Thanks so much again for all your support over the years. I can’t tell you how much it has meant to me and to photograph you and your loved ones!
Even though I am no longer doing photoshoots, I am working hard on building my Zazzle print on Demand Stores. All my new blog posts relating to my art and design store, Fotografixgal Designs, you can find here
I’d love if you decide to follow along with me on the next stage of my journey!
Wishing you all the very best always š
Sandra
āCelebrate endingsāfor they precede new beginnings.āJonathan Lockwood Huie
Whoād have thought when we were tucking into our Christmas dinners with our loved ones, that three months later the majority of us would be confined to our homes, with schools, shopping centres, restaurants, gyms, parks etc closed, empty shelves in the supermarkets, no online shopping slots and not be able to find those little necessitieswe usually take for granted – loo roll or soap, anyone? – for love nor money. And that āsocial distancingā would become the temporary norm and a commonly used phrase.
Nope. I doubt any of us could have imagined this surreal situation that we and the whole world have found ourselves in due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Unbelievable isnāt it?
First and foremost, I hope you and your families are keeping safe and continue to do so.
Itās such a shame too for all the weddings and other parties and events that have had to be postponed. What an impact this is having on so many things!
Of course, along with everything else, for the time being, my photoshoots have been suspended, and at this time of writing, we have no idea when it will be deemed safe to start them again.
Luckily, I also have my Zazzle Print on Demand store which is keeping me sane through all this craziness! I am counting my blessings that I can continue to do what I love, working from home, as is the norm for me, and creating new designs and keeping my store up and running. Strange though isnāt it, much as I adore working from home engrossed in my art and, in normal circumstances I have to drag myself away from my desk as I canāt get enough of it, when you are being forced to stay indoors due to the current lockdown and isolation, all you want to do is get out and about!
How fortunate that we have apps like FaceTime and Zoom so we can virtually connect with our families and friends through all this, when we canāt physically get to see them. This week I am arranging a virtual ācoffee morningā with my sister, and also an online get together with a group of friends, I expect with a glass of vino in our hands! Obviously, weāll be having lots of virtual meetups with our boys too.
I feel so much for some elderly folk, like my own mum. Not only do they have the extra worry of being in the most vulnerable category, many of them arenāt so internet savvy, or familiar with apps where they can use Facetime to speak to their loved ones, nor have access to things like Netflix to keep themselves occupied. Without being able to enjoy the same technology that lots of us use to entertain ourselves, even more so at the moment, boredom seeps in.
And heartfelt thanks to our doctors, nurses, care staff, emergency service workers, everyone working in the supermarkets and shops, postmen and delivery drivers and to anyone else playing a vital role right now, who are working so hard through this troubled time to keep us safe and fed and watered. Our Angels in Disguise for sure.
Dreadful as things are right now, I truly believe that positives will come from all of this and I know I am not alone in thinking along those lines.
Someone in the Zazzle forums posted a poem, which I found very uplifting with a very inspirational message.
I believe it was originally written by an Italian journalist named Irene Vella. The version posted below was translated into Dutch from the original Italian language, and then from Dutch into English. So, Iām not quite sure how closely it resembles the original words and some of the lines arenāt grammatically correct once translated into English, but the sentiment remains.
I am going to include the whole poem below, even though it is long. But I think itās so very beautiful and maybe just what we need right now.
May you find it as inspiring as I did. Take good care of yourselves š
BUT SPRING DIDN’T KNOWā¦
It was early 2020 Winter had been long and dark, February had been a very restless month with lots of storms and lots of rain Nature was restless, as if she wanted to tell people something, as if she wanted to warn people about something
And then came March
It was March 2020… The streets were empty, most of the shops were closed, most of the cars stayed parked on the side of the road, people almost never left their homes, all over the world, countries were locked, people couldn’t believe this was happening, it was so surreal Everyone knew what was going on
But Spring… did not know And the flowers started blooming And the sun was shining The first beautiful spring day since long arrived And the swallows came back And the sky turned pink and blue It got dark later and early in the morning the light came through the windows
It was March 2020… Youngsters studied online from home Inevitably, children played mainly at home Adolescents were bored, parents did not know what to do People only came outside for shopping or to walk the dog Almost everything was closed Even the offices, hotels, restaurants and bars The army began to guard exits and borders People had to work from home Entrepreneurs ran into problems Most children were no longer able to go to school Suddenly there was not enough room for everyone in hospitals, operations and investigations were postponed Everyone knew what was going on
But Spring… did not know and it sprung She imperturbably continued her annual program She gave us her most beautiful flowers and her most wonderful scents
It was March 2020… Everyone was quarantined at home for health or preventive reasons Some people were no longer allowed to go to work, others had to Hugging, kissing or shaking hands was suddenly a threat Everyone had to keep a good distance from each other, All sorts of shelves were empty in the supermarket All kinds of fun things were canceled, a lot of things had to end and nobody knew when that would pass People were limited in their freedom while there was peace All over the world, many people got sick and it was contagious There was isolation, illness and panic And then the fear became real!
