Massive thanks to design by hotdog for the amazing logo and accompanying bits ‘n’ bobs… based on just a few images on a pinterest board and several rambling emails, it’s like Simon had crawled into my brain (now there’s a scary thought!) and saw exactly what I was imagining.  He’s done an awesome job I’m sure you’ll agree, and it goes without saying that I highly recommend his work, should you be in need of a graphic designer.

So, what do you think? I’d love to hear your feedback (just write lots of lovely things in the comments box below!).  And of course, if you notice any little website glitches do let me know so I can put them right.

Next job on my ‘to do’ list is to publish today’s post for my new project pasties & petticoats, a Cornwall wedding blog.  Then I have a lovely post to share with you all ~ remember Tracy’s bump shoot in November? Bump is now gorgeous baby Amber and I got to photograph her at just two weeks old ~ here’s a sneaky peek, don’t they both look beautiful?

I’ve been working on a lovely new project, a “bit-on-the-side”.  It’s a wedding blog, focussed on Cornwall.  I’ve gathered up loads of fab guest contributors, brilliant Cornish wedding suppliers, and fellow wedding photographers.  There’s already loads of great content on the site – real weddings, and different ideas and inspiration for couples planning their wedding in Cornwall.

This will sit nicely alongside my photography work, each complementing the other.  And of course it gives me another opportunity to work and make contacts in the fab Cornish wedding industry.

More photography work coming on the blog soon.  In the meantime, if you fancy a nosey at the new site, it’s called Pasties & Petticoats.  As always, I’d love to hear what you think (and would love to hear from anyone who would like to contribute).

With the madness of Christmas preparations over and as we prepare to enter a new year, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone I’ve come across this past year of the DSP journey; clients, fellow photographers, facebook likers and twitter followers (and of course family and friends).

I know the first of January is just a day like any other, but I tend to see a new year as a clean slate.  I love looking back at the year gone by, and pondering the promise of what is to come.

It has to be said that 2011 has been a great year.  I’ve been so busy my feet have barely touched the ground. I’ve shot loads of portrait sessions, completed my first year of weddings, met loads of lovely people and learned a lot on this never-ending journey that is photography.

I can genuinely say I’ve enjoyed every shoot that I’ve done in 2011.  I am so lucky to be able to do something that I love so much, and to come across the people that I do.  So thank you, again, to everyone who has booked me for a shoot, put their trust in me to capture their wedding, taken the time to give me such lovely feedback (and sometimes even gifts!).  It all means a lot.

No doubt you all have turkey leftovers to eat and sherry to drink, so I’ll stop rambling now.  I’ll leave you with the film of the big summer vintage photo shoot, definitely one of the highlights of 2011!

Wishing you all a healthy and prosperous 2012.

In a few days time I will be taking a hard-earned break, having a couple of weeks off to unwind with my family and friends over the festive season.  I hope that you will all be doing the same.  I’m a big Christmas fan; the romantic in me just loves the twinkly lights, dark nights, classic films and of course the food and booze!  So what better time to have time to relax and take stock before a new year gets under way?

Before I sign off though, I wanted to share a few photos from a recent ‘dear to my heart’ shoot.  I know I’ve mentioned this before, but humour me while I wax lyrical about my fab friends.  I am incredibly lucky to have a circle of friends who keep me sane.   We all have toddlers, which means that while we hang out / drink tea / eat cake, the kids can play together (with a bit of toddler-style bickering thrown in from time to time).  Aside from our weekly child orientated get togethers where we compare child-raising notes, we also hang out socially.  Ya know, as grown-ups. We’re all lucky to have lovely supportive husbands so we have monthly nights out for wine, chat and general merriment.

When you have a lovely circle of friends, it’s nice to be able to do something for them from time to time.  I can’t bake for toffee (or, indeed, cake), so my contribution to our circle of skills has to be photography.  This means that I occasionally manage to fit in a little family shoot for them.

