Diary photo's

A shark jaw that my grandad lent to me as a prop.

Unfortunately (especially for all shark lovers) it is real, but it was either my grandad or the shark who would have survived & I am very thankful it was my grandad. He wasn’t too happy about having to kill the shark either, but so he didn't feel it was a complete loss he took the jaw, as sort of a trophy/keepsake I suppose.. The teeth are still really sharp & on the bottom jaw alone there are about 3 rows of teeth!

"Just rinsing my insides!"

So me & Lois were shooting on Walney Islands beach, keeping in mind we were only there half an hour; & about 3 or 4 of these flew over head, so low, from the airport close by.. 

My old play house at the bottom of our garden; Bumble Bee Cottage!
It holds so many memories, I remember I used to sleep in it often with our old dog Cally.. I also remember when I was around 9 years old I took a strop with my mum & told her I was leaving home.. So I grabbed a can of beans & took the dog & went & stayed in the playhouse.. It lasted about an hour, then I realised it was too cold & I had forgotten the tin opener!! 

Our town (like most, especially in England) holds tons & tons of seagulls. I understand why everyone complains but we can’t solely blame them, it is our fault they came in to the towns/cities in the first place. However after yesterday I can completely understand why their population needs monitoring, one of my partners cats had escaped in to the back street & refused to come in for at least 15 minutes, all through this I could hear a seagull squawking & then before I know it 3 turn up & try to swoop down to grab the cat! I had seen them doing this with kittens (sadly), but never thought they would attempt to take a fully grown cat. It just shows how greedy they can be! But is it still right to get rid of them? Hmm.. 

For about 3 years now, mainly of a night time I have always heard scratching through the walls, the roof.. just about anywhere really. At first we thought maybe a tiny mouse had housed itself in our attic, but after checking multiple times we knew it wasn’t.. This scratching carried on & on & drove me insane most nights whilst I tried to get to sleep. But now that the sun has started to appear more, so have these little birdies & now I realise all the scratching was them! They have nested themselves under our gutter pipe, under the roof tile & snuggled themselves next to our attic insulation! The scratching doesn’t bother me now, now that I know what it is! 

Tractors on the horizon.

I love just sitting in my back garden, watching the dog run round like a loony & watching the cats try to sunbathe (without being disturbed by the dog) I just sit in silence, listen & observe. It’s so peaceful! (Usually)

So me & Lois were shooting on Walney Islands beach, keeping in mind we were only there half an hour; & about 3 or 4 of these flew over head, so low, from the airport close by.. 

x

South Africa

As most know, I have always longed to visit South Africa - not only because some of my family live there but because of its beauty & the people it holds. Luckily for me, one of my granddads friends Tony works out in South Africa teaching. At first Tony went out to do research, but after meeting the people he fell in love. He set up this charity by himself, funded from home. At first I started helping Tony & the children by sending out clothes for them, as they can not afford to buy their own. The children were so grateful & often sent back pictures of them wearing our clothes proudly. The children even spent time making us a lovely 'thank you' poster!

 After a few months I plucked up the courage & asked Tony a little bit more about what he does & if there was any other ways I could help, or maybe even come out to volunteer. So next year in July I have been given the opportunity to go & work with the children in Red Location, South Africa. The children all come to school to learn English, because without this they are unable to sit their exams. The children best learn English through song & dance, so have set up their own choir.

Here on this video, children (aged 10-16 years)  from New Brighton Township in Port Elizabeth, South Africa demonstrate their talent & show you a little slice of their lives;

Plea for Africa sung by The Red Location Children's Choir. Solo by Vuvu

Baba Wetu sung by The Red Location Children's Choir. Solo by 10 year old Aqamilhe

 You can find more videos of the choir singing on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/LocationKids

These children really do not have much, & it breaks my heart every time I hear them sing, knowing how talented they are, knowing if they lived anywhere else their talent would be recognised instantly. That's why in July of next year when I go to visit them, we plan on bringing the choir back over to England with us to perform.
This all depends however on how much money we can raise, as it works out around £1000 per child.

On the 30th June (4 days from this post) we have organised a sponsored bungee jump, which anyone can take part in to help raise money & awareness.

We often run Car Boot Sales too in order to raise money.

If you think you could help in any way, whether it be; donating books, clothes, money, or your own time then please do get in touch;

• https://www.facebook.com/RedLocationKids
• LocationKids@gmail.com

 Even sharing this post can help us!!

Thank you.

Publications 2012

Taya's magazine - Living Dream

http://www.issuu.com/tayaiv/docs/living_dream

i also joined photo vogue this year (which i must remember to submit more photo's to!)

http://www.vogue.it/en/photovogue/Profilo/9f3994da-c96c-42e0-a444-19be1b3c8f65/User

So far this year..

i have not posted in a long while, i've promised myself i will get back in to blogging. & i just hope i can keep my own promise. i stopped posting when my canon 20d camera 'died', & so i waited a few months to buy my new camera the 5dmkII - however after buying my new one, i learnt that my old one wasn't in fact broke, it was the lens attached to it. so now I have two DSLR cameras, i have a polaroid & a typical 35mm film camera. i feel more like a collector than an artist! so far this year the main things i have photographed is my new puppy Bella. 

Bella the first day we got her 4 months old

Bella's most recent pictures 7 months & 9 months

other than photographing my new pup i haven't really done much else so far this year, however i have plans to push my work. i've contacted a local clothing designer called Liliana who has quite happily agree'd to let me use her pieces & who has also asked me to photograph her daughter in the prom dress she has made for her. i've also started photographing weddings this year, at the moment i only have two definite bookings one which i have already shot & another coming up. my first wedding went really well, i was nervous at first but soon got in to the flow of everything; i would like to thank Rowan & Stuart for giving me the opportunity & trusting in me & my work (since it was my first time shooting a wedding) 

sneak peaks from Rowan & Stuarts big day

aside from photographing weddings & clothing designs this year i have also contacted a lot of local animal shelters/shops in hope to do some promotion work with animals, whether this be to help abandoned animals find new loving homes, or whether it be to help persuade a parent to buy their child some sort of exotic pet, maybe a snake, maybe a tarantula..

Eve in the garden of Eden

a birds nest we found in our garden, unfortunately mama bird was no where to be found & by the time we found the eggs they were too cold to save (however i have plans for this nest..)

my kittens playmate, he sits in our garden waiting for our kitten to come out

an unfinished photo, still not blended enough but i just had to post..

til' death do us part

 my fluffly

my baby cousin Evie at a family reunion

my latest self portrait - secret garden; a passage in time