Monthly Reflection: April

April: it happened! 

I am a little shocked at how mast this month really has gone, after March feeling like a century and half with all this crazy change, this month seems to be flowing quite nicely by. I’ve felt pleasantly inspired, meaning I’ve created a lot more then I had anticipated. I started a project I an calling #InstagramChoosesMyShoot where I post stories on my Instagram @thomasoscarmiles that my followers can vote on what option they want to see. I managed to do 3 of these, each one being a lesson on what my followers want to see, and how I can find inspiration in anything and everything!

It’s been quite nice actually to know that theres not as much to do right now; that I am able to focus on essential things, my worries for the little things have seemed to fade just a bit and I can knuckle down on the tasks I have been putting off for so long *what else is there to do?!*

‘Sending Love’

My first #InstagramChoosesMyShoot went a bit like this! 

I asked my followers certain questions and this was the result, I was so glad that people wanted to see something brighter and more optimistic, I was in the mindset of creating something darker (as my mind usually takes me) but I had put a photo up I had done earlier this year, perched in the cloud (“A Woven Sky Full of Stars”) and people seemed to respond to it so greatly as an option for inspiration that I decided to try and create in a similar way, but with a thematic linking to right now: sending love and staying safe. 

Amy commissions.

Last month, I released some package deals I am doing, amidst these challenging times. I am offering a deal where I can edit your photos for you, I charge £5 a photo and can be anything from a light retouch and playing with the colours as done in the first photo, or something more drastic and fairytale-esque where I can change the entire background! 

I loved being these being sent to me, as they are from a close friend and also a budding model, who, in these times is still able to create content for herself! 

I’ve also been able to confirm two bookings for weddings, a custom print sale, released an easy store for my prints (which involves me planning some more photos to be in my shop, including some with models I’ve worked with.) And even released both a speed edit and a full 1 hour 47 minute editing tutorial on a conceptual, composited photo, which is available in my shop on my website for only £15 for both!

‘Enchantment.’

Another #InstagramChoosesMyShoot, this time I asked for what words people would rather describe the photo, being a bit broader with the visual aids the voters were receiving, we nearly had a 50/50 split with what people wanted, so I merged the light and airy thematics, with the darker and more detailed ones the other half had voted for.

I was to shoot with a giant rose and floral coat outdoors. I found this yellow patch of flower budding down the end of my drive, so I knew that this look would match perfectly with that. 

This has to be one of my favourites from this month, it was a challenge to do, but I feel like I learnt a lot from it (as I do with every shoot.) 

‘Falling’

This was a photo I had been dreaming of creating, since I saw a neighbours blossom tree’s petals falling in our garden. I imagined harvesting them and creating a delicate portrait with them, I spent a while toy-ing with how I would make the most of them, wanting to use them on a door in my house to frame my face through (something I might do soon, just slightly different then that!) 

I ended up going on my trust Pinterest page and finding some beautiful photos where the model had petals falling from his forehead, I knew that this would perfectly as I could have a contained cluster, and gradually less (so this would work if I didn’t have a lot petals to work with!) I ended up collecting them one by one from my garden and storing them in an air tight tuple ware container until I was ready to shoot.

I thought I had nail glue that would work, but didn’t! So I ended up using hair gel, I rubbed it onto the portion of my face I wanted the petal to stick, and then pressing them in with my gel-covered fingers! I was pleasantly surprised with how they stayed on without any faults, I even found them still on my neck later on that day!

I loved the delicacy of this photo; opting to shoot with my macro 70-300mm lens made sure those details I had introduced were visible.

My mom even got involved and opted to be in a photo with me! <3

‘The Moon and I’

I shot this the same day as ‘Falling’ if you can believe it, I was definitely inspired that day! I always love this angle; shot out of my bedroom room, the grass was covered from petals from the same blossom tree. I saw them, and felt as though they were stars on a darkened night sky. I knew I had to create something, which led a visual cue in my mind to create a more surreal portrait in this space.

I took my pillows from my bed (putting them on a black backdrop so they didn’t get dirty) and a blanket I bought from a Nation Trust place that cost me a fortune (totally worth it now!) I also made a cut out moon a couple hours before shooting, with some old card I had left from what I made a rocket ship for a concept and some white paper on top of that. It was half a crescent as I knew  I would only photography half of it, and I didn’t have enough card for a full moon! 

I then slipped on some pyjamas I got, and the whole concept came together. I had shot it more towards sunset as I knew I wanted that atmosphere in the air, and the lighting would naturally be a lot softer.

‘Optical Construction’

My third #InstagramChoosesMyShoot on Instagram, I had spoken to fellow photographer Nicola Gough about this project, she told me how she always votes for the shooting indoors option as she wanted to see how I would make that work. I started this project as I was keen to challenge my creative process and create in new ways. So I decided to take that option away and decide to shoot indoors! I let people vote where about in my house I were to shoot, where this view of my stairs was the definite winner. 

Inspiration came from Ariana Grande (naturally for me!) and her Sweetener promotion photoshoot, as well as the painter M.C Escher. I began shooting something that was very flat, in concept and lighting. But gradually found my style and introduced this amazing jumper I recently got, and pilot stuffing to look like clouds. Eventually throughout the shoot, I found my concept and the purpose of the photo.

I learned how my style can be woven into any situation, and how I can transform a simple location into something magical.

Finally! If you’ve made it this far, I thought for this month I’d share some personal highlights from this month; something I usually hesitate doing, but right now we all need a little reminder of the positives throughout the month, the good thats happened. I facetimed my friends and family, got a Nintendo switch lite and have played a lot of animal crossing, a new custom dress arrived with an extra long silky train, goofy sleeves and off the shoulder detailing! (!!!) I worked a lot and was given a free Easter egg as a thank you for all I’m doing, shot a lot of pretty concepts that were very me and noticed my hair line growing in little by little.

Its actually been a pretty lovely month in spite. I think were all beginning to adjust to this as a new version of reality and are settling into how life will go for a while. I hope that you can have sunny days and can do your part to make this all go quicker and better for everyone! One persons actions can affect a lot of people so please be mindful of what you’re doing.

Infinite love,

Infinite hope <3