Tomorrow tomorrow we love you, tomorrow....


....your only a daaaawaaaayyyyyy!

I never was a singer.

Getting excited and anxious about big shoot tomorrow, so much time and effort goes into planning that it is a nervous wait until the day and in all honesty, until I start shooting. Even then you can guarantee i will be snapping away for an hour before I relax and the vibe is going. Fingers crossed I get some awesome pics, that is what worries me most!

As a little experiment and also cos I just think its a cool idea (even if I do say so myself!) I have got 4 disposable cameras that will be making there way round tomorrow. They are dedicated to people so we can also get their perspective on the day....should be interesting!!

Till tomorrow when I will be here in tears......of joy or fear I don't know which!!


Pass me that straight jacket......


What does it take to organize a fashion shoot?
Let me tell you - insanity!

I do not know what other photographers or make up artists or anyone creative does to increase their portfolio in terms of testing and how they go about arranging shoots but it seems like a never ending process with so may ins and outs. There is just so much to arrange.

Models, MUAs, Hair stylist, wardrobe stylist, designer, accessories, shoes, props, location, food and of course logistics and getting everyone there. It doesn't sound like a lot but think about it just for a moment, all those little things....yea....lots to do.

I have almost everything ready now. Gazebo to store the clothes in (we are outside so need protection for le wonderful designers garments), clothes rail, floor covering, chairs for models etc to sit on while make up happening; generator for lights but also for any electrical hair equipment. I have lunch arranged - thank you Waitrose catering, I have the models, make up artist and assistant arriving at the same station at the same time. The stylist I am picking up afterwards. Oh, I have to get there first with all of this stuff (plus camera equipment and lights etc) to set up so my lovely mum has offered to stand watchmen. Bless, love mums.

Anyway, is this how others do it?! I suppose in the paid world there is a shoot director / organizer but so far so good I think. I am more excited about the food than anything! Oh and the chair that I am making 'distressed' tomorrow - paint and sandpaper I feel is the answer to that one.

Watch this space, I may be panicking Monday night!

Testing Testing......




I am looking for a hair stylist.....someone who is willing to work TFP Tuesday 25th August (lunch included of course!) and create stunning, creative, sculptural pieces - this is the perfect opportunity to push your creativity and get some portfolio pics.

Some bits I like.....

Email me if you are interested. I need YOU!


Editorial, wondrous, erecting, Quiche.....


My fascination with the Tea Cup pig still exists yet I am moving on a little, these things must happen I fear. I am feeling reflective today but positive, not had so much of a great time recently and am happy to share with you a couple of achievements.

One being the wondrous amount of food I managed to consume at our break yesterday from shooting a wedding. I was assisting and while the guests sat down to dine so did we. I was presented with a mountain of food - see below! Thinking I would not make my way through it was clearly a mistake, 9 minutes later and the plate was empty.


I have also been chuffed today with my more manly skills in erecting a gazebo. OK it was pop up but believe me that does not mean it just 'pops up' finished out of the bag. No, it took rather a lot of coaxing and some leg work but its up and I have practiced for my shoot next Tuesday. I brought this rather fancy cover for the fashion shoot, somewhere the models can have their make up done, get dressed and most importantly somewhere to store the lush garments I am borrowing from designer Louis de Gama. This guy is gooooood! I mean get to his website and check out the high fashion pieces from his most recent collection. I am very excited to be using such finery in design and in my up most to keep the garments fancy fresh this gazebo seemed like a worthwhile purchase. Now on with the more important things like collecting the clothes, hats and so forth and finalizing my ideas....this is the least creatively prepared I have been for a shoot so close to the date so I need to get my head down and pull out the jumbles of fairy tales and abandonment i have in my head and find a way to put them into some structure of an editorial.

Some more good news came in the form of a few emails. One a cheque is in the post - phew! Two, I have been asked to do an editorial style shoot for an e-zine in September / October and three I have been asked to shoot a cover for a fashion magazine!! I am VERY excited!!! I will indulge more when I have more certain plans as do not want to run before I can walk and am determined to only get really giddy when more is set in stone but so far....ahhhhhhhhahahhhhh!!! Ok calm. Good news and will certainly keep you guys updated either way.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and the sun!

x

Introducing 'The CupPig Bun'...

