Caroline's Photography Blog

2011-10-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

I drove down the Cotswolds yesterday morning to spend the day taking pictures with an old friend I'd not seen since she and I went on one of Jonathan Chritchley's photographic workshops. I was staying with Dom and Ed at The Golden Ball in Lower Swell, a delightful village just outside Stow on the Wold. It was great to catch up with JB and we did a bit of landscape photography before finding a lovely coffee shop where we had a good natter. A fabulous Sunday lunch was waiting for us when we returned to The Golden Ball, and in the afternoon we headed off to Burford Park.

The weather could have been a bit brighter to make the most of that amazing countryside and vivid Autumn colours but the smile on young Garth's face was enough to brighten up everybody's day.

2011-10-17T01:09:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful week end and yesterday I thought I would get out and blow a few cobwebs away. Living in The Midlands means that my closest Coast is just over an hour away in North Wales. So I headed off to God's own Country and had really lovely walk along the beach. It was great to be out taking pictures in such fresh air. The sky was perfect and the light was ever-changing.

End of An Era

2011-08-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

www.carolineharrisphotography.co.uk will be disappearing from the internet on 5th September 2011. It is a great time of new beginnings and I look forward to sharing more photographs with you in the near future. In the meantime, please visit my blog if you are interested in reading about developments. Thank you to everyone for visiting my site, for all the lovely comments you have left on there for me in the Visitors book, your kind words of encouragement meant more than you can imagine. Thank you also for to the host company Clikpic who did a wonderful job!

Today's picture is my star model, Freddie.

2011-05-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite magazines is Homes Antiques, otherwise known by one of my friends as 'Dump and Junk'! A couple of weeks ago I was very pleasantly surprised to find that one of my own photographs had been published in their April edition! It was just a small picture promoting an exhibition of Karen Shapley's work at a gallery in Wales. I get such a buzz from seeing my work in print. Sometimes I know in advance when my pictures are going to appear, but this time it was a complete surprise.

2010-11-16T14:05:00.001-08:00

I spotted a tree at the week end whilst at a friend's house, which I thought would make a good subject to photograph. I've not done much landscape photography of late and thought keeping it simple would be a good start. This morning there was a rolling fog and quite a heavy frost so I thought I'd go up and see how conditions were. A little more sunshine would have been good but conditions as they were seem to convey the bleak, cold weather.

2010-10-09T00:29:00.001-07:00

It's been quite a busy week at work but I think everyone is feeling the pressure of uncertainty about their jobs. This on top of everything else I am having to deal with is really making life a struggle at the moment. I seem to be holding onto so much negative energy at the moment and I really wish I could snap out if it. It's really affecting my photography too. I had two shoots to do for work and I am so disappointed in them. My confidence is so shot and my communications skills ineffective.

On a more positive note the highlight of my week was meeting a really lovely friend for lunch. We were only able to spend an hour together but she is such great company and it was so nice to see her again. This is one real positive to come out of recent events. I am now able to choose my own friends, people that I have something in common with, rather than having to listen to malicious gossip and vitriolic opinions of some of the people I used to socialise with.

So we will see what next week brings..... Soon be Christmas!

2010-08-13T13:48:00.001-07:00

I was at the cricket club yesterday. It seems to have done nothing but rain for the last few days, but on Thursday evening the sun made an appearance in the dark skies over the village. It illuminated the church next to the cricket pitch and the girls who were practicing for their charity match provided a good photo opportunity. For once I appeared to be in the right place at the right time.

For months I was unable to take any pictures due to the trauma I feel. The quality of my work suffered badly and my confidence plunged. Now without any commercial pressures I am slowly regaining my confidence, and find that taking photographs again can actually be great therapy.

2010-07-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

I met Karen Shapley again this morning at Sean Hirst Flowers in Eccleshall. Her exhibition, No Peas for Jane was finishing today and she had one or two pieces that she wanted photographing. I am happy to say, the exhibition has been very successful for Karen who is incredibly talented. This was a lovely brief to work on at the end of a rather emotional week. Thank you Karen, it has been a delightful experience, and very theraputic.

2010-07-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Over the last few years, if I don't have time to wander too far from home taking photographs, I always find something of interest at Sean Hirst Flowers in the village. A little over a week ago, Sean asked me if I would be interested in taking some pictures for local ceramic artist Karen Shapley. Sean had turned his shop over to a temporary gallery for Karen's work, which includes some amazing pottery and beautiful, original and soft furnishings. It was an honour to be asked and I found Karen delightful to work with. It was inspiring to be able to spend time with someone who is not only gifted in their field but is so driven and focussed on what they want to achieve. I hope this will be the beginning of a lasting friendship.

2010-06-06T02:23:00.000-07:00

Something very different for me this week end. A work colleague of mine is in the Sealed Knot Society and an event at the Stratford Armories yesterday gave me an excuse to go and photograph subject matter that I've never explored before. The battlefield itself was quite far away and I could really have done with a longer lens. As luck would have it, a fellow photographer was also shooting from the same spot. I laughingly use the term fellow photographer, as when he introduced himself, he was none other than John Beardsworth! I really couldn't have picked a better person to have a chat to on that day. John is an official photographer for the SK and certainly knows his trade. He has written several books on the subject and gave me a link to his website. I have perused his images this morning, and quite frankly wondered why I bothered at all yesterday! But we all have to start somewhere and he was generous enough to give me lots of useful tips. I'd highly recommend a visit to John's website at www.beardsworth.co.uk

After seeing John's work, I'm almost embarrassed to post the pictures above, but this was my first attempt. A great day and what a wonderful organisation. www.thesealedknot.org.uk

2010-05-31T09:03:00.000-07:00

It feels like months since I've been able to get my camera out and take pictures with some degree of confidence. I haven't had the same clarity or creativity in the images I've tried to take for quite a while. However, this morning I made my way to the Cheshire/Shropshire/Staffordshire border to do a family portrait. I'd never met Delphine and Jonathan before so I was feeling pretty nervous. This was compounded when I found out that Delphine was a photographer herself. So the pressure was on.

