cathy pyle | photographer: Blog https://www.cathypyle.com/blog en-us (C) cathy pyle 2023 (cathy pyle | photographer) Mon, 16 Mar 2020 07:28:00 GMT Mon, 16 Mar 2020 07:28:00 GMT https://www.cathypyle.com/img/s/v-12/u654189607-o159339735-50.jpg cathy pyle | photographer: Blog https://www.cathypyle.com/blog 90 120 An invitation to my late summer pop-up shop https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2019/7/late-summer-pop-shop  

An invitation for you!

Come and celebrate the glorious, golden end of summer at the pop-up shop I'm hosting over two weekends with local friends Stefi of Artus Jewellery and Mim of Wicker and Weft. On sale will be a range of my greetings cards, framed & unframed fine art photography prints (my latest ones are printed on eco-friendly bamboo paper) and gift vouchers alongside Stefi's beautiful handmade pieces in silver and brass and Mim's gorgeous ethically-sourced baskets.

We'll welcome you with tea and cakes throughout the day, and wine and nibbles on the Friday evenings, and there's guaranteed to always be chat a-plenty. Bring your friends and join us - all are most welcome.  

Dates: 

Friday 23rd August 11am - 8pm / Saturday 24th August 11am - 4pm

Friday 6th September 11am - 8pm / Saturday 7th September 11am - 4pm 

Location:

The Shed at 51 Stocton Road, Guildford, GU1 1HD. It's just ten minutes from junction 10 of the M25, and free two-hour parking is available on the opposite side of the road by the park. When you arrive, head straight through the black-painted gate to the right of the house, and all the way to the back of the garden where you'll find the shed. 

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) artisan baskets fine art photography Guildford handmade jewellery photographic prints pop up shop https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2019/7/late-summer-pop-shop Thu, 11 Jul 2019 12:53:23 GMT
My tadelakt bathroom renovation https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2019/4/a-tadelakt-bathroom I'm excited to share these pictures of my recent bathroom renovation with you. You may know if you follow me on Instagram that I've been *very* excited about this project! I'd spent a long time planning, pinning and saving, and it's been amazing to see it take shape. The previous bathroom was long untouched and badly in need of replacing, and we also decided to move the wall adjoining the bedroom behind to create a bigger room for our son (at nearly eleven, he really was getting way too big for his mini-sized bed!) - so it was quite a big project. Since we were designing the new bathroom from scratch rather than adapting what was there already, I wanted to take time to think through every detail, to be sure it would just right and that the space would really work. I knew I didn't want pattern, too much visual contrast, strong colours, or too many hard surfaces. What I did want was a peaceful, cocooning space which would feel like a sanctuary at home; a warm colour palette and soft textures; and the kinds of details you might usually find in a living space, like beautiful lighting and trailing plants. I chose tadelakt for its organic, tactile feel and its air of understated luxury, and was delighted to work with Tadelakt London to create this space. Come on in ...

The view from the doorway

I'd set my heart on tadelakt for the bathroom, for its minimal yet warm, wabi-sabi properties, and I couldn't be happier. I wanted a soft, barely-there plaster pink and I found just the colour in Little Greene's china clay mid, which Valentin at Tadelakt London colour-matched for me. The basin and taps are from Lusso Stone, the light from The Pendant Light Company, and the floor tiles from Fired Earth. The Victorian pine door (seen in the mirror) was a local skip find, which I had stripped and installed on a sliding track on the landing outside the bathroom. I worried a little that the shower wall to the right would intrude too much into the space - it's not a large room - but with its curve and smooth tadelakt finish, it's a beautiful feature and also, quite handily, means you don't see the loo when you walk into the room.

Square edges and curves

There's always fun to be had with reflections - and here, I enjoy how the landing wall and old school locker unit - as well as the trailing ivy on the shower wall - are reflected in the mirror. (The green wall is just a tester pot patch at present; I'm just waiting to find time to paint the whole landing!)

Bathroom cabinet

This cabinet from House Doctor (a lucky ebay find) sits perfectly above the loo and next to the curved shower wall. Disclaimer: although all of these items *do* live in the cabinet, I did remove a few less photogenic items that normally also live in here for the purposes of this photo! Photographic half-truths aside, I was a bit concerned that this beautiful cabinet would look a bit rubbish with all of our bits and bobs in here, but it really doesn't - it's lovely. 

