photo shoot - botanical inspirations
I knew today was going to be a good shoot because, as as I unpacked my camera kit, I spied homemade lemon cake poking out from under a tea towel…always a good omen.
But of course that wasn’t the only reason it was destined to be a good morning! Hannah Madden creates beautiful products inspired by nature. Specialising in plant dyeing and block printing, Hannah makes unique lampshades, cushions and wheat bags. We met last week to chat through all the different stages of Hannah’s work - collecting plants, dyeing cotton, sketching designs, carving the blocks and so on. Dyeing with plants is a bit like alchemy and I was looking forward to quietly taking photos while Hannah worked her magic.
Hannah takes fabulous photos of her products with ease (as you can see from her Instagram) but finds it more difficult to show herself actually working and the interesting techniques involved. Hannah’s online presence has mainly been Instagram and Etsy. She will soon have a website that lifestyle/action photos would help bring to life. Both dyeing with plants and block printing are very hands on, and Hannah’s community and customers are always interested in how she makes her unique designs. So this is where I could help.
The day went smoothly partly thanks to the weather and a detailed shoot list that we worked to. Hannah had done a sterling job of the classic Blue Peter ‘here’s one I prepared earlier!’ She seamlessly went from one process to the other while I looked on with fascination.
In the e-newsletter I will cover the types of things I include in a shoot list to help plan photo shoots for creatives. But for now, here are a few photos of Hannah in action.
(thank you to David for making the lemon cake early this morning - sorry we ate it before I thought to take a shot!)
2021 UPDATE - Hannah’s new website is now live.
‘‘Andrea has a wonderful eye and style for capturing moments and the small details which make the colours and storytelling in each photograph really shine.
I felt right at home in Andrea’s company and it was exciting to brainstorm ideas for the shoot with her enthusiasm, experience and guidance. It was a very laid back photoshoot with lots of laughter which I think is the perfect sort of photoshoot. Thank you Andrea for the beautiful images.
I look forward to working with you again!’’