I needn't have worried. Just along the road was a perfect location, light was good and they were all perfect models. Yet to work my way through all the pictures but these are some of my favourites.

2009-09-08T05:27:00.000-07:00

Last week end was the wedding of Hannah and Rod Avery down at Naileach in the glorious Cotswolds. The day started early at the house in Bourton on the Water where Hannah and her family were all getting ready. I then went on to Cold Aston to photograph Rod and Oliver before making my way over to the church. 150 guests were present and it was fabulous to see Ed and Dom again. This wedding was as a result of their recommendation which is just great for me. The beautiful service was followed by a reception in a marquee at the farm where celebrations went on into the night.

These are just a couple of shots I've posted. My thanks to Hannah, Rod and all their family and guests for being such wonderful models and making the day so much fun.

2009-08-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a long week end in the fabulous City of Bath. On the way we stopped off to meet up with Rod and Hannah whose wedding I am photographing in a couple of weeks time. We took a few pre-wedding pictures and then went up to the church to have a good look around. I regard myself as very fortunate to have the opportunity to photograph this wedding. It's going to be absolutely beautiful.

I've recently been thinking of buying the Canon 5d Mk II. Having heard only good reports from everyone I have spoken to about it, and a need for higher ISO options, I took the plunge at Ace Cameras in Bath. I also added an 85mm lens to my kit and a new bag so I can carry all my gear around with me. Feeling very professional now and hoping to get out into the countryside this week end to see what a difference 21 megapixels really makes. At this point I'd like to thank my husband Andy. It's official, he spoils me rotten!

Pictured today are Rod, Hannah and Oliver together with the interior of the church of St Peter and St Paul. Looking forward to your big day :-)Also, thanks to Ed and Dom for the recommendation - again!!

2009-08-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

So much for a quiet Summer! I can't believe how long it is since I updated my photography blog.

I have been incredibly busy with Crete Weddings with weddings this year and numerous enquiries for 2010 and even 2011!! My photography time has been so limited but a couple of weeks ago I did a maternity shoot for a lovely couple living in the village. I don't use a studio so we had to rearrange the front room and as is always my preference, I just used the natural light which flooded the room through the window. Keeley's baby is due in less than two weeks and she's really looking forward to the birth.

2009-06-14T02:40:00.000-07:00

I have recently returned from a fabulous holiday in Crete. We went quite early in the season as I wanted to go to a wedding we had organised over there. I'd not been in Crete in May since 1987 and I had forgotten how utterley beautiful the countryside it. The fields of Olive trees were carpeted with the most beautiful Spring flowers and everywhere looked so green. I am happy to say the wedding was lovely and everyone had a really great day. Many thanks to Alison and Chris for being such wonderful clients. I have updated my website to includes some of my favourite pictures. Many of the landscape photographers were taken with my little point and shoot G10 as I wanted to see how it performed. I think to really appreciate the grandeur of the mountains a wide angled lens is best, but I was happy with the quality of the photographs it took.

2009-05-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

As the year goes on life just gets busier and busier. This is a good thing, but I would appreciate an eight-day week, but three of them would be at the week end!
A lot has been happening recently. I have a double-page feature in F2 Freelance Photographer Magazine, their April May edition. The feature includes a selection of images and discusses my experiences with a Clikpic Website.I have been asked to do quite a bit of portrait work in the next few months. I'm off to Crete shortly so it will be great to have a bit of Aegean sunshine. I have just returned home from a week on the Applecross Peninsular on the West Coast of Scotland. I have been inspired to visit this area after seeing the fantastic landscape pictures taken there by Seymore Rogansky. In the event, my week was spent in a photographers paradise, but I could have done with better weather. Still it's a chance you take in this country. I certainly had some 'interesting' skies, and it was great to do some landscape photography again. I have updated my website with some of my favourite images from the trip.

2009-04-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

We've had some great weather this week end, as yesterday M and I headed off to the Welsh Coast. We had the roof down to make the most of the sunshine and took the scenic route to Barmouth. We went via Lake Vernwy and then stopped off on the top of the hills to admire the view of the estuary. It was so clear and I had the opportunity to do some landscape photography which I always find so theraputic.

Barmouth itself had some fabulous buildings and I'd like to say thank you to Julie for the lovely meal she cooked for us. Thanks to M as well for putting up with me all day. It was a long drive but I had a really great day.

2009-04-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a glorious Easter this week end, and I was absolutely delighted to be asked my Staffordshire's premier wedding photographer, Steve Sutton, to go and work as second shooter at a wedding he had on Saturday. It was really good to work with Steve again, and I'd like to say a really big thank you. I learn so much by observing how Steve arranges his formal shots and I really admire his professional but friendly approach. He has the balance just right. These are a few of the pictures I took on the big day. You will see just what a true pro puts himself through to make sure he gets the best he possibly can out of the day. Yes, that's him up on the porch roof for the group picture!

2009-03-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

I have recently acquired a very attractive Canon G10. I wanted to have something small enough to take anywhere for those 'I wish I had my camera with me' moments. I chose the Canon G10 because it came very highly recommended. It's really strange getting used to a point and shoot again, but with it's flexibility, features and the quality of the images it takes, I'm really pleased. These were two pictures I took the other day with it.

2009-03-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Another cold but pretty Spring day. As I walked down to the village I could hear the church bells heralding a wedding. It is Mother's Day tomorrow, possibly one of the busiest week ends of the year for any florist, and Sean Hirst Flowers etc was no exception. Sean's shop was brimming with brightly-coloured blooms. A fabulous display of tulips and spring bulbs was set up outside the shop too.

