Well hello everyone and how are you today. I was pondering about what to write yesterday as I rarely plan posts since I like to keep things recent and with the times if that's even a phrase. As it's easter weekend I decided to brighten things up by talking about spring - my favourite time of year. Although I'm not a fan of loosing an hours sleep in bed, I love the longer days and warmer nights. The pink on the trees and the yellow of the sun, which we've missed all winter long. I still cherish every season, the deep orange of autumn, the crisp frost in winter and the pure heat of summer which we all moan about but miss during what feels like an eternal winter.

My favourite colour is yellow because I think of it as a happy colour. A colour that sits with mint, peach and lavender during the spring colour scheme of shops. I adore the colours of spring, they seem so bright and pure, painting the world to life with the blossoms and bloom. Not to mention the clear blue skies as the sun starts sending down it's warmth. What a poetic picture of spring I've painted in your heads! I adore everything about spring so much, I could go on about it forever.

I'm not much of a religious person after the passing of my mother, but I do respect other people's faith and religious easter celebrations. However I, like many others, will be celebrating with chocolate, not to mention the fluffy hot cross buns. I've eaten two already but they didn't make it to the toaster as they were just too irresistibly fluffy and mmmmmm. I've forgotten what we're really celebrating but I like the excitement over chocolate, bunnies and all the pastel spring colours like we all revert to children with a sugar rush again.

This spring I'd love to see what sort of photos I can get in the bright weather. Maybe outdoor model shoots or even just some new nature photography, which I haven't done in a while because I'm yet to confidently take my camera out in the cold air in the middle of winter. Spring makes nature and the outdoors so inviting, even just going on walks and seeing the world lighten up again would be soul cleansing. I'm also interested to see what spring fashion this year looks like despite me being nothing of a fashionista, I just love the cuteness and colours of spring.

Do let me know what your favourite things about spring and easter are. The yummy treats, clothes, scenery, colours or clothes and make up. I look forward to sharing any photos I take during this season.

In the season of new life and all that, I wish you well. You don't have to totally re-birth yourself to start a new life, maybe that's why it's called a spring clean. Tidy the mess in your room or move things around. Change up your wardrobe - which I'm doing at the moment but painfully slowly it's ridiculous. Change your instagram theme or your profile pictures - I do love a good photo, anybody does. As always, do show me your own photography during spring I'd love to see them. All the love and a happy spring to you all. That sounds like I'll never be back but I shall see you next week for an underwear photoshoot - ooh err!

I adore the colouring of these two urban street shots. The warm tones makes it look like a sunny autumnal day, one of my most favourite kind of atmospheres as everything is just so orange and crisp but still a little warm.

This is my favourite from the set on the steps. While taking it I even thought "this looks like its from a fashion magazine or something" and I still think so. Everything about it just looks perfect, the lighting, colours and positioning. I think it's pretty amazing if I do say so myself.

This is another of my favourites, although I hate the glare through the window, I LOVE the pose - which is something I recommended myself ooh get me all professional. But yes I thought the skirt was beautiful and really brought out the vintage look and the pout really is the cherry on top.

In much of these colour photos I focused on the beautiful colour of Elle's hair, lips and eyes to make the image pop with bright, warm tones.

Again, hello great editing skills and goodbye unnecessary blue sticker on the window over her shoulder ;)

I love these vintage looks, so casual and chic.

I love the warm lighting too, despite having cold hands all day.

Here I love the contrast of the black jacket and Elle's lovely hair colour against the white interior, making her really stand out, as well as the framing and texture of the wall.

In these shots I focused on making her hair, eyes and lips pop. The black and white ones from this set look amazing and timeless but I just adore colours in photography and decided not to neglect the small essences of colour in this set, trying something different and enticing to draw in attention.

I made her lips a lot brighter and redder in this one as her gorgeous blue eyes are striking.

I adore how simple and natural this one looks I can barely describe.

I love how full of emotion this character shot is, Again I focused on making her hair and the blue of this dress really vivid under the spotlight of the flashgun.

This shot isn't as bright, I decided to tone it down a bit more so that it was the emotion and story that shone through in this image. Let me know what sort of stories you would make up to go along with these photos I'd love to hear some ideas!

This one caught Steve's eye because of how the lighting lined up perfectly. I also love how you can just about make out the floral wallpaper behind Elle, which was lit up with a blue tint. I liked not having to edit these dark character photos as much because it was about the stark contrast and spotlight.

I think this last set is one of my favourites because of how H&M/casual it looks, with the bright red shirt centring all the attention. I particularly love the light flare on this one, I feel it really polishes off the casual candid-like tone of these images.

I also adore this one because of the walls that frame Elle on the windowsill, and the slight industrial feel to the walls that heighten the casual urban style. I sneakily took this one from the side while Steve was getting his shot [x], which I also adore. There's just something amazing about watching a professional at work and how similar the method and results can be.

I really really love this shot. The messy hair really emphasises the "casualness" of it all and focuses the eye more towards the shirt. I feel like this would be classic sort of fashion shot, more about the clothes than the beautiful person wearing them.

I love the simplicity of this shot. The contrast between the door and Elle really make her shirt, hair and striking blue eyes stand out.

And there you have it. I'm not sure I can choose my favourite between black and white or colour, I love each shot for different reasons. I'm not even sure which set is my favourite anymore after talking about each one carefully. It is strange to look at photography and admire it then thinking, "that's mine, I took that." But that's what I've done after this shoot and I'm very pleased with it. Please let me know your favourites, I always love a bit of feedback.

I have been on another shoot with Tip Top since this one, a lingerie shoot - ooh! I shall be sharing those but do bear in mind, (not to insult your intelligence) lingerie means underwear. I'll talk all about the new experience and my thoughts on it soon but I shall give you a break from photography for next week before a shoot of something new.

