Over the Rainbow...

I did a lovely shoot recently at my local gardens, they are always stunning and attract plenty of visitors. I think I'm so lucky to have some where so beautiful, so close to me. 

Unfortunately the weather decided it wasn't going to be kind and it rained, but I was so fortunate that the family I was photographing were ready for the rain and just enjoyed the shoot. We got out the rainbow umbrellas and jumped in puddles. It was a full on, fun hour. I think the adorable little girl I was photographing had a great time also. We tried to make it more of an adventure than a starchy, boring photo shoot.

That's why I choose location shooting, over a studio, you get more of a natural response and there isn't the pressure on the child/children to be on their best behaviour and smile for an hour. I always try to capture the real child, not the fake one that puts on a show for the camera. I have heard from some clients that in previous shoots they had in a studio the children have been very unhappy with the pressure of it all and they have cried the whole time. 

The responses I have had is that the children have had lots of fun and viewed it as a morning/afternoon out, with a lady taking some photos, rather than an official photo shoot. The results have all been positive, they parents feel I have really captured the essence of their child/children. 

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More than meets the eye.

Anyone can be a photographer these days, or can they?

Everyone has a camera on their phones and some people are lucky enough to have a DSLR camera, you can get a great Nikon from just over £300. We all take photographs of our family and friends, so why would you want to pay me to take photographs of your family or your wedding when lots of people think they can do it just as well. 

There is a lot more to photography than just point and shoot. A good photographer can notice the little things and can capture that certain something that you would miss. We know that just a step to the left, right or to go up on our tiptoes can give a much more  superior image. We see colours in different ways and have a better eye for what works well aesthetically. 

Photography is instinctive to me. I'm a creative and artistic person, so I've never struggled to capture a good image. 

There is so much more to photography now than when I first started. Years ago you had to think about every image, as you only has 24 or 36 shots on your film. It had to be thought out and really considered. You couldn't really do much to it in the processing, you could make it a bit lighter or crop it. Unlike now with Photoshop where you can change a image from a cloudy morning to a dusky sunset. You can alter the colour of a dress someone is wearing and if you don't like the foreground you can change it!

I find myself a bit of a purist in regards to my photographs. I will do what I did 25 years ago I'll lighten, darken or crop but otherwise I like the image to stand alone without having to play with it too much. I have to admit that I do love being able to take lots and lots of photographs. In my opinion you can't have too many flower or sheep pictures. 

Here are some photographs I took in a beautiful wildflower field...or is it? As you can see the last photographs shows where it really is and what is going on behind the lens. I can make things look differently than they may appear. That is why you pay for a photographer. 

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The Boy with the Rainbow Umbrella.

There are lots of things that I love about my job, but the family portrait shoot I undertook on Saturday combined two of my favourites.  

I got to visit the the beautiful setting of Sheffield Park near Fletching in East Sussex. Then In addition I was lucky enough to photograph the most wonderful and delightful children, Harry and Jess.

I adore children and I think you get so much when photographing them. They are so honest and show you their real face, nothing is ever posed or contrived. I feel that is why I prefer non-studio photography. Anything can happen when you're outside, whether it's the changing weather or just passing wildlife. 

We had a hijacker in the form of a sausage stealing duck on Saturday, which made for some hilarious photographs. 

Leaving my previous career that I had been in for fifteen years and starting my own business has been difficult at times. You often wonder if you are completely crazy and if you are doing the right thing, but being out with Harry, Jess and their parents on Saturday and seeing the results has made me think that I'm made the correct decision. 

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Regrammed

It's always nice to have your work appreciated and yesterday a photograph of my daughter I took whilst on holiday in Amsterdam was regrammed by the hotel in which we stayed, the Max Brown Hotel. 

If you don't know what regramming is, it is the act of reposting on Instagram. It involves you using someones else's original post, and then reposting it using the hashtag #regram, but making sure you always acknowledge the source of the original Instagram post.

The story behind the photograph is the previous day my daughter had finished her GCSE's. She had worked constantly for months and had put the rest of her teenage life on hold, so no socialising. This photograph was taken as we had just arrived. She threw herself on this big comfy bed in a form of release and freedom. She could finally enjoy her summer. 

Every story has a beginning.

I thought I would start my first blog by letting you know a little bit about us. I am the King of Mills and King- I have known Louise (The Mills) since she was five years old, as I have been married to her cousin for almost 20 years. She amazed me from the first day I met her and she has astonished me ever since.

We have so much in common, especially our joint love and enthusiasm for photography, so being able to start a business together doing something we both feel passionately about is such a joy. It also gives us a perfect excuse to spend more time together. 

In this blog I'd like to show our work, past and present, the people we have met and places we have visited. I hope that you enjoy it.

Mills and King.