New Site + Workshop announced

I'm seriously SO HAPPY to share some great news with you - my new portfolio is up. After what feels like two years or more of wanting to update my website, I finally managed to get it up. I went with Squarespace in the end (yes, I'd recommend them!), and am working on integrating the blog into the new site soon as well. For now there are still a few things to change, but I decided to just go live with it now.

Also, there's a complete new workshop coming up in July - it will be a two day workshop focusing on teaching you all the photography basics from scratch in a way that's easy to understand. I want you to be able to get to know your camera and improve your photos even if you're a beginner. I'll also teach you how to create great images that work well on social media, and that can get you the most out of your online marketing. Images play such an important role in marketing, and especially with so many blogs around you want to stand out through the content you create and the photos you put up on your blog. They represent your brand after all.
The two days will be filled with fun, meeting new people, and creating amazing content for your blog or website that you can use straight away.
If you want to find out more head over to the site and book your spot. I'd love to meet you, and teach you everything I know.

Blueberry, Lemon & Almond Cake

You might have seen some similar pictures on Instagram quite a while ago - now I finally got around to editing all the pictures of the cake I made back then. I feel a bit sorry to say that I didn’t actually come up with the recipe, but adapted this one right here.
I’m happy to tell you that it tasted amazing, though! It was quite filling (lots of almonds), but SO good!

Anyway, here’s my adapted recipe - go ahead and make it! :)

Cake4 cups (400 g) ground almonds
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup (120 ml) rapeseed oil
1/2 cup (120 ml) honey or maple syrup
2 small organic lemons
3 large eggs (replace with chia seeds* if you are vegan)
2 cups (300 g) blueberries (save half for topping)

Glazing1 cup/240 ml (250 g) Greek yogurt, drained (use vegan cream cheese if you are vegan)
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Combine ground almonds, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside. Heat oil and honey in a sauce pan on very low heat until combined. Grate the zest from the 2 lemons and add it to the honey/oil batter. Divide them in half and squeeze the juice from three of the halves into the mixture, saving one half for the glazing. Add the batter to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and then fold them into the batter together with 1 cup of the blueberries. Stir gently around with a wooden spoon until combined. Grease a 8-inch spring form cake tin, and add the batter to it.

Bake for about 40-50 minutes (depending on size of the pan and oven), or until golden on the outside and baked all way through (you can cover the cake with tin foil during the last 15 minutes of the baking time, if it starts looking burned). Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing the sides. Meanwhile, start making the glazing. Drain yogurt in a milk cloth or coffee filter for about 10 minutes. This is to make the yogurt less runny. Discard the water and combine the thick yogurt with honey vanilla extract and the juice from the remaining lemon half. Leave to chill in the fridge. When the cake has cooled completely, cover it with glazing, top with the remaining blueberries and serve. You could also just serve the cake with blueberries and yogurt on the side.

* You can replace three eggs with 3 tbsp chia seeds and 9 tbsp water that you combine and let sit for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

P.S. Just a reminder that the private view of my exhibition is tomorrow, if you’re in London and want to come. Would love to see you!

What 3 years of photojournalism have taught me / Part 3

This is the last part of a short series of reflective posts on my last three years. I hope you guys enjoyed the first and second part and got something out of it. Do let me know your thoughts and feedback, it’d be great to hear.

As I said last time, I want to go a bit deeper into creating photo essays today. My last year at uni pretty much consisted of writing my dissertation and working on my final major project - a complete and in-depth photo essay.
I documented Zippos Circus, and got access to both behind the scenes and the main show (for more info on the upcoming exhibition scroll down).

Now, I don’t want you to feel like photo essays have to be huge and are something that only ‘professional’ photographers can work on. It’s simply about telling a story and can relate to any kind of photography. It doesn’t have to be focused on social or environmental issues either. Photo essays can be fun and short and sweet if you want it that way. Sure, you’ll feel great when you produce a long-term project that you put a lot of effort into, but the basics of a photo essay can be applied to any kind of photographic work - and I believe that keeping the structure of a photo essay in mind when producing a series of photos can really add value and strength to your work.

