Corporate Headshot Sussex
Make an Impression with your corporate headshot
They say that it takes as little as 7 seconds to make a first impression, and this will include traits like your trustworthiness. Does your corporate headshot create that vital first impression?
In today’s world where everything is on-line, often the first port of call is the web for a person to research you, and this could be where you make your first impression.
How Do I Know This?
The lady you see in this blog came to me because she was very unhappy with her corporate headshot; she is a specialist Lawyer in London. It did not show her personality, her professionalism and her approach. She came to me to get the right set of images for her corporate headshot. I knew what kind of impression she wanted to make and we discussed how I would approach this. She left the session having seen her images and knowing that this was how she wished to be presented.
Your Corporate Image
Can you imagine losing business because of the image you have on your web site and social media is not giving you that vital first impression that is so important?
You aren’t even getting the chance to meet your potential clients and to chat to them about why you could be the right person for them; all because your corporate headshot did not do you justice.
Phones are so Good Today; I can do it Myself
Yes, you can but no matter how good a phone is, no matter how good you are at selfies; this will still be a selfie on a phone. Is this the first impression you want your clients to have of you? A first impression that you are happy just to snap away on your phone. Could this give them the idea that your commitment to them could be just as transient? These are all questions worth asking yourself, it’s amazing what assumptions can be made in 7 seconds.
Why Choose Me?
Firstly, I am a professional photographer, using professional equipment. I am a Qualified Master Photographer and people are my thing! When you come to me, it will be about getting the right corporate headshot for your business, the right look that will appeal to your clients and most importantly making the right impression in that vital 7 seconds.
This is going to be expensive!
No, a corporate headshot doesn’t have to be. I have fabulous individual mini sessions and 2 high res images with full commercial reproduction rights at just £65.00. If you are looking for several people to have their corporate headshot then I operate on an hourly basis, again with full commercial reproduction rights of the images supplied, as this is a more cost-effective way to photograph several people.
Remember it only takes 7 seconds…
Claire 😊
Jeremy's Borde Hill Gardens Weddings
Alexander House Hotel, East Grinstead
Before the fun begins at Jeremy’s Borde Hill Gardens, Alexander House Hotel is the ideal place to get ready for a wedding. The rooms are spacious with lots of light for the hair and make-up artists. This was a scorcher of a day and it was already hot before we even arrived at Alexander House!!
The bridal party preparations were well underway and there were some very interesting cocktails being sipped whilst everyone was getting ready.
St Margaret’s Church, West Hoathly
We then headed off to the church to find the boys and take some photographs of them before the arrival of the bride. It was great to see all the guests arriving some were enjoying a couple of summer drinks in The Cat Inn, a very convenient pub!!
Once our lovely bride arrived with her Dad, the most important part of the day could begin. The coolness of the church was a welcome relief to have the coolness of the church. The ceremony was lovely with fun elements that reflected my bride and groom’s personalities, they did make me giggle behind the camera!!
I do love St Margaret’s Church, not only for its beautiful country location but for the views. We planned some portraiture after the service as the view was a very special one for my bride and groom. It also gave them some much needed time together before joining their guests at Jeremy’s Borde Hill Gardens.
Jeremy’s Borde Hill Gardens
We arrived to the most amazing sound; a steel band, with the weather this was just so perfect. Cocktails were being served and the whole wedding had such a tropical feel. My bride and groom had hoped for a day like this as they wanted a tropical themed wedding and they could not have asked for a more perfect weather in the perfect setting of Jeremy’s Borde Hill Gardens. There was lots of time to relax and sip a cocktail or two before settling down to a magnificent barbeque. The marquee was open on all sides, everything was just magical.
The evening fun at Jeremy’s Borde Hill Gardens!
We had loads of fun in the evening; I think a cocktail or two may have helped things along a bit!! It is a great time to be a bit silly and capture some fun photography; and my oh my was this fun!!!
There was another full barbeque for the evening guests with some very special entertainment and nope I cannot say more!!!
Once the sun had gone down, it was time for us to go and we settled in to the glorious coolness of the air conditioned car to make our way home and chat about another glorious wedding at Jeremy’s Borde Hill Gardens.
Claire 🙂
xxx
Awards and Qualifications - Why are they Important?
