Bohemians, vagabonds, romantics and artisans . . .

the new bohemians are coming

the new bohemians are coming

As continually developing human beings we are all exposed to
situations and circumstances that are unique to ourselves, we are then
all unque because of those experiences.
As photographers the ssme is also true as we meet and interact with
different people and there work our perspective changes. Lately Black
and White images have gained my attention, the depth and richness that
exists in great b/w images is encouraging me to find more richness
and depth of colour in the my day to day portraiture be it in b/w or
colour.
Rich textures, use of light to inhance and enrichen areas of shade,
locations that suggest a more lavish lifestyle. down and out maybe,
but stylish whilst doing it.

Ansel Adams once said, “I would rather have a fuzzy photograph of a
sharp idea than a sharp photograph of a fuzzy idea”.
That’s a rather profound statement but knowing what your aiming for in
photography and life is half the battle, if you have a clear
direction, the future then is always going to be bright.
So here I am again, dear reader bohemian, vagabond,
artisan,  desperate romantic, sitting in a station, head full of ideas
just waiting for the canvas on which to paint them. ( yes this
metaphor may be getting a little tied now, but until I come up with another
one I’m afraid your stuck with it )

Gorgeous forever – the sequel

portraiture
It's been a while since I posted on this page. I've been rather busy of late with quite a few things not least of which being the re- decorating of my main website, ( the paint is almost dry now but that flock wallpaper took some hanging ! ). One of the things that as surfaced during this "rebranding " is my Gorgeous forever promotion which started a few years ago as a makeover , now we've expanded it to include portraiture and urdan portraiture, the later of which we'll be exploring in more detail during the summer.Our product range is always high on our agenda as we pride ourselves on quality in everything we do, adding new frames styles all the time and with portraiture albums and boxes becoming more in vogue as the new " must have " items we are set to introduce more packages for portraiture as the year progresses. As I like to say . . . Glamour isn't just the right of celebrity

Sometimes it ain’t about photography . . .

