Hertfordshire/Essex Photographer – Beauty Unveiled Photoshoot with Jayne.
Posted on May 3, 2013
How many times do you stop and make time to appreciate who you are today?
If you look back on your life, how much of it would you say you spent trying to be someone else?
Of course, it is important to have dreams and ambitions, to believe in your ability to achieve the things you want. However, so many people spend years of their lives unhappy with how they are seen by others. And as time goes on, without realising it, those feelings become the sub-conscience, deep rooted seed of negativity. This in turn grows to drain their self esteem and the ripple effect begins.
It took years to realise, that learning to love the person you really are is the most important start to making the rest of ones dreams, a reality. That is not to say that wanting to become fitter, healthier or wiser is wrong.
However, how many times do we hear people say, “I could never wear a bikini, I’m far to flabby” or listen to people talk about the never ending “When….”. And what of the many people who feel that the emotional or physical scars left from life’s journey have somehow tainted their beauty, forcing them to believe that they have no right to be viewed as beautiful?
They say you cannot change the world…. well, we say you definitely can’t if you don’t ever try! And if in trying, we help even one other person to fall back in love with themselves, it makes every individual effort worthwhile.
So the journey begins. Taking the everyday person, and unveiling their beauty to remind them that, rather than waiting for others to discover you, it is loving yourself that is the most liberating and powerful achievement. Once you can do this, nothing will extinguish the light that you shine.
Marianne Williamson wrote…
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.’ We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
The images below were taken from a recent Beauty Unveiled session. Jayne, a busy working wife and mother, is usually dressed in boots and jeans whizzing around catering for her family and having little time to herself. We have had the pleasure of photographing Jayne before, so it was great to be back photographing her again. As always we had a fun time working the different lingerie sets, lighting and finding different locations to shoot in. But the images we captured really took our breath away and seeing the pride in Jaynes eyes when she first saw the final set, was the greatest reward we could receive.
Hertfordshire Wedding & Christening Photography. A Special And Very Unique Day For Athos, Victoria & Tillie Larkou.
Posted on April 19, 2013
It is no secret that Detheo Photography is relatively new to the Wedding Photography genre. Weddings and Christenings are very special occasions and the importance of the memories created on those days may not always be immediately apparent yet should be treated with the upmost respect. Years later when time has moved on, the ability to look back at your images and bring all those memories to life again, is priceless.
At Detheo Photography we understand this, and are passionate about capturing images that will preserve those memories, for a lifetime.
Victoria & Athos came to us early in March this year calmly explaining that they were planning to have their lovely daughter, Tillie, aged nine, christened at St Mary’s Greek Orthodox church in North London. This in it self was quite unusual as, within the Greek Orthodox church , it is the norm to christen children when they are very young. ”Small world” I commented, as I, myself, was married there many years ago and have strong family ties to that church.
However, it was not quite that simple!
In a manner, we have now come to know as the norm for them, Victoria and Athos went on to explain that after arranging the christening they decided it would make perfect sense to get married on the same day too.
It was definitely going to be a very unique combination of events. Yet, no one could have quite predicted just how unique the day would truly turn out to be.
On the 23rd March 2012, a year earlier, the front page of The Telegraph ran the following -
“Hottest day of the year as Britain prepares for a BBQ weekend”
Now, some 12 months later and the front page displayed a very different story -
“Worst March snow for 30 years brings chaos”
So, packed with all the usual camera and lighting equipment, we added snow shovels, hiking boots, sleeping bag and other emergency essentials to the car. Not forgetting the pretty vintage umbrella we had recently purchased. This umbrella, whilst insignificant to start with became the shield that defended our beautiful bride against the driving snow fall and biting wind.
It is testament to the relaxed and adaptable character of both Victoria and Athos, that the day went ahead regardless and whilst the blizzard did its hardest to work against us, we managed to capture some great images.
By the time the church service had finished the snow flakes resembled tennis balls. As we reached The Gables, on Newgate Street Village, Hertfordshire where the reception was to be held, we were greeted with a thick white blanket of snow.
Regardless, the day turned out to be fantastic, with family and friends enjoying the celebrations and the images captured perfectly the depth of love Victoria, Athos and Tillie have for one another.
We thank you for giving us the opportunity to get to know you and share your special day.
(Below are a small selection of images from the day)
Learning From The Best
Posted on April 18, 2013
Anyone who knows me well will tell you how strongly I believe in Fate. And over the past 16yrs that belief has been put to the ultimate test and yet Fate has never let me down.
Just before starting Detheo Photography, and throughout it’s first year I attended many courses, hungry to refine my skills. However, I always came away feeling unsatisfied.
Looking back I know now why.
