The new website is pretty much done – all except the Client area which I’m still working on.  This will be a new feature where you’ll be able to view and purchase your prints & digital images all online.  Rubblestone will be here for a wee while longer to help with the transition – but this is my last post here.  So Good-bye Rubblestone – hello Anna Taylor Photography – come and have a look…

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Most afternoons Bear and I go outside to have a kick-a-round (read: Bear runs after the ball I kick – sometimes – when she feels like it!) while we’re waiting for the kids to come home on the bus.  Today was no different – just nicer with the lovely weather.  Bear is still a puppy – even if she is nearly 9st!  We’re still trying to train her NOT to jump up – eventhough she is fairly light-footed, having cereal bowl sized paws around your ears can be somewhat of a shock – especially if you’re only 6 years old (Riley!)  She’s getting there – slowly!  We’ve been told she’ll improve by the time she’s about 2-2.5 – oh boy!

We live next door to a farm – and they let their cows out today .  Bear loves the cows – they’re her friends!  The kids love the cows too!  It’s great having cows, without actually having cows!

Anyway, the weather was so nice, I was inspired to get out the Tilt Shift and have bit of a play – yay!  And by now you should know that I love VSCO!  The very last image was taken on my iPhone using VSCO-Cam - I love this hill and I always think I really ought to just go there one day with my kit.  Today, as luck would have it, I had to stop at lights right at this spot – am learning never to waste an opportunity – especially a photo opportunity!

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I should mention that  Jen also used to be my daughters’ teacher when we lived in London – and as a fellow Aussie, it was so lovely to catch up and get a big of an Aussie twang going!

We didn’t have a huge amount of time, but it was just long enough to get them warmed up and feeling relaxed in front of the camera!  Thanks guys – you were fab!

These are some of my faves – the rest you can see here.

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Originally they were going to have a post wedding party to celebrate with friends and family who couldn’t make the very long flight out to Australia!  But after an extended time in Australia, they weren’t sure when they would be able to fit it all in.  So we decided to do a Post-Wedding shoot on Hampstead Heath – a place close to their hearts as it is where they met and lived for 2 years before moving further out.

After moving dates from March (due to Mark’s conference committments – thank goodness – as it was still snowing in March!!), we were lucky to have one of the nicest Saturdays so far this year!  We had a beautiful blue sky and when we stood in sun, it actually felt warm (a novel feeling so far this year!).  I wouldn’t say it was a heat wave – and I was thankful for my long sleeves – I don’t know how Eva kept smiling in her beautiful Rachel Gilbert wedding dress – she didn’t complain once about the cold!

Eva and Mark are gorgeous enough separately – and even more so together.  It’s clear how much they adore each other.  They had both gone to so much effort for our shoot – Eva had been to the markets that morning to buy fresh beautiful flowers to make up a wedding bouquet and some arrangements to bring to the shoot.  She had even made some cakes to bring as part of the setting.  She is clearly a very creative young lady which you can find out more about here.

These are just some of MY favourite shots from the day – but you can see the rest of them here.

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In less than 2 weeks Sharon will be joining 17 others to take part in the 3 Peaks Challenge - climbing Nevis, Scafell & Snowdon in 3 days!  A challenge coordinated by the Piers Simon Appeal to raise funds for the ever so worthy School in A Bag charity – which is what Friday night was all about.

The evening started with some Wine Tasting – sponsored and expertly lead by Eric Zweibel of Summer Lodge.  In our opinion Summer Lodge is pretty darn lucky to have Eric on staff – as he’s recently earnt himself 4th place in the recent World Sommelier Contest held in Japan earlier this year.  There were 2 delicious wines to tease the taste buds with – well Friday night is made for wine is it not??

Next up was Luke Simon from the Piers Simon Appeal to talk to us about School in A Bag and how important AND easy it is for those of us who can – to help so many children who desperately want to go to school.  It was a real eye opener and I think he even had the full attention of many of the children there that night – many of whom (like so many of us) take going to school for granted.  After Luke had fnished, many of the children got to work by assembling the school bags, ready to be shipped off to the Phillipines (this time).  It wasn’t just the children who helped out either – many of the adults who sponsored a bag (or 2) were keen to assemble their own bag – it seemed that handing over some £’s just wasn’t enough – they wanted to do more!

In addition to the Wine tasting and Luke’s talk, there was the Silent Auction going on in the background.  On arrival earlier in the evening, everyone was given a Bidding number – in the form of a numbered box of Tea- generously sponsored by Mike Evans of Clipper Teas.  This number was then used to bid on an array of brilliant ‘Lots’ (that’s Auction speak for prize – sort of!)  These Lots varied from further donations from Clipper Teas, a stationary hamper from Mid West the Stationers, Apple Balsamic Vinegar from Liberty Fields, some Hedgelaying with Sharon and her Dad right up to RIB tours from Weymouth to Lulworth Cove and holidays in Morzine & Cornwall.

And of course I can’t finish without mentioning the FOOD – there seemed to be an endless supply of canapes, bread, dips and there were even sausage baps for the children – I know Shazza would want me to say a big thank you to Ali Sparks - who from what I can gather pretty much spent the whole day preparing and cooking all those mouth watering treats.  You can’t go wrong using local suppliers like Terri from Oakleigh Farm Shop & Fudges - we’re so lucky to have such amazing people running some fab local businesses.

So my contribution ( that feels somewhat measly by comparison!!)  to the evening was as ever to have my camera at hand and document the evening.  And hopefully spreading the word on my little ol’ blog will do some good too!  If you weren’t lucky enough to win what you were bidding for, or you weren’t able to go on Friday night, you can still help Sharon here.

It was a truly fab night Shazza, and as one of your many mates, I can say we’re all so proud of you and good luck for the actual walking bit that’s still to come – you won’t need it though – my guess is that you’ll do it annoyingly easily and still be bouncing when you get back!! xx

OH YEAH – nearly forgot the most important part – that thanks to all you lovely people who went, sponsored and helped – she only went and raised a whopping £2500!!!!  That, combined with the £’s from her sponsorship page - that’s enough to send 200 more children to school – THAT IS  something to be properly proud of!

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Once settled in, Mark and I set off for Hampstead.  I was doing a POST-Wedding shoot (more on that later) and Mr T was going be be my assistant for the day.  It was a truly gorgeous day with an amazing blue sky.  Making the most of having more than just my iPhone camera with me, I took the following shots.  ** Geek alert ** – all are edited using VSCO!

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Easter Sunday also meant up an hour earlier – as the clocks had changed in the wee hours of the morning – it’s now officially SUMMER TIME!  Now we just need a bit of warmth to match!  The Easter Bunny was very generous and left a few eggs around the house for the children to find – mainly as they would have either frozen outside or Bear would have scared the Bunny away!

In the afternoon we went to Rosie & Ed’s house – this time the Bunny had left eggs outside!  There was much excitement in finding the egss and within minutes the eggs were found and half of them eaten.  The children were drunk on chocolate while the adults drank bubbles to celebrate (Easter – not the fact that the children were bouncing off the ceiling – albeit entertaining!).  Lovely afternoon – thank you Rosie, Ed, Lilly & Fin – and lovely to meet Louise & Robert.  However, I do feel slightly guilty – feel we distracted Ed from his cooking duties somewhat – can’t be sure how their Sunday Roast turned out!  Doh!

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