pack your bags

A hair tie
Obviously this is only really applicable if you have longer hair; even if you do manage to hold your hair out of every shot, it’s still very annoying!

A spare memory card
I keep an old 2Gb card in my purse (I’m English, I mean my wallet) ‘just in case’. It’s been used more than once!

An energy bar
If you’re in the middle of a shoot and everything is going perfectly, the last thing you want is to have to stop and eat (or start getting snippy with people because you skipped breakfast).

A bottle of water
See above but for drinking. The water is also useful if you need to add some droplets of water to something to give it an extra dimesnsion.

waterdrops on leaves

A macro lens
Even if you’re out with the intention to shoot a landscape or a wedding; a macro lens is great for an alternative view (and can be a great way of overcoming difficult lighting conditions such as harsh midday sun).

Business cards
You never know who you might meet when you’re out shooting with your camera – even when it’s just snapshots with the family. You don’t even have to go to the expense of professional printing – I’ve seen amazing ones done using a home printer (and a dozen cards at a time is plenty).

Coins
I’m often screeching to a halt in the car because I’ve spotted something I have to photograph and and as such need to use arcane parking meters – having some coinage to feed them is very helpful! (And you can always use it to buy sweeties if you don’t end up parking anywhere).

GPS/map
Chances are you’ll either a) need to know how to get to somewhere or b) want to know where it was you were when you took that amazing photo, so a mobile device with GPS enabled, or even a paper map will be very handy.

graffiti - brick lane

Notebook/pen
There’s all sorts of scenarios where you’ll wish you had a way of writing something down – the email address of that photogenic stranger who you promised to send a JPG to, the name of the street with the cool graffitti that would make such a great backdrop for your next portrait session, George Clooney’s phone number… you just never know!

Another camera
Just. In. Case.

Can you think of more? Is there something you just can’t be without when you’re out with your camera?

Out and about

Posted in: Digital, Photography|7 Comments

I managed to take me and my germs for a mini-trip out of the house today – just around town for a quick coffee and egg sarnie the a look at the circus where we pondered at what goes on in a Moscow State Circus compared to a regular circus – we thought probably all the normal stuff but with more vodka and all the outfits would be fur-trimmed…

moscow state circus

It was in a park by the waterside so I tried to convince myself we’d made it to the seaside…

waterside

Especially as there was an ice-cream van…

ice-cream van and bench

And even a seagull…

lifesaver

After all that <sarcasm>excitement</sarcasm>, on the drive home I managed to get a few snaps using my iPad (oh, did I mention I HAVE AN IPAD!!!!) – the camera on it is pretty awesome, actually…

instagrams

So, not a total washout today – it’s Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow which usually means rain but I’ve been hearing wild rumours about the possibility of sunshine. I’ll believe it when I see it!

Photos taken with Canon PowerShot G12 and Apple iPad 3 (Instagram)

Grumplestiltskin

Posted in: Life|4 Comments

Don’t get too close, I have the lurgey – it started at the exact moment on Thursday that I clocked-off for the start of my four-day weekend. Grr!

grassy sunshine

So yes, I am feeling a bit grumpy and sorry for myself – and then there’s the mucus… oh, the mucus!

sunset

And don’t get me started on the weather! (Am peppering this post with my sunniest photos because I’ve forgotten what it looks like).

sunny

I’m going out tomorrow though, no matter what [stamps foot] – it looks like it will be the least rainy day of the four and I want to take some photos!

roses

Oh, look – every paragraph here has finished with an exclamation mark. If there’s one thing more annoying than someone banging-on about how poorly they are it’s people who over-punctuate!

Sandbanks

5fives with Scarlett Hernandez

Posted in: 5fives, Photography|12 Comments

{ I’d like you to meet somebody – say ‘Hi’ to Scarlett (I love that name); an amazing photographer who captures wonderful images in such a stylish way. She’s so talented, I love her work! I asked her five sets of five questions – it’s amazing how much you can learn about somebody from a simple list, don’t you think? Please do let me know if you’d like to take your turn in this, I’m a very nosy person and would love the chance to quiz everyone reading this, especially if you have photos to share too! }

Scarlett HernandezI am a wife to one sweet and supportive man who loves me unconditionally and mother to one sassy teen, one sweet boy and one crazy toddler who have helped me to know the greatest love ever imaginable. I love my munchkins they inspire me daily and being able to preserve our family history through my lens fulfills me. 

