Okay, so I have PLENTY of new photographers to feature and things to say but for now I'm just going to put up some photographs that I found on my computer from last November time from my first ever shoot using the light studio ^-^

So here you go :)

Property, Akif Hakan Celebi and Photo-shoots

        So firstly a rather unwelcomed update on my life- After almost two years of solicitors, courtcase's and uncertainty about my future, today it is officially over. It hasn't ended the way I wanted it to and, without revealing all the details, I have about 2 months to find myself a new home after my mother and her ex have spent since 2010 fighting over owning my current home outright, with a restraining order against him during that period ( although he was around the whole time, working on the house near by and then later being allowed into our apartments downstairs ( that doesn't connect to the upper levels of the house) to 'work' on them to become finished holiday apartments. I suppose it's a bittersweet event now; It's all over but seeing him getting what he wanted all along by buying out my mother and it becoming officially his, makes me angry for many reasons, not just for the hell he put us through for years.
My sister has already moved on to her own place with her other half ( a baby is expected in August), my mother has found a new man who she loves unconditionally and loves her back and has bought a restaurant with him and practically lives with him so it's just little ol' me left to sort out my life and find myself a new place to call home.

Unpleasant news over, I've spent a very long time deliberating sorting out rates for my photography as I've never really charged anyone before and find that I have the awful fault of not wanting to ask people for, what I consider, lots of money even if I'm told that It's EXTREMELY cheap compared to many photographers and for what I SHOULD be charging. So if anyone out there reads this and has an opinion on rates then feel free to share, Or are you an amateur photographer yourself and having trouble coming up with fair rates?
I've been thinking to create an hourly rate for photo-shoots with a seperate rate for retouching time and also other rates for 'packages' - such as creating an entire modelling portfolio over a month etc.
I have rates in my head but until they are set in stone I shan't put them up online.
Also, my Flickr is finally starting to take shape after hours of slow uploading images to the site. I still have less than 50% of my work uploaded but a link for you darlings now whilst it's on my mind - Flickr

Now, FEATURE TIME! :) If any of you have someone in mind that you think I should feature in the future then please feel free to leave a comment with links to the photographers work :)
I actually can't believe I haven't featured this person before. Akif Hakan Celebi His style inspired me all through my Design& Technology course and his execution is brilliant. His work reminds me or everything I wish to be in a photographer, the use of colour is spectacular whilst his use to create his own world in his images, a place where people can be who they want, set apart from the dullness of everyday life and style through his use of incorporating models in amongst busy cities and bustling crowds. In fact I've found it nigh on impossible to not want to put ALL of his photographs here and so I've stuck to using his Fashion/Commercial work - to Quote him "Fiction photography is art because then the ideas of the photographer count and he creates something new, just like a painter."

Internet, Flickr and Updates

        So this is a short update but one that is VERY MUCH needed. For a while I lost my internet and so couldn't update my blog and during that time I realised that I wasn't happy with where my 365 day project was taking me as I wanted to focus more on fashion and people photography. I convinced myself to stop it and have wavered on the decision ever since. The thing is, it may have not been exactly what I wanted out of the project but that doesn't mean I couldn't do another one next year when I have more models at the ready and equipment etc. The problem being that now I've left it too long to pick up on the 365 day project as I've missed more than a weeks worth of photo's. So what do I do... Do I pick up from where I left of from my already 365 day project and edit photo's in for the missing days ( I consider that cheating though :/ )do I restart the 365 day project, switch to a 52 week project giving me a week to come up with a photograph I'm really proud of or do I scrap the whole thing... Hmmmm

On another note, I have a couple of photoshoots coming up in the near future that I can't wait for and will,of course be posting pictures of here :)

AND - I've finally actually made a Flickr account that I intend to remember the password for and use :) so you can catch me there at : http://www.flickr.com/photos/luciiebphotography/
Unfortunately uploading photo's onto it is a nightmare - I've been trying to upload 23 photographs for the last 20 minutes and am only on 8%. Oh no, I know what I'm going to be doing all day :/

For now that is all I'm going to say as I have a lovely, long post planned with a feature etc soon. I'm also planning on editing some photographs that I've taken earlier this year and done nothing with yet so they will be coming up soon to :)
Just along with that message IS a few photographs I've edited today :)

