• Biography
  • Portfolio

The Starving Artist

~ Still an artist but no longer starving!

The Starving Artist

Monthly Archives: November 2012

iPhoneography

30 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in Photography

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

App Store, Apple, camera, camera function, Digital single-lens reflex camera, film types, gadgets, glyn evans, Hipstamatic, iPhone, iPhoneography, mobile, Photograph, technology

Afternoon

iPhoneography – taking photos with your iPhone – right?

A brief history lesson first – back in November 2008 a fellow called Glyn Evans launched a Blog onto the unsuspecting world, called iPhoneography.com. Glyn’s Blog bought the phrase iPhoneography to the masses, more so because Apple has Patent rights on the term iPhone and to date have not pursued him for infringement – thus implying tacit approval. 

iPhoneography has become very big business these days. With the explosion of the App store there are literally thousands of Apps for the iPhone and many are specifically related to the Camera function of the phone.

Like most people with an iPhone, I have downloaded my fair share of “Apps” for the camera, I have the usual HDR Apps & Camera Plus, along with the almost mandatory Instagram App, but yesterday I downloaded an App I had only been made aware of via an advert in an online magazine, and its called Hipstamatic.

Hipstamatic uses the iPhone’s camera function to enable you to shoot square photographs, to which it applies a number of software filters to make the images look as though they were taken with an antique film camera. You can then choose among a number of effects which are presented in the application as simulated lenses, films and flashes. 

Its a pretty cool App to play with, you can change lenses and film types with just a swipe of your finger to give you hundreds of different possibilities when shooting – but does it cut the mustard?

One of the great things I learnt pretty quickly is that rather than having to change lenses and film types between shots (which could get very time consuming) you can enable a “shake to randomise” feature. Just shake your iPhone and you will get a random selection of lens and film type. I looked pretty daft shaking my phone vigorously  every few minutes!!

Here are twenty of the best, different subjects, different lens/film combinations.

Would I recommend Hipstamatic? You bet

Would I have taken any of these photos if I had been using my DSLR? Nope

Is it art? I think so 🙂

Foxy Lens - GS0 Film

GSQUAD Lens - Kodak XGrizzled FilmJimmy Lens - Ginas 1962 FilmLibatique 73 Lens - Kodak X Grizzled FilmFoxy Lens - Blanko FilmTejas Lens - Inas 1969 FilmLucas AB2 Lens - GS- 0 FilmFoxy Lens - XGrizzled FilmJimmys Lens - Inas 1969 FilmFoxy Lens - XGrizzled FilmLibatique 73 Lens - Sugar FilmMelodie Lens - Blanko FilmJames M Lens - GS-0 FilmHipstamatic - blog-16GSQUAD Lens - Big Up FilmLucas AB2 Lens - Inas 1969 FilmMelodie Lens - Dream Canvas FilmSusie Lens - Sugar FilmSusie Lens - Rock 11 FilmLucas AB2 - Blanko FilmLibatique 73 Lens - Inas 1982 Film

 

Best – Colin

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Right place right time

27 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in Wildlife

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Autumn, birds, entertainment, film, flocks, murmuration of starlings, right place at the right time, skies, Starlings, video, video recorder, wildlife

Afternoon,

Not much to say other than I was in the right place at the right time (and with a video recorder!)

 

 

best – Colin

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Get Creative with White Balance

23 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in General, Lighting

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

camera, Color, Color balance, Color temperature, Kelvin, light, Raw image format, studio photography, White Balance

Afternoon.

Light is all around us, both natural and man made – but not all light is equal. Every light source has a different colour, or temperature to them and this is why visible light is measured in degrees using the Kelvin scale. Warm light has a high number and cool light has a lower number.

Our eyes adjust seamlessly to these different light temperatures, or colours, but cameras are not so clever and have to be told what the temperature of the light is to render the scene correctly.

But just because there is a button that allows you to set the White balance correctly, doesn’t mean you actually have to set it correctly.

Take a look at these two images for example. The White Balance was set in camera at the time of capture, to 3330k

Of course, you can change the White Balance settings in post processing, using Camera RAW or Aperture or your own favourite image processor. But doing it in camera at the point of capture, allows you to instantly see the results on screen, so that you can adjust the settings if needed or discard the shot entirely.

