Its been too long...

I have no excuse as to why I've not blogged in so long. Even though I am only currently working part time I seem to be busy every day and if I'm not at work I'm in the gym and if I'm not at the gym I'm doing the weekly shop or doing odd jobs around the house. Full on grown up mode!

Ive recently had a lot of bookings for my photography which is great and a lot of interest! As I'm stood at working telling people the hand luggage sizes for their flights I sometimes end up dreaming about being out and about taking photographs but then I realise I have to be working to make money to spend on photography equipment I have my eye on. I'm buying a flash gun in the next few weeks which is exciting, it means that I've pretty much got everything in my basic kit.

Ive got a week off soon and I've set myself a project. Ive not really set myself anything since finishing university as its all been about getting a job and getting the pennies in the bank. But with a week off I'm going to spend a few days starting a new project, again, I will update you all with that one soon.

My mum and little sister are coming up to Preston for a few nights as well which I am so excited about at the end of the month and then a week or so after that I'm going back home to Linconlshire to photograph a wedding of a girl i went to school with which i am really looking forward to. Just goes to show how much we have all grown up and how far we have come...and we are all only in our 20's!....MADNESS!

Paul Cadden

I came across this by Paul Cadden and thought that I would share it with you. Cadden creates paintings and drawings based off photography and video stills etc. The image is a part of a collection but this was the only one that stood out to me. I just like how simple and natural the image is. I personally think that it is better in black and white as when I imagine it in colour, it doesn't work for me. Usually we see 'traditional' portraits of people and they show us how they want to be seen but with water pouring on you and your eyes closed, you cant care how you look...because you cant even see!

The Beckhams

Last week Victoria Beckham Tweeted these two photographs of herself and husband David Beckham with Harper Seven. They pretty much speak for themselves but i thought they deserved a post because they are the most adorable images Ive seen in a while. Its nice to see some natural, happy, images of celebrities instead of some over pose, over edited glossy magazine images.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Last night i went to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I had been looking forward to going for a few weeks so the bar was high and I was expecting a great film.



I hadn't seen any of the Planet of the Ape films before so i didn't really know what i had myself in for, i wanted to go and see it based off the fact that the trailer made it look great.



I am a BIG fan of anything 'monkey' so this was the film for me. I was gripped straight away when i saw a baby ape, the film could have finished then and i would have been satisfied. There was a good level of action and a little bit of romance. Really enjoying the film until the moment (and if you've not seen the film and don't want to know what happens, don't read on)....Cesar speaks. This for me spoilt it - Apes don't talk - FACT But after leaving the cinema and discussing the film with friends i learnt that in the original planet of the Apes films they do speak so they were not as bothered by this as me. Talking animals in what i thought was a somewhat serious film, didn't float my boat.



I have never really been a major fan of James Franco either, I've seen him in Spiderman and I am yet to watch 127hrs, but for me he has been put on my 'Actors to watch' list. Freida Pinto, personally wasn't the best actress for the role of Francos love interest, i found her a uninteresting. She didn't do a terrible job but i didn't really connect with her. Tom Fenlton on the other hand was a great choice for the role as 'Dodge'. After finishing Harry Potter you would have thought he would have stepped away from the moody, evil, teen role but it turns out that's what he does best. Throughout the film i waited for him to get his comeuppance and thankfully he does.



At the start of the film i knew the Apes were all played by people in rubber suits, Andy Serkis playing the lead role as Cesar but by the end of the film i had forgotten and it felt like i was watching real animals.



I like a film that leaves me thinking and this did just that - should we test things on animals?



Over all I really enjoyed the film and if another comes out i would go and see it.

I Predict A Riot

I think it’s about time that I wrote a post about the riots that have happened this week in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham. (6th - 10th Aug 2011)

First of all, what happened in London obviously should not have happened but Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham should be ashamed of themselves. There was no need what so ever for events to occur in those places. It could have all been contained in London and the rest of the country could have looked down and commented on how ridicules it all was but no, everyone else has to jump on the bandwagon and get a piece of the action.



I woke up Sunday morning to find riots had happened in London as people were protesting because of the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan on the 4th August. A protest, which I think was pointless on many levels and just showed the people of Tottenham as thugs. People need to be reminded that he was an alleged crack cocaine dealer, a member of a gang, and was said to be carrying a converted blank-firing handgun that had been converted to fire live rounds. Now a lot of people are going on and on about how he shouldn’t be dead and shouldn’t have been shot at but to be honest, no one should be shot at but if you read the evidence I can understand why he was. If I was a police officer and there was a man that I knew had a gun and there was a high chance that he was going to use it on me, I would shoot. Simple as. As a police officer that it what you are trained to do. You do what is needed as long as you can back it up with evidence to say 'yeah I did it and this is why'. And that is all that needs to be said about that because the events that followed in the week have nothing to do with that.



the riots that follow on from this have nothing what so ever in connection with Duggan’s death, people had forgotten about it, it wasn’t on the people minds as they stood in the middle of JJB deciding if they should rob ADIDAS or NIKE trainers.