Love, Always
Luciie Panda

Kimberly Akrigg, plans and plots

         Okay, so writing a blog daily is A LOT harder then I'd originally expected. The amount of time I actually spend with my laptop within area of use now that it's summer is, well, not an awful lot. Even now, although on a laptop, it is not my own or even in my own house. I think it'd be best to set myself a day a way to upload all my 365 day project photo's from the week so I can plan to be at home editing and uploading that day. Not to say that i'll only do a single blog entry a week cause that won't be the case. I still plan on bombarding you with features and shoot ideas and everything else I originally stated would be in these posts.
Today has been an easy day, I've not ventured out into the sun at all as I've been busy with the plans of summer photo-shoots dancing through my mind, make-up and clothing etc worrying me to no end.
Because I'm still very new to fashion shoots etc I tend to use all my own make-up and buy in clothing and accessories from eBay ( a blessing on such a tight budget) yet, at the moment, I can barely afford a single item of clothing and now I'm actually free to do shoots every week and I can't afford to. Ah, the life of a student photographer. I'm planning a huge clear out of my room with eBay coming in handy to sell items from old photo-shoots, un-used items bought for shoots etc. so that I can afford to actually create new shoots. I will put a link to my ebay up once i've actually put items on it :)

Today I'm really excited to do a feature as it's been a while since i've done one and I really think there are so many things out there that need to be shared. Todays' feature is on Kimberly Akrigg. I came across this talented photographer through DeviantArt, i'm not even sure how long ago yet today, as I browsed through deviantArt I knew it was her I wanted to share with you today.
Firstly a few links for you lovelies to find her yourself:-
DeviantArt
Blog
Website

I'm a complete sucker for red hair and everyone knows it. I love the contrast between the hair and her pale skin, the sequined sleeve and netted hair making the model seem like a mermaid, come to life

The use of colour here really creates a striking photograph

I love the contrast between the seemingly almost punk-ish girl due to the 'loud' hair colour in juxtaposition to the soft feminine floral dress and very feminine colouring of the overall composition.

Facebook, Failings and Fans

      So, I can't write anything too long today as I've got quite a few 'chores' that I'll have to do soon. Procrastination has to stop somewhere I suppose. Last night I very much meant to write a HUGE post with 2 LONG features and photo's from earlier this year etc etc. I was also going to post my photo's from my 365 day project as I was such a silly-billy as to forget to post it in my last blog entry, but instead I FINALLY decided to set up a Facebook photographer page and it took me HOURS longer then I'd imagined it would. On the plus side it means I can now post this link up, so please check out my page and like it if you feel the urge to do so my lovelies ->
 http://www.facebook.com/LuciieBPhotography

As for my 365 day project; When I started this I knew that I wouldn't be able to have EVERY photograph as fashion because of my lack of models etc, but as the days go on I'm still not even denting the fashion genre and it's starting to annoy me because i know I have SO MANY photoshoots I'd love to do just a lack of models to participate. What makes it worse is that, some of my most inspirational photographers of this generation also have 365 day projects and their work blows me away. It's whimsical and effortless and full of romance and childhood fantasy and in comparison, I feel let down by my own. In fairness, many of their photographs include themselves whereas I FAR PREFER to be behind the camera as I'm quite camera shy which can be a problem on days where I can't get models but I'm really going to try and put together ALOT of shoots coming up full of my own life, my love and produce something I can be proud of. the 365 day project is meant to show a little bit of myself each and every day but my mind has been elsewhere these past couple of weeks and whilst I've taken photographs every day for the project, to say they were summing up my day wouldn't be the truth for the most part.

Tonight I'm going out for a friends birthday (Natasha) and I'm hoping to borrow my mothers small digital camera so that I can take some photographs and use one as my daily picture. I love this friend so much even though I've only known her since last November time. She's modelled ALOT for me and is in fact the background picture of this blog. Her heart is filled with kindness and love and all the help she's given me when I've needed it most for my college work, I can't thank her enough for it. I will be asking her to do ALOT more shoots over summer hopefully before she leaves to university where I will have to rely on Skype and email to keep our friendship going.

