MAGIC IS IN THE DOING – CREATING NURTURING SPACES

claire lloyd, carla coulson, my greek island home, white interior, nurturing spaces, lesvos Dear Friends,

What a joy it is to introduce the first in a series of interviews titled Magic is in the Doing  with women who have followed their passion to make it an essential part of their life. I have a strong belief when you are passionate about something and take baby steps towards it each day with inspired action you eventually create magic!!

And that is exactly what Claire Lloyd has done. Claire  is a dear friend of mine and her passion for interiors has been with her since she was a little girl. She found a way to incorporate her love for interiors whilst working as an art director in magazines in London by slowly buying one property at a time,  feeding this love of beauty and creativity whilst creating a nurturing space.

Her passion for interiors kept calling her and over the years she has created beautiful apartments and homes in London, Greece and Sydney whilst still working at her ‘day job’.

I’m so honoured to have Claire share her story about how she wove this love of beauty into her life.

  1. How did your love for interiors start? 

As a young child I remember laying in bed at my grandmother’s home, looking up at the ceiling and being in awe of the beauty of the ornate cornicing and ceiling rose. I was extremely aware of the morning light and how it revealed interesting details. I would often imagine turning this image upside down in my head so the ceiling became the floor. I would step over the doorway as if it was not an obstacle and imagine different rooms. I was led by my imagination and furnish each room simply in my head. I would find peace and calmness in what I created. Perhaps this was the start for me.

  1. Did you have someone or something that inspired you to buy your first apartment and renovate it? 

The first apartment I bought was in London on the New Kings Road. I had been living in London a few years and was working for The World of Interiors magazine, a dream job and one that truly inspired me on many levels. The flat was very small but completely perfect for my life at that time.

When I first arrived in London a friend had lent me her flat until I got on my feet. I went on to rent the flat and then when I could see I was not returning to Australia I bought it from her. It was a gift having a place to make my very own. My new found freedom in London was my inspiration and the many influences of my job led me to making it a beautiful space.

Not long after that, on a trip to Sydney I decided to buy a small apartment, a little place to retreat to on my yearly visits. My sister Monica was instrumental in my purchase as she took me to view the small apartment a few days before my return to London. On entering the property, I knew it had to be mine.

The decor didn’t interest me it was the light and feeling of the space that grabbed my imagination. There was one other factor too. When I was a child we would visit my grandparents regularly. I must have been no more than 6 years of age and each time we would drive up into Wylde Street in Potts Point this newly created building would catch my eye, I was fascinated by it.  It was a new building and very different to the others that surrounded it, it had something special about it and I wanted to live there. So you can imagine my surprise when this was the building my sister took me to. This was to be my first flat in Australia. I quickly set about making a space I would love.

claire lloyd, martyn thompson, white interior, magic is in the doing, inspiring people, white on white,

Photo copyright Martyn Thompson 

04

Photo copyright Martyn Thompson 

  1. I love that you continued to work as an art director and indulged your passion for interiors at the same time. What was the benefit of this and how did it support your creativity?

I really don’t think one thing defines your creativity. I am a great believer in the bigger picture. It is your picture and you can paint it in any way that suits you. For me everything I do is visual, it’s my language. I don’t feel there are boundaries it’s just a natural flow and the more you flow the more you create. All areas of creativity support one another in some way and add another layer to each other.

  1. Creating an interior for yourself I imagine is a vastly different process to doing it for someone one else. What has been some of the joys of creating your nurturing spaces in London, Greece and Sydney and how do you adapt your style? 

I have a very definite vision when it comes to my nurturing spaces, simple but clear. I experience a huge amount of joy finding a space I love and breathing fresh energy into them. My style is constant no matter where I am. I use the building, the form and the environment as a guide. I like the space to have an authentic,  to create a tranquil light filled home that gives enjoyment and pleasure. I love a blank canvas and making something cosy, understated and beautiful. Simply … I LOVE beauty and making anything look beautiful.

In Greece the look is much more rustic. We live in an authentic Greek village so I felt the house needed to reflect that authenticity. Matthew my partner, an artist, is great at finding old pieces of furniture and other bits and pieces. He can sniff out all sorts of things and because he is extremely creative he can turn his hand to anything even restoration. Matthew builds furniture for us. He built our bed based the design on the traditional Greek daybed. He white washed it and its fabulous.

