Alex Beadon Photography

NEW BLOG!!!! www.alexbeadonphotography.com

2009-09-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

ALEX BEADON PHOTOGRAPHY HAS MOVED HERE!!

Hint Hint

2009-09-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Excited??
I am.

Yes, it is true, I have a stunningly beautiful sister.

2009-09-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

The other day, something amazing happened. Lizzie asked me if I wanted to do a photoshoot. For those of you who don't know, Lizzie is my darling sister, and usually I have to beg, plead, and bribe her to model for me. Usually, when she reluctantly begins to "model" her face is sour and she leaves as soon as she can. This time, something miraculous happened - the model in Lizzie emerged!!! OH MY GOD. This girl was fierce. She was striking incredible poses non-stop.

The first few were from the practice shoot, but I couldn't ignore them.

The last few are the real deal.

Enjoy.

Thank you so much, Lizzie! You're the best :)

P.S. Thank you to everyone who replied to my last post! I'm looking through all of my options at the moment, and can't wait till the new blog with my own domain is finished :D

Contact me at: alexbeadonphotography@googlemail.com

Doesn't www.alexbeadonphotography.com sound SOOOOO yummy?

2009-09-09T04:42:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm actually going down the photography route I think it's about time things change around here. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right. I have lots of exciting ideas which will take Alex Beadon Photography to where I eventually want it to be, and as a strong believer in steps, I plan on getting there one step at a time.

Step 1 - I need my OWN blog/website!!
I hate this .blogspot.com!!! It feels so unprofessional and cheap, and I'm neither of those things. I need a domain that can represent me by acting as both my blog and my website. Therefore it needs to have the appropriate links and functions that a website has, be easy to use and accessible, but still let me blog on a regular basis.

If you have any advice, ideas, or knowledge on making a website/blog - or if you know of people who do - PLEEEASE let me know! Get in touch by either commenting below, emailing me, facebooking me, or even give me a call! I need all the help I can get :) - so any advice would be appreciated!!!

And because a post isn't a post without some pictures, here they are:

Before I go, just a reminder that if you have any suggestions/advice/help in relation to having my own blog domain name and website, please let me know!!

Thanks,
Alex

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Contact me at: alexbeadonphotography@googlemail.com

My Baby Steps & Inspiration

2009-09-07T02:49:00.000-07:00

For some reason completely unknown to me, I always grew up with this image of the "right" thing to do after university. An image of studying hard, doing internships, leaving university with an amazing degree, a CV full of impressive experience and having no trouble whatsoever finding a 9-5 job.

I always knew, deep down, that that image of the "right" thing to do, although it is the right thing for some, was not the right thing for me. Even though I felt that it wasn't for me, I still tried to convince myself that somehow it was. I knew that I loved photography, but I didn't want to run the risk of going against the norm. I didn't want to break the mold. To be honest, I was scared.

Anyways, to make a long story short, my love and passion for photography grew and grew and grew and grew into an obsession. I spent basically all of my free time reading about photography online, or in books, learning different techniques and trying to find new ways to look at the world, looking at other photographers work etc etc..

My mom would frequently bring it up in conversation - talking about the option of becoming a professional photographer. Her philosophy is - do what you love. She'd constantly ask me, "What are you so afraid of? Just do it! You have nothing to lose!"
To which I would reply something along the lines of, "I don't know", "No one would pay me to take pictures", "I've never studied photography, therefore I don't really know what I'm doing", "My photography isn't good enough", "It's not a stable job, it's freelance work, and I don't know if I can deal with not knowing when the next pay cheque is coming in" ... etc etc.

I would find excuse after excuse as to why I should not do photography, but at the end of the day it came down to one thing - my fear of failure.

Somehow, between then and now, things have drastically changed for me. I don't know what the pivotal point or the defining moment was, but somehow over this summer I began looking at the way I think about this in a whole new way.

I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY. It is my art, it allows me to create, it brings me so much joy... and if anyone can do this - it's me. There is nothing holding me back from being successful in this business. And if I fail, so what? .. I'll try again. and again. and again. I have nothing to lose. Maybe one day my love for photography will die, and who knows - maybe the typical 9-5 job will be for me... but until then, this is what I want to devote all my time to and this is what I want to succeed in. The important thing is that I'm making steps (although they may be baby steps) towards achieving my dream and that, although I'm still a little bit scared, I'm overcoming my fear.