I've only recently started to really think about picking up my fan-base and so created this blog and then my Facebook page and posting more on Deviantart etc. It's not because I'm hungry for approval or anything though, It's because I know that, by getting my work out there for people to see I'm far more likely to get Models and job offers and other people in the business will see my work and along the way if I get to make some people smile at my work, it is most definitely a bonus :) Every time I get a lovely message or comment about my work it really lifts my spirits and pushes me on. I know I'm nowhere near my full potential yet and when someone tells me they love my work I can't describe the feeling of warmth I feel.

I'm quite angry at myself though today because I deleted my edited version of may 31st's and June 01's 365 day photographs somehow whilst trying to do something on my laptop and so, instead of posting them on this journal you will have to wait till tomorrow when I have time to edit them over again :)

Today I can't seem to stop humming. I feel at ease and i'm looking forward to tonight, to be there for Natasha's birthday celebration. I've got a million and one things to do but I'm happy and my cat keeps on trying to curl up onto my lap as she senses my peacefullness. I like LOTS of music but today I can't get a single song out of my head and that is this :-



As this plays I see photographs in my mind, a whole photoshoot spins around in my mind to their melodies and One day I hope to pull it together.

Sorry for no features or photo's today, all will come tomorrow ^-^

Love,Always
Luciie Panda

Shopping, shows and shaping up

       Technically it's after midnight but as I'm not yet sleeping this is really my blog entry for 31st may. I have a guilty admittion to make. The past few days I've gone on an online shopping rampage with money I really don't have to spend and yet.. it's spent. The silly thing is, is that starting yesterday I've decided to get onto a healthy lifestyle, hoping to slim down a little. In February I did the same and really surprised myself with how well I was doing and then events occurred and I lost my will power but now it is back and I can't wait to get back on track. I blame ASOS for having such gorgeous clothes. I admit I'm not really one that tends to go along with high street fashion. Some would probably argue I have no style at all. I tend to wear just what I feel comfortable in and I find it FAR more fascinating being behind a camera, shooting fashion then trying to be a fashionista myself. I know that probably sounds strange for someone that wants to go into the fashion industry but it doesn't mean that my passion is any less. I still have opinions and eyes, I just like my own style; as non-stylish or strange as it may be. One item of clothing I did come across whilst I was browsing through ASOS that really caught my eye - but not in the best of ways- was this though.

Okay, I can understand this piece of clothing form a photo-shoot perspective. I admit, when I first saw it I instantly thought of different photo-shoots I could create around, and inspired by it.I have some silver body paint in my bedroom right now waiting for an opportunity to appear in my shoots. My argument though, is this. Would YOU wear this on the high-street...or even on a night out? I mean I for one, would NEVER have the body to pull this off but I also think you'd need ALOT of confidence to wear it too as it's body hugging shape and style will not be flattering to most and being silver it attracts a lot of attention. I jsut can't imagine that people actually wear this. Maybe played down a little with a lovely navy blazer but definately not on its' own unless you're very daring. What are your thoughts? would you have the confidence?

One thing I've become a huge fan of this summer is hi-lo dresses, I've yet to find one that I'd like to buy though- Actually that's a lie. I found one before that was beautiful; black with lace and studs (unfortunately gold which I'm not a huge fan of) but that is far too expensive for me AND out of stock :( found HERE

. I don't have the most feminine of styles out there and admit that I often walk into high-street fashion stores and walk out having only found a single item in the shop that I half glanced at. My body shape and lack of confidence do, of course, also have a play in my clothing style when shopping. I can't say that there aren't items of clothing I see and instantly say ' oh, if I had the body for that....'. Perhaps one day :P

Moving on from that though, I've also indulged myself in a little nostalgia by watching some old children movies today. One I find particularly comment-worthy is 'Sharkboy and Lavegirl'. 

Now BEFORE watching this. Imagine Jacob from the twilight movies, intense expression on his face as he rips off his shirt and goes running out into the rain, muscles on full display ---- NOW watch the clip below from 35seconds in  :)

Giggle.Giggle.

Moving on.... Here are some more photographs I've taken from earlier this year:-  These are some of my favourite shots taken this year. I loved playing with make-up and colour. Excuse the small white border lines around a couple of the images, I had to save them through paint because of software issues and cropped them quickly before printing and so haven't cropped the actual files yet.