As in all professions, people have very different reasons for doing what they do. Throughout my life I have always been driven to jobs that mean something personal to me, and photography is something very personal. My passion to capture those snippets of time, that so powerfully transport you instantly back, has always been my driving force. I needed to learn the basics, which I did, but the courses always seemed to skim the surface, falling short. They never catered for the individual, never understood my strengths or try to identify my weaknesses.
Then last year, just by chance, I came across a thread on the SWPP forum, which unbeknown to me, was set to totally change my life. My first 121 training course with John & Liz Denton sent my head spinning. It was the most amazing experience and I shared my feelings in a post that you are welcome to read back on if you like.
So, when I heard that I was going to be given the opportunity to return to Cold Harbour Studios and embark on my second 121 training course with John, I could not believe it.
And as before, we were joined by two brilliant models. On day one I had the pleasure of working again with Jennifer Dickinson. Jennifer and I met on my first visit. We then caught up at the SWPP Annual Convention 2013 where Jennifer was working with some other photographers. So, it was lovely to see her again on this trip.
On day two, John and I were joined by Katie Louise. It was the first training session Katie had modelled for and I felt very honoured. Her beauty and natural talent are undeniable and she is a great addition to the Denton team.
Straight talking, down to earth, and a true photographic genius, John Denton does what those others in the past forgot to do. Before he teaches anything, he sets out to learn about his pupil. He gets to know who they are, he identifies their strengths and weaknesses and tailors his teachings to help them achieve their fullest potential. As for Liz, she is without a doubt, one amazing woman and the wealth of knowledge she holds is remarkable. Her ability to motivate and guide you through the marketing, branding, advertising etc side of the business leaves people, including myself, feeling so energised.
Photography is so much about who we are as individuals and as such it can be difficult to accept critique. However, I came to trust John & Liz very quickly and a similar sense of humour ensured we connected from the start.
Just like my first visit, this second 121 stripped away all distractions, guided me deeper through my journey of development and taught me to accept responsibility for the barriers I created, that were holding me back. It was without a shadow of a doubt, a soul searching and eye opening experience.
I have come to hold both John and Liz very dear and feel very fortunate to have met such inspiring people. People I know I will forever call my friends. But how do I thank them for the tremendous influence they have had on my life? I had plenty of time during my three hour drive home to contemplate this and I realised, there really was only one way. To take everything they had taught me, draw on all the belief they had shown in me and really make Detheo Photography everything I have always wanted it to be. And in turn, I hope one day, they can look back and feel proud that their influence helped form the solid foundations on which Detheo was grown.
(Below are some of the images captured on the second 121 training course at Cold Harbour Studios).
Something Old & Something New.
Posted on February 19, 2013
As Detheo Photography enters it’s third year, something quite magical has begun to stir. There are changes on the way, and along with a complete rebranding, we will be launching a new package of services and new products.
So in preparation we decided to spend the day photographing the beautiful Fros at one of the two stunning venues we have managed to create a link with.
Down Hall Country House Hotel, has long been a special place for us personally, as it was the setting for many joyous and memorable functions, long before Detheo Photography even started. Yet throughout the years it’s elegance and striking beauty have never faltered and we are honoured to have it on our list of approved locations for many of our future shoots.
With all the new changes and venues, I hear you ask, “where does the old come in?” Well, in order to compliment the beauty of our environment, it was essential that Fros wore something quite spectacular.
Sixteen years after it was lovingly designed by myself and carefully hand crafted by Maria at Mirror Mirror in Crouch End, London, my own wedding dress made it’s way out of it’s resting place to take centre stage.
And we are sure you will agree, it proved to be the perfect choice.
We hope you enjoy the images we created just as much as we enjoyed creating them.
Please watch carefully over the next few months as we begin to announce exciting new changes, and special offers for you all to take advantage of.
The Beauty Of Winter
Posted on December 14, 2012
I believe each season brings its own beauty and Winter definitely did not disappoint this week. Waking up feeling quite unwell, I piled on my layers ready to drop the children off to school, promising to return to my sofa and spend the day recuperating.
However, opening my front door I gasped with amazement at the stunning scene that greeted me. With an average temperature of -7 everything had frozen and turned white. I felt like I was stepping into a new, magical world.
With photography running through my blood I knew there was nothing I wanted more than to come back, grab the camera, my buddy Harvey, and head out.
And so we did. Walking through the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside surrounded by crisp, ice covered foliage I only wished we could have many more days like these because they make fantastic backdrops for photoshoots.
I Can See The Light!
Posted on December 2, 2012
When I was a little girl my father would always joke around using his heavily Greek accent to repeat lines from his favourite programs and films. He had many lines and they still have us laughing even now, so many years on. My mother, the more sensible of the two, had one or two lines of her own, her favourite being “always learning, learning all the time!”. I doubt she ever realised how true those words were, but those few words have inadvertently formed the foundations of my life ever since.