White is always my colour of choice, however here on the island I have introduced turquoise for doors and shutters. It looks fantastic against the white and pings when hit by the Greek sunlight. The inspiration for this colour came from the house itself. When we bought the house it was as full with the previous owner’s belongings, some of which Matthew restored so they could be incorporated into the new simpler look. The whole process was fun.

In London the space is less eclectic than Greece and much more minimal. The apartment is large and spread over 3 floors.  Living in London I felt the need for light and clarity was essential. The building is late Georgian so the ceilings are high, there are original fireplaces and there are lovely cornicing details. I wanted to keep the large spaces simple using art and natural fabrics and layering textures to cosy it up.

Sydney is a small apartment with fabulous views and beautiful natural light. Being located in a city the importance again was to create simplicity and serenity. I used Australian cherry wood for the kitchen and all the cupboards, it sits really well with white. To emphasise the dazzling light, because nothing is ever too bright for me, I had a white, high gloss dance floor laid. It really did the trick,  sometimes you almost need to reach for your sunglasses.

Claire lloyd, bresic whitney, white, nurturing spaces, interior sydney, potts point, interior stylist,

Photo Copyright Bresic Whitney

12

Photo Copyright Bresic Whitney

16

Photo Copyright Bresic Whitney

  1. You are a renaissance woman and are the author of Sensual Living, photographed and wrote My Greek Island Home, I believe all of us are creative, what would you say to someone who wants to try more than one creative art or blend them like you have?

Just do it! Listen to yourself and what you want to do and what makes you feel happy and alive and focus on that. Also give yourself space to create and let it flow naturally.

  1. In what ways have you always said YES to yourself? 

I like to think YES is a word I use often. YES, has taken me far, sometimes it’s been scary but I have never regretted saying it.

It took me to London led me to taking on jobs I felt were far beyond my ability. It took me to Greece to experience a new life which taught me so very much about living authentically.  I really hope there will be a mountain of YES’S ahead of me and I never stop saying YES.

Huge thanks to Claire for sharing her beautiful story, eye and passion for creating spaces. You can follow Claire on Instagram HERE

Light and love

Carla x

PS: One of Claire’s beautiful properties is on the market in Potts Point Sydney via Bresic and Whitney and you can find more out HERE

 

Carla Coulson, Carla Coulson Photography,Carla Coulson Coaching

When Do Your Photos Become Valuable?

Dear Folks,

The easy answer for this is the moment you take them. They are our memories, the proof of our lives, where we have been and what we found along the way.

The longer answer goes something like this.

So many of the photos I have taken during the last eighteen years were for pure pleasure on my travels or holidays and today I have 100,000’s of thousands of photos on numerous discs and negatives.

When I first started taking photos the concept of them being valuable didn’t enter my mind. I was so excited to take them and then rush out and take some more, like a wonderful addiction to life.

I was terrible with them, in such a hurry to print them and see them appear in the darkroom that I would hastily discard one negative for the next and often put them back in the wrong packet.

 

Carla Coulson, Carla Coulson Photography,Carla Coulson Coaching

 

Hence if someone today asks me for a copy of a photo in my first years, I will go into hot sweats and do anything to avoid promising that photo because I could lose a day looking for it. I would rather NOT find it or sell it than go looking for it.

When I started my blog back in 2008 I put up the photos I loved with little SEO tags of when and where I took them and now I have a steady stream of magazines, publications and interior designers asking me for my photos from my travels.

Coupled with the photos I continue to take, I have come to realize that our archives have an enormous value and they should be treasured, catalogued and easy to find.

So dear photographers, I beg you to look after your images and no matter where you are on your journey start improving your system today.

 

Carla Coulson, Carla Coulson Photography,Carla Coulson Coaching

 

Here are my top 5 tips:

  1. Right now today make sure you always have two discs of any series of images. One being an exact backup disc and mirror of the original disc and make sure they AREN’T stored together
  2. Number, date and name your discs and make sure they are marked clearly on the outside
  3. Categorise each shoot by date first, month and then name your project, person and place for each search reference. When you open your disc you should see a series of folders with specific jobs, subjects or travels.
  4. If you are super-organized start a file with the disc names and then sub folders on that disc. You could also do a hard copy reference book just for this for easy searching so if you are looking for ‘2013 Sifnos’ you know it is on disc 13 etc..
  5. Always keep your ‘hero’s’ in a 3rd place such as the cloud so if all things go belly up you have the best photos of your career in high resolution version.

