Although I haven't shot in a while, I thought I would share a few throwback pictures from last summer shooting with Lucy.

Hey guys, Me again

Getting back into the swing of things blog wise and thought I'd share some tips and tricks from shooting on location, both great for shooting in a hot and cold country...



I've learnt a lot from constantly shooting on location with Lucy Lu Rose, from camera techniques to finding the right light. So I thought as sharing is caring, I'd share my knowledge with you guys!

Top Tips 

1. White Walls are you best friend

with a white wall behind you, you can reflect some great light onto your model when either the lighting is too bright in direct sunlight or the lighting is looking overall naff.

Even getting your model to lean up against the white wall and face the white really flattens blemishes and gives them a flawless look which is great when you're trying to get that editorial shot.

2. Second to white walls, shadows are also our friends 



Shooting in direct sunlight is for the brave! It creates a real harsh light and you'll really struggle to get that flawless look you want, and the shadows will infuriate you.

3. The Golden Hour.. Hours 

So these means getting up at sunrise and shooting till the end of sunset. But believe me it's worth it. That dewy glow you'll get is insane.. trust me. And if you have to get up at 3am like me and Lucy did in Santorini.. well drink LOTS of coffee, then a lot of wine in the afternoon! Ha!

4. Go for a Gander

Getting the shot you want in one area might be quite difficult, the model needs to warm up, you need to decide on the right angle, and well it can get a little stiff up in there.


Go for a walk and continue shooting till you warm up enough to get the shot you want, then head back to the location you were shooting before and nail it!

You'll all be a lot looser and it will be a lot easier than dedicating all your time to that one spot.

There will be more tips and tricks blogs the more I learn so keep reading :)

Hope those tips helped :)

For more of my work check out my website!

Also keep up to date with new shoots @pipwphotos on Instagram

Thanks for reading

Pip x

Last week I spent five days shooting in Santorini. 

Being an avid photographer I have multiple camera's which I use. I have the Nikon d7000 which is an amazing for photoshoots, I also have a cheeky GoPro for some holiday underwater snaps. However even with all the cameras I have, I was missing a high quality compact camera to help me take some awesome shots for my blog.
Olympus PEN £399
Well.. Of course I looked into the Olympus PEN, which nearly every single well known blogger out there is using. The PEN is pretty and has great reviews about how good the photos are.

However I went to John Lewis the other day to test a few cameras out to make the decision for myself, and to be honest I was let down by the Olympus. The hype around this camera is that it was so good for blogging and taking self portraits - which is what I want to start experimenting with. The flip camera, faces at a 90 degree angle outwards or faces downwards, which isn't a great concept when you want to mount the camera on a tripod to take pictures or videos.

Also I found the controls confusing, considering I've got a degree in this shiz, I felt like I couldn't instantly pick it up and use it - which is what you must look for in all camera you buy.. I know there's a little bit of learning to be had with massive DSLR's but compact basic cameras should be easy to use for people of any ability.


Shot in Intelligent Auto - with Face soften on, timer comes on when shooting with the screen up and there's an option of 3 or 10 seconds.


 Aperture Priority Mode - You can scroll and select what F stop you want, depending on the amount of blur you want.

So here are my 'Top Tips' for Instagram Photo success! 

A Channel compact is such a chic thing to carry, mine is a bronzer, for all your contour emergencies!!


Because tweezers can help you out in so many sticky situations!!


Vogue is an obvious train read and nude polish - because I can't stand chipped nails!

After living there for two years, and now returning about twice monthly shooting with Lucy, I have come to discover some cool places to shoot in london.

They're probably pretty obvious but ya know.. Thought I'd share..


Notting Hill.. If you wonder off the beaten track of Portobello Road you will stumble upon lots of little cute houses. This super cute pink house with pink flamingo in the window was on a righthand side road off Portboello over half way down.
Shame about the buzzer not being pink.. but still cute


Notting Hill again.. this is better shot later on in the day as the it gets lighter on the house side
This is literally just before you get to Humming bird Bakery on the right hand side


This is a little Mew in South Kensington, just past the National History Museum and V&A on the right hand side again.. looks like a bunch of factories on the outside, but it's an adorable really quiet Mew when you get there.. ideal for a few quick outfit changes too!!

