what is mindful photography?This article originally featured in Cheshire Life magazine January 2024.One of the ways to ease stress and worry is to practise mindfulness, to be present in the here and now. It encourages us to slow down, to stop and pay attention to what our senses are telling us. What can we observe […]
Tag Archives | Photography Tips
How to photograph autumn with a phone
How to photograph autumn with a phoneThis article originally featured in Cheshire Life magazine November 2023.I love autumn and I know I’m not alone. Writers and poets have waxed lyrical on this magical season for centuries. Searching for a suitable quote, this one spoke to me more than most:”It was a beautiful, bright autumn day, […]
Unlock the hidden potential of your phone camera
Unlock the hidden potential of your phone cameraThis article originally featured in Cheshire Life magazine October 2023.Capturing life’s precious moments in stunning detail has never been easier, with the staggeringly good cameras on smartphones. However, many of us just point and click, hoping for the best, and we are often frustrated with the results. Join […]
Photographing my favourite places in North Wales with a phone
Photographing my favourite places in North Wales with a phoneThis article originally featured in Cheshire Life magazine September 2023.I moved to Cheshire from Derbyshire 24 years ago, adamant that it was a short term move for a job and that I would be returning to Derby in a few years. Then along came a husband, […]
Beyond snapshots: part one
Beyond snapshots – part one’Of’ or ‘about’… It’s not just semantics.Take a look at your photo gallery or your Insta profile (or someone else’s) and ask yourself whether the photographs are of a subject or about it.If you’re not sure, the first question to ask yourself is “how does it make you feel?”If it leaves […]
LYL On Air – Ep 4: How To Use Aperture Mode in 3 Easy StepsIf you want to take more creative photographs you need to get off Auto mode and take more control of the camera settings. This can seem a little daunting with terms like aperture and ISO making little or no sense.The mode […]
[003] Have you lost your mojo?
It happens to us all from time to time, a lack of creativity, feeling like you’re stuck in a rut, treading water and just not taking great photos. In this podcast I chat about why it might happen and what you can do to help get your mojo back.
Towards the end I mention that I’ve recently taken up wild swimming and that this new and exhilarating activity has given a new lease of life to my photography. Read about my wild swimming adventures here.
[002] 7 things that made me a better photographer
I’ve been a pro photographer since 2007 and it’s fair to say it’s had its ups and downs. The important thing is to learn from mistakes and successes and move forward. In this podcast I reflect on the things I believe have made me a better photographer.
[001] Mirrorless cameras – what is all the fuss about?
In this inaugural podcast I take you through the pros and cons of moving to a mirrorless camera from a DSLR. Also a great listen for people considering buying their first ‘proper’ camera with lenses.
5 Phone Photography Tips for Great Food Pics
A few years ago I wouldn’t even have tried to take photographs like this with my phone. It was simply too hard to get a sharp, non-grainy, well-exposed image. A D-SLR produced much better results and also created such lovely soft focus backgrounds. Fast forward to today and I now consider my smartphone to be […]
How to take your photography to the next level
There comes a point when you’ve mastered the technical stuff enough to get exposure right and you understand what makes a shot feel well composed. But you know that’s not really enough to satisfy your own aspirations and it’s not going to make your images stand out. You want to know how to take your […]
Where are you on your photographic journey?
And do you know where you want to get to? People take up photography for different reasons and not everyone is on any kind of path with it. The camera can be just a tool to record moments so that they aren’t forgotten. But for others it’s a passion that drives them to seek continuous […]
From snapshots to great shots: why slow down for landscapes
I’m taking a slightly different approach with this post and not taking you through all the classic composition rules for landscapes. I’d like to concentrate on WHY you are taking the photograph and what you should CONSIDER before you press the shutter. I’m a huge advocate for slowing down and thinking before you click away and end up with […]
Using Triangles to improve composition
Triangles can be used in different ways to create a striking composition. In the image of the couple above their heads and shoulders have created a symmetrical triangle, which makes the image feel stable and harmonious – exactly the feel you want for a young couple in love.
5 tips for a successful and fun family photo shoot
5 family photo shoot tips We all want lovely photographs of our family don’t we? And as our children grow older, we can foresee the day when they will have left home to pursue lives of their own. This was the case with this lovely family, where the oldest daughter will be heading off to […]
Great street photography tips for newbies.
Practical street photography tips for “newbies” I was in London last week, having won a four day trip! We had an amazing time sightseeing, eating, drinking and of course, photographing. I decided to try my hand at street photography, well aware that it was out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot and thought you might find […]
New camera? Why you need to get off AUTO.
Had a new camera for Christmas? If you are one of the lucky people who have been given your first D-SLR or mirrorless camera as a gift this Christmas, you are probably part excited and part apprehensive about getting to grips with it. Whilst it’s fine to use it on AUTO for a while and enjoy the feeling […]
How to photograph crafts
How to photograph crafts Do you have beautiful products that you lovingly hand craft and sell? That you are proud of and passionate about? That people love when they see them in your shop or craft stall? Now for a harder question. Do the photographs of your gorgeous products do them justice? Do they stand out from the […]
How to photograph fireworks
How to photograph fireworks One thing I’ve never got round to photographing is fireworks. I’ve admired other people’s shots but it’s always felt like too much hassle to me, to lug a tripod around, set it up in the middle of crowds of people, mess about with camera settings in the dark and keep an […]
Get creative with your camera
One of the best ways to improve your photography is to take photographs as often as you can, ideally daily or at least several times a week. This isn’t as hard as it seems as most of us carry smartphones everywhere and can practise our craft with those too. Setting a photography project is a […]
Photo Composition Rules: Balance
This is quite a tricky composition rule to explain and it’s one that we probably apply unconsciously, as our minds seek balance in images and art. A balanced image feels right, pleasing and stable. In a balanced image there is perhaps some symmetry and the main subjects have equal weight or importance in the shot. An image […]
Superzoom lenses – are they the right choice for you?
