Jo Rutherford Photography

Camelot

2012-08-30T10:08:00.001+01:00

I have always been fascinated with anything Medieval, an age of romance and chivalry, of adventures with Knights and fair maidens - yes I know that most of this is fiction and not fact but it does not stop me! I have read so much about King Arthur, been to Glastonbury and Tintagel and when Craig was younger I dragged him along to Camelot theme park just to watch the jousting!

I wanted to challenge myself with my photography this summer - I love doing personal projects, it keeps me inspired, makes me react to new surroundings and experiences and I believe it improves my photography. So I thought about what I would really love to photograph and remembered the Knights at Camelot and thought I would be brave and ask if I could come along to get some behind the scenes images - thankfully Richard , who is the head of Lionheart Entertainments who organises the Jousting did not think I was to crazy to ask and invited me along. I met the beautiful horses including Dave - yes Dave - the best name ever for a horse! I met the Jesters, Knights and Squires and was able to get into the arena during the shows as long as I stayed away from the flaming rings, lances and horses hooves!

These are some of the images from the 2 days I spent with the team. After watching the shows and chatting to them all I have to say that I have completely admire them all, they are completely dedicated to producing a show that will entertain, amuse and astound the crowds, they adore the horses and they did not mind me wandering around, generally getting in the way and pointing a huge camera at them for 2 days asking a ton of questions!

Thank you to Richard for allowing me to come along an indulge my passion, and thank you to all the team at Camelot....... and yes.....I still always cheer for the Black Knight!

Please feel free to click on any of the images to see the larger version but remember these are all Copyright of Jo Rutherford Photography and must not be copied or downloaded - thank you

Curiouser and curiouser ...........

2012-07-13T16:54:00.000+01:00

I love to work with a team - I love to collaborate on personal photography projects, I learn so much from the creative people that I work with and the crazy ideas that we all come up with and this photoshoot was no exception.

I had teamed up with Donna Graham who now has the official title of the most creative person in the whole Universe, and Jen Brook , an extremely beautiful and talented model who hides her slightly bonkers side quite well most of the time! This was certainly a team effort with Jen coming up with ideas for the set ups and the 'look' of Alice and Donna styling and making the incredible outfits as well as doing Jens hair and make up. I found a fabulous cupcake maker in Southport who made the cakes....including a few extras for us to eat during the day and I also found a beautiful and enchanted garden nearby for us to use for the day

We set up the Mad Hatters Tea party and if you ever need any vintage crockery give me a shout as I got a little obsessed in buying it recently! The story for the day was that Alice in her beautiful cream and blue dress arrives at the tea party and explores all the beautiful cakes .....but there is always 2 sides to every story and every character and we wanted to give Alice the chance to show her rebellious darker side

Feel free to click on any of the images to look at a larger version

And if you have the urge to be Alice - then get in touch and we can make your dreams come true!

And just to show you how hard it is when we are working on a photoshoot.............

There are plenty of people to acknowledge ........

Donna Graham - https://www.facebook.com/donna.g.mua

Jen Brook - https://www.facebook.com/jenbrookmodel

Debby - https://www.facebook.com/charlottescupcakehouse

Louise and her family for making us so very welcome in the garden - and particularly to her gorgeous daughters who loved having Alice in their garden and made us fairy wands and drew all sorts of gorgeous pictures!

And we are all really proud to have had this shoot featured on a fabulous Blog

Brazilica Festival 2012

2012-06-17T12:33:00.000+01:00

Last year I attended a workshop which was part of the Look 11 Liverpool Photography Festival .The workshop was about using photography to work with Community groups to develop not only skills in taking photographs but as a way of exploring their surroundings and issue that affect them. It was there that I met Jon Dawe, an incredibly talented social documentary photographer.

Jon approached me earlier this year to see if I would be interested in being part of the Brazilica Festival in Liverpool this summer - this would involve working with a small group of aspiring photographers to facilitate them in covering the Festival and having the opportunity to exhibit their work afterwards. The Festival is organised by Orb Events and Jon and Steph Rooney from This is Cirrus have been working with Orb events to create an opportunity for aspiring photographers to cover the Festival from the initial brief through to exhibiting their work.

This is an extension of all the workshops that I have been involved with in the past where photographers get the opportunity to practice their skills and learn new ones, get advice and support and generally have a great time! The difference with this is that you get the opportunity to understand how to work to a specific brief, to try and meet the brief and also to have the chance to exhibit your work.

We were invited to the Launch of the Festival this week at the amazing Alma de Cuba restaurant in Liverpool and I managed to get some images behind the scenes , and of the catwalk show to showcase some of the costumes for this years Carnival parade

If you think that you would like to take part in this workshop then head over to see more details http://expotbrazil12.eventbrite.com/

The website for Brazilica Festival is http://www.brazilicafestival.com/

Alma de Cuba can be found here http://www.alma-de-cuba.com/homepage/

Snow White and the Huntsman...and Casey a cave and being very brave!

2012-06-17T11:30:00.000+01:00

Its been a great and varied week, from photographing the launch of the Brazilica Festival, to being in an abandoned building in the torrential rain photographing my gorgeous friend , to more rain on the beach with a fabulous family from all over the world.......I quite like the places that photography takes me!