 

A colour temperature of 3330k renders the scene very blue and makes the skin tones much cooler, but in these particular images the effect works well. Not all scenes would suit this colour temperature – and purists would discard the images as they are not “correctly exposed” – but from a creative viewpoint you can experiment and create some striking images, just by taking your camera off “Auto White Balance”.

For the purpose of comparison, the image below was taken straight after the image above, but the White Balance is set to “Auto”

 

This is a more natural looking scene, skin tones are more natural and the light appears how we would expect it to appear – white.

I’ll let you decide which you prefer.

 

Best – Colin

 

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Gone Fishing

21 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in Wildlife

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bird of Prey, Bird Photography, Buzzard, Cairngorms, Osprey, Rutland Water, Scotland, Scottish Highlands

Morning

Every now and then I decide on the spur of the moment to go off on some mad photographic adventure like driving through the night to catch gannets at Sunrise then driving back home again, a 450 mile round trip.

But on this particular occasion I would really push my limits.

I have always been fascinated by birds of prey, wether it’s the Buzzards circling high up on the thermals, the Kestrel hovering by the road side, or even the Sparrow-hawk taking smaller birds from the garden.

Most UK birds of prey rely on either roadkill or smaller birds and small mammals for their food – but their is one bird of prey that stands out from the rest, notably because it’s diet consists solely of fish – the Osprey.

Whilst not indigenous to the UK, since the 1950’s some birds have been migrating to parts of Scotland to breed, in fact, almost every year since 1959 a pair have bred successfully at a site in the Scottish Highlands. Only recently have Ospreys started to nest in England, most notably at Rutland Water.

It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and 180 cm (71 in) across the wings and can weight up to 4.6 lbs (2.1kg) – to see this size of bird plummet into a freshwater lake and rise up carrying a Salmon is pretty spectacular!

I just knew I had to go on a journey

The only site within the UK that you can reliably see these magnificent birds of prey is at a location in the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands. So I planned my journey. Because of filming and shooting other commitments I could only be away two days, so, I decided to drive up the night before my shoot, from Wiltshire to the Cairngorms and stay in a local B&B. Ospreys are very wary of humans (as with most wild birds/animals) and at this location you have to be in a hide long before the birds come fishing.

It was June and the birds start fishing at first light, so I had to be at the location and ready to shoot by 4.30am at the latest.

I was totally unprepared for the site of these large birds plummeting from the sky vertically and descending below the water line – they did it time and time again, not every time catching a fish. It was breathtaking.

The birds only fish until they have caught enough food – and so this spectacular sight was over within the hour.

Reviewing the images on the back of my SLR screen I see I had captured a lot of water, but few actual Osprey – I was too disappointed though when I saw these images.

It was a long drive back down South and more than once I am sure I dozed off, but thankfully I made it back.

A split second before this shot the Osprey was totally submerged under water.

Osprey emerging from the lake with Salmon

 

The same bird flying back to the nest to feed its young

Osprey taking prey back to nest

 

This is the hide I was shooting from. Small lightweight and packs up real nicely

My Hide

 

 

Best – Colin

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Bridal Fashion Shoot

19 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in Bridal Photography, Photography

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Autumn, bridal, Bridal Fashion, Fashion, Filming location, Make Up Artist, models, Moody, photography, Summertime

Morning

My last few portrait shoots have been either children & families, or alternative, out of my comfort zone shoots, so it was really great to get back into my comfort zone yesterday with my favourite type of shoot – on location Bridal Fashion.

But it very nearly didn’t happen.

Most photo-shoots, especially those on location, do require a certain amount of planning. You need to research the location, decide on the look/style, source a suitable model, book a make up artist and hairstylist, decide on props, book the time and date and check the weather forecast!

Many of my shoots are planned weeks if not months in advance. The shoot yesterday was booked back in the Summer. I had a location I had researched, but Summertime was not ideal due to the light, it needed an autumnal feel, so November was chosen.

Everything was ready, model booked, MUA/stylist booked, weather forecast looking almost perfect and then……

What every photographer has to deal with at sometime or other, the model AND the MUA called three days before the shoot and cancelled. At least it was three days and not three hours as I have heard stories of!

