Andaleeb Lilley Photography

Favourite images of 2011 - part 1

It's hard to believe its 2012 already and I have been reflecting on what a year 2011 was for me and my business. 

I photographed many more corporate and charitable events as well as corporate portraits too - this included shooting at the Theater Casino in Zug several times, the Park Hotel in Zug, the Hallenstadion, the Mövenpick and Widder Hotels in Zurich as well as the prestigious Zunfthaus zur Meisen.  

I was asked to photograph different things which stretched me as a photographer too-I photographed at Zurich Fashion Days on the red carpet and catwalk which was a lot of fun. I also photographed a group of 65 employees standing on a ladder on a balcony at KKL (they were below in the forecourt...)  

I also now lead a photography group of women from the International Women's Club of Zug and it has helped me to learn more about photography by teaching them. I set up onsite studios at three events in Zug this year and photographed couples at gala events and families with Santa.  I also teamed up with photographer Ron Sumners and we continue to work on projects together and are sharing a bigger studio space as of January too.

I have continued to photograph even more families this year particularly from September onwards and the studio has become particularly popular with younger families especially when the fog descended as it tends to for a part of the year in Zug...

2012 will be a year for streamlining my systems, getting support but on the other hand continuing to hone my style and develop as an artist.  

So this just leaves me to say a huge thank you to my clients, suppliers, friends and family who have supported me throughout 2011 - see you in 2012!!  Here is part 1 of my review - these are from several outdoor family shoots which I have decided to concentrate on this post and showcase - part 2 will be families in the studio - enjoy!  

My first shoot of the year in the first few days of January was to capture this family with Grandad visiting from the US.  Shoot location:  Zug by the lake (and it was cold...) 

 

This shoot started at the couple's home in Wädenswil and then we continued outdoors - also on a very cold day in January!  

This very lively 18 month old was visiting her grandmother in Zug - I used some of my very rusty Russian on this shoot as she lives in Moscow ... 

 

This shoot with Tala took place in a small park in Zurich with several clothing changes - I have become quite good at spotting large shady trees to use as dressing rooms...

This little boy was a joy to photograph and his parents has just bought a basket which was the perfect fit for him... 

 

We had to seize the day for this family as the two older children are away studying in the US and were only back for a short time in the summer.  Location: Villette in Cham 

My first twins shoot of the year (and several were to follow) - there were lollipops and matching dresses... location: Villette in Cham  

 

Another family shoot at the ever-popular Villette in Cham - the challenge for me as a photographer is to choose different locations there to make the images look different for each family.  This time we had bubbles in the fields... 

 

My first twins pregnancy shoot in Zug... 

 

.

... and here are the twin baby girls!  At their home in Central Switzerland. 

 

When I came to photograph this baby at home in Wädenswil, I also delivered a canvas from the family's pregnancy shoot earlier in January. 

 

On location at the family's home in Zurich with a three week old baby ... 

On location in Unterägeri by the lake - this little girl was adorable and loved her teddies... 

"Look Teddy - there's the world" 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Lights Photography with ZIWC

It's time to get some more seasonal and wintery images up on the blog as Christmas is only really 10 days away... this week I took at group of women out from the Zug International Women's Club to photograph Christmas lights in the old town in Zug.  We started off with a little theory on changing the Auto White Balance on our cameras to tungsten to really bring out the whiteness in the lights and darken the sky at twilight and to turn the flash off. As darkness fell, we changed settings again and played around with the ISO/Shutter Speed and Aperture dials.  Thanks to everyone for braving the rain and cold weather! Lucerne also looks amazing at this time of year so if you have time, make sure you go and see the lights!

 

 

 

A letter to my baby girl

I don't always have time to write and it's something I would like to do more of.  As you know, I normally post images from shoots and tell you a little about them but let's not forget the emotional impact images have on all of us every day - especially when they are of our loved ones.  Sometimes it's not even the ones of them smiling and looking at the camera which have the most impact.

