April, 2011

Last updated by Chris Giles at February 20, 2012.

Portrait — Comments Off
14
Apr 11

Portrait Photography – Jess Jones

Jess Jones dropped by for some Portraits

Portrait Photography – Jess Jones

In case you’re wondering why there’s been a flurry of blog posts in the last couple of days it’s due to my being in France for a short break.

Next week it goes totally bonkers for me with weddings and wedding related things so I’ve retreated to my Mums for a few days head space as it allows me to catch up with my blogging.

Whilst I never really switch off and stop working I find the fact that my mum is in the kitchen right now telling me the best way to make scones incredibly relaxing and homely. Good times.

Portrait Photography – Booheads for Actors

Last week I was visited by Jess Jones and here friend Gary Machin. Jess is an actress looking for some good portrait photography to use in her agency portfolio and to use in potential castings.

I have a dedicated site for Actors and Actress headshots and portrait photography called Booheads which is how she found me.

Her friend Gary is a very experienced make up artist and hair stylist so helped to create a number of looks in order to give Jess what she needed from the day.

Retro natural light portrait photography of Jess Jones

Jess wanted some different looks

Portrait Photography – The benefits of Makeup and Hair

Ordinarily I’m not the biggest advocate for makeup with regards to portrait photography as I like the natural, realistic look. My style uses a lot of natural light and because of this my work doesn’t require it very often.

That said, the benefits on this occasion were clear due to the many different looks required on the day so is well worth considering.

Gary Machin Makeup artist for portrait photography

Gary did a great job on the makeup and hair for Jess's portrait photography.

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Corporate — Comments Off
12
Apr 11

Annabelles Wigs Launch Party at Madame Jojo’s

The wigs went down amazingly well.

Annabelles Wigs at Madame Jojo’s

A couple of weeks ago I was covering the launch party of Annabelles Wigs and Madame Jojo’s in Soho.

This was organized by Isabelle O’conner (PR) and she did a fabulous job organising and pulling everything together on the day.

Joey Bevan styling Wigs at the Annabelles Wigs launch party

Joey Bevan was there to style the wigs and be an all round nice guy.

Annabelles Wigs at Madame Jojo’s – who was there

Everyone who was anyone was there. Marie Claire, Elle and Bizarre magazine were there to name a few. Madame Jojo’s was well chosen with the bar, stage and seating areas all well defined.

A special hello goes to Alix Fox from Bizarre magazine for being lovely and bonkers at the same time.

Special mention must also go to Joey Bevan who took time out to style and demonstrate Annabelles Wigs along with his team.

Diva Hollywood at the Annabelles Wigs Launch Party at Madame Jojo's

Diva Holly Wood was there at Madame Jojo's....

Annabelles Wigs at Madame Jojo’s – The entertainment

We were also suitably graced at Madame Jojo’s with the presence of burlesque legends Diva Hollywood and Beatrix Von Bourbon who put on an amzing show which fully entertained everyone there.

Diva had a routine involving changing from a Mermaid into a leggy lady with her typical humorous twist and Beatrix Von Bourbon with her captivating and gracious moves…and her always shining smile.

A great day with Annabelles Wigs working alongside great people.

Madame Jojo's was an excellent choice for the launch party.

There were lots of models showing off the wigs.

Beatrix Von Bourbon

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Weddings — Comments Off
12
Apr 11

Waldorf Hilton Hotel London

The Waldorf Hilton Hotel London

The Waldorf Hilton London

Late last month I was asked to cover the wedding of Nadia and Matthius at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel in London.

This is a very grand hotel with stunning architectural features and great attention to detail throughout. The staff are polite and welcoming with nothing being too big to ask. Apparently I missed Bob Dylan in the lobby whilst I was unloading the car… I honestly thought he was dead…whenever I hear references to him they always seem to be in the past tense, sorry Bob.

Due to the religious nature of this wedding I won’t be showing any of the attendees but I do have the kind permission from the Bride and Groom to show the pictures of the actual hotel itself for those who have found this page whilst searching for information.

I did get some funny looks taking this shot and it reminded me of a scene from American Psycho.

The Waldorf Hilton – Inside

Inside the Waldorf Hilton the main area is the Adelphi Suite which is a very large expansive room at the heart of the hotel. There is another large function room off to the left of it (as you enter the Adelphi suite from the lobby) and to the right is the restaurant.

The Waldorf Hilton Adelphi suite is a split level arrangement with half of the available space being raised around the circumference to a height of 4 foot. This allows for a band and top table to be placed either end and gives a platform to those wishing to say vows and give speeches.

The lower innermost area allows more than adequate space for 10 or more large round tables to seat guests.

The general colours of the room are white and marble in the flooring and steps leading up to an oatmeal colour in the walls and pillars. The glass ceiling is blue in the mid afternoon but goes a very deep golden colour in the evening as the sun sets. (see below)

The Adelphi Suite at the Waldorf Hilton with a warm glow late in the day

Waldorf Hilton – odds and ends

The Waldorf Hilton is a lovely place for photos. You can’t really ask for a better place to attain good Wedding Photography. Neutral colours and lots of space with various other ornate nooks and crannies to utilize makes this an A1 location.

My primary concern when working here was the ability to park. I don’t travel light and on this occasion I was carrying two 1d Canon bodies, ten L lenses, 5 flashes and 4 lightstands….. and a cameraman. Fortunately down the side of the hotel there was parking (limited to 4 hours maximum stay – you can’t just buy another ticket either, you have to move however it is free after 6.30pm). There is another all day car park just down the road too.

All in all this is a superb high end venue and for anyone considering the Waldorf Hilton it comes highly recommended.

Waldorf Hilton Adelphi Suite details

Everything in the Adelphi suite is white and marble coloured.

Waldorf Hotel London Wedding Venue Review

There was an army of staff on hand to set the tables and to meet the needs of guests.

The top table at the Waldorf Hilton in London

Lots of details at the Waldorf Hilton Adelphi Suite in London

The tables were all laid out beautifully

I love the simple elegance throughout the hotel. I also like staircases...don't hate me

Flowers at the Adelphi Suite in the Waldorf Hotel in London

The colours at this wedding were very clean with whites and creams which really complemented the overall look of the Waldorf Hilton.

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Studio — Comments Off
2
Apr 11

Band Photography | Murdochs Crazy Eyes

Murdochs Crazy Eyes

Band Photography

Is not something I get asked to do a lot of. Usually it’s weddings, boudoir and portrait photography.

I guess that’s a good thing really because when asked to do something different it force me to think outside the box, keeping my work fresh.

Murdochs Crazy Eyes are an 80′s cover group who needed updated promotional images. They required Band Photography suitable for corporate, promotional and online presentation.

This involved some fun shots moving into the more serious corporate type of Band Photography.

A two hour studio shoot yielded some 70 finished images, all of which went down well.