stylish photographs of herself. She wasn't very sure Ben would partake of the idea of them having some photographs together, but when I assured him he wouldn't be asked to pose awkwardly then he took up the invitation ...

So we met on a hot July morning and strolled about Norwich in the search of suitable locations... Both Jess and Ben were very easy to work with and seemed comfortable in my direction. The sun was very bright so we avoided the full glare whenever we could.

Jess brought her lovely Louboutin shoes with her, and I couldn't resist taking some photos of them before she put them on...

Jess is certainly very pretty and her lovely complexion glows in the reflected light in this shot...

This is my favourite shot of Jess from the shoot...

And this one is my favourite shot with Jess and Ben together ... :)

Relaxing in the Cathedral Gardens...

And for a completely different look in the harsh sunlight, very high key but suits Jess's complexion all the same...

Jess will be blogging about her experience on the shoot in her blog in the next few days, so have a look at what she has to say from the client view point :)

In the meantime if you are interested in a photoshoot with me, please give me a call, and we can discuss how to take this forward...

Have a lovely weekend! x

James and Andie's... cats

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 16:01:00 +0000

I recently photographed James and Andie in their lovely home in Gorleston. They are lucky enough to live in a very quirky and pretty apartment that is blessed with a vast amount of lovely natural light. They are also the proud owners of two lovely cats, which are treated with the utmost of attention.

As you will have noticed, I don't often blog about couple shoots, mainly because I believe people's privacy and itimacy should be respected, particularly when shooting in people's own homes, but I must make some exception in this because I fell in love with the couple's cats, and although was told that one wasn't particularly friendly, it turned out that both enjoyed the shoot as much as their bosses.

A shot of Andie and James, very relaxed and happy...

and some photos of their sweet cats :)

Checking out the clicking noises...before trust is established :)

Master of playfulness and owner of many toys...

pensive...

A lovely home full of space for two cats with very different personalities...

And.... for a moment of relax, amidst the clicking of cameras and fussing over kitties... a reflector proves useful!

I loved the quirky details in this apartment, including an observational post at kitty level! Genius!

If you own pets that you would like photographed in their own environment, and who may be a bit shy, or a little mad but always very much loved, please get in touch to book an appointment :)

Happy Father's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:56:00 +0000

I picked up and scanned an image from one of my old photo albums today, mindful of the fact that my mum's albums lie patiently below my desk awaiting I pick up the piles of images and scan them into meaningful albums.

I wish I can find the time to do this, as these photos are obviously very important to myself, as well as my family, but at the moment I just can't find the time.

However on this bleak and quiet June's day in Great Yarmouth I picked up one of my favourite images from the period when Matt was tiny, and scanned it to reveal how age it starting to get to my old 35mm prints. It's a portrait of Matt with my dad, an image I'm particularly fond of.

I must have used 1600 film for this as it has very strong grain, and although I didn't use to keep notes of my 35mm work I remember I went through a phase of using red filters and high ISO film. I loved Ilford but this roll was probably FUJI neopan. Even then I was constantly trying to break the rules and used the red filter for this portrait. Red filters on B&W were'nt recommended for portrait use as the resultant images were very punchy and contrasty, but in this case I guess I pulled it off well.

This reminds me I've been a Nikon user for nearly 20 years now, maybe I should publish a small collection of work across the years soon, mindful that my work has been developing over a period of time and that my initial work only had few elements of interest.

But before any of that, I must get my act sorted and scan all my mum's old albums. It would be so nice to give my dad an album of his old hillclimbing days, days when he was so heavily engaged in football management, and the images of us growing up... it's his 75th in a couple of months....

In the meantime, a Happy Father's day to all you great dads out dad and particularly to my own dad. Thank you for being who you are... we learnt so much from the good and less good, and for raising us with the good values that we are now transmitting to others :) x

Obrigada Ayrton

noreply@blogger.com (Antonella Muscat) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 11:47:00 +0000

I find it very difficult to write this post, primarily because it isn't easy for me to explain how much of a positive influence Ayrton Senna has been on my mindset and what inspiration he has been to me for many years.

I write this after having viewed a screening of Senna which troubled me no end as I relived those emotional times and I admit to feeling very surprised to the emotional link that is firmly nailed in my psychology.

I remember the time when we started to read about Senna in Lotus in the Motoring News, which my dad had on order at the local newsagents (only a few copies made their way down to Malta!); motorsport ruled the discussions in the family, dad was still very active in clubs and both my brother and myself had quite serious aspirations to be part of the world, though I was more preoccupied about academic achievements and my brother was busy bolting stuff together in my dad's Elan.

I saw Ayrton as an elder brother sort of figure, very similar in his mannerisms, expression, emotional involvement to us. I was also greatly impressed by his ability to do things not better, but miles better, than anybody else... I always thought his focus and intensity were the secret to his success and I followed each and every race determined to let the experience influence me.

I could probably write a lot about the subject but I am not sure people will subscribe to my point of view, just because they do not know me well enough in person, and understand how intense a person I am myself and how connected I felt and continued to feel in all this.

I left the cinema yesterday feeling very raw and emotionally shattered. Some people stared at my face and my bloodshot eyes smeared with mascara. I was disappointed at the disengagement of the audience, I had half expected some cheering and clapping and the odd person with the Senna T-shirt. There was none! Silly of me, this is England, this is Norfolk... should I not recall how difficult Ayrton found this county when he left Brazil to join Lotus? He was branded cold and difficult, just because he was totally in focus and would let nothing come in his way.

The film is brilliant, with an amount of documentary that has not been seen before and I thorougly recommend it to you if you want an insight into Senna and F1 at the time. I thought the original documentary for the racing by Globo TV with subtitles in English was a brilliant idea as it transmits the energy and power of the country who looked up to him as he brought a beam of sunlight to the desperation they were living in. Kudos go to Manish Panday and the team that made the film for the intensity and passion that came through the well made documentary.

I would like to show you some clips from Senna which have provided me with inspiration in my personal and professional life, which I have viewed endless times when I felt I was getting nowhere and I could see no clear way forward, and I had to rely on my own personal strenght to move ahead. This strength actually, probably had little to do with me but with the inspiration that I got from Senna....

Senna talking about the limit from Plamen Simeonov on Vimeo.

I am very lucky to have a friend in Melanie Whiting, as she totally understand my passion and inspiration from Senna. Melanie Whiting used to lead the Respectfully Ayrton International Network which brought about Senna fans together every year in Australia. It is great to have friends that share a passion at the same level! Thank you Melanie!

Just for the point, I don't follow F1 anymore. I stopped in 94. I believe motorsport is about the interaction between man and machine, nothing more...

As for me, I respectfully quoting Ayrton... 'there is a lot to go, a lot to learn, a lot to do'