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Children’s Portfolio Photography

Meet Millie!

You can’t help but fall in love with Millie when you meet her. She is full of life, sweet natured and has a little twinkle in her eye which is always visible, never waning once throughout our recent shoot. Millie, 8 is a child model, dancer, singer, swimmer and all round ace performer.

She came to the studio in January this year with her Mum Jo, a colleague of mine from my Venture Portrait in Gosforth, Newcastle in the mid 2000’s and who owns the amazing Decote Dance group in Whitley Bay. Together as a team we created a really varied and colourful portfolio. We wanted photography that had a fashion angle but with personality and character combined. We went for lots of different looks, some edgy and sporty, some sweet and feminine and some fun and energetic. I wanted to capture highlights of Millie’s personality, paired with the outfits Jo brought along. These elements together with my suggestions on composition and lighting created a fantastic fresh new portfolio for Millie and her Mum. It was a really creative and fun shoot!

Many children start early with their model portfolios, attending shoots nationally for work and gaining experience with different photography studios and production companies. It can be a lot of fun if you enjoy it like Millie does and her brand new bank of images now means that she can enter competitions in all areas of her expertise, gain agency interest and refresh her social media online presence.

Below are a selection of Millie’s model photos below, so see what you think. If you know a child who’d like to try it out, my studio is a super friendly place to start out and I will always help you and your child feel comfortable and at ease. You can find more information, client reviews and portfolio pricing if you visit this page on my website

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YMCA Portraits

Just before lockdown I worked with the YMCA in Newcastle on their Urban Mushroom project, capturing photos of the grow-your-own kits they sell made from recycled local coffee grains. It’s a genius idea and more mushroom images will be shared when they go live. Part of the photography brief was to capture urban portraits in Newcastle city centre of the local youth that the scheme employs.

The YMCA are an exciting new client for me and one of the fist things I discussed when meeting Calvin, the Marketing Officer at YMCA Newcastle, was the infamous song! I was curious to know whether it felt relevant to the work they do now. I’d thought the memorable 1970’s Village People’s flamboyance was worlds apart from what the charity does today but did you know that the song was celebrating the YMCA help given to young gay men who were rejected by family and turfed out of home? The YMCA charity gave accommodation to those homeless young men and so Calvin explained the history of the organisation was well respected in this song. Now the YMCA supports both young men and women in all areas of life and Urban Mushrooms is an important employment scheme in Newcastle’s YMCA.

My main focus for the portrait shoot was the amazing Wilton who is employed by the Urban Mushroom scheme. He was a super star and surprisingly tolerant of me pointing a camera in his direction for several hours! I got some atmospheric shots of him and YMCA staff too by simply crossing the road from their premises and using the alleyway next to the Tyneside Cinema. So many brick textures, backdrop colours and lighting styles in that one street!

The brief was to capture a more relaxed expression, so not necessarily smiling as this can appear unappealing, staged and possibly unrealistic to the younger target market the YMCA want to attract. We also discussed the use of dimension and angles to fit with the YMCA style of photography and branding currently on their website. It was a clear and creative brief (the best of course) and the mood and expression needed to be just right. It was also a different type of shoot for me as I usually encourage people to smile although I did get a few smilers at the end though. Obviously!

For more information on the YMCA Newcastle and it’s work click here

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Behind the scenes with Yoshi Muto

Have you ever wanted to see what the Newcastle United Premier League see as they pass through the player’s tunnel? Or maybe the dressing rooms with new graphics and updated interior where the team prepare before a match? Below are a selection of images that I took behind the scenes at St James’ park late last year with Yoshinori Muto and Newcastle United Foundation’s Melissa Scott.

Last year I was thrilled to begin working with Newcastle United Foundation, the official charity partner of Newcastle United Football Club. The Foundation uses the local passion for football to help support disadvantaged children, young people and families by teaching healthy lifestyle, fitness and employability across the region. They are currently fundamental in supporting food banks, NHS and vulnerable communities in Newcastle during the debilitating Covid-19 pandemic.

The Foundation team are based at St James’ Park and have their own in-house NUFC photographer Serena, but I pick up when she can’t be in two places at the same time. I get such a buzz when I approach the ginormous towering grounds and it’s always such a privilege to be pitch side or behind the scenes outside match times. Having free rein of the stadium feels incredibly special!