Walk-in shower

By replacing the inwards-opening door with a sliding one, we created just enough space for a walk-in shower. What a treat.

Shower detail

Quite early on in my planning, I decided I wanted plants trailing from the top of the shower enclosure (thank you Pinterest!). Oh, and as the usual shampoo and conditioner we buy just weren't pretty enough for this lovely niche shelf, I bought these recycled plastic bottles from Muji. Happy sigh.

Mirror from The Little House Shop

All about the curves.

Clothes airer over the bath

We moved the bathroom wall to create more space in the bedroom behind, and as we now had less space, decided to replace the existing roll-top bath with this built-in one. And as well as saving on space it's actually a lot more comfortable. 

Basin and brushed gold taps

The wall-mounted taps in brushed gold and basin were from Lusso Stone, as was the slimline "thinn" basin. 

Bath detail

See how tactile the tadelakt finish is?

And breathe ...

A neat little cupboard in the side of the bath works brilliantly for some extra storage. 
I hope you've enjoyed the photos. Do please let me know in the comments below :) 
 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) interior design interior photographer interiors lifestyle photography London photography tadelakt wabi-sabi https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2019/4/a-tadelakt-bathroom Thu, 11 Apr 2019 15:31:56 GMT
Behind the scenes with David Austin Roses https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2018/10/behind-the-scenes-at-david-austin-roses In late August I was lucky enough to be approached by David Austin Roses, inviting me to work with them on some new lifestyle images for their autumn catalogue. And it was an absolute joy to visit their rose gardens near Wolverhampton and spend the day shooting the most stunning, exquisitely-scented roses in one of the old barns on site, along with talented stylist Kay Prestney. The dusty concrete floor of the barn turned out to be the most wonderful background for photographing the roses! I thought I'd share a few pictures from behind the scenes on the shoot, along with the two images chosen for the catalogue and a snap of the cover of the catalogue, which is out now. Beautiful memories and a proud moment for me; I hope you enjoy them too. 

 

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) David Austin Roses lifestyle photography https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2018/10/behind-the-scenes-at-david-austin-roses Thu, 04 Oct 2018 10:00:15 GMT
An experiment with kintsugi (part 2) and a summer exhibition https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2018/6/an-experiment-with-kintsugi-part-2-and-a-summer-exhibition "Pare down to the essence, but don't remove the poetry" - Leonard Koren.

Having gathered and a selection of handmade pots and had a go at the kintsugi technique (see my previous post), it was time to create the photographs I envisaged. And what I had in mind was a series of very simple still lifes: minimal, muted in colour palette and with beautiful light and shadows, so that the images were something like simple meditations on form and texture, light and shade, with the focus on the gold lines in each piece. 

I love to use natural light and I knew that the light out in the south-facing summerhouse at the end of my garden would be perfect; you can see the space in the the pictures below. The light is not only strong and directional on a sunny day, creating the perfect shadows, but it would also give me the chance to use the rather ugly mottled glass window panes to good effect! So I set up and photographed all of the pieces in there, set on a whitewashed chest and a table I'd made from pallets, with an old sheet hanging as a backdrop, and the beautiful dappled light created by the window panes.

I've loved every bit of this kintsugi project and am delighted that a series of images from the project will be exhibited at the Guildford Arts' summer exhibition in July. Entitled "A line of gold', they've been printed by east London-based print studio Point101, who produce fantastic quality prints on a great range of specialist papers, and their customer service is second to none. And they're offering all of my readers a 10% discount on your first order of giclée prints using the code 'cathy101'. Go go go! 

If you'd like to come and see my prints, along with work by other artists in a range of media, you are warmly invited to the exhibition which opens on 4th July, with a private view from 6-8 pm on the evening of 3rd - all the details are below. I'll be there on the 3rd, and also from 10-12.30 on Saturday 7th and Wednesday 11th. Do drop me a line if you're planning to come along, or just pop in to say hello. I really hope to see you there. 


 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) exhibition guildford kintsugi photographer photography still life surrey https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2018/6/an-experiment-with-kintsugi-part-2-and-a-summer-exhibition Thu, 21 Jun 2018 09:30:20 GMT
An experiment with kintsugi, or the art of golden repair https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2018/6/an-experiment-with-kintsugi I first came across the Japanese art of kintsugi a couple of years ago: translated as "golden repair", it's a centuries-old practice in which broken vessels are repaired with a gold lacquer, creating a golden seam along the line of the break. Rather than trying to disguise the damage, it is accentuated and celebrated as part of the object's history. I loved not just how beautiful the mended pieces were in themselves but also the idea that things may be even more beautiful for having been broken.  It seemed like a wonderful metaphor for our often throwaway society and for life, you know?

