The blog has moved ...

I have relaunched my website and blog ... the RSS on the new blog is not quite up and running yet but please bookmark and remember to check back often ... thank you for following me and supporting me this far, I look forward to seeing you on the other side :)

Gill

NEW BLOG LINKIE

Where are all the photos ...

I know ... I've been rather neglecting the blog and my loyal readers lately ... well, I have not been doing it completely on purpose, well, kind of ... read on.

I love my blog, I love that it reaches out and inspires, that people love reading it over a cup of morning coffee, finding out what I have been up to recently. I love that it affords me the opportunity to share my love of photography with you, that I can show off my wonderful clients and my fun life.

But everything must move on, must grow, must, nay SHOULD, evolve with time. I feel I have grown these last few years but that my loyal old blog has pretty much remained the same. Don't get me started on my crappy website LOL

So, I have decided on a new look for 2010 and beyond (for how long, I am unsure at this point, re-read the part about evolving) ... and so I have been working very hard on my new website and blog, complete with new logo (ok, not too different that you won't recognise me ... I'm keeping the G !). Let me just say how very excited I am about this new project, the web is starting to really take shape and with the help of a very talented web designer, so is the new blog.

Fear not, however, there will still be a link to this trusty old blogger blog, so you can check back on previous weddings and other photography, as well as all those photos of Tess !

Thank you once again for your continued support ... I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the new look, I'm sure you're going to be as thrilled as I am with it all.

Til the end of this week, complete with new look ... have fun over the holidays and have a GREAT new year.

Smush and hugs xx

Merry Christmas !

We have a few traditions in the Taylor household ... they have sort of evolved over the last 14 Christmases and we love them !

So, this morning, we had a little lie in, then up and ready for the breakfast ritual ... smoke salmon with eggs on crispy toast, accompanied by a lovely glass of veuve clicquot mixed with freshly squeezed orange juice (let's face it, that sounds way classier than "bucks fizz" LOL), with Shrek in the background ... total bliss.

Pressies this year were abundant and we adored them all ! John and I are awaiting the sales so we can finally purchase a surround sound system for our lounge, but I did get him a little something, a framed print of his youngest son in his graduation robes (all lovingly hand-framed by little old moi !) and he loved it. Our friend Matt bought us some cracking cook books and Tess got a rather noisy squeaky ball from my Mother ... thank you soooo much ! LOL

So ... we would like to take this opportunity of thanking you for being part of our lives this year and to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays !

Gill, John, Tess, Tig and Tom xxx

To add: the office is now closed until 5th January ... I would like to take this further opportunity to wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010 ... see you on the other side !

Mrs Absent ...

I know. I have been totally rubbish this last few weeks updating the blog ... I PROMISE I have valid (multiple) reasons ... here we go ...

So, my friend and fellow photographer Chris Meyer came for a visit from Minneapolis shooting first with David Pearce then heading up to stay with us for a while. In the meantime, Matt Wagster came down from Manchester to stop for a few days ... let me just say, Tess is having a ball with all these dog lovers.

Matt and I shot Tiffany and Carl's wedding in Reading last weekend, then this past weekend Chris and I shot Lindsey and Rich's wedding at Ingestre. The night before the wedding, Peter Prior came to stay as he had a wedding in Wolverhampton ... we had to buy a blow up bed for my stepson LOL. The following day we all headed into Stafford to shoot Mark and Louise's pre wedding shoot (they are getting married next Summer) and tomorrow we are all heading down to Moxhull Hall to shoot Paul and Alex's wedding. To finish, we need to get Chris to Heathrow for his flight back home on Christmas Eve ... in between all that, Christmas shopping, Christmas FOOD shopping and all the other housey stuff, like looking after Tess, the cats and on and on ...

So, forgive me, it's MANIC here ... I'll be posting a load of shoots soon ... portraits, weddings, pre wedding shoots, the lot, so hang in there ...

Oh, and did I mention a re-brand of my business? New website and blog launching soon ... you're going to LOVE IT !

Thanks for hanging in there ...

Gill

Canon Kit for Sale

The title says it all ... I have upgraded some of my kit over the past few months and figured I should really get off my backside and sell some of the stuff that has been replaced :)

I'm not particularly hard on my kit but of course all has had professional use, so is priced accordingly.