So what to do – cancel the shoot entirely and with it all the hard work on styling and planning gone to waste – or try and find another team.

I am fortunate to have worked with a number of professional models and one of those, Lorena, I knew loved being shot in Bridal wear and if she was free I was pretty certain she would be happy to step in.

As it happened she was free and she was happy to be part of the shoot. We were unable to source a styling team – but Lorena, the consummate professional, did her own to fit the mood and styling we had in mind.

Yesterday was a typical autumnal day, crisp, cold clear blue skies, sun low on the horizon. These are just a few of the images we created on the shoot.

Bridal Fashion - Lorena F

Bridal Fashion – Lorena F

Bridal Fashion - Lorena F

Bridal Fashion – Lorena F

Bridal Fashion - Lorena F

Bridal Fashion – Lorena F

Thank you Lorena for stepping in and helping me create these images

Best – Colin

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Ten Tips for Improving your Wildlife Photography

16 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in Photography, Wildlife

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

animals, Bird of Prey, Common Buzzard, Dawn, Dusk, Environment, harmony, nature, outdoors, Patience, Red Kite, Sunlight, top wildlife tips, wild animals, Wildlife Photography

Afternoon.

All of us enjoy looking at images of wildlife. This world is filled with an abundance of different species, many of which we can only dream of seeing in the wild. Wildlife photography can produce some pretty spectacular results with plenty of care and attention to detail.

But contrary to belief, you do not have to venture far from your home to take images of wildlife and if you follow these tips then your wildlife photography will improve.

1. Do your research BEFORE you set off

If you go out with the aim of shooting birds of prey, do your research first. When are they most active? How do they hunt? What is their habitat? Do I need permission to walk across this particular field/path etc?

Doing the necessary research will enable you to better prepare yourself with the correct knowledge and equipment needed to shoot this particular species.

This shot of a Common Buzzard, was taken locally to me. I knew that this particular bird liked to perch on fence posts in the early evening in a field near my home. I set up a hide several hours in advance and waited. Luckily I was also blessed with beautiful backlighting which accentuated the flight feathers.

Common Buzzard

2. Choose your background carefully.

Backgrounds are almost as, if not more important than the image itself. Position yourself so there is a clear background for your subject to stand out from. Doing this one thing will greatly enhance the impact of your pictures.

The picture of a Rook below, a common if under rated bird, taken against a backdrop of out of focus reeds from a reed bed. The colour contrasts well with the blues and purples of the Rook. I used a long lens with a wide aperture to throw the background out of focus, and waited for a bird to land on the fence

Rook

3. Composition – the rule of thirds

Perhaps the most well known principle of photographic composition is the “rule of thirds”. The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 equal parts.
You then place your subject or point of interest at the point of intersection. This, in theory at least allows for a more balanced photograph which is more aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

This stooping Red Kite was compositionally placed, at the point of capture, in the top right intersection. Notice how the birds shape and placement lead your eye into the empty space below. If the bird was placed too centrally, or perhaps in the bottom left hand intersection, the picture would be unbalanced. (I have drawn the rule of thirds grid on this image)

Stooping Red Kite

4. Use natural framing

Where possible, try and use natural framing. This image of a Swallow was taken using the natural framing of a hole in a shed door. Inside the shed up in the rafters this Swallow had built a nest and the only entrance/exit was through this tiny hole in the door. Every now and then the bird would stop on the way out and perch for a split second, but mostly it would fly straight in and straight out – it took a LONG time to get this one image.

Swallow

5. Get up early

Get up, get out, preferably BEFORE dawn. This just happens to be the time of day when most animals are out hunting or foraging for food. The old adage, the early bird catches the worm, is never truer when spoken with Wildlife Photographers in mind.

It’s no good just getting up at Dawn, you have to be up about and set up at the location you are shooting, at Dawn.

This image of the Gannet at Sunrise, was taken at 5.30am, looking out from the North East Yorkshire coast line. I had wanted to take this image for a very long time, but I live several hundred miles from the location. On this particular day I got up at 1am, drove to the location, was set up at 4am and waited for the sun to rise. This was the image I wanted. I then packed up, and drove straight back home again 😦

A little extreme perhaps, but the light at dawn is the most beautiful light you will see.

