photographers wedding, boudoir, portrait, Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Narok, Kenya, East Africa

jen — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:57:00 +0000

Africa; what did I learn in Africa. I learned about education and histories. I learned about hospitals and violence. I prayed for the little boy whose arm had been cut off by a machete, and I prayed for his mother because she was bound to loose him – the bones sticking out of his swollen stump, moldy and split. And I learned of the kindness of strangers, and the generosity of people to let us ‘mzungu’ (whitey) in. I learned about cultures and traditions and colour and jewelry and about walking in the hot equatorial sun and about wide open spaces and about dust devils and donkeys, and about rubbish – Oh, the rubbish – and about dancing and singing and laughter.

I went with an open mind, did as much research as possible – which turned out to be not a lot – and hoped that there would be a use for me within the host community. I was part of a team from Trinity Cheltenham, a vibrant Anglican church with a strong Global Mission. The fabulous team included 10 people – 8 men, 2 women.

What I learned reflects who I am, and where I come from. These are my impressions and do not reflect the opinions of either the group I went with or the host organization. I had amazing guides with endless patience but I’m not a sociologist, I’m an observant, enquiring, empathetic photographer. I may have gone wide of the mark in my assumptions, for which I apologise. I am happy to be corrected:

We have 2 drivers. Dominic and Taka. They are more than drivers – Taka is my key. He unlocks doors, he is patience personified. He is Maasai, tall and skinny. Teaches us how to wear the shuka, to dance – or jump – and to lean on a stick in the casual way the Maasai do. They put up with me shouting ‘simama’ (stop) whenever I need to photograph, and pull over on the riverbeds they call roads in Africa.

Leaving Nairobi, Dominic calls to Rich above the sound of traffic and horns;

‘Your elbow is outside of the car. You must take care. You are a wonderful man and you have work to do.

Then there is Mary my friend, spiritual and cultural guide. She works for Narok Integrated development Program (NIDP) amongst the women and children of a vast area. In the 10 days I was with her she was a teacher, a community nurse, a wandering evangelist, photographer. As a fundraiser she met a delegation from 2 global charities, having put together the finance planning and aid proposals required for the visiting NGO’s with her team in the office. Presumably because of the tough worldwide economic environment, many NGO’s have redefined their objectives and the team at St Luke’s have to adjust their vision accordingly, depending on whether the grant giving organisations are putting quality or quantity at the top of their requirements. Mary’s approach is to reach high numbers in the first instance then flesh it out with quality.

Narok has a government-funded hospital, treatment is paid by the patient. There is no community medical program, so outreach work is undertaken by outside organisations. In this instance it is NIDP at St Luke’s where they operate a 3 stage HIV care and prevention program in very remote areas, mostly among the Maasai communities. Their work covers educational/behavioural change, counselling & testing and highly successfully; the prevention of mother-to-child transmission. I will return to the educational/behavioural change in a later post when I talk about the forced marriage of young girls and related ceremonies.

Our first appointment is with a field clinic up in the hills where NIDP run a post-natal care program inoculating & weighing babies and educating the women. Beautiful, fertile countryside, horrific roads (we see a car reversing 4 miles to the main road because the load in the boot prevented the driver from negotiating the potholes, if he was facing the usual way). Because it is a farming land and sparsely populated, the clinics are mobile, going out to the communities; and generally take place in schools and churches. We are in a church; wooden slatted walls, earth floor. The community nurse has set up the scales and medication and is filling out the paper work. Record keeping is thorough and each woman brings her own book in addition. The babies are warm as toast and dressed in woolen jumpers and bonnets.

The same day we visit a couple of schools. Children walk miles for their education. All children receive free primary schooling in Kenya. Resources are small and the school’s standard of education depends on the calibre of the teachers. It is not uncommon for teachers to rule by fear, and corporal punishment is still used to enforce discipline. The first school we visit keeps all the books behind a locked grill. I can’t see a book in the classroom. The childrens uniforms are ragged if they wear uniform at all, the building fairly run down, the floor made of earth and diagrams & illustrations drawn directly on the walls and although to western eyes this looks shockingly basic, the surrounding area is good farming land implying that we are in a comfortable area. The other school brings perspective – not so very far away, the children are immaculate, the teacher plays with his students who enjoy his banter and there is a refreshing cheer amongst the children who don’t disperse once school is over but hang around talking and playing football.