These three shoes are my go to when going out this summer, pointed heels are obvious, mules are are so in, and well we all know lace ups are a thing at the moment...

Starting with the mules... being the Grandma I am.. these are from M&S! They are 100% real leather and are soooo comfy. They cost £50 but rather than the cheaper alternatives widely available on the high street they actually have a soft sole foot support inside, so when all those other girls are crying in pain, I'll be skipping past in my comfy grandma shoes...





Next up and like the best shoes ever.. Who needs loubi's when you can get pink soles from H&M!! These aren't quite as comfortable as the M&S ones, but they are a sensible heel size! I can't stand shoes that are ridiculously high, because I mean, how am I going to through shapes on the dance floor in those? I'm more likely going to break my neck walking down the escalators on the underground!! They were only £24.99, so an absolute steal too!





Last but not least are my trusty French Connection wrap around suede platforms, yes I know yet another grandma heel, however they are so in trend.. which is hilarious as I bought them over 4 years ago! Recycling is key! You just need to buy quality in the first place!
Super easy to walk in, comfy and stylish.. Win win win

Today I will be sharing all my essential facial beauty products, along with some sneaky beauty hacks! I've never been very good at keeping my skin good, after being a country girl, grooming my pony was more important than grooming myself! But now I'm getting old.. and I don't have any ponies, I guess I need to start looking after myself a bit better!!

I've been haul'in some goodies form Beauty Bay.. As you know, free next day delivery when you spend £50 is too irresistible...

Not all my beauty essentials is from my recent haul though.. some is from Primark! and all my Clarins products are from Debenhams 



Kicking things off with the beauty product that keeps my life together... Bio Oil only £4.50 for a 125ml bottle from Primark, an absolute steal! I've had a really bad eczema rash all over my body recently, and this is the only thing that gets rid of them, plus horrible stretch marks!

Not only this.. a little beauty hack that I have stumbled upon, I almost bought the Smashbox Oil Primer which is a staggering £28. People have reviewed this product to say it's great for chapped lips and dry skin.. which is kinda an obvious no brainer that Bio Oil does the exact same thing for a tenth of the price!
I use it under my concealer when applying my makeup and it works a dream! As well as applying it to chapped lips and and damaged skin..

Voila! A beauty hack and money saver all in one!

Next on the list is the Mario Badescu range..
I stumbled upon this brand when I was scrolling through the Daily Mail. Apparently Kylie Jenner swears by there Drying Lotion - so being the Kardash fan I am, I went and bought it on Beauty Bay.

It wasn't the miracle formula I was hoping it to be, however, it reduces redness, and stops inflammation, great for over night treatment. Using repetitively over night to get rid of one spot is the best way to use it.

Then after spending even more money at my new fave makeup website I got a free gift option when checking out! So obviously I chose the Mario Badescu products to go with my Drying Lotion.

I got the Glycolic Foaming Cleanser and the Glycolic Acid Toner. Safe to say I will be buying these products again! A lovely gentle cleanser, and the acid toner has made a visible difference in the amount of dry/dead skin on my face that I always struggled to get rid of. The smell is refreshing and it's really simple to use.

Love love love!

My go to moisturiser, serum and exfoliant, Clarins HydraQuench range is a refreshing, light but nourishing range, that is perfect for my skin. The serum is the perfect base layer for my makeup, it enables it to go on with such ease and gives me a real glow! The exfoliant is also gentle but abraisive enough to get rid of annoying dull dry skin, a once a week skin routine essential!

Last but not least
I will be Slay'in all day - like Queen B with my Slay All Day Setting Spray by Gerard Cosmetics 


After seeing it all over Instagram, I had to have a go!
The smell is AMAZING!! I got the lavender sent, it's so refreshing and calming, the menthol in it gives a real tingle sensation on the skin. I was slightly unsure about the alcohol being an ingredient, considering that this probably isn't amazing to have on your skin.. however it is supposed to be used to refresh your makeup throughout the day, and the alcohol would be vital to get rid of any unwanted bacteria.
Love this new purchase, with it being a really calming scent to spray early morning and just before bed.