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 - up close and personal

For the last two weeks I have been posting shots of Patricia Martin's gorgeous knitwear modelled irreverantly by my lovely four year old model and stylishly by the designer herself. 

This week the craft takes centre stage as we get up close and personal with the detail... prepare to sigh over it's delicate edging and lacy stitches.  Pure genius.

Beach Fashion shoot - Patricia Martin Knitwear

Last week I posted about the rising star that is Patricia Martin, knitwear designer extraordinaire and promised to post the fruits of our photoshoot. 

Well never let it be said that I don't keep my word.  Despite ominous rain clouds and a chill breeze, Patricia modelled her knitwear like a pro - given the nature of the Scottish summer it helps that it was hats, gloves and shawls!  Here she is looking beautiful and knitty.  Next week I will post the gorgeous detailed pictures. 

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).

Want a free photoshoot? Look no further...

It's been a busy, busy time the last few months. Too busy to blog, too busy for business. I've made a decision not to take any new commercial wedding bookings for the next twelve months so I can keep life happily balanced and under control.

BUT

I am keen to keep my creative juices flowing and I am interested in collaborating with other creative professionals on some specific projects:

1. Fashion and Knitwear photography. I've hugely enjoyed the photoshoots for Little Girl Pirate photoshoot for Imogen's Wardrobe and the knitwear photoshoot for Patricia Clift my nearly famous knitwear designing sister, and I'm interested in doing more. I'm looking for people who have handmade crafts or clothes, who are keen to collaborate on photoshoots. No fees, and you get a disk of the images. It's just for fun.

2. Historical reproduction photography. I'm looking for people who make pre-20th century reproduction clothes or costumes - Regency, Georgian,Victorian, Elizabethan, from Dangerous Liaisons to Pride and Prejudice. Clothes like the ones featured in this Flickr group. If you would like to show them off in a professional style photoshoot, get in touch. This is for fun, but I would also like the option of using the images in book cover designs (credited of course).

The rules:

1. You need to be in Edinburgh, or willing to travel to Edinburgh

2. I own the images, but you will have a disk of high resolution edited images with a waiver saying you can use them as you wish

3. It's got to be fun!

If you're interested in collaborating in either of these areas over the next year, please do get in touch!

A little more elfishness

Thanks to the fact Father Christmas brought me a Kindle, I have been exploring new directions in my reading habits and have immersed myself in the wonderful world of Science Fiction and Fantasy (much of which can be found as free Kindle downloads, for those who might be interested).

The combination of my reading matter along with the arrival of the wonderful hoods from my talented sister (see earlier post) inspired me to try my hand at some elf inspired imagery. These images have been draganized (inspired by Andrzej Dragan) in Lightroom, had the blacks and the red channel tweaked in lightroom (using curves), two layers applied (one turquoise fill and one texture) and a slight vignette added. The results are quite ethereal and, I hope, elvish with a sci fi twist!

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.

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.