Sometimes in life we all need to take control, whether it be in business, sport, music or just life in general, ” grab the world by the throat “ as I like to say.
The qoute below is something I read this week and thought I’d share it with you dear reader, I’ve included a link below the qoute for site it came from, hope you like it . . .
How I Stopped “Waiting for Jack”
By Kristen Moeller © 2010 , author of Waiting for Jack: Confessions of a Self-Help Junkie: How to Stop Waiting and Start Living Your Life
The first time I met Jack, I ripped a hundred-dollar bill out of his hand.
On a cold winter day in Denver, I waited in line to see one of my heroes, Jack Canfield, the coauthor of the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series and the author of The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.  Where I wanted to be was a version of what Jack had become — an author, a speaker, an inspiration to thousands of people. He was the whole package — successful, kind — a visionary for what is possible in the world. I thought, “If I can get to know him, I will become that.”
When I saw the opportunity, I grabbed it. Literally. During his presentation, Jack reached for his wallet, pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, and said, “Who wants this?” Hands shot up in the audience; people leaned forward to see whom Jack would choose. But I leapt up, ran up the stairs to the stage, and grabbed the bill from his hand. As I was launching myself in the air, thoughts raced through my mind — was I about to be humiliated in front of 800 people? Would they call security and haul me from the stage? But my desire for bold action was louder than any voice of doubt
As I plucked the bill from his hand, he turned to me and said, “Yes, that’s it! We can’t wait around for the opportunities to come to us. We must take action to create what we want!”
After his talk, I waited in line to formally meet Jack and boldly asked for his personal e-mail address. Over the next several months, I sent him lengthy e-mails sharing my vision and dreams. He kindly e-mailed back one-liners of encouragement such as, “Keep thinking and playing bigger; it’s much more fun that way. Love, Jack.” Then my life got busy with other things. I lost sight of my inspiration and I stopped e-mailing Jack.
A year later, my dreams had grown stale. I had this idea if I got back in touch with Jack, he might just provide the perfect, inspiring nudge I needed. I was looking for something that would spur me into action, like a giant arrow that would show me the way.
I emailed him, and then emailed him again — but got no response. As I sat down at my computer to check my email for the fifth time in 15 minutes, I suddenly woke up.
What was I doing?
I was waiting! And this time I was waiting for Jack. I realized waiting was a behavior that began when I was a little girl. I waited to be older — surely freedom would begin when I had my first boyfriend, first kiss, got my drivers license, graduated from high school and went to college. Then I waited to know what to do with my life. I had always waited, thinking the great prize of life was just around the corner. And I had started to believe Jack was the answer; that knowing him would provide something I thought I was missing internally.
I remembered the crowd, most likely desiring that hundred-dollar bill, while they sat glued to their chairs. What were they waiting for? An Oliver Wendell Holmes quote ran through my mind, “Many people die with their music still inside them.” Instantly, I knew I needed to do something about all this waiting. The inspiration came like lightening: I was going to write a book! A book about waiting and call it “Waiting for Jack!” Instantly, ideas and chapter titles came to me.
It all sounded good but then reality hit, I was writing a book. . . . Some nights I cried and wanted to give up; others I celebrated my courage. I wrote, re-wrote, ripped it all up, burned what was left and started over. I hired editors, changed directions then changed back. I danced in the moonlight and curled up in a ball on the floor. I told everyone I was writing, and then wished I hadn’t. I grew, contracted, then grew again, stretching further than I ever thought possible.
Fortunately, I have surrounded myself with a life of personal development and I have access to all the tools anyone could ever want. I know I can “feel the fear and do it anyway”. I know how to take action. I know how to move forward even when every molecule in my body tells me to stop.
We all have a “Jack” for whom we wait — whether it’s a person, a place or a thing. We falsely believe the gifts of life are just around the corner; that anywhere is better than here; that one day we will arrive and everything will be okay. So we don’t try, we give up, we sell out, we forget who we are. We are afraid to succeed, afraid to fail and afraid to say we are afraid. But as Wayne Gretzky said: “You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!” So I stopped waiting and I wrote.
Three years later, Waiting for Jack is a best-seller on Amazon! I have grown in ways I never expected. I know that I am capable of so much more than I ever knew before.
Now I ask you, what are you waiting for?
http://www.wow4u.com

Sometimes in life we all need to take control, whether it be in business, sport, music or just life in general,” grab the world by the throat ” as I like to say.The qoute below is something I read this week and thought i’d share it with you dear reader, I’ve included a link below the qoute for site it came from, hope you like it . . .