Gannet at Sunrise

6. Don’t be a fair weather photographer

Don’t put your camera away at the first hint of rain/snow/hail etc. Go out what ever the weather. Animals and birds don’t stay inside in bad weather. Some of the best images are possible when you take the time and trouble to shoot in bad weather.

You can wrap up warm and stay dry, and your equipment can be protected by a multitude of wet weather protection gear sold on the internet these days. Failing that, you can always go to a nature reserve and sit in a purpose built hide.

These Lapwings were wading in a lake, oblivious to the torrential downpour that was going on. The rain drops in the water and the monochromatic feel to this image give a real sense of the harsh environment the birds were in.

Lapwings

7. Follow the Light

Light can change in an instant – be prepared for it and you will capture great images.

As previously stated, light can be best at dawn and often at dusk too. But at other times of the day it can be harsh and produce very unflattering results. Sometimes though, light appears when you least expect it and you need to be prepared. This image of the Drake Mallard was taken 15 minutes after the image above of the Lapwings. It’s true.

Mallard

8. Know your equipment – the right lens for the right job

It sounds simple, but often it isn’t. Wildlife photography can be very monotonous, sitting in hides for hours at a time, nothing happening, then, bang, the action happens, the animal/bird appears and then it’s all over again.

Wild animals/birds, by their very nature are shy creatures and (mostly) afraid of man. It’s usually necessary to use a long lens, 500mm and above, often with a converter, to capture some of the images we see daily in books and magazines. If you have followed all the other tips and done your research you will have the correct lens on your camera for the subject.

Away from bird feeders these Great Spotted Woodpeckers are extremely shy birds. This was taken with a 500mm lens from a hide.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

9. Look after the environment.

Whilst this might not affect your camera skills it is very important to realise where you are and that you should take care when out with your camera and equipment.

Take only photographs

Leave only footprints

leave it the same as you found it for others to enjoy

And finally….

10. Have Patience.

Wildlife photography can be very lonely and at times boring and monotonous. You can sometimes sit in hides for hours (days even) and not see what you are wanting to see. But with a little patience and perseverance it sometimes, just sometimes, all pays off.

I had been waiting for this Vixen for days, I had learnt her route from her den to her hunting grounds, and I had set up a hide in a prime location to capture her. But the wily old fox always knew I was around. In the following image, shot from a great distance with a 500mm lens and a lens converter she sat staring straight at me, for 40 minutes or so she just sat there, looking at me (well, where the hide was).

I was about to call it a day and pack up when she suddenly yawned the widest yawn you will ever see, and turned and disappeared.

A big grin did I have that day 🙂

Wily old Fox

Best – Colin

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Photographing People differently

14 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in Portraits

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Photographing People, Portrait Photography, Portraits, Unusual portraits

Afternoon.

I’ve spent a good few years of my life photographing people (among other things) and over the years I have heard many a person say that “photographing people is easy”. Well, to be fair, if you know how to use a camera, know where to add light or subtract light from and can properly pose an individual then yes – I suppose photographing people is easy.

But then, driving a car is easy too, if you can co-ordinate your eyes, hands, ears and feet to do different things all at the same time!

If you don’t know how to use a camera, or can’t co-ordinate your body, then taking photographs of people, or driving a car is definitely NOT easy.

Taking nice portraits of people IS easy, for someone who has plenty of experience, (just like driving a car) but what is not easy is taking a different portrait of a person. I know, you can change the lighting, change the props, dress them up in different clothing, put them in a different location etc etc etc but after a while they still all look the same, just nice portraits of people.

Recently I had a lady come to me asking, in her words, for, “something different”. I asked if there were any limitations or caveats to this and she said no, I just want something different.

A nice easy client !!

I could have spent thousands on a bespoke photo set, or whisked the client away to some exotic location and perhaps used a Tiger as a prop, or some other over the top solution. But I decided upon simplicity. Put her in a box.

And that’s what I did.

I knew of a large iron box that had a hole cut out in the side and decided to put her in there. We had her make up done pretty brightly along with some awesome finger nail colours and just, well, put her in the box.

