A week in pictures

Written on 01 Mar, 2012 by catherine.

Wow, what a week to start a 'Week in Pictures' blog.  I can't think why I haven't done it before - I have been a bit behind in my blogging lately as I've been extremely busy so far this year.  

This week I travelled to Tuscany with my friend and client, Deborah of Delights of Tuscany, we spent a couple of days visiting her suppliers and tasting some amazing food.  Based in Pieve di Santa Luce, her apartment is available to rent - and it is lovely, very relaxing and a perfect base for exploring Tuscany.  We visited her truffle and liqueur suppliers - it was fascinating to see their factories and see how the liqueurs are prepared.  The smells were incredible, I really wish there was a camera that could capture smells as well as images.

We tried delicious truffle pasta, fine wines and olive oil ice cream - a real highlight and incredibly tasty.  I really enjoyed meeting so many lovely friendly people, and I can't wait to go back!

Here are a few of my favourite shots from the trip...

 

    

    

Happy New Year!

Written on 30 Dec, 2011 by catherine.

Coming to the end of my first full year as a freelance is a time for reflection - it has been a very busy, intermittently stressful twelve months and at the end of the year my passion for photography is as strong as ever.

I have loved working with my clients this year - I have been very lucky to work with an interesting and varied client base.  The events I have photographed have been fun and interesting, especially the English Music Festival, Wallingford Food Festival and the Living Advent Calendar in Henley.  

Following on from my vintage hen party events I have even photographed a few Weddings! I found that I really enjoyed being part of such a happy event and creating some memorable images for the couple. 

This year I took part in a business building course with Business Fit Club, which really gave me a good grounding and focus for the future. I have also become a seasoned networker, and have enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people through groups like Business Biscotti, the Real Business Club and Ladies at 11.  I enjoy keeping in touch with contacts through social media including Twitter and Facebook while balancing my workload!  

My personal highlight of 2011 has been adopting our Chow Chow, Thomas - he is great company for a home-worker despite his snoring!  I also enjoyed a trip to the Venice Biennale - a long-term ambition, and truly inspiring.  Recently I have really appreciated an opportunity to get back into the darkroom - using my antique cameras and hand-developing the film has been a real joy and I hope to do more darkroom work next year.

So, I am going into 2012 with a positive outlook and am looking forward to working with many more clients and meeting more people and creating more images.

I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year - thank you for visiting!!

Wokingham Arts Trail

Written on 30 Aug, 2011 by catherine.

Over the last few weeks I have been preparing work to show at the 2011 Wokingham Arts Trail.  It's the first time I've shown so much of my work, with paintings and photographs together and I am looking forward to it!  It is a bit nervewracking - the paintings especially are very personal to me and most have not been on show before.  It will be great to get them out of the house for a while at least!

I have put together a little book (below) with examples of some of the paintings.  They are all very abstract - inspired by Australian Aboriginal designs and incorporating abstract cell structures, they are all based on the theme of chaos and consumption.  Each painting represents an event in my life, which usually involves an element of chaos!  Painting for me is a means of relaxation and expression during some difficult emotional periods.  The process is a long one as each painting is made up of several thin layers of paint or thicker layers applied with a knife over splatters.  An average painting will take 6-8 weeks to complete and the larger ones can take up to 4 months. 

I have called the book and the exhibition 'Circles of confusion', which is a photographic term relating to depth of field, seemed to reflect the painting style quite well!

I hope to see you at the Art Trail, please do pop in to 43b Peach Street, Wokingham on September 10th or 11th to say hello if you're in the area, I would love to meet you!

 
 

Wallingford Food Festival

Written on 03 May, 2011 by catherine.


Creative Commercial Photography is proud to be involved with the first Wallingford Food Festival on May 14th 2011 at Bridge Villa Campsite, and hopes that it will be the start of an exciting new venture for local food producers in the area. The Wallingford Food Festival is a celebration of the wide range of quality food produced within the south Oxfordshire area and aims:

  • to promote the value of “locally” produced food from meat, vegetables, fruit, eggs, etc and processed food such as bread, cakes, jams, preserves, beers, wines, meals etc.
  • to show the sustainability of locally produced food and the part seasonality plays in food availability
  • to educate people on how food is produced
  • to promote Wallingford as a key market town in South Oxfordshire
  • to demonstrate how to use the available produce
What a great time of year to promote seasonal food as local produce is blooming and being harvested in the sunshine.

So this is your chance to come and meet the producers and taste their produce and buy some of the best local food in Oxfordshire! The festival patron entertaining visitors will be Gerald Dickens, great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens.  As the main event sponsors, the Rowse Honey Marquee will host a range of sessions on cooking, using ingredients, how to get the best from your garden and more.

I hope to see you there!

Celebrate Spring

Written on 30 Mar, 2011 by catherine.

Spring has sprung at last and the sun has made a very welcome appearance after such a cold, wet winter.  The countryside is blooming and coming back to life.  With the Budget behind us, it feels as though 2011 is really getting going now. New Spring produce is hitting the markets, and you can find some inspiring seasonal recipes online at Chef’s Pencil.  

With Mothers’ Day and three bank holidays on the calendar in April, it is a great time to market your service to potential customers with lots to celebrate.  It is not too late to start thinking about your marketing menu for Easter events remember that an important part of any marketing campaign is a great image of your delicious food to tantalise your customers’ taste buds.

Creative Commercial Photography specialises in wholesome and appetising food photography shot on location at your premises to ensure freshness and convenience, and at a very reasonable rate.  Bookings made before April 11th will receive a 10% discount - please quote Ref CCP411 in any correspondence.

Please don't hesitate to contact Catherine to discuss your ideas and arrange a no-obligation quote.