It has been said a lot that everyone was rioting across England because the 'youths don’t have a voice'. This may be true, but starting riots isn’t the way to go around being heard, we have seen this with the student riots, nothing came on them, just made students look like idiots.



I watched a program on Sky 'Why are they rioting' which was the biggest load of crap I’ve watched in a while. They had a youth support worker from London claiming that people were rioting for reason such as:



• Feeling like they don’t have a future in today’s society

• They distrust adults with authority

• They are all stereotyped

• Don’t have a voice in today’s UK



After all of this will anyone want to listen to them? And no, they don’t have a future in today’s society and they have no one else to blame but themselves. If I never put the effort in with my GCSES, never went to college or university then I wouldn’t have a future either, not everything is like benefits, you don’t just get life on a plate.



It was also said that they think that people are growing up, especially males, without a role model in their lives, fatherless homes and chaotic families are the cause to all this bad behavior. Again, what a load of rubbish! I grew up with a lot of friends that lived with mum and either didn’t see dad at all or saw him once a month and I can safely say that not a single one of them was out starting riots. They have all made something of their lives - been to college, university, have full time jobs and support themselves. Now don’t get me wrong, there is the odd toeragg that I went to school with that hasn’t worked a day in their lives and has 3 kids but even then, not a single riot happened in my home town.



What’s to blame for all of the riots - a materialistic society! People just want want and want. Nothing is ever enough. People are complaining that they don’t get enough in benefits and can’t find work. I finished university and 2 weeks later I have 16hr a week job selling suitcases. It isn’t the best job but money is money and I can guarantee that there are jobs out there but people are too picky and won’t do 'dirty jobs' like cleaning. People need to remember that they are not entitled to benefits; they are given them because our government is better than other countries and pays for them to sit in their 4 bedroomed houses, eating sausages rolls from Gregs watching Jeremy Kyle while the rest of us work 9-5 earning our keep. I think the government should take away their benefits and teach them what it’s like to live off nothing. If they think they don’t get enough for free there is only one thing for it, get of your lazy bone-idle ass and get a job.



I’ve mentioned my views on this to a few people and once or twice I’ve got 'but you were a tax doing student for 3 years, you are just as bad' I would like to clear up once and for all it’s not the same. I worked part time all the time I was university and I have not once said 'its ok, I don’t need to repay my uni fees back I can make sure I earn under 15grand a year and its ok'. My main aim in life if to be earning enough to pay back what I borrowed because then I know I have done myself proud and made something of my life.



Overall I don’t think people that don’t contribute to the country should be able to have a valid opinion on what happens and what they get. I think it should be the tax payers, the working, the educated and the people that make something of themselves that should have a voice. At the end of the day, they are the people that pay for the lowlife scummy uneducated people that riot, rob and burn down businesses.

The End - Hogwarts & Uclan

Not only was it the end of my education this month, it was also the end of Harry Potters education at Hogwarts!!! Anyone that it anyone is going to see it so I made sure I was free the opening night so I could go and see if before everyone else. There is nothing worse than a blockbuster coming out, everyone seeing it before you and then they go on Facebook and spoilt it.



As soon as the film started, I was gripped!



It was Toms 2nd Potter film, Part 1 was the first, he had never seen Potter until we started going out which i find strange, he thinks that I am some kind of wizard nerd but I grew up with Harry Potter, 2001 was the first film and I was 11. 10 years on, Daniel Radcliff isn’t a little boy anymore and im 21.

Overall the film was great and it goes up there with my favourite Potter films (Alongside the Goblet of fire with Cedric aka Robert Pattinson).

Part 2 was Full of action, romance and Nevill Longbottom stealing the show in his cardigan.



For people that hadn't see the other films I can see why it wouldn't be their cup of tea because it would be hard to understand as there were a lot of references to the other films but for a Potter fan it was a perfect ending to a great series of films. I read the first 2 books and then I stopped and just watched the films instead so I don't know if they were created well from book to screen.



So that’s that, I cant really say much more as I know a few people haven’t seen it yet that but Harry Potter no more. I don’t have time to be sad either because its almost November and we all know what that means – BREAKING DAWN. I am so ready to see what happens between Bella, Edward and Jacob.

