Love, Laughter, and Light: The Story Behind Our Cancer Fundraiser Photoshoot.
As a portrait photographer, I always strive to capture the essence of my subjects and convey their unique stories through my photos, and the latest photoshoot was no exception. Recently, I had the honour of photographing a client, Sarah-Jane, who had won my top photoshoot package at a charity auction, which was organised to support a very brave young girl called Bethany, who is currently fighting Medulloblastoma, a form of cancer.
As well as getting some beautiful informal images, Sarah-Jane primarily wanted to get some imagery to support her property business, in which she helps people buy, sell and invest in property, with a focus on helping them to build and scale a property portfolio and get the most out of their investments. And of course, she was thrilled to be helping the charitable cause with her winning bid for the photoshoot. Check out her details here if you'd like to know more, and perhaps see if she can help you too?
There was no rush for the shoot, so we had time to organise the date around Sarah-Janes busy schedule, the weather, and a bout of Covid for myself! We had initially proposed to do an outdoor shoot, and were hoping for a perfect day for shooting, with some golden light thrown in for good measure.
The months soon passed but eventually an opportunity for a superb location materialised... While chatting to Gwyneth, one of my clients about the website I built for her Holiday accommodation business Quintet Cottages (did you know I also build websites!?) she suggested I could use part of her beautiful property for the photoshoot, and even for future Liberty & Lace photoshoots, but more on that later…
This extremely generous offer (I can see some free web consulting being needed :P) not only provided an amazing location, but also dealt with the ever-changing weather. So, without delay, the date was set in the diary, and I let Sarah-Jane know all she needed to make sure the up-coming shoot was a success.
On the day of the shoot, I met Sarah-Jane at Gwyneth’s beautiful property, and after a round of introductions and a cuppa, I went on the hunt for the best light. There were so many options with gorgeous natural light pouring through the amazing windows, the best of which was to be found on the first floor. Eventually, we found all the backdrops and light we needed, within 3 of the rooms, and we set to making some art.
As usual, I worked closely with the client to understand her goals and vision for the photos, and it was clear that she wanted to showcase her professionalism and approachability, while also conveying a sense of warmth and compassion, all of which she has in abundance!
To achieve these goals, I used a mix of natural key-lighting and the occasional artificial back-lighting to create different moods and highlight different features. I also directed Sarah-Jane on her pose and expression, making sure to capture a range of emotions and expressions. I find the easiest way to do this in the time available is to bring a selection of photographs on my iPad, which we can both get ideas from and it allows me to get a feels for the style the client is looking for.
Sarah-Jane has an amazing smile and energy, and the images sprung to life on the camera screen at every press of the shutter button.
We also took some time to create some images that she could use for her Social Media Marketing posts, which were a lot of fun to create 😊
Throughout the shoot, we talked and laughed, and although she confessed to having never had a proper photoshoot before, Sarah-Jane clearly looked relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera. For me, this is the best part of any shoot, seeing the client relax into the process, allowing the art flow.
Once the photography had been completed, a relaxed conversation ensued about all things property and real-estate related, and although the shoot was a free one in aid of a good cause, I could sense that connections were being forged that will no doubt benefit all involved. A Win! Win situation !
As always following a shoot, I can’t wait to upload the files and get my first proper view of the days work, and as usual, I was excited to see so much loveliness filling the screen as the images loaded ready for processing.
Although I instinctively know which images will work in a particular style such as Black & White, I process all the shortlisted images in colour, before making Black & White copies where appropriate. I usually find about 60% of the shoot will work in both, and I make sure the client gets plenty of images to choose from.
Talking of image choice, two of my Photoshoot packages include a fixed number of images the client can choose to have as hi-res files and/or prints. However, as Sarah-Jane had won herself my highest Photoshoot Package, she gets to keep every single finished image from the shoot, in both high and low resolution, which for her shoot, comes in at a whopping 100 images, all fully processed and finished!
I personally prefer not to show a client all the images in their unedited state (about 250 in this instance) to have them select what they want me to finish, as I firmly believe a photographer should know what works and what doesn’t. I fully finish every image the client gets to view in their own private portfolio.
As expected, Sarah-Jane was thrilled with the results !
For me, this shoot was more than just another assignment. It was a chance to use my skills and talents to make a difference to peoples’ lives. By supporting a good cause, I felt like I was contributing to something bigger than myself, and I hope that these photos will inspire others to give back and use their talents for good.
If you're looking for a portrait photographer who can capture your unique story and personality, look no further. Whether it's for personal branding, corporate imagery, or you are simply looking for some beautiful images of yourself or loved ones, please Contact Me today to learn more about my services and let’s get your date in the diary.
Jumping quickly back to the shameless Liberty & Lace plug; as part of the kind offer of a venue for Sarah-Jane’s photoshoot, Gwyneth has kindly offered to let me use her beautifully made up boutique bedroom for future boudoir photoshoots! This gives me and future clients an additional possible location for boudoir photoshoots. How amazing is that!!
I can't wait to be able to make use of that amazing space and its gorgeous light, but more about this in a future blog post, but here is a sneak preview of the space...
So if you would like to find out more about having your own boudoir photoshoot, please get in touch. You could even consider staying in one of Gwyneth's 3 on-site holiday accommodations, such as her beautifully converted Shepperd's Hut - Piano Forte.
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Finally, if you would like to know more about Bethany's brave journey, please feel free to browse Bethany's Medulloblastoma Facebook page, and although the Just Giving page has now expired, you can still contribute to Bethany's fundraiser via her grandmother's TSB Bank Account, Account Name: Julie Vince, A/C No.: 00095209 Sort Code: 30-98-23.
A huge thank you to all involved
Jules x
www.julianmitchellphotography.co.uk
julianmitchell1965@gmail.com
07889 824835