Then and Now Photography

Then and Now

With only six days left until Christmas I just want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. Also to thank you all for your custom and support over the past year and in many cases, years.

There is still time to have a family shoot with prints ready in time for Christmas, but hurry, Monday 22nd is the last day to get your prints ready for the 25th.  A personalised gift voucher for a studio or location shoot in 2015 is always a welcome gift. Please call the studio on 01883 722282 to arrange.

Speaking of 2015, it's going to be an exciting year for me as I celebrate 18 years in Oxted at SMS Creative Photography, with lots of wonderful things planned, more of that to follow as the year unfolds.

I'm especially enjoying inviting families and individuals back who I photographed in the late 90's for a 'Now' photograph. It's heart warming to watch so many families grow over this time line and a pleasure to capture the 'Now' to compare with the 'Then'.

Are you one of the many families I photographed in the early days? Would you like to take part? I'd love to hear from you! Take a look at our website to see a few who already have. Please pass this message on if you know someone who was photographed then.

We will be closing on Christmas Eve at 4pm and opening again on Saturday 2nd January at 9am. By appointment only on 29, 30 and 31st December.

Thanks for reading, I'll be back in the New Year.

Happy Christmas.

Bye for now.

Stella

Photographic Exhibitions

10 Days Left Until Christmas

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday for the Oxted Christmas Festival, it was a brilliant start to the festive season.

There is still time to book a photo shoot with prints and acrylic blocks ready in time for Christmas, but hurry, Thursday 18 December is the last day to guarantee this. Appointments available this Saturday 13 December, please call 01883 722282 to make yours.

Creative Inspiration

Over Christmas why not stop and take some time out for some creative inspiration. Let your mind wander and explore some fascinating photographic exhibitions. It's such a beautiful time to capture some golden moments and see things from someone else's perspective. Or plan to visit new ones in 2015.

National Portrait Gallery are currently showing the 60 winning photographs from the Taylor Wessing photographic prize competition until 22 February 2015. This competition encourages photographers to submit contemporary portrait photographs to evoke an emotion. With over 5,000 entries from sixty different countries the winning ones are well worth viewing. I am determined to get one of my photographs accepted in the not too distant future.

Whilst at the National Portrait Gallery stroll over to Lord Snowdon's exhibition A Life in View to see a fascinating collection of images from the Queen's one time brother-in-law, on until 21 June 2015.

The Photographers Gallery Viviane Sassens work as a fashion photographer, her powerful photographs are more contemporary art, on until 18 January 2015

Somerset House will be  showing an exhibition to celebrate beards, yes that's right, beards, but not until 5-29 March 2015. This link will tell you more about the 80 prints on display.

Tate Modern Conflict Time this moving exhibition focuses on the passing of time, on until 15 March 2015.

Atlas Gallery are showing Celebrated from some of the most iconic photographers until 24 January 2105

Victoria and Albert Museum are currently showing the work of Horst one of the 20th century's master photographers until 4 January 2015.

EVE Edenbrige, Top Foto Gallery For something closer to home, if you missed this when it was  it was hosted at Chartwell, Westerham in October, my classic and supercar exhibition 'A Drive Down Memory Lane'  now on until 2 January 2015.

These exhibitions are just a few of the many out there, enjoy!

Thanks for reading.

Bye for now.

Stella

P.S For Classic and Supercar lovers, the ultimate gift of a bespoke book, please visit my website for more info...

Tips on Night Time Festive Photography

Photographing Festive Lights at Night

Don't you just love this time of year with the vibrant autumnal colours by day and the variety of colours the Christmas lights project at night? Let me tell you more about photographing festive lights at night.

I want to share with you the best way to photograph at night to capture how spectacular the lights look. Don't leave it up to your camera to decide what setting is best, you'll be disappointed with the results.

Just follow the tips below to get the best out of your DSLR.

• Use a good sturdy tripod or a gorilla pod if travelling light or want to attach your camera to railings.

• Select manual mode on your camera.