2009-03-07T08:40:00.001-08:00

Despite freezing cold temperatures outside, Spring has sprung at Sean Hirst Flowers.

Yesterday, Sean had his Spring preview evening at his shop in Eccleshall. Packed full of wonderful delights and goodies with the four themes blending together prompted thoughts and day-dreams of the warmer weather to come. The shop was adorned with exotic tulips and hand-tied bouquets, sweet-smelling soaps and bathing indulgencies, coastal carvings and textured picture frames with a wonderful sense of nostalgia to remind everyone of their childhood holidays on the English coast. In the other window the pastel shades of Easter proved to be a charming and colourful display of pink and yellow. Beautiful, handmade baskets for little girls which really made me wish I was seven again. Pretty and pracitical garden ornaments and tools and finally the whole shop was lit with a stunning new selection of chandaliers. Little Sean Hirst Flowers etc was heaving with customers all evening, and having indulged, it seemed everyone retired to The Bell for a sit down and a chat. If you are passing Eccleshall, please call in and see Sean shop. It really is a treat. I took these pictures this afternoon, but when there is a bit more light I will pop back and take some interiors too.

2009-02-23T12:36:00.001-08:00

I'm really tired after a day at the NEC. It was a good day, lots to see, loads to tempt me, but in the end I was very restrained. I travelled First Class on the train to Birmingham International. It was great. However, coming home was not so good as the trains were not Virgin, but Arriva and I'm afraid they were very disappointing. Still, I got to sit in the first class lounge at Birmingham International and wait for Pam. I met up with Julie and Phil. It was good to see them both. It's been a long time since we met up.

When I got home I had received an email from Mary to let me know their website is up and running. That's great news and I wish them well with it. It's a new venture but I am sure they will be very successful.

Tim from Clikpic was happy with what I have written for an article in a forthcoming publication so I can send that off to the magazine now. A and C have confirmed their booking for next month so I'm really looking forward to that.

So, although I was feeling a little flat when I got back from the NEC I've soon bounced back with all the good news I have had this evening.

2009-02-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

I went out this morning to collect my train tickets for tomorrow's trip to Focus at the NEC. I then decided on the spur of the moment to pop up to a Wedding Fayre that was taking place at Ingestre Hall on the outskirts of Stafford. As you can see from the picture it's an outstanding venue, and a must for anyone to consider if they are getting married in Staffordshire.Click here for more information about Ingestre Hall.
I had read on Steve Sutton's blog that he was going to be there and I thought it would be good to catch up before things start to get too busy for him as the wedding season starts to get going. I can't believe that it's a year since we did our first wedding together. Invaluable experience Steve, for which I will always be very grateful to you.

2009-02-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

What a week! I have been asked to pitch for two weddings this week. One not too far from home and the other in Glasgow. Both couples sound lovely and the venues for both weddings are fabulous. I've never been to Glasgow before so it would be really cool to be able to add this to my portfolio.

In addition to this I've been approached by another magazine wanting to run a double-page feature on my website. When I first set up my site I never dreamt that it would have the success that it has. I appeared in the Clikpic advertisements for twelve months, and thanks to Google Analytics I can track, that in the year ending 17 January 2009 I had 121,000 visitors from 175 different countries, visiting my site. I have to supply about ten pictures for the feature and write upto 700 words on how having a website has benefited my business.

We had quite a bit of snow this week and yesterday after work, I managed to scramble up the field and photograph my Oak Tree in the snow. It was so peaceful up there. Tracks in the snow belonging to hares, and pheasants were great to see, but the best part of my visit was seeing a hare run across the snow. That was really beautiful.

This picture is one I took of a wedding guest at Laura's and Robbie's wedding at the end of last year.

2009-01-31T11:20:00.000-08:00

I was very moved this week when I read Jonathan Chritchleys account of how last weeks terrible storms had damaged the area of South West France that Jonathan calls home. I hope he won't mind me sharing it with you.

"THE GREAT STORM At 4 a.m. in the morning of Saturday 24th January winds of over 170km per hour battered the coast of south west France, ripping rooves from houses, felling power and phone lines and causing absolute devastation throughout a million acres of pine forest. Most of the damage was done in that first 5 minutes. One million people left without electricity and water, 5 dead and many more injured, the true extent of the damage still not possible to determine. My house, bearing the brunt of these winds, remarkably remained completely intact, and although power has only today (wednesday 28th) been reconnected, we count ourselves as being well and truly amongst the lucky ones. Friends lost their homes, cars and businesses in those first fateful minutes, the ensuing insurance backlog too terrifying to contemplate. The local people have been incredible, their resilience honed by a hundred such storms, their goodwill and concern for others a testament to their humanity and integrity. They put their neighbours first, bringing water, food and blankets, coming with chainsaws and generators to free homes from the weight of great pines - all this with no hint of expectancy, completely selfless, slightly embarassed when thanked: 'C'est normale...' they say, shaking hands and moving off to the next home in need. I'm proud of these people, and glad I live here."

Very little happening on the photographic front at the moment. I'm looking forward to Focus at the end of February and the first signs that Spring is round the corner is peeping through the soil in the garden.

I was at Sean Hirsts on Monday evening. He has some of my favourite cakes in the shop at the moment. They have no calories!

A wedding bouquet had come back to the shop after a wedding-dress shoot so we took a few pictures in the shop.

2009-01-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

I've decided I don't much like January. I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, but we are already half way through and Spring gets closer with every day.

I've started to try and help a good friend of mine improve her photography skills. B has always had a really good eye for a picture and it won't take much before she's really good. Obviously there's not much I can teach her, but it's good fun trying and by the sound of things she's enjoying it, which is really good. This picture of the school hat was my favourite of the first assignment I set for her, where the theme was 'childhood'

I've not taken any pictures myself for ages, but today I ventured as Sean's shop to take some pictures of all the beautiful things he has in there. I'm really looking forward to his website going live because then I can share this little Staffordshire treasure with the big wide world!

