Linda Johnstone Photography » Linda

Family Photoshoot, Hertfordshire

Linda — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:57:15 +0000

This was a good day, and I knew it was going to be good from the start. Jodi is an artist, Mish is a Salsa dancer in Hertforshire and their daughter is currently working on a stage production, so you probably get the picture – a very lively and creative household. However, not everyone was completely thrilled at the prospect of a photoshoot whilst others were eager – a fairly normal household in my experience. So many people (me included!) get slightly apprehensive about being in front of the camera. However,I don’t turn up and straight away get the camera out with the big lenses and click away – that would be so intimidating. We start with a chat (and normally a cup of tea, I do like a cuppa) and we discuss what my clients would like to achieve from the shoot and what their ideal image would be. This is exactly what we did on this day. I also helped choose some clothes and accessories – which is always fun and fresh eyes can help put different combinations together, especially as I’m looking at the clothes differently – I’m looking at how they will work in camera and most importantly ensure that people feel comfortable and good.

This done, I then took a few shots to check lighting levels, angles and to generally get a feel of my location and a chance for everyone to settle down – which all sounds terribly serious – which of course it isn’t, as usual, it’s just a lot of fun. Which is what do really, go and see people, have fun and help make people feel good about themselves – not a bad life at all!

Here’s a few of the beautiful images I took – I have so many more, including some comedic ones. I will ask permission and maybe share them in another post later.

Holiday – New Zealand

Linda — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:42:35 +0000

Well, just managing to do this Blog just in the nick of time to say I’ve done Day 7 and as it’s the weekend I thought I would post my holiday snaps – there, doesn’t that fill your heart with joy and make you want to sit down with a cuppa and listen to me wax lyrical for hours about the wonders of New Zealand!! It’s OK though, whilst I could easily do that, as it really is the most incredible place. and I will be going back for more, I’m just going to drip feed a few images, or in this case 1 image as it’s 10:30 and I have better things to do – like sleep (it’s been a busy day).

This shot was taken whilst traveling from the north island to the south island and to be honest it could be anywhere, but the light was beautiful, that gorgeous diffused bright light just before or after the rain. I saw these 2 trees and loved the simplicity and balance and had to stop to grab a shot.

Boudoir/Intimate Shoot, Buckinghamshire

Linda — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:30:26 +0000

Last year I had the wonderful opportunity to shoot two beautiful people in a slightly different style of Boudoir Photography, a style I call an “Intimate Shoot” whereby instead of doing a Boudoir session for a woman, it is for a couple. Now I know these look “hot” – after all, that is the purpose of the shoot and if they didn’t, then I would have failed – and some of the images look quite “racy”, in actual fact there was a lot of giggling, by all of us, and in order to get the right look I had to ask them on a number of occasions to just be serious for a few seconds so I could hit the shutter, then we fell about laughing again.

Btw, they actually had more clothes on than it looks, they were covered at all times, it’s just clever positioning that makes them look naked

The couple, Sarah & Andrew are friends of mine and agreed to do this shoot in order for me to practice – something that is always necessary in order for me to push the boundaries and experiment. Also, I prefer to do this in a relaxed way and don’t think it’s a great idea to practice on paying clients! They kindly gave me a whole day of their time (and a hunting lodge!!!) and were repaid with some beautiful images and a memorable occasion.

I love these images and form of photography. What do you think?

One of the certainties of Life………….Tax

Linda — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:40:24 +0000

Going to be a very short Blog today, sorry folks, normal wit and intelligent writing will resume shortly. For peace of mind and a good nights sleep I have to get my tax stuff done and off to the accountants. I know, I know, I definitely should not have left it so late but as any small business owner will tell you, there’s always so much to do. However, I’m not complaining, I love what I do and I actually like the business side of it (nowhere near as much as I love taking gorgeous photos). Tax though, not so much!

In the meantime, here’s a little pic which sums up how I feel about doing my tax

Lingerie Fashion Show in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Linda — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:43:31 +0000

I had the wonderful opportunity of capturing the backstage action of a Lingerie Fashion Show organised by She Said Boutique in Brighton which was held at Madame Geisha’s in the heart of Brighton’s Boutique quarter (love this town!) The whole event was in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness, which I thought was very fitting. I have to say, hand on heart, that I have never met such a nice group of girls and the atmosphere was fun and friendly and everyone worked very hard. Also, most of the girls had never modelled before, so was quite a big deal especially considering their first excursion into this world was half naked!! Conditions were also, shall we say “cosy” and lighting was almost non-existant – however, with a bit of co-operation, we managed between us with a hotch potch of home supplied auxillary lighting so that hair by Essensuals in Brighton and make-up could be done to the high standard that was expected.