• Set White Balance (WB) to AUTO

• Select 200 ISO

• Use a memory card at least 8GB - 32GB if selecting RAW files

• Select L file size - I like to shoot RAW as well as JPEG to record maximum data- this will use a lot more memory.

• Find where the delayed timer is on your camera and select 10 seconds, this will help settle your camera once you have pressed the shutter to prevent camera shake.

• Set your aperture to f16.

• Set your shutter speed to 10" (seconds).

• Find where your histogram is so you can check the exposure after the first shot.

• You may need to select manual focus if it is too dark for auto focus.

Now You Are Ready

First find a spot where you want to position yourself and attach your camera to the tripod, make sure it is tight and secure, especially if it is windy and/or there are lots of people walking by.

You don't always have to shoot at eye level, some of the best shots taken are just above ground level, decide what you would like to create.

I have taken many classes at night shooting in Westminster looking over the bridge towards the London Eye, with the camera settings as above.

The benefits of the low ISO and the slow shutter speed are that it allows the camera sensor to pick up the variety of tones and colours, especially if the colours are changing during the 10 second exposure or something is moving.

During the slow exposure the water on the Thames appears very smooth and the wheel is blurred. Take a look at the example below that a participant took during one of my classes.

One thing not to forget is the 10 seconds you have selected to allow the camera to still itself before the exposure, most cameras flash during this time. Don't be tempted to touch your camera until after the full exposure.

You can tweak the exposure by increasing or decreasing the shutter speed once you have seen the image and checked the histogram.

The image below, with the trail lights from a passing bus was taken in the same way as the Oxted and Thames photograph. The skill of this image is the timing as you can miss the moment and is often trial and error, but worth the results.

Would you like to come to one of my classes to achieve great results?  Gather a group of four friends to spend a couple of hours in Oxted or Westminster to produce your own set of photographs like these, please get in touch on 01883 722282

I hope you have found this newsletter 'Tips On Night time Festive Photography' informative, just keep persevering to achieve the results you want, it will be well worth it.

You may just get the photograph you want to use as this years Christmas card.

Christmas Fun

A reminder that next Saturday 6 December is the 'Love Oxted Christmas Festival' for a fun filled family day to get into the Christmas spirit. On this day only, our studio sitting offer, take a look at this link to find out more, just two appointments left.

From 6 - 21 December American Express card holders can use their card with us and and they will give you a £5 statement credit, this is to promote their 'Shop Small' campaign to support local participating businesses.

Thanks for reading

Bye for now.

Stella

'A Drive Down Memory Lane' Exhibition Now On

The inaugural Classic and Supercar photographic exhibition 'A Drive Down Memory Lane'  launched last Sunday 12 October with a VIP audience from the worlds of the music, aviation, sports, jewellery, publishing and fine art industries. The exhibition is currently being held at Chartwell Westerham Kent, the family home of Sir Winston Churchill. Theexhibition showcases my photography of classic and supercars, and is of particular interest to those who haveClassic and/or Supercar collections who would love to have their collection produced in a bespoke hand crafted book.

The majority of the photographs on display at the exhibition were originally taken for a bespoke book which I was commissioned to produce, to mark a special birthday.

The Process

I was approached back in July by Wayne Thornton, event co-ordinator at Chartwell, and was asked to display my Classic and Supercar photography to reflect Sir Winston Churchill's love of the finer things in life. This was an opportunity not to be missed.

In addition to the wide variety of cars I had already ear marked for the exhibition, I also had the honour of photographing a Lanchester 40 hp 1921 and a Rolls Royce 20/25 1935 in front of the house at Chartwell. Some of these photographs also currently feature in the Westerham & Oxted Life magazine.

All the photographs selected for the exhibition have been printed on Museum Quality Fine Art paper and framed in black ash wood with Art Glass to show the true colours of the cars and to minimize reflections by 99%. I can highly recommend this glass to show your photographs or art work at their best. I invested in LED lights to clip on each framed photograph for the finishing touch.

The Launch Afternoon

I had been planning the launch of the exhibition for sometime and was both nervous and excited, there was a lot to do to bring it all together, not to mention my speech - don't forget I'm use to being behind a camera!

