Finally home after a 4 week blast in Abersoch. The time as gone so quickly...the weeks have been filled with shifts at work, visiting friends, the 10k run and photographing another friends 21st!

My time away in Abersoch, as always, has been so refreshing, its nice to return home with a clear head ready for the next big adventure to begin! I have enjoyed doing things under my own steam; eating good food, meeting new people, bbqing and bunking down in the family caravan.

The weather has been hit and miss; rain and 60 mph winds on one occasion nearly swept my little home off the hill, however the past couple of weeks the sun has been shining. I have retuned home as pale as before after cramming the hours in at Zinc Cafe and Restaurant. It was lovely to have met some great, energetic and down to earth people who have kept me company along the way. It was so tempting not to stay and work for a third season in Abersoch...

However, my traveling plans are FINALLY becoming reality. One week to go before I head to Cowes to complete my STCW 95 Super yacht Deck Crew Training. After the 15 day course I'll book a flight to Antibes, south of France, and walk the pontoons and scout for a job!

'Wear what you want but a hat is essential!'

A gorgeous summers evening provided the perfect light for photography. The scene was set, trees were filled with coloured candles, the bonfire lit and the array of hats silhouetted against the sun. It has become a bit of a trend for me to photograph family friends 21st events. Last weekend was my fifth birthday event. Each time I learn a bit more technically and gain confidence in my role as the 'official photographer'.

The golden hour light softened the tones and created a very natural and warming atmosphere. I aim to capture the venue before too many people arrive and whilst the light complimented the venue. I enjoy photographing the greetings - hugs, handshakes, hysterical screams and laughs. As people settle into conversation, I wonder round taking group shots as well as looking for any admirable compositions and angles such as people in mid speech or laughter, or the smaller moments such as someone adding wood to the fire.

My favourite moment of this evening was the speech. I enjoyed photographing the hand gestures and the cheerful faces listening to the embarrassing and meaningful stories dedicated to the birthday girl. Tears swell and glasses a raised in thanks..its a difficult moment to capture as everyone is normally quiet spread out...so my choice of positioning was essential.

Once that box is ticked those fresh and soba faces begin to fade; as the sun sets...the party begins. I connect my flash and attach my diffuser as the shutter speed gets too slow and the ISO gets too high. I set my camera to manual and adjust the settings and tend to minimalize the amount of adjusting throughout the night in order to avoid missing the mad, spontaneous moments!

It is always a great experience to photograph parties. Each one has a different environment and therefore you have to change your approach to the atmosphere accordingly. Whether it be the brightness of the evening, the weather, tones, the theme of the party, a marque, barn or outside you have to be prepared to tweek and play with the settings.

#photography #birthdays