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

Start With A Vision

 

Dear Folks,

Many people ask me how do I translate an idea into photography reality. So often we have glamorous, cool or moody ideas of what we would like yet our outcome is something else. Anybody seen the Life of Pi client expectations and budget floating around on the net!

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

Sometimes photos that look so simple are in reality a ‘battle’ to get the outcome you would like and others are gifts to you. This shoot was one of those gifts!

When I am working on a shoot my starting point is a vision.

I liken photography to any goal in life, if you can’t see it, how can you get there? 

When I was shooting this story for Harper’s Bazaar of the beautiful Kate Fowler and Justin Hemmes my vision for these photos started long before I picked up the camera.

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

What Was My Vision?

  1. When I scouted the place I noticed lots of opportunities to shoot from different perspectives 
  2. When I stood on the property flashbacks to famous photos, photographers and cool folk started my inspiration process 
  3. I allowed my body to help me. Spaces that excited me such as the pool area and the staircase allowed my imagination to run wild and so much of photography is about imagination
  4. Over the years I have looked at hundreds of thousands of images, films and historical references and its in these moments they serve me. They come to me as inspiration
  5. Give yourself permission to photograph the things you love and the way you want

 

As this was a big shoot my vision started kicking in days before and often an idea would come to me driving, swimming or in the middle of the night. Yes, my shoots keep me awake at night.

So by the day of the shoot I had plenty of ideas of where I could shoot and what I was trying to achieve. 

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

But how do I get a final result that is as good as the image in my head? This is something I will be teaching this October in Puglia on the Heartland – People and Spaces Workshop. How to take a vision and make it happen and not walk away from it when it isn’t working out. 

We have ONE PLACE available if you would love to take great people and spaces pics in a place close to heaven. You can read full details HERE.

Light and love

Carla x

Lost the Plot with Your Wardrobe

portrait shoot, creative mentor, stylist, carla coulson, mentor, personal branding, fashion inspired portrait

All Photos Copyright of Carla Coulson

Dear Friend,

I have always loved fashion and never thought I would lose interest or slip into self-abandonment (did I say that).

Yep, there were some years in the middle of my photography experience that I poured so much time effort and love into photography and literally forgot about myself and what I wore.

Along with forgetting about how I looked, it kind of put a dint in how I felt about myself and I know many women, busy mothers, successful corporate women and stay at home mums that all go through a version of the same thing. The focus shift from us onto what is urgent in front of us and our wardrobe and look goes to pot.

I have had the fortune always to be in touch with great people in the fashion industry and one of my super favourite ‘divisions’ is styling. Man, those girls and guys work miracles. They take one look at you and know what would look great on you, better than we can ever figure out.

They also push us to dare a little, to be a bigger and slightly more fabulous version of ourself (if at all possible).

You may remember back in June I shot gorgeous stylist Kate Taylor who has been saving gals like us from the tracky-daks and leisure wear for years and she has a super offer on to help you re-find your old glamorous self. And it’s FREE.

Don’t be frightened that it going to be all Gucci, Pucci and Schmucci, she will help you get back on track (without the daks) with clothes that fit your budget and help you go forward with a beautiful big smile, feeling good about yourself and things in your wardrobe that make you hum.

The Style Sessions

Grab your 20-minute Style Session with Kate Taylor, for a style transformation or for a special shoot that’s about so much more than clothes.

During your Style Session you’ll learn:

  • What works best for your look, body and lifestyle
  • How to bring your brand to a whole new level with a look and feel that reveals the REAL YOU!
  • How to dress to make your next event or photoshoot a smash hit
  • Specific styling tricks to have you standing out online as the go-to in your field
  • Experience the full transformation that comes with styling
  • Professional brand-styling guidance on where and how to shop for your specific style pieces (with a budget that feels good to you!)

Book your Style Session HERE!

Have Fun

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Une Femme d’un Certain Age

portrait shoot, creative mentor, stylist, carla coulson, mentor, personal branding, fashion inspired portrait

All Photos Copyright by Carla Coulson

Dear Friends,

I have heard about the marvellous Susan Blakey for as long as I have been blogging.

But meeting Susan and her divine husband out did all my expectations.

Susan has a fashion blog for ‘women of a certain age’ and she is cute, stylish and a ton of fun and she shows us gals how to live a stylish life at any age.

Her wardrobe was an “Easyjet attendant’ and photographer’s assistants” dream. It was chic but no fuss and rolled up into a tiny bag that we slung over our shoulder!! Yay, for fabulous packing for Paris.

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We created some pics for her beautiful blog and of course we couldn’t resist a couple of action shots with Susan’s stylish Monsieur, the divine Doug.

I adore how the pics on the bike came out but would have loved to have a backstage of me running sideways (huffing and puffing) trying to keep up with them as they cycle and I compose and click.

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If you have a chance have a look at Une Femme d’un Certain Age, it’s a delight and highly informative if you want to look stylish.

Biggest thanks to Susan and Doug for allowing me to share a little of the shoot.

After all those years as a woman hearing ‘not thin enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, not this enough, not that enough,’ almost overnight I woke up one morning and thought, ‘I’m enough.‘” Anne Quindlen

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Check out my Portrait Lightroom Presets here.