Sizzling Summertime offers....

The holidays are nearly here, and the kids are waiting with trepidation for the lovely long days, the trips to the beach and masses of lovely ice cream.  Sluuuurp!

The lovely coast line in East Norfolk harbours the Golden Mile in Great Yarmouth, as well as the lovely promenade in Lowestoft and miles and miles of golden beaches that stretch out all the way from North Norfolk, into lovely little coastal villages full of character, dotted along the coast like Happisburgh, Southwold and Aldeburgh.  

The weather here has so far been fantastic - we've had wonderfully blue skies and high temperatures the sea temperatures have warmed up too!  Will it keep?  Who cares!  There is really so much to enjoy on the coast that it really does'nt matter if the skies aren't quite so blue :)

Just to make sure that you have some lovely keepsakes to take home from your stay on the coast this year I'm offering FREE family photography all through these six weeks of summer holidays!  That's right!  An hour's session with myself will cost you absolutely nothing.  You will then just pay for what you decide to purchase, whether it's a large framed print, and acrylic block with your favourite image for your office desk to brighten up the rainy days, or a lovely coffee table book full of images of a happy family enjoying their holidays.

If you're not really a beach family and prefer relaxing holidays in the broads, my offer still holds, it's holiday time wherever you want to spend it!  Bad weather should not be a problem either, unless it is raining heavily, as sometimes images taken in strong wind and a little rain tend to be very interesting, and can be a lot of fun to shoot! :)

If you are interested in taking up my offer, call now, as dates are limited, on 07748 197522 or email me on contact@antonellamuscatphotography.co.uk  Conditions apply.

Happy Holidays!! x

Broad Beans

Yep!  It's the modest little legume I am writing about today, not about my ISP or download speeds...

as food is another important passion of mine, but one which I probably have been blogging about too little about.  Food is one of the influences in my work.   I can honestly say good food makes me happy :)

When I was little, my parents owned a villa in what was then a rural village in Malta called Fgura.  My dad's business was prospering and we moved into a villa in the fields with a semi made road for access.  Mum had a sizeable garden as well as a pool and at Easter time ( that's when broad beans get to season with the warmth there) we used to have the first taste of the produce from the gardens there.  Spring onions, early tomatoes, a taste from some Kumquat fruit and lots of crunchy baby broad beans to add to our crunchy rustic bread spread with tomato paste and lovely olive oil. 

Having had my first taste of broad beans this season earlier today took me a long way back.... back to my childhood when I learnt to appreciate tastes, colours and emotions, and my holiday times were spent curled in a corner reading volume after volume of historical novels  and splashing in the pool in the baking hot summers - all stuff that has influenced the way I see the world and ultimately affected my photography.

The taste of fresh broad beans reminded me of a  wonderful broad bean and goats' cheese risotto eaten at Nicolino's in Emsworth after a lovely time at Goodwood last year... mmm, a lovely rustic broad bean soup eaten at La Fontana in Edinburgh

Going back to the succulent, crunchy and very modest broad bean, hardly even given a nod by shoppers passing by the veggie stall....

Many people don't bother preparing their food today, thousands of shoppers dwell in the take away and the ready made food sections in supermarkets every day. They might think they appreciate cuisine, but they aren't ready to go into the bother of preparing it, they aren't open to getting down to cooking, trying new things, new tastes, to make up new recipes with what's left in the fridge.  To appreciate the difference between a product and another, the difference in quality between an item that's prepared to strict standards and one that's not.

I put in a lot of research into everything I do. I like to get to the point of perfection in most things... I like to construct images like I would be constructing a recipe.  I build up complementary foods to get to the taste I am looking for, that lovely lingering taste that embeds in the neurones and recalls lovely memories when it tingles the taste buds.

That's how I like my images, lovely, cooked at the right point, leaving a lush taste that becomes a beautiful memory, a lovely thought to think about and smile.

I hope that is the effect my work gives you....

now... back to my crunchy broad beans and lovely thoughts... :)

The Classic Team Lotus Festival 2010

We trekked down to Snetterton today for the Classic Team Lotus Festival, a family day out with the opportunity to view all Lotus F1 cars made, and for the first time, all displayed together.

To be honest we were'nt really interested in the family day out... :)  we are keen Lotus enthusiasts, and we walked around the circuit looking out for the rarer models, the smells of melting rubber and racing fuel keeping an ear out for the occasional FVC or DFV being revved.

As a mass of Lotus fans descended on Snett, we walked through a sea of Elises, with some Elans, Plus Twos and Esprits thrown in.  I grinned at the sight of the number of media photographers on site, all slinging one or two bodies with big zooms.  I wondered, as some of them aimed and shot, what they were looking at, in their view finder, whether like me, they aspired to shoot images that captured the elegance, the lightness and handling of a Classic Lotus.

The unusual find of the day was this extremely rare Plus Two in estate version!

