2020 Vision Project: A Tribute to the Heroes of the Covid-19 Pandemic
Jeremy Evans GP
I was delighted to have been chosen as one of the photographers to take part in this UK-wide project creating a tribute to honour the NHS workers and heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic.
My brief included showing the individuals ‘behind the mask’ so after a bit of research, I found 2 NHS workers who also choose to save lives in their spare time. Jeremy and Claire both work for NHS and volunteer for the RNLI which is an essential service for those who live on the coast.
I am now able to share some of the work that I created as part of the ‘2020 Vision Project’ as their 'Behind The Mask' showcase exhibition was held in London at the weekend.
Claire Mabon Ward Clerk
58 Berwick People Working Hard Throughout the Pandemic
Lockdown Workers Project
32 portraits in one day highlighting Independent businesses in Berwick upon Tweed. We appreciate you!
“Nothing will work unless you do.”
Have I missed anyone? Let me know in the comments :)
A Great Blend of PR, Headshots, and Product Photography for Innovative Local Firm, Silvery Tweed Cereals
Over the last few years, we have completed quite a variety of photography work for Silvery Tweed Cereals, from Headshots of lab technicians and managers to new machinery and facilities, and large fleet vehicles.
We have also covered events and charitable activities for STC who have been celebrating their 175th anniversary. One event that sticks in my mind was a great summer fete for their staff. The fete raised £1500 which was donated to local charities; Berwick Lifeboats, Berwickshire Riders for the Disabled Association, The Grove School, and Berwick Cancer Cars.
Another charitable activity we covered was the new ‘Silvery Tweed Technical Centre’ at Berwick Middle School. STC funded a school kitchen refurbishment, which included six new ovens, pasta machines, a barbecue, UV bacteria lights, chopping boards and utensils, nutritional analysis software, as well as a new lighting system and painting. https://www.silverytweedcereals.co.uk/News-and-Updates/
More recently we completed a project with Silvery Tweed and Fords the Bakers who tested out 6 new blends for artisan bread. You can read about it here on the blog, or on British Baker Magazine or in the local press, Northumberland Gazette.
These are the beautiful breads made from the blends by Fords the Bakers. I spent an afternoon photographing the loaves of bread in the studio with technicians from STC. These photos will be used: to advertise the new blends; as product photography for their brochures and website; and in sales catalogs.
Winter Family Session at Home on the Farm
Winter Family Session at Home on the Farm
It’s not easy photographing a family with a new baby who’s under the weather and with two little ones running around; gee whizz that boy can run!
So Carly and I decided that this would be a very quick session at their farmhouse. Luckily Carly had purchased some gorgeous outfits for them all to wear over the festive period and she had followed my ‘what to wear’ email! No clothing changes were needed when I got there which really helped everyone stay camera ready.
Carly needed just a couple of nice family photographs to send to extended family over Christmas.
Grandpa had specially requested a family photograph for his Christmas gift. It was the only present he wanted; no pressure then! They live in the old family home so hopefully using the front door would mean something extra special to him.
We were running very close to the Christmas print deadlines, so we decided it would be much easier to make an online gallery for Carly to order from. Having to arrange childcare and coming into the studio for a ‘view and choose’ session would have been difficult at such a busy time of year and would have made the process of getting prints take longer.
The online gallery option is available on request. Web galleries are usually used by customers who live far away from Berwick or have family further afield or for people who have portraits taken when they are holidaying in the area and head home before I have had time to process the photographs for viewing.
Written by Sarah
Maternity: White Studio Session
I’ve been photographing pregnant ladies for over 12 years now and this has got to be one of my favourite sessions to date. I’m absolutely loving the white (fake) studio window, the light it gives is so flattering, it feels like we are in a posh hotel room with bright Mediterranean sunshine streaming through, even on a gloomy rainy day in Berwick!
Rachel brought in her husband’s favourite white shirt and wore some simple white lingerie, this was a very quick session to document her baby bump.
Photographs published with express written permission.
Written by Sarah
White Studio Sessions: Timeless Beauty and Emotion
The studio has been adapted for our White Studio Sessions. A simple and timeless look featuring a soft and flattering false window light (which means that these sessions are available regardless of the weather or time of day).
