Yayoi Kusama Exhibition - London
All Images © Katie Collins/EMPICS
The Moving Moment When I Went To The Universe was Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s twelfth exhibition at the Victoria Miro gallery in London.
It featured new paintings, painted bronze pumpkin and flower sculptures and a large-scale Infinity Mirrored Room (visitors to the gallery are allowed one timed minute inside this room).
It was the first time I’d seen Kusama’s bold and colourful work at an exhibition and after being completely intrigued I was keen to find out more about the 89-year-old artist.
If you have not seen it I recommend watching the documentary ‘Kusama Infinity’ which tells her story.
For further reading about the work of Yayoi Kusama, take a look at this David Zwirner page devoted to the artist.
#InstaKusama
London Fashion Week SS19
Last Saturday I found myself back at London Fashion Fashion Week. It was always one of my favourite jobs of the year when I was staff at The Press Association. When I was asked to cover a shift, I jumped at the chance to be there shooting again.
To some photographers, London Fashion Week is hell. It’s extremely hectic, lots of jostling for positions and dashing across London from show to show. I however have always loved it - the bright lights, loud music, intricate or occasionally plain crazy designs - I just love it!
Julien Macdonald SS19
There’s no doubt London Fashion Week has changed a lot. It’s no longer at Somerset House which is a real shame, there is no longer sponsorship by Canon (and the chance to get your cameras cleaned) and there are no longer free bottles of Peroni in the fridge in the editing room (yes, this used to be the case!)
When not shooting the catwalk shows that day, I was mingling and photographing some of unusual and bizarre outfits on display outside the venue. I met some lovely people who simply enjoy dressing up and expressing themselves through fashion.
All in all it was a brilliant day.
Julien Macdonald SS19
Julien Macdonald SS19
Julien Macdonald SS19
Alan Carr, Julien Macdonald and Kelly Hoppen
Julien Macdonald SS19
Julien Macdonald SS19
Julien Macdonald SS19
Molly Goddard SS19
Sadie Williams SS19
Family Photo Session - Surrey
An annual family picnic beside the lake at Windsor Great Park was the perfect setting for one of my most recent family photo sessions.
It was at the start of the very hot spell we have been having so beside the lake, in the shade of the trees we stopped to take some relaxed family photographs.
The six grandchildren gravitated towards a clearing in the trees to play. The harsh midday sun was diffused through the branches creating a soft and warm glow - perfect for more portraits.
It was a relaxed, fun few hours of photos in between stopping for lunch, drinks and of course ice-creams.
100 days of Summer
This week I started a 100 days of Summer project.
The idea is to capture everyday, family photographs - everything from the picnics in the park and ice creams on the beach to tantrums and meltdowns - real family life over 100 days.
A 365 photography project has been on my radar for a while but it felt a bit daunting to create and post an image each day. 100 days of Summer will be a great way of dipping my toe in the water and seeing how I find it.
I’ve joined up with other photographers around the world for the 100 days challenge - sharing and discussing our work in a Facebook group.
I’m a big believer in personal projects - doing a project just for yourself and I can’t wait to put together an album at the end of the Summer.
Here’s some of the pictures so far:
This place, my home
Slugs on a watermelon - South Wimbledon - Canon 5 d Mark III, 35mm lens, F8, 1/125
Ok, so you're probably looking at this image above and thinking what the...?!
I've been out with my camera shooting my surroundings for the past 4 weeks after signing up to an online documentary photography class through Click in Moms (a US based photography website).
The class called The Full Frame: Life on Scene has hands down reminded me why I love photography so much.
Photographer Lauren Mitchell who ran the class has really taught me to open my eyes to what's around me. She's encouraged me to take notice, to get out there with my camera and shoot for myself - to not get so caught up with Instagram.
What I love about Lauren's own images and what drew me to take the class is that they are honest and real. One of my favourite pictures is of her young daughter eating McDonalds with a picture of Neil Armstrong above. Lauren is based in Florida near to the Kennedy Space Center and the Center plays a big part in her body of work.