But I have to say that the absolute highlight of my week was going to the Cinema.....yep you heard me! Now I love films , big action movies, with heroes and villains and zombies and serial killers.....love stories and chick flicks just don't do it for me. The film in question was Snow White and the Hunstman and normally I might have been interested in seeing this but I was completely over the top excited to see it as I saw some of it being filmed and photographed the gorgeous Casey in some of the locations!

let me start from the beginning , Casey is a good friend of mine who lives and breaths the landscape she lives in - Cumbria. She climbs, walks for miles and is always on the lookout for her next adventure. She contacted me last year to ask if I would photograph her in the area that she lives and she mentioned she was keen on trying to get some nude images. So on a very cold grey day we met up in the Lakes and started with some simple portraits

We then headed to a cave, a beautiful hidden space which seemed to have been closed off to the public for a few days....and then we found out why - the filming for Snow White and the Huntsman had been taking place in there the day before! We looked for any evidence they may have left behind....a script, a clapperboard , a Huntsman.....but not a thing! So Casey decided this was the place to be brave and these are the images we created, it was truly a special place to be, I felt very privileged to be asked to do this. I love to photograph women and to be able to use this incredible environment too was amazing

We were a little giddy with excitement when we left to head to a small lake in the shadow of the Langdales, but we got even more giddy on the way when we saw the helicopter, then looked across the ridge and saw the Dwarves, the Huntsman and Snow White! Filming was continuing all around the area and we had landed right in the middle of it. After a quick chat with the location team and Casey using all her charms we got permission to head down to the lake, we did have to try and convince the crew to stay away but when they realised what Casey was planning we seemed to attract a lot of attention......including the helicopter who came and landed by the side of us, then took off again and dipped near us to splash Casey as she was stood in the water!

So thats why, this week , Casey and I met up at the Cinema to watch this fabulous film, we squealed and giggled and got excited all over again when we saw the cave and the ariel shots of the dwarves, the Huntsman and Snow White on the ridge.

I do get awestuck, I do love the movies and movie stars and to know that we were a little part of the Snow White experience in Cumbria still gives me goosebumps. To think that I may have photographed Kirsten Stewart and Chris Hemsworth is a little bit surreal.

And now I am ready to do it all again , so if Steven Spielberg or Ridley Scott are reading this and need a location photographer then my bags are packed and my camera is at your disposal, and if you can cast Sean Connery is the lead then all my dreams will come true - thats not a lot to ask is it!!!

Click here to go to the movie site

A moment to shine - the Olympic torch

2012-06-01T13:50:00.000+01:00

I am not a big sports fan....and I don't tend to get too excited by big events like the Jubilee and the Olympics - no I am not miserable........honest! But I did want to capture the Olympic torch coming to Southport and Formby - more for the fact it is a moment in time - a piece of history. But the event became very special when I found out that Phil was going to be carrying the torch. I have known Phil and Joanna forever and they have been incredibly supportive of me over the years in so many ways. My Son and their eldest Son went to nursery together - now that seems like a very long time ago!

Joanne and Phil only found out that he was actually going to carry the touch a couple of days ago - it had been mentioned and the bid had gone in but then....nothing....until a parcel arrived with the tracksuit in but no directions or instructions. Eventually it was all sorted and I headed to Formby to wait with all his family and friends. It was really wonderful to drive past all the crowds and I could not resist giving a little wave Queenie style to all the school kids waiting!

Don't forget to click on any of the images to see them full size

First the police and the sponsors came past .....

And the flag sellers were out in force!

Phils family were patiently waiting for him

and then the crowds started to get very excited as the bus arrived with the next runners and suddenly there was Phil!

And as he passed the flame over this happened! Don't worry - he was not really on fire!!!!

And this is my favourite image - of Joanna and the kids following, photographing, videoing and being so very proud all at the same time

And this looks like the best photography job I have seen!

A huge Congratulations to Phil for running with the torch and being part of this amazing event and to all the other runners around the country - even I am starting to get into the spirit of the Olympics now!

Lets dance for fear tonight is all

2012-05-18T19:42:00.001+01:00

This is about teamwork, about creativity and about 3 photographers, a model, a make up artist and a dingy old building! Its about building on an idea, about trying to tell a story through photography, its about friends working together in the midst of mould, pigeons, mysterious footsteps, and a building full of memories. Its about hot water bottles, cans of spray fog, top hats, a SMART car full to the brim of props on a big adventure.

Click on any of the images if you would like to see them larger - and please leave a comment if you like what we have done - it would mean a lot

So here goes.........the story of a girl,who loved to dance.....who was left behind.....still hearing the music when everyone had left , who waited for the day when she could dance for her audience again

'How can you see into my eyes like open doors,
leading you down into my core where I've become numb
without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold
until you find it and lead it back home'
Evernescence - Bring me to life

'Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music' anon

She practiced, in rooms full of decay, surrounded by the remnants of the music scores and the flowers that her admirers once threw on stage,

......and then ....... she stopped and seemed to realise she was alone, that the audience had left and she started to be afraid

She started looking for a way out ........... but it was not going to be easy

'we dance for laughter,
we dance for tears
we dance for madness
we dance for fears
we dance for hopes
we dance for screams
we are the dancers
we create the dreams' Unknown

I thinks she's going to be just fine....don't you?

