Photography With Raiona Hope

Hey Guys,
How are you? I hope you are well :)

So, recently my lovely friend Raiona, commissioned me as a photographer to take some photos of her face for her blog. 

If you don't know who Raiona Hope is, then where have you been?  She is a very talented blogger and writer and one of my best friends, I have linked her blog many times :) (I have done so again).   I have other motives for linking her blog too, because this is a joint post. We are both writing posts about our day on location and including our favourite images from the shoot, so once you finish reading this one you should head over and have a look because I know she will not disappoint! 

We decided to meet up in cambridge because its half way between where we live and the easiest to get to. Just like anything Rai and I do, we ended up laughing! Thankfully she had an idea of the kinds of images she wanted and locations she wanted to use.  So my job was instantly made easier. 

Although I am a photography student the equipment I use is very limited! I only had my camera to hand which for the sake of easy I used in auto mode (I can already see all the photographers out there shaking their heads and giving me disapproving looks) However I am very much still a novice and getting to grips with my camera! 

Our objective was simple to have fun and capture Miss Raiona Thornton at her best, care free and herself. I think we managed to achieve this and without further ado, here are my favourite images from this shoot :)

My main piece of advice for anyone starting out in photography is to read your instruction booklet it will tell you how to get the best out of your camera, and also take any opportunity you can to get out and take pictures!  Oh and always use a tripod if you can :)

Comment Below:

What kind of camera do you use? I use a Nikon D7100 

and What kind of photography do you like? 

Thank you for reading :) 

Love,

Becca xx

http://www.raionahope.uk/photographs-by-rebecca-edwards/

What I Have Been Up to So Far...

Hey Guys, 

So I have a confession to make. I have been a very bad blogger. Its no secret that I am terrible at managing my time, I was doing so well this summer to get posts out for you guys to read, and since joining University that has gone down hill. Because of this I owe you an apology, I will try to plan ahead and write more posts in advance so that I have content to post each week!

Since September I have been working Long hours at work, being named "chief weekender" by my manager ( I think this is just because I have been there so long!) On November 21st 2015 I had been at WH Smiths for 2 years, that is a long time for any weekend staff because usually they leave after about a year and a half to go to university, I am very fortunate to be able to keep my job and go to university were I am.

 In University news I had my first deadline on the 13th of November, This was taking up the majority of my time, which is also why this blog had to take a kind of back seat. 

Doing a Degree in photography is different and so much more difficult than A Level, you have to put a lot of time and effort into it otherwise you just won't get the grades. You have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to "get the shot". 

More recently, one of my friends, Raiona (blog linked) asked me to take some pictures for her to use on said blog. If you haven't checked her out you should, she is an amazing, talented writer who shares thoughts, opinions, advice and even the odd recipe! Rai's blog is well worth the read and i can guarantee if you like the things I write about, you will LOVE her! (That might be my very biased opinion but you should judge for yourself), It was about time I shared her content with all you lovely people. I will share the images I took in another post when I have edited and shared them with her. 

You can follow my journey through my degree on my photography blog (linked)

I know this is a short post, but hey its only been a couple of months! 

Love, 

Becca xx
  

Is It Ok?

Hey Guys, 

So, this is going to be a serious post. 

For some reason, People, mainly men think its ok to show "affection" to strangers they don't know.
In the past it has happened to me where I have been honked at or whistled at or even had people say stuff to me that they probably wouldn't say to a man.
Personally I find it very demeaning, and intimidating, it makes me feel uncomfortable in my own skin, which is something that I have never experienced, and never want to experience again.
It makes me question "what makes them think it's ok?". Because doing that to a woman on the street who they don't know, is wrong.

I did research into this 'honking at women' debate and found an article from The Guardian newspaper that says "the men who ask you what the big deal is about street harassment, say they'd love it if it happened to them, or suggest you just "take it as a compliment". It's not a simple, one-moment experience. It's a horribly drawn-out affair. The process of scanning the street as you walk; the constant alert tension; the moment of revelation and the sinking feeling as you realise what is going to happen." gives an insight into how women some women feel when they are subjected to sexual harassment on the street over and over again.