So, how do you go about creating a photo essay?

First, ask yourself what you want to document, what story you want to tell. Try to be specific, and really focus on a particular point you want to make. And don’t worry, it’s not set in stone, you’re still flexible and can change your chosen story later if you find that it doesn’t work.

Next, do some research or at least brainstorm some ideas of what kind of photos you’d like to get. This will help you to get the idea clear in your head, and make it easier for you when you actually start shooting. Also, you’ll be able to explain what you want to do to the person you are working with/you’re taking photos of.

Then start shooting. Brainstorming and planning and all that can be fun, but you’ve got to do the work. You have to get started to find out what works and what doesn’t.

Look critically at your photos, and get some outside feedback. Think about your chosen story again and the point you want to make, and evaluate how well your photos communicate that story. What photos do you still need? What is missing? What doesn’t work?

Then go shooting again. And again. And again. Keep repeating that process until you’ve got a complete set of photos which tell your story in a simple and clear way.

Finally, organise your pictures. What order do they go in, which structure tells the story best? Again, make sure you get some feedback and other people’s thoughts, going through the editing process on your own can be frustrating, and you most likely won’t be able to get the most out of your photos and create the best photo essay possible.

And to finish, please tell me what story you want to work on, no matter how big or small - I’d really love to hear! :)

By the way - if you want to get the chance to look at a lot of different versions of photo essays and see how different stories are being told through photos, come visit our final year exhibition at the London College of Communication between 2-7 June at Elephant & Castle. The show is open from 10am - 5pm every day (except for 7th June 10am - 4pm, and late night opening on 3rd June).
Would be great to see you there!

Invitation to Exhibition

Some of you might already know - as part of finishing my course, we’re having an exhibition at the beginning of June, our final show. If you’re in London I hope you can make it - I’d love to see you there!
Below are the details:

Private View: Thursday 5th June 2014, 6-9 pm

Exhibition open: 2nd – 7th June 2014, 10am - 5pm (except for 7th June 10am - 4pm and late night opening on 3rd June)

Location: London College of Communication, Elephant & Castle, London, SE1 6SB

You can see a sneak preview of our work right here.
There will also be other courses exhibiting during the same time, e.g. BA Photography.

The Photo Brunch Shoreditch / 03

Last Saturday I held my third Photo Brunch in Shoreditch - it was awesome again. I could repeat myself and tell you about how great it is to take photos with a group of like-minded people, but I already mentioned that here and here. So instead I’ll talk a bit about the weather and brunch - it was such a nice day (can you see how sunny it was in the pictures?). We had brunch at Dishoom again, since the food is so good and I really love the atmosphere there. Definitely go if you can - do book a table though, as it gets very busy.
I also really enjoyed teaching and seeing everyone pick up new skills. Seriously, everyone did so well - it was great to see Candi and Alistair, Imo, Yvonne, and Crystal starting to understand their cameras and getting their head around exposure. Even just seeing them having fun was fun!
I also met Crystal for the second time after having a one-on-one session with her a couple of weeks ago. It was lovely getting to know her a bit better!
And being in Shoreditch was a great experience as usual, I feel like I've never really noticed how many different areas there are within Shoreditch alone - we moved from lovely, quiet streets into the more arty and busy area around Brick Lane, and ended up somewhere that made you feel like you were back in old London a few decades ago.

By the way, I’m handing in my business plan today. I’m applying for funding for the Photo Brunch, so I can grow the business and offer more value to you in a few different ways. I’m excited to share more with you on this soon.

I’ve set up the next Photo Brunch for 18 May - it’s a Sunday because I want to take you to Notting Hill (and a Saturday around there would be way too busy to teach). You can book your place right here if you want to take your photography to the next level and get some pretty pictures. I hope you’ll join. :)

What have you been up to over the weekend?

