Suzie Williams Photography

Birthday greetings from the studio

2012-02-01T11:50:00.000Z

I've been working on a few photographic card ideas over the last couple of weeks. I've been meaning to shoot more art photography during the quieter winter months and have a few lovely flower images coming up soon, but for now, and in honour of my eldest son who is seven today, here's a little birthday greeting to show you (and him!).

The Scrabble tiles are lovely little wooden ones, so much better than those plastic ones, and the background is from my assorted collection of wrapping papers and fabrics. The whole image was shot table-top using natural light from a big window to the right of the set up and the image was cropped square in post-processing. I played about with a few other greetings and backgrounds too, but more of those another time.

Happy Wednesday y'all and Happy Birthday Louis!

3 weeks in to a new creative year...

2012-01-23T15:14:00.000Z

...and the new year's resolutions are looking good. I am slowly but surely mastering the (very) basics of the piano and I've also spent a rather enjoyable few hours 'playing' with my mini studio set up.

Last year, inspired by my friend Liz's ace present idea for her husband, I created our family in Russian Doll format. Since then, our mini-mes have been much admired so I thought I'd make them the subject of one of my studio shots. What do you think? A new creative venture in the making? I won't give up the day job yet but I would happily consider commissions to make more little families!

I take the plunge... into advertising

2012-01-09T14:37:00.000Z

No, not a career change, but a recent venture into advertising my company online. For the last four years, since my photography business came into being, I haven't dabbled in the world of advertising, relying instead on word-of-mouth to generate new business, but it's a new year and in deference to my intentions to grow my little start-up this year, I have taken the plunge and advertised my wares at The Bridal File.

It's quite a clever little site, with listings changing order each time a viewer clicks, so sometimes I might be at the top and at other times a way down the listing, but hey it's a start! I've added some lovely client testimonials to stand out from all the rest so I'm going to sit back now and watch the enquiries flood in!

Wish me luck!

A new blog icon

2012-01-05T14:36:00.000Z

I am ridiculously excited by my new blog icon, making its debut on my website this week. Made from old printing blocks and with just enough digital illustration to put it on the right side of 'edgy', I've added it to the site and removed the previous clunky navigation, left over from when my blog sat on my .com domain.

Anyway, here it is, in all it's glory (and yes, it does link back to my .com site where you can see it for real!)...

Happy 2012

2012-01-04T09:47:00.000Z

Happy new year to all my clients, existing and prospective!

To brighten a somewhat overcast early January morning, today's picture is in deference to one of my new year's resolutions. It's a shot created in my mini studio which I don't use very much but have resolved to use much more in 2012! That and learn to play the piano....

So, with Piano Lessons Book 1 on its way, and the studio lights charging the background, here's to 2012 and at least a week of keeping to those resolutions : )

PS: If you're looking to make some positive changes this year, why not treat yourself to a 50:50 photoshoot? Bookings being taken now for lunchtimes, weekends and evening shoots to suit you.

Partying at the Ashmolean

2011-12-14T16:14:00.002Z

The run up to the festive season is always a busy one for me, with lots of parties, social functions and last-minute photographic presents for grandparents to accommodate, so it was great to be able to combine work with a bit of catching up with friends last Friday.

I was photographing the Pearson Christmas party, held in the beautifully stylish surroundings of the Ashmolean museum in Oxford. Recently refurbished, extended and now boasting a brand new (if you know what I mean) Egyptian artefact gallery, the Ashmolean also opens its doors after hours for all sorts of glamourous weddings, parties and launches.

Sheltering from a cold winter's evening, the 350 or so guests enjoyed champagne and canapes with musical accompaniment from classical guitarists and guerilla opera singers posing as waiters.

I took my leave as the guests were enjoying dinner and dancing in the Randolph Gallery and by all accounts, the partying continued well into the night. Here are a few shots from the evening.

Picture of the week #8

2011-11-02T11:27:00.000Z

It's been a few weeks since I posted a picture of the week, but after an action-packed month or so during which we sold one house, lost another, viewed about 20 in as many hours and found a new one to rent, we have finally moved into our new pad deep in the beautifully rural West Oxfordshire countryside. As autumn comes to a close and winter starts to edge in, I am already getting excited about all the excellent photographic opportunities right on my doorstep (on the edge of the Cornbury Estate) but for now, here are a few shots of our 300-year old Corner Cottage. We're going to stay here for a while I think - can't face moving house for a good few years yet...

