Capture the Present, to Create the Past, for Future Generations...

Quick and Easy In this amazing, disposable, digital, instant age we now live in, isn't it remarkable we can capture a moment on our smart phone and share and post for all to be a part of that emotion?

We can record some special times with a click of a button without the hassle of carrying a camera - but do we ever stop - stop and savour that moment, do we ever appreciate it, or are we too concerned about photographing to share on social media?

Don't get me wrong I'm a firm believer that we share these times, with our smart phones we become so connected, but don't let them replace the importance of professional photographs. Now is a good time of year to make time to let a professional capture landmarks in your life, from my experience everyone has been so pleased they did.

Immortalize I love commissions to photograph moments that can never be repeated. My work is my passion, I get to meet so many interesting people who allow me into their lives to capture their families to reflect on and to safeguards their family history.

By going that extra mile, you are capturing the present, to create the past for future generations. In years to come, with printed photographs there will still be that suitcase in the attic full of prints for future generations to rummage through, just to see what great grandma or grandpa looked liked. It's that moment of realisation when you spot a distant relative who looks just like a member of your family.

Then and Now The selection of photographs below show examples of the photographs taken during the early years of when I opened my studio in 1997 to present day.

If I have photographed you before and you would like to recreate the pose, or you would like to start your family visual history, just give us a call, or come into our friendly studio to find out where to start.

Photographs below taken 'Then' in December 1999 and 'Now' in December 2014

Photographs below taken 'Then' in September 1997 'Now' April 2015

Photographs below taken 'Then' in September 2002 and 'Now' February 2015

Photographs below taken 'Then' in December 1998 and 'Now' January 2015

Photographs below taken 'Then'  December 1998 and 'Now' October 2014

Thanks for reading, I'll be back in two weeks with more to share. Enjoy the sunshine! Bye for now.

Stella

Summer Photographic Exhibitions

This is my favorite time of year, with the Summer Solstice on Sunday 21st June. What better way to spend 16 hours of daylight than outside with your friends and family and camera in hand. The perfect opportunity to make the most of the early morning light from dawn 'til dusk. Inspiration

If you need a little bit of inspiration it's worth making the most of the various photographic exhibitions not too far from home. I have chosen a few that may interest you in London, but firstly one in Kent, at Hever Castle this Sunday for Father's Day.

Stella Scordellis Automotive Photography at Hever Castle on Father's Day Sunday 21st June, a family day out and to see the cars and bikes racing legend John Surtees once drove and to meet him too.  On display are a selection of my Limited Edition framed automotive photographs and on sale for the first time. This link will tell you more.

Beneath the Surface at Somerset House until 24th August, the photographs on display are of a watery theme dating back to Victorian times, some rarely seen and from the V & A collection.

Fresh Faced + Wide Eyed at the Photographers Gallery is dedicated to recognising and nurturing new talents on until 5th July.

Ernst Haas: Reconstructing London at the Atlas Gallery showing images by this iconic photographer of London in the late 1940's some of it still recognisable, on until Saturday 4th July.

Audrey Hepburn - Portraits of An Icon at the National Portrait Gallery from 2nd July, a selection of more than seventy images taken by, Terry O'Neill, Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Norman Parkinson and Irving Penn, this isa must if you love portraiture.

 A History of Photography Series and Sequences Victoria and Albert Museum until 1st November. V&A’s internationally renowned collection, which chronicles the history of photography from the 1840s to the present day. In 1852, the V&A became the first museum in the UK to collect photographs and in 1858, the first to hold a photography exhibition.

Would You Like to Understand Your Camera Better? If this applies to you please get in touch. Twice a week I save the time to teach, on a one to one basis, how to understand your camera better and how to achieve professional results. Often this is bought as a gift voucher to present to someone special (like your dad for Father's Day).

Thanks for reading, I'll be back in two weeks with more to share.

Enjoy the sunshine! Bye for now.

Stella

London-Brighton Jaguar Car Run

On Sunday 26 April I went to the 17th annual London-Brighton Jaguar Car Run which started at Chartwell, Westerham, Kent - family home of Sir Winston Churchill, to photograph the start of the run.

The run is organised by Jaguar World magazine in association with the Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club.

There were over 300 Jaguars scheduled to drive through Westerham starting at Chartwell for breakfast, getting ready for their start times between 8am and 10am. The route they followed took them on the B roads and finished at Madeira Drive in Brighton where the presentations were due to take place in the afternoon.