London Fashion Weekend

I know this post comes a little late, but I still want to share with you some photos I took during London Fashion Weekend a while ago. It was my first time shooting a catwalk - definitely a great experience! Thanks to Gatherly for making this possible and setting up awesome collaborations between illustrators and some of the photographers there. The top image was taken by me, and illustrated by Joanna. I love the result! (You can find more photography/illustration collaborations right here).

Have you been to London Fashion Week or Weekend before, or shot a fashion show yourself?

3 Questions you should ask yourself and your clients

I mentioned last week that I love working with clients who realise the importance of branding and the value photos can add to it. Today I want to go into a bit more detail with that, and share with you some questions that I believe are important to answer before working with a client. They are also a good starting point when you are just getting into business yourself, or if you want to grow your blog.
I’m writing the following as if I’m talking directly to you, but it works the same way if you were to ask your client.

Who?
Who are you aiming at with your work? The photos should communicate with the target audience in a way that speaks to them, so that they can empathise with whatever it is you want to say.
There are lots of points to consider, and ways to figure out who exactly a client might be. Personally, I love creating (secret) Pinterest boards to really understand who a client is, what they love, where they live, what they do, what they think about, how they spend their free time, what worldview they have, etc. In order not to generalise too much, create various boards keeping just one person mind for each of them - the clients can all be part of a similar group, but they are unique people with different lives.
If you’re working with a creative or visual client, consider giving this a try.

What?
What are you trying to say? What is the point of the photos you’re taking? This relates to what I mentioned in this post - what is the story you want to tell?
Think about your values: what is really important to you about your product/service? E.g. I love natural stuff. Anything from organic food to photos. This is why I want to keep a natural feel to my blog and photos - and it’s why I mostly only shoot using natural light. Apart from that it influences the way I write (trying to keep a personal and relaxed voice), and how I interact with clients. And everything else I do.

Why?
Why do you do what you do? Why do you need certain photos? Do you want your potential clients to take a certain action? Do you want to sell something? Or do you just want to create some pretty pictures to illustrate your writing?
When I work with Appear Here I usually document different places in London, capturing the feel and uniqueness of each area. E.g. I photographed the area around Baker St, capturing fancy houses, pretty Regent’s Park, and a lot of Sherlock Holmes stuff. The reason for this was to attract potential clients wanting to open up a pop-up shop in the area - who themselves either aim at tourists, or have a wealthy/upper-class target market.
I hope this example gives you an idea of what the ‘why’ is supposed to answer, and why it’s so important to think about.

In general, it all seems to comes back to the feel and mood you want to create with your photos, and what that will say about your brand.
I really enjoyed writing this post - I love going ‘deep’ with business type questions, and figuring out how and why something is done in a certain way. So, I do hope that these three questions have been helpful and got you thinking, or will help you find the right direction next time you’re working with a client.

VSCO Grid

Just a quick post today to share with you my newly created profile on VSCO Grid. I made a selection of some of my favourite photos taken on my phone, so you might have seen these pictures on Instagram before.
I love using grid type platforms, such as Instagram, Pinterest, and VSCO Grid - apart from being able to find so much inspiration and seeing everyone’s talent, it’s such a great way to craft a portfolio. I think making a tight selection, choosing only your best photos, and combining them in a way that works well, really helps to develop a sense of colour, composition, and layout in general. Something that’s really important when it comes to creating an actual portfolio - I’ll talk about that soon in more detail, when I’ll launch my new portfolio.
Have you got a profile on VSCO Grid? I’d love to take a look!

