Beautiful, personal, natural and ethical photography in 2014

Walking to school this morning - a car windscreen, on my iPhone

Hello there.  I am back - in body at least, if the spirit is lagging slighting.  

The last 6 months of 2013 were crazy - lots and lots of lovely work, and I was consumed by it and attempting to preserve a sniff of time for my lovely family, so things like blogging had to give.  In December, I decided it was time to shift gear, and opt for a new website, branding, products and prints, so I spent a lot of time thinking about all of that.  I want to get it all right, and I want to be offering my clients the best possible stuff, and all in line with ethical principles I hold dear.  

I then disappeared to Switzerland to spend a few weeks up some mountains.  It was stunning.

It looked a bit like this:

This kind of dawn view from the balcony makes being woken up by a three-year-old more 'wow' and less 'ugh'

It was the first time I had an iPhone, and wow, it was fun not carting more kit around, and still capturing some lovely things.

So what's new in 2014?  Well, my re-branding, website update and product research is all going on in the background, and I'm really excited bout sharing it soon.  To give you a taste, I took a marketing course (run by the wicked Jamie at Modern Tog www.themoderntog.com), and have come up with a 'Big Three' to describe my business and values:

Beautiful      Personal      Natural      Ethical 

Ok, so it's a 'Big Four', but that's how it goes.

Anyway, I will be blogging more work soon.

In the meantime, I leave you with some beauty I noticed on the work with the Bee to nursery this morning - on cars (talk about finding beauty in unexpected places!).

Happy 2014 - hope it is a wonderful year for you, with lots of wonder, warmth and laughter.

Love Mim

PS Am so excited that everything I post will look so much better soon, on my new site - bring it on!

Beautiful portrait and wedding photography in Oxford

Mike & Mike - engagement photography session, Oxford

I spent a lovely spring Sunday morning dawdling along the canal with new clients Mike & Mike.  I am photographing their civil partnership in June, and we combined meeting to discuss the day with a shoot in Wolvercote.  Below are some of the results.  Looking forward to June!

Oxford civil partnership photographer

Bianca - portrait photography session, Oxford

Soon to be seen in Vogue (yes, really)

Hello.  Sharing some favourites from my shoot with Bianca at her home back in February.  I'm particularly excited about the shot above, love the soft light of the window on her face as she pauses to look out at the garden over a cup of tea and it has a kind of classic feel that I dig.  It's the image chosen to appear in Vogue when I'm in the 'Oxford vs Cambridge' article next month.  Exciting: now I can say '... as featured in Permaculture Magazine and Vogue' ;)

Bianca was after some informal portraits for professional use, and we worked together at her garden flat on a cold winter's morning, experimenting with a range of poses and positions, and two types of lens (my new 35mm f/1.8 prime and the 24-70 f/2.4 zoom for longer shots).  The location was a photographer's dream, with it's high ceilings, big windows, great decor and beautiful light.  A great space to work, and a fun shoot.  Thank you Bianca!

Oxford portrait photographer
 

Georgia getting ready - wedding photography at Hawkwell House Hotel, Oxford

Beautiful bride: Georgia

2012 was a wonderful year for weddings and partnerships at mimsaxl.photography.  I worked with a number of lovely couples through the year, creating images for them to treasure, using a mix of informal reportage-style photography and more formal posed group shots.  I met some great individuals, all nicely loved up.  I haven't blogged about many of the weddings, so thought I'd catch up a bit now, as we head, full speed, into the 2013 season.  I've decided to start with the last wedding of 2012, that of Georgia & Gerry, in December at Hawkwell House in Iffley.

I don't always cover the couple getting ready, and it is a treat when I do.  You can get some really atmospheric and personal shots, particularly of brides, in the often highly-charged hour before the guests arrive: moments of pause and reflection, last-minute nerves, laughter and warmth between close friends, all there to be captured.  Yum!  Georgia was really pleased with her getting ready shots, as that time was a bit of a blur and her friends look gorgeous.  Here are a few favourites.

Enjoy,
Mim x

Last minute adjustments

Oxford wedding photographer
Civil partnership photography Oxford