How I Stopped “Waiting for Jack”By Kristen Moeller © 2010 , author of Waiting for Jack: Confessions of a Self-Help Junkie: How to Stop Waiting and Start Living Your Life  The first time I met Jack, I ripped a hundred-dollar bill out of his hand. On a cold winter day in Denver, I waited in line to see one of my heroes, Jack Canfield, the coauthor of the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series and the author of The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.  Where I wanted to be was a version of what Jack had become — an author, a speaker, an inspiration to thousands of people. He was the whole package — successful, kind — a visionary for what is possible in the world. I thought, “If I can get to know him, I will become that.” When I saw the opportunity, I grabbed it. Literally. During his presentation, Jack reached for his wallet, pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, and said, “Who wants this?” Hands shot up in the audience; people leaned forward to see whom Jack would choose. But I leapt up, ran up the stairs to the stage, and grabbed the bill from his hand. As I was launching myself in the air, thoughts raced through my mind — was I about to be humiliated in front of 800 people? Would they call security and haul me from the stage? But my desire for bold action was louder than any voice of doubt As I plucked the bill from his hand, he turned to me and said, “Yes, that’s it! We can’t wait around for the opportunities to come to us. We must take action to create what we want!” After his talk, I waited in line to formally meet Jack and boldly asked for his personal e-mail address. Over the next several months, I sent him lengthy e-mails sharing my vision and dreams. He kindly e-mailed back one-liners of encouragement such as, “Keep thinking and playing bigger; it’s much more fun that way. Love, Jack.” Then my life got busy with other things. I lost sight of my inspiration and I stopped e-mailing Jack. A year later, my dreams had grown stale. I had this idea if I got back in touch with Jack, he might just provide the perfect, inspiring nudge I needed. I was looking for something that would spur me into action, like a giant arrow that would show me the way. I emailed him, and then emailed him again — but got no response. As I sat down at my computer to check my email for the fifth time in 15 minutes, I suddenly woke up. What was I doing? I was waiting! And this time I was waiting for Jack. I realized waiting was a behavior that began when I was a little girl. I waited to be older — surely freedom would begin when I had my first boyfriend, first kiss, got my drivers license, graduated from high school and went to college. Then I waited to know what to do with my life. I had always waited, thinking the great prize of life was just around the corner. And I had started to believe Jack was the answer; that knowing him would provide something I thought I was missing internally. I remembered the crowd, most likely desiring that hundred-dollar bill, while they sat glued to their chairs. What were they waiting for? An Oliver Wendell Holmes quote ran through my mind, “Many people die with their music still inside them.” Instantly, I knew I needed to do something about all this waiting. The inspiration came like lightening: I was going to write a book! A book about waiting and call it “Waiting for Jack!” Instantly, ideas and chapter titles came to me. It all sounded good but then reality hit, I was writing a book. . . . Some nights I cried and wanted to give up; others I celebrated my courage. I wrote, re-wrote, ripped it all up, burned what was left and started over. I hired editors, changed directions then changed back. I danced in the moonlight and curled up in a ball on the floor. I told everyone I was writing, and then wished I hadn’t. I grew, contracted, then grew again, stretching further than I ever thought possible. Fortunately, I have surrounded myself with a life of personal development and I have access to all the tools anyone could ever want. I know I can “feel the fear and do it anyway”. I know how to take action. I know how to move forward even when every molecule in my body tells me to stop. We all have a “Jack” for whom we wait — whether it’s a person, a place or a thing. We falsely believe the gifts of life are just around the corner; that anywhere is better than here; that one day we will arrive and everything will be okay. So we don’t try, we give up, we sell out, we forget who we are. We are afraid to succeed, afraid to fail and afraid to say we are afraid. But as Wayne Gretzky said: “You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!” So I stopped waiting and I wrote. Three years later, Waiting for Jack is a best-seller on Amazon! I have grown in ways I never expected. I know that I am capable of so much more than I ever knew before. Now I ask you, what are you waiting for?
http://www.wow4u.com

Blue skys, nothing but blue skys

luccaWith the prospect of a heatwave hitting our nation this weekend it’s
quite easy to feel positive about life, the world and everyone in it.
That positive feeling is the driving force that gets things done, DIY
around the house, wash the car, wash the dog, what ever it is that
needs doing.
Converting that positive energy into a useful business tool is the
order of the day and this week I’m tying up all those lose ends that
have been hanging around for the last few months. Whilst in the process of
rebranding I have built up a Stock of images and material to revamp
the website a little and to create promotional material to push my new
branding forward, a process that has taken longer than I had
originally anticipated, but hopefully the end result will be worth it.
So, enjoy the weather, enjoy life, take your future in your own hands
and seize the day and oh yes,

The New Bohemians are coming . . .

Heard you missed me, well I’m back …

Birmingham

Birmingham

It was recently explained to me that creative poeple are
prone to mood swings, we are either up or down and are
up and down at regular intervals.
( not sure whether that is proper English, oh well )
This cane as quite a relef to me as I’ve been that way for
years and I thought it was just me beening a moody git.
We have a lot going on behind the scenes at the moment.
Working on new product lines and shoot experiences for
our customers. Getting the customer experience right is
paramount to us, our products are of the highest standard
and our service has to be the same.As a creative person
the photography and any other design inspired task provides
me with my ups along with the continual learning curve that
is an integral part of what I do, the minute you stop learning
your dead in the water new ideas are after all the things that
keep us on top of our game.Val and I recently did a model
shoot for some of our new and existing promotions and I’ll
be sharing some of those images next time till then …
be safe .