Thank you so much to the amazing team who worked on the project

To Tracey Barrow who is mainly responsible for this crazy and amazing day Tracey Barrow Photography

t

to Zana O'Connell - our beautiful dancer Zana O'Connell

and to Laura for her incredible make up and ability to hold a reflector like a pro!!! Laura Walton Make up

Photography workshops

2012-05-17T19:15:00.000+01:00

Hello again - its almost the end of another week and Summer is still trying to make an entrance! A bit of a different post for you this evening - I wanted to let you know a little more about the Photography Workshops that I have run over the past few months and also to update you on what I have planned.

The workshops started after a groups of likeminded photographers wanted to get together and just practice their skills, learn some new skills and generally just get out and shoot! The size of the groups got bigger , we got models and make up artists involved and the biggest one consisted of over 50 people - yes there was an element of chaos and I did live on diet Coke all day and buzzed all evening!

So they became more structured and I ran 2 at the amazing Victoria Baths in Manchester which were true highlights of the year for me, I also ran them at the Farm in Lydiate where I was based last Summer.

So whats the point of them? I always say that there is no formal tuition on the Walkabouts - I am certainly not a Photography Tutor but I am pretty good at the basics, I know that people have gained so much from attending the Walkabouts - its a stress free day, a play day with your camera, the chance to work with experienced models and make up artists - all you need to do is turn up and shoot! I always make sure that the groups are small enough that you are not elbowing your way through to get a shot and in the past we have even had a 'Newbies' group of people who have not done very much portrait photography - will a little bit of hand holding at the start to give them the confidence through the day. I love it when I get home and the images start appearing on Facebook - to know that people have gained confidence and had a great time is a huge bonus of the day

So the next Walkabout is on Sunday 27th May - its going to be held at Camp and Furnace in Liverpool - an industrial location where Google have held a launch in the past - the extra benefit of this location is that the cost of the Walkabout includes Sunday Lunch! And we have dresses supplied by Andrea from Petticoats - a - Plenty - gorgeous Vintage style Wedding Dresses

Let me answer the questions that I am always asked .... The cost of the day is just £75 and this covers the cost of the venue etc and also includes a roast dinner!

Yes you can use the images from the day for your portfolio/ website etc

Yes there will be experienced photographers there for you to pick their brains!

Yes you do need to have a little experience to come along - BUT it is really more important for you to have a real interest in photography and enthusiasm to come and have a go!

Heres some images from previous Walkabouts just to whet your appetite

If you would like to book a place - drop me a message with your e mail jo@jorutherfordphotography.co.uk - or find me on Facebook - just look for Jo Rutherford Photography

See you soon!!!!

You are Beautiful xxx

2012-05-15T12:26:00.001+01:00

Women, we are gorgeous, we are curvy and luscious and pretty and strong but how often do we try and convince ourselves that this is not the case? How many times do we worry about our wobbly bits, crinkles and creases and what we think we see in the mirror? I have so many women putting off photoshoots until they have lost a certain amount of weight, or say that they are not brave enough, or pretty enough, or photogenic, they even struggle to be on family photographs which is something I think they will look back on in years to come and be a little sad.

I am going to reveal a secret now - you will never feel you are pretty enough, you will never feel that you have lost the right amount of weight........ there will never be the 'right ' time to have a photoshoot - but you are gorgeous, and sometimes you may need a little time out, some pampering and attention , just to help you to realise this - and this is where I come in!

Recently I went to ASPIRE , a fabulous photographic training centre in Cumbria to learn more about Boudoir photography from the very lovely and talented Kate Hopewell - Smith. I already love to photograph women and these 2 lovely ladies came to me recently for a shoot

But I wanted to offer my lovely ladies more..... more pampering.....more loveliness...and thats why I wanted to explore Boudoir photography. I want to show you the images that I took on the day - I want to tell you that these are 'real' girls - not models - they had hang ups, they were nervous and they loved it.

So - tell me what you think - is this something you would love to do? Are you getting married and would like a lovely little album to give to your husband on your Wedding Day, are you celebrating something - or would you just like to have some time out and look and feel even more amazing than usual?

If so I would love to hear from you and would certainly love to start planning your photoshoot.

Jo xxxx

A little bit of Vintage and a purple hat

2012-05-07T11:42:00.000+01:00

I spent yesterday with Lisa, a friend and a fellow photographer so you can imagine how much chatting went on ....especially about geeky camera stuff....plenty of coffee was also consumed and plans were made fore some great personal projects this year. I love the chance to work with other photographers, I may be an only child but sometimes I can share and play well with others! Personal projects and play days are great, no pressure, a chance to practice new skills and bounce ideas off each other

So we booked a great model - Carla - who is very experienced and absolutely lovely - and headed off for the afternoon in the sunshine. Now, I have lots and lots of props and plenty of them came in the car with us but the purple hat was pounced on by Carla and I am surprised it didn't end up in her bag at the end of the day!!!

So what did I get out of this, I tried new poses, used the available light in different ways, played with shadows, used pieces of material to diffuse the light and make it softer, everything I tried taught me something that I can use when I am photographing my lovely clients and will help me to be a better photographer.

So here are the results - click on any of the images to see them bigger

Thank you to Carla for being patient, professional and amazing to photograph and to Lisa for being a good friend and bringing great coffee....which you left behind so will be enjoyed by me this week!!!!

