Eleanor Jane

Christmas treats

Cinnamon-apple scented candles, cinnamon & brown sugar muffins, spicy cinnamon tea... sorry to come over all Christmas on you while we're still in November but I'm on my belated summer holidays to Dubai this weekend so I've needed to get my prep in early! In my efforts to support mostly independent businesses and craftspeople this Christmas I invested many hours last week trawling (not that it's a chore I begrudge doing!) through Etsy on the hunt for handmade goodies to give as presents. I think Chris is living in fear of receiving an extensive selection of quilted coathangers and lavender parcels on Christmas morning but fear not my little peabrain, Etsy is far hipper than that! I've also been twiddling about with my own Etsy shop, listing lots of cute new mini prints at stocking filler prices. Order before the 21st December within the UK or the 10th December internationally and receive your print with free Christmas treats! And because I am slightly obsessed with putting gifts together, keep an eye on the TREATS section of this website for a chance to win a special Christmas goodie bag! Ho ho ho!

A salacious and carnal analogue fest.

Over recent weeks I've looked on in worry as my five year old stash of 35mm films has slowly depleted. From the discontinued and obscure ancient rolls collected during the glory Jessops days (Kodachrome... whyyyyyyyy were you deleted?!) to good old freebie rolls of Kodak Color Plus (the most wonderful surprise ever to find that the cheapo looking film friends had been slinging me after receiving it complimentary with their d&p orders actually delivered amazing colour saturation and clarity). All gone (bar a few ropey old Truprints and Ilford HP5s - yuck!). Sad sad days. Until today when two delicious packages of photo nerd aphrodisia arrived in my posession. One package containing 39 rolls of the aformentioned Kodak Color Plus and another, the pièce de résistance, twenty rolls of ten years since expired Fuji Provia and Astia.

Mmmmmmmm!

Buying a compact flash card will never be this exciting.

Win Jimmy Choos!

Jimmy Choo is holding a photography competition to generate awareness of their recently launched Project PEP 72 campaign, a scheme in which 25% of their proceeds are donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and used to fund the Simelala Rape Centre in Cape Town. The centre provides victims of abuse with HIV preventative PEP medication (it is vital the medicine is administered within a 72 hour window of exposure) as well as counselling and legal support.

You can submit images on the theme "You, Your Shoes and 72" here. The overall winner will receive the ultimate Jimmy Choo VIP experience with an invite to your local store to pick up fashion tips from the stylists as well as selecting 7 pairs of shoes and 2 handbags to take home. There will be over 100 runner up prizes too! 

Here are my favourite entries so far:

 

 

Let me know if you enter!

Morning meetings are fun!

I had a really exciting art direction meeting this morning with salon leader and stylist Rhys Giles about a shoot we have coming up in January. Over a cup of tea (& a miniature chocolate!) we went through the mood boards, hair test shots and the initial style ideas and I'm pleased to report that it's coming together fabulously. I'm so enthusiastic about this shoot! We have an incredible creative team already working hard and preparing to throw themselves straight into the project after Christmas. I'll share more on the work in the future but for now here is a behind the scenes video of our last shoot for the British Hairdressing Awards earlier this year which has, until now, somehow totally passed me by! I've never been on a video before, it's quite fun! Here it is (my studio is the first minute or so):

I should really be updating the PHOTOGRAPHY & COMMERCIAL galleries at the moment and fixing a few things that have gone wrong but my niece (well, faux niece - but I think I have known Daddy Bartlett long enough now to stake a claim on his daughter!) Elizabeth's Christmas present has just arrived and it's BLOODY AMAZING so I'm going to go play with it for a while instead...

Into the Dragon's Den...

I've been neglecting the blog of late as I've been shooting and planning and up to all sorts of photo related mischief. But I have some good news!

On Friday and Saturday I caught the train to Cardiff to the CIA's huge business trade show, New Start Wales, to take part in the Bright Business Idea Competition. I didn't tell anyone I was going, in case they made me flustered or nervous, so it was a bit of a secret mission. After two gruelling days presenting my ideas, Dragon's Den style, to a live audience... I CAME SECOND! Out of over 200 entries and 36 final speakers! There wasn't even supposed to be a second prize but they created one just for me. I'm feeling very grateful to the judges for seeing such worth in my business to invest their own money and I also brought home a fancy bottle of champagne (which has since been devoured - yum!).

Despite feeling a bit out of place among the grey suited business people, I crossed my fingers, stuck to my guns, stayed true to myself and just got on with things. It just goes to show that you can achieve great things without compromising yourself.

So, thank you very much to the judging panel for the financial investment and congratulations to the ultimate winner - it was bloody well deserved!

URGENT!

Eeek, it's all a bit last minute but I am looking for an assistant who is available to help shoot a magazine editorial THIS THURSDAY. It will be an evening shoot with one model and small a hair & beauty team to coordinate, so nothing too hectic. I'm interested in someone who is willing to get stuck in and help out with the boring bits, rather than someone who will try to take over the shoot with their own creative vision! Basically helping me with the lights, keeping the studio clean & tidy, helping the stylists/model, making tea, maybe popping to the shops to get bits & pieces if anything goes drastically wrong. Preferably I'd like someone with some experience of using studio lighting, taking meter readings... that sort of thing. You must also be friendly, confident and have the ability to act on your own initiative. The position will be good professional practice as you will be an integral part of a commercial shoot even if you wont be taking any pictures yourself. It may even be an opportunity to make a few contacts. And of course, if it goes well there may always be the chance for future work on other projects.

If you think you might be interested and have a portfolio of work (or a few relevant images) please email me at eleanor@eleanorjane.co.uk by TOMMORROW morning. You MUST be available from 4pm on Thursday afternoon until at least 8pm.

BOOM BOOM BANG BANG

IT'S BONFIRE NIGHT!

Any minute now I'll be on my way to a fireworks display, toasty warm moonboots on my feet with a bag full of vegan pumpkin muffins to scoff. There had better be sparklers.... woo!

Vampire Sushi

I will stop making Halloween themed posts soon, I promise! But not before I say HOORAY for my friend Tukru who, along with her boyfriend Carl, opened up VAMPIRE SUSHI DISTRO on October 31st. There are hardly any UK zine distros so this is very exciting news. Not to mention the fact that Tukru is totally adorable & talented & smashing with amazing taste in zines so you can guarantee good reading material is to be found in the catalogue. The first 13 people to place an order will receive surprise spooky presents. I like presents!