I took this image of my little girl in September at an outdoor pool near my late grandmother's house.  We were visiting family in Nidwalden and in fact my dad was also over from the UK visiting us.  My brothers and I had come to this place to swim many times ourselves as children so it was nice to bring my own kids here too.   With my dad visiting, my camera was close to hand and we had taken some images of him and the children together and then it was time for a swim.

Looking back at this image recently, I started to imagine my girl at 18 and how this was one of those memories I would remember - that warm late summery day in a place which meant a lot to us with family and with my two children who would soon no longer be five and three. 

So here's a few lines I wrote in my head (and now here) to my future 18 year-old girl - maybe just before she takes part in a swimming competition... 

I remember the days when you couldn't wait to run and jump in the water - when fear was a word that didn't exist in your world and you felt invincible. I guess you were always meant to be a water baby as you came into the world whilst I sat in a huge bath - a totally unplanned water birth but it was the best thing for both of us. We started with baby swimming when you were six months old and you gurgled and splashed as we sang songs in Swiss German in a tiny pool with other tired parents. Then I would watch you crawl into the lake before you could even walk, so desperate were you to swim.  At age four we signed you up for swimming lessons at the local pool and usually turned up late a little frazzled having picked you up directly from nursery to get you there in time.  Sometimes your little brother would fall asleep on the way there too which would make it a little tricky when we got there... then a few months later, encouraged by your dad, you were jumping off the big diving board into the deep pool with me sat tensely at the side ready to dive in after you.  But I never had to. 

Now at "half a five" (as you call it), I can see the tomboy you are going to be (although I do catch you playing with dolls from time to time).  I know that I can't stop you from being who you want to be- I can only support you to find your way and trust that you will be ok and that your guardian angel does a good job... you tell me you want to be a boy, you want to climb higher, and like that fireman you just saw, you want to jump from high up above onto a trampoline and abseil down a crane ...  and now at 18 ready to dive into your new life, I can still see that five and a half-year old sitting on a surfboard looking out at the lake wondering how far you can get before I come and drag you back in.  In fact, I had just dragged you back in as you sailed through the shallow end with your little brother shouting at you to get back (he's the cautious one). 

I wish I could keep you like this but it's time to for you to grow up and see that great big wide world. Love you baby girl. 

Beach and Holiday Photography

I wrote an article in the July/August edition for The New Stork Times and it arrived this morning so here is another post from me before we leave for our holidays.  I am copying and pasting it into the blog post as my scanner has stopped working... I have also included some images of my children on the beach last year. Have a great summer!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Holiday Photography 

Before we know it, school will be breaking up for summer and the holidays will begin.  Many of you will be booking holidays and hopefully be off to far-flung places for some well-deserved relaxation.  

Beaches are a lovely place to photograph your family against.  I always plan a little shoot with my family at the beach either at the beginning of the day when it is quieter or at the end of the day when the light is warm and golden.  Avoiding the midday sun when it is at its hottest and most challenging in terms of contrasting harsh light is ideal if possible (although if you do take shots at this time, someone holding a well-placed towel against the sun over a child can help). I take down special dresses and fairy tutus for my little girl and make sure that both children have something neutral on or white so the images look fresh.  I then just let them play by the water's edge and just capture them looking at shells, playing with seaweed, jumping around, doing cartwheels - just kids being kids.  Its nice to get shots of your family down by the beach not in beach-wear and although it takes some planning (and maybe even sweets), it's well worth it-some of my most treasured images of my family have been taken at the beach.    

I like to use the surroundings at the beach to place a holiday in time too - for example spelling the name of the resort or the country plus year out in shells on the beach or writing in the sand with a stick.  Sandy footprints or handprints once again place a time if your children are young.  Other interesting details could include a light-house, colourful beach huts or beautiful rocks.  These make lovely feature and detailed shots which can be used around family shots for an album.

