SS Nomadic and a jolly nice man!

 

So Kathryn and I at Candytuft HQ are going to be exhibiting aboard the SS Nomadic this Sunday with Our Events NI.  After the Quirky Weddings show I think this should be a bit more relaxed.  My good friend Gary Boal from Boal Photography will be exhibiting along with us and this will be his first ever show so if you are manage to make it please say hi to him.  He asked me today if we were about sorted for the show and I was about to say yes but then I proceeded in listing what I still needed to do in my reply to his message and almost needed to sit down!  I know we bring it on ourselves to a certain extent in not keeping our display simple, as if there isn't enough to do with sorting out the cake samples and promotional material!

 

We have been meaning for the past several months to start a regular newsletter for Candytuft Cakes and this took me fair bit of trial and error before I got it right.  Little did I know that you cant just make up a mailing list and send out to all recipients at once using Outlook.  So this week saw our first "campaign" and newsletter #1 got sent out.  I will get round to adding a link for signing up onto the Candytuft Cakes website over the next week or two but in the meantime if you want added then just drop us an email to that effect.  So my next plan was to send out a short bulletin about the show aboard the SS Nomadic and for Kathryn to put a post on her facebook page.  With being a photographer I am totally against using other people's work.  As I wanted to include photo of the SS Nomadic I needed to get a photograph.  Anyone who has been down to see the SS Nomadic or Titanic Belfast will know that there are more double yellow lines painted in the area than the rest of Northern Ireland combined it would seem.  After driving about for that seemed like an eternity I eventually spied a small section of pay and display parking by the road side.  I parked up just as the parking attendant arrived to check the other cars for valid tickets.  0-1hrs = £1.50!  what the flip!  I only want to park for 10 mins not buy the space.  Now my experience of these parking attendants is not good.  I even had my motorbike clamped/chained once and had to pay a release fee!  So as I walked past this guy I asked if there was any chance of a 30min rate as all I want is to take a photo.  This guy has restored my faith in his kind.  He very kindly told me to forget about the ticket and just do what I needed.  Happy days as I actually only had £1 in my pocket so I couldn't have even bought a ticket if I wanted to.  I quickly grabbed my gear and jogged over to the SS Nomadic and got my shots.

 

 

Thanks

Simon

I think it's about time

I think it's about time I started to take things more seriously. 

I was reminded recently that the first wedding I shot was just 2 years past.  It was a stressful day and looking back at it I do wonder did I really think about what I was doing.  It does bring back wonderful memories though and the bride and groom are still talking to me so I guess I must have done something right!

Those that know me will know I don't do many photography jobs as my wife's 4th baby, Candytuft Cakes is constantly growing and requires a lot of work from both her and myself to keep it going.  I just love my wife's work and to see how she is developing over the years.  It actually gives me plenty of opportunities to get my camera gear out which is brilliant.  We will hopefully have a few interesting projects coming up which will get to test both of our skills so I can't be happier.

As far as my own work goes though I think its time I tried to promote it a bit more as I love each photo job.  Even though they bring a certain amount of stress I love the challenge and the sense of achievement when I get the results I wanted.  I know I have a lot to learn but there is no better way of learning than actually doing.

Almost a year ago I got myself a domain name but never did anything with it so now I am in the process of getting a website made.  I have had a logo designed and am about to get some business cards printed.  I've also just recently joined the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers.  I'm going to give a good go anyway and see what happens over the next year or two.

Watch this space!

Thanks

Simon

Fashion for freedom

A few weeks ago my sister-in-law Becki Hodge asked me if I could help her out.  What could I say, particularly once I heard I would need my camera!  Becki is a very caring person who has a great passion for helping people.  During the past year or so she has been involved with the charity Freedom Project Ireland.  On their website they state:

"Our vision is to see men, women, and children freed from human trafficking in Ireland and the UK, living life with hope and abundance."