Thank you to EVERYONE who has helped me to get to the point where I am now, you all know who you are. But a special thanks to my wonderful family - Mom, Dad, Lizzie: You are always there to encourage me, support me, and push me to succeed. I know that these are the baby steps of my business, but to me, they have been the most important. It was so hard for me to force myself forward and put myself out there, but now I feel like it's all coming together, and I would be no where without the three of you. Thank you for your never ending support, the three of you are like my backbone.

If anyone is reading this, I encourage you to do what you love. Whether it is photography, or basketball, window cleaning, or law. We all have fears and doubts, but they are not impossible to overcome. And if you fail - who cares? You'll have a more interesting story to tell ;).

Things that helped inspire me:
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs - ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” - Howard Thurman
"Failure breeds success!!"
The Beatles got turned down by multiple record companies before they were signed. Imagine if they just gave up and went home.

My Weekly Photos:

31st August, 2009
Try to enjoy the leaves before the fall :)

1st September, 2009

2nd September, 2009
Find the beauty in the blurred.

3rd September, 2009
Find the beauty in the blurred.

4th September, 2009

5th September, 2009
Ian and Lucy on the night of her party :)... I felt like such a stalker paparazzi, but these candid, natural shots were soooo worth it :)

6th September, 2009
Days are getting shorter :(

Much love,
Alex

PS, Sorry if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm off to the land of no internet.

Contact me at: alexbeadonphotography@googlemail.com

Windsor & Sneak Peak!!

2009-09-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

Windsor is beautiful! There's no two ways about it. It's home to the stunning Windsor Castle and there's even a Legoland (if that's your thing). Oh, and it's my shopping stop :).

Lizzie and I went there the other day, did some shopping, sat outside of the castle, ate pasties, admired the view, and enjoyed the summer weather. Perfect company. Perfect day.

I know that this is almost against being a woman, but I looove wrinkles.They're beautiful.

This is the sweetest old man :). He came up to Lizzie and me when we were waiting for the bus .. saw my camera, and stopped, posing. Lizzie and I were confused (what's the crazy old man doing stopping and staring at us??). Then I realised all he wanted was his picture taken haha. So I took it. Sooo cute.

That's it from Windsor.

SNEAK PEEK

I've spent almost all day editing some amazing photos taken at Lucy's incredible 21st birthday party last night, and I just HAVE to share one:

That's what best friends are for :):)

The rest should be coming very soon!!

Love to you all,

Alex

Contact me at: alexbeadonphotography@googlemail.com

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

2009-09-05T04:59:00.000-07:00

One man's trash is another man's treasure. I guess that's the whole idea behind car boot sales. People pack up their cars full of all their old stuff and put them on display in this huge field hoping that someone will come along and buy it off them. I like going to car boot sales to find new props to use for future shoots. It's my favorite place to find things that you definitely won't find in the shops. Sometimes they're full of awesome antique-y type things, sometimes they are literally just full of junk. It's a hit or miss kind of thing.

I ended up buying a few things to use as props .. amounting to a grand total of £2.20. That's the best thing - most things are so cheap that it's hard to say no haha. I did, however, resist the urge to buy the most beautiful umbrella I've ever seen. I made three different people try and barter with the guy, but he wouldn't go any lower than £10 and I was not willing to pay £10 for a stupid umbrella prop haha. Oooh and they had these aweeesome old radios for sale at £50 each. Dunno what I planned on doing with them, but hey.

Here's a sneak peak to just one of my newfound treasures that I made Lizzie carry around for the rest of the day because my hands were full (Thanks, Liz).

PS. About ten million people told Lizzie "You've been framed"

By the way, thank you to everyone who has been so supportive with my photography - it really means A LOT to me!

For those of you who haven't seen it already .. go check out my own Alex Beadon Photography Facebook Page:

I have Lucy's party to shoot tonight, which I'm soooo excited about! So I have to love you and leave you and make my way into London, hope you enjoyed the photos!

Contact me at: alexbeadonphotography@googlemail.com

Photoshop - A blessing? Or a curse?

2009-09-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

I am a firm believer that photoshop is both a blessing and a curse in disguise.