And the days all looked the same And the weeks suddenly lasted much longer And everyone hoped that no more strict measures would follow People were stuck in a movie and hoped for the hero every day The world had slowed down when it wasn’t a vacation, nobody expected this Everyone knew what was happening
But Spring… did not know, and the roses continued to bloom The Magnolia was budding And the birds started building their nests
And thenā¦
It was the year in which people recognized the importance of health and connection, of togetherness, of social contacts and perhaps also of their vocation, this did something to the collective consciousness, this did something with all people The economy almost went under, but it didn’t stop, it reinvented itself It was the year when the world seemed to stop, the year we would get into the history books togetherā¦ We all knew that
But Spring… did not know And the flowers continued to bloom, and the trees sprouted The weather was getting warmer And more and more birds appeared
And then…Came the day of liberationā¦ People watched TV and were told… the emergency was over And that the virus had lost! That everyone had won TOGETHER! And then everyone took to the streets… With tears in their eyes… Without masks and gloves… Neighbours hugging as if they were brothers And the world had become more beautiful and more loving And people had become more humane And they again had values āāand norms People’s hearts were open again, which had positive consequences And because everything had stood still, the earth could breathe again, she too was healed of what people had done to her earlier
And then Summer came
Because Spring… didn’t know And she was still there Despite everything Despite the virus Despite the fear Despite death Because Spring didn’t know, everyone learned… the power of life
Here we are again! Yep, I say it every time ā¦ Christmas sure seems to come around quicker each year!!
Itās been brilliant as ever to see so many of your happy faces again and capture some special moments for you during 2019! Watch out for a video with some highlights soon – starring your goodselves of course!
Iām so grateful that you have embraced the changes Iāve made since moving out of my old studio in 2018 and it’s great to see so many of your familiar faces booking in with me for my Sunday morning photoshoots at Hive Studios, as well as meeting lots of new faces too. It means the world to me. Thank you so much.
Itās always a worry when you make big decisions in business as you never can be quite sure how things are going to pan out. Last year was the decision to move from Basepoint, this year you may remember we photographed our last weddings https://romseyfotografix.blog/2019/07/12/our-wedding-photography-swansong/ again not a decision taken lightly but sometimes you just know when the time is right.
Whilst this has meant limiting my studio photoshoots to just one or two on a Sunday morning, with the occasional outdoor shoot on a Saturday morning, it fits in really well with my lifestyle. Before, the pressure was well and truly on with the overheads of having my own studio. For many years, it was full on 24/7 with the number of shoots I did every month, and the many hours of editing involved with each. And where there is pressure, there is less enjoyment. Do you get where Iām coming from?
Nowadays itās become great FUN again!! The pressure is off, I love giving my all to each shoot, I do my editing at the beginning of the week, and once thatās done, I devote time to my Zazzle Store
Which is doing great, Iām delighted to say!
I feel very lucky to enjoy the best of both worlds!
When I first started Romsey Fotografix way back at the beginning of 2006 https://romseyfotografix.blog/2016/01/27/how-it-all-began-dreams-do-come-true/ the year 2020 seemed like a lifetime away! Unbelievably the new decade is fast approaching, those 14 years have gone by in the blink of an eye! And how wonderful that some of your cute newborn babes I had the joy of photographing back then, are now coming in as teens, and many have been in several times in between too! Seeing your kids growing up over the years is one of the best things about being a family photographer! Truly!
I hope you all have a magical Christmas! This year weāre having an extra āChristmas Dayā on 21st December for our lovely sons and their girlfriends, as they are not able to join us on Christmas Day itself. Our youngest son and his girlfriend are Vegan so we are making it a totally Vegan day so they can tuck in to everything in sight. Luckily there are loads more Vegan options available now so it hasnāt proved too much of a challenge but it has meant researching all the supermarkets to get the best picks from all their Vegan ranges.
Hence I am closing for the holidays from Friday 20th December and Iāll be reopening on the 3rd January.
I look forward to taking many more photographs of you and yours in the New Year. In the meantime, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a very Healthy, Happy and Peaceful New Year!
From Brighton to South West France and back again ā¦. It’s official – we have just experienced the most incredible couple of weeks’ holiday we ever thought possible!!