They are trying to raise awareness to try and put an end to this horrible reality through organising a number of different events from abseils to truck pulling.  This particular event was a fashion show arranged by Becki, where she arranged for local businesses to donate for an auction (including Candytuft Cakes) and supply clothes for the catwalk.  Its so hard to know if events like this will be a success or not.  Speaking to my brother beforehand I think they were expecting just over 100 people, oh how wrong they were.  I think at final count there were around 300 people (about 99% women) packed into the room.  The DJ played, the models strutted their stuff and the woman cheered!

Obviously I was delighted to be able to help out any way I could so when Becki asked me to come along and shoot the show I couldn't say no.  I love photography jobs but I do take each one very seriously.  I try to plan as much as I can and for this job it was no different.  I think about what shots I want to get but also try and look for inspiration from other photographers.

Anyone that knows me will know that I like to work on my own as sometimes when you have help you end up spending as much time trying to explain to your help what they need to do as it would take you to do it yourself.   However I decided for this job it would be best to bring in some help.  Over the past year I have got to know Gary Boal of Boal Photography.  Instantly Gary and I hit it off.  The great thing about Gary is that I know when we work together that I don't need to worry about him.  Once we plan what we are doing on a job we just get on with it.  This fashion show was no different.  We got there early, set up and then just got the job done.

Shooting the show itself was hard work.  I never realised how fast models walk done the catwalk.  I was constantly having to change setting on my camera so as not to either over or under expose the models with the speedlights.  I did have a brilliant night though and got the shots I wanted.  I was so delighted for Becki and her team for the wonderful success they made of the night.  Becki was fantastic and an absolute natural on stage hosting the show.  Roll on the next event!

Our host, the wonderful Becki!

A full house.

 

 

Some of the fantastic entertainment!

Auction time.  Going, going, gone!

The donations for the auction.

Food, glorious food!

FPI Director Gayle Bunting and Becki Hodge

The auction winner Mary Button with her cake from Kathryn of Candytuft Cakes

 

Gary Boal, don't worry he's not as strange as he looks!

The Team!

Simon

You want me to do what? No problem!

Things in our house are busy at the best of time but with the recent addition of our new baby daughter Arwen it's just a wee bit busier!  Not that I am complaining though as our kids are the best thing ever.  Though my photography is really important to me it does take a bit of a back seat as Candytuft Cakes is our priority at the moment.  Even though Kathryn is on maternity leave there are still wedding shows to do along with the emails and the admin side.  I don't actively look for photography jobs and so just love it when they just appear out of the blue.  Over the past few days I have been offered 3 jobs and I am just off the phone planning a studio shoot for next week.  My mind has been in overdrive. 

The first two jobs are to do with a charity and I will have blog entries to follow but I am very excited about these.  The third job just came to me this afternoon.  A friend who teaches portraits within photography has asked me to come along and take her class one week to teach on speedlights.  Admittedly she called me a nerd at the same time as asking me.  To be honest I was really flattered by being asked.  My friend has been into photography for years and has a degree and a masters in photography so o be asked my her is a great honor.

I love having projects to plan and dream about.  I know that over the next few weeks leading up to the class I will be constantly thinking about it, thinking of how I can pass on my passion for speedlights and what will be the best things to teach.

I'm away now to dream some more.

Simon

Be the best you can be.

Do you want to be the best you can be?  Surely everyone wants to be the best they can be?  Mind you there are a few of my students who I wonder if they want to achieve much more than getting out of bed in the morning and to be honest most of them struggle to even do that. 

I think most of us have secret ambitions and dreams and over the past few years I have come to believe that you can pretty much do anything you want if you put your mind to it.  Obviously within reason, as I'm pretty sure I could never beat Usain Bolt in a race no matter how much I trained!  I've mentioned taking part in the Mourne Mountain Marathon in 2011 and 2012.  They proved to be the hardest thing and the best thing I have ever done.  I know I could have trained more but I was happy with what training I did achieve and even more so with the final results.  I learnt from those two events that I can push myself further than I think.