I am a self taught Hobbyist photographer who is still learning and growing. I shoot digital for now but eager to also shoot film I simply love the overall “filmy” look, the bright, clean colors, the soft muted tones, and grain. Photography is my creative outlet and here to share with anyone who wants to see it.

You can find me here:
Photo Blog | Facebook | Portfolio

She Captures by Scarlett Hernandez

Your top five photographers?

  1. Annette Pehrsson
  2. Annette Wilson
  3. Sally Mann
  4. Tara Whitney
  5. Yan Palmer

Red Leaf by Scarlett Hernandez

Your Top five Movies

  1. Sound of Music
  2. Gone With the Wind
  3. What Dreams May Come
  4. Spirit
  5. La Bamaba

Sisters by Scarlett Hernandez

Top five things that make you laugh

  1. My husband break dancing & thinking he can still do it!
  2. The things my two year old says
  3. Any Will Ferrell Movie especially Step brothers
  4. Being tickled
  5. Family Guy

Your top five photos you’ve taken

  1. Arturo by Scarlett Hernandez
  2. Keana by Scarlett Hernandez
  3. Obbie by Scarlett Hernandez
  4. Hospital by Scarlett Hernandez
  5. Dad and kids by Scarlett Hernandez

Your top five drinks

  1. Coffee – when I need to be fully awake and run after the munchkins (which is everyday)
  2. Chamomile tea – when I want to relax
  3. Ginger ale - when I need a good burp
  4. Beer – when I’m feeling like a wild teenager
  5. Red wine – for a goodnight sleep ; )

Horses by Scarlett Hernandez

April favourites

Posted in: Inspiration, Photography|1 Comment

These are getting later and later, aren’t they! I’ve got some corkers for you though, so hopefully you’ll think they’re worth the wait.

Firstly, my favourite wedding/engagement photography blog ever is ‘Twin Lens Life’ by The Brothers Wright - they have a unique style and some wonderful film cameras resulting in amazing photos like this one – do check them out!

twin lens life

Here’s my favourite restaurant I want to visit. Just wow! (No idea what the food’s like but just look at it)!

My favourite gadget – it has to be my new iPad! I love it so much – it’s the thing I never knew I really needed until I had one – I’ve been glued to it for four days solid now! One of my favourite apps is Unstuck; it walks you through things you find yourself struggling with in life and helps you sort things out… and it has an amazing user-interface…. and it’s free!

Another favourite photographer I discovered during April is Andrew McGibbon from South Africa – his whole portfolio is amazing but I especially love these photos of horses.

andrew mcgibbon photography

My favourite thing I want from etsy.

My favourite TED talk is Brené Brown: Listening to shame. So inspiring!

Here we go then, I’ve saved the very best for last. Some dude, some absolutely awesome dude has scanned in every single page of the Argos catalogue from 1976! So many memories of things I saw around me growing up I am particularly loving the camera pages though – not least because they include a Polaroid SX-70 (and wasn’t everything expensive back then, relatively speaking)…

argos polaroids

Hang on, where’s my time-machine, there’s the 1985 catalogue too!

(Interestingly, Polaroid SX-70 film back in 1976 cost £3.85 which is the equivalent of £25.45 in today’s money – something worth remembering if you’re considering buying Impossible’s new Polaroid film – a comparative snip at only £17.00).

Whether. Weather.

Posted in: Inspiration, Photography|8 Comments

The rain. I need to stop seeing it as an obstacle and view it as an opportunity – these brilliant photographers over on flickr have done just that…

rainy pics from flickr

1. Untitled, 2. Reflections, 3. ., 4. Untitled, 5. wind advisory, 6. Islam Punk

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