Poetry Workshop with Chrissie Gittins

Highlight: Listening to Chrissie read her poems and understanding the finer points and nuances.

Lowlight: Poems aimed at primary school level - I could just about cope...

Fill-in: Having finished with schools photography a couple of weeks ago it was a bit of a deja-vu to find myself once again in a school full of kids and it was all I could do to prevent myself setting up the white backdrop and a bench and getting out my name cards ready to do school portraits. However, this job was for the Poetry Society and true documentary photography capturing Chrissie Gittins in action as she proceeded to ram some culture into upper junior school kids. The brief was not quite as straight forward as it seemed as I had to try and avoid the kids faces and name tags so the final images could be used more widely.

Tech spec:  I used my quieter camera (D7000) and told Chrissie to brief the kids that if they looked like they were concentrating on the lesson in hand they would be more likely to get their photograph taken. This stops the monkey faces and waving hands that inevitably happen when you point a lens into a group of excited children. I used a lot of narrow depth of field.

Mughal Nites - Nutkhut

Highlight: Fantastic Indian Food stall

Lowlight: Queue  for stall impossibly long. Had to make do with a cheese sandwich backstage

Fill in: Nutkhut were doing performances at this private gig for the British Library, based on an evening out at an Indian Palace. There were dancers, musicians, stiltwalkers, and displays of fashion and art. A veritable feast for the ears and eyes and nose but unfortunately not for my mouth as the queue for the samosas, pakoras and wraps stretch round the room.

Tech spec: A must to shoot in raw, as the light was saturated colours, dim and high in contrast. Even then it was a nightmare to bring up in the processing.

For more info:

http://www.bl.uk/whatson/events/event134624.html

http://www.nutkhut.co.uk/

Remembrance Day - 2012

 Lowlight: Losing coat


Highlight: Re-uniting with coat

Fill in: I arrived at City Hall, found my usual spot by the sound desk and hung my coat over the bannister. After a few set up shots, I returned to find my space had been invaded! Another black coat was hung, bold as brass beside mine. I was a bit indignant, but it's a free world and using the cloakroom is not obligatory. The ceremony came and went and it was time to retire upstairs for the reception. I went to get my coat and horror of horrors,  my scruffy plain coat from Debenhams had been taken and a stylish French Connection one was left behind. Well you can imagine my frustration, but was confident the owner would soon realise their mistake. however after a few minutes waiting no-one came forth and I was left with the dilemma of handing the coat into security which left me coatless, or taking the coat hostage in the hope the owner would recognise it and swap it, or if they didn't and had decided to take my scruffy coat, then at least I would have a coat to go home in - and a better one at that. However something did not feel quite right about it all. The coat was two sizes too big for me so the owner could not have taken mine intentionally and must by now have realised their mistake. I told security butn o-one had handed a coat in or reported their coat lost. All through the reception I surreptiously eyed everyone's coats, all of which seemed to be black, but my coat was nowhere to be seen. At the end of the reception, I gave up, decided to take the French Connection one all be it a bit guiltily as it was a far better coat than my own, but justifying it by convincing myslef I needed a coat to go home in, when a rather harassed man being berated by his wife caught my eye. He was holding up my moth eaten affair with bewilderment, whilst she waved her hands wildly and immediately I went to his aid, holding up the French Connection Coat with a smile. They both collapsed with relief and I have to say I was pleased to get my own coat back as I was sure it had missed me.

Tech spec: The exposures for this job were tricky as it was all back lit, so imagine my horror (the second of the day) when I saw I had inadvertently switched the quality from RAW to jpeg - and normal at that! Luckily all my exposures were spot on (for a change) so no adjustment was needed. It always pays to get it right in camera as much as you can as things can and do go wrong!

Bishopsgate Charity Presentation 2012

Highlight: Getting a new coat

Lowlight: Plates for food too small for greedy guts like me.

Fill in: Bishopsgate Arts were presenting cheques to a number of local charities and apart from some amazing artwork, one stall have some handmade textiles on display made by the Heba, a woman's project. On the table lay a beautiful tunic style coat, hand made. I made the huge mistake of trying it on, (a perfect fit - it was a sign) and then slavering after it for the next half hour.  I also stuffed my face with the fab food, admired my photos in the Spitalfields Farm cookbook which I had worked on a few years ago. Oh, and I took a few photos of the Lady Mayoress.