It's here - the new 50:50 photoshoot package!

2011-09-21T21:58:00.001+01:00

In these straitened times, personal photoshoots are probably classed as 'little luxuries' rather than one of life's essentials, so ever one to respond to my customers' requests, I am very pleased to announce the launch of a rather special new package - the 50:50 photoshoot!

£50 gets you a 50-minute personal photoshoot in the location of your choice and a set of 5 final portrait shots. This mini-shoot is perfect for updating your LinkedIn or Facebook profile pictures, ideal for online dating shots and it's a whole lot of fast fun to boot.

It even fits neatly into your lunch-hour. What's not to love?

Here are a couple of recent 50:50 shots. You choose the location and style and away we go!

The appliance of Cyance...

2011-09-20T10:52:00.000+01:00

A lot of the commercial shoots I take on involve photographing people at work and my images are often used to help companies project an external persona for their brand on the web and in printed media.

I really enjoy this type of shoot as it allows me to combine photography with a bit of creative thinking and a splash of marketing for good measure. So last week, I was pleased to take the short trip out to Worton Park in Oxfordshire to visit the new HQ of Cyance, a b2b marketing agency co-run by my old friend Steve.

My brief was to photograph the Cyance team, who are often called on to deliver keynote speeches at industry conferences all over the world, and to give them a set of images that they can use on their website and elsewhere to promote their brand. Cyance has a pretty strong brand persona already - 'cyance' is a play on 'science' as the agency's approach to b2b marketing is all about the data behind the campaign, and their offices and website have eye-catching cyan-coloured walls (real and virtual).

But missing from their web shop window was the agency's personality - and let's face it, a company is only as good as the people behind it. I took a whole host of shots on the day, but here's a sneak preview of some of the faces behind the brand, presented as polaroid-style snaps. Check out that superb wall colour!

OX-PA previews LK Bennett's autumn collection

2011-09-16T09:30:00.000+01:00

Last night was a bit of a rare treat - an evening of uninterrupted browsing of LK Bennett's new autumn collection in their Oxford store.

I was there to photograph the September get-together for the Oxfordshire PA Club (OX-PA) who complemented the beautiful clothes and stylish environment with champagne and nibbles for the browsing club members.

Once again, for me, it was all about the shoes, but the collection also featured some beautifully structured dresses, silky soft knits and gorgeous tailored trousers. And with a 20% discount on the night, the ladies present were in their element!

Camper vans, cocktails and Cornwall

2011-09-14T14:53:00.001+01:00

Summer has literally flown by so it's high time for a blog update. Besides, September is upon us, we have that 'back-to-school' feeling at Iris House so why not reflect on the holidays a bit more before they fade into autumn?

As previously advertised, the start of summer saw us picking up the beautiful Daisy, a 1973 camper van who we took down to St Ives for a week at the start of August. Daisy was on hire from the lovely Vicky at Boutique Camper Van who I can thoroughly recommend.

Re-fitted throughout in yellow-trimmed white leather and with a gorgeous banana yellow two-tone exterior, we really did feel like celebrities on our pootle down to Cornwall as every other car hooted or waved as we pottered by. If you're looking for a retro camping experience with small children, space for gin & tonic in the on-board fridge and a place to shelter out of the inevitable English summer rain, then look no further than a camper van.

On the way down to St Ives, we stopped at the utterly-idyllic Batcombe Vale near Shepton Mallet. A more beautiful and secluded campsite I don't think you could find. I almost don't want to share it with anyone and cannot wait to go back there on another Daisy-adventure. With it's own boating lake and wonderfully-quirky services, Batcombe Vale is a complete treasure.

Then it was back on the road down to St Ives, which we keep returning to year after year. Even though the weather was a bit English and it was packed with August holidaymakers, it is still a wonderful place for a 'proper' UK beach holiday. With the added attraction of Tate St Ives and Martin Creed's balloon-tastic Half the Air in a Given Space to amuse us on a wet afternoon, we really did have a great time.

