Farmers Image of the Week #288

Nikon D750 | Nikon 85mm 1.4 | ISO 250 | f/2 | 1/320

Tweaked VSCO

I was talking about Farm at The Photography Show last week and I was asked what is my favourite thing about it. And it’s by far and away the friendships that have been formed through Farm. It’s friends that I’ve made for life and Farmers meeting Farmers, then going on to form their own bonds. There really is something about Farm that nurtures that in people and I just love to see all the connections that are made. 

I couldn’t not chose this image as our winner this week as it’s a shot of one of the very first Farmers Zoë Alexandra with her gorgeous little family. It’s by the hugely talented Nikki Leadbetter and it gives me the proper goosebumps, it’s such a beautiful moment. To me this is everything that family should be. The light and the processing make it look like a renaissance painting and it simply conveys such a deep and heartfelt emotion.

As we go into another week of FarmShop, I look forward to seeing many old friends and meeting some new ones. Gawd, I bloody love Farm!

“This image is really special to me. I was honored that Sam and Zoë who are good friends of mine asked me to photograph their home birth. With my hubby working away and juggling young three kids, I didn’t know if the timings would be right and I would get away in time if at all but In the end, it did work out. I had the most incredible experience during my time as a photographer. Sam (the absolute legend) delivered his own daughter like a complete pro before the midwife arrived back. Zoë and Sam were incredible and with just the three of us in the room it was the most extraordinary experience. I cried. 

 
Sam and Zoë had me back to take some newborn and family photographs. The room which is Zoë’s home studio/baby popping out room had beautiful light.  I took some of Lyra on her own then Nieve Zoë’s eldest daughter joined us. I was taking some photos of Zoë breastfeeding Lyra her new baby girl and Nieve looking over Zoe’s shoulder at her new sister. I don’t know if it was the music I had playing or just the fact that Zoë is a close friend and I’d watched her journey to get to this point but I got teary while taking the photos. It was an unexpectedly powerful moment. I’d never had such a strong feeling taking a photo before. Sam joined us and the four of them were silent just looking at Lyra. They were so easy to photograph. 
 
I always play music while doing New Born and Family sessions at home. I play the music I love. Always very chilled and relaxing music. I find it helps baby relax and I concentrate better. It also relaxes the parents when its time for them to get their photos taken and it breaks the awkwardness that adults sometimes feel when getting their photos taken. Music is such a powerful tool.
 
I shot this on a Nikon D750. I jumped between my 35mm and 85mm during the shoot. I also had a go with Sam’s Sony. This was taken on my Nikon, with my 85mm 1.4 which lent itself well to the intimacy of the shoot. I shoot wide open most of the time. It was a very easy edit because the light was perfect. All I had to do was add my preset. A lot of the time I use a different preset for my New Born work than my wedding work however I used my normal preset this time which I think suits the shot. I’ve changed tweaked my preset a lot over the past couple of years. I think It started off as a VSCO preset.  
 
Zoe and Sam were utter legends throughout the birth, I am so proud of them. I can’t put into words how special it was to experience it. It’s something I will never forget, along with the feeling I got while taking photos of their family.“