Hi hi! I hope you're all well. This week I thought it might be nice if I shared some old pictures with you from my work experience with Tip Top. The team took me with them to shoot an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party/bridal shoot, where there was a mad hatter, two brides and lots of flowers and trinkets displaying how women could beautifully incorporate the theme into their own wedding.
Inbetween holding reflectors, moving lights around and learning about how to use said lights and reflectors and position models in front of the equipment, I was set with the task of taking more "behind the scenes" photos, so I shadowed both Debbie and Steve as they worked their magic. Now as I look back over my images from my two weeks with Tip Top, I thought it would be interesting to my readers who haven't experienced the joy of being on a photoshoot to see what it's like...
When I have been on workshops I have seen photographers comparing images to gain inspiration from each other or simply appreciate one another's work. I've even seen (and joined in with) snapping from the sidelines while somebody else has their one to one with the model, either getting a taste for the right settings ahead of their turn or trying to get something from a different angle. There is always something happening in this very focused atmosphere.
Here's a close up of the curly mad hatter hair being done. The "artiste" twirled some hair around the thin comb handle and heated it with straighteners as the girls chatted away - everyone on set is always very friendly perhaps aside from me usually being painfully awkward while I try to get the ol' confidence up.
On this shoot, Deb taught me how all the intricate details of the scenery are just as important as the people. So, I joined in and captured the intensely thought out details of the table and continue to consider all the little things that make up the bigger picture...
I love the decorations as they really show the core Alice in Wonderland theme with playing cards, wild flowers, teacups, tiny jars with labels saying "drink me" and big labels with quotes from the book. You can tell that a lot of work went into each trinket of the table, which shows how much planning people dedicate to some of the most special shoots.
I've seen a few animals in the studio with Tip Top as they know an amazing woman with an abundance of photogenic creatures. On this shoot she brought two very fluffy, very soft bunnies who charmed everyone, including Sophie pictured below...
It's always admirable to see professionals at work both on this shoot and on the workshops I continue to go to. It not only inspires me to strive for likewise perfection of an image but also motivates me to feel confident to move around the room no matter how in the way of onlookers and instruct poses for models as hey - every photographer does it, so I can too.
What I loved about this shoot was being the fly on the wall and being allowed to catch all the moments when the girls were off guard and laughing, even being caught nibbling on the biscuits off the table, which Steve playfully told them off for being so cheeky.
On this particular shoot there were a small team of florists at hand who created the set and displayed the beautiful flowers of course. A sense of team work occurs in many shoots between photographer and model/assistant/client, all working together to get that killer shot and make it as stunning as it can be.
Here's the floppy ear'd rabbit with the mad hatter, I really liked her costume because it was playful, bright and again, helped the Wonderland theme to flourish.
I had lots of freedom to move around on this shoot as it wasn't down to me to get the final images but I did get some finished images like this for myself thanks to being able to change angles while Steve kept the girls in position for his own winning shot.
Debbie and I shared a giggle over the two big plastic clips that were holding the backs of the brides' dresses together which you can see in this image, while Steve models himself for the girls to copy - true behind the scenes glam.
These are two of my less-behind-the-scenes images with the patriotic mini, which I wish I seized more of an opportunity with to consider different angles and perspective for a few more interesting photographs. Hey ho, you live and learn.
I really like these two images of the brides while they waited for directions inbetween shots because you can really see their natural beauty, and I'm a sucker for candids.
Here, Debbie took the girls - including myself - beside the canal for her own collection of shots. As you can see the three of us photographers took advantage of all areas of the location, from the canal-side at the back, to the steps at the front and the tea party set up indoors. It was interesting to see both Deb and Steve working in their own different ways but still coming together to create a big, beautiful and creative project.
I hope you enjoy this cheeky and different insight into my little photography world. Feel free to ask any questions you may still have about being on a shoot, I'm happy to answer.
Cheerio loved ones - Beky x
