Photography bucket list!

I can't believe that 2014 is almost at an end! Its been a whirl wind of a year, with so much going on professionally and personally in my life. A new year is an opportunity to review the things that happened in the past 12 months, and plan to be more successful in the future.

This got me thinking, what about all the things I want to photograph, not only the next year but over the course of my life. With this in mind I decided to make a photography bucket list. If I'm ever stuck for ideas I can turn to the list for inspiration. I haven't yet tired some of the things on the list as they are technically challenging or I don't yet have the right equipment.

Below is some of the inspiration for these goals. 

#2 Glitter. (Unknown artist)

#4 Underwater shot (photo by Jvdas Berra)

#21. 50's inspired shoot (Unknown photographer)

#13. A mermaid (Tim walker)

#11 A nude. (Man Ray)

Hope this post has given you some ideas for your own photography bucket list, check out pinterest for loads of inspiration!

Happy New Year everyone! x

DIY: easy Christmas card ideas.

I love making and giving out Christmas cards ever year, people seem to love getting personalized or hand-made cards and gifts. As most people don't have the time to make really detailed Christmas cards, I've made a few simple designs that you can use for inspiration as well as some other that I've seen online! 

A simple stamp and 'Merry christmas' ribbon. 

Using buttons creatively. 

Simple cloud and sequins.

Drawn character. 

Christmas tree made from washi tape. 

Other ideas I've found on Pinterest:

Simple felt trees. 

Love the idea of using a heart hole punch for the leaves on this tree!

Happy crafting! 

DIY clay/fimo gift tags

I absolutely love Christmas as it's the perfect excuse for me to get crafty! Over the next few weeks I may write a few more Christmas DIY posts.

I found air dry fimo in my draw and thought making some special gift tags for the important people in my life would be a nice touch to any present! 

Here's how: 

1. Roll out your clay or Fimo using a rolling pin.

2. I used a cookie cutter to get a nice crisp shape. My personal favorites were hearts and stars. 

3. I then used clean alphabet stamps to write the names. 

4. Don't forget to make a hole for the string! You can use a needle or pin to make a perfect hole. You could also wait till the fimo is dry and paint on the names. 

5. Then either wait 24 hours for it to dry or microwave/place in the oven. 

6. Once completely hardened, gift wrap your presents with string and thread the the gift tag through. 

You can also make these into great Christmas tree decorations!

Advice/ Things I've learnt from shooting weddings...

So you've been asked to photograph a wedding, it may be a friends or a clients, either way its a huge and scary job. It's the happiest day of their life, so you have be sure to capture every moment, and then there is of course the 'posed' photos of the friends, family, in-laws ect.

Now I'm not a famous wedding photographer (unfortunately) but I done a few weddings over my years of freelancing and I want to share some of the things I've learnt over along the way...

• Triple check you have all the right equipment (and that it works). Before I even set out of the house, I take a photo, to check that everything is working right. The things I always make sure I have with me are:

1. Camera (Of course) and batteries, I always bring 2, fully charged. 
2. Flash gun. Super important for weddings, as the venues are often quite dim lit. 
3. Memory cards. 
4. Lens cloth 
5. business cards

• Write a list of poses/ the people you need to get formal shots off. Some of the ones that are usually important: (You can download checklists of 'formal weddings shots' or make your own!)

1. The bride and her mother 
2. The bride and bridesmaids
3. The groom and best man 
4. The couple with both sets of parents. 
5. The bride alone

• Be thick skinned. On weddings days, especially in the morning, people can be quite stressed and you may be ordered around a bit. Keep in mind that usually the bridesmaids and the mother of bride have alot of things to think about so don't take it to heart if they do boss you around a little bit. Just be confident of your job and focus on getting the best photos. 
• Look out for natural smiles. Scan the crowds, looking for natural smiles, focus in and capture that real moment. 
  
• Check before the big day ask how long they want to you to stay. It can be awkward asking whether you are free to go or not, so make sure before hand that they know how many hours you are willing/have been paid to stay. Ask before hand if they want you to stay for the first dance, cutting of the cake or just want snaps of the ceremony. 
• Always get a deposit!
• Check that everyone is okay for your to publish the photos. 
• Bring a snack bar. You could be working up to 12 hours, without any time to stop, so its important to bring a snack that you can eat quickly but will keep you going, maybe a cereal bar or a packet of peanuts. Hopefully the bride and groom will let you eat when they are having their meal. 
• Check with the vicar if and when you can use flash. 
• Capture the little details. These are usually the things that the bride is too busy to really take notice of, so its a good idea to capture these so the couple always has a reminder of every aspect of their wedding day. 
  
• Dress your best. Look professional but be aware of the wearing heels all day :/ I usually go for some comfortable small heels or nice sandals. 

Hope this is useful to anyone shooting a wedding soon. I do love weddings but as a photographer it is one of the most stressful jobs and there is alot of pressure on the photographer to capture everything, so if in doubt, just keep clicking! 

Becky. x