Sorry to say I have already sold the 5D's (really was sorry to see those go) and one of the 580 ex speedlites ... thanks guys !

So, here is what I have on offer ... send me an email to gil@gilltaylor.co.uk if interested ... all include UK shipping and I would prefer debit or credit card to paypal, cos they suck.

Canon 85mm 1.8, with hood, boxed £250
Canon 580 EX Speedlite (minimal use) - if I can find the box, it will be in that, however, it will be in it's original case with it's little stand £150
Canon 430 EX Speedlite (used once, but I dropped it and it needs the little diffuser thingy replacing, hence the price) £75 boxed
Sigma 12-24 HSM (used a handful of times, suits a cropped body rather than a FF) £250 with case and boxed, built-in hood - SOLD

I have a few other bits and bobs I'll be letting go of in the next few weeks ... flash brackets and off camera cables spring to mind.

Look forward to hearing from you soon !

Holiday Deadlines

It's that time of year again ... where on earth did 2009 go !

Album Deadlines

All albums that have been signed off have been ordered. I have been told by the album companies that these "should" be out in time for Christmas, but I am in their hands on this. I will be keeping all clients informed as soon as I have this information.

Hi Res Disks

Anyone who has purchased the hi res files will have these in time for Christmas, allowing you to get those all important Christmas gifts printed and framed for your family !

Reprints

For reprint orders up to 18x12" in size, the deadline is Wednesday 16th December. Anything above this size, Monday 14th.

Framed prints

As all my frames are bespoke, the deadline is next Tuesday 1st December. However, I do have a small number of small frames in stock (for framing a 7x5" print), so get your orders in quickly to avoid disappointment :)

Digital Wedding Forum | Featured Member

I am so excited to have been chosen as the Featured Member on the Digital Wedding Forum.

The forum is the oldest and most established of it's kind and, with over 5000 professional photographers as members, this is truly an honour.

You can check out my interview and some photos here ... please feel free to leave any comments on there, or here ... enjoy !

National Wedding Show | NEC Birmingham | UPDATE

WOW ! What a fantastic weekend we just had at the show ! We had so much fun I want to do it all again this week LOL

Big thanks to (in no particular order) my wonderful helpers, (ex-bride in her beautiful Jenny Packham dress) Louise, Steve and Kim, to all those who booked at the show and by phone when I got back last night, to all my current brides who just stopped by to say hi and of course to the other exhibitors / photographers who were super-friendly and made it such a fantastic weekend.

I thought I would take today off to recuperate but am buzzing from the show and raring to get going, so I'm here if you want to contact me :)

Gill

~ 0 ~

Hi all ... just a heads up to let you know I am exhibiting at the National Wedding Show tomorrow to Sunday. I am on stand P16 so drop by and see me. I have some friends helping out over the weekend, and an ex-bride in her wedding dress, so you can hear first hand what it's going to be like if you book with me ! And you can check out her wedding photos in a stunning digital album too.

Even if you have already booked with me, it would be great to see you, so remember P16, right by the catwalk!

See you there ...

Gill

The Importance of Backing Up

I get asked, on occasion, what measures I take to ensure my client's treasured images are kept safe. I'm about to share what I do. I'll keep it simple for those not too "geeky" LOL, but I think it is an important subject and one that my clients should be made to feel comfortable with.

Once I come home after a shoot, the RAW files are loaded to my main production machine. Never the laptop. Why? The laptop is my admin machine and has 1 hard drive. Too risky. Also, it is not hooked up to a colour calibrated monitor and therefore completely useless for processing files. The production machine has 2 "mirrored" drives, making it safe for a hard drive failure, as everything is mirrored onto the other drive.

But that's not good enough for me. Usually, I am pretty tired after a large event and I like to have my client's files in 2 locations. So, they stay on the memory card until I can get to the next bit.

I have 4 external drives, 2 500gb lacie porsche drives (1 with current weddings and 1 with portraits and other work), and 2 1 TB mirrored drives. See that mirroring thing again? Talk about paranoid !

Every single file from the event is backed up to the appropriate drive. They are now in 2 places, good to clear the cards, ready for the next job (it is worth noting at this stage that I have enough cards to shoot 5 weddings and a couple of portrait sessions without clearing them off).

Every single time I process a shoot, the processed files, changed files, album layouts, blog files, get backed up to the appropriate drive.

