Shooting on Location!

This last week has been very full on as I’ve been concentrating on Wednesdays photo shoot at Shuttleworth House. As with all these things it’s all about the preparation and I wanted to make the most of the opportunity having engaged top photographer Angela Adams to work with me on this shoot.  Different photographers have different styles and Angela has a great understanding of location, space and how to use it to best advantage.  She looks at composition slightly differently to me so when I have an idea for a shoot she is then able to improve and refine my idea which is extremely inspiring  and refreshing.

Angela Setting Up the Perfect Shot!

On this occasion I wanted to record some of my Victorian and Edwardian costumes and thanks to Shuttleworth House they very kindly gave me permission to do so. Half the battle is finding the right location and although I often photograph in the studio to a white background when I need cut outs for my web-site these costumes needed splendor and location.

It’s very important to have good photos especially with social media. My instagram pages are growing and it’s lovely I can share with you all my love of costumes rather than just leaving them in the wardrobe. Some of these costumes are too

Getting into Costume!

fragile to wear for every Music Hall show I do depending on the conditions I’m having to perform in but through photographs you can still enjoy them.

For those of you who follow my facebook pages you may have already seen some of my behind the scenes shots. As with all these things there is a lot to do and I had 8 costumes to get through which doesn’t sound much but when you take into consideration all the foundation garments it’s quite a job. Fortunately Paul very kindly came along to help me and Angela brought along her assistant, another Paul to help with the lighting. When you work in stately homes it’s important to have the right lighting balance which is a skill in it’self. So often when you see a period drama on TV it’s easy to forget all the people behind the scenes who help to rig and light so it works for camera. It’s the same when it comes to still photography.

Creating the Perfect Lakme’ Shot!

We arrived at Shuttleworth for 10am and started shooting from 11am through to 5pm. It’s hard work as the first hour of the day is spent carrying the costumes into the venue and getting ready. I enjoy working with Angela as she directs me and sometimes I have to contort my body into shapes which at the time feel a bit odd but from the camera angle look perfectly natural. Angela said it will probably be about three weeks before I receive the finished shots so keep watching this space and I will share them with you as soon as I receive them.

Apart from photo shoots I also had a dress fitting with Judi this week as I plan and get my wardrobe ready for France and D-Day. I have a couple of new 1940s suits to wear this season as does Paul and this year we will be adding a couple of fresh musical elements into our show plans for June. So keep following and I will tell you more about that later a litter closer to the time.

Singing at the Piano!

Next weekend I will be performing for a private party at The Angel Hotel in Lavenham. Lavenham is a charming Suffolk village and every building looks like it was constructed at the time of William Shakespeare. It seems like ages since I was last at Lavenham so I’m looking forward to visiting  very much.

That’s all my news for now. Keep Watching , Toodle Pip and Bye for now! 😉