Sean's got some great ideas for Spring and I can't wait to see the fabulous displays he will have in the shop.

2008-12-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a lady who told me she was interested in selling my work. I met up with M and her business Partner D this afternoon after work. I thought the meeting went really well. They have an excellent retail background and now run a very successful business. This side of their services is new to them both and they are clearly highly motivated, very knowlegable and I was very impressed by what they had to say. They were extremely complimentary about my pictures and I think we would work really well together. Their project sounds very exciting and I am flattered to have been considered.

Today's picture is from the wedding I did in the Cotswolds a couple of weeks. I have been playing around with layers in Photoshop. It was just an idea I had. Laura Ashley were selling packs of small pieces of wallpaper which were perfect for what I wanted to experiment with. I scanned in the pattern, overlayed it onto the picture, reduced the opacity and then erased the top layer around the bride. I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts. I'm still experimenting as I thought it might be quite effective to 'decorate' negative space in an image, or as in this case, to add interest to a wall.

2008-12-08T01:20:00.000-08:00

I'm exhausted after a very busy week end. L and R were married on Saturday in a beautiful church in the Cotswolds. I am so lucky to be asked to photography weddings in this lovely corner of England. The weather was wonderful. It was chilly but dry. L and R looked fantastic and the Scottish men all turned up in their kilts. It was fabulous. I didn't realise that L is the daughter of a former English Rugby international, so now I'm asking myself if that makes me a 'celebrity wedding photographer'.

E and D, who's wedding I photographed in July were guests at the wedding. It was great to see them again. Married life is obviously suiting them very well indeed.

L and R, thank you so much for asking me to be part of your wonderful day. The bridesmaids carried ornamental cabbages rather than flowers. Their beautiful rich purple matched the bridesmaid's dresses perfectly.

2008-11-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

We braved the mist and fog today and headed South to the Cotswolds to check out the venue of a wedding I am photographing next week end. I had a chat with the bride L this week and I'm really excited about it. I checked out the church which is very pretty and then went on to the reception venue. Later in the day I went back to Worcestershire and presented E and D with their wedding album. I am so pleased they liked it so much.

So now I need to get myself prepared for next week. I hope it's a bit warmer than it was today!

2008-11-29T13:24:00.000-08:00

This morning I went out to take some pictures with a friend of mine who is putting a photographic competition together. It's just for fun at our annual Christmas Party. So we spent an hour or so wandering around the village taking pictures. It was so cold, and damp. The light was terrible, but we pretty much managed to get what we needed. My efforts were rewarded with a hot chocolate and a brownie at the coffee shop, so it was well-worth it.

2008-11-27T12:06:00.001-08:00

Two great things happened today. Firstly, I've been asked to do another wedding in July of next year. I am really thrilled about it as it has come as a result of photographing the christening which I did earlier this year. I have also been asked by a publisher if they can try out one of my pictures for magazine cover. I'm not really sure how to proceed with this as I have never been asked before. I'll just have to wait and see how things progress.

This is a picture I took down on the beach at Exmouth during my recent trip to Devon. I think I'm going to try a bit more mono photography for a while, just to see what 'develops'. The light this morning on my way to work was amazing. It was almost bronze and lit a row of poplar trees against a dark grey dramatic sky. My camera of course was back at the house!! grrrrr

2008-11-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

I went to Devon at the week end to see my very best friend B, my God-daughter H,and her little sister G. It's been far too long since I saw them and I can't believe how grown up the girls are! Although it has been a number of years since I last saw B, it felt like it had only been a few months. It was really great to see how well they are all doing. B has done a wonderful job, and brought up two gorgeous girls.

We had a chance to go out photographing together a couple of times which was good fun and I had the chance to help H with her art homework. I really enjoyed that. Many thanks B for a lovely week end. Hope to see you all again soon. I've attached an image of the three young ladies, and the BW image is my God-daughter.

2008-11-08T08:05:00.001-08:00

Last week I went to the home of my good friend Y to take some portait pictures of her and her husband J. I wasn't feeling brilliant on the day but they were such good models. They are holidaying in France at the moment so are yet to see them, but I am hopeful they will be able to select one picture to send to Y's brother and his wife in the USA.

I saw my beautiful friend NH last night. I was really pleased that she agreed to sit for me so I can do some more pictures. I built a website for an artist on Thursday evening. This was something that was long overdue. It will 'go live' in a couple of days. I really hope she likes it.

2008-10-04T11:27:00.001-07:00

Autumn is definitely drawing in. It was so cold today! Crete seems a long way away now and I am very envious of my friend Becky who text me this morning from a beach on the South Coast. It would be really great to go back to Crete purely to take pictures with Becky. I think we'd have a good laugh. I might suggest it when she gets back.

This is one of my favourite pictures from my recent visit to Rethymnon. This beautiful old door is hidden away in the back streets of the old port,and is just the kind of thing I like to photograph.

2008-09-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

I've recently come back from twelve days in Crete. We had a really nice time and it was great to go to one of the weddings I helped to arrange in Rethymnon. F and D were a really great couple and I hope you have a wonderful life together.

I started a new day job today. I'm working with a really nice group of people who made me feel very welcome. Most of my duties seem to be varied and interesting which is just what I was looking for.

I took loads of pictures when we were in Crete but I've yet to upload them onto the site. This picture though is of my very good friend who I work with over in Crete when we are arranging the weddings. He is truly a great guy and I think this picture brings out his kind and generous nature.

2008-09-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

I've had a lovely chat with L this evening. L was a guest at the wedding I photographed for D and E. After seeing the pictures from that wedding L has asked me to photograph her own wedding when she gets married to R on the 6th December. They have chosen a fabulous location for their wedding in Wocestershire, and I am really looking forward to doing it.

