Katie & Rob

Katie & Rob. Two incredible creative, deep, honest and grounded people who met in the right time and the right place and now will be enjoying their first anniversary this summer, after getting married in 2015.

We could have gone to a forest, to a very romantic park or elsewhere around the Peak District, but because they are busy, contemporary and certainly not cheesy, I wanted the shoot to be quite fast paced with the city as their background.

The occasional green oasis found amidst a busy industrial city was the perfect setting for these two. People rushing past on their lunch hour, tiniest coffee shop ever (I need to get 35mm lens for this!) and the sun shine: a relatively quick shoot before Rob had to go back to work to his agency to design something incredible, I am sure. Whilst me and Katie had a quick catch up before we parted.

The sun went quickly after our shoot. I was lucky to catch the warm sun rays just before it disappear, not to be seen all day long.

Anete
www.anetelusina.com
www.europeanweddings.co
www.am-studios.org.uk

Alex & Sam Young

A slightly belated wedding post from the lovely wedding of Alex & Sam Young in Waterton Park Hotel in Wakefield, UK.

Such a lovely, loving and down to earth couple who did not let anything ruin their day, even if there was a ‘cake’ issue the night before as it collapsed and had to be rescued. The speeches showed just how deeply they and their family and friends care for one another, whilst the hotel staff ensured the tables are set to a high standard with small and thoughtful touches throughout the room.

The hotel grounds were ideal for photography, from the gorgeous bridge connecting the hotel and its function suite and restaurant, to picturesque archway overlooking the canal. Not even the geese could ruin the spirit of the day, running freely after the guests now and then!

Find my other work on:
www.europeanweddings.co

Anete Lusina

Jeannie – Natural Editorial no.1

I had the pleasure of working with Jeannie McGinnis , a talented , funny and beautiful woman with incredible number of skills – from modelling to voice over to lecturing. Surprisingly, we did not just get on well but we also found something common outside of modelling and photography industry, namely we both have worked with vulnerable women who have suffered greatly from being trafficked, either for sex work or slave labour (e.g working practically unpaid and often abused emotionally and physically).

Our shoot took another turn because on the morning of our shoot day Jeannie’s husband mentioned that it’s the snooker championship that day, and with Sheffield being totally obsessed with snooker our initial location was swarmed with snooker tables, screens to watch the matches and many other things that would not allow us to relax and shoot on the location.

So, what do you do? You improvise, of course! (Which is what you do most of the time as a photographer, to be fair). We decided to meet for a coffee at a nearby food bar / cafe which had some lovely seating area outside for us to use.

We chatted and once ready we began with a few shots inside the cafe, before making the best of the weather on the day, which was sunny, warm and with just the right amount of wind to make Jeannie’s hair flow nicely.

Here’s the first few sets. Hope you like. (I do).

Anete Lusina
http://www.anetelusina.com
http://www.europeanweddings.co
http://www.fineartmono.co.uk
http://www.am-studios.org.uk

Elixir of life – coffee & tea!

How do you like your coffee or tea? Are they to you something more than just a liquid in a cup? To me a hot cup of green tea is something to motivate and give me energy to go through the work day. Other days, it’s something for me to come down and become calm again, as I watch my favourite Netflix tv series after a stressful day.

A nice strong cup of coffee (sometimes with some sneaky treats on top of it) to me is a sensation of happiness and being content, as I catch up with my most loved ones. Or an exciting beginning, creating relationship with a new client or business partner.

Sometimes, it’s not the best quality coffee as I’m on the road or on a job, but at the same time the familiar taste and smell is what ignites my senses to keep going, whether it is a filter coffee at a petrol station or a quick Starbucks on the go.

“Let me wake up next to you, have coffee in the morning and wander through the city with your hand in mine, and I’ll be happy for the rest of my fucked up little life.”
― Charlotte Eriksson, Empty Roads & Broken Bottles; in search for The Great Perhaps

What does it mean to you?

Anete
http://www.anetelusina.com
http://www.europeanweddings.co
http://www.am-studios.org.uk
http://www.fineartmono.co.uk

Deux. Divi.

One of my books this year will see to heavily (or exclusively, should I say) feature duality of things, of life, of ourselves.

Divided in several chapters, I’ll be seeking the two’s in our world, from reflections, however true they might or might not be, to the differences between the two’s regardless of how similar they might seem at the first glance.

Everything comes in two’s – we all have a dual personality in some shape or form, we humans tend to seek that other being, the one to complete it and make us become a duo. Whether it happens or not, is another question. Perhaps, sometimes they complete us so much so that we become one, and where does the other one disappear?