So, what happens once the job is finished? All files are backed up to Archival quality DVD (s) and placed in the client file. It is also useful when clients purchase the "digital negatives" so that we have an off-site copy of the files ... something to consider if you haven't already :)

And that's it.

And now for a little humour to back this up ... enjoy ! :)

Gill Taylor | Photographer | Facebook Fan Page

Well I finally succumbed (read: found some time in between processing LOL) and set up a fan page on Facebook. Click on the linkie below if the mood takes you :)

I have NO idea what I'm going to do with the page, TBH, I think I'll have to mooch around and see what other people are doing (you guys don't mind, right?) but if you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments box.

Hope to hear from you soon !

Gill

Linkie :)

NB: This now replaces the Blog Stalkers, thank you to those who followed me there, now move on over to FB if you still like me ! :)

Recent Tesimonials and Nice Stuff

I thought it might be nice to share some recent good vibes from clients and friends :)

Sian & Ryan Wedding

Hi Gill,

The photos are FANTASTIC!! Really love them all, some great casual and posed ones, just as we wanted - perfect thank you so much.

Not only chief cravat tie-er, bustle tie-er, corsage attacher and yet amazing photographer too! Thank you sooooo much we really love them, they are as gorgeous as we hoped and more!

Thanks again
Love Sian & Ryan

Just looked through the photos you took at my cousin Sian's wedding. They are awesome they brought tears to my eyes wished I could've been there. Thank-you for capturing it so beautifully, so i got to share the day even thou I couldn't be there in person. Sam

Stephanie & Mickey Wedding

WOW!! The photo's are absolutely beautiful. I was totally breathless when I saw them and keep viewing them over and over again. I am still on a high and don't want to come down to earth just yet, hope I am not driving everyone silly talking about the day but who cares!!!

It was lovely having you share such a special day with us, you captured it perfectly. Looking forward to seeing you soon and hope that you will join us for dinner (that would be nice).

Be in touch soon

Hugs

Kate (Stephanie's mom) x

Louise & Richard Wedding

Thank you very much for being so great on our big day and bringing it all together in such a special way! YOU ROCK !

Lots of Love, Richard & Louise M x

These mean the world to me ... thank you all so much !

Birthday Milestone Promotion

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY OFFER !!

Whilst it pains me greatly to admit to this particular milestone, I will be turning 40 at the beginning of October. Instead of burying my head in the sand, I have decided I should celebrate it and include my business in the celebration, so there you have it, and here goes ...

For any new portrait* enquiries booked and shot before the 4th October (herein and hereafter known as D-Day lol) I am offering a session, either in-studio or on location (within Stafford area), including a 7x5 framed print (value £65) for an amazing £75 ! That's the session fee literally for £10 !!

Give me a shout at gill@gilltaylor.co.uk or go to the contact section of my website and get in touch !

I look forward to hearing from you soon !

*Portraits only, 4 people maximum, boudoir and engagement sessions not included

London Workshop | Jerry Ghionis

I'm really just updating the blog as I haven't done so for a while and it was beginning to feel a little neglected ... I am once again down at The Hoxton in London with Jerry Ghionis, his beautiful wife (and good friend of mine) Georgina and, of course, a whole bunchh of photographers eager to learn from, and get inspiration from, Jerry.

I have been helping out on and off, and of course listening to Jerry and watching many of the slideshows and shooting demonstrations, but hanging with Georgie is one of the real highlights of the trip !

I am available, I have internet, I have my phone ... if you need me, I'm here !

I'll post some random images taken on iPhone and G10 once I get back (I didn't bring my big-boy kit with me) but in the meantime have a great week everyone !!

Oh, if you want to stalk me, click on the Facebook and / or Twitter links in the sidebar off to the right :)

Brides Magazine - Featured Image

I'm here, honest I am ... just a busy wee bee :)

I recently shot a wedding in Kent (Siobhan & Marc) and got chatting to one of the guests who mentioned she was friends with the florist. The flowers were absolutely beautiful and, as with other suppliers, I mentioned that I could send a shot or 2 through to her for her portfolio.

Gaynor from Enfleur contacted me soon after to say how much she loved the photos and if she could use one in an advert she was placing in Brides magazine ... of course I said yes !

Here is the ad as it is appearing in this month's issue (I love what her husband has done with the ad - very talented)... enjoy !

