Branding photoshoot for Abbie Bates
Abbie is a yoga teacher based in Liverpool who teaches between Manchester and Liverpool. She found me at a time where she was ready to step up her instagram game as she felt it would serve her interests to have an established online presence.
I took a 10 hour train from Mumbai to Goa
…which was actually a 12 hours train. We originally looked at booking an overnight train but the one we were after was fully booked - more than 4 weeks in advance. After researching it we realised the general advice is to book trains at least two months in advance as spots open 4 months before train departure. We used 12goasia and they offered us another train which departed at 7:10am. It meant losing a whole day in travel but it's part of the adventure…
People of Mumbai
I have always admired street photographers. I always thought this was a skill I’d never possess and was content trying - all of my attempts in the past were always unsuccessful. I believe to be a good photographer, but also acknowledge that my job is somewhat easy. All of my clients are beautiful and my process for personal branding photoshoots allows time to create connection which is an essential part of a successful portrait.
How Mumbai unexpectedly stole my heart
Let me be honest with you… Before going there I was a bit scared of Mumbai. I am prone to sensory overload and get overwhelmed really quickly when sounds, smells and crowds surround me. Having travelled to India before and remembering the intensity of everything, I couldn't help but prepare for the worst.
On Queerness
I've always known I was queer. That includes my gender identity and my sexual orientation, both on a fluid spectrum that changes direction depending on the time of day. I’ve also always felt uncomfortable with the idea of ✨coming out✨, because queer people don't owe cishet any explanation on preferences or pronouns. We shouldn't have to announce our “difference” to the world because cishet is seen as default, as what is “normal”.
How yoga teachers can benefit from personal branding photography
“I'm a yoga teacher, why do I need branding pics? I first got into branding photography when someone approached me and said “I need asana pictures but also some more ‘lifestyle’ pictures for other parts of my business”.
Unpopular opinion on Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech
I explored Marrakesh for a day after I finished photographing a yoga retreat. It was my second time in this city and I wanted to do one thing: go straight to the Jardin Majorelle. I had been before but wasn't that much into plants - I have since visited a multitude of botanical gardens and conservatories in different countries and wanted to see how this one would compare.
Branding photoshoot for Veena Pindoria
Veena’s business is centered around yoga and healing. She really wanted her whole photoshoot in the forest as she feels very connected to nature, so we even did the businessey part of her photoshoot sitting on a tree.
Yoga retreat in Cornwall
I don’t think I can pick a favourite when it comes to retreats but this one might have a slight advantage: it is the first in person retreat I organised with my boyfriend and business partner Mike Julian. We escaped to Cornwall with a mix of both our students in a gorgeous farm and were able to pet many animals although my heart belonged to the three little lambs.
“I can’t afford it.”
If you feel called out by the title keep reading…
Yoga retreat in Morocco
I am a full time photographer, but I am also a part time teacher. Which means I have one and a half jobs?! Anyway I organised a yoga retreat in Morocco with my partner to escape the fast arrival of Autumn in the UK and for my first retreat abroad I couldn't have hoped for a better time …
Yoga retreat to welcome autumn
I do love Autumn … Mica Francis Angel and I met on Instagram and she is one of those people with whom I regularly check in online and we say “we should get coffee together!” and then life happens. It is the London curse of working with lovely people and not having enough time! Mica commissioned me to take pictures for her Autumnal day retreat, where I left my cosy SE London home to go all the way to North London (a rare occurrence).
What I would do if I had to teach yoga full time again
As well as being a photographer I am also teaching and I have had a lot of conversations around the subject. My partner is a full time teacher and my best friend just completed her first teacher training. I have given a lot of what I believe is fairly sound advice to both of them, even though they are at different stages of their career. I love teaching but have become disenchanted by yoga studios and like many I have been treated poorly by some - two instances being fairly recent. I have the privilege to have another skillset I am using to make money but there are many things I would do if I had to pursue teaching full time.
Yoga retreat at the Quaives
One of the perks of being a yoga teacher as well as a photographer is that I get commissioned to work on yoga retreats and immerse myself in pockets of communities I would never get to know otherwise. This yoga retreat in Kent was a double whammy as I was hired to teach AND take pictures which was actually less stressful than it sounds.
Branding photoshoot for Nuna Kamhawi
Nuna is a registered nutritionist who is passionate about intuitive eating and whose mission is to help her clients find freedom in their body and heal their relationship with food. Which is right up my street! I couldn’t wait to get started. We explore a lot of different stories to reflect different parts of Nuna’s business. We wanted some professional looking portraits showing the practical aspects of what she’s doing, as well as some more creative ones to embody the freedom that she herself feels and want to transmit to her clients.
Branding photoshoot for Mim
Mim transitioned from yoga teacher to digital marketing coach, with a focus on helping female entrepreneurs & brands get seen online.
She wanted pictures of her being engaging and working, but she also needed pictures for her Instagram feed to be able to create reels covers and photo carousels. She already had a lot of pictures of her working on a laptop from a previous photoshoot, but realised she was lacking images of her looking at the camera and seeming approachable and friendly.
Branding photoshoot for Lee
I met Lee when I took pictures for Indaba’s campaign back in 2020. She is a yoga teacher but is studying to be a medical herbalist with a focus on people with uterus’s health and needed pictures to get her career started. We had an intimate photoshoot at my home studio and I love the softness of the results.
How to show up on camera with body dysmorphia
Are you recovering from eating disorders? Or perhaps you have a very negative body image? Or maybe like me you suffer from body dysmorphia? I have put on a lot of weight the past fews years as I started recovering from EDs. I am getting used to a new body, and I don’t really know what it looks like. I avoid looking at it most days, and I am not very keen on being photographed when I don’t expect it. I have cried more than once at the sight of an unexpected image of me and sadly that’s a reaction I know to be quite common. That being said, it is something that I’m working on, and being a photographer I sometimes put myself in a model’s shoes to understand what you are going through. So if you are scheduled to be on a photoshoot, here’s some advice I give to my clients.
Branding shoot for Adriane Roman
Adriane is a multifaceted business owner who explores different aspects of holistic healing through her business, and she wanted photographs to start her social presence from scratch. I had a lot of fun working on different concepts and can’t wait to do more like this!
2 sides of Amsterdam
Last month I gifted myself and my boyfriend a short trip to Amsterdam. Whilst he is an Amsterdam connoisseur, last time I travelled in this wonderful city was 9 years ago(!). I hesitated at first bringing my camera as it is sometimes nice to live in the moment, but it is equally important for me to take photos to feed my creativity, removed from my professional life.