A couple of weeks ago I hung out with Sam and her family on a Saturday morning.  I was served bacon sandwiches and frothy coffee, and had lots of ‘help’ from the girls as I set the lights up.  Then we had some fun getting a few shots for the family album.  So, finally I get to the point… a few of my favourites from the Fab Folds Five…

Last month, I got to spend an afternoon exploring Trebah gardens with two beautiful, adventurous, well mannered, fun little girls and their lovely Mum.  The youngest, a natural model and explorer extraordinaire, and her older sister,  slightly more shy but just as photogenic, and an expert tree climber.

We wandered, and chatted, and explored.  I clicked while they posed and ran and kicked up leaves.  It was a great day and by the end of it I’d made three new friends.

(Just a quick ‘footnote’ regarding the quality of the images – to make photos load quickly here on my website, images are low resolution and compressed.  Clients actually get beautiful, sharp, high resolution images.  Just in case you were wondering…  )

A couple of weeks ago I got to join Hannah, Lee and Riley for a trip to Kynance Cove on just such a day.  It was blowing a hooley and just a teensy bit chilly, but that didn’t stop them.  Little Riley was an absolute star, barely noticing the wind and cold, instead getting stuck into some serious digging in the sand, followed by a good attempt at football with his Daddy.

It was one of these wet and soggy days when I arrived apprehensively at a farm for a family photo shoot.  Apprehensive, I should add, for no reason other than the persistent rain – I knew we’d got a lot of people to photograph and I wasn’t quite sure how we were going to do it.

I needn’t have worried.  After a smiley welcome I was shown to one of the farm ‘sheds’.  Aircraft hangar would probably be a more accurate way to describe the cavernous farm outbuilding.  Tractors were started up and moved,straw bales rearranged, and before I knew it we’d got ourselves a pretty cool backdrop.

After a few group shots, the rain cleared as if by magic, and we were able to get outside and explore the farm.  Nosey cows, collecting corn and feeding the bullocks kept the children entertained and my favourite line of the day was Billy’s “backing up” as reversed his ride-along digger.

and my favourite…

Can’t wait to meet you baby!

I normally prefer to be behind the camera rather than in front of it, but I reckon Abby did a pretty fab job, don’t you? Here’s my shot of her, and hers of me.  What do you think…?!

Easy enough directions you’d think…!  Coming from about as far down in Cornwall as you can get, I thought I knew what the term “middle of nowhere” meant, until I tried to get to Heidi and Matt’s wedding venue.  After battling a slightly strange combination of bumper to bumper traffic and then cows and cattle grids, I finally arrived at the beautiful Trevenna, a cluster of barn conversions with a stunning backdrop of rolling countryside.

It’s odd, being a wedding photographer because you don’t know the couples really well, BUT, throughout the pre-wedding chat, the emails back and forth, the banter through the day, you do get a feel for every couple, and a flavour of who they are.

I got a sense pretty early on that Heidi and Matt’s wedding would be pretty relaxed and when I arrived that’s exactly how it felt.  I was welcomed so warmly, offered a drink and looked after all day long.

The atmosphere of Heidi and Matt’s wedding felt laid back from the off; so happy and so ‘right’.   I quickly realised though that there was a big hole in their day; both Heidi and Matt have sadly lost their Mums, and many times through the day I found myself fighting a big lump in my throat as moments passed where the absence of these important people was acknowledged. Sometimes with words, sometimes just with a look, or a hug.  Later in the day, the fullest, brightest rainbow I’ve ever seen appeared, spanning the stunning Cornish countrside.  I like to think it was a special sign for Heidi and Matt.

Finally, the preparations were complete… the marquee was dressed, flowers had arrived, hair was pinned, blusher was applied.  Then came the moment, the dresses were put on, there was a knock at the door and soon enough, Heidi was walking down the aisle.

With Heidi and Matt being announced husband and wife, the celebrations got underway.  We made the most of short breaks in the rain, dashing outside for bursts of photos.  Guests enjoyed Pimms, bubbly and choosing songs on the jukebox.  A delicious meal was enjoyed by all (including me, lamb shank, yum!), followed by speeches which were funny and moving all at the same time – more lump-in-the-throat moments from me. As the light fell and the party got into full swing, the sound of chat and laughter reverberated around the old barns and up the garden path…

Wishing you a happy happy future Heidi and Matt.