From my research into sexual harassment on the street I found another blog called Literally Darling (linked), written by a woman who goes into lengthy detail accounting various instances of sexual harassment that happen to her and her friend and how it makes her feel but I will let you read for yourself. 

On a website called consented.ca that I stumbled upon in my searching around the internet I found this statement that I believe to be very true "The idea that women should be flattered by this behavior is offensive because it is not up to society to decide what an individual, let alone an entire gender, should find flattering. Sure, some women might find this flattering, but yelling at a woman across the street or from inside a car doesn’t allow space for her to accept or reject the attention. In other words, there is no consent."  proving that it just isn't right that such things like this happen. 

Real flattery is a behavior that is humanizing and requires actual communication with a person, not a random sexual comment thrown at a person by a stranger.

My message to the guys that do this, is please don't. You don't know what that woman has been through, you don't know her history, she could have had a really bad home life, or have low self esteem issues. Its a form of harassment and it is not ok.

So again I ask,
What makes you think it's ok?

Thank You for Reading!
Love,
Becca xx

University Part 2

Hey guys! 

So, after I posted university part 1 I fully intended to post a part 2 a week later. 

However I got swept up with university life and found it hard to keep on with my blog and getting my assignments done! 

What can I say, 7 Weeks later  and my fears and anxieties are gone. With commuting to Norwich I found it quite hard having got be up at 6:00 every morning just to be in for lectures starting at 9:00 it was physically draining especially with my recent increase in hours at work. i was getting to the point where something was going to have to give. 

I can say now that after the first week i was only having to be in for 9:00 twice a week which made it so much more bearable! and being in work for 7:30 on a Saturday became easier and easier, it is really all about adapting your sleep patterns and your body getting accustomed to the early starts ( it helped that I do drink a lot of coffee!!!!)

I have made so many new friends, that my mum calls "my own kind" which i find quite funny, I am really enjoying my course and I am learning a lot! 

However when we go into workshops we get given a number and told to go stand with the other people that have that number, this is quite a downside when you get split up from the friends you've made an effort to make! 

Despite this it hasn't put me off going into uni, the lecturers and really good and passionate about the subject but they are also willing to help if you need it. I was really struggling at first, I didn't know how to use my camera in manual mode and I also didn't have a clue about the lighting equipment, this was only because the equipment at my old school was very minimal and we barely got to use it. I was like a fish out of water. It was good to make friends that were in the same position as me. 

By far, the best part about my University if our Friday morning lectures, yes it is an early morning one, however each week is a different guest lecturer, some are students that have graduated in previous years and others and fully fledged photographers that have had a long career! It makes me excited to continue with the course and get somewhere. 

The people on my course are all so lovely, we all get along with everyone which makes it so much easier when we get split up into groups. Like today for example, none of my friends were in my workshop because of other things going on and we got split into groups for our lighting workshop (Disclaimer: I had worked with the people in my group before) and the rest of my group helped to put the equipment up ( something I'm still getting my head around) and we just had fun with what we were doing, I haven't laughed that much in  a long while. 

For anyone that is worried about starting university in September ( I know its less that a year away but still!) I would say don't be, it is one of the best experiences you could have, everyone else is in the same position as you, and there is always help available if you need it. I have always been quite a shy reserved person but I found just going up to people on your course and saying "Hi" is one of the best things you can do! 

And just remember, Be you, there is no one else better. 

Love, 

Becca xx

P.s. If you want to read my photography blog i have put together for my course the link is:

rebeccaedwardsphotography.blogspot.co.uk

University Part 1

Hey Guys, 

There are so many stigmas attached to University. We all have expectations of what University is like built up through movies and TV shows.

There are also so many emotions that go along with starting at University. Personally I'm feeling scared and Anxious. It's a new step in my life, from past experiences new situations and I don't get on well together. Despite this I am excited. I'm going to a city that I love, Doing a course that I want to do. A course in the subject I love. Progressing further into my future doing something that is ultimately what I want to do. I'm going to a new place with new people that don't know my history, they don't know who I was two years ago to who I am now.