On the one hand, it gives photographers the chance to take a photo and turn it into a work of art. I LOVE the creativity from directly behind the camera, but it's equally exciting for me to come back home, upload my photos, and change the picture on photoshop until it's exactly the way I like it.

I took this last week in London. I don't remember exactly what I did, but I'm sure it involved increasing the saturation, brightening it, playing with contrasts.

On the other hand, our perception of beauty is hugely affected by it, and it leaves people around the world with an unattainable standard of "perfection".

The only person I could use to demonstrate this without insulting anyone was myself haha.
The photo has been brightened, colors have been changed, contrast increased, texture added.
My nose has been made smaller, face has been reshaped, bags under eyes are gone, skin has been cleaned, hair has been extended, eyes are bigger, shoulder has been moved.
I think that's it.
Normally I never change the shape or structure of people's faces or bodies. It's just a lie, and who wants to live a lie?
I do, however, clean up the skin, fix any distractions etc etc..
It takes a long time to photoshop properly, especially when dealing with hair. I didn't want to put too much time into this, so the hair looks a bit rushed - but deal with it ;).

The truth is, photoshop allows me to be much more playful and creative with my photography. And I'm very thankful for it.

Some photographers I'm LOVING at the moment due to their amazing photography and editing skills:

Beth Jansen
She's an Oklahoma City based photographer who mainly does work photographing children. I fell in LOVE with her work the first time I saw her blog a couple of days ago. Her photos make me jealous. They're so alive, so colourful. I love them :) :) .. plus, who couldn't love with those cute babies??

Mike Shaw
His HDR work is fantastic. I've been following him on DeviantArt now for what seems like forever, and he just keeps getting better and better. He makes you see the world in a whole new light. Beautiful.

Some examples of the powers of photoshop in the media:

Dove Evolution - "No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted"
I'm sure you've all seen this. It's made it's rounds on the internet.

20 Biggest Photoshop Disasters of 2008

The Power of Photoshop -
Another one I'm sure everyone has seen. But still pretty cool.

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Much love <3>

If I ever own a fruit farm, I hope it's just like Clives Fruit Farm ;)

2009-09-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

Yay!!! I finally have internet! I have a few things to post, but I'll try and spread them out to keep the sanity ;).

If you're ever in the Upton Upon Severn area, you have to check out Clives Fruit Farm. They sell amazing food, all of which either comes directly from their farm, or from the local area. It's a great place. Great food, great location, great people. What more could you ask for?

Mom and Lizzie really want chickens as pets ... (I have no idea why) ... so Lizzie and I walked up to the woman at the till and asked if they were selling any of their chickens - to which she responded that she wasn't sure, but how did we feel about buying peacocks?? Here's the momma peacock with her cute babies :):) ... (needless to say - we ended up not buying any animals that day haha)

And here is last week's photo-a-day that I missed due to still having no internet (Thanks, Sky)

Weekly Photos

24th August, 2009

It wasn't until I got home and was scrolling through my photos from London that I found this. A normal picture of a typical red bus on some random street in London. But on closer inspection, the bus driver is pulling a face and striking a pose haha. I found this hilarious and love the guy for it. I wish I could send him this photo :) haha. It's not even that special of a photo - it was night time, my ISO was way up high, so the picture came out grainy and slightly blurry. Nonetheless, I love it, and it made me smile. Thanks Mr Bus Driver.

25th August, 2009

This is really just to show Pia the garden behind ours. There's a path through there .. whether or not you can actually pass through it, I doubt it haha.

26th August, 2009

27th August, 2009

28th August, 2009

29th August, 2009

30th August, 2009

That's everything for now :) :) ... But there's lots more to come so stay tuned ;)

Contact me at: alexbeadonphotography@googlemail.com

Alphabet Photography :)

2009-08-26T02:21:00.000-07:00

A long time ago I stumbled upon Jules Bianchi's blog and was inspired by a project she did called the alphabet photography challenge. It's meant to make you see things in a different light and make you look at things a little closer.
I decided to do the same project with things found around our new house. This took me almost three hours. It was MUCH harder than I thought it would be.