Chloe

2012-04-20T13:52:00.000+01:00

We had such an amazing team working on the photoshoot last week in Ibiza, Kellie hairstyling and Nadias make up skills were superb. We were also lucky enough to work with fabulous models, Louisa, Chloe, Sam, Katie and Mike.

This Blog features Chloe, who has minimal modelling experience and was actually a little nervous and unsure of how to pose - now this is pretty much true of everyone I photograph, but I want you to see how many different looks we achieved and how many poses - this was due to us working together , a little coaching and also using fashion magazines as inspiration - I would love my clients to come to me with their own ideas of how they want to look, just as I used to do when I went to the hairdresser....not sure if I ever did suit that Lady Diana look though!

Nadia from Beautify Ibiza use make up which complimented Chloes fair skin and blonde hair - she was able to achieve a number of different styles, from daytime to more glamorous and dramatic evening looks and Kelly from Stylistic Hair Ibiza matched the hair styles to the make up and the outfits.

I do love a before and after shot!!!!!!

This was the hair and make up style for the bridal shoot on the beach - as you can see it works just as well for a contemporary portrait style too

The amazing Kaftans were kindly supplied by Katie at Boho Ibiza Villas

I love this one - it really shows off Nadias amazing make up - and I soooo want to wear those eyelashes!

And these highlight Kellies skill at being able to create so many different hairstyles to perfectly compliment the outfits and the make up. I hope that you do click on these pictures to see them much bigger!

If you are considering booking a photoshoot with me either here or somewhere a little more sunny....then always remember, want to work with you to achieve the look that you want - come to me with ideas, rip pages out of magazines and lets see what we can do - and please please consider having hair and make up done before your shoot, or I can arrange that for you - it makes such a difference to the way you feel on the day - a bit of pampering is always good !!!

And if you are planning Wedding in Ibiza then please contact the girls - they have packages available for you and your bridesmaids to make your day even more special

Love in the sunshine

2012-04-18T20:27:00.001+01:00

Yes I know....more blogging about Ibiza...are you getting the idea that I had a good time!?!?
The absolute best thing about last week was the teamwork, people came along just to help out friends and be part of the day and this is particularly true of Ruth and Frey, a gorgeous couple who live on the island. Ruth volunteered to come along to work with Nadia who is the make up artist, to showcase her work.

...and I got the chance to spend time with a couple who just love each other so much, and it shows

Click on the pictures to see them in all their gorgeousness

Thank you so much to Ruth and Frey for just being so lovely.

Make up by Nadia Hassen at Beautify Ibiza for the stunning make up.

The wonders of Facebook!

2012-04-17T09:44:00.002+01:00

As you know I recently went to Ibiza to collaborate on a photoshoot, just before I went I got a message on Facebook from Cat Milton who lives on the Island and is also a photographer, offering to help us if needed. I love the fact that people just came together for this shoot and we had so much support. Anyway Cat and I decided to meet up for lunch and she very kindly showed me round part of the Island. Now Cat will say that she is a relative novice at photography but I beg to disagree....she has a brilliant eye for composition and manages to capture the real Ibiza and its people.

This is Cats photography website - I would love it if you would pop over there and see just how beautiful Ibiza is. Cat Milton

So we went to see the salt plains near the airport - a huge manmade area where the salt is collected. I believe the foam is a byproduct of the salt - more details can be found here http://www.ibizaa-z.com/print2.php?name=Ibiza's%20Salt%20Flats

Click on any of the images if you would like to see the larger version

Cat in action!

This is an outlet for the foamy water - it was coming out under pressure and produced these amazing abstract shapes

I would like to say a huge thank you to Cat for taking the time out to meet with me - and I really hope that she realises very soon just how talented she is...and a huge thank you to Facebook for putting us in touch with each other - the world is truly getting smaller every day!

Ibiza part 1 - Bridal photoshoot

2012-04-15T17:02:00.000+01:00

Kellie and I met about 7 years ago when I was looking for a new hairdresser - she worked at a Salon near where I live and seemed to put up with me booking appointments on the last minute and attempting to cut my own fringe between appointments! She is the one responsible for my fabulous pink hair and she refuses to let my few (!!!) grey hairs to show. We always got on well and shared stories about each others lives and I knew that she was commuting between here and Ibiza where her boyfriend lives and she was starting to but up a hair styling business on the island. We joked about collaborating on a shoot for her portfolio and after lots of planning it actually happened last week!

Kellie and Nadia, who runs a beauty business on the Island had put together an incredible team, we also had access to a wonderful villa for 2 days. Details of everyone involved will be at the end of this Blog post

Day one of the shoot was aimed at showcasing Nadias make up and Kellies hair styling for Weddings. Ibiza is an incredible destination to get married and the girls often work together to get the Bride and Bridesmaids ready. Chloe and Louisa were our brides for the day - they are not professional models but you would never guess!
We had flowers for our brides too from Floral Dreams Ibiza .
If you want to see any of these images even bigger then just click on them. The images are Copyright of Jo Rutherford Photography and must not be copied, shared or downloaded

It makes a change to do hair and make up in the sunshine!

Even an outdoor shower can be a great backdrop!

After using the Villa and grounds we then headed off to the beach at Cala Salada....and yes the sea is really that blue!

A huge thank you to our models Louisa and Chloe.

