Sulking

When you're six, sulking is an artform.

Pirates and Russian Dolls at Imogen's Wardrobe

In October I had the pleasure of shooting for my favourite childrenswear designer, Beth, over at organic clothing company Imogen's Wardrobe. It's been an exciting month for Imogen's Wardrobe - Beth has launched a new Etsy shop and an online shop on Towards the Stars, the world's largest marketplace for empowering gifts for girls. 

All these innovations require great images and so, armed with wooden swords and pirate hats our fabulous models went forth with great good humour to pose for me.  The t-shirts belong to Beth's signature Pirate range, the dresses to her gorgeous organic dress line. 

Best thing of all? She has 10% off before Christmas. Get your orders in now! 

Patricia Martin Knitwear

Do you like knitting? 

Do you read Knit Now?

Or surf Ravelry?


If you do you have probably come across fabulous up and coming knitwear designer Patricia Martin, custodian of the sink-into-it-and-sigh-with-relief loveliness that is the Unwinding Slowly blog.  Pop on over and take a look - you'll love it.  I should know I designed the header.

Her designs are inspired by architecture, look like lace and are named for literature; she can do delicacy, she can do vibrancy.  She's a talent.  She's also my sister.   Somehow how that quick fingered knitting gene bypassed my completely, but the fairy of knitwear waved a wand over Patricia's crib.

Anyways, over the last couple of weeks I've had the great pleasure of snapping some of her latest designs.  Here are a few images of my favourite model messing with the goodies.  Next week, I will post images of the designer herself.  She is just as beautiful as her designs.

Fashion forward.... Imogen's Wardrobe Revisited

If you follow this blog at all, you'll know that I've been involved with various photoshoots for childrenswear designer Beth Cameron, founder of Imogen's Wardrobe.  All summer we have planned a follow up shoot based on the fantastic new collections Beth has been developing.

Unfortunately, a grazed knee curtailed this shoot... and this was all I got (the knee is all better).

I do, I do, I do believe in fairies

Thanks to the wonders of Twitter and Pinterest I've been meeting a whole slew of fantastic and inspirational creative people from writers to fashion designers.  I've been involved in flash fiction writing contests and been playing with fairy tales.  

As is the nature of these things, this inevitably comes round full circle and brings me back to photography.  Here are some images shot in Newhailes woods playing with the theme of fairyland (with some slightly clumsy photoshop assistance).

Elven Knitwear and Other wonders

A big shout out here to my talented sister Patricia, who you can find over here on the Unwindly Slowly blog. A few years ago Patirica started clack-clack-clacking with her knitting needles... just a hobby, just for fun. Within months she was brilliant and swiftly moved onto to creating her own artisan designs. In 2010 she started to make those designs available through Ravelry, the knit and crochet community. Now they are being downloaded by dozens of people anxious to re-create her beautiful work.

Cora and I were given a real treat this December when Patricia presented us with two gorgeous and snuggly hoods, mine in rich plum purple and Cora's in deep blood red. I decided that the least I could do to say thank you was to create some images of her designs. I'm planning a fashion shoot later this month, but in the mean time here is one of her beautiful hoods.

If you are interested in downloading one of her six free patterns (there are others available for purchase) they can be found on Unwinding Slowly, which is always a pleasure to read.

Welcome to the world Charlie!

It was with enormous pleasure that I visited Amanda and Andrew last week, camera in hand, to meet their adorable newborn Charlie. You might remember Charlie's mum, the lovely Amanda, who I photographed for a maternity photoshoot just five weeks ago. Charlie arrived bang on time and is busy charming everyone who meets him.

Imogen's Wardrobe - The Launch

I often think that starting a new business is a bit like having a baby - there's an incubation period with a fair bit of discomfort and a lot dreaming, anticipating and organising - and then there is the birth! Just as Beth Cameron's gorgeous girl Imogen is about to turn three, her new baby Imogen's Wardrobe is about to be launched. Imogen's Wardrobe's first collection is called Little Girl Pirate and sails with bucaneering beauty on a sea of vintage lace, handprinted cotton and organic denim. Every detail is delicious, from the upcycled silk applique through to the pretty shell buttons. There is even an adorable range of accessories, for the piratical pigtail. It was a huge pleasure shooting the photography for Beth's first collection - the images have been used in her brochure and catalogue as seen below.