Our body is a mirrored image,  full of flaws nevertheless, but this flawed image of us is what makes us so unique, because there isn’t anyone exactly like us. We may see resemblance of ourselves in someone else, we may have absolutely everything in common with them but nobody will ever be truly like us. We are all unique.

My book is inspired by my own feelings and thoughts. As alone we may feel in this world, there is always a voice in our head to respond to us, there is always a reaction to our actions. Let’s embrace that we are never truly alone, not even when all we have left is ourselves.

I embrace my shadow self. Shadows give depth and dimension to my life. I believe in embracing my duality, in learning to let darkness and light, peacefully co-exist, as illumination.
— Jaeda DeWalt

Anete Lusina

http://www.anetelusina.com
http://www.europeanweddings.co
http://www.fineartmono.co.uk
http://www.am-studios.org.uk

Interior Tuesday!

Beautiful lines, lots of smooth wood, quite hard shapes and yet a very relaxing and cozy atmosphere – that’s exactly the beautiful beach chalet I got to shoot, as designed by Jonathan Hendry Architects

Whilst relatively small from the outside, the chalet is ideal for a couple to share. The windows covering both sides of the chalet with mirrors throughout the house give a nice, fresh and open feel to it, and the wood tones it down to create that warm feel of being at home. It just makes you want to make a hot cup of tea, make yourself comfortable and cozy on the sofa and read a book, with the natural light falling through the windows.

As someone who’s lived her life mostly in a flat, I can certainly see the appeal of having a house such as this, where you almost feel at one with the nature. The green grass almost reaching your front door and your windows overlooking the whole of your garden and more, while still being private enough with greenery in front of the house to seclude it away from the road.

Contemporary, warm and full of character in every detail as specifically designed by the architect, it’s a lovely median between the modernity and rustic atmosphere.

Anete Lusina
http://www.anetelusina.com
http://www.europeanweddings.co
http://www.am-studios.org.uk
http://www.fineartmono.co.uk

 

Photography Workshops in UK & France

Today me and Geoff Powell (geoffpowell.co) proudly present to you our latest creation:
www.fineartmono.co.uk

Carefully chosen fine art photography workshops for those in the UK and for those who prefer a photographic holiday in France!
Our courses and workshops include:

• Complete beginners courses – from 1 day intensive course to a weekend one with free accommodation, as well as 12 hour course that allows you to pick when to have your sessions (2hr sessions recommended). Want to learn to operate the camera, understand composition and light, as well as think about different styles of photography ? We show you all that and more!
• Fine art nude workshops in Lincolnshire, available as 1 or 2 day workshops with free accommodation and meals. We teach you to shoot and love art nude photography, and you’ll go home with lots of ideas for your future work. We shoot both on location as well as inside. Locations include Lincolnshire coast, abandoned church ruins, woodland and more!
• Fine art landscape photography workshops for those who love being outdoors and working with the nature! We offer both Lincolnshire coastline photography workshops as well as in Lincolnshire Wolds, with beautiful natural creations. Our workshops are very relaxed, we’re here to guide you but also to let you enjoy yourself.
• Fine art nude photographic holidays in France as well as in Lake District. We sort the model, the location, the accommodation – all you need to do is pack your suitcase, bring your camera and show up! Again, we’re here every step of the way depending on your experience in photography, but we also want you to have a great time getting creative! 🙂
• Last but not least – street photography workshops in London. We teach you how to read the streets and to truly see when you look. We have a few themes available for you to pick from to have a clear direction of what you’re looking for. Regardless how many people choose the same theme, your work will be so different from everyone else’s because we all are so unique and different in how we see the world. We teach you to become relaxed and confident amidst the city bustle, as it can be quite intimidating to pull out the camera and start shooting! Lovely day with beautiful pictures – guaranteed! Afterwards, as per every workshop we offer advice on post processing and what to do with your work – books, ebooks, prints, exhibitions…?

Come take a look and if you see something you like but don’t want to come on your own, majority of our workshops let you bring a friend paying in full and give you 50% off 🙂

Have a group of friends and fancy a fun and productive way to spend time together? We’ll be more than happy to accommodate a workshop just for you and your friends! This includes purchasing them as gifts!

So…just come and take a look 🙂 www.fineartmono.co.uk

Anete Lusina
http://www.anetelusina.com
http://www.europeanweddings.co
http://www.am-studios.org.uk
http://www.fineartmono.co.uk

Surprise Engagement!