Along the way I am welcomed into houses by the children who I have already photographed at school. It takes a while for my eyes to adjust and to point out the blindingly obvious – there are no lights…or water for that matter. The fire is a stone trough in the center of the room – and accounts for some of the burns we see in the hospital.

Who defines poverty? We, in the developed world, define poverty, not those in the developing world. Don’t get me wrong, lifespan is challenged by disease and nutrition and there are many issues that could be improved upon like access to (clean) water. But without having our traditional wealth, in many of the places I worked people do have shelter, food and a livelihood. There is access to education. And, enviably, they have an extended family and community, which we have often lost.

I have struggled to find an appropriate and uncomplicated means of helping and supporting the ongoing work in Narok, and the only way I can do it is to contribute with my skill in the manner I work best.

So here it is;

I’m offering a special African Fundraising Package; a family portrait shoot for £75.00.

£50 of the shoot fee will go to the Narok program working principally within the Maasai community, to support their HIV care and prevention program. The remaining £25 will give you a framed print from the shoot at 7 x 5 (RRP £155 and a perfect gift for Grandparents, for example). However, if you would prefer to donate your free gift, you may – but I want to make the initiative as attractive as possible!

This Africa fundraising initiative runs till end 2012. To book your photographic shoot call 01242 581935 or email:info@jennyastonphotography.co.uk

To just give a donation of any amount, please click here;

Onwards

jen — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:00:56 +0000

Since November of last year my blogging knowledge base has improved radically – in contrast to my spare time..but from now on there will be frequent posts containing a variety of subject matter.

For a preview, here are some things that may interest you. There will be more in depth posts on all these subjects.

1) Part of the ‘Cotswold Heroes’ project in conjunction with Cotswold Life Magazine.

Lord Wemyss was nominated by a local farmer for his support of traditional skills on his land, restoration of ancient farming structures and bthe approach that he takes in the conservation of the villages surrounding Stanway.

Other Heroes nominated by Cotswold Life readers include Penny Garner of SPECAL Alzheimer care, John Charles Kimberley from Cotswold Forest School, Martin Graham director of the Longborough Opera, Lizzie Pickering fundraiser for Helen and Douglas House Hospice. Go to the ‘Gallery’ section for more images.

2. Technique, latest gadgets, new equipment. Like this from Orbis.

3) A Tantra image from the Spring session in Barnsley House. Located in such a beautiful venue, everyone was inspired. We have developed a concept that Gok will be proud of.

4. Personal creative development. Musings and experiments. I guess something like a sketchbook. We will have to see where we go, here. In this instance this is me working the ropes taken by my dear friend Sandra……all will be revealed.

5. Things that catch my eye - my wonderful designer with whom there may be collaboration, for example.

To start, here is the fabulous John Hegleywho was wonderfully entertaining at the Edinburgh Festival this year.

Although this shoot was from quite a while ago the clients, who live in California but holiday here, just reminded me how lovely the shoot was when they were over or the summer. This is one of my favorite pictures. Though it was summer, it has the feel of Autumn; so vaguely timely.

7. Corporate work. I enjoy corporate portraiture - the clients enter into the spirit and the sense of theatre brings out fabulous visuals.

…..and finally

8. Kitchens, Chefs, Food, Hotels….This is Pete Robinson of The Old Butchers, Stow on the Wold. Fantastic Chef, Fabulous food.

So….what do you think so far?

Lush Weddings

admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:55:29 +0000

We have worked on hundreds of happy days, but having stopped completely for a while it became apparent that I, personally, missed photographing weddings – the delight and wonder, the buzz, the immediacy and the absolute lack of margin for error. Every minute of a wedding day from dawn to dusk is precious, and each of us professionals chosen to contribute to the Couple’s Dream, must work in harmony.

So I bring you a summer wedding!

Anna and Robin. The location is Edinburgh Castle but we start the day doing the Edinburgh 10K.

Anna; ‘Jenny, are you going to do the 10K with us?’