I wanted the afternoon to reflect a little bit of nostalgia from the 1940s, with sparkling wine from Squerryes Court served in original champagne saucers (2 cases of the saucers were found in my parents' attic from their restaurant days) and Spirit of Kent beer from the Westerham Brewery served in traditional half pint dimpled beer jugs, with waitresses dressed in white aprons and decorative hats to complete the look.

The sound track for the afternoon was a compilation I put together from Vera Lynn, Glenn Miller, The Pasadena Roof Orchestra, and Charlie Parker as we worked our way through the decades to present day.

A number of visitors had brought their classic cars with them to set the scene, but the star of the show has to be the 'Tucker 48'.

The Tucker 48

The 'Tucker 48' is an iconic car was made in the 1940s by the great inventor Preston Tucker - of which only 50 were ever made. The car in the photographs is the 49th and the ONLY one in Europe. The last time it was seen in public was in 2008 when it won 'Best in Class' at the prestigious Cartier Style et Luxe Concour D'Elegance at Goodwood.

We are honoured to have this very car for the duration of the exhibition positioned at the front of the house for all to admire.

The Car Photography on Display

A car from each decade that Sir Winston Churchill was resident at Chartwell 1922 - 1965 are amongst the photographs on display. The exhibition is a car lovers dream. If classic cars aren’t your favourite there is also photography on display of some modern day high performance cars, such as the Ferrari Enzo, Ford GT and the Ferrari California.

The launch was a huge success - thank you to all who attended.

The Mulberry Room at Chartwell is proving to be the exhibition hotspot in Kent. A huge light and airy space, to showcase art works with well sign posted access from the M25, A25 and A21. The exhibition is held until Sunday 26 October - and please check the Chartwell website for opening times.

Testimonial by Catherine & Randolph Churchill (great grandson of Sir Winston Churchill)  after the launch of the exhibition 12th October; “What a wonderful exhibition you organised at Chartwell yesterday evening. Randolph, John and I so enjoyed seeing your magnificent photographs as well as the fabulous cars on display. The rain certainly did not dampen the spirits as we all looked at the array of magnificent cars.”

I'll be back in two weeks with my next newsletter.

Thanks for reading

Bye for now.

Stella

The Goodwood Revival 2014

Where and When Since 1998 the Goodwood Revival has been attracting visitors to it's three day festival, held every year in September around the Goodwood Circuit. Featuring road racing cars and motorcycles from the circuits original period 1948-1966. No modern vehicles are allowed within the circuit perimeter over the weekend.

It proved to be a wonderful opportunity to see racing at its finest and this year we were treated to a Spitfire and Lancaster Bomber display to mark the centenary of WW1.

This is the only car event worldwide where the majority of the public come in period dress to recreate the golden era of motoring from the 1940s 50s and 60s and can enjoying shopping, eating, drinking and being part of an historical event.

I was very fortunate to have received complimentary tickets to go to the Goodwood Revival courtesy of Mark Spence from the  Ferrari Atelier at the Berkeley Hotel Mayfair.

Our day started by collecting our tickets from The Kennels, an exclusive meeting house next to the golf club on the Goodwood estate. It was from here we were chauffeur driven to the entrance of the revival by our spiffing driver Charles in a perfect 1935 Jowett 7, I felt like I was playing bit part in a film and transported back in time.

On arrival we were greeted by a gaggle of appropriately clad girls who made a fuss of us and pointed us in the right direction. I had come to soak up the ambience and to capture some racing and 1940s glamour. Before I did any of that I found myself shopping (couldn’t resist a bargain) for some clothing from Posh Frocks based in Farnham, anyone who has been to the revival before will know that there is a vast array of original 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s clothing to buy, how could I refuse a few outfits?  The sales ladies were so helpful, I tried and bought things that I didn't think would suit me, but actually looked terrific.

I had hired a dress for the occasion from the local fancy dress shop called Fancier Dress in Limpsfield, it was like an Aladdins cave in there, with, I promise, something for everyone for any occasion. I would have felt out of place if I hadn't gone suitably attired.