The picture for today is another I took in the Dordogne. At the back of the outbuildings at a Chateau we visited. I loved the earthy tones of the wall and the roof tiles. The Dude in the hat is my husband.

2008-08-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a week in The Dordogne. What a beautiful, picturesque part of France it is. We were staying in the rolling hills around Eymet, about half an hour's drive from Bergerac. It was very rural and our farmhouse was absolutely charming. The weather was fantastic, clear blue sunny skies ending in an amazing electric storm last night. Thunder and Lightening crashed in the skies above us for six hours. It was a spectacular site. Much food was consumed, along with copious amounts of wine. I have to say, my friend J, is definitely the best person I know to go on a self-catering holiday with! What a cook!

I managed to take a few pictures, but it soon became apparent how rusty my landscape skills are becoming. I wonder if it's time for another Jonathan Chritchley workshop holiday?

Today's picture was taken at about 7.30am, from the lane outside the farmhouse. The mist was still hanging in the valleys and it was unbelievably peaceful.

2008-08-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

I am delighted that E and D are pleased with their wedding photographs. D has told me that she has had some wonderful comments about them. This is really good news. The biggest surprise of all, was a lovely message I received from a friend of D's asking if I would be interested in photographing her own forthcoming marriage in December. I would be absolutely delighted to do this, so I am hoping we will be able to have a chat when I return from France next week.

It's been a busy old time recently and I am looking forward to getting out into the rural countryside of the Dordogne and taking some landscape pictures. Very theraputic. When I get back I have a less than two weeks and I will be off to Crete for more photography.

Today's pictures are more from E and D's beautiful wedding.

2008-08-17T04:26:00.000-07:00

I have finally finised the draft disc for E and D's beautiful wedding. I'll post it off to them tomorrow.

I'm really looking foward to seeing how some of the pictures look in print and to putting the album together for them.

The other bit of news is.... I have a new day job. Still with the same employer, but a job which is much more 'me'. I will be working as Admin Support to the External Relations Team. There will be quite a bit of marketing included in my duties which is why I really wanted to take on the role. Our Marketing Manager is a great lady. Her enthusiasm and zest for what she does is inspiring.

The picture I've attached to this post is of one of the bridesmaids from the wedding. I loved the colours, just a filler shot but quite pretty.

2008-08-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

I have spent the evening editing pictures of D and E's wedding. I really hope they like them. There are some pictures I am pretty chuffed with and I'm looking forward to adding my own personal touches to the images I took.

I had an email from JC yesterday. I'd not heard from him for a while so it was good to catch up. Sadly he's not too well at the moment but hopefully he'll make a full recovery soon.

I'm looking forward to going to France in a couple of weeks and then Crete next month. A whole week of photographing the Cretan landscape as well as a couple of weddings we have arranged.

Today's picture is another from my recent trip to Skiathos. The beautiful beach at Koukounaries.

2008-08-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

I've not really had time to update my blog since returning from my holiday to Greece. Skiathos was a lovely island and I think we managed to see most of it in our little hire car. Our beautiful villa was perched on the hill overlooking Skiathos Town and most days were spent lying by the pool watching the boats in the harbour.

It was a much needed break. This picture was taken at Agia Eleni beach. We were the wrong side of the island for the sunsets so we headed West to this little beach and watched the sun slip out of sight behind the Greek Mainland.

2008-06-24T10:45:00.001-07:00

I was recently contacted by a freelance journalist who was writing a feature for Advanced Photoshop Magazine. His feature was all about websites for artists and photographers. He wrote to ask me if he could use a couple of my images to support his editorial. I was very flattered to be asked as this is a really good quality publication. The magazine will be published on 17th July. The Editor of the magazine selected three of my images one of which was the picture of Caitlyn, I took at a recent Christening.

2008-06-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Terrible weather today, meant there was little point in popping down to the Victorian Street Market in the village to take a few pictures. I'd have got my precious camera wet! I pity anyone who had a wedding today. So I did some housework for a change.

Today's pictures are two from a shoot I did last week for a local wine merchant. JG has such a photogenic face. With only the light coming through the shop window, I was a bit restricted regarding location but it worked for me to get the effect I was after. Touchstone Wines in Stone, have a fabulous selection of wines and J was kind enough to share a bottle of the best pink fizzy stuff I have tasted. I think I might get some for next week end. I was pleasantly surprised to see he even has a few Greek wines in stock.

2008-06-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

I have had this evening to myself which has given me the opportunity to edit the pictures I took a few weeks ago of E and D. What is it about Baby's eyes. They are so bright and clear. D has her father's eyes, they are so blue, and E takes after her mother with eyes that are such a rich dark brown they look almost black.

2008-06-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

I had such a lovely afternoon today. I went over to a see a client who had asked me to take some pictures for a new business she is setting up. E has had a great idea to start teaching parents how to massage their infants. It's a fascinating concept, and really helps with the baby's development as well as strengthening the bond between parent and child. S, a friend from the village joined us with her gorgeous son L. I can't believe how quickly he's grown! E has a beautiful daughter, M who just loves having her picture taken. The time went by so fast, but we got some shots that I think will fulfill the brief, as well as a few little extras.

Before going home, I called in to see some old friends who we've not seen for ages. C and C also have a very pretty little girl and I hope to be doing some pictures of her if I get the chance. She is beautiful. It was really nice to see them again. Friends are so important, and it remined me, that no matter how busy I am, I should always make time for friends.

Today's pictures are a selection from the ones I took today.