August is a good month for films, there are a lot of films out that look great so I’d better get my Odeon Premier card out and Tom better get ready for lots of cinema dates!

GRADUATION!

This is just a quick post. Really busy at the moment working and trying to figure out what i want to do with life. I cant get away with saying'i will figure it out after graduation' Because BIG NEWS!

On 15th July 11 I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Photography from the University of Central Lancashire, Preston and PROUD inst even the word!





I had a wonderful day - Mum, Dad, my Nanny & little sister (brother couldnt make it) all travelled up from home for the big day and Tom came as well. After we went for a meal and hung out which was really nice as I don't get to see them a lot.



The 3years are over, and i remember people saying it would go really fast, but not this fast! I remember the first week of university, ringing my mum telling her that i dont think im cut out of the big city or being so far away from home. Yes, i do sound like some country pumpkin but look at me now. A degree in my back pocket, lots of 'life experience'(which sounds really cheesy but i learnt a lot of things whilst at university and not just the photography things) and an understanding of the North. I know what a barm is but i still dont understand why people add 'cha' to the end of their sentences.



So its over, im no longer a student but a graduate.

I feel so grown up its unreal. Turning 21 and leaving university in the same year!



I have a few things in the pipeline for the next year - im keeping it hush hush until everything is for definite but right now im going to get a full time job and pay off the dreaded overdraft and focus of getting GLH photography out there.

Football Event

Since finishing univeristy i have had a few bookings as GLH Photography. Being a photographer in the big wide world is scary. I felt like i knew a lot but when it comes down to it, the learning starts now.

I was asked to photograph the local football teams awards night last weekend. Pictures of the team getting their awards and a few portraits of certain people. Thought id share a few snaps...

DEGREE EXHIBITION

Degree Show:
WOODCHIP BOUTIQUE

Its taken me a while to post these but these are images of my final degree installation. The night went really well, lots of people having a look and they seemed to like my work. The following week family and friends came to have a look as well and i got really good feedback from them.I also sent a lot of images how for all of my family that couldnt make it up.
So...Here you go...WOODCHIP BOUTIQUE :)

Process

Thought that i would share a few snaps of the process that i went through when creating my final degree installation to show my final images.
Given my space - put boards up so i could visualise the size of what i had to work with.

Initially i was going to have wallpaper but i decided that it looked too busy even without frames and everything else i planned on adding.

Then it was a case of picking the images that i wanted to use in my final collection and what frames i wanted them to be in.



After weeks and weeks i picked these two colours. I felt as though they were strong enough colours to grab peoples attention, fitted in with the theme well and wasnt too in your face or busy like wallpaper would have been.

Spotted this litte half table whilst walking home after spending the day in town. Perfect!!

Creating the little added extras...



One of my final images...

All my final prints boxed up ready for the final hand in - 4hours it took to sort out and frame my images...

In the middle of painting...

Draft 1...

Final set up...

OFFICALLY AN ADULT

Hello bloggers! Its been a while!



So i turned 21 a few weeks ago and how do i feel? I should really feel no different but the past few weeks since my birthday have been some of the biggest. I have turned 21 and finishing university within a matter of weeks and it has been strange doing it all of a sudden!



A lot of the past month has been about getting ready for the Graduate exhibition but since the exhibition has been done I have suddenly realised 'i have nothing to do' by that i dont mean sitting watching Jeremy Kyle repeats 24/7, i mean, i dont actually have a deadline or something that i need to be getting on with and fretting about.



What have i been doing since the 17th, my final day of uni? Finishing my website and making business cards (which has made me feel all grown up) and catching up on reading books and magazine, answering emails and talking to friends that we forgotten about in the mad rush. (Sounds horrible but it happens, in the blur of the final degree show i left everyone and lived in my own bubble).



I also re-celebrated my 21st birthday with 2 friends. My 'Preston birthday' were I enjoyed an 'adult lunch' followed by drinks. It didnt stay adult for long, as the dora explorer birthday cake (which was nomnomnom) came out.



So now im spending time realising that the 3 years ive spent at uni may have seen really hard at times but the hard slog is about to come. Got to find a job and a new house or flat because we need to move from where we are.



So...This blog has now gone from a university project to a more of a personal blog. I will continue to post photography related things on here but its going to be a space where i can talk to myself and share what happens after uni!



X

Finished? almost!