I loved this little shoot so much it sort of feels like I was the only person there. I'm going to split up my abundance of photos into two blog posts - this black and white one, and some coloured ones next week. I do hope you enjoy and as always please let me know your favourites and even show me some of your photos if you've ever done anything similar. :)

This is a sneaky shot from the first - I have no idea what to call it, a segment? - first segment of the whole shoot which was outside on the metal steps. Another photographer was shooting at this moment but while waiting I took a few cheeky shots.

 

Here is my black and white image from this very urban look, I LOVED the setting of this "segment" and I'm sure I'll find something similar if I did a shoot like this again in the future. To be honest I much prefer two of the colour ones but you'll have to follow to see that next week! Oh what a tease I am.

A couple more cheeky shots from the next set - SET! That's the word! This was a sweet vintage look and I think it's one of my favourites as we did it in two different areas, the first of full length shots and the next using a bit of wall for some closer up images. I loved having so many photos from this look to admire and edit.

I loved this outfit, so simple and vintage-esque. Elle was saying how a friend of hers made the skirt for her, which looks very pretty, you can see the lovely colourful pattern of it next week with the coloured photography post ;) I'd also like to take the delight in pointing out my marvellous editing skills as the corner of the light was just poking out behind the pillar - "what light?" you say, exactly!!

I like this one because I feel like it has a bit of character and story to it, the black and white removes the distraction of colour and focuses on the emotion and many different stories that could possibly go with this photo.

When the ever lovely Debbie (hi Deb) flicked through my photos on my camera afterwards I distinctly remember her saying "I love moody and sultry but you just can't beat a smile" - which I hadn't really considered before but I totally agree, I think this picture looks so sweet and pure, the smile topping it all off!

I think it was a general agreement that black and white would go beautifully with this set because of the contrast with the black outfit against the white wall.

I loved how the model - Elle - would change pose every time she heard the camera click, and with the contrast of this set, I really like how her beautiful figure really stands out and makes the image.

I'm fond of shots that look down walls, I just think it adds something a bit more interesting and as my mom often advised to me: "look at things from a different angle rather than taking a picture of things just as they are, it makes it more interesting to look at."

It's pretty amazing what just one long light can bring to an image.

Another bit of contrast were these dramatic "character shots" as Steve aptly called them, getting us to concentrate on some concept photography was new for me and all the more interesting, as well as watching Elle do some much more different poses and facial expressions than I'd seen before.

Steve told me to say in this blog post how clever, organised and brilliant he is, but I do agree with that as I think he's a great photographer and teacher, and I learnt a lot about lighting/reflectors and where to place it from this shoot. It was quite something to see how two simple yet well placed flash guns totally changed the pictures from what it looked like in real life. I'm also going to be a tease again and tell you that the coloured images form this set look very cool too.

This last set is up there with my favourites, I loved how casual the model dressed and styled herself as well as where the little location was - I think it's very H&M, which I love a lot so that probably contributes to why I love these pictures so much. (And yes it greatly annoys me how I missed the focus from her face and onto her legs but I still love this shot and I won't let it defer me from sharing it although I will double check where my focus is in the future.)

Such door very lean.

I like how casual this scene looks too, with chipped paint and the dusty windowsill, I feel like it really adds to the casual ambience. I'm still in awe at her cheekbones look at those bad boys!

 I decided to split up my photos across two posts as I didn't want to bombard you with so many pictures all at once. I wanted to split up the colour from the black and white not only to entice you in for next week's blog post but also so you could enjoy the beauty of black and white photography all by itself. A lovely quote I always remember when thinking about black and white photography is from Ted Grant: "When you photograph people in colour, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!”

And on that note I shall love and leave you. Oh and a quick thank you to my friends who I constantly asked if colour or black and white looked better for some images when I just couldn't choose! A happy Saturday to you all !

Card Factory is a wonderful place but when March rolls around, BANG, mother's day is plastered everywhere and it's a bit overpowering for me. I have to walk past one nearly every day since it sits inbetween my sixth form and Asda, where I like to get my lunch from. I always forget that mother's day is so near and I'm drawn in by the pretty colours and patterns that practically spill out of the shop before it smacks me in the face and I avert my eyes to avoid freezing up and blankly staring at the abundance of...stuff.

Yesterday I walked past a Card Factory with a friend who realised that she needed to get a birthday card so headed into the shop and I found myself pausing to take a breath as if I was about to dive into the sea. Metaphorically I was diving into a sea of "mothers day tat" (although there was a mug in there that said "I am so lucky to have such a perfect child" which I found most amusing). Nevertheless, I just headed straight to the back by the aged cards and started looking through them, ignoring the collection of people I just squeezed myself through as they picked out cards and mugs and cushions for their own mothers.

Then it occurs to me I should get a little something for my grandmothers and godmothers, as they are who I have to "celebrate" mothers day with now, but a little too late to send things off to them now inbetween finishing school work - I'll work on being more prepared to appreciate my extra mothers next year than worrying about missing the one I lost. If any of my lovely ladies are reading, last year's mother's day post [x] still applies and I love you all very much.

That wasn't as tear jerking as it seemed it was going to be in my head, although if it was for you then I have some tissues here that you may have [insert virtual tissues here]. We shouldn't take to commercialism and buy into just one day for appreciating your mom but even so, bring a tea to her bedside in the morning as I used to do and write sweet words in a pretty card for her and buy her the flowers she loves the most. And even do it on random days of the year too so she knows just how much you love her all year round.

Tomorrow I have the happy distraction of a photoshoot with the lovely Steve and Deb so I shall depart from you now and get my camera ready - to be honest it's in some need of loving, the poor thing hasn't had much use with all this never ending school work that consumes my time. *heavy sigh* right-o, I love and leave you.