When I came to the revival last year it was pouring with rain and very cold, so this year was a pleasure to be at, with the sun shinning, we were enjoying what has turned out to be an Indian summer. There was even a 1960s Tesco store where you could  see the products in their original packets and with Green Sheild Stamps too ( younger readers this was the original loyalty scheme).

We were charmed by the entertainers from Dad’s Army, so many of them looked uncannily like the original actors.

I enjoyed seeing the cars at Earls Court especially John Surtees 1957  BMW507 that I had previously seen and photographed when I was at the Edenbridge Parade back in May.

After a long, tiring and eventful day we were chauffeur driven back to The Kennels in an original 1940s taxi for afternoon tea where we could kick our shoes off and enjoy a tea dance. The perfect way to finish a perfect day.

Thanks for reading, I'll be back in two weeks time with more news.

Bye for now.

Stella

Tim and Nadine's Pilot Wedding - A Flying Success

Where and When

I was given the honour of photographing Tim and Nadine's wedding day on Saturday 6th September at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar.

I've know Tim since he was two years old when his mum and dad moved in next door. He was the perfect playmate for my daughter Nicola, of the same age. Tim always had a passion for airports and aeroplanes and for him to realise his passion was a pleasure for me to be a part of.

Let me tell you more about how this amazing wedding came about... First let's go back to 2008, when Tim and Nadine first met as pilot cadets at Biggin Hill, where their relationship blossomed.

Fast forward five years, I was asked to photograph their wedding day. I suggested a few places they might like to visit as a potential venue for this glorious occasion.  They remembered the early years and approached the managers at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar to see if they could have their wedding in the hangar surrounded by Spitfires and to be transported back to a bygone era.

Hurrah this was going to be a wedding for all to remember for many, many years to come. This was the one and only wedding at this exclusive venue.

The Pre-Wedding Shoot

The photograph below was taken to mark the anniversary where Tim proposed to Nadine during a picnic at Wakehurst Place. It sounded very romantic, how by the side of a tree he knelt down on one knee and spoke those famous words "pass me a sandwich"... no not those ones the "Will you marry me" ones, and of course she couldn't refuse (she'd been waiting and hinting a log time, sorry long time). We went back to recreate the scene, to find the only tree that had been cut down was their special one.

The Wedding Day

The theme for the day was elegance with 1940s glamour. The Hangar was decorated to sympathetically reflect the 40s without overt opulence. And boy, oh boy, did they do well!

We started the day photographing the bride getting ready in her stunning Justin Alexander gown with her family and bridesmaids around her.

The ceremony took place at St. Mary's Church Westerham, with a Beauford to take the bride and her father from her home to church in style, and then the bride and groom to the Heritage Hangar for the reception.

We were entertained by the fabulous Nightingales with an army of authentically dressed ladies and gentlemen to entertain and dance with us. Perhaps the highlight of the entertainment was the Spitfire flypast, just before dusk the guests were interrupted by an air raid siren and ushered outside the hangar, only to be wowed by this spectacular display. It was breathtaking!

Everything Tim and Nadine had chosen for their day was excellent. From the food by Tom at Tourelle to the flowers by Chez Fleur that looked and smelt absolutely beautiful, all were exceptionally well done. The DJ entertained the guest until well after midnight.

My Photographic Kit

During the day Nikon cameras were used with an array of lenses from the 24-120mm to 70-200mm. I was also test driving a Leica S-System camera, which is know as the Rolls Royce of cameras, and used it for the photograph below. I have to say I love my Nikons' but was pretty blown away by Leica. Over the weekend I tested the Leica M-System also. They pretty much take you back to basics with manual focusing and have their place for static photography when you don't need to be quick (not ideal for shooting at weddings) but particularly well suited to my classic and supercar photography. The lenses are a piece of fantastic engineering.

Tim and Nadine's pilot's wedding was a flying success, I wish them many years of health and happiness.

Thanks for reading, if you would like your wedding photographed, please do get it touch. I am only able to take on commissions for a maximum of eight weddings a year.

My next newsletter will be in two weeks time about my exciting day at The Goodwood Revival.

Bye for now.

Stella