Album and other news

Earlier this year I wrote a post on the new exciting albums I was about to be offering, well I still am and a sample of the new flushmount album has just been sent off (I will post the design later). I have had some bad news this week though, the company that produces the standard matted album that I offer (and was very happy with) have ceased trading. They went into administration a while ago but there were high hopes for a buyer but this has unfortunately not happened so I can now no longer offer these albums. I am quite upset about this as they were very popular and the company was based in the UK. I now need to change my price lists as the packages all include these albums, I also need to change the album information on the website, so please bare with me while I sort this out. I think I may have found a possible alternative in Australia, I've looked at everything I can find in this country and nothing looks good enough to me, all my other options are more expensive so hopefully this one (which is about the same) will work out! I will bring more info if and when I have it!

Sunflower update: Chris's is already an inch high and mine has yet to push through :( not looking good so far. However, when I was choosing my seed I couldn't decide between two so I planted the other one as well and that is doing very well.

And because any post is boring without some photos, here are a few from a recent shoot:

Sunflower Competition!!

There's nothing but enless excitment here in Cirencester! Years ago my brother Chris and I had a sunflower competition, I won this competition, by quite a bit :) so Chris now wants a rematch. We will be documenting the growth of our flowers and I will update every now and then, I just hope they grow now as we are starting a little late.



This is my chosen seed, it's a winner!!



This is the one Chris chose, he thinks this old wax duck will help his chances (yeah, good luck with that chris)



It's on!!

Portraits!

I really want to update the portrait galleries on my website. I haven't in 2 years because I have been concentrating on weddings, but I love taking everyone's photo so much that I need to show people what they can have! Here are a few, some of which will make it to the gallery.

Cirencester Family Fun Day Photographs for The Churn Project

On Sunday we had some of the nicest weather we've had this year and in Cirencester The Churn Project hosted their annual family fun day at St. Michael's Park. I agreed to photograph the event for them like I did last year, I really enjoy doing it as it really brings the community together and it's great to feel a part of that. Over 4000 people came this year, it was packed!

Today is also the last day that Shirley Alexander (my mum) is the Mayor of Cirencester, she is handing over the chain of office as I type this to the newly elected Mayor. Over the last week many people have been telling me such wonderful things about her and what she has done for our town, they say she's been the best mayor we've had (this came from another previous mayor) so I am very proud of her. I want to share some of the photographs from the family fun day, the first one is of my mum as it was her last official duty to open the fun day.

This year we had bird displays, huge amounts of people stopped to watch this and members of the public got to join in as well, I love birds of prey.


Every year there are activities for the kids, colouring, puppet making, t-shirt decoration and other various arts and crafts.

There were two puppet shows throughout the day, it was a punch and judy type style show which I used to find quite scary as a child but it was so funny! The kids absolutely loved it and I found it hard to tear myself away from it to continue working.


The climbing wall was also new this year, I would have loved a go myself but it was for the kids mainly, plus there was always a really long queue.

Fosseway Housing had put on circus skills again this year which always proves popular with the kids,

Face painting and African drumming for all as well.

Every year the Churches of Cirencester make cakes and provide everyone with refreshments, they also provide a bouncy castle for the kids, they provide all of this free of charge and any donations are given to the Churn Project.

All of the emergency services were there this year to talk to people about safety but also to let the kids climb on the fire trucks and play with the sirens. The fire brigade also put on demonstations to show how to put out a chip fire safetly and also what actually happens if even a tiny amount of water is introduced to the oil fire.

Right at the end of the day Fosseway Housing did a balloon release again, throughout the day people attach their names to the balloons and who evers balloon gets the furthest wins some money. This little girl managed to catch one!

Photography at Badminton Horse Trials

I keep running out of time to blog, but wanted to get this out quick as I am about to head over to Badminton where I will be for the next few days. David Sinclair and I will be setting up a studio in an open barn near the stables and we will be offering a drop in service where you can have your horse photographed. If anyone is going then please stop by and see us! We are both quite excited about this because as far as we are aware no one has tried to do this before and so far interest from the riders has been very high! I look forward to posting some photos from it.

I will leave you with an image I took at the weekend, it seems to remind people of Wuthering Heights.