The White Studio Sessions are ideal for capturing milestones between pregnancy to around age 4. I use delicate muted textures in the set and advise you to dress simply in white or cream clothing to ensure all the focus is on baby and you, not on your outfit choices.
These sessions are made to tell a story and capture the beauty and emotion between the baby and you. I can also capture siblings together or the family in the White Studio.
Outfit planning
White Studio outfit planning is really easy, we recommend a combination of whites, creams and beiges as colours can be distracting.
Coordinate everything as if you were choosing one outfit.
Textures are sooooo goood.
Make changing easy. Changing a child’s full outfit is not recommended; however, quickly changing a top is fine.
Make sure nail-coloured varnish is removed before the shoot (toes and fingers), a fresh french polish or similar for mum is fine.
Simple is timeless.
9 Easy Peasy Tips for Non-Cringy Conference Calls
How to Stop Cringing through your FaceTime, Zoom, Google Hangouts and Skype Team Calls
Whether you are working from home and chatting with your colleagues, doing professional client meetings, or just meeting up in Houseparty with friends, I have a few simple and easy tips to help you look and feel your best on screen for little or no cost.
You might be wondering with all that is going on in the world right now, is looking your best on camera really so important? Well, I think it is and, especially for work, if you look and feel your best you will feel confident and perform at your best.
Just a few small tweaks can give you that confidence and you will no longer be distracted by that little awkward thumbnail in the corner with your face on.
Light: The most important thing is light. Natural light is always best so try to schedule your calls during the day and have the window in front of you (behind the camera). Switch off room lights as they can create a colour cast which is that awful yellow glow lights give.
Evening Calls: If there is no natural light available, you can use small LED lights or buy a cheap desktop ‘ring light’ from Amazon for around £20.
If you are working from a desktop PC, a free alternative is to turn up the screen brightness to full and make your desktop background white then shrink the video call window and place it in the middle of your screen. This will act like a big white light right in front of you!
Plain white desktop picture with brightness up
Normal desktop picture
Filters/Make-up: There are filters on video apps but they can make you look fake, blurry or like a potato! It’s more professional and honest to just look naturally well-lit and like yourself. If you don’t want to look tired, make-up is recommended. You can wear more make-up on camera than you usually would for a meeting as it doesn’t show up as much as in real life; blusher or bronzer are good as they give a warm and healthy look.
I’m no expert on make-up, so I spoke to Jenny Ross, a professional make-up artist. She said: “A touch of concealer under the eyes and on the lid will waken up the eye if it’s been a long day, then just some mascara to open up the eyes. Lip balms are great for just adding a soft sheen to the lips without it looking like you’ve gone overboard with makeup but still need some hydration on your lips. Warm up the face with bronzer on the cheeks and forehead. Powder any shiny bits if you are using lighting in the evening. A tiny bit of pressed or loose powder will do for the nose, cheeks, and forehead.”
Wardrobe: Wear what you would normally wear to meet your client, colleagues, employer or friends. Unfussy collars, block colours and large print work well. Small patterns or checks can make the camera go fuzzy so it’s best to avoid those. When the warmer weather starts, be sure to avoid strapless tops as you run the risk of looking naked on camera!
Camera Position: If you are using a laptop, pop it on a stand or use some books as you will find the angle unflattering. I’m sure you don’t want clients looking up your nose! Desktop PCs usually have a good camera position. If you are using a mobile phone, try and prop it up at slightly above eye-level height. A small mobile tripod or clamp can help since hand-holding causes camera movement which can be distracting to the viewer and will get tiresome for your arm very quickly.
Orientation: Phone users tend to use portrait orientation and PC or laptop users tend to use landscape orientation. Look at what the others on your call screen are using, and if you are on a phone when everyone is on a desktop, think about turning the phone to the side to fit in with the rest. Most people will be new to this so don’t worry about changing it up; practice makes perfect.
Distance: Think about how far away you would usually sit from a client or friend. Too close to the camera feels over-familiar and uncomfortable but too far away is distracting and can affect your audio.
