The joy of Staycations in beautiful Sussex
Sussex is a wonderful place to live, as it has a holiday-like feel all year round. As an interior photographer residing in Sussex, I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to photograph some truly stunning holiday let properties. Sussex has a diverse range of locations, offering visitors a plethora of options, ranging from city breaks and beach holidays, to peaceful countryside retreats.
Starting from the east of the county, the historic town of Rye boasts beautiful 14th-century listed houses, while the Camber Sands, one of the few sandy beaches in Sussex, offers breathtaking views. Moving further west, we come across Hastings, Eastbourne, and Seaford, each one with its unique charm. The first two are famous resorts with a rich history, while Seaford, a hidden gem, offers miles of lovely beaches and the stunning Seven Sisters cliffs that take you all the way to Beachy Head.
If you head even further west, Brighton & Hove, with its vibrant city life and beach culture, provides an ideal destination for visitors. Shoreham and Worthing offer additional beach opportunities, while Arundel and Chichester provide endless opportunities for the history and culture buffs.
Mid Sussex is rich with incredible towns and villages such as Lewes, Midhurst, and Petworth, each with its unique character and charm, offering great pubs, restaurants, and walks to enjoy.
It's no surprise that there are many amazing properties to stay in, and I have been fortunate enough to photograph lots of them, armed with my trusty Fujifilm X-T3 coupled with a 10-24mm lens. Here are some of my favourites, taken over the years.
Lago Maggiore, Italy - Event Photographer
Lago Maggiore is a stunning lake located in northern Italy, stretching from the Piedmont region to the Lombardy region. The lake is the second-largest in Italy, spanning about 65 kilometers in length and offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and lush greenery. Its crystal clear waters provide opportunities for various water sports and activities such as boating, sailing, and swimming. The charming towns and villages that line the lake, such as Stresa, Verbania, and Pallanza offer visitors a glimpse of Italy's rich cultural heritage with their historic buildings, elegant gardens, and lively markets.
I was therefore very lucky to be asked to photograph an event in this stunning location. Taking place over 3 days, the delegates were treated to a wide range of activities. Dirt biking on day 1 (in a serious deluge of rain!), yoga, dragon boat racing, group dancing lessons, kickboxing, and water sports. The big nighttime event was a Great Gatsby-themed dinner on the incredible island, Isola Bella. The event was expertly arranged by the brilliant Pure Events.
Costa Rica!
I was lucky enough to be able to take my family on a dream 4 week holiday to the wonderful country of Costa Rica, and what a trip it was!
The holiday got off to a weird start though, as we had 24 hours in Montreal, which was in the middle of a blizzard with temperatures of minus 2! It was a massive relief to land in the more tropical climes of Costa Rica the following day.
I initially planned to travel light with my photography gear, using only my Fuji xe3 & the standard 18 to 55 lens. However, realising that most of the wildlife lives high up in the trees, I invested in the much underrated and reasonably priced Fuji xc 50-200 millimeter lens. Paired with a Fujifilm X-T3, which worked beautifully.
This lens was a godsend. The wildlife in Costa Rica is truly incredible. As are the landscapes, the food, the people, and of course the beaches.
Wasing Park Event Photography
I have had the pleasure recently of photographing two events at the beautiful Wasing Park Estate, which is set in miles of beautiful countryside in Aldermaston, Berkshire. The events were organised by the ever-excellent Lucy Claire Events.
Wasing Park Estate is perfect for all kinds of events; Weddings, Corporate retreats, Well-being activities such as wild swimming, yoga, and even a forest sauna.
The event started in the evening, starting with a meet & greet drink, dinner, and marshmallows on an open fire. An early night was required as the delegates were up at the crack of dawn for a choice of wild swimming with a sauna, or outdoor yoga. The swimming took place in the most amazing forest lake, which in the dawn sunlight, and the autumn leaves, made for a magical scene.
Other activities throughout the day included lots of breakout sessions, where delegates got to share ideas and brainstorm. The most fun came at the end of the afternoon when the delegates were invited to don crash helmets, and jump on to Segways and go careering through the forest.
The final activity before dinner was some candlelit yoga to unwind.
Moshimo, Brighton
I recently had the pleasure of doing a food shoot for one of Brighton's great culinary institutions, the Japanese restaurant Moshimo.
It initially seemed that this was going to be a tricky shoot. The interior of the restaurant is fairly dark with red walls, which meant that unless I used continuous lighting (I prefer to use natural light whenever possible).
Luckily, outside they have these lovely dark red tables under a weatherproof cover. Perfect! The red really made the dishes pop, and fitted in beautifully with the colour theme of the restaurant (red and black).
The shoot happened on two different days; 1st up was the hot / cooked dishes, including well-known staples such as Katsu Curry and Chicken Teriyaki, as well as lesser-known but equally delicious treats such as Cod Cheek Tempura, Salmon katsu burgers and Chicken Kang Jung.
One of the perks of my job is being able to take some food away to eat, and I can confirm that it tastes as good as it looks.