Qualifications and Awards
Awards and Qualifications; should you care? There are so many photographers out there now, it must be baffling for any client to try and decide on the best one to choose for their portrait or wedding. More often than not nowadays it will come down to cost; but with anything price shouldn’t always be the overriding factor.
Why Choose a Qualified Photographer?
There are many photographers out there claiming to be qualified and having trained with the best; weirdly they don’t seem to want to display their qualifications or who they hold them with on their websites. Any photographer who has spent years gaining qualifications and awards will be proud to show them on their website.
So why choose a qualified photographer; for the same reason you would choose any other qualified professional because they know what they are doing. They haven’t just picked up a camera and called themselves a photographer, they have been critiqued by some of the best in the industry and they have passed a rigorous criteria to obtain a level of expertise. I love aiming towards qualification as the process helps me to finesse my craft, develop new techniques and style and as they say it is about the journey not the destination and this holds true in my industry.
Why do Photographers Enter Competitions and Awards?
For the same reason really, to pit their wits against their finest competitors and to see how their works sits with their peers in the industry. This process also helps a photographer to develop and improve so both qualification and competitions really do sit side by side.
In other professions they have something called Continual Professional Development (CPD), this is a requirement for them to be able to continue in their chosen field; it’s a way of ensuring their knowledge remains current. Entering competitions is a form of CPD.
Why do photographers continue with their training?
We come back to CPD once again as this helps to ensure a photographer’s skillset remains current. Trends change, processes change all the time and continuing training helps to ensure that your images are using the latest processes and trends possible. Every photographer will have their own style, but it is ensuring this style moves with the times.
One Last Word
When you visit a photographer, it should be for them to create something truly special for you. Something that you or you pals can’t snap on a smart phone; the images and the experience should go hand in hand as a memory for you so that every time you look at the products you have purchased you remember the reason you visited.
If you can, try to look for a qualified photographer who is happy to display their qualifications and awards on their website. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are more expensive either but you are getting a qualified professional who you can rely on to capture something that will really stand out from the crowd.
Claire 🙂
Love this image taken in the Bridal getting ready suite at The Ravenswood; what a fabulous place to have at your disposal on your big day.
I hold an Associateship with the BIPP, I am a Craftsman of the Guild, a Licentiate with the MPA and and I have an Associateship with the SWPP
Marquee Wedding - Sophisticated and Fun
If you are looking for a unique atmosphere then a Marquee is your wedding.
There is no defined style for your marquee wedding, you can be a festival wedding or an English country garden wedding. It’s the feeling of bringing the outside in that will attract you.
Location
You might be having a marquee in your parents garden, so many memories here and new ones are being made today. It feels so wonderful to see your wedding venue as you look out the window, there it lots of activity to make your day perfect.
When you leave the house you know that you will be coming back with your partner as a married couple.
Drinks Party
Think glorious summer days, flowers in bloom, trees in leaf and that lovely feeling of being under canvas but the most luxurious canvas you could wish The champagne smells delicious and oozes celebration and happiness. You chat to your guests as you wander through the grass. Your catering team are wandering around with the most delicious canapés, carefully chosen by you. You love seeing your guests enjoy them and In the background there could be an acoustic band or a string quartet; even a steel band. Children are playing with the lawn games and everything is oh so relaxed. You are having your photographs taken with the most glorious views and then it’s time to celebrate.
The Meal
Your caterers bring you the amazing dishes that you lovingly selected, the gentle warmth surrounds you as the musicians continue to play. Amazing flowers adorn the tables, their delicate fragrance gently radiating around the marquee. Everyone is laughing, then you have the speeches filled with emotion and hilarity.
Dusk
As the day gently fades there is time to wander around as dusk approaches. Perhaps you take this time for some more portraits, making more memories with the softest of lights to be had at this time of day. This is also a time for reflection to just stop, look and remember this moment in time on the most special of days.
Let’s Party
The evening celebrations begin, as the sun starts to go down it’s time for you to cut your cake have your first dance, perhaps under a starlit ceiling. Now it’s time to party, from the outside your marquee looks amazing lit up. It is a beacon of welcome to all those that come along. Sometimes it’s nice to have some photographs taken at this time, all those special lighting touches that you chose together come into their own and the whole area takes on the feel of an Enchanted forest. Stand back look and then go back in to party the night away with your family and friends. This was our day, this was our unique location this was us and tomorrow we will have another celebration here before we jet off to relax.