Not just any holiday, may I add. Oh, nope. This was a holiday for a very special family occasion!
And itās been very exciting indeed!
To give you a little of the back story ā¦ my lovely nephew Ross rang us early last year to let us know he was getting married and that the ceremony was to be in a beautiful Chateau in France. We were over the moon at his news of course, although my heart did sink a little when he said it was to going to be across the channel. The last time I holidayed abroad was many years ago, as Iām not a fan of flying or sailing, and the prospect was a little daunting for me, ridiculous as that probably sounds to most!
But I had to go of course!!!
The Euro Tunnel was the best option to allow for my travel phobia, haha, I knew I could just about manage that!! It did mean a long drive though so we decided that weād make the travelling part of the adventure and thus booked overnight stops en route each way so we could soak in the French countryside as we made our way down to Lautrec.
In fact, weād clocked up 1800 miles by the end of the holiday – just as well Lee enjoys driving, although he was ready for a good rest when we got back home!
To legally marry in France you have to be resident there for a period of time before the ceremony, therefore Ross and Michael had an official legal ceremony in Brighton Town Hall on the Sunday before. Simply a small gathering, just their parents and siblings with their families. Lee and I took my mum, Rossās nan, who lives close to us, as travelling to France was not possible for her. Since we were taking her to Brighton, we offered to take our cameras to record the occasion. It was such a beautiful day and, in its own way, as magical as the subsequent celebrations in France. The weather didnāt look too promising earlier in the day, but happily the sun came out in time for the ceremony and afterwards we were able to take a few shots of the happy couple and families on the beach. We were in Brighton!! How could we not?!!!!
Emotional hug for Ross from his mum, my sister Lynne.
After that fab time, we headed home and had the next day to get ourselves ready for the drive to France. On Tuesday morning, Lee and I headed back to Brighton, to pick up our youngest son and his girlfriend, who live in Hove, and were travelling with us. From there we headed to Folkestone for the Tunnel. Just thought I’d mention … Lee booked us a Flexiplus ticket for the crossing, which is well worth doing! This got us complimentary food in the terminal and lets you bypass the queues, which made it so much easier!
We arrived in Calais late in the afternoon French time, and reached our first port of call, Les Airelles Hotel in the small town of NeufchĆ¢tel-en-Bray, about three hours later, just in time for dinner!
It was getting late by the time we arrived in Limoges, around 7 in the evening, and we were pretty tired, especially poor Lee and all that driving, so we just had dinner in the hotel and didnāt get chance to look around the town itself.
We set off early the next day for the final leg of our outward journey – our destination hotel in Cadalen, near the charming town of Lautrec and about 3 miles from the Chateau where the wedding celebrations were to take place.
Cadalen is situated in the Tarn region in the south of
France, apparently otherwise known as the Tuscany of France. We were blown away
by the beauty of the countryside surrounding us!
We were absolutely delighted when we arrived at our home for the next four days, Chambres d’Hotes de Cadalen
We couldnāt have wished for a better place to stay!!
This beautiful hotel has just four guest bedrooms in total, all decorated in a unique way. We had booked three of the rooms, and there was no one else booked in the fourth, so we had this amazing place all to ourselves, along with the lovely couple who own it, Sandra and Sylvain, who made us feel very welcome indeed.
Our eldest son and his girlfriend had flown into Toulouse and met us at the hotel an hour or two after our own arrival.
Since we were the only guests, we in effect had our own private pool and gardens! The pool was only completed this year and proved very welcome in the blazing sunshine!
Dip anyone?
Our hotel also boasted the most incredible views and such a peaceful location. Wandering around the grounds were two peacocks, two geese, and 5 cats, which was lovely! It was our own little haven of tranquility where we could spend quality time with our boys and their girlfriends, but whilst being just a short drive from the Chateau and wedding preparations. Simply perfect! Sandra, the owner, also went the extra mile to provide special breakfasts for the vegans in our family, including delicious pancakes, and her home made jams went down a treat!
Our breakfast room
On the Friday morning, we headed into the nearby town of Albi to have an explore. Another beautiful spot which boasts stunning views across the river and a cathedral.
Then came the WEDDING!! The celebrations spanned over three days, starting with an afternoon drinks reception on the Friday at one of the bars in Lautrec, which was a nice relaxing way to start the three day party!
It was around 38 degrees so a little warm. Phew! We were there as guests (not photographers) which was super – we could relax and enjoy the day. And we did! The boys were led into the ceremony by their mums and the ceremony itself was amazing, and made even more special as Michael’s dad officiated. There were also two beautiful readings.
