Summer Fairytale

Some images from a client shoot last year. How gorgeous is little Romy? She was a pleasure to photograph, really took to being a woods fairy and her parents did an amazing job with the styling.

The Daydream

Let it be known: I am the worst blogger in existence and very behind on posts. I just made a word document (complete with highlighting and all sorts) listing every shoot I should have blogged about in the last year and there is one for every day of the summer holidays so keep your eyes peeled.

In the last year a lot has happened. I moved back down to Cardiff in Wales from Newcastle in North East England, started supply teaching again and essentially have had to re-brand and start from scratch with my photography. No earth shattering tragedy prompted my moving, it was simply time to move on go where the work is so to speak.

Enough about me anyway I’m sure you’d like to see some lovely pretty pictures? Well then Dr Charis recommends pretty pre-raphaelite pictures as a cure for this rainy and gloomy Monday (Isn’t it supposed to be July??)

Model: Sophie Natrass

Make up and hair: Emma Louise Hair and Make up Artistry

Flowers by The Floral Quarter Newcastle

Veil and crown by Kathryn Russell

Woodland Bride

I’ve been working really hard adding as much bridal fashion to my portfolio as I can. With these images I wanted to show that I can do bridal shoots but with my own element of creativity and story telling.

 

 

I ended up only using a few images from this shoot as I decided to be succinct rather than excessive. I used Frankii Wilde as the model because she has the Sleeping Beauty look about her and Kitty did the Make up as I knew I could trust her to do a very subtle and natural English Rose look. The dress was very kindly loaned by Kathryn Russell whose work is exquisite in it’s detail.

The smoke bombs I used were cheapy plumbers pellets, which are pretty difficult to light but give a nice subtle smoke effect. I didn’t want it to be spooky, I wanted it to be ethereal.

For more about me, my work and prices please visit my Website

Whereupon I mix Scarlett O’Hara and Morticia Addams

So with this shoot I used a picture of Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara as my inspiration

I asked Jen (aka Belle Uk) if she’d model and Vintage Princess Jewellery sent some lovely pieces for us to play with. I love working with Jen so much because I always get a lot from the shoot and she’s very patient when I faff around with lights etc. Here’s my version of the above pic

so you can see i’ve kept some of the principles but made it my own with my editing and Jen’s made it quintessentially hers with her pose and trademark make up.

I took a few more using conventional lighting and creative lighting, I also used a few old mirrors I had lying about.

The last two were designed to be a sort of sleeping beauty type character and are available to buy through my print shop http://www.saatchionline.com/charistalbot

In this set I’ve mixed fashion photography, portrait photography and digital art. This was intended as a fun little project just to experiment and see what came of it. The post processing was mainly very basic except on one or two pics where I added textures like scratches to give an aged look and in one picture I used photoshop brushes to make a wallpaper in the back ground and some stars.

 

 

 

 

Down in the Woods

One lovely day in August, Abbie of AK FX make up asked if I fancied doing a shoot ‘just for fun’ based on two alternative version of little red riding hood. I jumped at the chance! The photo’s are some of my favourite I’ve ever taken.

We used smoke bombs to gets some of the effects and the sunshine coming through the trees.

Models: Hannah & Carly

MUA: AKFX Make Up

Dress: Christopher Niari

Corset: Emma Taylor

The Blue Rose Fairytale #2

This image is a continuation of my fairytales theme and it is based on the story ‘The blue rose’ (read here: http://www.jbrowley.com/The%20Blue%20Rose%20.pdf )

The blue Rose is a symbol of love and prosperity to those who seek it (genetically there is truly no such thing). I love this story, I don’t even think I could explain why very succinctly but I like the fact that the suitor had the chutzpah to present the daughter with a plain white rose and that she stood her ground and insisted that it was indeed blue.

My image is perhaps somewhat melancholy but I chose to depict the scene when the daughter sings and tears fall from her eyes. My intention was to illustrate the overwhelming realisation that falling in love brings- that you are no longer truly free because your heart is no longer your own. Indeed in the case of the daughter she despaired somewhat because she knew she loved this minstrel and yet how could he win her hand when he was just a wondering minstrel.

Thankfully the story has a happy ending! when I was a child my mother used to read this to me and I always loved it, it’s perhaps why I adore white roses so much.

Model is Violet Noir.