How often is that a photographer can tell everyone they’ve just been a part of a surprise engagement and captured that ‘YES!!’ moment?! And how many photographers can say they have been part of the same-sex ‘YES!!’ moment?!

I arranged a shoot with a lovely friend of mine who’s also a photographer, Nelly Naylor from Nelly Naylor Photography, who’s been with her partner for a while now. I hadn’t met her partner beforehand, so when I received a message from her that read, ‘hey, I have an idea for tomorrow if you’re up for it?’ I assumed it’d be her giving me various ideas she’s seen online with different props or poses, but I certainly did not expect to be told,

“I want to propose!”

I honestly couldn’t believe it nor could I contain my excitement, and everyone who knows me, they know I do not really show my emotions as much as I’d like to, but this time I was all EXCITED!

Amelia (Nelly’s partner) and I organised it all via FaceTime and Facebook the day before and the morning of the day! From WHEN to WHERE, to HOW.

When? We decided to shoot the girls both sat on either side of a tree, unable to see one another. This way, I’d give Amelia enough time to prepare for it, pull out the ring (from a bra!!) and once I see she’s ready to tell them to stand up and stand next to one another.

After a rather grey and muddy walk through the forest looking for that one perfect tree, we finally found one. Amelia told me that through the day Nelly could feel Amelia is not feeling entirely herself and she just brushed it off, not to arouse any suspicion.

I am so excited that Amelia did gather the courage to do that one BIG thing, and make Nelly’s dream come true! They both are very energetic, funny and simply ‘fit’ together. I couldn’t have wished for a better couple to photograph.

After Nelly said YES, we headed back towards the pub near the Humber Bridge (Lincolnshire) for little celebrations with a bottle of champagne.

The day just flew by and I couldn’t have felt more honoured to be capturing someone’s beginning of a new and exciting journey! Looking forward to working with couples of all sizes, ages, sex and ethnicities.

Love is love.

Anete
http://www.anetelusina.com
http://www.europeanweddings.co
http://www.am-studios.org.uk

 

Vintage Fair – Lou Lou’s

A little throwback to the vintage fair I shot in Sheffield a while back, when I hadn’t began blogging so I thought a quick blog post is in order!

The fair was held in the Sheffield City Hall, a fairly spacious building that unfortunately did not have any natural light, however, I still enjoyed the different stalls and their owners, the quirky and sometimes extravagant shoppers and the lovely vintage tea room, where tea was served in small retro cups (I am used to drinking twice as much from a mug!) and with such a delicious cake selection nobody could walk past without stopping and at least wishing they could have a piece!

It was a good decision for my bank to leave my purse at home and only bring a little bit of cash for a drink, because I saw so many things I would have struggled to resist buying! From retro sunglasses and jewellery to cozy coats and handbags that would not go out of fashion!

Anete
www.anetelusina.com
www.europeanweddings.co

Prisons – Community – Photography

I have been extremely fortunate to be able to combine two of my passions in one single assignment, two passions that seem to be very unlikely to be related to one another, namely Photography & Criminology.

As a Criminology graduate, even though I do not work in the field 9 to 5 I am very interested in reading various academic resources on different Criminal Justice subjects and to keep educating myself on it. It is something that I know for certain that I will not give up in the near future. I enjoy going away from all things work related and lose myself in a good book on the subject. It makes me feel like I never left the University and just keep on gaining knowledge.

On that note, I was very thrilled to be chosen as the photographer for the Stepping Stone project, personally led and funded by John Okusanya, an amazingly fascinating person, who has gone from nothing to everything. To be able to work for someone as inspiring as John was a big push for me as well, after our conversations throughout the shoot day he made me feel like I can truly achieve what I strive for if I do not lose my dedication, commitment and passion the same way John has worked his way up.

More about the project:

Stepping Stone is project delivered by John Okusanya. We are working closely with the prison service to deliver training on Business, Entrepreneurship, Family and Life After Prison for the inmates. The project will equip the inmates with the knowledge and information to prepare them for their release and help resettle them back into the community. We believe a lot of prisoners have unlocked potential within them and it is our job to help them recognise that potential and free them from the prison in their mind, so that they can leave the physical prison and go on to pursue their dreams and goals without distractions. This project is self-funded by John Okusanya and as part of this project we will be leaving the inmates with free booklets and brochures at the end of the training that they can read and keep. 

The final images have been sent off to the designer to produce the materials and I am impatiently waiting to see the final result in a few months time! Meanwhile, a few of the images from our shoot in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.