Last Autumn I documented Newcastle United player Yoshinori Muto meeting excited young Japanese football fans who had travelled more than 5,700 miles form Shinshiro to visit Newcastle and St James’ Park. The school children were part of an initiative linking towns and cities named ‘Newcastle’ across the world which, Melissa Scott the Foundation’s Community Coordinator was involved with. She had travelled to Shinshiro the year before, playing in a Japanese sports day event with countries from all over the world and left a signed shirt from the club’s premier players at the school. My images of the excited faces meeting Yoshi were for an article published in the Chronicle here

After Yoshi posed for pictures and received gifts from fans he wanted to learn more about the charity’s work. I captured documentary photography in the sparkling newly refurbished NUFC changing rooms whilst they discussed Melissa’s role. She explained she was involved with many staff, children and teenagers at Newcastle’s Great North Children’s Hospital on the paediatric oncology ward as they receive cancer care. Melissa’s work is only possible thanks to a special partnership between Newcastle United Foundation, Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and People’s Postcode Lottery. More about the charity’s work can be found here

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BBC Music Day’s Dementia Initiative

Musical Memories

Today, 26th September the BBC celebrates it’s official Music Day 2019. A large part of this event is the BBC’s Music & Dementia Initiative which highlights the benefit and importance of music to those who are living with Dementia. There are pop up concerts in village halls, sing alongs at charities and and even raves in care homes!

There are over 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK and this is set to rise to over one million by 2021. Mostly the over 65’s are affected but it can also hit us earlier. This initiative boasts over 800 music events held today by collaborating organisations across the country raising awareness whilst having lots of fun.

The BBC recently launched Nile Rogers as the ambassador of this initiative as the subject is close to his heart having a mother and Aunt who suffer from dementia. His mother has had Alzheimers for over 13 years but can sing faultlessly along to old songs from her past. He talks of an ‘internalised’ memory of music, so embedded that tunes and words to songs never leave us.

Nile Rogers BBC World Music Day

The joy that this can bring to those who suffer from anxiety and other stress related symptoms of dementia is becoming strongly recognised and increasingly promoted by charities and support groups nationwide.

I began working with a local charity Chrysalis Tynedale, during a rebrand and renaming of Chrysalis Club this summer by local agency Design Engine. Heather from DE got in touch having worked together on similar local projects and knew my documentary photography style would fit her client’s brief perfectly.

It has been one of the most rewarding projects I have worked on, feeling part of a team and seeing the positive effects that Chrysalis brings to those with dementia, their families and carers. This friendly and fun club based in Hexham works hard to deliver twice weekly workshops with enjoyable themes such as gardening, art, sports and music. The first workshop I photographed was a music workshop taken by local drummer Simon Wood. The images below are a small selection I captured at this event with permission from those involved.

Photography taken in a documentary style in Northumberland by a newcastle based photographer

Photography taken in a documentary style in Northumberland by a newcastle based photographer

 

Simon created a drum circle with the group following simple rhythms with shakers and hand drums then played familiar songs on the hang drums (which look like a bbq and sound like a harp!) which brought big smiles and happiness to the group. This was a documentary photographers dream, smiles, energy, movement, concentration and expression at its best!

Photography taken in a documentary style in Northumberland by a newcastle based photographer

 

Simon then rounded off with the most magical version of  Faithless’ Insomnia, resulting in such an electric and euphoric atmosphere many of the regulars got out of their seats and danced aided by sticks and volunteers. The music seemed to soothe any confusion or trouble and it felt joyous. It was such a fantastic moment I had to hide my watery eyes behind the camera.

Photography taken in a documentary style in Northumberland by a newcastle based photographer

 

Photography taken in a documentary style in Northumberland by a newcastle based photographer

 

Hurrah for charities that bring such relief from the of difficulties dementia and how fantastic that the BBC has the power to bring this to peoples attention and with an ambassador as high profile and delightful as Nile Rogers on their BBC Music Day 2019.

For more BBC info visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/CNd36D4NJfvSq36jNtYWJd/music-dementia

If you like my style and have time to browse more of my event photography please go to https://www.sarahdeanephotography.co.uk/commercial/events-and-editorial/

Simon is for hire for events and workshops and is totes amazeballs. His details are at https://www.simonwoodmusic.com

Design Engine are superb graphic designers and branding experts at http://www.thedesignengine.co.uk/index.html

and the shiny new Chrysalis website is coming soon on https://www.chrysalis-tynedale.org.uk

 

Frenchie Kisses

French Bulldog Portraits
So I was going to write a big blurb about this… but you know I think sometimes pictures speak for themselves. I am portrait photographer and I have a cute puppy! It’s a match made in heaven.
Her name is Blue (Bell) or also known as Batpig, Baby Rhino and my husband’s fave in light of her vast quantities of toxic wind and toilet time; Poopitino Pumpatron. He helped with my shoot, squeaked the toys and wore some pretty sweet trainers- on brand no less. She is a soppy and smoochy French Bulldog and loves the camera… so I just had to share her shots.
I have added some of her dog portraits my to Pets galleries page too so if you are crazy about Frenchies, like a poochy pet photo or want to see more of my studio’s work please go to my studio gallery on this furry link;
Dog Portraits:
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Pet Portraits taken in Newcastle Photography studio of French Bulldog Puppy