On the blogging front, I am sooooo behind, with 2 weddings to blog, a couple of portrait sessions and an engagement session ... I promise to catch up, but after my wedding this weekend in Devon with Ann & Alan :)

Inspiration from Industry Leader ... on Sale !

As with any other industry or career, us photographers like to keep up to date with new techniques and fresh ideas. We do this in many ways, including attending workshops, reading high end glossy magazines ... and on ...

I am extremely fortunate to be associated with one of our industry's leaders, Jerry Ghionis, a Melbourne based master photographer who has been named one of the top 10 photographers in the world, more than once ! His awards list literally reads like a novel and to top it off he is actually one of the nicest people I have ever met. I am also delighted to be able to call him, and his gorgeous wife Georgina, friends.

So, where am I going with this, you might ask ... well, this one is really for the photographers who follow my blog (although I am sure my clients are happy to read about my desire to keep on top of my game :)) ... Jerry is not only a great photographer, he is a wonderful teacher, willing to share his vast knowledge with anyone willing to learn. His website The Ice Society is a font of knowledge (head over to see some of the free samples, or why not take the plunge and become a member !) and his training products, videos and book, Gorgeous, are filled with every day inspiration for weddings, portraits and fashion photography.

For the first time EVER, and for a limited time only (til the end of July) there is a whopping sale on all of his products ... seriously, there are some fab savings to be had. I absolutely LOVE his picpockets and regularly flick through them prior to a shoot, just to get some ideas and refresh my mind before heading off with my camera. I can often be found on a Friday night sipping a glass of red and watching one of his DVDs ... entertaining, enlightening and inspirational.

I don't often blog stuff like this, but I figured I'd get the word out to all of you while this wonderful opportunity is open.

If you have any questions, shoot me an email or leave a comment below this post :)

(Image courtesy of Jerry Ghionis / The Ice Society)

Gill

PS: I've been asked to make the link to Jerry's site a little clearer ... so here you go !

http://www.theicesociety.com/

Cool New Client Feature

I am absolutely chuffed to bits to be able to announce a cool new feature on my website, as well as a little bonus for my clients !

I host my online images through theimagefile, a great online product which allows me to show clients their images and for friends and family to purchase them. I contacted them about a week ago and asked if it would be possible to have a feature whereby guests or clients could leave an email address and be contacted as and when a gallery of photos became available ... it's now live !

So, here's what you need to do ... click on my Client Area section and enter the password of the event in question ... if there are no images there, you will be asked to leave your email address and voila ! As soon as the photos are online, you will receive an email and away you go ... simple !

As an added bonus, for the first 2 weeks that the gallery is online there will be a discount on all products, so you'd best get in quick !!

I hope you find this new functionality useful and I look forward to hearing from you :)

Intimately Interviewed !

I was contacted recently to ask if I would be interested in being interviewed about my boudoir photography (Intimately You !) ... I was very flattered and of course said yes :)

The interview can be viewed here.

My thanks to Helen for this fun opportunity !

Product News | Funky Finao Digital

I have been waiting with excitement and baited breath for a week or so since I found out my new album from Finao had shipped from the States ... to say it was worth the wait would be a complete understatement ! These albums are truly unique, they come in a wide range of VERY different leather options, which can be mixed and matched on each album. The printing is bang on, the colours are true to what I envisaged when designing on my screen and the quality is, well, see for yourself ...

Gorgeous wrapping ... I love this attention to detail ...

The quality is just fantastic ...

For the photographers ... Finao Linkie ... this cover is patina and opaline :)

Tried to contact me recently and thought I was being rude?

Sigh.

It seems one of my email addresses ... the one used for my enquiries and contact forms ... has been switched off for a little while :( If you have tried to enquire about wedding or portrait photography, well, it will look as though I have been on vacation on Mars !!!!

I hope you read this and decide to contact me again ... for all future enquiries, the problem has now been sorted, so drop me a line and I will get back to you ... honest.

Crewe Hall Bridal Fayre | 26th April 2009 | Cheshire

I am getting very excited about this weekend ... I am again exhibiting at a bridal fayre at one of my absolute favourite venues, Crewe Hall, Cheshire.

Please feel free to drop by and see me, check out my albums and other products and have a sweet or two !

I have some very exciting show offers and will be running an exciting competition too !!!

I look forward to seeing you there :)

Gill