I was also inspired by these words I read by Sean O'Hagan, who wrote in the Guardian- "I think photographs should be intimate. And everyday.  And luminous.' - which I jotted down in my notebook to remind me of what I might hope to capture in my photos.

And so, when I was thinking about a creative project or two back in the spring, I decided I'd like to have a go at the kintsugi technique and then photograph the results, creating a series of simple, quiet, still life photographs. My aim was just to explore the process, without expectation of repairing the pieces with any skill, and also to look for beauty in the results, however imperfect. 

I approached a few ceramicists - some I know in real life, and some I've never met but have come to know as friends through the wonderful community of Instagram - to explain what I was planning to do and ask if they'd be happy to let me have a play with any of their broken or imperfect pieces. I was lucky enough that they responded with huge generosity of spirit and I had soon collected a box full of broken, cracked or otherwise imperfect pots, plates, vases and spoons.

Armed with a kintsugi set from the Design Shop - it comes with two types of glue that you mix, and a pot of beautiful gold dust - and slightly full of apprehension, I set to work one afternoon on the pieces I'd been given.  There was a lot of trial and error; there were messy pots, sticky fingers, and a table covered in gold dust. (I hadn't had so much fun in ages). Some I was really happy with; others less so, and others were such a mess I confess I couldn't find any beauty in the way I'd mended them! But by the end of the afternoon I'd amassed a small collection of pieces I was ready to photograph - and about which I'll be sharing more very soon.

Huge thanks are due to everyone who generously let me loose on their pots and pieces: Emily Mathieson of ethical homeware store Aerende, Elvis Robertson, Jo Rowley, Emma Alington, and Elisabeth Barry. Thanks too to those other lovely people who offered help but who didn't have any broken pieces to share! 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) art creative studio kintsugi photography surrey the art of imperfection wabi sabi https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2018/6/an-experiment-with-kintsugi Wed, 06 Jun 2018 13:28:46 GMT
The studio and garden of artist Jim Tucker https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2018/5/the-garden-and-studio-of-artist-jim-tucker I've always loved visiting artists' studios and living spaces - Barbara Hepworth's studio in St Ives, and César Manrique's homes in Lanzarote come to mind as some of the most inspiring places I've been to. It's not just the textures, the materials, or the glimpse into 'behind-the-scenes' that I love; I also find it fascinating to see how an artist's work and creative vision spills over into his or her home and garden. And so it was a pleasure recently to have the opportunity to photograph artist Jim Tucker's unique home and studio in rural Surrey. 

Jim's studio, attached to his house, is a treasure trove filled to the rafters with metal springs, pieces of wire mesh, broken toys, crushed cans, machine parts and fragments of wood: discarded, abandoned objects gathered from beaches, skips and building sites. It's with these pieces that he creates his art, assemblages inspired by an aesthetic of urban and natural decay: work that he describes as ‘midway between painting and sculpture’.

And outside the studio, Jim's home and garden are filled with his creative pieces, from the pebbles strung across the front gate, to the assemblages attached to the exterior of the studio walls; the model aeroplanes and fishing buoys suspended from the weeping larch tree to the sculptures made from garden spades. There's a shed, stocked full of collected materials and finished pieces of art, and an open shelter Jim made, inspired by those he'd seen on his travels. 

If you'd like to see it for yourself, Jim's home, garden and studio will be open to visitors in June as part of Surrey Artists Open Studios.

Jim Tucker's studio and garden

Jim Tucker's studio and garden

 

 

 

 

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) art artist creative living creative studio home' inspiring spaces interior photographer photography portrait of an interior s studio' studio tour surrey https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2018/5/the-garden-and-studio-of-artist-jim-tucker Fri, 18 May 2018 06:34:22 GMT
Inspiring spaces: the studio of La-Eva https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2018/3/a-visit-to-the-studio-of-la-eva I recently had the pleasure of spending a day with Louisa Canham, owner of organic beauty brand La-Eva, in her Oxfordshire studio.  A day of beautiful fragrances, early spring sunlight, joyful music, endless cups of peppermint tea and conversation. I'd been inspired for a while by Louisa's dreamy, evocative Instagram feed; I'm always drawn to creative studio spaces, and as I'm fascinated how we can capture all of our senses through the visual medium of photographs, felt compelled to meet Louisa and find out more about the way in which she explores the idea of synaesthesia and the interplay of the senses.

