Well, I wasn’t planning to write a blog today — but here I am, mid-upload, waiting for a monstrous set of wedding files to finish chugging their way into the cloud, and suddenly there’s a rare pocket of time. You know the sort: can’t leave the desk, can’t do anything processor-heavy, can’t even really move in case the connection drops… so here I am, saying hello.
It’s been a lovely, if slightly frantic week. The highlight so far? Photographing puppies. Actual Hearing Dogs puppies, to be precise — all floppy ears and boundless energy and, my word, the sharpest teeth I’ve encountered in a long time. You forget, don’t you? Just how needle-like those little jaws can be when they’re gnawing on your laces (or, let’s be honest, your ankle). But honestly, utterly adorable — and such a joy to work with. There’s something about photographing animals that makes you slow down and pay attention. Or possibly sprint and yelp. Either way, you’re present.
Tomorrow I’m heading up to my hometown in North Wales to photograph an incredible woman and her Hearing Dog. It’s going to be one of those shoots that feels special before it even begins — not just because of the story we’ll be telling, but because of the location. I haven’t been back in years. Even my mum lives down here in Haddenham now, so there’s rarely a reason to head that way. It’s going to feel a bit strange, I think — all those childhood streets and teenage haunts. But good-strange. A kind of loop-closing moment, I hope.
Meanwhile, back at HQ, Katie’s been putting the finishing touches on our smoke and fog video — which is looking brilliant — and has discovered an unexpected talent for cartooning. Who knew? One minute she’s storyboarding lens fog, the next she’s sketching out characters like she’s been doing it for years. It’s always a joy seeing hidden talents appear like that. I’m slightly worried she’ll be running the place by the end of the month, to be honest.
And this afternoon I had a lovely moment in the studio with a recent client — a mum of twins who came in for her viewing session. She absolutely loved the pictures (always such a relief when they do — you never quite stop holding your breath, do you?) and announced that she’d be coming back every year. Apparently, it’s now a family tradition in the making! Even better, she’s agreed to model for us in future — she’s got this incredible presence on camera. One of those people who just lands in a frame. Can’t wait to work with her again.
And then of course there’s the beast of a wedding from last weekend — 300 people, music so loud it made your bones hum, and 14 hours of non-stop photography. I’m not exaggerating when I say nearly a thousand finished images came out of it — and that’s just mine. Even Sarah shot over a thousand, and she’s normally far more disciplined with the shutter than I am. I’m more of a “shoot first, sort it later” type. But we’re hoping we’ll get permission to share some of it because it was something else. Energy, colour, joy — all wrapped up in one very, very long day.
Anyway, the uploads have ticked over and I need to go and kick off the next batch before the internet has a wobble. But I just wanted to check in, share a little of what’s going on behind the scenes, and say thanks — as always — for being part of this funny, wonderful, slightly chaotic world we’re building.
Be kind to yourself.
PS. If you’re wondering about the latest workshop dates – Here are the dates for our newly announced workshops:
- Mastering Ordinary to Extraordinary Workshop – 27th June 2025
- Mastering Environmental Portraits Workshop – 18th July 2025
- Mastering Family Photography Workshop – 1st August 2025
- Mastering Dog Photography: From Shutter to Print – 12th September 2025
- Mastering High Key & Low Key Studio Lighting Workshop – 26th September 2025
We also have limited availability on some of our current ones – head over to the Academy section for all the details!