(this is the part where I realise we don't have a picture together, lets fix that please)

So, my beloved Tip Top Towers is moving and last night they hosted a leaving party sale, which I of course had to go to, not only to see what treasures I could find but also to say hello to Steve, Deb and Shelly and bye to the studio where I learnt SO MUCH about photography and it truly ignited the spark I held for photography.

I miss working in the office with the team as I felt it was something I could definitely do in the future and their lovely personalities made me feel welcome and at home every time. I can't wait to see the new place and scramble to find some free time to go to another tip top training day for the model workshops I love so much. As I look back at some of the posts I've mentioned the team in, I can see how I get better with each workshop and when I think about it, my confidence is growing as I let my love for photography bring me out of the shell. Along with Steve's repetitive advice "be confident!"

I find myself thinking back to my times at Tip Top studios while at uni, I've certainly mentioned it to my friends a few times but mostly the lessons in manual shooting which certainly aid my photography today as I actually know what I'm doing thanks to Steve (and Timm, Mark and Paul my lovely lecturers of course), but hey, as Steve and Debbie are also taking courses at BCU [Deb's new fashion blog as a mature student] I look out for them everyday - only to find out last night they are in the days I have off, typical! - and I hope to either bump into them or meet up with them and see their work soon.

I could rave about these lovely bunch all day, but I wanted to take a moment to thank the guys for the life changing work experience, which as I said, ignited my photography spark and sent me on my way and continuing to be supportive and just plain friendly. Also a humongous thank you for the box full of treasures last night I am truly grateful for your kindness! The box handles did give way but Dad felt it go and softened the fall so thankfully there were no casualties, they certainly have come to a good home although I do still need to sweep my shelves clean to arrange my new collection of cameras in it's own special place.

They are still running business as usual if you are interested, only without hiring out their now smaller studio space, check out their swanky new website to see: www.tiptop-photography.com

I am proud to be part of the Tip Top family, and I wish them all the best in the new office "The Lighthouse", and a sad cheerio to "Tip Top Towers", the studio where it all began.

I loved the atmosphere of the night, it was busy and full of children having fun, running around with their friends, siblings and parents and playing with sparklers and flashing toys. It reminded me of my young self as I loved Bonfire night and our annual private fireworks show in the back garden, sometimes visited by the Bates which added to the fun.





There were two displays of bright, beautiful and loud fireworks and I'd forgotten how much I liked watching them up close, rather than hearing the mass of bangs all around as I lay in bed.




My favourite ones were the purple ones, and maybe the green ones too, because they really lit up the sky and the patterns of smoke, and look amazing next to the usual golden spray.



Something I discovered was that it is immensely difficult to photograph a firework! You set your iso high - because it's dark, duh - but once the colourful explosions fill the sky, their brightness makes a mess of a photo. And my shutter speed was a little slow so the pictures aren't crisp, and when I tried to fix this my fingers were numb and I could barely adjust my settings in my mittens. I was shivering from the cold for hours but I did enjoy the display and I got some new photos out of it so I guess it was worth it.





I also liked the big ones that looked like someone had thrown a bucket of glitter as high as they could. I went to another display the next night with a few friends and their "glittery" fireworks literally filled the sky as much as I could see and everyone behind me exclaimed, which made me chuckle.


My images may not be sharp or particularly well framed but I still love the mess of sparkling beauty they hold, and I look forward to trying to nail it next year. I used my 1.8/50mm lens on 1/50-160 shutter, F1.8 and 1600 ISO, and I literally clicked the shutter as much as it would let me, looking through the images at warp speed almost looks like a stop motion film!

1. CHECK THE ESSENTIALS! Check your passport hasn't expired and your ticket is someplace safe (I keep these in this mint green travel wallet from TK Maxx), check the weather forecast so you can pack the most appropriate and comfortable clothes, check if you need power adaptors and check your itinerary so you know what you're doing and when so you can take full advantage of being away.
2. KEEP ALL YOUR VALUABLES CLOSE! If you're embarking on a photography trip you will have more to care for of course, it may be worth getting your kit insured to be sure. Keep it all with you and leave as little in the hotel room as possible, and continually check your bags and pockets throughout the day to be sure you haven't fallen victim to pick-pocketed at some point.
3. THINK AHEAD! I for one have a little instargam and pinterest search to trigger my inspiration ahead of time so I have an idea of places that would be nice to take photos of which I could take myself to, or at least to keep my excitement bubbling away. Again, when you check your itinerary you'll know when you have time to spare to scarper off and grab some snaps, alternatively, where your snaps will be restricted to for however many hours until the schedule frees up. Luckily we are visiting Paris Photo for one day out of four so there is plenty of time to explore Paris or other exhibitions.
4. LISTS! I don't usually write lists but when I do, I mean business, business which cannot have any forgetfulness which I am so often prone to. Write lists of what you need, write it again in organised groups of clothes (pants, socks, coats) to toiletries (medicines, glasses, soaps and creams), and once more in order of importance (passport and money down to reading books just in case you have a glimmer of spare time). Know your list of things not to forget, perhaps take one with you so you can check you haven't left anything behind when going back home either.