Tuesday 8th December

Today was the first day of the shoot, unfortunately not everything was ready and so we begun testing with the lights and props. The lights came with their own operators. We worked through til 10pm and ate cheese sandwiches and masala dosa.

They have a new bridge in Mumbai called the Sea Link Bridge which we travelled across many times and it always took two men to work the tolls. One man to collect the money from the driver, who passed it to another man in the booth who then passed out the change to the first man who would pass it back to the driver.

Monday 7th December

I had Dragon Fruit for breakfast, delicious! Visited the studio today to see how the sets were being built. I had my first cup of Char in the Good Luck Cafe. The traffic in Mumbai is mental, all you hear is horns honking. Rickshaws are everywhere!

Was chaffuer driven to a restaurant called Trishna (I think that was how it was spelt!) We then went to the CCI and sat on the cricket ground with a Kingfisher.

Then on to Olive for dinner.

Sunday 6th December

We arrived at the 5* Taj Landsend in the early hours of the morning.

After a few hours sleep we went to visit the Gateway of India. It was brimming with people and I begun snapping away but I soon became the focal point due to my pale complexion and people began snapping me! Very surreal.

We then stumbled upon a film set! We pushed our way through the crowds and were pulled in to become extras!

We then visited Queen Victoria Station, where scenes from Slumdog Millionaire were shot! Men and women are required to travel in separate compartments and the carriages have no doors! Very impressive place with lots and lots of people.

In the evening I had my first curry in India! I tried Wasabi Peas, Chicken Makhani, Dal Makhani, Lasooni Palak Paneer and Gulab Jamun! Then afterwards on the street I had Paan!

Mumbai

India was amazing!! I took my laptop with me, prepared to blog everyday but unfortunately the hotels wi-fi connection was very slow and so I was unable to. I had kept a hand written diary whilst I was away instead.

I got back last week and have been super busy so this is my first chance to be able to write about everything!

To give a quick overview I was in India to assist the photographer Andres Reynaga, he was shooting advertising shots for Nitco, a company that specialises in luxury floor and wall tiles. We were working in Mumbai’s biggest studios, Meeboob, where many Hindi films are staged.

We obviously were working very hard out there but I did have some time to see some cool things and take photos!

The difference in financial situations is astonishing. From tiny children begging on the street to luxury apartments over looking the slums.

India

Off to India tomorrow! Going out to Mumbai to assist Andres Reynaga and am very excited about it! We will be shooting for four days and are out there for eight days so I will be able to squeeze in some sightseeing as well!

Southampton

I was down in the green pastures of Upham last weekend for a few family portraits. After photographing the lovely Massey family it was over to my wonderful website designer David Bell and jewellery designer, Jenni.

Test

I recently had the pleasure of photographing the gorgeous Casey Campbell for a test shoot that I had set up. Make-up and hair was done by the very talented Holly Watts. I had three looks that I wanted to try out, 50′s Screen Siren, Soft Goth and Young and Funky. Below you can see an example of each look that we achieved. I came up with the ideas and references for each looks hair and make-up and Holly took it from there. As you can see both Casey and Holly did a fab job!

I really wanted to take a different lighting approach with each change of hair and make-up which I think I definitely achieved. In the 50′s look I wanted to really highlight the model, lifting her out of the darkness that surrounds her. I created this spotlight effect by using an 18cm reflector on a Elinchrom BX400 head. With the Soft Goth look I approached the lighting in a slightly different way, I still used the same head and lighting accessory but I used them to create harsh shadows against a white background. Finally with the Young and Funky look I used a different lighting accessory, a 66cm softbox to create a bright and softer light source.

I also had the opportunity to use my new Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 lens, which was a delight to use! We had a really fun time and the day just flew by. I am beginning to retouch my favourites so watch out as they will soon be making appearance in my Beauty and Fashion portfolios.

Jenni Bell’s Jewellery Range Part II

Here is the second installment to the work I have been doing for Jenni Bell, highlighting another three beautiful pieces.

Jenni Bell’s Jewellery Range

I have recently taken on a very special commission for jewellery designer, Jenni Bell. All of her jewellery is hand-made and I will be photographing three models to showcase these fabulous designs.

Advertising

My leaflets are nearly ready! It has been a long process getting to this point but I will be collecting them this week. Now all is left is to post them through 5000 doors! My leaflets were printed with Dsicmm Ltd.