Did you think this was a glamorous life? Maybe I’m dispelling a few myths and can state quite simply it’s not………….but it is a lot of fun and that was definitely the overwhelming atmosphere.

Here’s a sample of some of the images from the evening – I think it gives a good impression of the evening, the conditions, how much fun everyone was having and of course, how gorgeous the girls were, even in their curlers.

Would love to know what you think, do leave a comment if you wish.

Wedding of Laura & Martin, East Sussex

Linda — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:52:59 +0000

At long last, a chance to blog some of my shoots from last year.

Meet Laura & Martin, I have got to know these 2 lovely people over the last couple of years which has been a great pleasure as they are 2 of the nicest people I know and their wedding was beautiful – although I confess, I do think all weddings are beautiful (I always cry at weddings, maybe I should be embarrassed, but I’m not, I love being part of the day and get very involved). I first met Laura when she asked me to do a shoot for her and Henrietta, her horse, a wonderful, characterful mare. I took many beautiful shots that day, 1 which I entered into the monthly SWPP (Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers) competition which won a Gold Award, something I was very proud of. Laura was obviously equally delighted with the results and entrusted me with the honour of being their photographer for their special day.

Here’s a small selection of the images from the day

Pets & Animal Care

Linda — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:17:29 +0000

So here we are again, the start of another brand new year. It reminds me of a new school term and the start of a new course with brand new exercise books, pages all crisp clean and minds full of good intentions – which is what resolutions are of course. I love it, the prospect of slightly re-inventing myself is too tempting to resist.

This year is no different and I’ve made the usual resolutions, more life/work balance, more time with family and friends, exercise etc. However this year I have also made the decision to not use any products that have been tested on animals. I feel this is a small step I could easily take but one that could make a difference. Most things we do in this hectic, technological life we lead these days doesn’t require much thought, we don’t question what goes on behind the scenes before that product hit the shelves. These little decisions we make when we buy a make-up product or grab some floor cleaner off the shelf do however make a difference to many, many animals that live their short lives in total misery. So I have subscribed to Uncaged a reputable organisation to help me make ethical choices.

You may be wondering what this has to do with photography. The simple answer is that my business is me and whilst I’m no purist I do try to be as ethical as possible. The 2 main album companies I use (Folio & Sim2000) are both produced in the UK, my car choice is based on fuel consumption for ecological and economy reasons and many other small choices. I know it’s not much in the grand scheme of things and I feel that we are bailing out a sinking ship with a teaspoon, but only being able to do a little is no excuse for doing nothing at all. So back to my resolution to avoid all products tested on animals – I am also a Pet Photographer, I love animals and share my life with 4 large dogs and realise it would be hypocritical to knowingly contribute to their misery.

So that’s my little step in the right direction – it feels so right and in line with my values so that’s got to be a good thing.

So on the subject of Pet Photography, here’s a few picks from a shoot I did recently – an adorable schnauzer cross poodle – yes, it’s a schnoodle

Boudoir Shoot for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Linda — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:27:33 +0000

August 2009 my sister, Tereza was diagnosed with breast cancer, naturally she was devastated not only because she was dealing with a life threatening disease, but also the financial implications and what was going to happen to her body – was she going to lose her femininity? Would she ever be able to look in the mirror again without recoiling at the disfigurement? Tereza was in a new relationship at the time, so these concerns were very valid for her. After surgery it became clear that there was more cancer, although fortunately it had not spread to the lymph, it did mean she would have to go back for more radical surgery and she opted for a double mastectomy. During this time, as most people do, she trawled the internet desperately looking for images of how she would look. She had opted for reconstruction at the same time, a procedure that took place over the following 18 months. She could find nothing, only images of scars and generally not much that offered her any reassurance.