Background: Your background will depend on where in the room you are positioned for the best light. Declutter your background as much as possible; less is more. Make sure nothing is moving behind you (like a fan) and close doors to deter pets and children from entering and running around behind you.
One last thought; make sure you are not too far away from your internet router. After all this set up, the last thing you would want is for the call to drop out.
That’s it! 9 top tips for non-cringe video calls. Please let me know in the comments below which of these tips has helped you the most. Enjoy your chats!
Written by Sarah
Craig Connor, Social Media Influencer and Model
Craig popped up to Berwick today to update his modelling portfolio. Craig is a social media influencer and is represented by @buzz_talent_ and managed by @my.influencers.
We needed to get a range of shots for his portfolio; full length, mid-length, some different expressions and in various locations, including the studio.
I’m really excited to see how far he goes, follow @craigconnor on Instagram to follow along with me!
Interview with Madelaine: Pinny Princess
Madelaine contacted us with a very specific 'look' that she needed for headshots on her new updated website Pinny Princess. It's nice to do something different; I don't usually shoot in black and white for starters!
If you are on Instagram, you may have already heard of Pinny Princess with an impressive 20k+ following. Alongside working from her home workshop near Morpeth, she is also super mum to her two young boys and manages to effortlessly bring glamour and style to the farm.
Can you tell us about yourself and what inspired you to work in Northumberland?
I'm Madelaine from Pinny Princess, I was born and bred in Northumberland. I am greatly passionate about the area and love working here. I try my hardest to build a creative and flexible environment in our rural home for my kids, as my parents did for me.
Which part of your job do you feel most passionate about?
I feel the most passionate about my loyal customer base. I still pinch myself every day when someone from around the globe purchases something from Pinny Princess in little old Northumberland.
What tips would you give to someone starting out in your industry?
I would say focus on your ideal customer!
What is the best feedback you have ever had?
Great customer service. I pride myself as a small business to be as friendly as possible.
Who do you admire most in the world and why?
My mother. She has brought me up with the mindset that I can achieve anything I want, even with huge obstacles.
Do you have a favourite quote that you turn to for inspiration?
"Life's not fair"
My dad always said this to me so it has stuck with me and always grounds me!
What is the biggest challenge you face in business?
Being dyslexic is always a challenge. I am great with numbers but reading and spelling are difficult on a daily basis.
How will you use your headshots or how do you feel they will benefit your business?
I will be using them on my new website & social media platforms, I have never had them done before, so I am hoping they will create a professional look.
Headshot for Alistair Birkett, Farmer and Minister
It was lovely to welcome Alistair Birkett into the studio recently for a professional headshot session. Alistair, who lives in Norham, wears two hats — he’s both a farmer and a minister, working as Pastoral Support Director for Rural Ministries.
He dropped in on the off chance of fitting in a quick session for the “About” page of the Rural Ministries website. We decided on a relaxed, approachable look that would work across all of his roles — something professional enough for his church and community work, but natural and down-to-earth for his agricultural business and social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter.
It’s always great to create portraits that feel authentic and versatile — the kind of images people can use confidently in both their personal and professional worlds.
Birthday Celebration: A Wee Family Photo Shoot in the Scottish Borders
The Dodds Family from Ireland came over to Allanton in the Borders for a lovely wee relaxing break. Martin got in touch a few months before to arrange a family photo session at the holiday cottage as part of his wife’s birthday celebrations.
“Our decision to use Sarah from Pictorial Photography proved to be an excellent choice - we were holidaying near Berwick upon Tweed when we wanted our family photoshoot and booking the photo session was very easy, it involved just a phone call.
I was especially pleased that Sarah was able to take the photographs at our holiday cottage which meant that we were all much more relaxed. There were eight adults in our family group and we all enjoyed the experience.
I was delighted by with the final results and the quality of the photographs themselves. I will treasure these memories of a happy family occasion for a long time.
”
Two Women in Yellow Frocks Making Pretty Pictures
Pictorial Window Illustrating by Katie Chappell to celebrate Stage 3 OVO Energy Tour of Britain coming to Berwick!