The fact you can only see her eyes and not her mouth along with the harsh lighting adds some mystery to the portrait

 

For this next shot we asked her to position her hands as if she was trying to escape from the box.

Something very different and I obviously wouldn’t shoot all my clients this way, but this client loved the shots 🙂

Best – Colin

 

 

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

What do you photograph when you have nothing to photograph?

12 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in General, Photography

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

comfort zone, DSLR, ideas, photography, street photography, x100

Morning

Sometimes us photographers get the equivalent of writers block, there is just nothing there, no ideas, no inspiration – nothing.

So what do you do? Well, you could keep your cameras locked away in their bags and go and watch TV, you could sit by the phone waiting for it to ring with your next paying client, or you could pick up your camera and just go out and shoot.

But, I have nothing to shoot – I hear you cry.

Well this is the thing. There is plenty to shoot, in fact, there is so much you could shoot that if you shot every spare day in your life you would never shoot everything you could ever shoot.

Set yourself a goal – if you shoot people – go out and shoot flowers, if you shoot flowers already then go out and shoot people walking dogs, or if you shoot wildlife go and shoot as many different street signs as you can in an hour.

By doing this, not only will you be a little outside of your comfort zone, but you’ll also have to “look” a little harder for a picture, but once you start looking you will eventually see, and once you start seeing pictures, that creativity will start flowing back.

I did this just at the weekend.

I set myself a target of only shooting 10 pictures, just ten pictures using an X100, no DSLR, no fancy lenses, just ten pictures – but ten pictures of man made shapes and within 1 mile of my home.

So I take a walk and it’s hard, very hard, I’m used to shooting people, either on location or in a studio. But after a while I started to look a bit harder. This is a road bollard, at the end of my road, nice textures on the wood and I liked the contrast between the red/white.

Road Bollard

Crossing the road I walked down an alleyway, I go down this alleyway almost every day, but this time I saw the leading lines into the distance, focus on the fence and a bit of flare, could have done with a person in the shot, but this was all about shooting other things.

Alleyway

At the intersection of this alleyway and the road, there is a piece of corrugated iron, great textures, I just had to shoot a couple of frames.

Corrugated Iron Fence

 

Corrugated Iron Fence

Another man made object, a wooden fence door with a chain, great, another shot, by now I’m halfway towards my total of ten, and I’m not 15 minutes from my front door!

Wooden Door

I walked a little further and came across this pipe in the wall, it didn’t seem to go anywhere, but I liked the texture and colour.

Blue Pipes

Only four more to find now and then I stumbled upon these amazing garage doors. They are doors to a block of apartment buildings, pretty cool and never noticed them before, used up two of my ten just on these.

Garage Doors

Garage Doors

So only two images left to find and I was on the limit of my 1 mile from home rule, I then looked across the river and spotted these blue buildings with red windows. I walk by them 2-3 times a week, and never noticed them before!

Blue Facade

On my way back home I had one shot to find – this doorway was an interesting subject.

Blue Doorway

And that was my final picture.

I’m not going to give up my day job just yet 🙂 But it was certainly a different way to go about my photography, and you know what, I quite enjoyed it.

So next time you get lost for ideas, set a target or make a list, and just go and shoot

Best – Colin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Cancer. The unplanned journey

10 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in General

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Breast cancer, Cancer, Cancer sufferer, Conditions and Diseases, family, happiness, Health, hope, life, love, photo shoot, photography

Cancer.

It touches all our lives. Be it friends, family, loved ones, or even ourselves. It touches us all. How we deal with that first realisation that Cancer is in our lives goes a long way to determining our journey with it.

But this is a photography blog, why am I writing about Cancer?

I run a Bump to Baby and a My First Year programme for parents with young children, this provides them with several shoots over a given timeframe.

Sue (not her real name) contacted me 18 months ago and said she would like BOTH the Bump to Baby & My First Year photo shoots. The Bump to Baby shoot consists of a maternity shoot at approx. 40 weeks, and a newborn shoot, at approx. 10 days. The My First Year comprises three shoots, newborn, 6 months and 1 year old.

During the course of the last 18 months I have met Sue & her family on a number of occasions, they had a son together, Julian (not his real name) who I have photographed in a Vintage suitcase at ten days old and under a yellow towel at six months old. Every time I have met or spoken with Sue & her family it has always been a rewarding experience. 

