Having read rave reviews of his first couple of workshops at the start of the year, when Steve Gerrard (the rock star photographer, not that other one who goes by the same name – I’m not aware of his prowess with a camera) announced another one which coincided with me being back in Blighty I jumped on the creaky Malaysian bed and squeaked with excitement. I have to do this, I said to myself. The man is a genius with a camera and clearly puts the couples he works with at ease in order to get the best from them. I want to learn his tricks. So I booked a place and counted down the months/weeks/days. And then, the day came. Thursday 7th July. I hopped on a train to to the West Midlands, hailed a cab to The Custard Factory in Digbeth (the arty heart of Brum) and it happened. I met the man and he showed me (and 11 other lovely photographers) his clever tricks. It was…awesome.

I’m not exaggerating. It was awesome. The entire day. What he shared with us was all pretty simple, but it just works. Being yourself and letting your personality shine, finding the right light, getting the interesting angles, making people giggle, throwing in a  few surprises, having a great time shooting and keeping processing time to a minimum. I swear he has shaved a ridiculous amount of time from my post processing workflow and for that alone I will be eternally grateful. Plus, he’s bloody lovely. Throughout the workshop and after hours when eight of us went for a bite to eat, he was nothing short of charming. I had a blast and came away feeling like I have a new group of friends from the day. Who could ask for more? And, as an added bonus, I got to take loads of pretty pictures like the ones I’ve shared here, which always makes me happy. There was sunshine. There was graffiti, You may recognise the gorgeous Chara Jackson from the Malvern vintage shoot a few weeks back. She came along with he adorable real life hubbie, James.  They are such a cute pair. A dream to work with, quite frankly. And check out the swoonsome frock supplied by The Couture Company who are also based in The Custard Factory. Me likey!