2008-06-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

My photography has taken a bit of a back seat lately, as I'm pretty busy at work and also, the weddings in Crete are keeping me tied to the computer a fair bit at the moment too. However, I did go out in the pouring rain to photograph a christening for a colleague at work. Because of the weather all the pictures had to be taken indoors. I don't use flash, so I was very lucky that the church window was positioned just over the font and flooded the back of the church with sufficient light. I was holding my camera, and had it set on a very high ISO as I wanted the pictures to look quite grainy. I've printed a contact sheet and S will see them for the first time tomorrow. I hope she likes them. There were a lot of children at the christening, which was great, as some of them really liked having their pictures taken. This was one of my favourite picture that I took on the day.

2008-05-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

I had a most enjoyable morning yesterday. I took a few pictures of the children of some friends of ours. E is 4 and little D is just a baby. They were both very pretty and so well behaved. It was a good session and I'm pleased with the results. Then this evening I found a message on my website from a lady living nearby. EC was enquiring about the possibility of taking some pictures to promote her new baby massage business. What a wonderful idea. We've set a date and I'm really looking forward to the shoot at the start of June. I had a look on the internet at the benefits of baby massage. It must be a wonderful experience for parents and children. I wish EC lots of luck with her venture, and if I can help with the pictures, that's going to be great.

Today's picture is of E's toes from Sunday. Nothing cuter than ten little piggies.

2008-05-15T13:38:00.001-07:00

Early May is time for bluebells and the Tuesday after the Bank holiday was beautiful, so I made my way to the woods near Aqualate in Shropshire. I thought it might be quite busy as it's a well-known spot, but in the event, I had the place almost to myself. Just me, and the wildlife. I took loads of pictures and I've not really had time to sort them all out yet.

2008-05-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

What started off as a dull has turned out to be a beautiful day. Really warm and sunny here in Staffordshire and a beautiful day for anyone getting married. No wedding photography for me today, and I have to say, I have really missed it :(

I had an email this week from a writer for DWPeople Magazine. This is an in-house monthly publication and they want to run a feature on me and my photography. The writer and I subsequently had a quick chat on the phone yesterday and managed to get a bit of suitable material together. I have to send a few pictures in to go with the feature which I think will be published later in the year. A lack of a wedding has given me the opportunity to get back to doing some landscape and detail pictures. The pictures above daisies (obviously!) which are growing on a grassy bank not far from home.

2008-04-27T10:20:00.001-07:00

I photographed a lovely wedding with S yesterday. It was such great fun. The bride and groom were a lovely couple and their family's and guests all helped to make it a really great day. The wedding ceremony took place in a church in Stafford and then we went to a local golf club for the reception. It was a beautiful setting. We were really lucky with the weather too. The forecast was really quite gloomy, but in the end the day was just right for a Spring wedding. My picture is of S, who I am sure will kill me when he sees it ;-)

2008-04-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Up and out this morning to the Peach Gallery in Stafford. I was meeting my glamourous friend NH there. N was choosing a frame and mount for a picture I took of her beautiful house. I have to say, I was really impressed. She chose well, and I can't wait to see the finished product. After going our own separate ways I dropped off my cards at Sean's shop. It's been a gorgeous Spring Day today and I returned to the Shop this afternoon to take some pictures.

My lovely friend J and I are trying to arrange a date for her to come down to visit the shop but with us both being so busy at the weekends at the moment it's proving difficult. So, just for you J, here is a little taster. Hope you'll be able to see it for yourself soon.

2008-04-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

A week off work is just what I need to catch up on everything. Today, was cause for celebration in my house when I finally worked out what I was doing wrong with Nero. Everyone was telling me it was such a simple package to use but being a real technophobe, I was getting nowhere with it, fast. But this morning I managed to download some JPEGS from Saturdays wedding, and I jumped in the car to take them round to Steve's house. When I arrived Steve was trying to catch a chicken that had escaped from the house next door! I didn't expect to see that I can tell you! He was able to download my pictures from the disc without any problems so that was good news. I popped into the Paperhouse to buy some cellophane envelopes for the cards and when I got home I packed them all up ready to drop off at Shaun's shop in the morning. I hope he likes them. Whilst I was packing the cards I called my friend Julie. We had a good old natter about wedding photography and a good old girly gossip about a couple of mutual aquaintances.

I then went down to the Coffee Shop in my village and met my glamourous friend Nicola for a hot chocolate, and a catch up. I didn't realise that the Jeff Ascough had taken the wedding pictures when Nicola married her husband. I was well impressed. After having a good look at his site I decided I needed more portrait practise. Unfortunately there was no-one around so I had to make to with my very reluctant model.

2008-04-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

A busy day photographically speaking yesterday. I went to Shaun's shop just after lunch to photograph some special roses he's had. They were so perfect! It was just a quick visit though as I was on my way to Steve's house so we could go to the Registry Office to photograph a wedding. Another freezing cold and windy day, but the wedding party all put on brave faces. The Registrars at Stafford Registry Office are so lovely, and it was a very sweet ceremony. One of the family members read out a passage from Captain Corellis Mandeline. He was only a young lad, and he read beautifully. The bride and groom posed for pictures around the Registry Office steps and then in St Martins Street. Steve, certainly knows how to make the most of the venue. We then went off to Stone for a few more photographs at the Reception Venue.

Today was the first wedding where I used my Canon 5d. It was fabulous. I'm really pleased with the quality of the pictures.

When I got home my Moo Cards had arrived. They are fantastic. Exactly what I was looking for! A big thank you to my friend Julie Mann for telling me about them.

Today's picture is of one of Shaun's special roses.

2008-04-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

More pictures of flowers today. I need to get used to my new camera before a wedding next week end. This morning was a bit too dull and overcast really and the results were not particuarly impressive. Colours were flat and there wasn't quite enough contrast in the pictures despite my rescue attempts in Lightroom and Photoshop. However, this afternoon the sun came out and I managed to get sufficient pictures for my needs. I zapped them off to Moo Cards and ordered some prints for the cafe from DSCL. I'll need to contact The Peach Gallery tomorrow and get some more frames ordered.