Picture of the week #7

2011-07-18T23:07:00.000+01:00

I'm hoping to brighten your day with this week's picture. It's shot on good old Velvia film and full of the vibrant colours of summer, which is quite apt seeing as we are fast-approaching (four days and counting in our house) the long summer holidays and the end of school for another year - yay!

So, as my boys' thoughts turn to dinosaur museums and Legoland and the beach at St Ives, here is a little slice of said beach, where we're heading once again this summer, in a 1973 VW Campervan no less (a shorter holiday than planned and missing out on Camp Bestival with friends due to photo jobs but I'm sure our mini-holiday will be fun nevertheless!).

Anyway, more on our intrepid mini-adventure in Daisy the Campervan in the next couple of weeks, but until then - and for those of you not imminently escaping to the nearest beautiful sandy beach - please enjoy my little take on the classic British seaside holiday.

Bonne vacances mes amis!

High heels and champagne at the Randolph

2011-07-05T11:13:00.000+01:00

So, more about last week's event at the beautiful Randolph Hotel in Oxford. I was there to photograph the launch of the Oxfordshire PA Club, a brand new networking club for PAs and exec assistants in and around Oxfordshire.

The brainchild behind OX-PA is Claire Hickson, an inspiring businesswoman, mother of three and keen photographer herself and in a true demonstration of knowing one's audience, Claire and the team from OX-PA laid on fabulous treats for ladies attending the launch event, including champagne and canapes, shoes and frocks from LK Bennett and mini treatments from staff at the Randolph Spa.

In true 'blimey it's a small world' style, the prize draw (a chauffeur-driven dinner for two with champagne at the Randolph) was won by a lovely lady, Cathy, whose wedding I photographed last autumn. It was so nice to catch up with her, and in such beautiful surroundings too!

Here are a few shots from the event. Check out those sparkly heels...

Monsters and jelly

2011-07-04T21:01:00.002+01:00

First things first - it's been a while between blogs! The month of June simply flew past, with holidays, 'significant' birthdays and jobs aplenty, but rest assured, the start of July sees me back at my desk, editing away.

So what have I been up to?

Well, the latter part of June found me mingling with the great and the good at the DfE and Nursery World Magazine for the National Childcare Student of the Year awards, and photographing the launch of a very exciting new private members club at Oxford's beautiful Randolph Hotel (more on that later).

I've also been working on a few 'personal' projects, one of which was my youngest son's 4th birthday at the start of June so in lieu of any more serious photographs for today's blog, I share with you our monster cupcakes and two-tiered jelly (perfected after three attempts, all of which I hasten to add, were polished off by willing children).

Sneak preview of Saturday's wedding at Poundon House

2011-05-19T20:19:00.000+01:00

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of photographing Chloe and Kris' wedding at Poundon House in Buckinghamshire. Thankfully the widely-expected thunderstorms held off and the sun made a welcome appearance at what was a lovely wedding.

After a beautiful ceremony in the main house, the new Mr & Mrs Arnold and their guests spilled out onto the terrace and lawn for a few photographs before heading over to the gorgeous marquee, decked out in purple and white, and complete with those delicious-looking cupcakes I showed you earlier in the week (I am still thinking about those!).

Here are a few sneak peeks from the day...

Picture of the week #6

2011-05-17T18:22:00.000+01:00

I photographed the wedding of Chloe and Kris on Saturday and am busy working on their edit (sorry folks - you'll have to wait a bit longer to see sneak peeks of that one!), but seeing as it's Picture of the Week time, I have chosen to show you the GLORIOUS tower of cupcakes Chloe's friend had made for the wedding.

As I busied myself in the beautiful white and purple-themed marquee, taking shots of the guests, I kept coming back to the cupcake tower (as did the waiting staff), lured in by the wonderful chocolatey aroma from these cakes.

Now if only pictures were like smelly-vision eh? Delicious!

Picture of the week #5

2011-05-17T18:10:00.000+01:00

This week's chosen picture is a riot of laughter and every time I think about it, it makes me smile. I photograph lots of best man and father-of-the-bride speeches and this one - at the wedding of Anna and Mark - was great.

Priceless expressions all round!

The Brickwork Lizards

2011-05-09T19:02:00.003+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing a great band, the Brickwork Lizards, at the Oxford launch of their new album Zaman.