Berwick is hosting the start of stage three of the 2019 OVO Energy Tour of Britain on Monday 9th September. The cycle race will start from the centre of Berwick on Tweed and will cross the Old Bridge as the race heads away along the Tweed Valley and onto Ford and Wooler. The route will race along the Northumberland Coast, past Bamburgh and Warkworth castles, showcasing our beautiful area through worldwide television coverage.
The people of Berwick are planning on hosting the warmest of welcomes to spectators and cyclists by decorating all the shop windows and displaying fabulous brightly painted bicycles at local visitor hotspots and roundabouts in the Northumberland colours of yellow and red.
https://berwicktrust.org.uk/tour-of-britain-comes-to-berwick-upon-tweed/
After wracking my brains on how Pictorial Photography could take part and coming up will all sorts of crazy ideas, my sister (a super talented illustrator, Katie Chappell) suggested that she could simply paint the window, amazing!
Katie created a digital design for me over the top of a photograph of the window, the design showed exactly what the window would look like before she even started (you can see a printout of the mock-up in the picture below). Once I was happy with the proposal, she came in to paint it, the whole process took around 5/6 hours and it was fascinating to watch, people were stopping in the street to watch and coming over to see it all happening, we set up some time-lapse videos and I took some photographs so you can see the progress happening.
We had the best day together, the matching dresses were totally unintentional, I hope you like our little windy photoshoot in front of the storefront display at the end haha!
Check out Katie’s website for more information on storefront illustration and window illustration https://www.katiechappell.com/liveillustration
https://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/
Please let me know your thoughts on yellow dresses, bike races and window painting in the comments below, I’m here for the chat like.
Product photography session in the studio for prop hire business Get Knotted
Product photography in the studio on a plain grey background to show the quality and detail of some of Get Knotted's prop hire items for their website and blog.
Get-Knotted is a wedding and prop hire company based in Earlston, Scottish Borders. They offer floristry, styling and have a fantastic working relationship with many of the bigger wedding venues in the borders and Northumberland.
“It is always great to work with Sarah. We have collaborated on many projects and she is always great fun, massively talented and patient. I recommend her not only for wedding photography but also commercial work.”
Landscape Magazine Commission: Northumberland’s Dramatic Coastline
I was commissioned by Landscape Magazine for the third time. I’m so excited to have my work published in Landscape again; I love this magazine!
Working with journalist Angie Aspinall, I created images to illustrate her article ‘Where Sea Meets Shore’. The article was published in the June 2019 edition and spanned 13 pages of the magazine so a lot of images were needed.
I met some great folk with my camera and enjoyed a day around the dramatic Northumberland coast.
Firstly I met Mary, who set up Barter Books in Alnwick. https://www.barterbooks.co.uk/
Then Trevor, the head gardener at Alnwick Gardens. https://www.alnwickgarden.com/
Across in Craster, I found Neil Robson of the famous Craster Kippers. https://www.kipper.co.uk/
Neil happens to be based right along the street from Mick Oxley in his stunning art gallery. https://www.mickoxley.com/
Julia Linstead exhibits her glasswork in Mick’s gallery but I photographed her separately in her own studio. https://julialinsteadglass.com/
I then travelled to Seahouses and met up with William Shiel for a quick shoot in the harbour. https://www.farne-islands.com/
After that, I visited the Grace Darling museum to meet Marleen the heritage development manager. https://rnli.org/grace-darling-museum/
Last, but certainly not least, I went to Bamburgh Castle to photograph Karen, the events and marketing manager. https://www.bamburghcastle.com/
What a day! Enjoy more photography from the day below!
Casting Headshots for Child Actors
Casting Headshots for Child Actors
Recently, children from drama classes ‘Scripts to Stage’ in Berwick have been selected and signed up to an agent; so I have started taking portfolio head and full body shots which bring out their individual looks. These images will appear in Spotlight magazine, which lands on casting directors’ desks all over the world. It is a very exciting opportunity for them and I hope the photographs will make them shine from the rest. Fingers crossed for some great acting and extras parts!
Steph, Scripts to Stage https://www.scriptstostage.co.uk/drama-classes/
Agent Michelle: https://www.vanartman.co.uk/childactors