Hair was by Kellie from Stylistic Hair based in Ibiza and Southport

Make up is by Nadia at Beautify Ibiza

Flowers by the lovely Holly and Gary at Floral Dreams Ibiza

Dress was kindly supplied by Karen Taylor

Villa was supplied by Kate at Boho Ibiza Villas

Keep popping back to see more from this incredible photoshoot!

Petticoats and gorgeous girls!

2012-04-09T12:13:00.002+01:00

Morning....Happy Easter - yep I know Easter is over but I had a rare day off yesterday and so am playing catch up today!

Now I know that I have shown some of these images before but what the heck - thought they were good enough to share again!
The amazing Petticoats are made by Andrea who runs Petticoats- a Plenty - she is based in Liverpool but has plans to take over the world and I truly believe that she has the skill, drive and determination to do just that. She is quite a character and I have actually persuaded her to have a shoot done in her own outfits and so watch this space. So these images are from a couple of recent photoshoots showing the amazing Wedding Dresses that Andrea is now able to offer - teamed with her Petticoats. The reaction from all the girls who modelled for the shoot was the same - they did not want to take the dresses off - I think they would have worn them around Tescos if we had let them!

Thank you so much to our amazing models - Sukki Singapora, Ruby Heels, Heather Marie McHale and Dayna Leahey

Andreas website is http://www.petticoatsaplenty.com/. If you are looking for something different for a Wedding Dress, Prom dress or just to wander around Tescos in then give Andrea a shout.

If you want to see a bigger version of the pictures just click on them xxxx

Lisa

2012-04-06T14:28:00.000+01:00

Meet Lisa.... she wanted to have some photographs taken for no other reason than to have some time out and a little pampering. So we arranged a make up artist - the fabulous Jenni Hearnshaw, chatted about outfits and she came along to my little studio for the afternoon.

Now I have known Lisa for a while, I know she is an obsessive Manchester United supporter ( I won't hold this against her!) , and I also know just how nervous she was having her photograph taken but it was wonderful to see how she relaxed while she was having her hair and make up done and by the time I started taking photographs she was really excited

We aimed to get some strong, classic style portraits for her - she is getting some framed for her family and we also wanted some boudoir images ..... which we did but they are for her eyes only I am afraid....let me just say that she loved these ones too - and so did Lisas Boyfriend!

So , heres the end result of a very fun afternoon - I love doing shoots like this , I love to see women and girls of all ages be confident in front of the camera and I love tat it is a team effort - that my clients have a say in what they want to wear and how they want to be portrayed.

If you want to experience a shoot like this - it maybe for a specific occasion, a Birthday or other Milestone in your life or just because you too want to have some time out and some pampering then please give me a call. I also have the most beautiful Gift Vouchers if you know of someone who would love this, it would be great for a Best Friends shoot, or Mum and Daughter too.

Hope you love Lisas pictures, click on them if you would like to see them even bigger ....and if you do would you leave a little message so that I know you have popped by xxx

BIPP Qualifying Photographer of the Year 2012!

2012-03-18T16:38:00.001+00:00

At the end of last Sumer I realised that I needed to push myself and my photography business harder than ever before, I had done plenty of training, done lots of shoots but I always felt that I wanted to have a qualification behind me. In photography there are so many ways to become a photographer, many people are self taught, others go to College or University, there is no right or wrong way it seems. I have done some amazing training courses with brilliant tutors but something was still urging me to get some accreditation. Maybe its because in my previous jobs as a Physiotherapist and Lecturer I constantly had to update my qualifications and lifelong learning was the norm.

So I looked at the relevant organisations and decided to join the British Institute of Professional Photographers - I liked the fact that before I joined I needed to be assessed on my current standard of work, submitting 30 images , I then started as a Qualifying member and with the support of the BIPP staff I gained my Associateship qualification a few weeks ago. I was also encouraged to enter the BIPP national photography awards and on a very rainy day in December I headed to the post office with my prints after agonising for days over what to submit! And then a couple of months late....I am stood on a lovely beach in Brighton, checking my e mails (yep, I am that sad!) and found out that one of my images had been shortlisted!

So last Friday, Mike and I headed to London to the British Film Institute for the awards ceremony. I sat in the theatre surrounded by photographers whose work I hugely admire watching the awards being given and thinking that I needed to practice my happy face - you know what I mean - the face that the actresses pull when their rival gets the Oscar!

And so ........I won - I am now the BIPP Qualifying Photographer of the Year, and yes, I am well and truly blowing my own trumpet as this means so very much to me. It represents everything I have worked towards, the real ups and downs and the loss of confidence in my ability that I have on a regular basis!

Here are the images that I submitted to the competition

And here is my winning image of the beautiful Emma

I want to say a huge thank you to all the team at BIPP who have supported me through these few months. I also want to thank Mike and Craig who put up with me and my obsession with all things photographic...and a special mention to Mike who looked after me on Friday after I celebrated with a small(!!!!!!!!!) glass of wine.

I have been truly overwhelmed by all the lovely messages over the weekend, thank you all so much, it really means a lot

So....where do I go from here - its onwards and upwards I hope, building my business, running workshops and aiming to photograph as many people as possible this year because thats what I love doing !

If you are a photographer and want to know more about the BIPP - find them here http://www.bipp.com/

If you would like to book a photoshoot with me then please give me a shout

Happy Birthday to me!