Located on the edge of a sawmill in the Oxfordshire countryside, Louisa's studio is an inspiring, ever-changing space. Currently, the interior is inspired by Spice, one of her carefully curated range of four scents: 'vitalising ginger blending with amber tones of patchouli and the warming aroma of cinnamon leaf. An enchanting, expressive scent that energises and stimulates the senses'. Painted in warm tones, it's decorated with shelves and tables made from offcuts from the sawmill, nature finds and artisan lighting, as well as work by artists with whom she collaborates.

Louisa's now planning to redecorate her studio with Roseum as her inspiration, a scent based on rose geranium, petitgrain, and clove. I think it's my favourite, and I can't wait to see how she interprets it in her space. 

 

creative studio, interior photographer, interior photography La-Eva studio

creative studio, interior photographer, interior photography La-Eva studio creative studio, interior photographer, interior photography La-Eva studio creative studio, interior photographer, interior photography La-Eva studio

creative studio, interior photographer, interior photography La-Eva studio

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(cathy pyle | photographer) creative studio inspiring spaces interior photographer interior photography interiors photography portrait of an interior https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2018/3/a-visit-to-the-studio-of-la-eva Sat, 31 Mar 2018 11:12:08 GMT
Cards for Christmas (for a good cause) https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2017/11/cards-for-crisis-at-christmas One of my favourite moments as a photographer is when I open the padded envelope from the printers and gently pull out the carefully-wrapped new prints inside. I'm sure you'll have felt it yourself, the satisfaction of getting a favourite picture off the screen and into print - being able to hold it in your hands, touch the paper it's printed on, hang it in a favourite spot to enjoy. 

This year I've created a Christmas card that is beautifully printed on gorgeous paper: a simple still life with a few sprigs of eucalyptus in vintage jars, a dangly string of hearts and a few fairy lights. It's blank inside for your own personal message, and is a generously sized 148 mm square, printed on a super-thick 350 gsm 100% recycled card with a soft matt finish, and comes with a Kraft envelope for an organic feel. 

I'm selling them in packs of five, for £10 including postage, and I'll be donating all of the profits to Crisis at Christmas.

Just get in touch if you'd like to purchase a few.

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(cathy pyle | photographer) at cards charity christmas crisis photography https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2017/11/cards-for-crisis-at-christmas Thu, 23 Nov 2017 09:57:38 GMT
Photography workshops this autumn at Packhouse Farnham https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2017/7/photography-workshops-this-autumn-at-packhouse-farnham Ever since I first came across Packhouse when I was doing up my first home in Guildford - quite a few years ago now! - it's been a favourite place of mine to visit for interiors inspiration and one-off, vintage finds. A couple of my most-loved buys are the old milking stool, which I painted, and the wooden peg rail I use for hanging necklaces and a pendant light by my bed... and then there's the painted ladder, and the old wooden utensils, and the French soap ... 

So when the lovely Zoe from Packhouse got in touch to ask if I'd like to collaborate in running some photography workshops in the summerhouse, I jumped at the chance, and we're delighted to now announce two dates for September. The first is a complete introduction to photography, helping you to take better pictures on any phone whether it's a camera phone or something fancier - it's all about using light and composition to create stronger, more appealing images. The second workshop is for those of you who have an SLR and would like to learn how to make the most of what it can offer: we'll look at how to use manual mode, looking at the basics of shutter speed and aperture. Both workshops are very informal and practical, and with a maximum of six participants there'll be plenty of opportunity for discussion and feedback as we go along.  

To find out more and to book your space, just click on the relevant image below. Any questions, please just pop me an email or give me a call. I hope to see you there! xo

A beginner's guide to taking better photos using just your camera phone Get your SLR off auto: an improver's guide to taking better photos

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) farnham packhouse photography photography workshops surrey workshops https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2017/7/photography-workshops-this-autumn-at-packhouse-farnham Tue, 11 Jul 2017 09:25:07 GMT
Summer Open Studios - an invitation https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2017/5/summer-open-studios---youre-invited It's a pleasure to invite you all to my summer Open Studio event with textile artist Celine Reid of Apple Juice Handmade. We're opening up the newly-revamped summerhouse at the end of my garden - if you follow me on Instagram you might have seen a few pictures of its transformation from a dark and dingy shed space crammed with years' worth of junk (and a couple of rabbits!) into a rustic summer-afternoon hideaway and creative space - and will be exhibiting my latest photographic prints and greeting cards along with Celine's range of delightful hand-sewn children's clothes, toys, and accessories made from recycled fabrics. 