Responses to the Tea Cup Pig have thus far been constructive -

"Yummy"
"Well perfect size in a bun"
"Oooo maybe it will be the new finger food fad to serve at parties"

Based on this cooking and food enthusiasm i have constructed what I like to call........'The CupPig Bun' see below.

So you can create your very own Tiny Tea Cup pig food, I have also added a picture which includes the main elements of most burgers or bun style munchies - enjoy!



Tea Cups and snorting.....


"Yeah seriously, they fit in tea cups.
"Are they alive?! I mean really, they cant be that small its stupid. Noooo they are pretend."
"No honestly Beauts, they breed them like that. I have been thinking of stealing some children just so I have an excuse to visit the farm."
"They actually fit in a tea cup. I bet they have really small poops."

A snippet from an earlier phone conversation and my discovery of a tea cup pig. There is a farm in Devon somewhere and you can see them, tea cups and all. I am getting the diary out. This is serious stuff.....a tea cup and a pig.

What sicko thought of that?!



Raw Conversions.....

This week I have mostly been....no on a serious note I have been seriously struggling with Light-room and CS3. They are supposed to be compatible but seriously I swear it is way harder than it should be and all of this Raw File conversation is sending me through the roof! I think it is time to learn a little more about light-room as I am sure there must be huge benefits to using it, bar the fact of course that you can forget CS3 for colour management and exposure etc as Light-room does offer fantastic facilities in order to this and I personally find them a lot easier to use.
Anyway if you have experienced any of the same shizzle then get to Adobe and download the free Camera Raw plugin for Photoshop:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3821

To come....Chocolate Blonde Interview and installments of 'Stish.' What is this I hear you cry....you will be gutted you missed out if you don't watch this space!!


Childhood memories with Louis de Gama....

If you have not yet heard of Louis de Gama then I strongly recommend you visit his website and sample some of the beautiful garments he has designed.

His latest Autumn Winter 09 collection is full of lace, ruffles and layers and reminds me of playful games of 'Tea and Biscuits' as a child or the gentle fingering of the intricate fabric which adorned my grandmothers dressing table. Memories are childish but beautiful, careful and emotional and all of this from just looking at images of the garments - not even having felt the soft fabrics or feminine frills. Sentimental but totally delicious - check them out here.



(Pictures courtest of www.louisdegama.com)



There to be broken....


I am a firm believer in rules are there to be broken, i speak here in terms of photography and art. Of course in life, some rules you really are better off not breaking (like shooting your school bully in the back with a pistol or running naked through your local supermarket)

I say this because sometimes people are too caught up in what is 'meant' to be or how they got taught it 'this way or that way' so it must be right. Plop. Who says it must be right. Who says that this looks better than that. Art, photography, fashion - its all just a matter of opinion. Guidelines yes are useful and those age old methods we are all familiar with do come into play, they would not be around still today if somebody didn't think they were useful - but that doesn't mean you have to do it that way or you cant experiment yourself.

This does not mean you should not be aware of the rules or not have knowledge of them, thats not what I'm saying, I mean you need to know what your breaking first. Its just You just are allowed to break them!

Fashion photography is all about experimentation and some of the best and well know photographers are just that because they have stepped outside of the box and tried other things. Yes - once they have understood the rules they are stamping all over them!

Here are a few things other artists or photographers have to say on the matter:

Pro Fashion Photographer Adriana Curcio
Whomever said “rules are meant to be broken,” was on the right track. I was taught the correct way to light my subjects, and for a long time that’s what I did. After a few fortunate accidents, I realized there’s something to be said about high contrast, and dramatic lighting. Not everything needs to be lit just so, or be perfectly flattering. Bend and break the rules, and see what you find. You will surprise yourself.
http://digital-photography-school.com

Pro Fashion Photographer Jake Garn
I learned that the rule of thirds may actually be just a lazy man’s sham. That’s right, I said it… a lazy sham! On the surface the rule of thirds doesn’t really make a ton of sense, I mean why would a composition broken up into three equal parts be innately more appealing than any other random spattering in a composition?
http://jakegarn.com/

Pro Photographer Ellen Von Unworth
I think its important to know what you want. I'd rather go into the street with my camera and go click, click. For me thats more important than having the perfect light or exposure.
'Image Makers Image Takers'

Andrew Goodall Pro Photographer
In photography, you will find that rules help you in the beginning, and some rules will stay with you throughout your career. The trick is to understand when the rules don't apply, or when you should choose to ignore them. This is the type of knowledge that can't easily be taught. It comes with experience, and is what gives you individuality as a photographer.