Me; ‘What is this 10K thing? Running? Not if you want me to do anything else at all ever for the rest of the day’

By the time I had sprinted from Hollyrood Park to the Castle at the top of the Royal Mile and returned via the Mound, I had kind of done the 10K carrying my 50lb of camera clobber. And still had the wherewithall to negotiate the horrific traffic jams created by the closure of all the pretty streets for the race and the main arteries of Edinburgh by the building of the (don’t mention the tram) lines. Unlike Anna and Robin who sat outside the Chamber Street museum for 40 precious minutes. Yo! All about planning!

Anna and Robin ran the 10K for Macmillan. Anna’s brother-in-law Matt has recently died from cancer and the shock of his loss prompted Anna & Robin to recognize their love by marriage, to raise money for a cause close to their hearts and to bring Matt into their day. Visit Anna Henly‘s ‘just giving’ to donate to their charity.

Cotswold Heroes

admin — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:14:17 +0000

Emma Stacey is a therapist who set up an NGO in Sarajevo to treat women traumatized in the Bosnian Conflict. Emma and her team trained local healers and carers to run the centre afterwards. She went on to work in Kosovo and in Srebrenica.

COTSWOLD HEROES is a campaign that celebrates local people of enormous achievement. The readers of Cotswold Life Magazine nominate someone who they feel have done something extra-ordinary, someone who has touched them in some way for being a hero, who has contributed to the local community, or to the wider community; accomplished wonderful things.

Mark Mullin was nominated by Cam Pickering because he is an inspiring teacher to a generation of students – including Cam – ‘Gig nights with Mr Mullin are awesome. He gives us lots of freedom and encouragement with our music all the time.’ Mark moved to the UK from New York 29 years ago and teaches music at Cokethorpe School.

Heather Mitchell; the Nursing Coordinator for Kate’s Home Nursing; ‘The only agency in the North Cotswolds that can provide nursing care at home for the terminally ill’ said Alan Holmes her nominator. Heather has just been made a Queen’s Nurse. ‘I am the luckiest nurse to be able to do something that is so rewarding. It’s a very very special privilege to be invited into people’s homes when they are dying.’ www.kateshomenursing.org

Eric Freeman, farmer and rare breeds champion, was nominated by his niece Carol Freeman. ‘All his life my uncle has been a real Gloucestershire man, and he is very unusual in the way he cares about local traditions.’ Eric says that it was considered rather cranky in the ’60s and ’70s to want to preserve local breeds; ‘Certain breeds were being left out as farming was becoming more intensified, so I became more interested in saving them.’

Hilary Chester-Master was nominated by her daughter Maya; ’22 years ago Mum set up a (block printing) workshop just outside Jaipur, and this supports not only the workers but their families so that their kids are then able to go to school.’ Block printing is a dying trade replaced by screen-printing which is less labour intensive, employs fewer craftspeople and does not have the beauty of a hand made product. Hilary runs the Organic Farm Shop, Cirencester, selling produce from their farm and products from India including textiles. www.theorganicfarmshop.co.uk

Penny Garner set up ‘SPECAL’ (Specialised early care for Alzheimer’s) after nursing her mother through the disease. She was nominated by Sophie Pringle and her three sisters. ‘We have benefited enormously from the advice and support of Penny helping us come to terms with out mother’s dementia. She is an extraordinary woman.’ www.specal.co.uk

School of Photography

admin — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 16:14:58 +0000

The School of Photography will be concentrating on three areas;

Technical.

A range of courses designed either for beginners or for established photographers. Introductory courses are general. Advanced courses cover specifics; lighting, Photoshop, digital enhancement. Weekends and evenings.

Experiential.

Location based practical courses looking at composition, working with models and so on. We work in luxury hotels with time to discuss results..adequately supported by hospitality and refreshments! Weekdays.

General information; These courses are 3 hour sessions over 6 weeks, and have limited delegate numbers to enable individual attention. Autumn program dates will follow shortly. Initial inquiries are being taken – please contact the studio. Bespoke courses.

If you are an amateur or a professional photographer and require individual photographic tuition, guidance with composition, digital post production, photoshop training, help with studio lighting, or any other aspect of photography, you can book a bespoke training day. The day will be designed around your specific needs and will combine learning and doing; theory and practical.

This is a full day of tuition, arranged and scheduled to suit you.