Children's photography at Ebony Horse Club in Brixton
Every so often an opportunity comes along that is absolutely inspiring in every way. When Letty, a friend since Primary School, asked me if I could take some photographs for a charity she works for, I was intrigued and even more so when I heard about the project.
Ebony Horse Club is a charity based in Brixton that provides a community riding centre for local children.
It has eight ponies and horses and an amazing stable yard, paddock and arena as well as a classroom and other facilities. Children from the local community come and learn to ride, and also to care for the horses providing an amazing sense of pride and responsibility.
It was an inspiring day seeing these children and young people care for the horses and learn a new skill, and to see the amazing work of the staff and volunteers who run the centre.
I was lucky enough to spend a day during half term at the centre and so got to see children learning stable craft as well as riding and then all the fun of some gymkhana games. Simply Wonderful!
I had such a great time and I hope you enjoy looking at the pictures.
Commercial photography in Cambridge
And now for something completely different....
I had the pleasure of taking some publicity photographs for System Support of Cambridge, the company my boyfriend Tom used to work for before he went full time with his photography. It was great fun to do something so different from my usual work and lovely to see everyone again. I really enjoyed photographing everyone as they went about their normal day - meetings, training, and the boys upstairs writing complicated database programs (that was the bit that Tom used to do so really fun to see what he used to do at work). It was a lovely day and I am thrilled with the pictures which will be used on the new System Support website.
English National Opera Education
I spent another wonderful day with the good people at the English National Opera Baylis department. They are fantastic. The Baylis department had been working with these girls for six weeks for one afternoon a week producing their own version of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikardo. I came along to the last rehearsal and then the performance which was watched by other classes from the school. It was fantastic fun and the girls were great and put on an amazing show with some really talented singers. They were joined by John, a professional singer who sang some of the more complex parts from the show. Here are some of my many favorites from the day
The Cambridge Toyshop
I had begun to fear for the traditional toyshop of my youth - you know the ones? full of all sorts of random things from the latest must have toy or game to the little boxes of bouncy balls and pocket money treats. Then, while searching the streets of Cambridge for a space hopper for my nephew I came across the Cambridge Toyshop on Hobson Street (round the back of Waterstones). The Cambridge Toyshop is a fantastic place - it reminds me of my old favorite Raggaty Anne's of Blackheath where I spent so many happy saturday mornings as a child. It even has a basement stocked with wonderful things. If you haven't been and you are based in Cambridge I urge you to visit what is certainly the best toyshop in town. Anyway, after visiting and chatting to the lovely ladies that run the shop I ended up being commissioned to take some publicity pictures for the shop. Here are a few of my favorites
English National Opera - Take Part
I had the pleasure of photographing the 'Take Part' end of year show a couple of weeks ago. I have only just had time to get it on the blog. This is a scheme run by the wonderful people at the ENO Baylis and brings children together every week to study music and drama. The show comprised three different productions based around the three age groups involved. The youngest and biggest group put on the fantastic Hasheen and the Sea of Stories while the second group did a piece based around the daily grind of corporate life. The eldest group focused on Love and used colour and light to great effect. Right at the end one of the older children gave a really emotional vote of thanks to the leaders, she had clearly been coming week in week out for years and was going to be off to RADA the following year. It is great that these opportunites exist and I really urge any of you who have children who are interested in music and drama to look at the workshops offered by the ENO Baylis, they really are wonderful. Now, enough from me, here are some pictures