2012-03-11T11:53:00.000+00:00

Ok so I am a day early but what the heck! Tomorrow is my birthday but it is also 2 years since I started my business and boy have I come a long way since then, I have met the most incredible people , made lifelong friends, photographed weddings, christenings, family celebrations, model portfolios, actors and musicians.....one of my images is the cover of an album now....children, adults and everyone in-between organised workshops and learned so much.

This year promises to be even more exciting for the business, I am off to Ibiza soon to work with a very talented hairdresser on the island building her portfolio.....yes I know...its a hard life.... and no, I don't need anyone to carry my bags for the trip! I am going to be working with a fabulous local Beauty Salon and Spa offering packages for all you lovely ladies especially for my Beauty and Boudoir photoshoots. I have amazing workshops coming up, at the Winter Gardens in Morecambe and also in Liverpool.

On a personal note I am off to London this week to the British Film Institute as one of my photographs has made the shortlist of the BIPP national awards

So, yes I am blowing my own trumpet a little bit today but its nearly my Birthday so I am allowed!!!

Anyway, the main reason for this rambling Blog post is to tell you about the gorgeous new Gift Vouchers I have had made, I know just how hard I am to buy for on my Birthday and I bet I am not the only one, so why not treat someone you know to a photoshoot and maybe a makeover too? Mum, sister, daughter, best friends....the list is endless of who you could buy for and believe me you will earn a ton of Brownie Points for this present!

People often think that there needs to be a special occasion to have a shoot done and most of the time I agree, but the special occasions can be as simple as losing weight and feeling wonderful about your new look, a new relationship, achieving something, celebrating friendships.... again the list can go on and on!

So to celebrate my Birthday and the 2 year Anniversary of my business I have something special for you.

I want you to tell me the reason why you would have a photoshoot, what are you celebrating at the moment, or why do you need a little pampering? Do you know someone who would love this as a gift as they have done something special?

I have 2 Gift Vouchers here to the value of £100, I would like to gift these to you this week, what I ask is that you leave a message on here and tell me about you, or someone you know who would adore this present and I will chose 2 of you. The value of the voucher will cover the photoshoot and give you credit towards a beautiful framed print, they are valid for 3 months from today.

Love

Jo xxx

Petticoats-a-Plenty

2012-03-03T11:19:00.000+00:00

About 18 months ago I came across a website selling petticoats - big, frilly, fluffy petticoats to go under dresses and Wedding dresses - and also selling fabulous vintage style clothes - I contacted Andrea who owns the business and we met for a chat to see if we could collaborate on a photoshoot at some point ....well life always seems to get in the way and we did not meet again until at a Burlesque evening in Liverpool last year.....more chatting occurred and as a result we did our first shoot this week!

Andrea is amazing, talented beyond belief, creative and driven to build her business which she started from scratch and she now has customers from all over the world! She is now selling a range of Vintage Wedding Dresses and we used one of these this week - with one of Andreas Petticoats underneath. Andrea enlisted the help of the Heather Marie who is a Wartime tribute act http://heathermarie.co.uk/ , to model for us and here are the results! Click on the images if you want to see them even bigger!

If you adore this dress....and I know I do, then head over to Andreas website and see all the others that she has!

Petticoats a Plenty http://www.petticoatsaplenty.com/

And also see Heather Marie at http://heathermarie.co.uk/

And as always - it would be lovely to know that you stopped by - leave a little message xx

Reasons to be cheerful....part 1

2012-02-19T18:53:00.002+00:00

Its Sunday evening - its been a crazy couple of weeks and I have many reasons to be cheerful at the moment - Brighton one week for the awesome Burlesque workshop and then a family holiday in Scotland where I conquered my fears of T bars and button lifts on the ski slopes!

I have had time to do lots of thinking an planning recently, long journeys and having some time out is good for my soul I think, and I wanted to share my thoughts a little. I have photographed all sorts over the past couple of years, amazing weddings, christenings, families, models and even some beautiful (??) electrical components!!! I love photographing anything, its what I do, its part of who I am now but I am starting to identify the bits that give me the biggest buzz, the most fun...and surely thats what its all about??

I am not going to stop photographing all the lovely things I have mentioned.....did I tell you about the cardboard factory shoot.....maybe another day..... but I want to spend lots of time photographing all you gorgeous ladies who I know have a little read of my Blog now and again...yes you.... even the quiet ones who never leave a message! Now I know what you are all saying;

1, I am not photogenic

2, I hate having my photograph taken

3, I look rubbish in photographs

4, Its too expensive

5, I shouldn't spend the money on me

6, Is it not a bit vain to have a photo session just for me?

Am I right? Well, you are all gorgeous, and you have to trust me to photograph you in the most gorgeous way, you have to know that I have all the same hang ups as you and I know just how you feel about your creases, and wobbly bits, but great posing, lighting and a touch of fairy dust makes all the difference...... just look at this image of the gorgeous Vicky - who was very brave and let me do a before and after shot of her

I promise that the image on the right has only been edited very lightly and its the light, pose and make up that has done the rest!!! Doesn't she look amazing?

There is nothing wrong in indulging in some pampering and this is exactly what a portrait photography session is, especially if you decide to have a professional make up artist too, the difference is that this type of pampering gives you something to keep forever - photographs, for you to look at and remind you just how fabulous you are or to share with your partner or family.
As for this being expensive - there is a cost involved of course but there is never a hard sell, I will always talk to you about what you want before we even start shooting, you will know what the cost of everything is in advance....so you might have to save up a little bit but is that so bad? Or you could ask for gift vouchers for your Birthday or for Mothers Day which is coming around soon!!!