The class had a few rules. You must shoot at F8 and above for the four weeks of the class, you must use a wide lens and you must share your camera settings with the class. Lauren also suggested not sharing our work for the class on Instagram until after we finished.
Each week we were urged to go out shooting and submit our homework by the Sunday night. Our assignments ranged from shooting the mundane and everyday, to thinking like a tourist and looking at our hometown through fresh eyes.
High Path Estate, South Wimbledon - proposed for demolition - Canon 5d Mark III, 35mm, F8, 1/1250
Public tour of the All England Tennis Club, Wimbledon - Canon 5 d Mark III, 35mm, F13, 1/1250
South Wimbledon Industrial Estate - Fuji X100, 23mm, F11, 1/250
Caravan on an Industrial estate, South Wimbledon - Fuji X100, 23mm, F11, 1/1250
Pylon at Colliers Wood, Canon 5d Mark III, 35mm, F10, 1/1600
We were encouraged to think of long term projects and delve deeper into the work of photographers like Luigi Ghirri, William Eggleston, Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb. The most important take home from the class was to fill the frame, adding layers - everything in the shot must matter.
This is honestly one of the best online courses I have taken. It’s probably the most money I have spent on an online class ($200) but to have one-on-one critique was invaluable for going forward.
Most of all I learnt to switch off from Instagram a little bit and just get out shooting for the fun of it. It was a great reminder why I fell in love with photography in the first place.
I see the pictures in this blog post as a springboard to a bigger project about where I live. It's a world away from the surroundings I grew up with and our home is an area that continues to fascinate me.
Royal Wedding Street Party - Fuji X100, 23mm, F8, 1/210
Royal Wedding Street Party, Fuji X100, 23mm, F8, 1/1900
Royal Wedding Street Party, Fuji X100, 23mm, F8, 1/200
11th London Photo Festival - 17-19th May
The depths of a church in Borough plays host to a collection of incredible street photographs this weekend - entries into this year’s London Photo Festival.
Founders Emma Mapp & Kit Shah decided to set up the festival 11 years ago to showcase emerging talent and provide photographers with an opportunity to have their work appraised and sold to the public.
I’ve long since been interested in street photography immersing myself in the work of photographers like Matt Stuart, Trent Parke and Joel Meyerowitz.
I took a class last year with photographer Paul Russell and quickly realised it is so much harder than it looks. It takes incredible patience, observation and perseverance.
The London Photo Festival covers a complete range of styles from colourful portraits on the street to the use of techniques like layering, mirroring and great use of light and composition.
This year’s winner is Daniel Bradley with this image ( below) titled ‘Lost in the City’ taken at Canary Wharf. It's described as an image which reminds us we can all feel alone even in vastly populated area surrounded by people.
If you are in London and near Borough market over the next few days, this exhibition is well worth a visit. If you are interested in or new to street photography this will certainly inspire and give you ideas.
The London Photo Festival runs from Thursday 17th May until Saturday 19th from 11am- 6pm (late opening until 8pm on Friday) in the Crypt at St George the Martyr Church, Borough. Entry is free.
Lessons from my daughters
I keep looking at Alice, my eldest and thinking ‘How can you be 4 already?’ School starts in September and soon we’ll be shopping for uniform, shiny new shoes and a backpack that looks way too big on her tiny shoulders.
I didn’t return to work after having my two girls. Instead I have become self-employed - I look after my girls during the week and work as a photographer and on client photo sessions at weekends, editing in the evenings.
Not going back to a 9-5 has meant I can really enjoy these early years with them. They continue to teach me so much. Probably the biggest thing I’ve learnt since having the girls is to slow down and appreciate the everyday.
When they notice the heavy rain lashing at the patio doors - so do I. When they point to the blossom that’s fallen from the trees - so do I. When they spot bugs scampering on the patio and it’s the highlight of their day - I investigate too. These are things I never paid attention to before, I was always rushing.