In every aspect of life, I believe there are new things to learn. The world around us has so much information yet many people travel through life almost with their eyes and ears closed. Some do this with no realisation that it is happening, whereas others are more deliberate, believing they have all the knowledge there is to have.
Like all other professions, Photography is a journey of learning, with many years of travel exploring new and wonderful findings. And just when you think you have discovered all there is to be found, there will always something else hiding in wait.
Still very much at the early stages of my journey, I have searched long and hard to find courses that offer the quality and personalisation that I require to forward my skills. So when I recently was alerted to such an opportunity, I could not quite believe it.
However, true it definitely was for last weekend, (from Friday 23rd until Monday 26th November 2012) I packed up my car and drove the three and half hours journey to East Yorkshire to meet John and Liz Denton, from Denton Photography. It was clear from the beginning that both John and Liz understood my values and my aspirations. They also had done their home work on me and were ready to guide me through the next level of my learning and amongst other things, lighting was one of the main areas we all knew I needed to develop.
The beautiful Jennifer Dickinson on the foggy West Wood, Beverley.
Saturday morning started with freezing fog that swept over the ground and significantly reduced visibility. Making my way to the studio I wondered what my day would entail. As someone who loves being outside, I should not have feared, as the day turned out to be truly amazing. John embraced the fog and taught me how to work it to my advantage. As did our wonderful model, Jennifer Dickinson, who seemed to love the outdoors as much as we did.
Model Jennifer Dickinson on the foggy West Wood, Beverley.
Throughout the day we worked with natural light, then mixed this with additional lighting and finally finished off in the studio working with studio lighting.
Working with natural light around the grounds of the studio.
Mixing natural light and the speed light create atmosphere.
Using Studio Lighting.
Using studio lighting.
Sunday promised to be another jam packed day and this time we were joined by the beautiful Caroline Mary Spalding. Having lost the fog, we just had the flooded roads and freezing cold weather to contend with. Yet nothing seemed to phase us and the stunning shots just kept coming.
Using natural light with the lovely Caroline around the studio.
Using natural light around the grounds of the studio.
With John determined to push me forward, Sunday brought a new feeling of confidence and by the late afternoon I really began to feel at one with all the new skills I and learnt and the equipment I was surrounded by. But, just as I thought I was getting comfortable, John took me yet again further out of my comfort zone.
Now, I too had done my research and was very aware that my teacher was not just a good photographer. Apart from being a down to earth, shorts wearing funny man, John Denton is actually one of the most skilful and creative photographers I have ever seen and I doubt anyone knows how to use light better than him. He also has a reputation for creating some of the most amazing and artistic nude images ever. So it was no surprise that the final stage of my training involved Caroline ditching her warm winter wear and taking it all back to nature!
Shaping the body with light in the studio.
Shaping the body with light in the studio.
However, John had indeed not only taught me so much, but took the time to also learn about me. By giving me the opportunity to create images with my own style, John introduced me to a genre of photography I had never really focused much on. To my surprise, and possibly John’s, I took to it like a duck to water.
Of course, I must at this point thank both Jennifer Dickinson and Caroline Mary Spalding who both worked with patience, professionalism and had a great sense of humour, during our time together.
Monday was spent going over all of my images and then a business development session with the inspirational Liz Denton. Liz is the authority on everything business, as well as an amazing photographer in her own right. Her guidance and direction gave clarity to a once hazy area.
So, sadly the weekend was over but the long journey back flew past as my mind raced with what I had learnt, what I had achieved and what I wanted from the future.
The weekend with John and Liz, away from the hustle and bustle of the busy family life I have here, helped me to really focus on who I am and what I see as the future of Detheo Photography. I cannot give specifics but I will say the future is definitely looking bright! I feel recharged, enlightened and ready to start moving forward.
I would like to thank John and Liz for their kindness, support and commitment to sharing their passion and skills, and for their continued desire to ensure their teaching is accessible without discrimination.
Always Improving
Posted on November 2, 2012
“Highly Commended” Awarded Image October 2012
Whilst always trying to improve, it can sometimes be hard to measure what we have achieved. Each month I enter some of my images into the monthly competition managed by The Societies – an international collection of eight photographic organisations including the Society Of Wedding And Portrait Photographers, with whom we are proud to hold our Licentiate qualification.
October’s competition was as challenging as ever, with fellow photographers from all over the world submitting some amazing images. So it was yet another surprise to find out that the above image received a “Highly Commended” award by the judges.
This will be my third Highly Commended award this year and whilst I am proud of my achievements so far, I am always working hard, building on my skills and hope I will achieve my first Gold award in the not too distant future.