Imogen's Wardrobe will launch at Bright Grey's Spa Spectacular in aid of Maggie's Cancer Centre on 6 October.

Behind the scenes at the Little Girl Pirate Shoot

I thought it might be fun to do a quick behind the scenes tour of today's Imogen's Wardrobe photoshoot. The shoot was about capturing some promotional pictures for the Imogen's Wardrobe upcoming Little Girl Pirate Collection, so the concept was... piratical! Beth (the talent behind the label) had scoured the seven seas for pirate hats and materials and fashioned some marvellous wooden cutlasses with her own fair hands. Our first two models, Imogen and Cora were very excited about being pirates and scrambled into their gorgeous little girl pirate dresses with great enthusiam. Ellie, our lovely red-head was less keen - and even the lure of wearing a pink taffeta petticoat and getting a lovely treat failed to win her over!

And then there were two...

Despite her lack of pirate fervour, Ellie stayed around to cheer us on though and chased those pirate girls round and round the promenade. Their friend Will and his mum Aly stopped by too to say hello to the little girl pirates and to try a cutlass out for size.

Portobello makes a fantastic setting for shoots like this - our merry models can run around without any restrictions, the sand acts as a great golden reflector and the sea and sky make for a gorgeous blue-streaked backdrop. Unfortunately for us, the wind picked up and the clouds rolled in and soon our pirates were shivering their timbers.

We made for a quick exit - luckily Beth had had the forethought to provide delicious hot chocolate and buttered rolls, so our pirates were able to restore themselves before returning to their rollicking ways.

The key to shoots like this is to make them into a great big game - the girls were happy to run across the beach looking for mermaids and to try to touch the sky with their swords. Had I asked them to look at the camera and smile... I don't like to imagine the consequences.

Some vital statistics:

Photographer: Margaret Clift McNulty
Creative Director: Beth Cameron
Props: Neil Cameron
Model Manager: Janet Jones
Models: Cora, Imogen (and nearly Ellie)

Equation for a successful shoot:

30 smiles - (3 bouts of tears + 3 grazed knees) x 3 hot chocolates + lots of cuddles = Little Girl Pirate photoshoot.

Here are some behind the scenes pictures from the shoot:

Cap'n Imogen (of Wardrobe fame) gets into the Pirate spirit.


"Jump! Jump!" Cora and Imogen work on staying warm between shots.


"I don't want to be a pirate!" having ducked out of being an official model in the shoot, our mischievous model Ellie feels much cheerier. Being cuddled up to her mummy is far better option.


The lovely Will pops by to check on the girls and partakes of a bit of pirate banter.


Imogen is on the lookout for any scurvy knaves who might be interrupting out photoshoot on Portobello's promenade.


Mmmmm some thick Spanish hot chocolate courtesy of the Imogen's Wardrobe kitchen helps our chilly models to warm right up. Luckily Beth, who was styling the shoot had the forethought to remove the dresses!


Woe is me! Not another picture! I want to get on with playing... and with eating that pink cake I was promised!

Little Girl Pirate at Imogen's Wardrobe

Some more beautiful designer dresses from the talent that is Beth Cameron at Imogen's Wardrobe. Beth is putting the finishing touches to her Little Girl Pirate Collection, gorgeous handmade dresses and tops each sporting a pirate theme. We had a lot of fun shooting these pictures down in Portobello with Cora and Imogen in good spirits despite a chilly wind and gathering grey clouds.

Beth will be taking her Little Girl Pirate Collection to the upcoming Spa in the City event to raise money for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres. If you want to get your hands on a unique, handfinished piece from Beth's very first collection, get yourself down to Ghillie Dhu, 2 Rutland Place, Edinburgh on Wednesday 6 October, 6.15pm - 9.30pm. Tickets are £16.

Welcome to the world... Freya

I spent a lovely afternoon today with the gorgeous five-week old Freya Jones, who clearly takes after her mum Joanne with her sparkling blue and masses of thick dark hair. Freya's big brother Daniel gave his little sister lots of kisses and shouted "CHEESE" for the camera, in a very obliging fashion. Who ever said the twos were terrible? It was particularly nice to be photographing the Jones family again, because Daniel was one of my very first baby models two years ago. Congratulations to the Jones family on Freya's safe (and speedy) arrival!