Noticing the little things - as they do - has definitely had an impact on my photography too and given me ideas for new projects. It’s re-energised me and made me keen to read and learn more about other photographers, listen to podcasts and take many online classes.
I absolutely have my ‘tear my hair out’ days with my girls but being with and photographing my little family who continue to teach me so much feels very special indeed.
Andreas Gursky Exhibition (with my 4-year-old)
99 Cent II, 1999/2009
"The Gursky Exhibition is brilliant, you MUST see it!" a good photographer friend reported back to me after visiting with her baby soon after it opened.
Her advice was to book tickets in advance and aim to go at the opening time - 11am. This was great advice and I would say the same - plan in advance - it gets busy.
I was a little unsure about taking my 4-year-old but figured it would be great mother-daughter bonding time - afterwards there was the promise of a new sticker book and pizza.
So we headed off together to see the work of Andreas Gursky at the newly renovated Hayward Gallery at the Southbank Centre.
Amazon
2016
This exhibition explores the work of the photographer over the past four decades and is the first major retrospective of his work in the UK.
There are over 60 of the artist’s photographs, from the 1980s through to his most recent work. The images are packed full of detail, an Amazon warehouse, 99 cent store and huge, impressive landscapes. There's also the fascinating Paris, Montparnasse (1993), showing all 750 flats in the city’s largest apartment block, created using multiple shots taken from two different vantage points. It's one of Gursky's early examples of digital manipulation which he started experimenting with in 1992.
Review
2015
SH- 1 Iron Man (2013) one of Gursky's more recent works
Pyongyang VI
2017 (2007)
Tokyo
2017
Though I originally planned to sneak out and see this exhibition on my own (leaving my young girls at home) I loved having my 4-year-old for company.
Although losing patience towards the end, she was really well behaved while we looked round and I loved watching her taking it all in. It was wonderful sitting and chatting on her bed later that evening, deciding which was her favourite photograph (the one with the cows, in case you're interested).
If you get the chance to see this exhibition, it's well worth it. The images (many of which are large in scale) are beautifully exhibited over several floors of the Hayward. I enjoyed it so much and plan to go back.
Andreas Gursky runs until 22 April 2018
8 ideas for creating a New Year Mood Board
In the corner of our bedroom sits my little office.
And one of my absolute favourite things in this corner is my wire mood board.
I love gathering together pictures, cards, little notes and drawings from my girls. Sitting on my bed and looking up at this collection always made me smile.
I don't get round to changing it as much as I'd like but I use it to help me come up with ideas and inspiration.
If I take a picture I am really proud of, I clip it on the board and this helps boost my confidence. If there's a place I'd like to visit, I'll add a picture too so the idea is never too far from my mind.
I'm also a big believer that by writing things down you have a clearer focus and get more done. It's the same with pictures.
So as we begin 2018 I've updated my board and I have some ideas if you want to create your own.
1. Wire Mood Board - The board itself is a great modern take on the cork pinboard. It's made by Block Design and is available from Amazon or Black By Design.
2. Quotes - Kikki.K do great quote cards perfect for attaching to boards. I've also recently discovered personalised gift wrap. Instead of using it to wrap presents, I've personalised the paper with my own quote 'Seek the Light, Take the Picture' and added it to my board. The gift wrap is by a lovely new company called Prettygifted.co.uk and the Quote cards are by Kikki.K
3. Photos - I really learned the hard way a few weeks ago when my main external back-up hard drive just simply failed. I'm still trying to figure out how to save the data which includes a huge stash of photos of my girls. So printing for me is more important than ever. I've just tried a company, based in the UK called Inkifi. They have an app and produce these wonderful photostrip prints (as seen below). They are well priced and have a range of other high quality products.
4. Inspiring pictures - I'm always keeping an eye out for pictures that inspire me and I collect these together for my board. It could be an image that has great composition or that evokes an emotion. Having great pictures on my board helps me learn, makes me work harder and keeps me passionate about photography.