IS THIS YOUR WEDDING?
Some suppliers you may be interested in:-
Super Events – https://www.superevent.co.uk/
Emma Tindley – http://www.emmatindley.co.uk/
Richmond Events – https://www.richmondcreativeevents.com/
Graysons – https://www.graysonsrestaurants.com/
Exclusive Wedding Venue - Fab, Funky & Fun
If you are looking for a dedicated wedding venue then this is your wedding.
The Morning
As you slip into your luxurious silk chemise and cover up, the wedding prep can begin. The room has dedicated hair and make-up stations, champers and snacks are on hand. There is a beautifully presented continental breakfast for you all to nibble on. Music is playing, everyone is talking excitedly and laughing about the Hen celebrations. Your photographer arrives to capture these wonderful moments. All of a sudden a few nerves begin, not nasty nerves but excited nerves. Today is here, it’s happening, it’s going to be so much fun. You know your guests are arriving, they are having fun and you can’t wait to see them. Your dedicated wedding planner pops in and out to see how you are. They are a comfort to you; they have been with you every step of the way and they are here today to see you get married.
It’s time to dress, eeek, it’s time to dress!!!! Everyone is seated and they are waiting for you.
Your Marriage
Your the groom and you’ve been with the boys getting ready and now it’s time to head to the bar to meet your family and friends. You feel good in your suit, you take one last look in the mirror and you know you are looking pretty hot today. It’s great to see everyone and you are a bit nervous so chatting takes your mind of things. Your photographer arrives to take some photographs of you and the boys, you love to lark about but before you know it you are having your interview with your registrars in the room where you are getting married. You look round and you know your partner is going to love it.
What seems like an eternity; the door opens and there they are, walking up the aisle towards you, time stops as you lock eyes.
There are giggles during the ceremony because you both get a bit tongue tied, you love your photographer and they are there capturing these very special moments, their presence is a source of comfort to you. Ahhh at last the first kiss; then the signing of the register and a deep breath…we’ve done it!
As you walk down the aisle your photographer is capturing your happiness and you see your wedding planner smiling and waiting to greet you with champers that you see gently and enticingly bubbling in the glass. Some photographs at the door and that first glorious sip of your champers as a married couple.
Let’s Celebrate!
There is a party atmosphere. Everyone is chatting away; canapés are being served and you know that there is plenty of room to have fun inside should the weather be a bit; well like our weather really. Along comes your dedicated events manager with your very own canapés, beautifully presented; you feel a million dollars.
Everything in this venue is perfectly located for your photography; you wander off for that all important alone time to the many beautiful spots for your romantic portraiture,. Your photographer makes you laugh so much, you don’t feel at all worried as you get some the most important photographs that anyone will ever take of you.
Your wedding planner calls the guests to be seated and you have some time to look back at your beautiful venue. As you wander towards the door to your reception room, you both laugh and chat excitedly. The doors open and all the people you love are waiting to see you and clap and cheer as you make your way to the table. When you sit, you know it’s time to relax and enjoy the meal you carefully chose all those months ago. Oh dear it’s time for the speeches, stories are told that have you in stitches and what happened on ‘tour’ does not stay on ‘tour’!!!!
Time to Party
Before the party beings, you sneak out with your photographer for some more portraiture around the venue, this time of the day is so lovely. The light is enveloping and creates a totally different feel to earlier. It’s so lovely to have a little bit of time alone.
The evening celebrations kick off with the cutting of the cake, followed by your first dance; it’s your song, a song that brings back so many memories then the tempo changes and everyone floods onto the dance floor, this is great it’s just how you imagined.
Oh go on then one last photograph; then off to party whilst the boys do their thing with cigars. This was everything we imagined and more.
IS THIS YOUR WEDDING?
Featured Venues and suppliers:-
Millbridge Court – https://www.millbridgecourt.co.uk/
The Ravenswood – https://www.theravenswood.co.uk/
Long Furlong Barn – http://www.longfurlongbarn.co.uk/
Pleesecakes – https://www.pleesecakes.com/
Sony a7R II - My New Camera
Sony a7R II
So, after the epic event of buying the Sony a7R II I now had to get to grips with the camera and to decide whether or not we could get on!!!