One problem you may run into when photographing at the beach is that people will have shadows on their faces (cast by hats or sunglasses).  To get rid of the shadows, fire the flash when taking a photograph and the shadows will disappear and your subject will be well-exposed.  If the image is over-exposed, you can turn down the flash strength (if you can control this) or otherwise move back slightly as the flash range will become shorter and will lose its impact the further away you are - you may have to experiment a little to get the best image.  Squinting can also be a problem too - a method I have used is to ask everyone to close their eyes and then on the count of three, open them - you have a few seconds before they squint again... 

Beaches themselves with stormy weather make for very atmospheric shots particularly dramatic clouds and skies (these shots look particularly good in black and white).  As always, watch that the horizon is straight and not sloping and play around with where you put the horizon - if the sky and clouds like dramatic, then fill the frame with this and the sand/beach with 1/3 of the shot instead. 

Don't forget to minimize too the amount of time you expose your camera to the elements - sand and water particles are not good for cameras so keep cameras away until you are ready to use them - keep a microfiber cloth with you so can wipe your camera body and lens down once you are done. 

Most of all - have fun!  

 

Giving back to charity RoomtoRead

I was recently featured in the Swiss quarterly newsletter for the charity RoomtoRead and you can read more about that here: 

http://andaleeblilley.typepad.com/newsletter_q3%20R2R.pdf

As well as donating a portrait shoot for auction to the charity, I also raised funds by doing a 10km run. This was a big challenge for me as I hadn't really run in years so I trained up (sometimes even taking my children with me to play at the track whilst I ran there) and was really pleased with my time (77 minutes) and the fact that I ran the whole way without stopping. The atmosphere was fantastic so thanks to everyone who came along and supported us on the day - especially all those strangers who called out our names as we ran past (I had to help some with pronouncing my name...!)

I have attached a photo below and want to thank everyone who sponsored me! I plan to do another 10km at the Lucerne Marathon at the end of October so watch this space... 

 

 

ZIWC Photography Club and some mentoring

Its been an interesting week for me as I have been doing some teaching and mentoring and have thoroughly enjoyed it.  We held the first photography club meeting for the International Women's Club of Zug and met in the old town for some coffee, chats on what everyone wanted to do and then an exercise outdoors.  I set an exercise which was all around seeing more consciously again - nowadays, it is just too easy to keep clicking away on digital cameras (let's face it we never did that in the days of film... ) so everyone was allowed to take 10 shots ONLY of three themes - no deleting allowed!  It's a great exercise to do and I can highly recommend it to help with composition and "seeing."   

Next time we intend to go to the Henri Cartier Bresson exhibition in Zurich.  If you are a member of ZIWC and would like to join in, contact me directly on info@andaleeblilley.ch to join the group.  There are two other photography exhibitions on only for a short time in Zurich too - the Swiss Photo Award exhibition and the World Press Photo 2011 exhibition - more details here: 

http://www.digitalliving.ch/fotografie/news/1005148/zwei_fotoausstellungen_in_zuerich.html

http://worldradio.ch/wrs/news/switzerland/world-press-exhibition-in-zurich-showcases-enthall.shtml?24693

On Saturday, the local council in Baar also held a Children's and Youth Cultural day where several workshops were held for participants including how to draw cartoons, learn how to hip hop or rap as well as try out textile printing, percussion instruments or even how to be a DJ.  

I was asked to mentor two teenagers who wanted to learn more about photography so we started off the morning with a small lesson on how to change shutter speeds, aperture settings and exposure and then walked around the event together learning on the spot.  Rahel and Isabel then went off to photograph various workshops and when I left later that afternoon were sitting by the huge bouncy castle slide changing shutter speeds, photographing movement and blur and having a lot of fun.  

If you are interested in a private or small group lesson, please feel free to contact me to discuss.  Below some images from both sessions - especially the hugely popular clowns-my children can't stop talking about them!

The ZIWC Photography club

Thank you Heidi for this one of me ... 

Isabel hard at work at the Children's and Youth Cultural day

Who says you have to paint on paper? 

 

 

 

 

Open Studio Morning on Monday 28 February

I will once again be holding an "open morning" at my studio in Baar so please drop by for a coffee and chat if you are interested in booking a shoot with me this year.