 

I know so many of you are creating magic on a daily basis, look after your beautiful images as one day they will have an incredible emotional, historical and economical value.

 

Happy snapping!

Carla

 

If you want to learn how to take/create your body of work and sell it online, join my Free Training by clicking here.

Carla Coulson In Harpers Bazaar

 

Carla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming pool

Dear Photographers and Creative Folk,

I wanted to share this shoot with you I did recently whilst in Australia for the beautiful Harpers Bazaar.

What a joy to spend a day at Justin Hemmes and Kate Fowlers home shooting them in this incredible setting on the edge of Sydney Harbour.

I am happy to share with you some behind the scenes tips on how I did this:

1. One of things I always do is scout the location. As I am not used to shooting in big bold Sydney light, it was really important for me to understand how the light works in this location and when and where it would be appropriate to shoot in and outside the house. Being able to scout it gave me this information.

2. I went wild about the pool and when a place has been published before,  it’s important not to just reproduce the same images that have already been seen. The pool hadn’t been shot so we decided to use a little ‘Slim Aarons’ inspiration and this felt so at home for me with my love of beaches and the sea.

3. I made a little plan of what areas to shoot and when all based around the light and how it moved.

4. It’s a photographers dream to have a shoot like this, working with a team and super cool people who are happy to collaborate makes for a seamless job. When you have other professionals working with you the photography always goes to a higher level. 

5. I stayed spontaneous and when I heard a plane coming down the harbour and the dog barking I started to run hoping to catch Justin or the plane!!!

Carla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming pool

 

Carla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming pool

 

6. I was conscious of colours and colour palettes and how we could blend the inside with the outside.

7. I worked with Kate and Justin to create images that reflected their easy way and lifestyle. They were a dream!

8. I was all in with all the props including boats and the pool! To shoot the boat we were lucky to have Super John and yachtsman who came and drove me around and around Kate and Justin’s boat. I was aiming to shoot with backlight to make the image more interesting. The alternative was gassing them with big Sydney sunshine that looked too harsh and uncool.

9. I spend a lot of my time looking at angles and pre-framing shots before bringing in my subject. I am conscious of not wasting my subjects time so I want to be sure I like the frame and light before asking them to step in.

10. I love shooting people in their environments. It has been something I have adored from the beginning, blending my love for travel photography, portraiture and interiors so for me it’s really important what is going on in the background as well as capturing my subjects at their best.

A huge thanks to Eliza O’Hare and the wonderful folks at Harpers Bazaar,  Justin Hemmes and Kate Fowler and the people that worked on this shoot. It takes ‘a village’ to create productions like these and I am forever grateful to be involved with such wonderful people who continue make me look good!! THANK-YOU.. XX

I hope you enjoy the rest of the shoot. If you would like to learn more about how I do these shoots including working with your subject, shooting interiors and getting the most out of your portraiture you might like to join me in October at the beautiful Masseria Potenti in Puglia Italy for Heartland – People and Spaces Workshop. All details HERE

Light and love

 Carla x

Carla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming pool

Carla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming pool

Carla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming poolCarla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming pool

 

Related Post: Carla Coulson in Harper’s Bazaar

How This Photographer Turned A Dream Into Reality

How This Photographer Turned A Dream Into Reality Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography jacqui turk photographer, get published, photography workshop, carla coulson, published photographer, benefits of getting published, magazine,

 

Inside Out photography by Jacqui Turk

Dear Photographers,

I am super excited to share this interview with beautiful photographer Jacqui Turk and what she has achieved with her unique eye, vision and photography.

Part of my journey has been to share my knowledge and what I have learnt at the ‘coal face’ and pass on my experience (good and bad)  to others so they can go carve out their dream in their own way.

I had the honour of meeting Jacqui Turk at Get Published in 2014 and she is one of many photographers who ran with the knowledge shared on the day and made it their own. I love what Jacqui has achieved creatively and I know what a thrill it is to be published in some of Australia’s best magazines and she is going to share her story of turning her dream into reality this December at our new edition of Get Published!

Over to Jacqui….

How This Photographer Turned A Dream Into Reality Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography jacqui turk photographer, get published, photography workshop, carla coulson, published photographer, benefits of getting published, magazine,

Inside Out photography by Jacqui Turk

How long had you been doing photography prior to attending the Get Published workshop?