I couldnāt resist a few phone pics of course ā¦
After the ceremony we relaxed in the beautiful grounds sipping champagne and taking in the remarkable scenery around us, for an hour or so before the wedding breakfast. This took place in a large marquee adjacent to the swimming pool, behind which were more spectacular views across the landscape which we enjoyed whilst tucking in to the delicious meal. Between the courses came various speeches. One from both mums together, in the form of a repartee, which was very amusing; some memories from a couple of the grooms’ dearest friends; and then one each from the grooms themselves, which were really funny as well as extremely moving in parts. Happy tears were flowing as readily as the champagne!
Not a bad view to eat alongside
And how about this for a cake!
Ross and Michaelās first dance was fantastic! They must
have spent ages practising it, it was so slick and brilliantly choreographed, not
a step out of place!
We then all danced into the early hours and car rides back to our hotels had been arranged for any of us needing them which was a great help!
It was a very special day indeed.
And there were still more celebrations to come! Everyone was invited to a pool party at the Chateau on the Sunday afternoon, during which we were treated to a fascinating guided tour inside by the owner who told us some of the history. The Chateau is 1000 years old; when the couple who now own it took it on, it had been empty for 500 of those years, so you can imagine the challenge they undertook to restore it from its derelict state. A remarkable job they have done too. You can read more about the history here.
After all the thrills and excitement, Monday arrived before we knew it and thus it was time to say a fond farewell to the wonderful location and to start wending our way home. Lee planned a slightly different route back, with overnight stops in Tours and Montreuil this time.
We loved Tours! Our
hotel there was great and we spent the following morning looking round the town
before heading off. It was the first
real opportunity we had during our travels to see a few shops, buy some gifts
and take in the glorious views across the river.
Our last night in France was spent in Montreuil. A small town, very picturesque and only an hour or so from the tunnel.
In the morning there was enough time for a look around the shops in City Europe, just outside the entrance to the Tunnel, before boarding our train!
We came home via Brighton and we decided to finish off our holiday with a night at the Artist Residence Hotel in Regency Square. To our great delight and astonishment, we were told on our arrival that we had been upgraded to their very best room!! And I have to say it was awesome!! Talk about finishing our holiday in grand style!!
If you click the link to their website you will see the comfy chairs and sensational views from our room of the West Pier and i360!
Once again we were given a very warm welcome by the lovely folk there!
So here we are back down to earth after such an incredible time. Already it all feels like just a dream. Sigh. Holidays often do once you get home and back to reality, don’t they? It seems like forever ago but boy do we have some amazing memories to treasure and of course loads of pictures to look back on!
So glad we went and, now I have my passport, the world is (almost!) my oyster! As long as I can get there by train …
We certainly finished on a high for our Wedding Photography Swansong! ‘Twas a beautiful day for a lovely couple who weāve known for many years through their studio visits.
We decided some time ago that we would not be taking any new wedding bookings for after May 2019. Not a decision taken lightly, but we know it’s the right one for us.
Thought I’d share a little of what’s involved when entrusted with this very important task.
Even though Iāve never advertised weddings, weāve been lucky enough to have had our fair share over the years, from family and friends getting hitched, to some of my lovely studio clients, and of course, word of mouth referrals. Each wedding equally beautiful in its own unique way. Come rain or come shine, itās been a joy. Yes, even in the downpours! Heavy rain is challenging, I wonāt deny, but you just have to make the best of it and use it to your advantage and grab some fun shots which you wouldnāt otherwise get on a sunny day!
It truly is an absolute honor when you’re asked to photograph a wedding. As the official photographers, you get to share and virtually live the day alongside the happy couple. You see everything first hand and capture all the emotions that invariably occur, from the nerves and tensions of the morning and the excitement shared by the bride and groom with their respective ātribesā as they get ready; the sighs of relief once the ceremony has been done, and the relaxed atmosphere and fun and happiness by the end of the day! Especially once the champagne has started flowing! You also get to photograph at the most beautiful locations and stunning venues – a photographer’s dream!
I wonāt pretend it isnāt a tad stressful though. Weddings are after all, a one stop saloon ā you just get the one chance and if you miss a shot or something fails, itās too late to go back after the event. All the suppliers involved, and not just the photographers, want to make sure everything is top notch for the happy couple and their guests and do their utmost to ensure the day goes as smoothly as possible. And of course it always does even if there are one or two hiccups during the proceedings. But these are the moments most treasured and which make every wedding unique – it’s often these little “hiccups” that become the best memories in years to come!