The band have a loyal following and the launch of their latest album was an opportunity for the fans new and old who packed out the venue to experience first hand the Brickworks' particular mix of silky Arabic vocals, energetic rap and a whole host of 1930s and 40's influenced tunes all mashed up together to create one crazy but brilliant sound.

Here's a taster of the full shoot. And do check out a list of the Brickwork Lizards' live dates on their website - they're well worth seeing

So, did you watch it or not?

2011-05-03T19:01:00.000+01:00

Well, BEFORE the wedding, 57% of you were quite adamant you wouldn't be watching, a further 28% said you would only if you had to and only 14% of you said you would be sitting down to watch the Royal Wedding in all it's glory.

But I wonder if that was actually the case come 11am on Friday morning?

If yours was anything like our household, at around 9.45 you probably turned the TV on 'only to see what was going on' and then found yourself still stuck to the spot at 1pm, timing lunch so as not to miss the balcony scene at half past....

Whatever your views of the monarchy, as weddings go, I thought it was a pretty cool one; even with the imposing venue, the enormous guest list and the millions of onlookers, they actually managed to pull off a fairly personal wedding with lots of special touches that any other bride and groom up and down the country would love. But then I'm a sucker for a vintage car and monogrammed balloons at a wedding!

Picture of the week #4

2011-05-03T18:46:00.000+01:00

This week's picture of the week is from the lovely Oxford wedding of Kathryn and Ralphael, where the little bridemaids and page boy performed their duties to perfection.

The shot itself is one of those photographs no-one realises you have taken until afterwards and I love this one in particular because it captures a tender and special moment between the bride and her little maid in those last few nervous minutes before they leave the house.

Will you be watching Friday's wedding?

2011-04-26T21:21:00.000+01:00

I'm curious to understand the Royalist-Republican split out there so vote in this week's poll (on the right, scroll down) and let me know!

It started with a kiss - then a venue

2011-04-26T21:04:00.000+01:00

The results of last week's poll are in and it seems most of you decide on the venue before you get specific on the date, the dress and the flowers. That's certainly how I did it. Having a rough idea of when you want to get married helps open the dialogue with your shortlist of venues, but availability of the venue then governs the exact date and time you'll be walking down the aisle.

I've been lucky enough to photograph weddings in lots of lovely locations and I have many favourites, each for a different reason. Here are a few together with why I have chosen them.

For a splendid interior and the bangers & mash wedding breakfast:
Headington Hill House, Oxford

For open-air ceremonies wonderful gardens and a private island to boot:
Ardington House, Wantage

For a laid-back wedding vibe that's perfect for kids too:
Lains Barn, Wantage

For a pampering treat, with roaring fires and gorgeous grounds:
Hartwell House and Spa, Aylesbury

For the perfect mix of chapel, party and boutique accommodation:
Wasing Park, Berkshire

But I suppose, if none of those suit, there's always Westminster Abbey....

Picture of the week #3

2011-04-21T16:36:00.000+01:00

It's the start of the long Easter weekend, it's almost G&T time and the sun's shining so I thought I'd share a little bit of nature's wonder with you to help you kick back and relax into the perfect laid-back weekend.

These two blue-themed shots were taken this morning at Harcourt Arboretum - the bluebell woods were simply stunning and for once, the peacocks were willing models. I'm thinking of developing the blue theme into a colour-based series of photographs so watch this space.

In the meantime, happy Easter everyone and get out to a bluebell wood if you can - I'd highly recommend it at this time of year.

Appearing online with the launch of Mumsnet Learning

2011-04-18T13:27:00.000+01:00

Nice to see my photographs helping to launch a brand new service from Mumsnet, called Mumsnet Learning, which rolled out today. Mumsnet is the UK's most popular parenting website so I'm rather pleased to make the homepage as well.

This shoot was from a couple of months ago and featured the very lovely Beatrice and Michelle - who appear as Mumsnet Learning's very own cover stars for the launch!

Picture of the week #2

2011-04-13T20:55:00.000+01:00

This week's picture of the week is from a wedding shoot from about eighteen months ago, held in the gorgeous countryside location of Wasing Park in Berkshire. Those of you who have been following my work for a while will recognise the bride Claire, as she blogged about her wedding for John Lewis and Greenbee and I supplied a number of wedding shots for their site.

