Hope Photography

I am holding a workshop on Sunday May 30th 2010 in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire.

The cost is £250 and includes all food and transport during the day.

What will happen?

The day will begin at 9am in The Laden Table for a meet and greet (yummy cakes and coffee served) before heading to a location where I will talk you through a shoot and then allow you the chance to shoot. Packed lunch served on location. Once back at The Laden Table I will talk you through editing and post production before a light supper. Workshop ends 7pm.

I will also cover topics such as:

-Running a business

-Marketing your business

-Building trust with clients

-Composition and direction

-Q&A during meal times

To register for a place please email: nicola@hope-photography.co.uk

This is the first January I have been in this country for a couple of years and I was a little apprehensive about how it would be, nothing quite beats starting the year in a hot climate. I am pleased to say that I love January. I was planning to go into hibernation and get some home projects done however I haven’t found the time, which I feel a little guilty about, but there has been an influx of bookings for summer 2010, which is brilliant. It is crazy how far in advance the wedding industry works and trying to get my head around my plans for 2010 in January 2009 is a little overwhelming. I have had some great e-mails lately and I love hearing from new people and I am so excited about all the great weddings I am going to be photographing this summer. 

Photography aside life is also sweet, I am loving all the new films out at the moment and can’t recommend Slumdog Millionaire enough. I am still running like mad and loving it more and more, I keep expecting to lose the motivation I have for it but after months of months of running this hard I still feel excited about getting out there each day. This summer is going to be crazy busy but I am planning some trips to some nice destinations-after all one of my new years resolutions was to travel to 2 new places! 

Thank you to clients past and present for your e-mails. I really do like making connections that last and keeping up to date with how married life is going and hearing wedding plans from upcoming clients. 

OOHH while I remember I do a business/entrepreneurship course at York Uni and we are holding a corporate golf day for charity in May at Sandburn Hall. The money raised goes towards supporting a student from the university, hopefully acting as a springboard towards their own enterprising dreams. If there are any people out there who play golf and want to enquire about details send me an e-mail. It should be a great networking day for local businesses. 

So here is a little bit of what’s going on, and though I haven’t been blogging much lately, I have been busy, crazy busy in fact. I am busy working on new projects, plans, goals, dreams. I had an interesting conversation today with a friend who felt I was diversifying, I am not, or at least I don’t see it that way. I think of myself as a creative person, and have many passions-from print to photography, branding to copy writing. I think they all tie together well, I think I am lucky in that way, I never feel like I have to choose. But I have ambitions that may see me widening my horizons, but that’s how I see it… same road several footpaths or something (terrible analogy!!). 

I am working on creative shoots right now, which is very different to anything else I usually do in the sense that it’s completely free rein, my vision, from make up to clothing-and working with a team of people is new also, trying to communicate my vision to a number of people-I am not lying when I say it keeps me awake at night. And yet it’s only the pressure I put on myself. 

Latest news… I am New York bound, not until February but I am excited and will hopefully catch up with Fred Egan, my photographer friend, and hopefully put our heads together for a shoot. Never one to relax so though I am sure I will take in the sights of NY and do some shopping there are a few things I am arranging work wise. 

I have joined forces with Zak&Flo children’s boutique in York. They have a fabulous selection… gorgeous gorgeous clothes and if you spend over a certain amount in store you get a discounted session with Hope. Ruth (owner) is also organising a trade fair ‘Bumps 2 Babies & Beyond’ on November 23rd at York Racecourse so you’ll find me there also. I have a wedding on the Saturday so I will no doubt be running on caffeine that weekend. 

WHOA.. think that’s it for now, Nx

I had an amazing weekend in London, yesterday’s shoot was brilliant. I was completely out of my comfort zone and it was a whole new experience working with a team-but I loved it! The team were fantastic, it was so nice meeting people who each share a passion, all trying to go places in this crazy creative industry. After the shoot we had a drink (yes alcoholic-it had been a very long day) by the river and chatted and you wouldn’t think we had just met that day. A huge thank you to everyone involved, it was a pleasure meeting and working with you. On to the pictures… A few of my personal favourites. 

Firstly, sorry about not blogging last week, I was scolded several times yesterday and I will try harder this week. I had a workshop yesterday and it was AMAZING, great people, great models and an all round great day. Thank you so much to everyone for bracing the cold, I really had one of the best days. I woke with the light this morning I was so excited to edit the pictures, as there are so many to post I have decided to storyboard some, so I will post more as the day goes on. A huge thank you to Kirsty and Phil, I am sure you will recognise their faces as they have become regulars on my blog, I am so grateful they agreed to be models for me. They worked so hard yesterday and were so patient, even though it was freezing cold they didn’t complain once! This image of Phil is a strong contender for my favourite portrait of 2008. 

Seth Godin in my opinion is a legend. Here are some of his wisest words. 

‘Customers may scream that you need to lower your prices. It’s not true. You need to increase your value. If people don’t want to pay it’s because you’re not delivering enough value for the money you’re charging.’

Ooooh he’s good.