For Candytuft Cakes, I love seeing the business growing but even more I love seeing Kathryn grow and becoming the best she can be.  She works extremely hard and is so critical of her own work.  She spends hours on each of her creation to ensure that once she is finished it is the best she can do.  I really do believe she is one of the best cake designers in Northern Ireland and will be the best if she keeps pushing herself the way she does. This year is exciting for us as we are currently creating a studio for Kathryn but obviously in the middle of it all we have Arwen who will I am sure demand a lot of our time.  Check out progress on the studio at Kathryn's blog, Mrs Candytuft.

I know with our 3 beautiful children we both want what is best for them, all we can ask for is that they do the best they can do.  I would guess though that both Kathryn and I may give them a wee push or two to make sure they achieve their potential :)

As far as my photography goes I want to be the best I can be.  Thinking back to my last blog entry, learn through doing, I have been thinking about projects I can do to become a better photographer.  Hopefully during 2013 you get to see the results of these projects and get to see me grow as a photographer.

Simon

Last wedding of 2012

Well today will be my last wedding of 2012.  This year has is not over but its been a very busy one and with our third child due at the end of the year or start of 2013 its set to get even busier!  My wife's business Candytuft Cakes is going really well but my wife is going to close the doors for a few months to have the baby.  We are using the break as a chance to convert our garage into a studio, as if we dont have enough to do!  You know it is all happening at the right time.  I think the business has just got the stage where we needed to do something as we could escape it anywhere in the house.  I know it will allow Kathryn a chance for a break both physically and emottionally and that she will look forward to getting stuck back in knowing she will have her own wee studio to work in.  I am looking forward to having somewhere interesting to do photoshoots for her as to try and set up shoots in our home at the moment is a mamoth effort.  I will be documenting the studio creation throughout so keep watching!

Over the past few weeks we have taken part in a couple of wedding shows which went really well.  I always enjoy networking with out people in the wedding business and meeting new clients.  I also love to see my wife's displays as she puts so much thought in them as i'm sure you agree!

The wedding show at the Old Inn Crawfordsburn.

One of my favourite photos from the Old Inn show.



The wedding show at La Mon Hotel.

Well as I mentioned, this will be my last wedding of 2012.  I remember back to the first wedding i shot and how nervous I was.  I really didnt enjoy the day but was really happy with the results.  Today's wedding I am really looking forward to.  I have a few ideas for location shots in a forest we are going to after the service.  I just hope the rain stays away!

Hope you have a lovely day Toni!

New year, will it be happy?

Ok so it's been a while since i looked near my blog let alone posted something.  I don't normally do the whole "new year" thing.  To be honest i usually think its a waste of time, still do i guess.  This year though is a bit different for me.  I am rather excited about this year.  I am really interested to see what happens over the next 12 months.  So what has changed?  There are 3 things in particular.  My wife's business, my photography and my faith. 

My wife's business Candytuft Cakes has been officially going for a year now and has been going amazingly well.  I help her all i can with all her photos, website, accounts etc.  For the past month or so she has been getting a new logo designed and is going to get a new website created with the aim to really concentrate on the wedding market.  We have been starting to work with a few other local companies involved in the wedding market too and are planning on taking part in a large wedding show along with Marie Cafolla Flowers.  I am excited for Kathryn as i see her business blossom and cant wait to see how it grows during 2012.

Next is my photography.  I have mentioned it being a passion of mine.  During the past few months i have been thinking about it more and more and wanting to really put an effort into improving and see what where i can go with it.  The most exciting thing so far for 2012 is that i have been asked to do a photo shoot for a local bridal shop in a month or two.  I will update you about how that goes and what new things i learn this year.

Finally is my faith.  This is something really important to me.  During 2011 I got more involved in my church and now have a few leadership roles.  Towards the end of the year had a big effect on me.  I got in touch with a friend i hadn't seen in a while and we happened to both be going in the same direction, having both been fired up by God.  Since that meeting we have been keeping in touch several times a week through text and email sharing what we discover about God each week.  This has been an fantastic experience.  God is amazing. 

Simon