Yes, you can plan all you like but on the day anything can happen and often does, quite out of the blue, not least the weather being so unpredictable in this country. With experience, you learn to take whatever is thrown at you in your stride. But it sure keeps you on your toes throughout the day and that’s a good thing! Lee and I always took our backup cameras. Even though our main cameras are expensive and very reliable, in the back of your mind thereās always a little niggle that technology might fail you at a crucial moment, like during the ceremony. Yikes!! I still shudder at the very thought!!
Fortunately, we were lucky that we never needed our backups but it was always reassuring to have them just in case! (Haha I have never wanted to say this before in case of jinxing any future weddings we had to photograph!!)
Love all those little details too that help make each wedding so individual.
Well I guess all good things must come to an end, although I must admit itās a little bit of a relief too. Photographing a wedding is perhaps more exhausting than you might imagine. Even fellow photographers, mostly much younger than we are, suffer from whatās known in the trade as āWedding Photographer Hangoverā. Yep, when you get home after shooting all day it sure hits you! And the following day too. You physically ache from head to toe! I think this lady, Karen Julia Wedding Photography, describes it so well in her blog post https://karenjuliaphotography.com/how-to-prevent-wedding-photographer-hangover/ It’s reassuring to know you’re not the only ones and it doesn’t get any easier as the years go by!
We would always try and keep the day after free so we could chillax a bit. I found it a perfect opportunity to go through all the photos Lee and I had taken between us and sort out favourites to post for a sneak peek on Social Media and to start the initial edit. Downloading the images from the memory cards in itself could take a couple of hours due to the enormous size of the Raw files out of camera and there being at least a couple of thousand to download. Speaking of the memory cards, I would not let them out of my sight until all the backups had been done, which was as quickly as possible believe me!
Because we limited the number of weddings we booked, I would try to keep the couple of weeks afterwards free in order to devote this time to work on the edit so I could deliver them to the newlyweds as soon as possible. They’d be very excited to see them of course so didn’t want to keep anyone waiting any longer than necessary. Itās no mean feat doing a wedding edit, especially when you have developed your own style, as most photographerās do, it involves several hours each day at the computer during this time.
Edit finished and 1000 or more images delivered to the happy couple, Iād start work on designing the artwork for the photobook, which was included in most of my packages. Once that had been approved by the couple, I ordered it, and then time to put together a slideshow of around 25 minutes, using the favourite song tracks of the bride and groom.
Thus, all in all, a fair amount involved from start to finish, but because I really love being creative, it never felt like a chore, just fun to do.
To be told how much the images, book and slideshows have meant to our wedding couples over the years, has been the icing on the (wedding) cake! Great feedback means the world to us and truly makes our day š
It just remains for me to take this opportunity to say a huge THANK YOU to all the wonderful couples who have entrusted us with photographing their beautiful days over the years.
It has been a privilege and a joy.
There is one thing a photograph must contain. The humanity of the moment.
Here we are almost at another summer holidays already and another year zooming by! Thereās been lots going on here even though you may have noticed fewer posts from me on Facebook of late. Read on and I will explain all!
As many of you know already, I now split my time wearing the two hats, so to speak. Romsey Fotografix being one, and my Zazzle Store – Fotografixgal Designs, tāother.
Now please donāt get me wrong. Just because I have found a new love in my Zazzle store, doesnāt mean I’m no longer āin loveā with my photography and Romsey Fotografix. Nah, not at all, thatās still my baby. As we all know, when the second ābabyā comes along, you love it just as much donāt you, if youāll forgive the analogy! I guess what Iām saying is, itās possible to love two babies equally.
Of course, finding time to devote to each and give them both my all has meant a little compromising – but not at the expense of letting go of good customer service I hasten to add. So yes, I have cut back on my photoshoots, which means that I can still devote the time necessary for each photo session and the subsequent edit and correspondence, and thus maintain the standard of customer service you are used to from me and, of course, deserve.
My time is split about 50/50, with a little leeway naturally
where needs be. Hence, I only do studio photoshoots now on Sunday mornings and
outdoor location shoots on Saturday mornings. I edit the images from these as
soon as possible afterwards so I can get your galleries out quickly without keeping
anyone waiting.
Once I know everyone has their pictures to look at, I devote the rest of the week to designing for my Zazzle store. This really has become such a passion for me, I canāt tell you just how much I enjoy it! Haha my friends and family know exactly how much as I do go on about it a lot!!!
(Goes without saying that I deal with enquiries and
orders for Romsey Fotografix regardless of when I get them!)