Finished…well I’ve not finished fully but the main bulk is out of the way for a while. Dissertation handed in, and what a happy day that was. Today I have ordered my prints for my exhibition and they will be with me Thursday so fingers crossed everything is ok with them and then I can frame them Thursday and wrap them up ready to hand in on the 12th. This means a stress free time – going home next Wednesday for my 21st for a few days and then back to Preston for a meeting about the final exhibition and handing in my prints.
So I’m the big 2 1 in just over a week and I’m really excited. More excited to see my family as I’ve not been home since Christmas with uni being really busy and it being a trek home. Looking forward to a meal with everyone, drinks and shopping.
Its really strange, knowing I’m going to be 21 I remember when I was 16 and we would sit around and talk about what we thought we would be doing. We thought we would all still be close which hasn’t happened because we have all grow up, people have moved away and things just change. I still talk to certain people and hope that soon we can meet up and be all shocked about how we have all changed. Some people I don’t even talk to anymore and haven’t for years, and wont ever again, this doesn’t bother at all, things happen for a reason and things are the way they are. Im where I thought I would be anyway – finishing university and looking for a job, turns out having ‘a life plan’ does work out. I didn’t think however, that I would be living where I am, if anyone has seen my poor excuse of a house then you would understand. It’s not really a house, more a shell that I and the boyfriend rent from a woman. No words describe her. When it’s windy or it rains, we are lucky that the house doesn’t floor or get blown down. I need to get a job before we can move ideally. I have issues with house and flat hunting because I look at the wallpaper or the condition of the carpets whereas the Mr looks at the space and size of the place.
I’m soon, well, I’m hopefully soon going to graduate and then everything changes. I will get a job, again, hopefully, and I will be paying taxes, I will move house and then we can have our very own little heaven and I will grow into a tax paying young lady. Things won’t be that easy and because I know they won’t, it makes it easier. No point going into graduation thinking ‘so I will just wait for that call from Terry Richardson and then I will also become a famous fashion photographer’ but Terry, if you are reading this, get in touch!
Now I need to focus of getting everything done and sorted of the exhibition and finding a job. Sounds simple but that’s a hell of a task!
Birthday countdown begins: 8days! HURRY UP 5th!

Final Images

These are my final images for my exhibition. I have also picked my final frames as well so thats 2 tasks done. My images are going to be printed different sizes and displayed in different frames, in the Salon Style, and then i will have all my props and little bits and bobs as well to set the scene :)

At the finish line.

Quick post just to say...

DISSERTATION IS FINISHED!
Im just waiting for my tutor to email me back to hopefully say that the layout is fine, all is good and to go and get my 2 copies printed!

Then i can focus the rest of my time on my final project (still waiting for feedback on the presentation and to find out where my space is for the exhibiton)
and
Finding a job/new flat for me and the Mr :)
x

Summer is here...

Well...the summer is almost here :) Sun has been out for 4 days now. I give myself another 4 days before im moaning that im too hot and i wish that it was cold. Never pleased!

Anyway - ive done my final project final presentation, which is also my final presentation ever at uclan. It was a happy yet sad day. Finally realising that its almost over. Im really glad that it is, half of the time uni hasnt been what i thought it would be so i will be happy to see the back of the place but on the other hand im scared. Scared because all i have ever done is learn at be at school and this september...i wont be going back!

Presentation went well - i did my best and thats all i can do. Adam and John seemed in a good mood so thats always nice. So now thats out of the way my to do list is a lot smaller:
- Finish distertation. All i have to do is redraft a few times and get it printed this week ready for next mondays hand in.
- Final exhibiton. This week i will get some feedback on my presentation which i am really dreading because if its not good feedback on the images, theres nothing i can really do now. Reshooting isnt really an option so who knows. Need to be a bit more positive i reckon lol have no faith in myself. So once ive got that back, i will also find out where my space is for the exhibiton and the size. As soon as i know that i can start making my 'area' - wood and wallpaper will be ordered straight away as well as my prints and everything will come together, i hope. If it works like it does in my head its going to look great. Its going to either go one way or the other!
Toms got a the few week and a bit of may off for my 21st (the day before the dead line) so hes going to my handy man and help me create everything. Anyone thats been to our house knows 'the bubble wall' so lets hope we do better than that for my exhibition. its going to be a time of beg borrow and steal! to get everything that i need/would like - then after ive tried that i will pop my hand in the pocket! not that theres anything in there! HURRY FINAL LOAN DAY!
x

In the Frame

Collecting frames for my final project - ive already got more frames than i need but im still keeping my eye out for more and more because i might miss an amazing one that could look really great.
Really hope my final exhibition looks how i does in my head. Its either going to look really good and work or just completely wrong and not work at all and look cheap. ONLY TIME WILL TELL!

2010

My Brother

Uknown

22/3/11
Photographer: Gemma Henderson, Me
Model: Chloe Jace