Finally, I managed to design and order my Maternity Portrait post cards. So all in all it's been a good week end for clearing projects that were long overdue. I spoke to Steve Sutton this evening. He's so funny, he really makes me laugh. Unfortunately there was a problem with a disc I burned last week, so I'm going to have another go using Nero later in the week. Todays picture of one of the flowers I bought at Shaun's yesterday.

2008-04-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's a wedding free week end this week end and I was scheduled to take some baby pictures. Unfortunately the baby concerned wasn't too well and we had to postpone. So I was able to give my undivided attention to Shaun Hirst Flowers. I needed to take more pictures so I can finish off the display in the coffee shop. Shaun had done three more arrangements in tea cups for me and they were really pretty. He also did some tulips in a sundae glass as well. Considering he didn't like the glass very much he did a great job, and the tulips looked like ice-cream. I used both my new camera and my old camera with the 60mm macro lens attached. The colour reproduction with the 5d was amazing. I was quite pleased with what I did this evening but I think I'll have another go tomorrow too. Shaun had some good news for me. All the cards I put into the shop sold and he would like me to do some more. Now I have found Moo Cards (thanks to my friend The Compulsive Worrier) I think I will give them a try. Shaun has now dressed his shop for the Spring/Summer season. The shop looks amazing with the colourful flowers and the tasteful and innovative accessories he has. Buying for the shop must be really good fun. He has such a good eye. We are so lucky to have him in the village.

Shaun regularly changes his window display and has some really great ideas for the next few months. He has offered me the most fantastic opportunity to do something with the shop. I'm really excited about it and I will write more as things develop.

2008-04-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

My new camera!

2008-04-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

The week end flew by with busy days photographing two weddings. Saturday's wedding brought difficult lighting conditions as the sun was very bright, and it was so cold and windy, I don't think anyone wanted to hang around for long having their pictures taken. S took some amazing pictures during the service. One of my favourites was a picture he took using a fish-eye lens. He was able to get all the detail of the beautiful church, the bride and groom and pretty much all of the congretation. The venue for the reception was Sandon Hall. This is also a magnificant venue with plenty of wonderful backdrops both inside and outside.

The wedding on Sunday was at a local hotel. I woke up to snow on the ground but by midday most of it had melted away. For the first time I was working off two cameras, S's Nikon and my own little Canon 350d. There was a great atmosphere at this wedding which I hope I captured in the pictures I took.

Then today, I bought a new camera. I got myself a Canon 5d! I know there are rumours that Canon are replacing the 5d later this year with an upgrade, but the price they are offering on the current model, which has a really good reputation was enough to tempt me to upgrade my own gear now. S gave me some really good advice yesterday. He's been brilliant to work with. There's no way I would have been able to do justice to D and E's wedding in July without all this experience before hand.

2008-04-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

I had the day off today and did a dummy run to the church were the wedding is to be held tomorrow. It's a busy old weekend coming up, but I'm really looking forward to it. The church where tomorrows wedding is taking place is amazing inside. So beautiful, and unlike some churches, it's really warm. I guess this must be due to all the wood. To save on electricity, visitors are required to put some money in a box when they arrive to turn the lights on. When you walk into the church it's dark and you can't see too much detail other than what is illuminated by the stained glass windows. However, the lights come on to reveal stunning carvings, paintings, tiles and detail. I took a few pictures and the photograph for today is of the alter.

2008-04-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

I've had some of my pictures on show for a while at a local coffee shop. As Spring is now well under way I have had four new prints framed to replace the red flower pictures which have adorned the walls for several weeks now. This new collection is bright, fresh and presented on white double mounts with white hand painted frames. I collected them from the framers this afternoon, and I have to say, I'm really pleased with how they look. I'm going to The Coffee Cellar tomorrow morning before work to hang them up on the walls. The pictures are a collection of flower arrangements by Shaun Hirst Flowers in the village.

2008-03-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

What a lovely day I've had today. This morning I headed down to Stowe On the Wold and met up with D and E. D contacted me some time ago to enquire whether I would be interested in photographing her wedding when she marries E in July of this year. I was so incredibly flattered to be asked. We met up at the Tea Room on The Square and after a cup of Earl Grey we went to have a look around the church. What a wonderful setting for a wedding. I am so looking forward to it. D and E are such a lovely couple.

We were blessed with a lovely sunny Spring day and I took a few pictures around the church. D is planning to walk from her home through the village and upto the church on her wedding day. It really is going to be something very special indeed. I need to get as much experience as I can between now and D and E's wedding day, as I want to do the very best I can with their pictures.

After leaving Stowe I called in to see my cousin and her family who live not far away. My aunt was there too, and it was so nice to see them all. My cousin C and her husband S have two beautiful daughters and they all live in an idylic Cotswold Village. We went for a walk and then back to their beautiful house for tea and a piece of my Aunt's delicious fruit cake.

I can't remember the last time I had such a great day out.

2008-03-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

The weather over the Easter Bank Holiday has been really windy and very very cold. I did try and get out on Saturday to do a bit of landscape photography, but when I got to my destination it started to pour with rain. The wind was so stong the rain was horizontal. But I promised Mr S that whilst he was away, sunning himself in Spain, I would try and get some practise in. So yesterday, I packed up my gear and headed over to a nearby town to take some pictures of my friend and colleague JJ, with her daughter G and her granddaughter L. I was there for about an hour and a half and, as I only use natural light I was blessed with enough to use streaming through the dining room window.