We'll be open at the following times:

Saturday 3rd June 11.00 am - 5.00 pm

Wednesday-Friday 7th-9th June 11.00 - 5.00 pm

And also Thursday 8th June 6.00 - 8.30 pm

No need to book; just turn up, bring your friends and family (there's a trampoline in the garden for the kids), and come and say hello and have a browse. We'll be offering tea, coffee and cakes (on a good day, they'll be homemade!) every day. And yes, the Thursday is election night, so come along and escape from the world of politics for an hour or two while you enjoy a glass of wine in this beautiful setting with us.

You'll find us at 51 Stocton Road, Guildford, GU1 1HD. There's two-hour on-street parking on the opposite side of the road, and you'll find us through the side gate - just follow the signs and balloons. 

More information about all of the artists taking part in the Surrey Artists Open Studios event is available over here. And if you have any questions, just send me an email and I'll be in touch.

We look forward to seeing you there! x

 

 

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) Cathy Pyle Photography Guildford Surrey Artists Open Studios art artists den garden open studio photography summerhouse textiles https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2017/5/summer-open-studios---youre-invited Wed, 17 May 2017 12:23:52 GMT
Light life - still love. An evening of art and poetry https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2017/2/light-life---still-love-an-evening-of-art-and-poetry I'm excited to announce a private view of art by Antje Weber and myself, along with poetry readings by Ruth Steadman, to which all are warmly invited.

Antje and I first connected over a year ago on Instagram, where we discovered a shared aesthetic - simple, pared-back scenes of the everyday, flowers, light and shadows, often in muted colours; scenes that capture a moment of stillness - as well as a shared love of flea-market finds and a passion for our art and craft. Antje invited me to visit her in Lisbon, and in September I headed off to Lisbon for a few days of late-summer sunshine, exploration and pastéis de nata. Antje, of course, turned out to be every bit as lovely in person as I'd expected - a dynamic and creative spirit, and a wonderfully warm and welcoming host who guided me around Lisbon's streets, cafes and (most importantly of all!), its famous flea market. During my stay I also took the opportunity to photograph Antje's stunning, light-filled apartment, which you can see over here on Apartment Therapy

So in late March, Antje will be coming to spend a few days in the UK, and while she's here we'll be hosting an evening private view in my home, showcasing a selection of Antje's paintings, cyanotypes, assemblages and jewellery, along with my photographic prints. We'll be joined by my dear friend and creative collaborator Ruth, a psychotherapist and writer, who'll be giving a reading of some of her beautiful poetry during the evening.

We're looking forward to an evening of twinkling light, sparkling conversation and gentle appreciation of life's beauty. Please do join us if you can. You can find all the details and reserve your space here.

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) art guildford photography poetry private view https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2017/2/light-life---still-love-an-evening-of-art-and-poetry Thu, 02 Feb 2017 21:09:40 GMT
New work for Cabbage White England https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2017/1/new-work-for-cabbage-white-england It was all about stars, arrows and lightning bolts ☆ ➢ ⚡︎ My first shoot of the year was a session capturing Cabbage White England's new jewellery collection for Spring/Summer 17. A day of great teamwork with the lovely Kelly and Karen and our wonderful model Izzie. A great start to the year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) London Surrey jewellery lifestyle photographer lifestyle photography https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2017/1/new-work-for-cabbage-white-england Mon, 16 Jan 2017 10:49:18 GMT
"Over the hill" - a shoot with Tim Andrews https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/5/over-the-hill---a-shoot-with-tim-andrews One day last autumn, I got one of those wonderful out-of-the-blue emails that can make your day, bringing the scent of something new. In this case, it was an email from Tim Andrews, who had seen a picture I'd taken of my daughter in the exhibition of the Portrait Salon in London and who wanted to invite me to photograph him for his project Over the Hill

 

Back in 2005 Tim, a solicitor in his mid-fifties, was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. After taking early retirement from his legal career, he embarked on this project that has since brought him into contact with nearly 400 photographers, each of whom Tim has entrusted to capture him in any way they choose. From photographers as well known as Rankin and Harry Borden, to up-and-coming photographers, students, and keen amateurs - Tim has looked for photographers whose work resonates with him in some way and invited them to take part in this unique project, which has not only documented this new, challenging stage in his life but has filled it with curiosity, creativity and connection. 

