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LONDON

lauraphotographylondon

The May fundraiser for St. George’s raised £162

The May fundraiser for St. George’s raised £1620! Thanks to so many of you that got involved and contributed.
I am really excited about the next stage, the exhibition, more details to follow.
I’m raising more funds in June which will be added to this but this is the figure for May!
#doorstepphotographs #stgeorgeshospital

Meet the Tooting Family Kitchen. Do you like cook

Meet the Tooting Family Kitchen.
Do you like cooking with your family?
If you do, the Tooting Family Kitchen @tootingfamilykitchen is doing a 52 weeks recipes project where every week they focus on a different country.
The recipes are great, with varied elements and ingredients and the children are also getting involved. Looking at the photos of the food makes me want to try them all out. There is fish, meat, sauces, burgers, bbq etc etc, check it out for yourselves.

The photo I took of them during my Doorstep photographs in Tooting project raising funds for @stgeorgeshospitalcharity.
I am still doing these throughout June and have slots available. Get in touch if you’d like to reserve one 😃🙌🏻

Every life matters and it should never get as bad

Every life matters and it should never get as bad as racism being institutionalised.
#blackouttuesday

Portraits of the lockdown and of a still life. Of

Portraits of the lockdown and of a still life. Of a time when we stopped doing all that we were used to and had to find new ways of being.
I took this photograph during my Doorstep photographs project to raise funds for St. George’s hospital charity.
I have also collected stories from the lockdown and this “Letter to my daughter” really struck me and resonated with me.
The way lockdown is described in this letter to this little girl, is how I would have expressed it but in such a nice and touching way.
I’ll leave you to read it and let me know how it made you feel in the comments.
#holdstill2020 #lockdown2020

There is always a first for everything and this wa

There is always a first for everything and this was my first radio interview.
It was for our lovely Wandsworth Riverside Radio @thisisriverside .

Their arts editor Bev Boyd invited me along to talk about my doorstep photographs project raising funds for St. George’s.
If you have the time to listen, it’s available on the sound cloud channel of Riverside radio.
https://soundcloud.com/thisisriverside/laura-shimili-mears
Thank you for having me.

A Big Fun Day Out (stays in) I am running a photo

A Big Fun Day Out (stays in)
I am running a photography workshop at this lovely event on Saturday, very exciting!!! It will be a live session on zoom as part of the “A big day out” at 11.30am on 30th May with @kitchenandspace
Come & join me for a practical and hands on workshop with your phone or tablet.

I will be covering the basics of Portrait Photography as in my Free Portrait Photography Tips Guide. - Window light
- Different angles
- The rule of Thirds

You can prepare for the challenge in advance or follow on the day.
If you want to prepare in advance please download my guide and let’s see what you shoot during this week.
I’d love to see, tag me when you post photos you take while using the tips from the guide.
Look forward to seeing lots of people on Saturday.

I watched Michelle Obama’s Becoming, book tour d

I watched Michelle Obama’s Becoming, book tour documentary yesterday on Netflix and it brought tears to my eyes.
Such a strong lady, so outspoken and speaking her mind without holding back.
3 things I took away.
1. Telling a story is a better way to show who we are, where we come from and what we want to do.
2. Dare to be vulnerable, vulnerability is not a sign of weakness.
3. She misses Barak Obama talking to thousands of people about “Hope” and getting them all excited about all the things they can change.
Next I’d love to read the book too. Thanks @michelleobama #becoming
Hope T-shirt from @beeutifulcreationsbybee that has brought a lot of hope to NHS staff working on the frontline by funding safety masks and equipment.

Doorstep photographs in my local area, taken from

Doorstep photographs in my local area, taken from a safe distance.
These photographs have brought a lot of joy to the families and are also helping raise vital funds for St George's Corona Virus Appeal @stgeorgeshospitalcharity
It has been so refreshing and inspiring to meet families in my local area and find out more about how they are coping with the lockdown while working from home, raising children, being away from family and friends.

I am doing these throughout May for the fundraiser and in my local area of Tooting Bec.
When the restrictions will be lifted I will be able to travel a little bit further afield.

In the meantime let me know if you'd like a session, I can pencil in dates from the end of May.
Stay safe
Laura x

I am very excited as I have put together a guide o

I am very excited as I have put together a guide on "Portrait Photography Tips" and I am really happy to share it.
It is a free guide that is mainly aimed at parents to take better photographs of their children and at home and some simple tips to be mindful of in the process. It can also be used by non-parents to take better photos around the house or outdoors.
It has been a process to get the guide ready and finalise it but I am really excited that it is now available to give you some creative ideas and practical tips. I have included all the things I have learned over the years and what I do in my client sessions.
To compliment the guide and for those that are interested to take it further, I am also putting together an "Introductory Course to Digital Photography". This will be a course that will run over 6 weeks where we learn all about how the camera and the different modes, the fundamentals of light and how to control it (aperture, ISO & shutter speed), White Balance, Composition and different types of Lenses.
The course will include assignments, photo reviews and group work as well as a private group. Lessons will be delivered via zoom weekly and generally the time required to be able to follow the course is around 4 hours a week. The lessons will be recorded and available later on.
That is the plan, for now the link to the guide is in the bio m, it can be downloaded from my website.
#photographytips

By the end of the lockdown I will have spent so ma

By the end of the lockdown I will have spent so many hours:
- making
- baking - cleaning
- cooking
- home learning
- not working
- running photography challenges
- photographing my children - going out on bikes
- playing football - not seeing family or friends - seeing family and friends online
- scrolling down on social media
- reading news - sharing stories
- raising funds for St George's hospital - doing doorstep photographs
- trying to make it work between living and working from home
- loving the spring
The list could go on and on and on but I am sure when I look back, I will remember how many hours I spent making this cake and especially taking photographs of it 🤣🤣😍😍🤪🤪 A special cake that was for my mother’s birthday which of course she couldn’t eat and we ate for her.
What have you spent a lot of hours doing recently????

