Michelle and Tom are getting married here in the lake district on Saturday.

We will be there to take the photographs with our great mate Steve Barber photography.

Here are a few pre wedding photographs I took the other day at lake windermere.

A full post of what promises to be  a fantastic day will follow.

After a week of Work Experience at Russell Colman Photography we interviewed each other with a few questions about the time we’ve spent here.

What have you been doing this week?

Well when we first got here we helped on a commercial job for a travel firm which gave a good insight into the business. Then in the afternoon we learnt about aperture and played around with what different aperture does to a photo. One day we were given 11 themes to interpret and get photographs of. The themes were; Love, Colour, Monochrome, Light, Shadow, Texture, Beautiful, “the real Amy”, “The real Izzy”, “Future Amy” and “Future Izzy”. This kept us entertained for most of the day, it was a real learning curb and we both really enjoyed it. I think that tomorrow we are doing some studio shot’s, which should be good.

Colour by Amy

Texture by Izzy

What have you enjoyed most?

When we did the project where we took photographs based on themes, it gave us a chance to be inventive, original and to try out our own ideas. It also meant we thought more about the actual pictures we were taking, the composition of them and the effect which they have.

Shadow by Amy

Amy by Izzy

Is there a specific type of photography you like?

Amy: I particularly like portrait photography because you can really capture people’s beauty and experiment a lot with different filters, aperture, surroundings, they can be really fun and full of movement.

Izzy: I like portrait photography too; you can really portray the personality of a person, they don’t just have to be sit around and look pretty- although you can still be pretty obviously, but they don’t have to be serious, they can be fun and lively, you can really experiment and be inspired. I also love travel photography, the colours are often so vibrant and it can really give an amazing insight into the culture.

colour by Izzy

Titanic by Amy

Do you have any photographic influences?

Amy: I really love shots of the countryside and Lake District; they’re really beautiful and inspiring.

Izzy: There is a book I was given a few years ago about photography, which is one of the main reasons I got into it as a hobby. I am often inspired by other hobbies and interests of mine.

Do you enjoy living in the Lake District? – and if so, why?

Amy: I do, because there are lots of experiences and activities to participate in. It’s a beautiful part of the world.

Izzy: I do, most of the time… it’s beautiful, but it rains so much! But other than that it’s great, especially if you like the outdoors.

Peaceful by Amy

Shadows 2 by Amy

Beautiful by Izzy

Jetty by Izzy

What have you learnt in your time here?

We have learnt about aperture and depth of field, light and shadow within photos. We also thought about how to make people feel comfortable when having photographs taken. We learnt to work the big posh Canon cameras and about processing photos. I could go on but to keep it concise we’ve learnt a lot.

Which pictures do you like and why?

Amy: My 3 favourites have to be the one I took for “Beautiful” I love how the low aperture means you really focus on Izzy’s face and the shadow from her hair really frames her face nicely in the light. I also like how natural it looks, no extreme make-up to pull your attention away. I really like the one’s we took on our first day, when we were by the lake, the surroundings are so beautiful and the dull colours compared to bright clothes contrast really effectively. There is one that Izzy took of me on the jeti that I think is really striking as well.

Izzy: Out of the photos I have taken I think my three favourites that I have taken are my one for “Beauty”, I love the amount of light reflected in Amy’s eyes and I think the low aperture really draws you towards the centre focus of her eyes. Another of the ones I’m quite proud of is one of the one’s we did on the first day when we were just starting to learn about and experiment with aperture and Amy is sat on a wall. I love the abstract tree in the background and I think the monochrome makes it look even better than it would in colour. My final choice is the one for my future, which as is obvious from the picture I did not actually take simply as it was not possible so got Amy to take for me. I think the almost aged appearance of the photo contrasts the fact that it’s meant to be my future really well. I also think the wooden background and the muted colours, other than on my earring and top make it a really interesting image.

Future!

Anything else you’d like to add?

Thank you very much for having us Russell! It’s been really fun and inspirational. It’s been a brilliant week.

Remember Masie and our recent blog on the importance of updating family portraits.

We uploaded some photographs of her recent sitting here.

She came back to us after having a first session some years ago when she was very young and before her gorgeous curls had grown.

While she was here for the update we arranged for her to come back with her older sister Ellie.

This was Ellie a few years ago…

You may have guessed that Ellie is very active and loves the outdoors!

She was barely aware of us when we took the first set of photographs.

We have noticed that this changes  as children get older and they often become a little bit more self conscious.

So, when the day arrived, we all thought it would be a good idea for us  to head down to the lake and spend some time relaxing outdoors before spending a short time back in the studio.

Here are just a few of our favourite photographs from the session. And in a few of them Ellie (and Masie) forgot we were there!

I went to the Blackpool match last night and wish I hadn’t.

They were awful.

Actually, they were worse than awful, as my mate Dan kept saying.

“That was really really really really bad”. He said.

“Really?” I said…. teeth gritted, wondering exactly how bad four really’s really is…

“Well, put it this way, I think our under 12′s could do better!”

During the  drive home, partly, I think to cheer me up and also to change the subject, he suggested I join him  for a blogging workshop the following day at The Langdale facilitated by The Quirky traveller  Zoe Dawes.