A little about Zazzle if youāve not heard of them before. Theyāre a huge print on demand website and they do all manner of goodies ā as you can see from their website. And hereās their story. As a designer, artist or photographer, or indeed anyone who wishes to, you easily set up a Zazzle store, or several stores if you want to. I just have the one store for now Fotografixgal Designs, as that keeps me plenty busy enough! I also set up a separate website especially for it to help showcase the items in my store.
Thereās quite a complex strategy involved in running a Zazzle store, itās not just a question of designing and plonking it onto any old products if you want to progress and do well on there. When I first started on there about a year ago, I had no idea at all about best practices for it and it was frustrating not to be making many sales at the time. I took the step of investing in some fantastic training from Elke Clarke one of Zazzleās top sellers. She was running an offer at the time and I can honestly say it was the best money I ever spent and am so pleased I decided to go for it. I would never have discovered it all on my own. Itās been onwards and upwards since putting into practice everything I learnt (and am still learning). And the training from Elke doesnāt just stop when you finish the course, so youāre not left high and dry. She has a private Facebook group and does regular live sessions so we can ask her anything we need to know. She also assesses our stores if we ask her to and tells us how we can improve and what weāre doing right and wrong which has been invaluable.
A year in, and Iām delighted to say my sales are really starting to take off which has been very encouraging. Ironically, my most popular items are wedding stationery, photo gifts and photo blocks ā so the āsistersā Romsey Fotografix and Fotografixgal Designs do cross paths in some ways! Oh and not forgetting inspirational/motivational quote products, I have loads in store, which I decided to do not only because I love this sort of thing myself, but I reckoned they would be popular as you see them in shops all over the place nowadays donāt you. And indeed they have become bestsellers for me – Iām always racking my brains so I can add new ones.
OK, heading back to the subject of Facebook posting. As I do fewer shoots now, I have less photos from current sessions to post on Facebook and am therefore not posting every day or two, as I did at one time. And I donāt want to bombard you with too many Fotografixgal Design related posts as I guess you didnāt follow me on Facebook to see those š!! Maybe just the odd one or two if you donāt mind lol. In the main though I use my Instagram and Pinterest accounts to promote my Zazzle store. To be honest, Social Media takes such a lot of time to get it right. Thereās quite a strategy involved if you want to keep your loyal following entertained. And unless you pay for your posts to be promoted, they invariably only get shown to a small handful of your followers so it can be very soul destroying taking into consideration the amount of time and effort put into creating them. I’m not knocking it, because it’s obviously very useful and brilliant for connecting with your audience. As long as you stay in control of it and not let it take over at the expense of other things.
So please forgive me if I donāt post as often. However, Iām always very grateful when you give me permission to post pictures from your session as this allows me to showcase my work for others to see and also give you a little sneak peek and to share with your FB friends.
Another decision I have not taken lightly is to introduce a small booking feefor my studio photoshoots from August 2019. This wonāt apply to outdoor shoots. Iāll only be taking one or two studio shoots a week on a Sunday and will request and pay for the studio as and when someone contacts me to book. This session fee is to safeguard me against late cancellations and no shows and cover my costs. I know I have never charged a session fee before as I didnāt feel it necessary when I had my own studio and was doing loads of shoots in a week, therefore I wasnāt out of pocket in the event of no shows. However, now if someone doesnāt show up on the day, which does happen sometimes, I wonāt be able to fill that slot at that short notice and may even have turned other clients away for it, itās just to ensure Iām not out of pocket. The good news is Iāll refund you the booking fee when your order comes to Ā£150 or more.
You may also have seen that we have now photographed our last wedding as the official photographers. I was going to tell you all about that in this post however as itās already quite lengthy (haha sorry that’s not like me at all š ), I’ll do a separate post shortly about the reasons behind our Wedding Swansong.
I truly hope you understand my decision to veer in a slightly new direction wearing my two different, yet complementary, hats. I am a firm believer in doing what you love most in life, after all you only get one shot at it (excuse the photography related pun!!) Grab those opportunities as they arise!
You gotta be content and fulfilled in your work. I have found my very Happy Place.
As ever, thank you so much for your support. It means the
world to both Lee and I and we look forward to taking your next set of
pictures!
The secret of being happy is accepting where you are in life and making the most out of every day
I have a sign by the bed which is probably the first thing I see when I wake up.
It simply says
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO SMILE
Nothing fancy, just those few words. But powerful none the less. A little bit of positivity for the start of my day.
Right. I put it out there ā Iām a huge fan of inspirational quotes and messages. My Instagram feed is full of them and all sorts of goodies with different kinds of quotes on, from inspiring to funny, feature a lot in my Zazzle Store!
Methinks
Iām not alone in this, judging by the number you see on social media,
and on loads of items in shops wherever you go ā from pillows to mugs,
on clothing, fridge magnets, cards, notebooks, cosmetic bags, crockery,
etc. etc. and of course posters and signs and wall art.