Arron Luther … Part Deux

I recently did another shoot with Singer Songwriter Arron Luther, this time the remit was studio shots. I’ve tried to offer more than one feel to this shoot, as a developing artist the different styles here will hopefully provide an on going supply of useful images.

Stolen …

Andy Warhol eat your heart out, this isn't one of Joe Photos ...

I have to admit to stealing this from elsewhere, but I think the message is worth sharing.

I stole this by the way from cup of joe photo.com Joe no longer blogs which is a real shame he’s a real nice guy and an excellent  photographer, if you get chance check out his burning man photos they are surreal .

but til then …

This story illustrates an important life lesson for me to remember. I hope you like it too.

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?” Surely, this was some kind of joke.I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.

Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. “Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello’.” “I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

Joe’s burning man shots – check these out

All the worlds a stage …

It seems lately I have been doing  more than my fare share of music photography. Last weekend I had the pleasure of trying to make cold and at times snowy Swindon look like California, not the easiest of tasks, but hopefully I think we managed it. A sunny day in California may have been tricky, but your average gray overcast California wasn’t to difficult (but believe all you read, California is really cold and bleak, honest !! ). My subject was singer song writer Arron Luther and the images are to be use to promote has  lasted recording. hope you like them.

You wanted the best, you got the best …

Amongst my many dear friends I am glad to say there are many musicians and recently I was privileged enough to be allowed backstage to shot some preperation shots of Dressed To Kill the worlds  longest running and frankly the best Kiss Tribute band on the planet.

The ensuing show was of cause as outstanding as you would expect, but although I did take a few live shots ( maybe for another blog ) the purpose of my visit was to catch these guys during their hour long ritual of make up and costumes,  more of these may be found at some point on the bands website, so why not check it out.

Sometimes, just sometimes …

Sometimes, just sometimes I read something I feel the need to share. This is one of those times …

The Park Bench
By Author Unknown
The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read
Beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree.
Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown,
For the world was intent on dragging me down.
And if that weren’t enough to ruin my day,
A young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play.
He stood right before me with his head tilted down
And said with great excitement, “Look what I found!”
In his hand was a flower, and what a pitiful sight,
With its petals all worn – not enough rain, or too little light.
Wanting him to take his dead flower and go off to play,
I faked a smile and then shifted away.
But instead of retreating he sat next to my side
And placed the flower to his nose and declared with overacted surprise,
“It sure smells pretty and it’s beautiful too.
That’s why I picked it; here, it’s for you.”
The weed before me was dying or dead.
Not vibrant of colors: orange, yellow or red.
But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave.
So I reached for the flower, and replied, “Just what I need.”
But instead of him placing the flower in my hand,
He held it mid-air without reason or plan.
It was then that I noticed for the first time
That weed-toting boy could not see he was blind.
I heard my voice quiver; tears shone in the sun
As I thanked him for picking the very best one.
“You’re welcome,” he smiled, and then ran off to play,
Unaware of the impact he’d had on my day.
I sat there and wondered how he managed to see
A self-pitying woman beneath an old willow tree.
How did he know of my self-indulged plight?
Perhaps from his heart, he’d been blessed with true sight.
Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see
The problem was not with the world; the problem was me.
And for all of those times I myself had been blind,
I vowed to see the beauty in life, and appreciate every second that’s mine.
And then I held that wilted flower up to my nose
And breathed in the fragrance of a beautiful rose
And smiled as I watched that young boy, another weed in hand,
About to change the life of an unsuspecting old man.