Photography Competition time!

Who likes to win things? Who has that lucky streak and who doesn’t? I’m in the doesn’t category I never win anything!

I was contacted by Canvas Dezigns who asked me weather or not I’d be interested in canvas prints. UM HELLO!

I am and I offer them to my clients when I do shoots. They are extremely popular, they not only look great but make fabulous gifts as they give you a little bit more than a print in a frame.

I got one of the kids made up

I was excited to get this mainly as it was a candid of the kids and it was a test shot on the Leica M9 and I have done nothing to it, it’s straight out of the camera. 😀

The framing is really good and strong,

The print arrived the day after I ordered it, wrapped extremely well, kids had lots of fun popping the bubble wrap afterwards!

Canvas dezigns are a British Company and only use British materials. Your picture will be printed on 100% cotton Canvas and has a life of 75 years

I am going to give my readers a chance to win one for yourself. Yes your picture on canvas of a size of your choice!

Sizing starts at 6″ x 6″ and goes up to 40″ x 40″ you can of course bespoke your frame if you wish.

RULES!

• UK residents only
• Submit your favourite photo to suburbanmummyuk Flickr group
• Comment here to say you have entered
• Entries will close Saturday  17th July at 12pm
• winner will be  chosen announced Sunday 18th July
• 1 entry per person!

I hope that many of you will take part and we get to see some great photo’s in the *suburbanmummyuk flickr group! Good luck!

* I just set up the flickr group so if you can’t submit please tell me and I will try and fix it as I am new to flickr!

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Photography – feels good!

Last weekend I undertook my first wedding shoot. It wasn’t a big old white wedding with 45 bridesmaids and 400 guests. Instead it was rather a informal – formal affair in central London. In a stunning church in Marylebone, followed by transport in the form of the old route master bus with a reception afterwards.

I had been asked to work 8 hours. I was asked a few months ago and worked out I’d be 26 weeks pregnant and decided that 8 hours on my feet would be far to much. I desperately wanted this. I’ve been trying to get into wedding photography for a year or more.

Being a photographer already, really (obviously) put off wedding photographers when I asked to be a 2nd shooter, even when they were asking!

I proposed an offer and totally sold myself and sat in utter anxiety for a few days. And got an email back. I sat and looked at the subject line for ages, not wanting to open it, not wanting to read, ‘thanks but no thanks’ I just hate rejection. I clicked it and the first line I read was

“we love your proposal and we want you to photograph our ceremony” I was over the moon I wanted to scream except it was 5am and everyone was asleep. I went and looked at hubby but he really was very asleep.

I arrived at the church an hour early, I have a thing with being early, yes even with two kids I am always early. I scoped out the church looking at all the lighting and sat down and took it all in. I felt calm and suddenly I felt incredibly tired. I was so, so tired. I didn’t have lunch. OOPS I had some water and went around photographing the church. Got the low down from the priest, who was pretty scary and told me. If I messed up he wouldn’t hesitate to stop the service and let me know.

That REALLLLLLLY helped I wasn’t anxious but now I was.

It all went incredibly smoothly and despite my lack of knowledge of wedding photography I’ve walked away with more work and a real boost to my confidence.

So if you live in Kent, London and you are getting married or know someone getting married get in touch. Rates are good right now!

Nataliya Photographics

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Friends

Friends

Over at Sticky Fingers it’s week 13 and this weeks theme is Friendship. I am not sure my friends would like me posting pictures of them, so I’ll stick to my comfort zone!

Good friends

Best, best friends

My Best Friend

BFF

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Pasta anyone?

Last week We toddled off into London for the Launch of Annabel Karmels latest book Top 100 pasta Dishes.

We have met Annabel before so it was great to go back and meet her again, and this time actually see her doing a cooking demonstration and then we got to try and make it for ourselves.

Eliza was really excited to cook with Annabel again and Jerry was really happy there was food on offer and started eating pretty much from the moment we arrived until we left!

Eliza Seeing Annabel coming over!

The chicken Salad we made was so nice, I was incredibly selfish and waited until the kids were playing when we got home and ate the entire lot lol. I didn’t pick up the recipe so I am waiting to get that and then I will share with you because it’s so yummy!

Making fresh pasta

After we had made our pasta salad we made some fresh pasta, thankfully the pasta had already been pre cut into rectangles so all we had to do was fill it and cut them. Jerry was very taken with the knives and really impressed Karin over at cafebebe with his skills.

I even got a turn with the knife!

I also of course got to mingle with some other mummy bloggers,like Cherished By me and Mummytips who told me that this dish is very good for hangovers.

I also met briefly viewfromnappymountain it was hard to talk to many of the others, Jerry wasn’t on his best behaviour, and was finding being confined hard, that child needs discipline.

I did get to have a quick chat with Young and Younger mummy blogger who for a mum of 8 month old twins looks bloody fantastic and gorgeous. Really shouldn’t be allowed to look that good with one baby of 8 months old!

I’ve said how much my boy likes to eat well, they  filmed him eating watch out for that lol

Does he ever stop eating?

Overall I had a really great time, I love cooking more ever, moving to suburbia gave me a little extra kick, I really enjoy learning new things and quick tasty things like the salad above, the kids and I are big salad peoples so perfect for weekday lunches for us. I really had a great time with Annabel again. Hopefully more demos will come up and I’ll get to go back!

Thanks to Annabel and all involved we had a fab day!

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Hipstamatic a bit of iPhone fun

It’s an APP for the iPhone and I think it’s one of those types of filtering on pictures you love or hate I love it!

Blossom

story time

Morning walk

Bluebells

Eliza took this, of the Ladybird...shhh

Just makes things  little bit of fun!

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I’m not always good

At photography that is, everything else I am (insert your own slang) fabulous

Here’s a picture I took of Eliza the other week. I’m trying to get her 4th Birthday Portraits done. I don’t want “oh look at me all pretty” I want *her* Very hard to get her having a tantrum because I am usually in another room counting to 10. So I am getting her cheeky side which is how she is MOST of the time like most four year olds.

Before

And after 5 minutes in photoshop

Usually when I take photographs I shoot  the way I was taught which was on 35mm film. I shoot to get the final result, that’s the photo in print in a frame on a wall. I really shouldn’t have to do what I have done here, aside from the actions I have applied. Using digital really makes me lazy.

But really, really helps me have some me time at the end of a long day.

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I'm not always good

At photography that is, everything else I am (insert your own slang) fabulous

Here’s a picture I took of Eliza the other week. I’m trying to get her 4th Birthday Portraits done. I don’t want “oh look at me all pretty” I want *her* Very hard to get her having a tantrum because I am usually in another room counting to 10. So I am getting her cheeky side which is how she is MOST of the time like most four year olds.

Before

And after 5 minutes in photoshop

Usually when I take photographs I shoot  the way I was taught which was on 35mm film. I shoot to get the final result, that’s the photo in print in a frame on a wall. I really shouldn’t have to do what I have done here, aside from the actions I have applied. Using digital really makes me lazy.

But really, really helps me have some me time at the end of a long day.

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