Very
popular. Thereās something about emotive quotes that really draws you
in, especially on any with words you personally resonate with.
How
great for giving too! What better way to show you care than by sending
someone a gift or card with a message of encouragement or positive
vibes. Nothing like being told how great we are to make our day!
So hereās what I reckon are the 5 undeniable reasons to Love a Cup of Positivity ā¦
Brings The Feel Good Factor
When
you feel good about yourself, it makes it simpler to feel positive
about other things in life generally. Encouraging messages help you to
believe in yourself more and therefor feel good about yourself.
Creates a Positive Vibe
When
you have a positive attitude ā itās catching! People around you respond
to it, which in turn makes for a happier atmosphere around you which
makes everything much more bearable to deal with.
Helps to get us through Lifeās Challenges
No
one ever said it would be easy ā nope! Life throws all sorts of stuff
at us, both good and bad, sometimes itās hard, even virtually impossible
to stay positive through it all. It actually takes practice to keep
positive and upbeat but truly worth it.
Obviously
you canāt be happy about every situation but simply trying to find a
positive from a negative situation, and possibly learn from it, will
certainly help to make you feel better.
Reminds us to feel grateful for what we have
āThe
world has enough beautiful mountains and meadows, spectacular skies and
serene lakes. It has enough lush forests, flowered fields, and sandy
beaches. It has plenty of stars and the promise of a new sunrise and
sunset every day. What the world needs more of is people to appreciate
and enjoy it.āMichael Josephson
When I read The Secret
by Rhonda Byrne a couple of years ago, I got a lot from it. It was
actually quite a turning point for me. I was inspired to set up a Law of Attraction Board on Pinterest.
One of the most important things I learned was to remind myself of all the things I have to feel grateful about every day.
Being
grateful has a very profound and positive effect on the way we feel; it
makes us more optimistic and kind, less judgemental, so just generally
makes for a happier and kinder person to be around, which again, is
contagious!
Just Because
I
guess theyāre not for everyone, but thereās no denying inspirational
quotes are hugely popular right now. They can be amusing, emotional,
encouraging; they virtually give us āpermissionā to be who or what we
want to be so we can go ahead and just do it!
As
I see it, there can be no harm in spreading joy and comfort with kind,
inspiring and motivational messages, whether it be on your social media
sites, on presents you give, or just getting it out there on a T shirt!
And if you fancy more of the same, I expect it wonāt surprise you to know Iām always Pinning inspiring words ā Pinterest has millions!
āBelieve in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagineā Roy T. Bennett
Christmas is just around the corner and 2019 is on its way!
Haha, just stating the obvious!
I hope 2018 has been a good year for you.Ā In some ways, it seems to have rushed by. To me, it feels like five minutes since last Christmas ā but on the other hand, it seems like forever ago since I had the old studio at Basepoint ā even though I only finished there at the end of March.Ā The mystery of time, eh?
The move was a massive decision for us at the time, but happily itās worked out really well. Hive Studios feels like my second Sunday home now! To find such a great studio, so close by, was incredible luck.
It has also given me
the flexibility of concentrating on my artistic pursuits, as well as my
photography. I enjoy both immensely; now I can split my time equally
on each. Best of both worlds.
It has been really lovely to see so many familiar faces this year and welcome you to Hive Studios, as well as meeting lots of new faces of course!Ā Not forgetting the numerous shoots in the great outdoors during the summer months too! Great fun, and we were mostly lucky with the weather! I am so appreciative of your continued support. It means such a lot to me, thank you.
Lee and I have also photographed some beautiful weddings this year, come rain and come shine!
With my artist hat on, earlier in the year I started some courses spanning the whole year, which I mentioned in a previous post.Ā I have managed to work my way through most of the lessons, and golly have learned so much! Not only to improve my drawing and design skills, but also learning lots of new tricks and techniques in Photoshop, which have helped speed up my editing processes for my photos too. It has been very inspiring.
The most amazing outcome of the art courses though was to set up stores on a couple of Print on Demand websites.Ā Firstly Red Bubble, and then, WOW, I discovered Zazzle.
I promise I wonāt gush too much about Zazzle but I can honestly say it has transformed my life! Ā Best. Fun. Ever. I invested in a course from one of Zazzleās topsellers, Elke Clarke, and through her I have learned the very best strategies for making it work. And I am over the moon that it is paying off š My store is still growing but after only a few months sales are already going well and I know with the techniques I have learned, and am still learning, it will get better and better as I add more goodies to it.