Right now I am the best version of me that I have been for a long while. I am in control of my anxieties, I am in control of me.

The thing I am most looking forward to is being able to express who I am without rules and regulations. I can discover who I am as a person, I can come out of my shell and be more of an extrovert rather than an introvert. Yet I feel this is easier said than done.
Everyone is in the same boat we are expected to be on edge and a shadow of ourselves.

University is a new and exciting experience and I can't wait to get stuck into the thick of it!


love,
Becca



Disclaimer : this post is posted 2 weeks after starting university! sorry for the delay xxx

Once In A Lifetime

Hello :)

So, today I thought I would write about something that was a HUGE! achievement for me...

2 nights ago [Sunday 6th September] I was invited, last minute, to go see The Foo Fighters at the Milton Keynes Bowl.

So of course I said yes not wanting to pass up such an opportunity by the time we got there my anxieties had started to build, over thinking every little detail, which i soon forgot because we were some of the first 2,000 people there meaning we got purple wrist bands allowing us access to the 'inner pit' which is a cornered off area next to the stage. Now if you think about it, The National bowl at milton keynes hold 65,000 people and it was a sold out concert, to be in that 2,000 is incredible! 

photo credit: google images

Just as the immense size of the crowd dawned on me, and my anxiety started to build a band called 'Royal Blood' came on and suddenly all that worrying and anxiety left. and i was able to enjoy the spectacular going on in front of me. 

Royal Blood was shortly followed by Iggy Pop! he definitely left me questioning what on earth I had just watched, He certainly puts on quite a show for a 68 year old! And some of the things he was doing made me think 'Why am I still watching this?'

When The Foo Fighters finally came on they put on an epic performance!  Every single person there was fully engrossed in what was happening on the stage, they were going crazy... Mosh Pits were breaking out left right and centre... one happened right in front of me about four times and I can honestly say it is the most terrifying and exciting thing to experience. Fully Grown body flying at you from all directions... even though I was on the side lines. 

By the time the Foo Fighters ended i was ready to sit down, we had been standing in place like sardines for about 8 hours, but it was well worth it! 

I can honestly say i am proud of myself! Proud that I was able to go and not have a panic attack... that is something that I would have never been able to do 2 years ago. Before I got help. 

I suppose this just goes to show that things can get better! 

Love, 

Becca 

Who Am I?

Hey Guys!

So, recently for my Summer photography project my task was too take three photos that best described me as a photographer.

For a long time I struggled to decide of what kind of photographer I am. I asked a fair few people what they thought I should do to express who I am.
I had several suggestions of "you should just show what you like to take pictures of" or "just try and show your personality through the pictures you take!"

Then it hit me. Out of no where i realised what kind of things i wanted to capture. I had found who I was as a photographer.
 I was inspired. Mostly by my recent trip to New York... Manhattan is such a vast area, it is easy to get lost in a way that just isn't possible where I'm from. I live in a small community where you can't walk down the road for five minutes without some lovely old person saying "good morning" or "hello!", where as in New York it is so easy to become invisible, to fade into the shadows you are just another tourist in the big city another person to ignore on their very busy schedule, they never stop to see if the sky is blue or to appreciate the immense architecture and culture that amazing city has to offer.

So, baring this in mind. In answer to the question "who am I as a photographer?"

I'd say I'm the kind of photographer that wants to capture the beauty of life in everything. To remind people to stop. Look up from their phone. And stare at the world around them.
I want to capture the beauty of this World we live in.

It is so easy to get lost in the virtual world of the internet we forget to appreciate the things around us. The "Beauty" or "allure" of the outside world. I should know, I end up spending a lot of time on my phone. It feels like it is superglued to my hand 90% of the time while the other 10% is spent sleeping!

So I ask you this one simple question...
Who are you? What makes you who you are?

Keep those smiles on your faces!
Love,
Becca