The day was very cold and we had to take frequent coffee/tea breaks to warm ourselves up!  I think this photo I shot of my son Matt really sums the weather :) Brrr...

For me, the most interesting part of the day was the point at which the Historic cars were fired up for a parade.  The most glorious cackle and roar filled the air and a grin returned to our faces :)

It was disappointing though, that the car we were closest to, gave the team a real hard time with firing up.  The main mechanic spent loads of time adjusting the injection system to no avail, progressing to squirting raw fuel into the inlets, whilst I patiently looked into the viewfinder, hoping the engine would fire and light up the fuel!  Unfortunately the only thing the engine did was backfire, spitting out fuel and smoke.  Clive Chapman came out to see what was wrong and the apologetic mechanic could unfortunately do nothing much else to get the car going....

It was a really good day out, a nice Fathers' day out, spent with my dad, something I had not done for a while.  Judging by the smile on his face as I said my goodbyes later, I think it was the best gift I could have given him today :)

Have a good week everybody!...

Boudoir shoot

I recently uploaded a teaser image from a boudoir shoot, and I really must show you some of the rest of this set, before the list of stuff to blog about grows too long and I'll forget all about this! :)

The images were shot using a combination of different light sources to create different moods.  Although I am a fan of natural light, and use only fast prime lenses (these allow me to work in very low light if I need to), I am increasingly experimenting with alternate light sources as these produce different effects which make images more interesting and varied with regard to effect.

I'll quickly move on to some of the images I've produced for this set.  For a boudoir shoot I am typically shooting around 250-300 images, so plenty for the client to choose from.  These are some of my favourites ...

I do hope you like my work.  Please do give me a call if you would like to discuss a photoshoot.  Gift vouchers are also available.

As always I look forward to your comments.  Please use the comment box below to leave some feedback.

At the moment I'm working on my new website, so I'll be blogging sporadically, as time allows.  Add me on facebook or twitter to catch up with what I am up to.

That's all for now!  Hope you all have a good week! :)

a photograph that means a lot to me

Quick posting today about a photo I shot two years ago after a very nice Fish and Chips takeaway from Southwold.  We were out for what was a bit of a stress relieving mid summers blat in the Caterham for me and a bit of sideways fun for Matt, my son.  We parked by the side of the road to tuck into our food when we noticed a large congregation of gulls on the grass.  

Some enthusiastic chips throwing by Matt followed and about a hundred shots later, I captured this image...

I so love Matt's delighted expression as the gulls descend on the bit of chip he's chucked.  The Caterham looked pretty poised for fun, even though it was stationary.

Why am I posting this today?  Because this photo's ended as one of twelve selected last December for Kate Day's Daily Telegraph Charity Calendar competition, after a gruelling session of voting online, and my image, perhaps unknowingly to whoever prepared the calendar design, was placed in the month in which it was really shot, so on the 1st of June, a motoring rendition of Hitchcock's Birds appears on the new page :)

So a very happy June to you all, especially for all you Caterham owners enjoying the nice weather out there!! x

Surprise Him!!!

I bet Dad is fed up of the socks, the Top Gear videos and that latest gadget that was so cool, like for an hour or so!  I bet he sometimes feels a bit jealous of Mum and all that thought that goes into her gifts,  but he's too nice to let anybody know...

Now that Father's day is coming up, why don't you surprise him by giving him something nice that he'll really want to keep, and that really means something to him?

I'm offering big discounts on my portrait sessions for the Father's day period.  £40 instead of £75 which gives you an hour's location shoot with myself and a 10x8 mounted print.  This will give you lots of images to choose from and lots of time to give you the relaxed, fun images which really show the best in people.  

You may want to give him images of the family that he will want to treasure, but you may also want to let him have a portrait of himself with his favourite toy...

Is he in love with his car or his bike?  Do you think he would treasure professional photos taken of his other babies?  The possibilities are endless... just give me a call and we can take an idea forward.

But hurry up... I only have a limited number of spaces available and Father's day is soon with us

Give him that surprise he'll love you more for.... 

Email me on contact@antonellamuscatphotography.co.uk or call on 07748 197522  

Ethereal

e·the·re·al

1.

light, airy, or tenuous: an ethereal world created through the poetic imagination.

2.

extremely delicate or refined: ethereal beauty.

3.

heavenly or celestial: gone to his ethereal home.

Not a word that is commonly used in the English language, but commonly used in Italian to describe someone who is strikingly beautiful - bellezza eterea 

If you are interested in my work, why not give me a call to discuss a photo shoot?

A portrait session is a wonderful gift for a loved one, or maybe even, a treat to oneself.   All my packages include a free consultation so that all details of the photoshoot are discussed and the details planned.  It also gives me the opportunity to get to know my client so that I can really get the best out of them during their shoot. 

Gift vouchers are also available.  
Contact me for further information - 
contact@antonellamuscatphotography.co.uk
07748 197522

Look forward to hearing from you!

