My lockdown highlights
Lockdown may have stopped me from shooting but I've still got some lockdown highlights to share with you!
Since the start of lockdown I've had to postpone so many client shoots. Family shoots, beach shoots, toddler group sessions, school class photos and commercial sessions. It was an abrupt end to what was gearing up to be a very busy Spring season. But, I've still been squirrelling away behind the scenes. It took me a few weeks to get my camera back out again, after trying to establish some sort of homeschooling routine for my kids and worrying endlessly about running out of bread and tea bags.
I started doing some shoots with my children, at home and in the garden. You can see my sessions with my daughter in my blog post - Lockdown photos at home, and some with my son, in How to shoot your own lockdown images.
But that's not all I've been up to. I tend to share news and information on my Facebook and Instagram accounts but not so much on my blog. So, I thought I'd write a post to share my lockdown business highlights with you.
I've been a Cardiff family photographer and Cardiff business photographer for 14 years but I've only recently started to share my work with industry peers. I'm quite shy (although no one ever believes that I am!) and so it's a strange feeling submitting and sharing work to the wider world.
It's such an honour to have my work recognised and featured, both online and in print. See below for my business lockdown highlights!
Italian Vogue
The first bit of exciting news was that I had a some images published on Italian Vogue! It's something I've been trying to do for quite a while and lockdown gave me more time to get around to submitting them. I'm so happy that they accepted these client images, which are some of my favourites.
JUNO Magazine
I also had an article and images featured in the latest edition of the fabulous JUNO Magazine. It's the second time I've been featured in the magazine and this article is all about how proud I am of my son, who is a ballet dancer, so it's even more special.
September brought another feature in JUNO Magazine!
This time, my daughter was featured as part of a home-school series. She's the one with the rainbow of books on the right.
United Art Gallery
My images have been published on the United Art Gallery, which was set up to showcase COVID 19 related art from around the world. I was so happy when they contacted me and asked if they could feature some of my 'Lockdown Ballet' series of images. You can see the whole set in my Lockdown Ballet post. Visit the United Art Gallery website to see some amazing and inspiring work from artists from all over the world.
Shootproof blog
I was also contacted by Shootproof - an amazing company providing an online gallery platform to photographers around the world. They have the most brilliant blog, which I read on a regular basis. They got in touch to say that they loved my personal branding work and that they'd like me to write an article to help other photographers start shooting personal branding images too. It was published online and emailed to all their contacts in May. You can read it on their website.
DIY Photography
DIY Photography also kindly published my Lockdown Ballet article, with tips to help shoot your own lockdown images at home.
This Detailed Life
This Detailed Life is a new professional photography magazine to showcase artwork by photographers around the world, to educate and inform, and above all to inspire. I'm very pleased to have had an image selected for publication in the first edition. The magazine is due out Summer 2020!
British Photography Awards
The British Photography Awards shared my COVID 19 Assignment on their social media pages.
First News
Even my son got in on the act and wrote a little article for First News, the award winning newspaper for children, which was published a few weeks ago.
Cardiff Life Magazine
Just before we went into lockdown, I visited the independent shopping hub, Castle Emporium in Cardiff to photograph the indie shops and their owners for Cardiff Life Magazine. When lockdown hit, Cardiff Life Magazine stopped production for a few months but came back in September! Here's the 6 page spread featuring all my images!
Coming up...
There's a few other things in the pipeline too that I won't mention just yet but I'll come back and add them to the blog when they are released!
Commercial shoot Cardiff for Cardiff Life Magazine
Commercial Shoot Cardiff
I recently visited the fabulous independent shopping arcade - The Castle Emporium - to take images for a feature in Cardiff Life Magazine.
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the business owners and taking their portraits. The Castle Emporium is on Womanby Street in Cardiff. Just a stones throw from Cardiff Castle. The quirky venue is an old converted cinema from the 1920's so it has a very unique feel. No cloned high street vibes in here. It's full of character and individual personality instead.
You'll find an eclectic mix of vendors over two floors. On the mezzanine floor upstairs, I visited the framing and gift experts at The Sho Gallery. Then I popped in to visit urban streetwear brand Faded Studios in their new store.
Downstairs, I visited the The Barber Room, run by female barber Sofia. Opposite the barber shop is the Cardiff Skateboard Club, who sell a large array of skateboards and clothing. Next, I visited the not for profit organisation, Heads Above the Waves, who sell 'merch with a message' to help raise awareness of depression and self-harm in young people.
There's lots of other vendors too including the Holistic Haven, situated upstairs. When you need a coffee and a muffin there's the super friendly Finco Coffee.
For business, personal branding and headshot shoots, please visit my business pricing page and business portfolio. Get in touch for further information.
Keep your eyes peeled for the Cardiff Life Magazine edition featuring the Castle Emporium!
Commercial Shoot Cardiff
Heads Above the Waves clothing, available in store.
Cardiff Skateboard Club
The Barber Room
Owner of The Sho Gallery.
Finco Coffee.
Urban Streetwear, Faded Studios.
Looking down at the seating area and Finco coffee from the second floor.
Sofia. Barber from The Barber Room.
Heads Above the Waves.
Look out for the upcoming edition of Cardiff Life Magazine to see more images and find out more about the vendors.