Freelance Work: London 03

I haven’t shared a freelance project for a while, so I thought I’d keep you updated. These are just a few shots out of many, which I have taken for Appear Here recently (see more here and here, and on their website). This specific project was focused on different Tube stations and the surrounding areas, giving an idea of the atmosphere and feeling of the area. The photos above were taken around Baker St and the ones below at Old St. I love the Shoreditch Grind building right outside Old St station. It’s a completely round building, all in black, which makes it really stand out. I guess it kind of mirrors the Old St roundabout.
I really enjoyed working on these photos - I always love being able to capture a certain area and atmosphere, especially when the client is so aware of the importance of photography and the value it can add to a brand.

The Photo Brunch Covent Garden / 02

Last Saturday I held my second Photo Brunch workshop in Covent Garden (click here to read about the first one in Shoreditch). It was loads of fun, I really enjoy being around a group of like-minded people which all share an interest in photography, and at the same time work in different creative areas.
We (Emma - who was there last time, Karen, another Karen, and Alexandra) had a chance to chat over brunch when we first met at Notes, before we headed out into Covent Garden. It was great having a variety of people come along, all at different stages in their photography. I shared some advice on composition with Emma, and helped Karen out with her camera settings.
We came past the greatest, probably most colourful and fun backyard in Covent Garden - Neal’s Yard (see below). I remember being there once before, but this time I actually got to take it all in. When you’re with a camera you really notice all the details. I think I could have photographed that space forever. It felt like so much positive energy on a rainy day. Definitely go when you’re in London.
After a while the rain and wind came back, and we decided to warm up in another coffee shop. It was lovely to sit and chat, and getting to know each other better.
Thank you guys so much for coming along, you made it heaps of fun! :)

If you want to get practical, customised help to improve your photos as well, let me know (via email, Twitter, or in the comments), and I will find a date that works for everyone.

Want to swap skills, collaborate, or guest post?

I’ve been thinking a lot about collaborations lately and working with others, and the power that comes with it. I believe that collaborations can open up so many new opportunities, they create relationships, and bring fresh ideas with them.
So, I've decided I want to do it. If you’re interested in collaborating, including guest posting, shoot me an email.
I’d love to hear your ideas, and will consider all kinds of suggestions. It doesn’t necessarily have to be photography related, it could be anything going through your mind right now. Your thoughts and talents are all welcome. Just let me know why you want to work with me or guest post, what idea you’ve got in mind, and how you can contribute value to the collaboration.

Also, I always love learning new things. If you’re the same and you’ve got a different skillset to mine (pretty sure you do), let’s ‘swap skills’. I’m thinking of sharing each other’s knowledge, maybe coming together once a week or once a month, and basically teaching each other.
There are a few things I’m good at, the most obvious one is photography (but I'd happily talk you through some other skills I could swap). So let me know if you’re up for it, and what you’ve got to offer :) This idea probably works best if you’re in London as well, but I’m still open to your ideas even if you’re based somewhere else.

If you’re not so much into any of the above ideas, but still have thoughts on what you’d like to see around here, do let me know as well. Excited to hear from you!

Update on current projects

So, a while ago I told you I was working on a project documenting creative business owners as part of my final major project. Well, I started working on it (the pictures in this post are from a cafe I photographed in relation to the idea), then for whatever reason got a bit bored and lost interest in it, just not feeling the passion anymore. SoI started brainstorming new ideas, and put this specific project aside for now.
I just wanted to tell you, since some of you have been really helpful in coming up with ideas, suggesting businesses, and putting me in touch with people. Thank you! I really appreciate your help!
Now I’m focusing on a couple of different projects (and got a third one in mind which I’m not quite ready to talk about yet):
1. Documenting a farm in Iceland
2. Documenting a circus

Both projects have taken a while to come together, but everything is going really well now and I’m making progress. So I’m really looking forward to sharing more with you on those soonish.

While I’m at it, I might as well let you know that I’ve been very inspired by fashion related and more abstract photography & art recently, so I’m hoping to get some personal projects in this direction going at the same time. If you’re up for some modeling, or are working as a stylist or hair and makeup artist, please get in touch.