Anyway, this shot makes 'picture of the week' because it always makes me smile whenever I see it. Claire's face is a picture, her friends look stunning and it captures the essence of what was a fun and laid back day. Henri Cartier-Bresson talked about the decisive moment in photography and for me, this photo is all about that moment, when a bride's happiness on her wedding day is there for all to see.

Results from last week's poll and a new one this week

2011-04-13T20:43:00.000+01:00

The results are in from last week's poll on how many bridesmaids to choose and it appears that 50% of you would opt one best friend, with 37% choosing two to four close friends. Thanks for participating!

This week, our poll question is all about planning the perfect wedding and where you start first - with the date, the dress, the venue or the photography?

Sneak preview of Saturday's wedding at Ardington House

2011-04-10T17:56:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of photographing the wedding of Hannah and Paul at Ardington House in Wantage. It's a beautiful location and the weather was perfect for Hannah and Paul's lovely open-air ceremony followed by champagne and music on a little island in the grounds.

Many congratulations to you both - I hope you enjoy this sneak preview of your photographs and that you have a wonderful honeymoon.

How many bridesmaids?

2011-04-07T19:03:00.004+01:00

In case you haven't noticed, I have a little poll running on my blog, and the inaugural one asks how many bridesmaids you'd choose. Me, I had one but I've covered lots of weddings with at least four and often five bridesmaids.

However many you choose, gone are the days of putting them in matching peach ballgowns - research shows that the modern bride often nominates a colour theme and lets her bridesmaids choose a dress style they'll be most happy in and will be likely to wear again. Very sensible...

So how many bridesmaids would you choose? Cast your vote now in the poll on the right and pop back to see what the majority verdict is in the next blog post.

Any location will do

2011-04-04T13:19:00.002+01:00

One of the first question clients and other photographers ask me is 'have you got a studio?' The photographers are being geeky - we love to have a nose round other people's kit - but with clients, the reason for the question is a bit different. You want a portrait session so you shoot in a studio right?

Well yes, but you don't have to limit yourselves to a studio set up. I often find, particularly when photographing children and families, that a location of their choosing is much more fun and far less intimidating than a studio and the results are often far more genuine and characterful.

To illustrate this point, here's a portrait of my youngest son, taken at home this weekend with natural light from an east-facing window, a simple wooden floor as a backdrop and about a 5-minute window of cooperation...

Apps and the glorious photo potentials of the iPhone 4

2011-04-02T22:48:00.003+01:00

As well as being a self-confessed photography junkie, I am also one of those sad types who can't quite manage to be parted from my iPhone for too long. Of course, I justify this addiction to those around me by claiming I am checking important client emails or googling shoot locations, but to be honest, I just feel better when my iPhone is next to me.

My little phone is weighed down by a whole host of useful photography apps though - from the completely brilliant Easy Release (which lets you create and email model release forms on location), to Photoshop and stock agency apps, there is so much out there that really can be invaluable.
But my favourite app has to be Hipstamatic, for the endless creative possibilities it affords me. The retro finish to Hipsta prints recreates those dinky square prints from my childhood and the bubblegum coloured flash options are too cool to ignore. Yes, I may be an iPhone addict, but I must also confess to being a bit of a Hipsta too. Here is one of my recent creations and for more inspiration, check out the Hipsta community too.

Picture of the week #1

2011-04-02T21:53:00.003+01:00

To kick off the new blog in style, I thought it would be good to showcase some shots from my archives and give you a bit of background as to why I like it, in a (loose) picture of the week-type deal. So, without further ado, here is the inaugural 'picture of the week'.

I love this one for a couple of reasons - firstly, Anna the bride was a complete delight to work with and this shot captures the atmosphere of the pre-wedding preparations, but mainly, it's the role of the light that makes this one work for me. It was the tiniest of rooms (above a converted stable) but the light makes for a lovely crisp and even-toned photograph and that's why it makes 'picture of the week'.

New home for the blog

2011-04-02T21:25:00.000+01:00

I am forever re-organising the furniture in my house - my long-suffering husband is getting used to not sitting in the same place for more than a couple of months at a time and he's all but given up trying to find things. It's a family trait - my uber design-conscious brother is just the same, so it's little wonder I suppose that I extend my tinkering to the virtual world too, having just re-jigged my blog to live here instead of, um, where it was before. So, um, here it is...