I’d studied an Associate Diploma in Photography after I had graduated high school in the 90’s after that life and work took me in a different direction, still in photo studio’s but on the styling side with a magazine. It had probably been about 18 months before the workshop that I picked up a camera again.

How This Photographer Turned A Dream Into Reality Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography

How This Photographer Turned A Dream Into Reality Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography jacqui turk photographer, get published, photography workshop, carla coulson, published photographer, benefits of getting published, magazine,

Photography by Jacqui Turk

When your first article was published after the workshop how did you feel when you saw your first pages?

I was absolutely thrilled! I couldn’t really believe it.  There is definitely something special about seeing your images in print.

Did you have a favourite magazine you loved and dreamed of being published in? Have you achieved that?

I love all magazines! Especially the interior ones. I dreamt of having a Home published in Inside Out and have achieved that.

How This Photographer Turned A Dream Into Reality Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography jacqui turk photographer, get published, photography workshop, carla coulson, published photographer, benefits of getting published, magazine,

Elle Magazine photography by Jacqui Turk

We are so excited to have you speak this year and share with the audience your experience and how you took the material and made it yours but what was one of the key pieces of information you learned that allowed you to achieve what you have in such a short time?

The one key piece of information that you shared, Carla, and even having come from a magazine background it was so obvious but I didn’t see it, is to know the magazine you are pitching to. Know the sections, know the style, know what kind of content they publish, know what angles they love. This is can be a big advantage to pitching the right story to the right magazine and therefore gives you better chance at getting published. The Gourmet Traveler waiter is the example you gave us Carla! This piece of info is still with me everyday on almost every shoot.

How This Photographer Turned A Dream Into Reality Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography jacqui turk photographer, get published, photography workshop, carla coulson, published photographer, benefits of getting published, magazine,

photography by Jacqui Turk

Anything else you would like to share about your journey?

I am still pinching myself! It has been such an amazing journey and I feel so privileged to work and collaborate with so many wonderful and talented people.  Getting together and collaborating with other creatives has taught me the most. The perfect chance to experiment and try new things. It’s the greatest preparation for your next job!

How This Photographer Turned A Dream Into Reality Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography jacqui turk photographer, get published, photography workshop, carla coulson, published photographer, benefits of getting published, magazine,

Inside Out photography by Jacqui Turk

A huge thanks to the beautiful Jacqui and if you would like to come and meet her, hear her story, tips on how she achieved this, she will be speaking along with Creative Director of Vogue Living, Julie Gibbs Founder of the Lantern Imprint at Penguin, Photographer Luisa Brimble and myself.

If you would like to make your dream of being published in magazines or books a reality  we have LIMITED PLACES ONLY for Get published 2017.

All details HERE and please check out Jacqui’s beautiful work HERE

Love and Light

signature

Related Post: Don’t Put Your Dreams Off Till Someday

Check out my Portrait Lightroom Presets here.

When I Am Stuck This is What I Do Carla Coulson Photography, Carla Coulson, Photography, Paris, Europe, Authentic, Goals, Heart, Follow your heart, Photography Tips, Portraits, coaching, clarity Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography

When I Am Stuck This is What I Do

Photo Credit: Loc Boyle

Dearest Folks,

This is a quick little tip that you can apply to help you solve anything!

Often in life we get caught up with what we ‘should do’. This can apply to your photography such as “I should do this job” or “I should take these photos for my portfolio” or “I should become a wedding photographer because that’s where the money is.”

Our self-talk is powerful and it can convince us in mille seconds we are on the wrong path and just like that we have dropped our most passionate plans and we are doing what we think we ‘should do’.

This can happen to us in our relationships, with our creativity and even with our life paths.

I have one way of always getting back on track with what’s true for me and that is bringing it back to love.

Cause here’s the secret. If you love what you do you are a magnet that attracts the right people, the right work, the right life. If you are doing what is authentic to you which maybe taking the photos deep in your heart, or creating interiors you have always dreamed of or living a particular way you are excited, passionate and that energy transmits to the people who need your product, message or new sofa!

So whenever you are stuck, no matter what it is in life, ask yourself ‘what would make you happy?’ What would be your biggest creative (fill in the blank.. holiday, life, partner, book) dream.

Often this one little question will bring clarity and you will be back in love with what you do and the world will be as it should be!

Sending love

signature

 

 

Related Post: Six Tips For Creative Clarity in 2018