Facing My Fears & Life Update | Career

Anyone who is trying to pursue a creative career will know just how difficult and exhausting that can be. The photography/media industry is one of the hardest industries to break into but ya girl is trying and trying hard.

Since completing my degree last summer I moved back home to Newcastle to try and make some money and build my photography portfolio but with that comes facing a lot of fears and pushing myself so far out of my comfort zone I cant even see it. My comfort zone is a dot to me. (That might be a friends reference im not sure I think so)

Since summer of 2018 when I graduated I have really pushed myself hard to try and make this career work for me. I spent 11 months (left like 4 days before a year which is annoying for CV purposes) working in a call centre for a building society - yes I am aware that is the very opposite of what I want to do but ya girl has bills to pay) and I met some AMAZING people there that I will love until the end of time. But during that time I spent weekends and evenings editing, networking and just trying super hard to work in the media.

In order to push my skills and myself I had to branch out from just taking pictures of my friends. Which has been a wonderful and magical experience and I hope to always take pictures of them but in regards to my career I needed to get my name out there.

In order to move forward my next logical step is to reach out to modelling agencies and this has been something I've toyed with for practically the entire year, since I shot with the stunning Reanna back in February. However.... it's scary and im a baby.

With this in mind I decided the next step for me was to reach out to photographers.  The beautiful model Beth Harris recommend I speak to a local photographer called Laura. Who is so nice and talented and really made me feel like I can do anything I want. I met for coffee with her and I learnt more in that hour and a half than I have on my own well.. ever. Laura was then kind enough to let me tag along on one of her studio shoots as I have never had any experience in the studio and I LOVED IT!!

The feeling I had when I walked into the studio, meeting the models, watching Laura shoot, learning about lights and backdrops was "euphoric" if that's the wrong word sorry but it was magical. I left with the feeling of "yes this is what I want to do and I am going to do everything in my power to achieve it" so that's what I've been trying to do.

Since meeting with Laura I joined a Facebook group with local photographers and aspiring models and I have done a couple of photo shoots with new faces from that and I've loved every second. Learning and progressing is something I am thoroughly enjoying.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me get to this point I am truly LOVING MY LIFE, from every person who's ever modelled for me, Beth for helping me with all the behind the scenes, my dad for helping with my portfolio and to all my friends and family who have supported me so far!

I got this!

Soooooo...... I wrote this a few months ago (I have so many blog posts drafts I just forget to post) and well I have very exciting news!!! I have recently got a new job editing clothing items to be published on the website to showcase the products. I have only worked there a couple of weeks and my lord is it difficult. I have basically been taught Photoshop all over again, everything I knew how to do well.. I don't need to do that. It is a very exciting but scary adventure and i'm having a whale of a time.

K peace out, if my new employers somehow read this please don't cringe I am very sorry please don't fire me im having a lovely time.

Classic photo - as you probably guessed I don't like my face.

London | Travel

It's safe to say I really enjoy Harry Potter, I don't know how much I've spoken about that on my blog. This time last year myself and Jasmine went to Harry Potter Studios in Watford, London to celebrate my 21st birthday and the end of uni and it just so happened that Molly and I also went again this May.

I have only been to London a handful of times as it's just so expensive to travel from Newcastle but I have always wanted to see The Vamps perform in the O2. You're probably reading this thinking "wow is Jess not over that band yet" the answer is yes, yes I am but I enjoy seeing my friends and I just have to see it through until the end.

Molly and I decided we were going to spend a couple of days in London see The Vamps and then go to Harry Potter the next day, so that's exactly what we did.

The Vamps was great, accidently spent like £50 on drink in the 02 - London prices man... that and I accidently ordered 4 cocktails instead of 2.
I finally got to meet Maria who I have known for gosh maybe 4 years?! But she lives in USA and I didn't do London this time so that was cute. I would of met Becca who I have known for as long as I can remember but she decided not to attend and it broke my heart but she's currently in Orlando working as a cast member in Disney world so it must be nice to be here. im not jealous. 

Here's some images from that night:

The next day Molly and I woke up a little worse for wear and ventured to Watford. Gringotts had recently opened and holy it was insane. Although I loved the weekend trip I went on in 2018 with Jas it was amazing that Mol and I had no time restraints we could go at our own pace and spend all day there. We walked around taking pictures, watching bts videos and just having the best time.

If you have no idea what i'm talking about Harry Potter studios is a big sound stage in Watford where the majority of the Harry Potter films were filmed and it is now a studio tour that has a tonne of original props, costumes, sets and special effect make up.

It's so amazing walking around learning about things like they built an entire animatronic Hagrid head for body double Martin Bayfield for certain scenes and it is so well done I wouldn't of even known. The wizarding world is so immersive from the books to the online community.

I loved it, here's some pictures from that:

You Put the Lime in the Coconut | Photography

It's been a while since I sat down and wrote a blog it feels almost foreign. I've had a lot of posts in my drafts that I just haven't posted so writing feels weird but here we go.

I have been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone with my shoots recently and trying new props and locations. This shoot started off a complete fail myself and (model) Chelsea and I could not get any shots we liked. It wasn't until we were walking back ready to give up that we stumbled across a street with stone coloured walls and a deep dark door, it was perfect.

I love these shots they're so different and feel very "high fashion" to me anyway.
I had seen on Instagram someone posing with a lemon and I just loved it so I texted Chels and told her to find her greenest outfit so this happened.