And the bit about you not being photogenic - you really have to trust me on this one - yes you are, it just may be that you have never had photographs taken of you that you like, that no one has taken the time to find your best bits, to help you with posing and to take the time to make you comfortable being in front of the camera - thats my job, you just need to turn up and have fun

So here is a little test for you, I asked people on my Facebook page to help me describe my style as I am working on my new website this year, they were brilliant and came up with lots of great words to help me describe what I do, I started to realise though that these same words describe you - my future clients, my lovely ladies who are just dying to take the plunge and be photographed.
So the test is to find the words that describe YOU in this word cloud and let me know, if you can't find the words then tell me the 3 words that best describe you - and they can only be positive, nothing negative, tell me about you, what you love about yourself!!

Brighton and Burlesque....a cheeky little blog!

2012-02-09T15:32:00.001+00:00

I love anything a little 'different'.....I have a little C3PO figure sitting on my desk, I think Zombies are quite cool, and as for Burlesque....well I just love everything about it, ostrich fans, corsets, sequins....what is there not to love!! Deep inside I want to have a go but that might be something for the future! Anyway, I saw a post on Facebook about a Boudoir and Burlesque worship being held in Brighton and pressed the button to send my payment faster than you can say frilly knickers and this week I headed down South for a couple of days away.

Brighton was a revelation....just the most friendly place ever, the quirkiest shops including one which advertised Vegetarian shoes for sale! I stayed at a gorgeous Bed and Breakfast about 2 minutes walk from the sea, run by Alan and Ollie, who even sent me a welcome text the day before to check I had all the details! Check their website! I was treated to a fluffy dressing gown, a stick of Brighton Rock on my pillow and bacon butties for breakfast!

Heres some of my favourite images of Brighton ..... just click on the image if you want to see it bigger - they look much better bigger!!!!!

The beach....what a stunning beach - this is where I was stood, checking e mails on my phone(yes I am that sad!!) and finding out that an image of mine has made it through to the National awards run by BIPP - British Institute of Professional Photographers.... so if there are a couple of slightly out of focus images its cos I was crying!!!!!!

So, the day of the Workshop - I am going to let the images do the storytelling - it was decadent, beautiful, stylish and fun.....oh and cold!!!! I met a great bunch of people, got inspired to try new things, drank pink champagne and loved it all !!

I am afraid this has been a photography overload.... I managed to gets migraine at the end of the workshop and still feeling just a little under the weather - but looking at all of these has cheered me up! It was a long way to go .....but was well and truly worth it!

So....ladies....get those frilly knickers and corsets out, give me a shout and we can get you to star in your own burlesque style photoshoot......come on.....you just know that you want to!!!

Thank you to everyone invovled in putting this workshop together - I certainly know just how much work it takes to put something like this together and I hope that you are all really proud of what you have achieved xxx

Melissa Love Design - www.melissalove.co.uk
The Tea Set - www.the-tea-set.co.uk
Proud Ballroom - www.brightonballroom.com
She Said Boutique - www.shesaidboutique.com
Joanne Fleming Design - www.joanneflemingdesign.com
Gresham Blake Tailors - www.greshamblake.com
Velvet Lifestyle Store - www.velvetstore.co.uk
Tigz Rice Burlesque Photographer - www.tigzrice.com
The Flash Centre - www.theflashcentre.com
Vintage Wedding Car - www.vintageweddingcar.com
Hey Day Honey Vintage Hair & Makeup - www.heydayhoney.com

Pink hair and petticoats!

2012-01-22T15:43:00.000+00:00

Ages and ages ago I contacted the lovely Andrea who owns Petticoats a Plenty , a wonderful world of dresses, petticoats, cheeky underwear and lots more! I loved the idea of using some of her outfits in a photoshoot but there never seemed to be a good time, we met a couple of times after that at Burlesque events and eventually we started making some plans! I knew that I had a couple of photoshoots in the pipeline and so I went to meet Andrea again a couple of weeks ago and came away with a car full of the most amazing clothes and a head full of plans!

My first opportunity to use them was last week when I returned to Hallam Mill in Manchester - a great photography studio, with a couple of very good friends, Lee and Neil - we have met up like this a couple of times now to share ideas and pick each others brains and its a brilliant day.

The lovely Victoria who is shown in these images actually came along as the make up artist on the day but was very quickly persuaded to join in and I think you will agree that she is amazing.

So, over the next couple of months I will be aiming to work with Andrea and her incredible outfits, and will be looking for burlesque models and performers....give me a shout if you are one or know one!

Model - Victoria Thomas

Make up artist - Victoria Thomas! click here to contact her!

Don't forget - if you are a burlesque performer / model, I would be very interested in chatting to you about future collaborations

Sue-Lyn model portfolio

2012-01-21T19:36:00.003+00:00

One of the areas of photography that I adore is working with established and aspiring models, building up their portfolios. I never thought it would be something that my business would include this area , those of you who know me well will know that fashion and make up are not high priorities for me, ( jeans, t shirts and just a touch of mascara is more than enough!!!) but I adore the escapism of fashion magazines, the incredible beauty of the models and the creativity of the teams that work on them.