This is a great and informal way to find out more about my style of photography, the way I shoot and what typically happens on a shoot. Also on display now at the studio are several samples which show you the ways images can be presented (i.e. canvasses, albums, acrylics, multiframes, quartz and portrait boxes). Children are of course welcome and there is a play corner in the studio too.

Dates for the studio mornings in the spring are: 9.30 - 11.30 am on Monday 28 February, 21 March, 11 April and 23 May.

If these dates don't work for you, I am happy to arrange a meeting on another date so please feel free to email me directly. 

Studio address: Kunstambulatorium, Landhausstrasse 19, 6340 Baar. Park in the Canton Hospital in Baar, turn right outside the garage (right by the ticket machines), pass the cafe (red building) and you will see a yellow/white building which is the Kunstambulatorium. My studio is on the bottom floor (turn left past the tyres at the main entrance..) If you get lost, call me on 079 654 4115. 

 

2010 in Portraits

It's the start of the New Year and I spent time last week thinking about all the people I have photographed and where photography has taken me, how much fun I have had and how much I have learned.

Special moments for me this year include having three images selected for title covers with English parenting magazine www.thestork.ch and I now write a regular column with them too.  I also now have my own studio space / viewing gallery in Baar sharing space with several other artists at the Kunstambulatorium and will be offering combo studio/location shoots this year. I photographed several charities and their work last year locally too and loved giving back in this way.  I was also asked to be on the panel of judges for a photography competition taking place this year for the WWF and have been asked to teach children photography skills. 

Training and continually learning is important to me and several times throughout the year, I attended seminars and conferences - in January, I attended the SWPP convention in the UK, followed by more photography training in the spring in Buxton with several photographers and models and then went down to London for boudoir photography training with John Denton. I also went back to the Lakes twice to attend seminars with Catherine Connor and her team at Aspire Photography.

... and of course, I have photographed children, babies, pregnant women, school-children, couples, dogs, events, galas, businessmen and women, products, weddings (and anniversaries) and bands including one at Abbey Road in London. It is so hard to select the "best" so I have decided to concentrate on showcasing some of my favourite portrait images (some not yet seen) from shoots I have done this year - thank you to everyone who has supported and inspired me - my friends, fellow photographers and family. To my clients in 2010, thank you for choosing me to photograph you and your family - every shoot is a special memory I take with me into the New Year - have a great 2011! 

 

 

Winter Images for Christmas

It's Christmas Eve and I have run out of time so I will be blogging my best of 2010 before the year is out or in early January but just to say thank you to everyone who has read, looked at or posted comments on my blog this year. It's been a fantastic year and I have had so much fun photographing so many people (and things!)  Thank you especially to all my clients who keep recommending me on.

I have decided to showcase the images I used this year for client Christmas cards - they were taken in early December in Zug by the lake and also at the Seeburg Hotel, Luzern.  

Merry Christmas and if I don't get back here before January, a Happy New Year to you all! 

 

 

Back to School...

... or rather starting school as has our daughter Annelies - its been a month now since she started "Kindergarten" and her Swiss German is coming along rather nicely as is her "not-so-nice" vocabulary ... 

Below are some shots I took of her on her first day. There of two which are taken in our conservatory and are typical shots I would take when photographing individual children at schools and this is something I am now offering to schools and nurseries.  I offer four different shots of each child for parents to choose from and there are several print packages available.  If you run a school or nursery and would like to find out more about schools photography options, please contact me on info@andaleeblilley.ch or call 079 654 4115. 

... and just before the month is out, here is another shot of Annelies on the front cover of September's The New Stork Times - an English parenting magazine in Switzerland.  This was taken in what is fondly known as the Bunny Park in our household near Ealing in West London although I haven't spotted bunnies there in a long time - Annelies spent most of the summer honing her climbing skills with a nervous mum waiting to catch her below... 

Several family shoots coming up over the next blog posts so stay tuned :-) or subscribe on the left of the blog to receive any updates straight into your inbox.