The rule of thirds is an excellent guide for a beginner learning about composition. Photos that are taken according to the Rule Of Thirds appear balanced. They satisfy our natural sense of visual order and simply look 'right.' Unfortunately, the world is not so easily organised as the rule, so it is impossible in nature to take every photo this way. Moreover, sometimes you may decide to ignore the rule, giving more impact to the photo by shaking up the normal balance of the composition.

Knowing and following the rules will make you a good photographer. Choosing how and when to break them will make you even better.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Creative-Photography---Rules-Are-Made-to-Be-Broken&id=1486722

Pete Williams Pro Photographer
Composition in photography is far from a science, and as a result all of the 'rules' should be taken with a pinch of salt. If they don't work in your scene, ignore them; if you find a great composition that contradicts them, then go ahead and shoot it anyway. But they can often prove to be spot on, and are worth at least considering whenever you are out and about with your camera.

(image courtesy of www.gallowmere.com)



Radeedaaa de plop de poo, show me work & get a photooo....


....Well it kind of rhymed.

Not a lot to say apart from WHEN will my marketing work - WHAT am I doing wrong - WHO is going to book me for some jobs and - WHY am I not half as busy as i want to be. I have the passion, the fight and yet still I seem to be getting nowhere. At what point do you give up?!

I can take pics and not bad one's at that.

Am I utilizing my contacts as well as I should?

You lot out there - need some pics?

Donations of money, hugs, enthusiasm or connections welcome.

Oh, check out my site if you fancy. Its all new and shiny and has lots of new piccies on it.

(Pic courtesy of www.nataliedee.com)

Naked People & Diary disasters...



I have a tendency to overbook myself. Not because I am unable to use a diary (although I swear if my blackberry linked to my Mac it would make my life a whole much easier!) but just because I find it really hard to say no. I want to do everything, see everyone, commit to all kinds of clubs and meetings, socials and networking events or just helping out my rentals do some cleaning. But I say yes and then fail to contemplate I have already said yes to 3 other things on that very same night. It's like I don't even realize I am doing it, not of course that somehow that justifies it.

Anyway, today I begin by paying more attention to the colour coded labels in my diary, the amount of time it will take me to edit things, the fact that no next Tuesday I had already promised somebody else I would help to construct an Ikea bookshelf and help clear out the spare room so yes, I am already busy.

This new enthusiasm for reliability and determination to get further organized is a sure indicator I feel I need to do better in my business. It is also a sign that I am just trying to improve things which can't be a bad thing. Either way it should produce positive results but still leaves me with a slight sour feeling in my mouth as it is also admitance that things need to improve and therefore have been not so great in the past.

Dwell not I reassure myself and look forward to tomorrow and the positive steps I can make there too! (Pass me those incense sticks and tarot cards)

On to some pleasing news I am getting more hits on my blog, my new website seems to be attracting some lovely comments and great feedback (thank you and if you haven't taken a browse yet check it out, I would love your thoughts) and I have definitely finished both the Chocolate Blonde and the TwoWeeks Charity Event editing. Yay! All pictures to follow once clients have previewed. Oooo on top of that actually I have a special interview with Ms Chocolate Blonde herself so keep watching.

Oh, I also got sent a picture today which featured a male and his genitalia, it wasn't some medical thing or even junk mail but a model portfolio - now where is that diary so I can get him booked in! (I joke here, Carli-Art does not make a habit of taking pictures of naked humans or animals, it makes me feel a little funny.)

C x

The return to Enlightenment...


Back from a much needed break although expecting to return to enlightenment, ideas of fantastic business ventures and a clear head for editing and job hunting has not happened. Maybe it was the wine, the country air or the 2 and a half hour walk to the 'local' pub. Who knows but until I can produce something useful.....I'm off. See you soon (About an hour then when I get bored of actually working!)