You may remember that after the heat wave during the week, Sunday morning was forecast to be a cold, very wet, wintery day and the forecast wasn't wrong!

I arrived at Chartwell at 7.30am equipped for the rain with camera bodies and lenses protected with plastic bags (I find the small Boots ones are best, turned inside out). This allows you to work fast without the worry the rain will seep into the equipment, leaving enough room to look through the viewfinder and operate the controls, and most importantly the freedom to walk fast without the worry that anyone is trying to shield you with an umbrella. Might sound crazy but it works!

The weather didn't stop the owners of this Jaguar C-Type Enduro/Proteus Replica 1953 taking part from the Netherlands!

There were a huge variety of Jaguars, too many to mention, in particular the three Union Jags. The styling of the Union Jag is based on the stunning XK8. This luxury convertible was inspired by Jaguar’s famous old XK-E (E-Type) sports car of the 1960s.

Car of the Run Award

I hear it was a smooth run and sunny in Brighton, well done to all who took part! Car of the Run Award was presented to Peter Hall with his MK 9 1961 Jaguar, presented by the Mayor of Brighton.

The Elite London8 and 9 May

If you enjoy the finer things in life, this could be just the ticket at Rizon Jet, Biggin Hill Airport. I'm looking forward to photographing the construction of this prestigious event and will feature more in my newsletter next week. If you would like up-to-date news about the event please follow me on Twitter and Instagram @StellaSMS

The Elite London now in it's second year - will celebrate the luxury lifestyle world by showcasing jets, super cars and featuring stunning brands from fine art to fashion and luxury gifts to exquisite jewellery.  Visitors will be treated to a selection from the world's most respected companies and sought after brands. To book your tickets please click here.

Photograph below supplied from last years event.

Have a great Bank Holiday weekend, I'll be back next week with more news.

Bye for now.

Stella

Darley House

Last year I was asked to photograph a lovingly restored Georgian residence at Darley Dale.

It was a very special house with an interesting history. Darley House was bought over five years ago by Alex and Lucy Arterton. They could see the potential the house had to offer, and were unfazed by the restoration work that lay ahead of them, having restored two properties before, this was a challenge they were willing to take on, and with remarkable results.

One of the main attractions for buying the house was the garden and its history and its link with Joseph Paxton, the famous English gardener and architect who was head gardener at the nearby Chatsworth Estate. In 1845 he bought Darley House for his daughter, the gardens were landscaped in a similar design to Chatsworth. He was also the designer of the Crystal Palace and the prototype was built at Darley House.

Last September I was given the wonderful task of photographing the property. I love the variety of work I am offered and couldn't wait to get creative with this wonderful home. I arrived on a crisp and sunny autumnal afternoon, the front door was left unlocked so I could make my own way into the house. I was bowled over by the grandeur of Darley House. I had a lovely warm homely feeling, I wanted to kick off my shoes, put my cosy slippers on and move in. I was invited to stay overnight so I immersed myself in photographing the house and gardens. I very much enjoyed talking to Alex and Lucy about the restoration of their bolthole, they were wonderful hosts.

The reason for the photographs was so Lucy could market the property for people to come and stay, or attend a residential course or even hold their own. The house is available for hire for private groups from the end of March. Some of my photographs appear on the website which will tell you more, so you too can enjoy this hidden gem too.

Above, Darley House in 2010 with the garages on the right demolished to make way for the new kitchen, with vaulted ceiling and mezzanine floor. Below the transformation is amazing, with dozens of PVC windows replaced with artisan crafted Georgian-style box sashes and original vertically recessed wooden shutters were repaired.

Above preparing the floor in the kitchen. The restoration work used fourteen tonnes of authentic lime plaster on the walls. Some 50 to 60 bags of sheep wool were purchased to re-insulate the roof. The finished kitchen below is ideal to entertain friends and family or to host a business event.

The living rooms and bedroom suites have all been finished to a very high standard and make a perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Thanks for reading, I'll be back in two weeks time with more news.

Stella

Restoration Of Your Faded Memories

As many of you already know, on Tuesday 10th February I'm celebrating 18 years with SMS Creative Photography, here in Oxted, at 83 Station Road East.