I often find myself recommending “superzoom” lenses to students on Love Your Lens courses and one to one lessons and thought it might be useful to take a closer look at them. First off, what does “superzoom” mean? The term is commonly used to describe a lens that goes from a wide view to a […]
What’s in the bag… for an Italian wedding
In just over 24 hours I’ll be heading to a beautiful mountain village in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy to photograph a wedding for a lovely couple who live in the UK but are marrying near where the groom was born. I’ve photographed lots of weddings in the UK and one a long time […]
How to take photos on a day out
My kids are older now – 12 and 14 – and although I still love photographing them, they are not as keen as they used to be (wild understatement – Abii acts like a vampire being shown a crucifix when I point the camera at her). So I concentrate more on what’s around me when […]
Makers Market Knutsford
Markets are great places to practise your photography. There are so many interesting and colourful subjects and people generally don’t mind photographers snapping away. At the Easter Sunday Makers Market Knutsford people were in such high spirits in the long awaited Spring sunshine, that there were broad smiles all round! A few market photography tips […]
“Turn the garage into a studio?! You must be mad!!!”
6 months ago we decided to convert our garage into a natural light photography studio and office. Here’s the story in pictures. I still can’t quite believe we did it! I had a clear idea from the outset how I wanted it to look and used Pinterest to collect all the ideas. Click here to […]
How to shoot indoors without flash
We recently made a much anticipated visit to the Dr Who Experience in Cardiff, where fans get to take part in an adventure with the latest Doctor and then look at real props, costumes and prosthetics used in the show. Our kids are Dr Who crazy and were beyond excited and fascinated. All of the exhibits […]
10 things to photograph this Autumn – [4] – fungi
The wet and mild conditions of Autumn provide the perfect growing conditions for fungi and this exceptionally mild Autumn means that there’s lots around at the moment, without having to look too hard. They have their own kingdom completely separate to plants and animals and there are tens of thousands of different kinds. They are fascinating to […]
10 things to photograph this Autumn – [3] HALLOWE’EN
Like it or not Hallowe’en is growing in popularity every year and if your children are anything like mine, the opportunity to dress up and be allowed to accept sweets from complete strangers is the ultimate in fun. Their costumes get more elaborate each year, as do the decorations in our house, even spreading out […]
10 things to photograph this Autumn – [1] TREES
I LOVE Autumn (or Fall, for our friends across the pond!). Summer is fab while it lasts but around the start of September I yearn to wear fleecy jumpers and knitted hats, to walk through woodland, seeing my breath as white clouds, kicking through fiery coloured leaves with my wellies, spotting weird fungi on tree stumps and […]
Behind the scenes of a very special styled photo shoot
When Sarah Gardner of Sarah Gardner Photography put out feelers via her Facebook Group as to whether anyone would be interested in a collaborative styled photo shoot with our teenage daughters, I jumped at the chance. It took all of two seconds to persuade Abii; the mention of hair stylist and make up artist did […]
From snapshots to great shots in 7 steps.
I am often asked how you get from snapshots to great shots. Some people assume that I can take good pictures because I have expensive cameras and lenses. I tell them that I have a great oven but my cooking is awful… So it’s not about kit. You can take great photos with a camera […]
A few more holiday photos (& some top tips)
Our little cornish break came to an end all to soon, but I managed to squeeze in a quick trip to Glendurgan, a National Trust garden, on the last morning. Miraculously I was able to drag Abii out of bed and persuaded her to come with me (anything was preferable to packing). This is a garden more about […]
How to take better photos with a compact camera
Most of the images in my “how to” blogs are taken using a professional level D-SLR and some pretty fancy lenses and I imagine I can hear people saying, “well, she’s got expensive kit, no wonder her pictures are good!” I can’t deny that good equipment does improve photo quality, although you have to know […]
Looking to buy your first D-SLR? My best recommendation for beginners
I often get asked which D-SLR I would recommend for beginners. I’m a Canon user but have no hesitation recommending other brands, especially if they are offering a good deal. I don’t want this to be a long rambling blog about all the options available, so this is very much aimed at providing a concise […]
How to get blurred backgrounds in photos – with the aid of some meerkats – “simples!” (Part 3 – Distance)
According to my site analytics blog posts with pictures of cute babies and children on get far more views than those with (toy) meerkats, so I won’t be using my little Sylvanian family again! They enjoyed their little trip to the Riviera (side of our pond) but are glad to be reunited with their dad on the […]
How to get blurred backgrounds in photos – with the aid of some meerkats – “simples!” (Part 2 – Focal Length)
In Part 1 we looked at how Aperture plays a big role in how to get blurred backgrounds in photos. Low f/numbers (large apertures) give us a narrow depth of field and high f/numbers result in a wider depth of field. This sounds pretty straight forward, but like lots of techie things it’s not quite […]
How to get blurred backgrounds in photos – with the aid of some meerkats – “simples!” (Part 1 – Aperture)
How to get blurred backgrounds in photos is high on the list for people who want to take better images and it’s one of the things that distinguishes good pictures from snapshots. It can be easy to achieve but if you really want to understand what you are doing and how to control the amount of blur, you should read […]
5 reasons why you should do a photography project
I love babies and (most) kids and for some crazy reason I like to earn a living by chasing them around with a camera, capturing natural photos of them and selling them to their parents. Newborn babies are my favourite subjects as they don’t get about so much and because they are without exception extremely […]