(Q credit goes to Lovis ;))

And before I go, isn't this Kodak commercial so cute?? :)

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2009-08-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

Firstly I'd like to thank all of the people who have given me so many comments, critiques and encouragement about my blog and photography in the past two weeks. It really means a lot to me and is greatly appreciated :). Sorry for the lack of blog posts, but ....

...On August 14th my family moved house :)! It was very exciting, and we are ALL in love with our new home :).

We said goodbye to Tibberton House ..

...And hello to Churchend Farm ...

It was a stressful move, but the whole family is happier here. Even the dogs, who can bark to their hearts content and spend their time chasing squirrels all day long ;).

After the move, I decided to take some much needed inspiration from an old friend, Dave , and start a 365 day challenge - taking pictures every day. For a year.
Which will be good for me, because I really don't take pictures as often as I'd like to, and I have so many ideas and concepts for shoots in my head that I never actually get around to taking. So hopefully this will force me into it :).

August 15th 2009
Every move involves lots of work. Lizzie and I always get assigned really fun chores... Like pressure hosing tiles :| ... Except I decided to take pictures instead of actually take part, and eventually Lovis ended up doing all the work (thanks Lovis). haha.

August 16th, 2009
This was the day that I decided to assign myself a photography challenge which took me almost all day. This is a whole other blog post on its own. Look out for it, I will be posting it soon.
Until then, enjoy this awesome texture I found on the inside of one of our barns.

August 17th, 2009
This is a photograph taken on the farm behind us. Rex and I decided to be rebels and trespass for the sake of some beautiful pictures. We thought that if we walked far enough we'd find the river, but we were wrong haha.

August 18th, 2009
For those of you who don't know, Lizzie is my inspiration. She is beautiful both inside and out, and is my best friend. I love her to death.

August 19th, 2009
Toby and Princess bring so much joy to my entire family. Life without them would be bleak.

August 20th, 2009
Late night light painting with Lizzie. Way too much fun haha.

August 21st, 2009
I woke up at 5 am and, no matter how hard I tried, I could not go back to sleep. So I grabbed my camera and enjoyed the sunrise.

August 22nd, 2009
Before dinner, Lizzie and I thought it would be a great idea to go apple picking.... After our trek over the fence and through stinging nettle, we realised that unfortunately the apples were not ripe haha. So we picked two and left the rest on the tree. We found this hilarious.

August 23rd, 2009
This photo comes with a story. For those of you who don't know, my family moves a lot. The thing with moving, is that each time we unpack at a new place, we find all of our old stuff. My mom calls these things junk, but there are some things which, despite my mom's efforts, I just cannot throw away. The photo below falls into that category. It is a picture of a necklace which (according to Lizzie) I received as a gift in Venezuela. All I can remember about this necklace is that I LOVED it. It was my prized possession. When I found the necklace, I decided to wear it for old times' sake. Lizzie came up to me and gave me this long story about how much she loved the necklace as a child, and how she used to be so jealous of it. Apparently she always tried to convince me to lend it to her, and I never did. Years have passed, and now, looking at the necklace, we don't see what was so special about it to begin with, and that's exactly what makes it special now.

That's all for now. Hope you enjoyed the photos :).

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Love <3>

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2009-08-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know - I'm a big photography lover. I've been wanting to make a blog for a while now, so finally I decided to do it :):) ... and here it is. Expect lots of photos ;).

This post is divided into three parts. 1) London at night 2) Camden Market and 3) Lovis and Lizzie 4) My beautiful sister :)

London At Night

I spent the last week at Lovis' new place in London. I can't tell you how much I absolutely love it there. The house is amazing. The street is amazing. The location is amazing. I can't really post these next pictures without thanking Lizzi and Lovis for putting up with me and my photo-taking habits ;). You guys are the best. <3

Camden Market

^ I love that photo!!

(I love doors)

Lizzie and Lovis

My Beautiful Sister

Lizzi, laying in the grass taking pictures of you while people stare at us wondering what we could possibly be doing is hilarious. I love you for it, thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Lizzi, you're beautiful :)

I know that's a lot of photos for one post, but it's my blog so I can do what I want :).
Anyways, here I am:
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My DeviantArt

Hopefully soon I'll have a website to go with it all ;).
So, follow me, bookmark me, leave me comments, critique me, or leave me.

Love to you all <3>