2008-03-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

I've had an interesting day today. I went to the florist, Shaun Hirst Flowers this afternoon to drop off some cards I'd had printed up for sale in his shop. He suggested the next batch should be half the size which I think is a really good idea, but I'm going to have to find a different supplier for my printing. I'm using Photobox at the moment for the A5 cards which is okay, but their A6 size cards have borders and no space for me to put Shaun's logo. His idea is that all the people who contribute to his shop will become 'at Shaun Hirst'. This means my cards will need to say 'Caroline Harris at Shaun Hirst'. Cool! Whilst I was in the shop I also collected two arrangements that he had done for me to photograph. The light in the back garden was lovely this afternoon so I took a few shots to make the most of the late afternoon sunshine.

I've heard from DS today regarding her wedding photographs. DS contacted me a little while ago on the off-chance I did wedding photography after she had found my website. I'm hoping to see her sometime soon as I appreciate that she and her husband-to-be really need to get things finalised for their wedding plans. On the subject of weddings and photography, last weekend I finally managed to find some shoes. They were just what I was looking for so I'm really pleased.

2008-03-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

Monday and Tuesday this week were quite possibly two of the most interesting days I have had since I started working in my current job fifteen years ago! Shortly before Christmas I was approached my the Marketing Manager at my office to request the co-operation of local employers so we could take pictures for inclusion on our corporate image bank. I really wanted to be part of this brief so with the kind permission of the Management I have spent the last two days working with the Department's Brand Manager, and two professional photographers from London.

It's been an amazing two days and has given me a real insite into the imagination, persistance and hard work it takes to be a successful commercial photographer.

On the Monday we were able to take a selection of images on a construction site, in an office environment and at a foundry manufacturing industrial heating systems. I am so very greatful to all the staff working for the employers we contacted. We were able to take some superb pictures, which will soon be enhancing corporate marketing materials.

Tuesday we visited a local supermarket, a cafe and a furniture factory. Whilst every effort was made to minimise disruption of the working day for all concerned, our presence would have obviously caused a degree of inconvenience for those who signed up. On a personal note I would like to say a really big thank you to everyone.

2008-03-09T14:18:00.001-07:00

It has been such a busy week end! Yesterday, I assisted Photographer Steve Sutton at a wedding in a local church. The couple who were getting married were delightful. I really did feel it was a privilege to be part of their special day. The Met Office had given us warnings of bad weather but we were really lucky to avoid any rainfall until the evening. The families of the bride and groom as well as all the guest were just great. It was a long day, and again I was impressed with the level of Steve's professionalism. Whilst Steve was organising the formal pictures I took the candid and casual images of the guests and members of the families. There were some spectacular hats and everyone looked just fabulous. The day was a reminder of how very special a traditional English wedding is. The reception was held at a venue about a quarter of an hour away, which also provides an impressive backdrop for more wedding photographs. Steve and I stayed until the guests were due to sit down to eat, and at that point we went back to Steve's house to download what we had taken so far. We even managed to get a bite to eat ourselves, thanks to the kindness of Steve's wife, J.

At 5.00pm we returned to the reception to take a 'dusk' shot. The new Mr and Mrs left their guests momentarily and Steve, arranged for all the lights on the inside of the building to be switched on. The building was magical. I held a video light which illuminated the couple sufficiently in the foreground and Steve took the pictures he needed. By the time I got home and downloaded all the pictures here, I was sooo tired! I don't think anyone should underestimate what hard work being a good wedding photographer is!

Still on the theme of weddings, I attended a Wedding Fair at Sandon Hall (see picture) today, again with Steve. Although he is booked up for the rest of this year, people are already planning their weddings for next year. It was really well-attended. Sandon Hall is a wonderful location for anyone wanting to get married in Staffordshire. http://www.sandonhall.co.uk/

2008-03-06T10:00:00.001-08:00

I only had to work for half a day in the office this morning as I was scheduled to go up to Hanley to take some interior pictures of a new building. En-route during my lunch hour, I stopped off and Mr S house to have a look at the pictures from the wedding last Saturday. He gave me a few tips on where I needed to think about my composition. Some pictures that I had taken were a bit too 'landscape photographer' LOL. However, I think he was fairly pleased overall. We discussed the possibility of taking pictures in RAW next time so I can try out my editing skills. I think this will be an interesting exercise and the end product might be quite different in style.

The interiors shoot went fairly well. The new office in Hanley is pretty similar to ours but bigger. I did some all over pictures and some detail shots aswell.

When I got home I went to the village to take a picture that I've been meaning to do for a while. I'll try it again in the Summer when there is more interesting light at the end of the alleyway.

2008-03-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

Just recently I have had a number of requests from people to restore pictures. I am quite a patient person by nature and I do quite enjoy doing this. It's very time consuming and at the moment I am scanning over seventy pictures for a colleague, NS, at work. Once all the pictures have been scanned and restored, the plan is to have them made in to a book. This will then be given to my colleagues parents as a Golden Wedding Anniversary present. The pictures are a wonderful collection of the lives of her parents from childhood to the present day. NS is about the same age as me and many of the photographs of her childhood remind me of my own. It will be a lovely gift for her parents when it is done.

On the subject of childhood, my brother and sister-in-law sent today's picture to me. This is my youngest newphew E. Such a handsome little chap and I can't believe how fast he is growing up.

In the beginning......

2008-03-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

My first blog entry. Yesterday was Mother's Day. It was the first time I've had a daughter in the house to make a fuss of me. N is my husband's daughter by his first marriage, and she's gorgeous. She's staying with us for a while and for the first time ever I feel like I have a family of my own. Freddie, my much loved and much photographed cat loves her beacuase it means there's an extra person in the house to feed him!

We are blessed in the village where I live with a wonderful new florist. For Mother's Day Shaun Hirst produced some very pretty Spring flower arrangements in retro cups and saucers. N knew how much I wanted one because of all the subtle hints I've been dropping! On Saturday morning she came home with a lovely little double daffodil arrangement. It makes a great subject to photograph and I took a few shots, one of which I will use in my Spring Exhibition at The Coffee Cellar in Stafford.