I truly believe everything happens for a reason. This time last year I had no inkling I would be leaving Basepoint (I would have shuddered at the thought!!) but fate stepped in with other ideas for me and I am actually very grateful it did.
I’m closing for the holiday this weekend. We have a wedding to photograph on Sunday; Christmas weddings are always especially magical! Then we have our eldest son’s birthday to celebrate on Christmas Eve, and a big family get together on Christmas Day, followed by a trip to Brighton on Boxing Day. Then a little R&R before reopening in January.
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy and Peaceful New Year.
Just to keep you posted on whatās been going on at Romsey Fotografix (and beyond) lately – and notice of our upcoming holidays!!
Hope youāre enjoying the summer and heatwave!Ā Weāve been making the most of it with lots of shoots outside, which, as Iām sure Iāve probably mentioned before, are great fun for all concerned!Ā Thereās something very calming about being in the great outdoors surrounded by nature in its glory, basking in the shade of woodland trees on a glorious sunny day, with dapples of sunlight seeping through the leaves. Makes for some great natural and carefree shots!
Itās been several months since I left my old studio, and happy to report that working out of Hive Studios is going very well indeed, and very pleased to have made the jump š It’s been lovely to have welcomed lots of you there already and I’m already starting to book up my Sunday slots there in the lead up to Christmas, so please let me know if you’d like to reserve a slot before they all go!
Things have been very busy of late, not only with the studio and outdoor shoots, but weāve also been out and about photographing local goings on, for ourselves and some for stock images.
We had an incredible evening back in June in The Terrace Pavilion in The Houses of Parliament, no less, taking photos for my friend, Lynn, at an evening event there for her wonderful charity Their Future Today It was a bit surreal being there to be honest, had to keep pinching ourselves and remind ourselves where we were!
We were up bright and early (4.45am!) a few weekends ago to get ourselves down to Hurst Castle in time to photograph the yachts in the round island boat race. It was a beautiful morning, albeit a bit of a trek with all the equipment along the pebbles, but worth it to sit on the shore and watch the boats go by in the lovely morning sun, with a little picnic to keep us going! We did cheat though and take the ferry back, which was very pleasant in itself! It wasn’t just the race we photographed as you can see!
Then of course our annual trek to the Winchester Hat Fair which is always a great day out with photo opportunities right, left and centre.Ā A very enjoyable and colorful day for sure. I added a few to my stock photos on ShutterstockĀ (which is still a work in progress by the way, I’m adding new images as time permits!)
We’ve managed a couple of trips to Marwell as we love taking pictures there and making the most of our membership.
As well as the photography,Ā I have three online art and digital art courses on the go and am learning lots.Ā I’ve been working on some Fairytale characters, this one is Snow White and the Wicked Queen, a lesson I did from the fabulous Ever After Course by the very talented Tamara Laporte at Willowing ArtsĀ I’m a little behind with all my coursework, as of course my photography takes priority, and these paintings take quite a while to do, but hope to catch up on some more of the lessons during my holiday. I will have my Ipad and IPencil to hand for sure š
And great excitement!!!!!! Iāve recently opened a Zazzle Store where I can sell my art and designs on a myriad of items! I’m adding new goodies to it almost daily, as time allows! Best. Fun. Ever!!
Amongst other things, Iāve been preparing a BACK TO SCHOOL range of lunchboxes etcĀ (good timing eh š ) as well as a new Collection of items for LITTLE MISSES and LITTLE MISTERS including clothing and party invites etc. They’re not showing up in my marketplace yet as it takes several days for them to appear, but hopefully will be there soon.Ā And according to Zazzle, it’s time to start uploadingĀ products for Christmas – a little task for after our holiday I think!
Of course itās still a work in progress as Iām only a month or so in, I have nearly 600 products in my store so far and some of them take a little while to show up in the store front. Iāve also taken a training course to learn all being part of the Zazzle Marketplace, which is slightly more complex than I expected.Ā Itās not just a question of uploading a design onto one of their T shirts or mugs or any of the other thousands of items they sell (take a look itās amazing!), and hoping for the best – thereās a lot more to it! The great thing is everything can be personalised, which is brilliant if youāre looking for a special gift or maybe some personalised items for a sports club you may belong to (badges anyone?) or whatever! Lots of choice across the whole of the Zazzle site with some amazing designs and art from thousands of artists from all over the world.Ā Haha, shameless plug there!!
And now – it’s time for a holiday! We have a couple of separate holidays coming up … we close from Thursday 9th August until the 20thĀ and then again between 14 and 23rd September.Ā Looking forward to a bit of a breather!
Romsey Fotografix 