 

So - back to Tim’s email. I said yes, of course. We met, chatted over lunch, and afterwards I started thinking a lot about the concepts of home. Tim had spoken with such sad eloquence about the home in Surrey he had lived in with his wife Jane and their children before becoming ill, and yet his pleasure in their new home and life by the sea was evident.  Home is (if we're lucky) a safe place, a soft place to land; a place so familiar you don’t even notice it; a place we gather with our loved ones. And I realised that the concept of home is inextricably bound up with time; in the words of novelist Sarah Dessen, it’s “not a place, but a moment, and then another.” 

 

But it was a word in Welsh for which there is no direct translation that really captured my attention (this is the kind of thing that speaks to my trained-linguist’s heart): hiraeth, a homesickness for a place to which you cannot return; the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for the lost places of your past. And I think this struck a chord with me because surely it’s something we’ll all feel at one time or another, whatever the story of our lives - we grow older, our children grow up all too quickly - and it's beautiful, yet there's a sadness in leaving the past behind. 

 

With all of this in mind, I travelled to Brighton one day in April, and spent an hour or two photographing Tim in the rooms of his artistic, characterful home, using glass doors, mirrors and windows to frame the images. And afterwards, we headed to the beach for a plate of chips in the wind and dazzling sunshine. 

 

My images from the day are about the exquisite, beautiful tension between past and future; between sadness and hope. It was a very special privilege to photograph Tim, to share a little in his life and this wonderful project that he has brought about. And to eat hot, salty chips on the beach on a bright spring day with a new friend.

 

The images from the shoot can be seen here, and Tim has written some lovely words about our shoot on his blog.

 

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/5/over-the-hill---a-shoot-with-tim-andrews Fri, 13 May 2016 12:04:52 GMT
A walk in the bluebell woods https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/4/a-walk-in-the-bluebell-woods Sunday. A heavy, blustery day with a chill in the air: a second cup of coffee, heating on, yesterday's paper. A day of drop-offs and pick-ups, cooking, washing, paperwork. A quiet lethargy, a restless discontent. And yet - the bluebells are out, up in the woods, just a mile from here. Another week and they might be gone for another year. Too good to miss. So, in between one drop off and another pick up, we - my husband, our youngest, and I - grab our coats and head up to the woods, ready to dodge the rain. First, we find a stick, and then another - the longer the better. It's a light sabre, a heavy weight, a javelin. Muddy knees, a play fight, a scramble on fallen branches. The echoed barking of dogs. The sharp scent of wild garlic. The astonishing, luminous green of beech leaves hovering over the vibrant, purple haze. Yellow gorse against dark trees; a stack of rough-sawn logs, a scout hut. Our senses, alive. And suddenly, in this moment, we are happy. 

 

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) CSCollective Canopy and Stars bluebells nature photography https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/4/a-walk-in-the-bluebell-woods Mon, 25 Apr 2016 09:08:48 GMT
An evening of contemporary music and photography {part 2} https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/4/photo-installation I wrote a couple of weeks ago about my preparations for displaying my photos at the the evening of music and photography at Warehouse Waterloo - and, last Saturday, I did indeed turn up at the venue early in the afternoon with a box full of prints, of different sizes and different finishes, and a bag filled with rolls of fishing wire, vintage wooden hangers and metal curtain clips. I couldn't be sure until the photos were in place whether it was going to look as I intended - a random, jumbled, slowly-moving display of loose prints, hanging along the length of the venue, which would recreate in some way the atmosphere of the antiques and house clearance centre that the project was based on. But, piece by piece, as my friend Sue and I hung each pair of prints, the installation took shape. And I LOVED the result! What a fantastic, challenging, and thought-provoking experience it's been. I'm hugely grateful to new dots for commissioning this work, to composer Camilo for the collaboration, and to Dave of Perry Hill Antiques for his warm and relaxed welcome on so many occasions.

Let me know what you think, and if you've ever created anything similar, I'd love to hear your experiences too.