5. Places to go - I really want to go on holiday in 2018 and keep getting drawn back to stunning Fjords of Norway. The main picture on my mood board is taken in the Fjord town of Olden. Both of my girls and my husband are sitting beside the lake with snow capped mountains in the distance. It was a really special trip and having this picture on my board is not only a lovely reminder of a great holiday but it's a reminder to book another one!
6. Children's Drawings - I just love to wake up and look at drawings by my girls. Alice (3) is just learning to draw faces and each new picture is an amusing, quirky treasure!
7. Hanging Ornaments - In my case it's a palm tree as I just love palm trees. I've seen some mood boards with real hanging plants and this looks great - (see Pinterest for ideas). It adds a bit of colour and fun to the board.
8. Lights - Definitely not just for Christmas. Fairy lights are great for finishing off a mood board. In the evenings, if I am working at my desk or reading in bed, it adds a gentle warm light and cosy feel to our room.
I've also put together a board on Pinterest with more mood board inspiration. You can find it here.
5 tips for Winter photography
Last Saturday, for the first time in absolutely ages I got up early to take photographs.
It was a crisp Winter’s morning - bitterly cold and frosty with a hint of sunshine.
I’d checked the weather forecast the night before and set my alarm.
My plan was to take the bus up the hill and be on Wimbledon Common as the sun started to rise from 7.30am.
Why was I doing this? (when I could easily have rolled back over and gone back to sleep)
The first reason is I’ve started an online course learning about photographing in Winter - the colder and darker time of year.
The course is called Gloom and Glow and there’s a lovely group of us cheerleading each other on as we set out to brave the elements and get the shots.
The second reason is that I have realised I need to make more time to get back to nature and take pictures. There's no better practice than working with the elements.
Hand on heart it felt really good to be photographing at this time of day. My fingers may have felt like icicles but it made that first hot coffee even more delicious and special.
Photography-wise it could have gone better. My Fuji X100 camera could not cope with the cold so froze up after about 45 minutes.
But I found myself paying attention to the little things - how the morning light catches the leaves on the trees, the crazy patterns created by the frost and ice before anyone has set foot on them. Most of all the feeling of calm and peace at being one of a handful of people on such a big open space.
About 8 years ago and working as a press photographer, I’d often be up early with my camera. It’s a time I look back on fondly as I took some pictures I’m really proud of.
Last Saturday reminded me of those days and how sometimes you just need to go that little bit further to make the picture. It’s easy to say there’s not enough time in the day but actually you can factor it in and it will be worth it.
Snow in London, February 2009 - Katie Collins/Press Association
Snow in London, February 2009 - Katie Collins/Press Association
So I have a few suggestions if you are setting the alarm early -
1. Dress warmly - particularly your feet - there’s nothing worse that bitterly cold toes. Not to everyone’s taste but my Ugg boots have kept my feet so warm over the years. I tried so many shoe/boot combinations, but for me, these are what worked best. Gloves or mittens are equally important. I wear warm trousers by Craghoppers and rely on Uniqlo’s Heattech range -it’s amazing!
2. Check the weather - decide where you want to shoot and check the weather. Check what time sunrise is and what conditions you might be facing.
3. Camera vs iPhone - I prefer shooting with my DSLR. I use SD memory cards and I have a card reader by Apple that connects to my phone. It means that if I want to look through my pictures or upload to social media I can do so quickly and easily. You just pop the SD card into the card reader and plug into your phone. It will then import the images to your camera roll.
4. Edit on the move - it’s worth looking through your shots and editing your favourites. My go to Editor on the iPhone is Snapseed. VSCO is also popular. On these apps you can adjust the colours adding warmth or coolness, add contrast, brighten up. There are lots of editing options at your fingertips.
And finally...
5. Share your work - there are the obvious routes - Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest. If you’ve been up at the crack of dawn you may as well share what you’ve been up to! There’s also a great app called Stockimo which gives you the opportunity to sell your work. It’s run by the stock photo agency Alamy and you simply upload your images and if accepted, Stockimo sell them on your behalf giving you a cut of the profit.
Snow on Wimbledon Common in 2010 - Katie Collins/Press Association