Before you die. Live.

Love is good, love is kind, love can be flipping crippling at times. 

Sorry in advance for this post.......

Hello lovelies. This post isn't the kind of post I normally write, it has nothing to with photography, or things I have done this week, but it is something that has been on my whirring behind my eyelids and at the back of my brain recently.

Peoples. Life is short. Enjoy it!!

This all kind of started as a ramble through facebook one day, you know the kind of thing where you click on a friends photo, then one of their friends photos and before you know it you have pottered across someone you have never met and you are having a small rifle through their holiday album or something (ps fingers crossed I am not the only person who does this!).

Well, on a small amble through the virtual world, I came across a very real and moving story. The story of Andy and Ses. Without retelling the whole story here, have a look at their blog here...

http://ileostomy.wordpress.com/page/7/

I have linked you to the start of their blog, and the start of their journey too. I read the whole thing from start to finish, huge tears plopping down my face thinking just how flipping lucky I was not to be having to go through anything like they were.

I think it is a natural human instinct to think things will never happen to you. Blimey, we would probably drive ourselves mad with mental torture if we constantly thought about all the terrible things that could happen each day.  In the same breath, it is so important to sometimes just take a huge step back. Breath in a crisp lung full of air and just take stock of what we have, the loved ones around us, the people we care about. The sad truth is that the sands are always shifting, sometimes quickly, sometimes so slowly that we don't even notice, but shifting they are doing!

My dad died when he was just 47, leaving behind a family who adored him, ripping a huge whole through our lives which still gapes today. We were a house full of women, my mum and my three sisters, cut adrift and lost without him. I am so incredibly lucky to be from the most amazing family, one who love each other to pieces mieces. Kind well wished used to say to me that time will heal, that one day hopefully it would all hurt a little bit less and that we would be able to get on with our lives again.

Well, to be truthful, I don't ever want to pain to go away. I want to wear my grief like a big fat scar upon me, a testimony to just how much I love my dad and how life will never be, and has never been the same since he died, that there will always be a piece missing. This is where love is at it's worst, the unbelievable feeling inside when it isn't there anymore.

I'm sorry to be morbid, but please, don't sweat the small things, life is too short. All easier said than done I know, as we get caught up in the day-to-day, but even if it is just for a moment, smile at what you have, give your mother/lover/brother/friend a call and tell them that you love them. You wont regret it I promise. xxx

 My wonderful sisters Rhiannon (left) and Syriol (right)  

Below, my mum and dad on their wedding day

Jump in the, jump in the .....

Just another quick sneak as I edit through this shoot..... hope you enjoy! The colour of the water is just making me want to jump in, especially with the scorchio heat we have been having lately!!

Beautiful Beaubuttons.........

An outdoor swimming pool from 1911, some vintage frocks and a whole load of buttons!

Ooooh, I have literally just started to edit these photos but just wanted to stick a few up as I am quite excited about them! More coming soon and full write up too yipee :)

Ian and Rachaels engagement shoot

Here are a few more piccies of the gorgeous Ian and Rachael from their engagement shoot we did in Didsbury, Manchester. I still have a few left to edit but couldn't wait any longer to share these with you.

Some couples you meet, you just KNOW they love each other to pieces, and these guys had it in spades! I seriously cannot wait to shoot their wedding in October. Oh. My. Gosh it is exciting.

We started out in a really cool little cafe but sadly it was rammed with people (come on guys, it was a Friday morning, doesn't anyone have anywhere they need to be ?!!) and very, very dark inside. till, it didn't stop me enjoying a quick pot of tea and slice of cake with the guys before we headed out into the gorgeous sunshine to find some more spots.

I wanted to keep the set of pictures by the shutters very fresh and natural, the light was beautiful and worked really well. In contrast, the set we shot together in the park, I wanted to give a much more vintage feel to, and so put some varying vintage washes on the photos.

Rachael and Ian were such good company to hang out with for the day, and we ended up having a good old natter between taking pictures. A huge thank you to them both :)

Packing my bags......

and heading off down south for a couple of days for a vintage dress shoot with a horse and a swimming pool (ooh, should mention NOT at the same time he he he). Oh yes people this is going to be fun!!

A surprisingly sunny day in Manchester......

Now, before I start, let me just tell you I LOVE Manchester. It is such a fantastic city so when Rachael suggested we might shoot her engagement session there I jumped at the chance.

I lived in Manchester for 4 years whilst a student and was pretty sad to leave actually. Even though one winter it did rain for 46 days out of 47. Yes, people, we are talking biblical style downpours in this place! There was one puddle outside my house that never dried up. Never. Our grotty little student digs suffered from damp for most of the year but that didn't stop us enjoying ourselves and everything this amazing city had to offer.

Hanging out with Ian and Rachael yesterday was so much fun, they are a brilliant couple who I very much look forward to shooting their wedding in October. When I had my first meeting with them (and you know they are a couple of ace dude and dudettes to provide cups of tea and biccies in abundance!) I spent the drive home thinking how great their wedding sounded and how much I would love to shoot it. And hey presto.... a plan was made :)

Here are just two piccies from yesterdays session, will blog more as soon as I can and fill you in a bit more on our day in the Manchester sunshine.

Dan and Rachel's wedding with a vintage twist....

I loved Dan and Rachel's wedding. Actually I think I fell a little bit in love with Dan and Rachel too! I know people often say.... what an amazing couple, so lovely, great fun to work with, but huge hand on heart, this is ALL true about this couple, I was so incredibly lucky to meet them and shoot their wedding!

Everything about their big day was beautiful, and I kept finding myself accidentally gushing over the details, the beautiful handmade 1930's dress, the vintage jewellery, the stunning hydrangeas and not to mention the totally kick ass split screen camper that ferried them to the church and back!

Sometimes, things just strike a chord with you, well Dan and Rachel's wedding was dancing a little jig inside my belly.

I have to say a huge ta muchley to Lucy Stendall  for being such a super star second shooter on the day. She was brilliant and great fun to hang out with.....



I could go on, but just have a little look at the photos for yourself...... I hope you love them as much as I do!