Well time for a change. I haven’t been here a l

Well time for a change.
I haven’t been here a lot recently (on the grid) and more on the parent platform (Facebook) managing a recent fundraiser i started last Thursday.
After finishing the challenges in my photography tips group I found inspiration from a fellow photographer @hannahbrookephoto and had a breakthrough moment at a recent workshop by @beverley.corson to spring into action. I decided to start a fundraiser and offer to take doorstep photographs in the area of Tooting Bec to raise funds for @stgeorgeshospitalcharity.

From a safe distance and on the way to our daily exercise, I have taken photos of my immediate neighbours, people on our street and the immediate surrounding area.
It has been a great project so far, bringing some joy to the families and also capturing this moment in time. I have also met and spoken to the lovely @amandasummonsphotography who is doing the same in other SW postcodes.
What a journey it has been so far and I can see much more happening with it, an online exhibition and potentially a physical one in due course.
The response has been amazing, and I can fit a few more people In towards the end of May.
So if interested let me know and I can tell you which dates I have free.

What is your favourite colour? At the moment I am

What is your favourite colour? At the moment I am loving all the pinks, fuschias, orange and yellows.
The season for renewals.
Despite all that is happening and how we are all being affected by the current situation, nature and the trees continue to give us inspiration and strength.

How pretty is this bouquet of wild flowers in a re

How pretty is this bouquet of wild flowers in a recycled diffuser bottle?
A highlight from the "Arts and crafts" theme in the photography group last week.
I really liked this photo, Gill well done for capturing it.
It makes me feel serene looking at it.
And a collage with a few more of the works you have done at home.

These are some of the photos shared on the theme o

These are some of the photos shared on the theme of “in the kitchen”. Lovely to see all that has been going on in all these kitchens.
#photographydaily

In the Kitchen!
Don’t know about you but that’s where we are spending most of our time at the moment 😅😅followed by the exercise room with @thebodycoach (honest we’ve tried to join in a few times). If you’re sharing photos of you and your children in the kitchen, tag me, I’d love to see.
#photographydaily

The second week in our photography group was all a

The second week in our photography group was all about the “Rule of thirds”. The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. The intersection points are where the eyes are naturally drawn and that’s where we should aim to place the subject.
To make it easier to view the intersection points on your phone, you can turn on the grid lines by going to ‘Settings’, ‘Camera’ and ‘Grid’. Having the grid lines on also helps having straighter lines in your photos and it allows to see where you shouldn't position the subject - bang in the middle.
Try and give the subject some room around.
The best thing to do about the rule of thirds is to practice, practice, practice.
#photographydaily

Some of the photos submitted on the theme of “Wh

Some of the photos submitted on the theme of “What makes you happy”. Flowers in the garden ✅
Pets ✅
Physical exercise ✅
Down time and watching our favourite shows ✅
Cosmic Yoga for kids ✅

These are some of the things that make us and the children happy in our group.

Light from the sun versus light from the window, a

Light from the sun versus light from the window, an illustration.

The light from the sun on a bright day can be strong and harsh in particular at midday. That’s why it is advised to shoot in the morning or in late afternoon when the light from the sun is softer.
When the light from the sun is filtered through different types of modifiers, such as windows, it can be softer and less strong / harsh.

Direct sunlight can be found in the garden or when the sun is opposite a window (in the home). Take a look and observe how the light from the sun appears and how it shapes the objects / subjects we photograph.

Compare the direct sun light to the softer light from a window.
Which one do you prefer?
The harsh light of the sun can be used to create effect and strong contrast and when done so, it is a choice.
So it’s good to be aware of the different qualities and effects of the sun light.
Hope you’re finding these tips useful.

#photographydaily

Where is the best place to take photos in your hou

Where is the best place to take photos in your house?
Near a window.
On a dark day the window brings in the light.
And on a sunny day it softens up the light from outside.
Have a go at it.
Bring your subject, your child, your book, cake, anything you’d like to photograph near a window and try it out.
Let’s share the results on #photographydaily

"What makes you strong". These are some of the pho

"What makes you strong". These are some of the photos shared on the theme.
I really loved seeing all the photos shared and also discussing the theme with my children.

The first answer they gave me was “physical activity” makes me strong. Then they also mentioned our friends and family make us strong. Such an important thing to remember in these times when they don’t get to see their friends as they did and everything has been quite different.
I also love how all the images seem to be in the green colour tones.

Is green a colour for strength I wonder?? #photographydaily

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@lauraphotographylondon