Photography Farm

I've wanted to go to photography farm since Lisa Devlin first announced it. With every chance passing me by and every gallery of amazing shoots going up online I grew more and more hungry for the experience. Once again another farm was announced and I coveted a place and got ready to get jealous... and then Lisa announced a competition to win a place. All we had to do was convince her to pick us. "Come at me" Lisa dared. Who am I to resist a challenge? There were some totally kickass entries... beautiful videos, DIY projects, a super-creative website and my beloved Laura Babb danced with a flamingo. In the light of such marvellous entries it's difficult to explain how I ended up winning with this:

A video for Photography Farm. from Hannah Millard on Vimeo.

I still don't know how to thank Lisa & Kat enough for choosing me to go. Or how to thank Lisa enough for sharing her immense knowledge, warmth and wisdom with my fellow farmers and I. She's given me the kick up the backside I knew I needed but felt too lost to give myself, to improve my workflow and make my business financially viable. So, there are already some big changes in the works... terrifying and brilliant and exciting changes that I can't wait to share with you when I am ready. For now, what I can share with you is some of my favourite images from the farm.

We had two amazing shoots: an engagement shoot with one of Lisa's couples and a hippy luxe-themed styled bridal shoot. When Rachel stepped out with that amazing twig headdress I nearly cried because she looked so awesome. It may have been a drizzly day but I loved every minute and could have kept shooting forever. 

So, here's my take on the experience, including some behind-the-scenes shots of some of the people I've met and some lovely new industry friends. 

The very clever people who made it all possible:
Photography Farm http://devlinphotospsactions.blogspot.co.uk/p/photography-farm.html
Set Styling & Flowers ~ Hannah Best http://www.the-tea-set.co.uk assisted by Sara Reeve http://www.sarareeve.com/
Fashion Styling ~ Kat Williams http://www.rocknrollbride.com/ and Laura Kate O'Rourke http://noirmusic.tumblr.com/
Hair & Make Up ~ Elbie Van Eeden http://www.elbievaneeden.com
Dress ~ Charlotte Casadejus http://charlottecasadejus.com/ via Luella's Boudoir http://luellasboudoir.co.uk/
Jewellery ~ Union http://www.unionjewellery.com/
Menswear ~ Gresham Blake http://www.greshamblake.com/
Stationery ~ House of Sugalily http://www.sugalily.com
Props ~ Boho Garden http://www.boho-garden.com/
Tablewear ~ Mateus http://mateus.se/

It's ok to be you on your wedding day. (In which I come dangerously close to quoting Bruno Mars)

Some of you lovely people out there may know this already, but I am recently engaged. It's brilliant and I am very excited and happy, but that's another post.

This post is about something that doesn't make me happy. I've been engaged a matter of days and already the pressure is starting. As I type this, my Facebook ads are as follows:

Lose 2 Stone in 2 Weeks Lose stone and join the diet revolution like everyone else.

Lose 6 Kgs in 2 Wks Keep the kilograms off with these sneaky tricks...

Reach your Wedding Weight Lose the Weight in Just One Week at UKs Most Exclusive Weight Loss Retreats

It's not just offensive because of the crap grammar.

The pressure is always there from the media to look a certain way or break your heart trying but in my years of using Facebook, I have never seen a Facebook ad for weight loss. Now that I have decided to publish my happy news on there, what I get in return is a never-ending stream of confidence chipping. I can refresh and three or four ads will replace them. Lose 2 stone, slim down, learn this diet trick, no need to go to the gym, secret diet weapons, lose weight, lose inches... chipchipchip. This kind of aggressive advertising isn't meant to get you the first time you see it, or the second... it's unrelentingly there, in the corner of your eye.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be healthy, there's nothing wrong with being really slim if that's the way you are but I really object to constantly being told that I should lose weight at whatever cost. Two stone in two weeks? Are you kidding me?

Now, I am not in amazing shape. I had a baby four months ago. Maybe I could stand to lose a little, but I'm pretty happy in my own skin right now. What really hacks me off is people trying to create insecurity, not just for me but for any bride. Oh and I'm not saying that men aren't under pressure but I've seen my fiancé's Facebook and there isn't a diet ad in sight.

It just makes my heart sink. Aside from this having an effect on me as a bride, it also impacts on me as a wedding photographer. It's not just weight loss either.

Like when I get an email from a couple and before they're even telling me about their wedding, they're apologising. "I'm not that photogenic". "I'm not the prettiest". "I'm not the skinniest".

Please, let's set the record straight. We are so bombarded with advertising and  images and people trying to make money from putting us down that sometimes we can't see the wood for the trees.

All a bride and groom, or a bride and bride, or a groom and groom is is two people getting married. Aside from the legal criteria that is ALL YOU HAVE TO BE.

Don't apologise for it.
Don't torture yourself.
Just give me two people in love, being themselves and I am happy.