Before Christmas I had chatted to Sue-Lyn who wanted to update her modelling portfolio, we discussed when and where to do the shoot and decided to try the area around the Docks in Liverpool, one of my favourite locations, lots of great backdrops and interesting side streets to explore. What we did not realise is that today was going to be one of the windiest days in recent memory! I always advise models to have a make up artist for shoots like this and the lovely Jenni Henshaw joined us today, go and have a look at her Facebook page - a very very talented lady.

So we headed to Liverpool, and here are just some of the images from today. I really need to thank both Sue -Lyn and Jenni for putting up with the cold and windy conditions, and I also have to thank the lovely Russian man who let us use his garage/office for make up....!!

Now what would be really nice is for you to let me know you have dropped by.... say Hi !!!

And if you are a model or looking to become one and you would like to discuss a shoot like this then please give me a shout

Liverpool and Love!

2012-01-17T15:54:00.001+00:00

Lindsay contacted me towards the end of last year to arrange a photoshoot for herself and boyfriend George. She is a keen photographer , but, as usual, she prefers to be behind the camera and so wanted some images of her and George together. It was lovely working with Lindsay to plan this shoot - she really wanted it to take place somewhere that has meaning for the 2 of them and as they met at The Albert Dock in Liverpool we decided to start there and over a coffee I found out a bit more about them - yes I am nosy but one of the best things about being a photographer is getting to know the people I photograph!

I have decided that Lindsay has the best job ever - she works for Jaffa Cakes - the company that is - she doesn't get paid in Jaffa cakes! I also found out how much they love to go walking and Ingleton is one of their favourite places to visit - and it looks like I am going to be asked back to photograph them there this year which will be wonderful. Photoshoots should be a special occasion, they should be personal and that includes the location - I am more than happy to travel - me and Tallulah love an adventure..... Tallulah - my SMART car.... I really need to introduce you to her sometime!

So we started at the Albert Dock and wandered along the wonderful river front then headed to the docks area. Lindsay had seen pictures of Bob Dylan sitting on steps in the area when he visited in 1966 and so we went hunting for the same steps! And we found them! Heres the link to the original images of Dylan.

So, dare I say that Valentines day is on its way and also its a Leap year! Lots of opportunities for romance and showing the world just how you feel about each other....... a photoshoot is the perfect way of doing this, celebrating a new relationship, an engagement, an anniversary.... whatever the occasion, I can be there to help to record the moment, wherever you may be......Tallulah is waiting!!!!

Many thanks to George for showing just how much he enjoyed the afternoon - thumbs up !!!!!

Winter sunshine

2012-01-17T14:41:00.001+00:00

Just before Christmas, you remember Christmas - the chaos, the stress and the distinct lack of snow, I had the absolute pleasure of photographing Jo, Tony and Gaby. We dicided to make the most of the beautiful winter sunshine and head down to Formby pine woods - one of my favourite locations to shoot.

Jo wanted to get photographs of Gaby obviously, she is sooooo cute..... but she also wanted to make sure that she had photographs of the 3 of them together. Like most families, the family album was full of pictures, but usually someone was missing from them as they were behind the camera! So we made sure that we got lots of combinations of this lovely family, including some absolutely gorgeous and romantic ones of just Jo and Tony, while Gaby was very happy running around the woods having adventures and looking for non existent squirrels!

So not only do they now have beautiful family portraits, they also have pictures of them as a couple, how many of you reading this can say that you have images like this in your album - come on....I know that you haven't!

I am really eager to photograph families this year, I know how much I love looking through my family albums, yes albums, not just the photos that you keep on your hard drive and never see the light of day, proper albums. I know that I am going to make sure that my family are photographed this year - including me, I don't want to look back in a few years and regret not having photos of me and Mike as a couple and of me and my gorgeous , handsome son (yes I am completely biased !) however reluctant he may be - I think bribery might have to be involved in that one!!

So , readers, have a look through these images, and be nice, leave me a little hello at the bottom so that I know you dropped by. Oh and if this has made you think about your own family album, then give me a shout and maybe we can plan a little adventure with your family, I promise to try and book the sunshine for you xxx

How to get ahead!

2012-01-17T11:12:00.001+00:00

Headshots... now if you type this into Google I promise that within minutes you will get tons of advice on how to get higher scores on Modern Warfare, Halo and any other crazy games for the X Box!! But these are not the type of headshots that I am promoting - thank goodness I hear you cry!

Headshots are always part of my photography sessions - I love faces, expressions, eye contact, especially eye contact. So, why do I do headshots, well, like I said, I love doing them.... but there are other reasons why my lovely clients might want them, actors and performers all need great headshots for their profile online and for their casting calls, business owners need them for news articles and website profiles.

The internet is full of information and we skip through so much of it every day - strong profiles that catch your eye are essential and one of the ways to do this is great photography, having a picture of you on your profile makes you more approachable and makes your business have a human face. A good headshot should be natural, for an actor or performer then it may need to show different expressions, with simple and clean backgrounds. For a business owner then it may need to include an aspect of the business, either what you do or where you are based.

So , here are just a few of the headshots that I have done , if this has inspired you to start the new year off with an updated profile then give me a shout. I aim to work with you to get the images that show you at your best! And you never know .....you might just enjoy it!