Tech spec: VIPS are a law unto themselves. There was my contact, all ready and waiting for the Lady Mayoress to arrive by cab, where a party of Trustees were ready to greet her and escort her tot he Grand Hall, whilst I took photos of the occasion. However the little minx had other ideas and slipped unobtrusively in the back door and was happily to be found meandering round by herself enjoying the exhibits. When working with VIPS never rely on the schedule.

P.S. You'll be glad to know I got the coat eventually, but can't tell you how or I'd have to kill you.

There were some amazing charities at the evening so please check them out:

Heba Women's Project

I want the clothes!
http://ssba.info/heba.html 

Poetry in Wood

I want the artwork
http://www.ssba.info/piw.html


Spitalfields City Farm

I want the Animals/Vegetables/Minerals...
http://www.spitalfieldscityfarm.org/


Tower Hamlets Friends and Neighbours

I want a friend..
http://www.thfn.org.uk/


Daneford Trust

I want to be a youth and go abroad
http://www.danefordtrust.org/


St Joseph's Hospice

I want to light up a life
http://www.stjh.org.uk/

The Independent Post Company

Highlight: Seeing Simon Frodsham again- he's always smiling.

Lowlight: Meeting his business Partner Mykola - equally smiley - how can these people be so cheerful!



Fill in: Simon is an old contact from Sony, and is one of the most dynamic people I've met, so it was great to receive his call to do his corporate portraits. I was running late, but Simon greeted me with his usual cheerful demeanor. All his staff were equally amenable and the job was done very quickly.


Tech spec: I like to use the location as a background if possible, but I always take a plain background just in case. The office had great light and I just had to use fill in off camera flash to balance the light.



For more info:

http://www.indepost.co.uk/

Simon wrote me a great review:

I've been commissioning portrait photographers for over thirty years and I have to say Hayley is one of the best I've worked with.  She works calmly, efficiently and with great style.  She has the enviable gift of helping even the most unwilling subject to relax.  And, most importantly, the results are never less than truly excellent.   I can't recommend her enough.

Diwali in the Square 2012

Highlight: Seeing fellow photographer in full Diwali get- up playing the Dohl Drums

Lowlight: Thinking that wearing a sari would be a good idea.

Fill in: It was a cold weekend, but I thought I looked pretty cool in my hiking boots, leggings, Superdry coat and woolly Airwalk hat in a sort of Benetton colours of the World sort of way. Apart from the dancing and singing on stage, I also had to photograph the sponsors stalls and the crowds, and I duly went off into the heaving throng. One of the stalls was a community affair where seasoned indian sari wearers offered their saris and dressing services to the general public. I jumped the huge queue to photograph the dressing up area and found myself being cajoled into wearing a sari myself. Despite my protests that I need to walk, kneel, squat and move freely to take photos in less than five minutes I was trussed up in a bright orange and gold affair, and together with my hiking boots, woolly tasselled hat and my camera bag on wheels I looked more like a mad bag lady than the super cool photographer that I am.

Still I didn't take it off and spent the rest of the day looking like I'd been Tangoed. It was a long, cold day and my spirits were wearing, but perked up considerably at the sight of a fellow Gillmans and Soame photographer in full Diwali dress, complete with Dohl Drum. She looked a lot cooler than me, but I was behind the lens and she was in front of it so it all worked out.

Tech spec: On a dull day on camera flash a must to perk up the colours and light. I used TTL fill in and aperture priority for the crowds and stalls and manual, no flash for the stage shots. Spot metering also necessary on stage as the lights were shining right into the camera. I tried to make sure I got a head in front of the lights if possible to give a great halo effect.


For more info:

The Musicians Union March 2012

Highlight: Excellent Jazz music all the way from Embankment to Whitehall.

Lowlight: Not making it all the way to Hyde Park

Fill in: This was the first time I'd ever been on a big protest march and had no idea the atmosphere would be so festival like. People dressed up, singing songs, dancing and best of all, being with the Musicians Union part of the march we had our own Jazz band to accompany us all the way.


Tech spec: Wear a rucksack. When you are walking backwards (as I was most of the way) it provides a cushion when you walk into anything and people tend to sense you coming when you have a bag on your back. My rucksack is a roller bag as well and great for when your back gets tired.


For more info:

http://www.musiciansunion.org.uk