julie, word on the street is that you are a knitter?
It keeps me sane!
It has taught me patience and it helps me to relax – and anything that makes you a happier person also improves your performance as a photographer or creative person in general. I’m also more appreciative of the time and effort that goes into handmade things so I pay attention to them with my camera.
your scottish accent is beautiful. where is home for you?
There are two types of ‘home’ for me – I consider my home to be wherever I live – but there’s also a part of me that needs to visit the highlands every now and again, and see those mountains and lochs, and just reconnect.
home brewing, crafting ... all things right up your alley. do you prefer homemade, diy weddings as well?
I love them! But I think it’s important that people choose carefully what they decide to take on – if it’s not something you’d usually do for fun anyway, leave it to someone who enjoys it or buy it in. Crafts and DIY in weddings is about putting a bit of yourself into it, so it only really works if that is a natural thing for you.
why do brides choose you to be a part of their big day?
Most of the feedback I’ve had is about feeling more comfortable in front of the camera than they ever were before. I think there’s a perfect balance to be found where you shoot from the sidelines when people aren’t conscious of you being there, but then give a bit of direction to get them in the right general area and just let them interact with each other. By doing that and getting them to relax, you get infintely better photos of them being themselves instead of putting on the dreaded photo smile that we all learned as a child!
you recently had a rant about film. care to explain your heart?
Oh, I try not to rant but sometimes things just get under your skin! It’s not that people are shooting film, I think it’s fantastic that we are able to make that choice these days. It’s more to do with people choosing to shoot with film because they think it makes them look cool and they can tell everyone about it. Or claiming that it makes you a better photographer because you make each shot count more – that’s something you can do by using a smaller memory card! It’s just a tool, a medium, a part of the process and if it does actually suit your photography better that’s fantastic, and that’s authentic. I think authenticity is the thing that will carry you through fads and fashions and make you a truly better photographer.
why half a dream away?
I originally used the name for my personal blog, and I chose it as a bit of rebellion against the idea that photography should be a literal representation of the world. I think you can take photos that aren’t photoshopped, but still have a dreamy, ethereal quality and give more of a hint of how something felt rather than just how it looked. And that seemed to just naturally flow into my wedding photography because it’s as real as life gets when you have two people committing to each other, but it’s also a really emotional and magical thing. (is that too cheesy? I can’t think of a better way to put it)
on a warm sunny day, what would your favourite fashion accessory be?
A roomy handbag, for my camera, my knitting project and a picnic to bring to the park!
lemonade or ginger beer?
Lemonade. Can it be pink lemonade?
three words that keep coming up when people talk about your work.
Dreamy, natural, elegant.
{Julie is a favourite photographer of ours. Alongside a love for Sunday mornings, coffee and knitting she has a talented way of capturing photographs which show you at your most beautiful. To find out more visit her website Half A Dream Away.}