I spent the first few days just getting a feel for it and finessing the function buttons to set them to something that would feel most comfortable for me. The Sony a7R II has a function button and various ‘c’ buttons all of which are customisable. The ‘c’ buttons are placed at strategic points over the camera body; for me they were placed in my go to places and were customisable to my go to functions. The Sony a7R II is a mirrorless camera so no mirror to flip up when pressing the shutter. The big boon is you have the advantage of a WYSIWYG viewfinder and back display and this is called live view. Live view can be turned on and off from the menu. I got very excited as I thought yes I can use one of my ‘c’ buttons and use this to switch between the two. Alas no, this is one option that is not attributable to a ‘c’ or the function button. If any chaps from Sony are reading this, then this photographer would love a little firmware update J. It may seem a silly thing but if, like me, you work on location and in the studio, there is a need for this. I also work with both strobes and continuous lights in the studio so having a quick switch would be amazing….pretty please Sony J
My only other bugbear is the multifunction wheel on the back of the camera. My main work cameras at the moment are Nikon and they have focus arrows in much the same place so my finger just zips around these arrows to get my focus point. When photographing weddings, things like this have to be done quickly. With the Sony a7R II the wheel exists and it is customisable to allow for focus points, but there are functions that are set in stone also on this wheel so in order to get the focus point one has to press an additional button. In this case, I have set it up to be the centre button within the wheel. Lisa of Lisa Beaney fame, who is an ambassador for Sony knew this was an issue for me and she showed me that her camera was set to the same; oh and yes folks she paid the for her own kit like all of us have to do. The more I am using the camera the more I am automatically pressing then moving but there is an issue. The wheel spins and pushes; if you push yep you guessed it the focus point moves and if it spins the wheel activates one of the set functions. You may think you are pushing but the wheel is sensitive and in actual fact you are spinning and could unwittingly do something else. I managed to bracket some shots at the Mascalls Spring Ball testing and as a consequence missed some shots. Luckily it was at the end but for me not knowing what on earth was going on was a bit frustrating. At one point the poor camera was trying to process this lot so went into shutdown and I thought, flippin heck, first night out and I have managed to break it so you can imagine the relief when my little baby came back to life!!!
As I say I am getting used to it but if the lovely chaps at Sony are reading this then I would love the option to be able to customise this wheel solely for the focus point. I know others like the multi-function wheel so perhaps make this more customisable than it already is. As much as it annoys me it is not so much of an issue that I don’t think the Sony a7R II and I can’t be friends as the more I use it the more I really love it; but Sony this would make it perfection for me.
The aim of the Mascalls Spring Ball was to shoot at a minimum of iso 6400, I did go to iso 8000 but there was no need it really was just for testing. I have to say I am really impressed with the noise and I would quite happily shoot at iso 6400 without any qualms, something I would not be entirely happy doing with my Nikons. Don’t forget folks the Sony a7R II has a mahoosive 42M megapixels so shooting at this iso is just a boon for me. Mega pixels and low noise, usually one is sacrificed for the other so I am over the moon that I can have both.
Here are just a couple of shots from the ball with my very beautiful Goddaughter Esme who has a stunning voice and hopefully this will give you an idea of how lovely this camera is in low light, albeit with a bit of unintentional bracketing on the night. The images have had the merest whisper of editing in Lightroom as I wanted you to see them without too much done to them. I have cropped each one so you can see how good this camera is at iso 6400.
These images were shot on the Sony a7R II using the Zeiss Batis 85mm 1.8, which I have to say is beautiful lens, it really is.
I have been on location but wow have I loved using my little baby in the studio with continuous light.
Watch out for part three…
Claire :)
xxx
Sony a7R II Full Frame Mirrorless Camera System
Sony a7R II
I do love a bit of a geeky show so I was very much looking forward to the recent Photography Show in Birmingham to look at the Sony a7R II.