It was Julians first birthday yesterday.

About six weeks ago Sue contacted me for an appointment for Julians final 1 year shoot, we had the usual chit chat and exchanged pleasantries and then Sue said, “I may have to cancel at short notice though as I have Cancer”

An uneasy silence followed as I was at a loss for words, so many thoughts flying around in my head. I wanted to say something but knew that no words I could say would be of any comfort. Thankfully, Sue broke the silence and said some silly comment which I forget now, but it made me chuckle and we said our goodbyes.

As soon as I put the phone down the worry started to set in.

About her family. About Julian her son. About the photo shoot. About EVERYTHING.

Yesterday came.

It was raining. 

We were meeting at a local National Trust site to get some pictures of Julian outside in natural surroundings. I arrived a little early to gather my thoughts. Then I saw them, Sue’s father was driving and I could see that Sue was wearing a wooly hat. Was that because of the cold, or because she was losing her hair? All those images of a Cancer sufferer I had in my head were coming to the fore and I was hating myself for it. 

Sue got out of the car and she could obviously see my facial expression as she said, “Blimey Colin, I have Cancer, it’s not contagious you know!!” And that was that. All the worry and fear that had been building up the last six weeks was gone in an instant. And I knew, what ever the weather, we would get some good pictures today.

Throughout the whole shoot Sue was chirpy positive and he usual funny self. Walking back to the cars afterwards I asked her why she was so positive? Her answer bought tears to my eyes.

“If I’m going to die, I’m going to die, there is no point bringing everyone else in my life down by being sad and unhappy. I have always been a happy person, I’m going to continue being a happy person. I don’t want to die, but If I do, at least I’m going out knowing that my family and friends can remember me as someone who was smiling and happy right to the end. Life is full of challenges. This is one of those”

Looking back on yesterdays shoot and my chat with Sue afterwards I have a good feeling that everything will be ok.

If nothing else it has altered my outlook on life somewhat.

keep smiling, be happy

Best – Colin

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

What do you do when your wedding dress is covered in fake blood !

08 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in Bridal Photography, General

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Bride, China, cleaning, Ebay, Formal Wear, photography, wedding dress, Weddings

Morning

Following on from my recent, Bride with a difference post I thought I’d share a little “post shoot” information with you – but don’t try this at home if your wedding dress is worth £2000 🙂

The wedding gowns that I use for photo shoots are all imports from China, with Chinese prices to boot and so usually I’m not too bothered when one of my gowns is covered in muck and grime – I throw them away if they cannot be salvaged and import another.

The day after my shoot I received another enquiry for bridal wear shoot, the client to be was a size ten (UK) and to my horror the only dress I had in a size ten was one which was now sitting in a holdall under my desk, covered in fake blood, dirt, grass, concrete dust, you name it, it was covered in it.

What could I do? I could get another from Ebay, but deliveries are up to three weeks and this client wanted to shoot sooner than that.

Taking the dress out of the holdall I just knew that this should go straight in the bin, and I’d have to turn my client down. But then I thought, why don’t I ask the person that should know all about cleaning wedding gowns, Jill, from the local bridal boutique

Well, when I told her the story, her answer amazed me, “Just stick it in the washing machine on 30 degrees wash, it’ll be fine” she said. “Then hang it up for a couple of days to let the creases fall out”.

So that’s what I did, wedding gown, straight in the washing machine, 30 degrees wash, 1 hour later, looking as good as new 🙂

I can tell you I was pleased as punch, not only did this save my bacon this time, but it also means I can wash all my gowns instead of disposing of them when they are too dirty – but please – don’t put a gown in the wash if you plan to wear it for your wedding day – mine was a £50 gown!! A £2000 gown would have been professionally dry cleaned!!

Best – Colin

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts

Recent Posts

  • 627 Days
  • Top 5 Inspirational Photographers and artists
  • 5 Top Tips for a stress free photoshoot
  • 25 top tips and advice for becoming a better photographer
  • Interview with a model – Lorena Fernandez

Archives

  • March 2015
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,671 other followers

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

LCC Photography

LCC Photography

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • The Starving Artist
    • Join 1,671 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Starving Artist
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: