Ali J Photography https://alijphotography.com/ Be real in your images. People Photography across the East Midlands Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:44:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Gymnastics https://alijphotography.com/gymnastics/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gymnastics Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:20:39 +0000 https://alijphotography.com/?p=3173 Gymnastics
Ali J Photography

An hour or so play time at Notts Gymnastic Academy with the senior mens squad.

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]]> Gymnastics
Ali J Photography

An hour or so play time at Notts Gymnastic Academy with the senior mens squad.

The post Gymnastics appeared first on Ali J Photography written by aljsphotos

]]> 3173 Ballet in the Gardens at A Gentleman’s Residence https://alijphotography.com/ballet-a-gentlemans-residence/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ballet-a-gentlemans-residence Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:12:25 +0000 https://alijphotography.com/?p=3114 Ballet in the Gardens at A Gentleman’s Residence
Ali J Photography

I’ve been in and out of the house (https://www.agentlemansresidence.com) while it was being worked on for the past few years—sometimes with a camera, sometimes just standing around with a cup of tea while things got discussed, moved, uncovered. Other times rolling up my sleeves and finding distractions to life —scraping back layers of old paint […]

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]]> Ballet in the Gardens at A Gentleman’s Residence
Ali J Photography

I’ve been in and out of the house (https://www.agentlemansresidence.com) while it was being worked on for the past few years—sometimes with a camera, sometimes just standing around with a cup of tea while things got discussed, moved, uncovered. Other times rolling up my sleeves and finding distractions to life —scraping back layers of old paint (the slightly concerning arsenic kind), or taking a turn with a jackhammer to get stubborn plaster off the entrance corridor walls. It’s hard to stay on the sidelines in a place like that. You end up part of it. 

Watching what Andy and Mandy have taken on at A Gentleman’s Residence has been awesome. Not just the scale of it, but the way they’ve approached it—learning skills as they go, figuring things out properly, and restoring it in a way that actually matches the original building rather than glossing over it with modern decor and building ways.  It doesn’t feel forced or overdone. It feels like the house has been listened to.

There’s a kind of quiet discipline in that. A respect for structure, but also this underlying tension of how do we approach this, and taking the hard, back breaking way even when there was a quicker, modern way that could have been used—a strength held just beneath the surface, both of the building and the people in it.  Ballet felt like the right language for a place that had been broken down and carefully, patiently rebuilt, using that strength and the slight mix-match of pointe shoes on a floor that still creaks a bit, of movement that’s been trained and repeated thousands of times, happening in a place that’s still figuring itself out.

@agentlemansresidence house in the background. 2 ballet dancers teeing shoes
Black and white photo of a ballet dancers legs and Pointe shoes
@agentlemansresidence house in the background. Ballet dance in arabesque. Black and white image.
@agentlemansresidence house in the background. Ballet dance in pose. Black and white image.

We didn’t go in with much of a plan—just a few loosely saved Pinterest ideas and a sense that we’d figure it out as we went. It ended up being more about wandering than directing. The weather was perfect, dappled sunlight shining through trees so we began in the gardens and there we stayed. Moving around, noticing where the light was falling, stopping when something felt right.

The gardens became the main backdrop this time. The house always there, just behind— part of the story without needing to dominate it.

Practical realities hit a little as Pointe shoes and grass don’t exactly get along, so there were moments of improvisation—piggybacking the dancers on her mum’s back to get between spots, which felt slightly ridiculous and completely necessary in equal measure. Giggles and relaxed movement, nothing about it felt overly staged.

We spent a few hours on the steps, moving to a swing under the house chestnut tree, heading for the Victorian fern gardens but getting way laid on an ancient tree with the most amazing light falling between the leaves and a trunk, just about perfect for holding the shape of a ballerina – if only when Andy appeared with a mini chain saw to remove an offending branch – making adjustments, pausing, moving changes slightly when you’re not on a perfect surface. 

Because that’s the thing—this renovation project isn’t about perfection. It’s about care, patience, and a willingness to sit in the process, to explore and investigate, to bring back parts of history with a modern twist.  Ballet, when you strip it back, isn’t effortless either – but the final poses and dances look effortless and  hide the blooming’ hard work that has gone into the process to get here super well. 

This felt like letting both of those things sit side by side.

@agentlemansresidence house in the background. Ballet dancer in pose on tree branch.
@agentlemansresidence house in the background. Ballet dancer in pose on tree branch. black and white
@agentlemansresidence house in the background. Ballet dancer in pose on tree branch.
@agentlemansresidence house in the background. Ballet dancer in pose on tree branch.
@agentlemansresidence house in the background. Ballet dancer in pose on tree branch.
Ballet dancer in dappled sunlight on a swing.
Ballet dancer in dappled sunlight on a swing.

We barely touched the inside this time, which almost feels like unfinished business. There’s so much more there to respond to—the light through those windows, the textures, the rooms that have been brought back to life. And the studio in the stables is its own thing entirely.

So we’ll come back. Do it differently. Let the inside lead next time.

But for this first go, wandering through the gardens, working with what we had, figuring it out as we went—it felt right. Not overthought. Just… in step with the place, as it is now. 

A huge thank you to Andy and Mandy at @agentlemensresidence for giving us free range of the place and to Izzy and Libby for being so patient and creative.

Ballet dancer in splits pose, in garden. sunlight.
Ballet dance, in pose with arm outstretched in point shoes with @agentlemensresidence in background
Ballet dance, in pose with arm outstretched in point shoes with a cup of tea and @agentlemensresidence in background
Ballet dance, reflective stood in doorway @agentlemensresidence in background
Ballet dance, in pose with arm outstretched in point shoes with a cup of tea and @agentlemensresidence in background

I’d love to do something similar again and return to the gardens or the house itself and studio with some dancers – if you’d like to get in touch and have a chat about being part of the project, then drop me a message and let me know! And if you are part of a dance school and can share to teachers/instructors, then please do so – the possibility of setting up some mini-sessions for a group of dancers is also an option that’s worth exploring. 

Ballet dance, in pose with arm outstretched in point shoes @agentlemensresidence in background
Ballet dance, in pose with arm outstretched in point shoes @agentlemensresidence in background
2 ballet dancers, in pose with arms outstretched in point shoes @agentlemensresidence in background
Ballet dancer, in pose with arm outstretched in point shoes @agentlemensresidence in background
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Ballet Shears 26 alijphotos-42

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]]> 3114 The Pause – short film https://alijphotography.com/the-pause-short-film/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-pause-short-film Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:59:38 +0000 https://alijphotography.com/?p=2680 The Pause – short film
Ali J Photography

  When looking for work at 50 meets the menopause and AI: The Pause,   A woman battling job loss, menopause, and self-doubt hilariously confronts midlife horror, both real and imagined, and discovers her true calling in the most unexpected place: the horror genre itself. A privilege and so much fun to be working with […]

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]]> The Pause – short film
Ali J Photography

 

When looking for work at 50 meets the menopause and AI: The Pause,
 

A woman battling job loss, menopause, and self-doubt hilariously confronts midlife horror, both real and imagined, and discovers her true calling in the most unexpected place: the horror genre itself.

A privilege and so much fun to be working with Sam Grierson, the Writer and Director of this film and creator of So Crocodile.

I met Sam back in the late 1990’s at University and re-connected last year, just as she was developing and pushing into her film work.  She’s such a force of nature and awesome to be around and work with.  So, after catching up and taking some head shots one afternoon in Birmingham –  I hadn’t really got any option but to say yes to blasting it across country one Thursday evening after work earlier this year to catch at least a little of the behind the scenes of the filming!

The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause BTS 25 alijphotos -10
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
Camera man short film
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.

Between Sam and Gill, they managed to recreate a cemetery scene in a garden, with some outstandingly creative gravestones  – add in a little smoke, wait for dark and game on!

The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - A darkly comic, powerful and relatable short film about menopause, identity, job loss and self-discovery.
The Pause - film by So Crocodile. Written by Sam Grierson, starring Suzy Bloom and Louise Osbourne
The Pause - film by So Crocodile. Written by Sam Grierson, starring Suzy Bloom and Louise Osbourne
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Sam Headshots alijphotos 24-80
The Pause - film by So Crocodile. Written by Sam Grierson, starring Suzy Bloom and Louise Osbourne

Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580147403996

So Crocodile – https://www.socrocodile.com/thepause

Sam Grierson – Writer, Director, Producer https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010049833925

 Louise Osbourne – https://www.instagram.com/louise_osbourne/?hl=en

Gillian Abrahams Producer / Editor – https://www.facebook.com/gillian.abraham.16

Suzy Bloom – https://www.facebook.com/suzybloombloom

Gary Rodgers – DOP https://www.facebook.com/gary.rogers.121398

Rose Hill – Stylist 

Vrinder Mahey – visitor

Tim Parker – caretaker https://www.facebook.com/tim.parker.5209

Film Sponsor – Liz Crutchley

The post The Pause – short film appeared first on Ali J Photography written by aljsphotos

]]> 2680 I get it. https://alijphotography.com/i-get-it/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=i-get-it Sun, 07 Apr 2024 13:29:35 +0000 https://alijphotography.com/?p=2629 I get it.
Ali J Photography

You treasure photos of your kids, but you are very rarely in them, you always find yourself behind the camera, dodging the lens, capturing everything for everyone else.  And photos with the whole family in them – never! Maybe a quick selfie or two (hundred), with occasionally one that you are happy with. You can’t bear […]

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]]> I get it.
Ali J Photography

You treasure photos of your kids, but you are very rarely in them, you always find yourself behind the camera, dodging the lens, capturing everything for everyone else.  And photos with the whole family in them – never! Maybe a quick selfie or two (hundred), with occasionally one that you are happy with.
 
You can’t bear the thought of a stranger jumping in, alongside you and your kids and telling you to pose like this or that, leaving you feeling out of place and with those “What am I doing here thoughts?” shouting at you inside your head.
 
You aren’t fussed about perfect outfits, pretty pictures and those posed, everyone facing the camera and ‘cheese’ photos.
 
You want real photos of you all, those that tell stories of who you are in that moment, not insta-fake, manufactured ones.
 
You want to look back on photos and remember those glimpses, that cheeky smile where you knew exactly what he was thinking, those connections, that hand hold, the expressions, the spirit that made you ‘you’, those gorgeous spirits caught in that moment of time.
 
You want to capture the good stuff, the everyday moments that will whizz past in a flash, but the rollercoaster that is everyday life just keeps on going and finding time to take a breath, let alone think about grabbing a camera and actually being in the photos is, well, kind of too much. 

I get that. As a mum too, I understand.

As someone who avoids being on the other side of the camera too, I do totally get this. And regularly hide on this side of the lens, like you!

But I also love looking back at photos of my childhood, and seeing the odd glimpse of my parents in the photos is just special.  I know they were there in the other shots, they were just behind the lens. To see them actually there, frozen in time, transporting me back to being a kid is so precious.  And something you need to give to your kids too.  (And I’m talking about the the real, no thought into whether your hair is perfect, whether the clothes match or perfecting that pose.)  So, no worries about posing here,  photo shoots with me are a pose free zone; a few gently suggested arrangements maybe, but always while chatting or climbing or doing something!
 

Have you heard anyone say they regret having family photos taken ?  I think it’s more that they wished they’d grabbed those moments earlier on and not waited for that extra pound or two to be lost, or when the kids were a bit older that they’d behave better – and being a primary teacher, I can usually find a way around the grumps anyway!  It’s freezing time on those moments with you all there, before they are gone, that is the thing.  My two are 20 and 18 now and whoosh, it has gone so quickly.  When I look back on the photos, it is that emotion that blows me away, their spirit and energy.  And the connection between us.  I don’t see the muddy top I’m wearing or the wind blown and messy hair.  It’s the spark of love and enjoyment that was taking place, just then.  And the treasure is having that magic captured to look back on.  

Not insta-perfect, but perfect, ordinary, everyday magic.

I’d love to create some images for you this summer that show what’s inside your family; honest, creative photography that celebrates real life, telling your story, capturing your moments this summer.

Mini shoots : 20 minute snappy shoot, somewhere local, edited digital gallery, choice of 2 digital images with further digitals and prints from £18.

Full Shoots: 45-60min shoot, somewhere local, edited digital gallery, choice of 4 digital images with further digitals and prints from £18. 

The Wonderful Everyday: shoots at home, in the garden, capturing that magic in those everyday moments – eating breakfast together, dancing in the kitchen, zooming cars along the corridor, snuggling on the sofa with ted, building blocks in the bedroom, bare feet on the grass.  I’ll come to you and capture what happens.  60min+ plus sessions, edited online gallery, 30 images included as digitals.

Adventures Further Afield: half day led adventures around Padley Gorge / Surprise View.  Welly boots on, splashing in the river, scrambling over rocks, a sneaky chocolate and cookies, exploring together.  Edited online gallery, 40 images included as digitals. (Open to suggestions of different venues.)

Check out my availability here and let me know what works with you.

Mini Shoots: £64  

Full Family Shoots: £120  

The Wonderful Everyday:  from £164 

Adventures Further Afield:  from £380

Deposit of £25 to secure dates.

 

The post I get it. appeared first on Ali J Photography written by aljsphotos

]]> 2629 A Summer Wedding https://alijphotography.com/summer-weddings/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-weddings Sat, 19 Aug 2023 07:56:47 +0000 https://alijphotography.com/?p=2328 A Summer Wedding
Ali J Photography

I met Georgie and Nick at a couple of weddings before I shot theirs this summer.  The first I didn’t know them, the second, we’d messaged and spoken but I had yet to meet them and link their faces to their booking – so I ended up with a ring at the door a few […]

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]]> A Summer Wedding
Ali J Photography

I met Georgie and Nick at a couple of weddings before I shot theirs this summer.  The first I didn’t know them, the second, we’d messaged and spoken but I had yet to meet them and link their faces to their booking – so I ended up with a ring at the door a few months before their special day and suddenly clicking who it was – the faces I’d seen multiple times laughing and gorgeous, on my computer were those wonderful folk stood in front of me, trusting me with capturing their day!

As you may know, I don’t advertise as a wedding photographer and all of my bookings come from word of mouth, with a health warning that posing and insta wedding photos are not what I do.  Georgie had been a bridesmaid at Beth’s wedding last year, so had seen both how I worked on the day and the resulting gallery of images and called up to see if I was available to shoot their day at Trent Vineyard and Attenborough Village Hall. We’d had a good natter through their thoughts and booked in the date, meeting up later on to make sure I was on the right track with their ideas and how they’d like the day captured.  

Not all the family could be there, so it was important to capture photos for them to share with those missing on the day, so they could feel part of the event and see what had happened later on; so freezing those moments of family and friends talking and laughing, the kids eyeing up the cakes and the parents smiles of pride during the service. Being aware of the whole event, not just the two important people it was centered on, although of course, they feature pretty heavily! And rightly so!

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moment in wedding ceremony, praying for couple
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Amy led the service at Trent Vineyard, and it’s always a nervous time and not just for the bride and groom! Luckily Trent are fine with movement during the service and it was time for shoes to come off, and to be darting quietly from front to back, staying in the shadows while capturing those moments.  (Heinz was on last minute video duty, we’d had a quick talk before hand about where he wanted to be and it kept me quietly giggling that, unplanned, we ended up in the same places and seemingly following each other – it gave me confidence I was in the right places too!)  The confetti cannon shot at the end was a secret plan of Nick’s and the timing had been variable, as was were they would be standing at the time.  In the end, I had to plump for a little bit of guesswork and set up an off camera flash at the back of the aisle – the stage was lit up for the service and the worship but coming back to friends and family, where they would be at the time, was very shadowy.    In cases like this, it’s fingers crossed and hope the planning works, that they would be somewhere in flash range when the cannons went off and not too close either! 

 After some delicious cake (it was kind of difficult to choose, but a certain person nudged me in the direction of the chocolate brownie and boy, was he right!) People had had a chance to catch up and offer congratulations to the beaming couple, then it was time to pull out those umbrellas and grab a handful of the rose petal confetti that Georgie had been collecting and drying for some time!!  

While the guests then made their way to the Hall, and ordered ice cream treats, we snuck away to the side of Attenborough County Park and took the opportunity to chill out and grab some photos of the newly weds!  Taking 10 minutes away from everyone is a perfect opportunity to just be, take a breathe and realise that all that planning and the hours upon hours of thought have just come together and happened, and that you are actually married!  Asking these two to smile was not going to be a question that was anywhere near my lips – the joy and love between them was evident and so lovely to see. And made my job easy – a slight nudge here or there is all that was needed and all that was left was to click away!

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Time back with everyone at the Hall, and food together.  Then the speeches didn’t disappoint!  Memories of Georgie from Dad (accompanied by pictorial evidence!), a speech from the lady herself, a double dose of best man speeches and of course, Nick finished it off in splendid style.

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The hall at Attenborough had been decorated beautifully and, after a heavy shower, the sun returned for everyone to spread out into the garden area and enjoy the games, catch up and enjoy that time together with each other.  A wonderful day, beautifully planned and organised with a fantastic set of people.

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]]> 2328 Perfect imperfection https://alijphotography.com/perfect-imperfection/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=perfect-imperfection Thu, 10 Aug 2023 11:01:09 +0000 https://alijphotography.com/?p=2306 Perfect imperfection
Ali J Photography

Aiming for perfection ? Or images that are real, with a touch of magic ?
I believe in the simple stuff, perfect imperfection …not insta reality, the perfect home, the perfect clothes and make-up.

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]]> Perfect imperfection
Ali J Photography

Aiming for perfection ? Or being real, with a touch of magic ? 

I believe in the simple stuff, perfect imperfection …not insta reality, the perfect home, the perfect clothes and make-up. 

True beauty comes from the screams of fun chasing around the garden; the hair everywhere, eyes sparkling, bouncing on the bed; the mud covered knees while making dens and searching for bugs; the chocolate covered grin; the delight when she looks back at you, having made it up to highest branch she’s been aiming for; the messy hair blowing the wind; the love in that smile and hug as he gives you a bear hug.

Those are the moments that I look back on and treasure. And I’m guessing it’s the same for you.

When you look back at images of your parents, I guessing it’s the emotion in the image that grabs you – the way it transports you back in time, that look, the laugh, the way they held your hand or jumped over the waves or maybe it was from before you were born and gives you an insight into who they were before they became your mum or dad. Either way they are treasured. What they were wearing, whether a hairbrush had been near them in the last hour or so, or whether the expression on their face is perfect doesn’t even enter your head.

My project-1
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My project-1

That’s how I like to shoot families – capturing the emotion and connection in natural images, not posed and straight, this arm here, look that way. The perfect imperfect is way better, for now and as treasured memories to be looked back on by you and your children and your grandchildren. And will tell many stories, bringing back treasured memories of their own in the future when your children look back on them.

And don’t under estimate the importance of you in the photos. When you are in the moment with your kids, it’s when you shine too. Relaxed, present, reaching out to each other, the looks, the glimpses, the hand on the shoulder, the little fingers grasping yours. Making sure you capture these moments, not the ‘is my hair looking ok?’, ‘ kids smile at the camera – say cheese!’ or the perfect body, right angle, polished social media version of yourselves.

Waiting for the perfect time, the perfect body, the perfect age for behaving on a shoot – none of it matters. Capturing the real you, the connections, the magic that happens now, everyday, is more important.

So, whether it’s with your phones or a camera, or with booking a professional photographer, forget about the clothes, the hair, the perfection and embrace the now, the imperfect perfection.

Contact me
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]]> 2306 Liberty Singers at the Tower of London https://alijphotography.com/elementor-2263/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=elementor-2263 Sun, 11 Dec 2022 10:19:45 +0000 https://alijphotography.com/?p=2263 Liberty Singers at the Tower of London
Ali J Photography

Singing at the Tower of London! During Lockdown, one of the lovely people I met on Doorstep Shoots was Kari, otherwise known as the Liberty Singer. She is a lady of amazing talent, endless energy and optimism, fab dance moves and a magical way of transferring this onto everyone at her choirs!  Having take some […]

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]]> Liberty Singers at the Tower of London
Ali J Photography

Singing at the Tower of London!

During Lockdown, one of the lovely people I met on Doorstep Shoots was Kari, otherwise known as the Liberty Singer.

She is a lady of amazing talent, endless energy and optimism, fab dance moves and a magical way of transferring this onto everyone at her choirs!  Having take some images of the West Bridgford Liberty Singers a while back, and, of course, singing along while doing so – I joined the 100 or so strong choir earlier this year.  A tad nervous ( I haven’t sung outside of my kitchen or at a gig surrounded and hidden by 100’s of people, since I was 12 in the church choir) I sat at the back and joined the blue section.  

No sheet music here, no need to be able to read music – you can choose a colour section, grab a copy of the words and away you go!  Harmonies emerge as Kari takes each section through their part and, if you are lucky, you stand next to someone who has sung it before, or is very good at holding a new part and can quietly join in too!  Kari-ography is a thing and the evening flies past singing ‘Vienna’, ‘Dear Darlin’, ‘King’ ‘Only Yesterday’ and ‘Somewhere only we know’ among others.  A few of these make their way onto Twitter each week and one was picked up by MDBrunch who hold a Christmas event at the Tower of London – and we’d been asked to sing!  Cue excitement!

Disaster struck, in the form of Kari getting Covid a few days before the performance and a quick search for very brave souls to stand in as conductors for a song or two each ensued.  Victims found, we set off for the Tower on 2 coaches.  Despite the efforts of the coach drivers, who drove past the tower and performed a magnificent u-turn with a boule decker coach on a busy London street, we eventually arrived and made our way into the Tower.  Performing twice – once by the White Tower and also on the bank of the Thames outside.  A cracking experience and one everyone will remember for a good while.  

Kari works her magic in a variety of places – including workplace singing (no excuses if you are in a different part of the country, this internet thing works for singing too!) and a new choir in East Leake she is starting in the New Year.  If you are looking for something to do, love singing away in the bath and would like a burst of energy and joy in your week, then take a peak at her site and drop Kari a message. Do it!

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]]> 2263 Brain Trees https://alijphotography.com/elementor-2254/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=elementor-2254 Fri, 28 Oct 2022 11:32:28 +0000 https://alijphotography.com/?p=2254 Brain Trees
Ali J Photography

Driving to Wales earlier this week, on the way to meet up with some friends and go kayaking for the first time in ages, I stuck on a Podcast from a series to tend to go to – Feel Better, Live More by Dr Rangan Chatterjee, where there is a wealth of information about diet, mental health […]

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]]> Brain Trees
Ali J Photography

Driving to Wales earlier this week, on the way to meet up with some friends and go kayaking for the first time in ages, I stuck on a Podcast from a series to tend to go to – Feel Better, Live More by Dr Rangan Chatterjee, where there is a wealth of information about diet, mental health and generally living better! This one was episode 281, Five Simple Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress and Toxic Thinking, with Dr Caroline Leaf.  Without going into details, the title was one that resonated, especially with events in the last week.  

My head tends to replay and replay and replay again, a viscous loop sometimes of conversations and events, wondering if there was a way to play it better, to protect my precious boys, if only…, I should have….. to be a better person.  Conversations with different versions of myself or other people, that they never hear, that tend to take up a lot of headspace and lead to exhaustion.
 
From the start, Dr Caroline started talking about the brain and thoughts being trees. And actually, our thought patterns create trees in our brain!   Thoughts are electrical impulses – every time we have a thought, it creates chemical, sent through your entire body – affecting your emotions and attitude, which in turn affect our physical health.  Anxious, fearful thoughts result in feelings of fear, stress and anxiety.  
 
Our thoughts are real and actually take up space in our brains – these tree shapes.  They can really be seen and look like little trees with branches and roots. They can grow and shrink, as real trees, depending on what we feed them.  If you dwell on a thought all day long, rehearsing it in your head, that thought-tree will create more branches and grow bigger in your brain. Give it long enough and the roots dig deep and it becomes part of who you are.  The problem occurs when these are negative and let’s face it, we all have negative and toxic thoughts and conversations in our brain.  So one thought, dwelled upon can quickly grow and link into your thought patterns and instead of a garden of healthy trees, the neuronal path will look like a dark withered tree, that spreads its branches around the good trees.
 
Dr Caroline Leaf (great name for this!) has found through years of research though, that we can detox our brains and build new neuronal structures by systematically tearing down unhealthy thought patterns.  (I automatically thought of this as burning the branches of these withered trees, reducing their size and ability to take up that space.)  I knew that thoughts could be controlled to a certain extent, but the images of trees, healthy and withered, linked together, by branches and a root system, really hit home.  And the fact we had control over it …. 
 
A thought enters our conscious minds and we can choose to, at that moment, accept or reject it.  We have the power, to throw it out or keep it and give it space in our minds.   This takes practice, to be aware of them starting, to not ruminate on the thoughts.  It takes a conscious effort and you need to catch yourself, to purposefully say (literally out loud sometimes!) “I will not think about this anymore.”   I’ve tried this before and have had varying levels of success, but then something usually happens that is really difficult to deal with and those withered trees that I have been trying so hard to burn down, start to grow rapidly all over the branches of the healthy trees.  Their roots have not been dug out and it is oh so easy to drop back into that way of thinking.  The ingrained thoughts become part of who I am and the positive remarks from friends, of clients about photos, the skills I have and experiences I do, the fact I have two gorgeous, precious boys who are doing so well, the amazing partner with whom I feel so safe and loved – all get squashed away into a box, while the negative comment, that, when I can step back and take perspective, I know isn’t true, still has the power to take me down, back down into that thinking that destroys all the positive things and allows it to take over my whole thought process.  I hate that this happens, I know I am not the comments or the message, that I dealt with things the best I could and still do – but I have been taking on the guilt, the shame of someone else and totally losing who I am in the process.  

As I was driving through the countryside, the sun was rising and the trees the beautiful colours of Autumn all around, Dr Caroline Leaf continued talking and spoke about deeply ingrained beliefs and thoughts – those which we have fed numerous times, so much so that we believe they are true.  Of the 70,000 thoughts we have a day, only about 3-5% come from our conscious mind. So if you try to change these with only positive thinking, it is unlikely you will experience real change, you are only tending (burning!) the branches and it is that root system that needs digging out for any change to be worthwhile. 

So, while in the car, I couldn’t complete the process properly, but started imagining it and as soon as I got home, did a written mind map.  She suggests a blank piece of paper and just write, mind mapping out random thoughts – it can be quite eye-opening, seeing them written down, not just floating around in my head and was a step in itself.  It brings the subconscious thoughts and conversations to the conscious mind – noting down all the thoughts, feelings, memories, convictions attached to the one initial thought. Then reflecting on the thoughts and writing down what you think – Why do you feel overwhelmed?  What are you fearing will happen if ..? How can you …?  Her third step is to take a step backwards and re-check what you have written down so far, is this the advice you would give someone else if they came to you with this issue ?  What assumptions are you making – are they based in facts and evidence or not? 
 
Dr Leaf calls the last step Active Reach – reaching out to re-conceptualise your thinking.  There is more to it and it sounds ‘too easy’ in some respects – but I think it’s a habit that needs to form and then to re-think about those positive things that happen and grow healthy trees – from real life evidence, hard facts, not listening to that voice that intrudes.  We’re all going to have messy minds and make mistakes and have things in life that happen to us, events and circumstances cannot be controlled, but the way we deal with them can be.  Not by imagining a different reality, but by finding the truth in the situation and focusing on that, not on those roots of lies and memories that take up so much time and weave their intrusive way as thoughts through our minds.  
 
After a great session on the water, with all this filtering through my head, I saw a lovely friend the next day who has been a rock during the last few years and so valued, not just because she will support me but also tell me truths, even if I don’t want to hear them – and we chatted this through.  The image of the tree was really powerful,  that untangling of the roots that have been there for so long, the taking on of the shame and responsibility of someone else’s decisions – she had me speak it out loud – something I am really not comfortable about, but there was such power in doing that – in breaking those ties and walking away, taking back my self esteem and peace.  Even writing this is a way of reflecting and another point of burning those branches, if not loosening the soil over those roots that will be breaking. (Again, I’m not usually one for the woo-woo, the out-of-there spiritual thinking – but the imagery Dr Leaf spoke about, backed up by facts stuck.)   I’m going to be looking back at the mindmap everyday for a while, opposing the lies with the truth each time.  The negative thought patterns should then start to break down and those roots should be a lot easier to dig out. At the same point, I am going to try building those gratitude trees – not made-up, self absorbed comments, but listening and actually taking on board moments of peace, of comments that things I’ve done well, of positive moments during the day – giving them the same weight as those negative comments have done in the past.  

It maybe wasn’t new information, but the imagery associated with it really clicked.  Maybe it’ll be helpful for someone else too?

 

The post Brain Trees appeared first on Ali J Photography written by aljsphotos

]]> 2254 Summer Wedding at Thoresby Hall https://alijphotography.com/summer-wedding/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-wedding Thu, 27 Oct 2022 13:58:34 +0000 https://alijphotography.com/?p=2217 Summer Wedding at Thoresby Hall
Ali J Photography

Wedding at Thoresby Hall I only take on a few Weddings a year – and with a definite caveat that reportage and candid images are the way I do things!   Beth got in touch through a recommendation from a mutual friend and after a couple of phone calls, we decided that it would work and […]

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]]> Summer Wedding at Thoresby Hall
Ali J Photography

Wedding at Thoresby Hall

I only take on a few Weddings a year – and with a definite caveat that reportage and candid images are the way I do things!  
 
Beth got in touch through a recommendation from a mutual friend and after a couple of phone calls, we decided that it would work and the date was penciled into the diary.  I popped up to Thoresby Hall a few weeks before and we wandered through the gorgeous grounds, chatting about the day and spotting places that might work for images.  The grounds were stunning, and there were lots of places where we could potentially squirrel Josh and Beth away on the walk back from the church to the Hall for a few more private shots.
 
A few weeks before the Wedding, a slight problem was that my knees decided to play up and I had to make a call to the couple to explain that I was able to shoot, but I wouldn’t be able to walk / climb up the trees / jump about as much as I usually would hope to.  Beth was totally brilliant (although I’m sure there was a different side that I didn’t hear when the phone went down – and rightly so!) and we made a few adjustments to the plans – so thanks again to the best man and Beth’s dad for lifts across site!
 
The weather had been beautiful, in some cases far too warm but was showing signs of raining on the day – thankfully, apart from a show just before the ceremony, it cleared up and allowed everyone to arrive peacefully and gather at the church.  The orange light turned out to be my nemesis ! No flash allowed and changing sunlight through the showers, shining through the windows high up above, meant set up, fingers crossed, trust instinct, let the service begin and just go with it!  
 
bride and groom looking out over golden fields, swing of veil bride and groom moment in golden fields in Lincolnshire

Afterwards, the weather played nicely, the rain lifted and the sun even started to make an appearance.  Perfect!  Guests made their way across the beautiful estate to the reception venue and we pondered through the woods, capturing some lovely moments. For some brides (and grooms!) this is one of the best times of their day, just married, nerves out of the way, relaxed and calm, time with each other, away from guests  – but if you would like it captured, then choosing that photographer who works with you both and that you both feel comfortable with is oh so important. For others, time in front of the camera, alone, is what they are dreading – and I’d say, if that’s you, choose that photographer wisely.  Someone who creates amazing images is always a pull with your choices, but the feeling of safety with them is paramount;  that you can be yourselves and not a model, putting on a face and adding to the stresses of your day. 

 I don’t usually take so many ‘posed’ images at a wedding, but with Beth and Josh, it just felt like they were happening.  A gentle comment to nudge them a metre or so one way or the other and the rest was all about how they were feeling and moving naturally. Josh even apologied for being in the moment!  No way!  That is totally what it should be and I was privileged to be there.  (Another wedding I shot later over the Summer, the bride and venue were just perfect to create some beautiful ‘gently posed’ images, but, and a very important but, taking that step out in the spotlight, on that day, was enough and standing in front of the camera more than was necessary, was going to take a wonderful day into the realms of stress and discomfort, so I snuck around the edges, capturing shots of them interacting with guests and the odd planned group shot.  Planned from the initial conversation, knowing their boundaries and needs was essential.)

posed groom and groomsmen shot near statues. vogue Groom and groomsmen shot, jumping in air

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]]> 2217 Freestyle Kayaking World Championships https://alijphotography.com/freestyle-kayaking/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=freestyle-kayaking Thu, 14 Jul 2022 18:46:49 +0000 https://alijphotography.com/?p=2180 Freestyle Kayaking World Championships
Ali J Photography

A few weeks ago, Holme Pierrepont hosted the World Freestyle Championships.  For a couple of weeks, white water freestyle canoe and kayakers from across the world converged on the Trent in Nottingham and we got to watch some of the top athletes in the world doing their thing right at home. I got to pop down […]

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]]> Freestyle Kayaking World Championships
Ali J Photography

A few weeks ago, Holme Pierrepont hosted the World Freestyle Championships.  For a couple of weeks, white water freestyle canoe and kayakers from across the world converged on the Trent in Nottingham and we got to watch some of the top athletes in the world doing their thing right at home.

 

 

I got to pop down on the Monday with the school I’m at , who we introduced to kayaking on the top pool and then had 10 minutes at lunch to snap away at a practise session.  Then popped back down on the Finals day on Saturday – where we were drenched and warmed by glorious sun in equal measure while watching the competition.  

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