I have been looking to replace one of my DSLR cameras and I wasn’t sure if I should go for another DSLR or go for a mirrorless system. I own the Olympus OMD E5 cameras but these are pleasure cameras and I would not feel comfortable shooting weddings with them for a few of reasons. They are wonderfully compact but this can be an issue when navigating some of the buttons quickly (most things have to be quick when photographing weddings), the small size of the camera can make things unbalanced when you put a decent sized flash on top and the low light capability wasn’t quite spot on for me, although I do think we are picky as photographers now but it was still an issue for me. Also the system was micro 4/3rds not full frame; yes me being picky but I do love full frame.
Sony launched a full frame mirrorless system of cameras that caught the eye of my good pal and fellow photographer Lisa Beaney who invested in the system. Posts kept popping up about the amazing quality of this camera in low light and it was a full frame mirrorless system so it caught my eye and got me to thinking should I be considering this? I have been endlessly questioning poor Lisa for months, she is a very patient person and then Sony brought out the a7R II with a whopping 42M megapixels. Now this put me in a quandary as the aS system was 12M megapixels. How would this little baby cope in low light I asked myself then Lisa, yes poor Lisa!!!
The Photography Show was the place to be and ask a few questions, but I was still undecided and the multi-function wheel at the back of the Sony a7R II camera and was a an issue for me. I like to meet Lisa and Phill and the show as we can have a good old look at all the new shiny things they have on offer and I was at it again with the questions. The low light was still a sticking point for me and if I was going to invest the money in this system I had to be sure I was making the right decision. Lisa is an ambassador for Sony and she was doing a couple of talks on the stand to show what the camera can do, she was using her own equipment that she purchased with her own money so her talks are genuine!!! Anyway, I digress, she had her camera with her and thrust it into my hand and said, Claire go and play with it on a high ISO and see what you think, get the feel of it and use the focus wheel to see if it would be a problem. Oh dear that really did put me in a dilemma as it was 42M megapixels and it was fabulous shooting at 6400 iso. Then we wandered to Cameraworld who had a fabulous show deal on…well I am sure you can see where this is going. After lots of ringing of hands, a phone call to my Hubby in the vain hope he would put up a fight I took the plunge and purchased the Sony a7R II with the Sony Zeiss 24-70 and the Zeiss Batis 85mm.
Handing over the credit card brought me out in a cold sweat with a reluctance to hand it over but I kept telling myself, it’s worth it, it’s worth it!!! There was lots of deep breathing and justification for the remainder of the show much to the amusement of Lisa and Phill with much the same on my drive home.
The first chance to use this little baby came last Thursday, well I am pleased and I will write about that in my next blog post with some pics. I think my Sony a7R II and me are going to be great friends :)
Check out part 2 coming soon!!
Claire
xxx
https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras/ilce-7rm2
Richmond Creative Events
Richmond Creative Events
I do love to chat and get to know companies that have the same ethos as me, so getting to know the team at Richmond Creative Events has been a boon. They describe themselves as a boutique and by being such they can offer outstanding customer care and a personal service that you just won’t get with some of the larger caterers and events teams out there at the moment.
Your wedding is a special event and extremely personal to you so your chosen suppliers should want to invest in your day, Richmond Creative Events does this and more. Their talented chefs create delicious dishes that will complement their exceptional wines. As suppliers, we all attend many weddings a year but boutique suppliers recognise that every wedding is individual and reflects the couple so the food should be no different and Richmond Creative Events talented chefs make sure that everything matches your tastes that makes your wedding just like you…individual.
I don’t think you will find many caterers that are happy to organise theming, table dressing, flowers and even entertainment. They have a talented team of wedding planners who will be with you every step of the way to make sure you have the best day ever and that level of personal service can be hard to find today. That trust and relationship that you have built with your wedding planner means you will have a friendly and familiar face from your first call until the day itself where they can ensure you have the wedding of your dreams knowing that’s another job well done :)
Richmond Creative Events s will travel so if you are having a marquee wedding in the country this will not be a problem for them. The other bonus for anyone working in London is they are conveniently placed for meetings and tastings so easy to fit into a busy life.
They are one of the recommended caterers for Kew Gardens and Wakehurst Place along with a host of other amazing wedding venues so if you are planning a wedding at one of these lovely venues you will be in good hands with Richmond Caterers.
We had great fun at the Wakehurst Place wedding fayre and my diet definitely went out of the window that day!!!
