This year started at 200mph and I haven’t yet had the chance to write about what I’ve been up to over the last year or so. So instead of writing such a post, I thought it would be nice to give you an overview of my work as a photographer.
Gardens
I feel extremely lucky to be regularly commissioned by House & Garden magazine to photograph some stunning gardens in the UK and abroad.
One of these gardens was Torrecchia Vecchia in Italy, which Dan Pearson worked on for several years. This was published in May 2018 and later that year I photographed Dan in his private garden in Somerset. One of these images, from this visit, will be used at Chatsworth on an interpretation board explaining Dan’s role in replanting the Trout Stream at Chatsworth.
In the March 2019 issue of House & Garden you can see this garden of another great garden designer Arne Maynard. When I look at these images, I get so excited again, as photographing in the first morning light is something most magical and impossible to explain. You definitely must experience it.
I also photograph gardens for private commissions, this was one of those. If you’d like me to photograph your own garden, do get in touch. I have some exciting garden shoots for this year too, private and not so private ones, I can’t reveal much about these just now.
All things flowers
I often work with Green and Gorgeous flower farm and photograph some of their courses.
Like the one with the most charming Shane Connolly
or the ever so talented Debbie George. I visited Debbie in Yorkshire too and photographed her in her beautiful home. You’ll all be able to see it later this year, I’ll let you know when and where.
I also often shoot with Botanikafloral, and a 4 part series of our collaboration appeared in Country Living UK in 2018-19.
I often work with Claire at Honeysuckle and Hilda. She teaches floral styling classes and these are always very informative and fun. Pictured here is Sarah at Simply by Arrangement from one of those hot Summer’s day classes held in Hambleden, Oxfordshire.
I love when people contact me and ask me to photograph their projects that are so dear to their heart. This is how Sarah from Growthfully contacted me and trusted me with images for her brand new website.
We had several shoot days but one of them was really special, Sarah had the idea to set up a class in a beautiful glasshouse and garden in Berkshire.
All things beautiful and creative
I’m very much an introvert and photographing gardens and flowers has always suited me, hiding behind the camera, being on my own in a garden was something I always felt most comfortable with. But then photography opened up this brand new, very exciting world to me that I absolutely love! I get to meet so many talented people, I love working with those who love what they do. This of course includes all those I’ve mentioned above too.
Some of these inspiring people are Natasha from Hill View Farm and my favourite potter, Joanna Oliver. I photographed them for a local independent magazine, Chiltern Food Magazine.
Events
Another place that definitely brought me out of my introvert shell is Soho House. I can’t publish images from all the shoots there due to their privacy policy but I’m sure Santa and Sophie Ellis-Bextor won’t mind their photos here from the Snow-Ho event this Winter. At Soho (usually at the Farmhouse in Oxfordshire) I shoot bigger events but sometimes private birthday parties, as well.
Lucky me, I got to shoot the soft opening of the brand new and classy Mollie’s Diner. It was a super important and very hectic night for them, I was whizzing around busy waiters and hungry guests. Thanks to the images I took here, I was asked by Kirsty Young to photograph at one of their private family dinners. I was so excited, like probably never before.
And this brings me to this story. Years ago, when I was busy putting together my garden photography portfolio, on my way to a garden, I was listening to Desert Island Discs on the radio, the one where Kirsty was talking with Dan Pearson. Who would have thought that not so later on, I’d meet both of them ..
I also shoot weddings. And I’m lucky that weddings that are very close to my own style find me so I enjoy these thoroughly. Long grass and a wildflower meadow by the Thames, yes please!
Or other private parties like birthdays or anniversaries. Again, country house, garden party and super hosts, yes please.
This year, there will be more gardens, some of them abroad, there will be dream commissions (I absolutely cannot wait to share these with you) and I’ll be teaching a lot. I’ll be teaching 1:1 classes for some of Britain’s most talented florists, I’ll be teaching classes at Daylesford Farm and I often teach at home too. I love teaching, as I’m actually a teacher by profession and I also love to give so that’s only natural to share the knowledge and love for photography.
So voilà, I hope the above gives you a very good idea of what I do and what my style is. If you’d like to work with me, please do get in touch. If you’d like to follow my journey as a photographer, you can always find me here or on Instagram.