 

 

 

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) London The Warehouse Waterloo contemporary music installation performance photography https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/4/photo-installation Tue, 19 Apr 2016 08:48:02 GMT
An evening of contemporary music and photography https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/4/an-evening-of-contemporary-music-and-photography

Over recent months I’ve been working with composer Camilo Mendez San Juan in a collaborative project conceived by London-based music initiative new dots, exploring the concept of place. We've been tasked to create a piece in music and photography, to be performed alongside works by other composers and photographers on Saturday 16th April at the Warehouse, Waterloo.

 

The place Camilo and I chose as inspiration for our project on is a local house clearance and antiques centre, Perry Hill Antiques, and we'll be writing later this week about our collaboration on new dots' blog.

 

Aside from the concept itself, though, the project has presented me with an interesting new challenge: how to present my photographs so that they can be experienced by the audience alongside Camilo’s music. It's the first time I've worked with photography as performance - and it's very different from a conventional exhibition! When Camilo and I first met to discuss the project, we agreed that we didn’t want to have the images projected, and talked about the idea of presenting them as a series of “postcards” which could be experienced in different orders, almost as if being shuffled or picked out at random rather than in a linear progression, in the same way as the “spaces” of Camilo’s music can be performed in any order. I've recently been thinking about how our experience of seeing (and feeling) images in print is still so important in an age where images are so readily viewed on screen, and have been experimenting with printing my pictures on a variety of different papers, seeing how the end result differs. So I knew that I wanted to have my images viewed as prints, ideally on a variety of paper finishes, creating an experience that goes beyond the visual to the tactile.

 

Having decided to show prints, however, I’ve also been grappling with how to enable the audience to view prints in a space that's set up for listening to music. (This of course is the benefit of projecting images at the front of the stage - it would probably be more straightforward!) The venue doesn't have wall space for hanging pictures (one wall is filled with windows, another with acoustic panels), and even if there were space to hang pictures, would people be able to see them from their forward-facing seats? So I came up with the idea of suspending loose prints at different heights from wire from the venue's ceiling beams and balcony - the idea is that they'll rotate, allowing audience members to see different aspects and angles of the images throughout the performance. So - on 16th April, I'll arrive at the venue early in the day armed with several reels of fishing wire, clips, a wire mobile, a bunch of vintage wooden hangers, and a box full of prints. Why don't you come along to see how it all works in practice? (I'm hoping it will be just as it is in my mind's eye - time will tell!) Tickets are available here.

 

 

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) London The Warehouse Waterloo contemporary music performance photography https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/4/an-evening-of-contemporary-music-and-photography Mon, 04 Apr 2016 15:04:34 GMT
The Art Shed https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/2/the-art-shed I'm really excited to announce that my work is now on sale through artists' collective The Art Shed. Set in in the beautiful surroundings of The Medicine Garden, Cobham, it's a beautiful gallery showcasing the work of fourteen local artists: from painting and photography to ceramics, glass and textiles. It's a fantastic opportunity to become a part of this talented team and to have a permanent site to display and sell my framed fine art prints and greetings cards. We're open every day from 10-5 (until 4 on Sundays), and next Thursday, 3rd March we're holding an Open Evening from 6.30-9.00 pm, with a glass or two of bubbly and a talk by ceramic and mixed media artist Pratimer Kramer. Please do come along if you can. I'd love to see you there! xo

 

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(cathy pyle | photographer) The Art Shed artists' collective fine art photography fine art prints https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/2/the-art-shed Fri, 26 Feb 2016 08:07:47 GMT
Photography & styling workshop this spring https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/2/photography-styling-workshops-this-spring The London studio of designer Doris Lee This new year is proving to be an exciting one so far, with a number of new plans and projects in the pipeline. Don't you love those times when new things are bubbling? One of those exciting new things is a new Photography & Styling workshop that I'm planning with talented designer (and all-round lovely person) Doris Lee. The first one will be held some time in the spring, in a beautiful central London location. Watch this space! 

Let me know if you'd like to be the first to hear all about it, as soon as we've finalised the details! Either comment below or get in touch via the contact page. 

Cathy x

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(cathy pyle | photographer) Doris Lee Studio London photography styling workshop https://www.cathypyle.com/blog/2016/2/photography-styling-workshops-this-spring Thu, 28 Jan 2016 15:29:43 GMT