Photo Styling Challenge | Part 3 Vignette

I'm quite ashamed to say that it's now September and my last blog post was August 19th!  Apologies people I have been somewhat busy of late.  No excuses I know but I'm back, and returning for the third instalment of the Photo Styling Challenge!  And here it is, this month is... 'Vignette'.

If you can't tell from looking through these photos, we have a Shakespeare nerd in our family.  No it's not Thelonious, although I think he also has a passion for the English playwright.  It is in fact PC who has a fond appreciation for the talented creator of Romeo and Juliet.  We literally have shelves upon shelves stacked with books by ole Billy Shakes, with Hamlet appearing more than once, twice even three times over.  So this month's Photo Styling is dedicated to all things that PC loves...

... except for my painted rabbit skull, Pepsi.  He HATES this with an absolute passion.  I think he finds him a wee bit creepy and it also makes him a wee bit sad.  But to me it's taxidermy perfection in its true form. My friend Little James found Pepsi as collects rabbit skulls from his back garden, and when I say back garden I mean acres of farmland.  He picks them up, cleans them off and them paints them black.  I really would like on in gold (of course), so maybe he'll send me one... Ok I'm off on a tangent here but for reals I just had to get Pepsi into this scene... Say hello to Pepsi everyone!  It's also a play on the skull in Hamlet:

"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now? Your gambols? Your songs? Your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar?"
(Hamlet, V.i)

So here we have at least three of the Hamlet books... and some brass charms from Thailand that are said to ward off evil.  These are something that PC picked up on his travels...

The map is of Galway which is where PC's family are from in Ireland.  We have that framed in our office.  I kinda like it because it reminds me of home (even though I've never actually visited Ireland yet!)  And here is PC's head of Billy Shakes.  This is a very special piece because it was given to him by a one of his tutors Jane, who also became a dear friend of his and sadly passed away a few years ago.  They both shared a great love for our dear William and she kindly gave him this as a gift when he graduated Uni.  He and Pepsi get on really well.  The rock in the middle is a part of the Getty Museum which he won in a competition.

The weird bulb-shaped thing is a sun catcher that I got here in LA.  The black and white squares at the top rotate when the sun shines directly on them.  Pointless but I love it!

I've waffled on enough about my objects but let me know what you think of my images, this time I focused more on my... well... focus, I hope you can tell that from the images.  Would love to know what you think.

Tune in for next month's challenge... Morning! 

Also check out the other people participating in the challenge:

Redesigned by M

Happy and Harried
My Food Tapestry 

Pies and Puggles

A Woven Life

You can also see my first two challenges here: Challenge #1 | Food and Challenge #2 | Table Setting

There is still plenty time to join in with the challenge.  Just comment below leaving your blog link so we can find and add you to next month. Happy September everyone, I'm so excited for Autumn to be upon us :)

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Interior Inspiration | Studio Hatch

I'm sorry for my MIA, I took a few days off blogging to hang out with some friends who were in town visiting.  We spent most of out time relaxing and sitting in the sunshine... believe me, it's not like this all the time! 

Anyway, I'm back and will endeavour to continue with my regular posts.  In the meantime, I wanted to share some great photos/interiors/styling images from Studio Hatch, a design company based in San Francisco.  I just love the blue chair along with the brass lamp used in image 7.  And also really appreciate the simplicity of the house in images 4-6.  There is something about interior styling that really makes me want to de-clutter everything and go for the minimal approach.  Never gonna happen though, I like having 'things' around me.  Still, it's nice to get inspiration all the same. Enjoy...  

All images from Studio Hatch {with thanks}

Happy Hump Day!

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Colour Inspiration | Yellow Love

Even though 'June Gloom' is fully under way, the sun is managing to break through and reveal those blue skies.  I keep seeing lots of sunshine yellow accent pieces on my various internet journeys and actually starting to love it.  I've never really been into yellow until recently.  Maybe it's because I see the sun more now than I used to.  Either way it's a great accent piece for brightening up a space.  Here are a few of my favourite finds.

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Things I Love Thursday

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White | Grey | Beige.

Back to neutral tones this week, I'm feeling natural materials like timber and soft fabrics like wool and cashmere.  With June gloom hitting LA this week I feel like I want to be wrapped up in a handmade jumper and eat homemade chips with plenty of salt and ketchup (for my American friends, when I say chips, I mean steak fries).  

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Photography Styling Challenge

One of the fun things about blogging is that you end up connecting with people from all different walks of life.  A while back I was introduced to a very like-minded blogger, M of Redesigned By M.  Since we started chatting we realised we have very similar thoughts about design and, in particular, photography.  One day, M approached me over email to ask if I'd like to take part in a photography styling challenge she was setting for herself.  After hearing more about it and wanting to enhance my own photography skills, I decided to take her up on it.

I'm a total novice when it comes to working with a camera, I'm more of a point and shoot gal than  working out apertures and changing filters (unless it's on Instagram!).  I would, however, love to know more, so this challenge is the perfect excuse to break out the Nikon handbook (yawn). Not only that, but I do have a love of beautifully styled imagery so it will be fun, if a little daunting, to have a go myself.  The rules are set below and we're excited to post our first shoot on Monday 1st July which gives us a month to prepare our first challenge.  

Objective:

There are two, really. The first is to gain a better understanding of how to shoot with our camera, whether it is a point and shoot or a DSLR. Either way, we should get familiar with using all the functions and programs of our camera.

The second is to gain practice and experience with staging a photo shoot, using natural and artificial light, necessary props, color theory, and whatever it takes to make the final product look editorial.

Rules:

1. No editing is to be done of the photo other than cropping. No color touch-ups, no color enhancements, no light filters. Nothing, except cropping.

2. Camera equipment of any variety may be used to assist in the photography.

3. Select 1-5 of your best photos to be blogged.

4. Same concept must be blogged at the same time.

5. No text other than your watermark.

6. All shoots must be newly styled as of the first Monday of June 2013. 

Frequency: Once a month, on the first Monday.

Concepts to Complete*:

1. Food

2. Table setting

3. Wall vignette

4. Morning

5. Bedroom

6. Order (Organisation)

7. Chaos (Caveat: Must use at least 3 of the objects from “Order” photo shoot.)

8. Patterns

9. Fashion

10. Light

11. Living Room

12. Personal

*All concepts are open to interpretation to the photographer.

If anyone would like to participate then get involved!  Leave your name below and we'll be sure to include your blog in the first post.

Image credit | Redesigned By M

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Things I Love Thursday

I'm back on the hyperactive palette again this week with lots of awesome interior inspiration.  My particular favourite is the 1980's interior (image 8), it's gaudy but so fun.  What I love about it is the artwork wrapping around the walls and the wild upholstery prints.  I'm still loving mint, hot pink and gold and had to share the image (3) of my initial on the hexagonal brass tiles, love love love this!  I think the rest speak for themselves.  Head over to Inconstant Moon where Kari is also still participating in TILT as is Apparently and Sang the Bird.

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Things I Love Thursday

I've gone for a very mellow palette for this week's 'TILT' (Things I Love Thursday) as I'm not feeling as hyperactive over bright colours.  And I'm also kinda obsessing over interior styling and these images really do it for me.  Ok, so maybe the vodka doesn't really class as interior styling, or does it?!  Hmmm... not sure who I'm trying to convince here! But hey it's a pretty cool shot though right? Graphically beautiful and simple? Pahhhh it's probably water in there anyway.  But all the other images are clearing interior styling and I'm so having a painted plastic pig at my next dinner party!  Who's coming? 

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