Have a great week everyone and if you are planning a wedding and need caterers just click on the link and get in touch with Richmond Creative Events
Claire
xxx
http://www.richmondcreativeevents.com/
Wedding at Avisford Park - Claire and Edward
Wedding at Avisford Park
Today I am featuring a wedding at Avisford Park, which is a beautiful hotel in Arundel West Sussex. Claire and Edward booked me after I photographed a wedding that Edward had attended and they were getting married in the same church. This really excited me because I just love Our Lady of England Church in Storrington, not only is it really beautiful but it has the most wonderful light.
Bridal Preparations
Claire was getting ready for her wedding at Avisford Park so that was our first port of call and we arrived to find the preparations in full swing. It was a hot and sultry day but Claire was a cool as a cucumber!!! After much fun, it was off to the church to catch up with the boys.
The Church
Our Lady of England has a beautiful gallery that lead to the convent and this was the perfect spot to capture the boys on a hot day. Not only was the light lovely but it kept them away from the heat of the day. The church was a welcome relief for the arriving guests too. Before we knew it Claire and her Father were on their way and it would not be long until Claire would be marrying the man of her dreams. Claire and Edward had a wonderful Catholic service with communion, their lovely priests were so chilled I was able to move about discretely to ensure that I captured all the important parts of the ceremony including Claire and Edward’s first communion as a married couple. After a very moving service we were off to celebrate their wedding at Avisford Park.
Celebration of Claire and Edward’s Wedding at Avisford Park
Having a Wedding at Avisford Park in the summer is brilliant because they have some very mature trees that provide some gorgeous cooling shade on a summer’s day and there can be nothing nicer than sipping champagne and chatting at this lovely venue. What always seems like a blink of an eye it was time for everyone to be seated for Claire and Edward’s grand entrance before tucking into some yummy food.
The evening was so much fun, not only with the bride and groom portraiture but the mad five minutes we had with the main wedding party; it still makes me laugh now but yikes neat Jägermeister!!!!! I know it plays a very special part in Claire and Edward’s first meeting, but gang, neat : )))))))))
I loved working with the very talented Ioannis from Reel Emotion Weddings, he is a pleasure and a joy to work with so if you are looking for a videographer be sure to pop over to his page to have a look.
Claire and Edward, thank you for choosing me to capture your wedding story and to be a part of your day. I know your wedding day was the start of a long and happy life together and to be a part of your day was an honour.
Claire : )
xxx
Farleigh Golf Club Wedding Venue Surrey - Claire and Ed
Farleigh Golf Club Wedding Venue Surrey
Today I am taking you to Farleigh Golf Club Wedding Venue Surrey to celebrate the marriage of Claire and Ed. I always feel so honoured to be a part of a wedding but I love it when I am photographing another member of the family. I have photographed lots of special moments for Claire’s sister Katie and here I was again being part of another wonderful event, it really is so special and I am a little humbled they want little old me :)
The day started at Claire and Ed’s house, there was fun, laughter and very chilled atmosphere when we arrived along with two excited little boys who were being very well behaved. Once Claire was ready we zipped off to Farleigh Golf Club wedding venue Surrey to see what the boys were up to and capture some of the atmosphere before the day got into full swing. Ed is from New Zealand so his family had travelled a long way to celebrate with them.
The service was just lovely, Claire was beaming and they were both so happy to be getting married I just couldn’t help continually grinning behind the camera; their happiness was infectious. Their marriage really did complete things for them after birth of their little boy the previous year. The weather was being kind to us so after the ceremony we popped outside to grab some group shots and I then left Claire, Ed and Alex to relax with their guests as I captured their reception room.
It’s great at Farleigh as you have a dedicated person who takes you to various spots in and around the golf course, which does mean you get to explore more than I usually do a golf club wedding venues. I had my own buggy, which I drove gingerly to be honest but it was great fun whizzing along and exploring this beautiful venue.
We all enjoyed the Bride and Groom portraiture but all good things have to come to an end and we headed back for Claire and Ed to spend some more time with their guests before sitting down to their first meal as a married couple and to celebrate with their gorgeous little man.
Once they were all settled we headed home from Farleigh Golf Club wedding venue Surrey for a nice cup of tea.
This weather is a little chilly so I hope the images cheer you up a bit today.
Have a great week folks.
Love Claire : )
xxx