Mother's Day

Picture by AJ Williams photography

When trying to compose this post I looked all over my hard drive for a photo I'd taken of my mother but I couldn't find a single one. My mother is extremely camera shy and I had to resort to using one of the photographs taken by our wedding photographers; Jason and Aga Williams.

I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that we have precious few photos of us with our families and with Mother's Day coming up on the 3rd April (just over a month away) what better present to give your dear old Mum than a set of family portraits.

How about a fairytale family shoot in the woods, or larking around at home and playing dress up in the garden? (Dads take note too, co-ordinating this will win you brownie points!). There's plenty of ideas too for more grown up families.

As you may have seen on my about page I'm trying to build my portfolio and can shoot a set of images that would make the perfect gift for free, and even give you help and give guidance on turning these into albums, framed prints, canvases and acrylics.

So, if you're interested in taking advantage in exchange for me using the images in my portfolio then please send me an email or give me a call.

Tilly and Lee

As I mentioned in the sneak peak, Tilly is my oldest friend, and Lee is her newest boyfriend. Only joking, they've been together almost two years and are a perfect match. Tilly likes music and cats, Lee likes zombies and cats and together they agreed to be willing 'victims' for my first couples photoshoot.

On a cold and bleak day in Norwich, we headed round the corner to Mousehold Heath, with the idea being that there would be beautiful views across the city, taking in the cathedral and castle, but it was so foggy that not much could be seen. At one point my feet became so frozen in my brogues that we had to decamp to a local pub for a pint of real ale before a quick few photos on Bishop's Bridge, a Norwich landmark.

I'd originally planned to use balloons, but on such a miserable day my rainbow umbrella seemed a much more likely prop. Homemade newspaper bunting similarly got tangled before we got to string it in a fallen silver birch tree. Just in time too, as the tree trunk fell to pieces as soon as Lee tried to stand on it.

The two of them were great to photograph, and their chemistry is evident to everyone. Hopefully this summer we might get the chance to do something a little more whimsical.

It was excellent experience in directing people, and I've learnt a lot of lessons, both about posing and certainly about not deciding to venture out until you're all blocks of ice, you don't get the best out of your subjects. And if the grounds damp...

If I have any other willing 'victims' who want some photographic keepsakes: couples, families, kids then please get in touch at eleanoranichols@gmail.com. It would also be great to see your comments below.

Tilly and Lee - a sneak peak

My oldest friend and her boyfriend posed for me today, despite the freezing cold, mist and mud. I'm still editing all of the pictures but wanted to share this sneak peak.

the week in pictures

Here's the weekly round up of what's being going off in my world this week. It's been a bit of a mad one at the day job, and so the posts are the weekends, the bookends either side. Fortunately I have two days off next week, and a shoot planned with the lovely Tilly and Lee.

Sunday started off with a stroll down the Southbank, I was supposed to meet with some other photographers from the Photography Parlour for a shootswap but couldn't find anyone when I arrived at 11.20, so strolled up and down the Southbank looking for a large group of people with DSLRs. That proved unsuccessful so I decided to go and watch some of the Chinese New Year celebrations; the thought being that it causes so much hoo-hah at work I might as well get something out of it.

It was a typical heaving London crowd, and you pretty much couldn't see anything except the reams of colourful lanterns strung above the streets of Chinatown.

I gave my new 35mm lens it's first true outing, as you can see from the top pic it doesn't have the best bokeh in the world.

Staring the day off right - a cheeky Belgian beer at lunch time

Walks along the Regents Canal; it's a gritty vein of post industrial London, and a major artery between East and West. Full of cyclists, dog walkers, hipsters, tramps, long boat dwellers and everything in between.

Joss will never pose for photographs, this is the best I can manage with him.

Browsing in the antiques arcade at Camden Passage

Seeing this today, fingers crossed.

Looking in the window of Ottolenghis and salivating. No cakes for me yesterday though.

Bread on Broadway Market, I'm lucky to live so close.

Could it be that spring has sprung? Gorgeous daffodils outside my favourite florist (they did my wedding flowers) Rebel Rebel.

the month in pictures

I want to do a little weekly round up of images from the week, as a bit of a recap here's some pictures from the past month. January has been so bleak and I've been nesting, so here's to Spring.

Top to bottom:
Mussels for dinner - they actually have pretty amazing shells. Wish I was in Barcelona eating a seafood paella by the water.
I'm pretty bad at self portraits, mainly because I reject them all because I hate my nose or whatever but liking this one. The hair's been bobbed since then.
Fancy nails
Birthday balloons, a plethora of balloon imagery!

friends like these

I'm lucky to have such great friends, always happy to let me take their picture. In fact I've got projects and shoots lined up with both of them.