That is the history. Tereza is now fully recovered and looks fantastic. From this experience we both felt that it was imperative to get a positive message out, that it wasn’t all bad, that you can still look incredible after such radical surgery and that the body heals beautifully given a positive mental attitude, support from family and friends and of course good medical care. That is when we decided to do a Boudoir session, publish the photos and get them out on the internet. I approached Sussex Society Magazine who completely “got it” and loved the idea of using the media to communicate this important message. So with the help of local suppliers, we produced the gorgeous images you can see here. If you would like to read the full article, you can read it online here on page 32/33.

Also, a big thank you to the people who generously gave there time as soon as they knew the story and motivation. She Said boutique in Brighton – wow, what a place, if you want to indulge in the most fabulous lingerie imaginable, this is the place to visit. Luisa of Bella by Luisa, a completely dedicated make-up artist who loves what she does and Dom from Langtons Hairdressers in Lewes. The shoot took place at my favourite local hotel, The Pelham House in Lewes. I use this hotel for my boudoir shoots, not only because it’s such a beautiful 16th century hotel, but the staff are so helpful and have been very supportive of me and my business.

We all thoroughly enjoyed the session. Tereza had the most incredible pamper time and I loved the opportunity to do this. It was great knowing what she had been through, to see how beautiful she is again now and for her to have this special occasion. She was thrilled with the images, I hope you like them too.

Let me know what you think, I’ve love to hear from you.

An Important Note

If anyone in a similar situation would like to contact Tereza and ask about her experience, what decisions she had to make and what she found out about reconstructive surgery, then please do contact me and I will pass your information on, she is keen to help and will get back to you.

Quick, look out the window……………now

Linda — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 09:49:47 +0000

Can you see them, little fat pink creatures flying? I do believe they are pigs – because they are as familiar as my blog posts have been lately

I love, love, love what I do – I’m so lucky do be doing a job that is also my passion but it gets a little hectic at times as any small business will tell you.

One of the little tasks that has absorbed me lately is re-branding and developing my new website. I have taken a different route and instead of going with a website designer, I have chosen an artist to do my design. I’m loving the results and think you will to. I can hardly wait to share it and would so love to post a sneak peek here, but I will be patient. It is only next week.

I want my site ready for next week as I have a double page editorial going into Sussex Society Magazine. I’ve had an idea for a little while and had approached another magazine, who thought the idea was good but didn’t quite have my vision or excitement about it. Then I met Jane from the Sussex Society and she completely got it, she spoke to her editor and was back to me within a day to say a big fat YES. That was only a month ago and with the help of some excellent local businesses it is all done and dusted and will be published next week.

I am very excited about it and whilst it will be a great showcase for my work, more importantly though it is targeted to be a very positive and inspiring story of someone very close to me which in turn will help other women.

So life is good and it’s getting a little calmer here at HQ Linda Johnstone Photography

Meet Elza – The new love in my life

Linda — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 20:44:48 +0000

I defy anyone to meet Elza and not fall in love with her. She is the most gentle of creatures even though her size is somewhat intimidating to some. I was delighted to hear Louise, who owns her (really not keen on that word “owner”, so if you have something better, do let me know) say that she has very “snoggable” lips!!! She does – I thought it was just me being weird! I do know though that horse lovers out there will completely understand our weakness for her beautiful soft muzzle – one of these pics particularly shows that off, you can almost smell her warm breath.

We had another great day, the skies were soft, so very easy to capture some of these shots and later in the day we were blessed with a glorious golden light which we took full advantage of to get some special shots which I believe shows the close relationship Louise has with Elza (who’s a Dutch Draft, just in case you were curious – only 9 in the country).

Enough waffle from me, enjoy the pics

Louise & Elsa-3 Louise & Elsa-6 Louise & Elsa-7 Louise & Elsa-15 Louise & Elsa-18 Louise & Elsa-37 Louise & Elsa-44 Louise & Elsa-52 Louise & Elsa-58 Louise & Elsa-62 Louise & Elsa-84 Louise & Elsa-90 Louise & Elsa-94 Louise & Elsa-98 Louise & Elsa-101 Louise & Elsa-102 Louise & Elsa-107 Louise & Elsa-115 Louise & Elsa-118 Louise & Elsa-126 Louise & Elsa-127 Louise & Elsa-140 Louise & Elsa-148 Louise & Elsa-149 Louise & Elsa-150 Louise & Elsa-160 Louise & Elsa-163