So the next day I cancelled my plans and drove out north past the western shores of Lake Windermere and hooked left at Ambleside and headed into the beautiful Langdale valley.

I had a great day and learnt a lot. The workshop was excellent and the opportunity to hang out and share ideas with others was refreshing and stimulating.

In fact you you could say it was  really,really, really, really  good!

Why we’re not for everybody…

We admit, we’re not the cheapest family photographers around – but we believe that truly beautiful, and professional, fine art family photography is a very different animal to the formulaic work so commonly available nowadays.

To work the way we do requires an awful lot of time, experience, money and commitment. The resultant portraits are exquisite and stand to become the most precious heirlooms our clients possess.

The families we attract are certainly discerning, but they aren’t all wealthy or affluent. This is a luxury service we provide and parents will budget and save to be able to come to us and have us make photographs showing their children as they really are, rather than them feeling awkward, looking unnatural and bad-tempered for being prodded, posed and instructed to “stand like this”…

We listen when you describe the type of art and imagery you love, and we spend hours, individually processing every digital file we select for your viewing until it’s “just so”.

Our clients know all of this, and that’s why they choose to come to us. They appreciate the time we spend with them, the experience they have with us, and the quality of the fabulous products we provide.

The type of photography we produce is a luxury and our clients know this too. They’re not snaps, they’re beautiful pieces of photographic art, hand printed by a local independent printer with over 20 years experience and who uses only the very best quality inks and papers.

We spend time with you; gently guiding you through the selection process, even arranging to come and visit your home to make sure you don’t choose erroneously. These photographs are going to be on your wall, probably for the rest of your life – you’ve got to get it right.

Our frames are all hand-made to order for each individual portrait, because no two are the same and, when completed, they’re personally inspected by one of us to ensure they make the grade.

Unlike other high price items, like cars, plasma TV screens or designer clothing, we remain secure in our knowledge that as the years roll by and all those items lose value and prestige, your family photographs will do the complete opposite – they’ll become your most admired and most treasured belongings.

Our service and our work are unique. In a time where mass-produced, low-cost products with a short life expectancy are marketed and sold, we stand, heads held high and proudly proclaim that we’re different.

We stand by our belief that our work, making beautiful photographs of your family, is precious beyond words and that it isn’t expensive at all – it’s priceless…

Megan.

We have a favour to ask…

You might have seen that we like to make photographs for ourselves, as well as our lovely clients. One of the projects we want to work on is one that celebrates being a Lake District Mum !

We want to create a piece of work featuring Mums of all ages, with or without their children, and saying what being a mum means to them. What they’ve learned from being a Mum, what they love about being a Mum, what they’ve struggled with being a Mum, what they’ve learned from their own Mum….

We want you to come along with your own Mum, with your children, or just by yourself and let us take 1 photograph of you whilst you answer 1 of the above questions. That’s it. No catch. Will you help ?

Russell and his Mum…

We’ll put all the photographs we make into one piece of work to be published on Mothers Day and, to say thank you, we’ll give you a digital copy of your photograph for your own personal use.

Keep your eye on our Facebook page for the dates and times that our studio will be open for you to drop in and be a part of this project. We really hope you’ll be a part of this – thanks, Russell and Megan.

One of the things I really love about our family work is when children come back to to us for an updated portrait sitting.

Children change  so quickly – both in the way they relate and respond to the world around them, and, more obviously, in how they look physically.

We first photographed Masie back in 2009 when she was just a baby.

She came back last week and, as is often the case with younger children, she wan’t too sure if she really wanted to have her photograph taken at first.

We prefer not to set a time scale on portrait sittings – the most important thing for us is that the families we are taking photographs with are relaxed and feel at ease whatever their age.

Masie kept us waiting for an hour or so (and went through several chocolate biscuits!) before she decided everything was ok.

I am glad she did because she was a delight!

Mum wiped her chin free from crumbs and we managed to capture her just the way she is now, curls and all!

We are looking forward to catching up with her older sister next week during half term.

I’d better get the biscuits in…

This February half-term, Monday – Friday, we are introducing our special, hour long, mini-sittings which include 1 framed and mounted photograph of your choice.

Although a pint-size version of our normal sessions, the only compromise made is in the time we spend taking the photographs – by no means will you be receiving anything less than the best in terms of client care and quality of our products.

These sittings are available to individuals, or groups exceeding no more than 4 people, and will take place at our lakeside studio. You have the choice of either an indoor shoot, or, weather permitting, outdoors in the grounds of the studio.

Depending on which option you book, the sitting includes either a 10 x 8, 12 x 10 or 15 x 10 inch portrait, printed on archive grade paper and is professionally framed and mounted in a classic black, hardwood frame available only when booking this offer.

Your Choices

Sitting plus a framed and mounted 10 x 8 inch desk-top portrait and sitting £175

Sitting plus a framed and mounted 12 x 10 inch wall hung portrait and sitting £205

Sitting plus a framed and mounted 15 x 10 inch wall hung portrait and sitting £245

This offer is not available in conjunction with any other of our packages or promotions. Payment is required at the time of booking and you are under no obligation to make any additional purchases. If you’d like to find out a bit more, call the studio or send us an email. Thanks, Megan.