As I cast my mind back to that cold and sunny morning, opening the shop door and eagerly awaiting my first customer in anticipation. The elderly lady who came in brought in an old faded family photograph that held many precious memories. Her enquiry was to see if it was possible to copy and restore the picture that she had carried with her for most of her adult life. She wanted to pass it on to future generations - after all it was nearly one hundred years old!

The process used to restore the photograph - pre digital - was to retouch the original with a fine paint brush and retouching dyes, it was a highly skilled job. A 5" x 4" copy negative was then created by photographing the retouched original and from the negative a new print was made. Sometimes the negative was retouched as well. It was a lengthy and costly process and you would always compromise a little of the definition once you had gone through the stages.

This brings me to how the production works now, in the 21st century, in the wonderful world of digital photography and photoshop. The original is scanned to create a digital file using a high resolution scanner. The file is then carefully restored with skill and precision and printed to perfection. An ideal opportunity for restoration of your faded memories.

The example below shows you the before and after of a recent commission.

When it's cold and wet outside it's a perfect opportunity to rummage through those boxes or old suitcases of family photographs. You never know what little piece of family history you'll find to reproduce, preserve and share. My skilled in house digital artists will work their magic to copy and restore moments from a bygone era. We can create a visual history in a bespoke book too.

Whilst you are looking you may come across some old home Cine or VHS/Betamax footage that you would like copied onto DVD. Just bring them in, it's as simple as that, we'll sort out the rest for you.

The perfect present for birthdays and anniversaries - memories shared with new generations - an original and thoughtful gift.

Speaking of anniversaries, on Saturday 14th February to celebrate our 18 years in Oxted, come and share our cake between 10am and 4pm, be lovely to see you! Thanks for reading, I'll be back in two weeks time.

Bye for now.

Stella

SMS Creative Photography Celebrating 18 Years

I've always had a passion for photography and creativity and wanted it to be my career from a very early age. I trained when I left school, with the intention of having my own business to share my passion. I was given the opportunity through adversity, to realise this dream and I wasn't going to let it pass me by.  With 3 young children in tow the journey has been creative, educational, challenging and most of all very rewarding. On 10th February 1997 I opened the doors to SMS Creative Photography at 83 Station Road East, Oxted.  Thanks to the local community and beyond, I have enjoyed a growing business ever since.

Where It Started

All of this started on film, either 35mm or medium format negatives. This restricted me to either 12 exposures on the medium format with my trusted Hasselblad or 24 and 36 exposures with my Nikon F1 bodies. If I wanted to shoot in colour and black and white I had to use 2 camera bodies, one for each type of film and wait a few days before I got to see the end result. I had to rely on my technical and creative ability to get it right first time, which looking back, was the best training, because it became instinctive. I was very careful not to waste an exposure and to think fast and not to miss the moment.

How times have changed. If someone had told me that within three years of opening I would be shooting digital images, would be able to see the image on the back of the camera, copy images without loss of quality - I would have thought they were joking.

When I was introduced to digital photography I was reluctant to use it, I still shot with film and did a little digital to try it out. How wrong was I!  Within a couple of years I went completely digital for quality and convenience, and as they say, the rest is history. Although film has it's place, digital photography is a fantastic medium, for the freedom it gives to be able to share and archive and without doubt, post production.

What the past has taught me is how precious time is, you don't get a second chance to preserve those special moments in life that so may of us take for granted.

Then and Now

The photograph below on the left was taken on 1st March 1997 for a first birthday and was the first shoot I did in the studio, the one beside it taken last month.

The video below is a short show reel we've prepared to share some of those moments from the archives - 'Then and Now'.

Were you, or someone you know amongst the many families photographed in the early days? Do get in touch, be lovely to hear from you and reproduce your photograph.

'Guess Where In Oxted' photographic competition.

To encourage your children to be more visually aware I have created a competition, 'Guess Where In Oxted' to guess where an obscure photograph has been taken in and around the town. Children can take part if their infant and junior school in Oxted is participating. The competition can be completed during half term week 14 - 22 February. The schools taking part are, Limpsfield CE Infant, Downs Way, St. Peter's, St. Mary's, Holland and Hazelwood. The schools will issue the entry forms via their newsletter. First prize is a camera (suitable for the age of the winner) with a lesson on how to use it and studio sittings for 2nd and 3rd prizes. Please click on the photograph below to find out more.

Thanks for reading, I'll be back in two weeks time to let you know about our 18th birthday cake on Saturday 14 February to join our celebration.

Bye for now.

Stella