Me!!

forty something [tick]

female                 [tick]

dark hair             [tick]

funny accent       [tick]

not very tall        [tick]

if you had to meet me... look at me....that is what you would notice!

Does it tell you much about me?  The real me?  I don't think so! :)

One thing I've learnt in life is not to pigeonhole anybody just by appearances; I'm reallyl careful not to do that.  I look at people in the eye, searching for their inner self...

However much you look at a person you really can't see what their way of thinking, what sort of person they really are, unless you try to get to know them...

I've started this blog nearly a year as a photo blog... to document my voyage in the world of images I live in, images of things that impress me...love, colour, nature, life...

I've always thought photo blogs should consists of, erm ... photos, thinking viewers would connect to the person who fired up those images and made them look interesting.  Sometimes that happens... I have had some amazing comments about people telling me how different my work looks and that they are impressed by what they see.

My work looks different because my life has been a rich one, and I consider it to be a tapestry of colour and passion that drives my photography.  My past experiences have affected my outlook on life, my Mediterranean origin also makes me seek colour and light in a different way, my personal self affects the way I interpret things...

A long time ago, I must have been a teenager still, I made a promise to myself not to follow the crowd but to do my own thing.  It's been a difficult choice in life, because you find so much resistance in trying to be different, being the odd one out and all that....but it's also been a fruitful one, because to be different you really have to invest in yourself and your knowledge and attitude to things, and it's developed me as a person... and also as a photographer.

I've been reticent about speaking about myself in the past.  I'm an intensely private person and I don't like people who always speak about themselves as if they are so very important.  I think a degree of humility is vital, as it gives respect to all those around us, and I like to think of myself as on a long, long path towards attaining greater knowledge, but nowhere near knowing it all....

I've had a very tough month, which has led to a lot of introspective thought, well more than usual :) !.... I've realised that too many people base themselves on appearances and make judgements without knowing who they're dealing with really, and that is not good.  The optimist that believed in people had a right bashing these last few weeks...

I think I may be neglecting the richness of the tapestry which has made Antonella who she is by not connecting with the readers in my blog.  So I will make the effort to write a bit more about myself, about what goes through my head, but keep the bias towards the images, as I believe these best express the intensity of the person that I am.

I would like to hear more from you... this blog needs to become more interactive.  I would really like to get to know what you think when you visit this blog... I keep looking at the feedback my stats give me but it's only numbers, not people I see...  I'm acutely aware a large number of visits are from photographers, let me know what you think too.  Please post your comments or drop me an email.... I appreciate your contact! :)

I leave you today, with a photo I shot last year... a flower as a little thank you to all of you who visit my blog

Thank you! Merci, Grazie and Grazzi!  xxx

full post - Boudoir Workshop with Faye and Trevor Yerbury

Finally!  I've found the time to finish post processing the images taken during the Yerbury Boudoir workshop I went to a couple of weeks ago...

I'm so glad I decided to take tuition from the Yerburys!! :)  Faye and Trevor are UK leaders in fine art and nude photography and their boudoir work exudes the class and quality that is distinctive of their work.  More than that, they are excellent tutors, giving you the time to ask questions and lots of opportunity to shoot.  As I suspected, and with most true greats, you get a straight forward and honest opinion from them, and they have none of the airs that some people adopt in pursuit of some assumed status in the complicated and often bitchy world of photography.

I really enjoyed my day's tuition with both Faye and Trevor, worth every penny in practice and sound marketing advice, which I thoroughly recommend if you are a photographer working towards improving your style of work,  and avoiding the pitfalls into which many fall and lead them to create work that is more thrash than style.

Coming back to my boudoir workshop day, it just made me realise how possible it is to make a woman look great without complicated studio setups and, by using the relaxed environment of her own home, clever use of posing and available light, create a series of images that will be cherished, looked at fondly after time, and particularly, a great wedding gift from the bride to her groom.

Our model for the day, Aisha, was exceptionally patient as we went through standard poses and experimented with some ideas of our own.  From the lounge, through the bedroom and bathroom, we used the environment available to us to the maximum, using the soft light and reflectors to get the most out of Aisha's lovely looks.

I now leave you to my own post-processed set from the day and as usual hope you like the work.  I am now taking bookings for boudoir sessions - please give me a call or email me if you would like an album of personal images to treasure.

sneak preview - Boudoir Photography workshop with the Yerburys

Hello everyone!

Just a quick posting to update you on my visit to West Lothian in Scotland to the Yerbury studio for a boudoir photography workshop....

In a nutshell this was a fantastic course and a must for any pro seriously considering offering boudoir work to their clients. Faye and Trevor offered us an insight into their marketing, and we had plenty of opportunity to photograph our fantastic model for the day, Aisha in the Yerburys' home.

I have more than plenty of images to post process but for the moment I leave you with one shot of Aisha looking pensive but relaxed in the Yerbury studio.

I leave you with a link to the Yerbury Studios site and hope you have a good week!  More from me in the next few days :)