CHRISTMAS WORDS AND WISHES

I think I’ve used FaLaLaLa, Let it Snow and Ho, Ho, Ho on more or less everything this year – tags, cards and personalised email messages to friends, the list goes on!

All of these messages and words are instant digital downloads and come as .png files and PS brushes so you can stamp them anywhere and everywhere, print them out at home and you’re done! It really couldn’t be easier and they look gorgeous. Christmas Volume 2 also include some silver and gold metallic effect options just because we could all do with a little bit of sparkle at this time of the year.

And … and … there are New Year wishes available too for those looking ahead to 2016 with some bonus ‘Falling Stars’ papers.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

BURNING EMBERS

YOU never really know what you’re going to get with ICM photography. Yes, the basics must be there such as composition and understanding light but there’s a randomness to the process which really appeals to me. It’s the ultimate in creative expression and the freedom of the technique means that it’s impossible to shoot the same thing twice. Each shot is unique. Mind-blowing, right?

This not-knowing, experimental style of work can also produce the most elegant work. Trying to tame the beast of ICM is pretty hopeless so don’t even try, simply accept and embrace the joy of discovering a gem that makes your heart beat a little quicker when you get home and you’re sat in front of your computer with a coffee in hand. The feeling reminds me of my childhood when the arrival of a newly developed batch of prints would land with a thud on the hallway floor and I would almost burst with excitement at what lay inside the heavy envelope.

It felt like Christmas, but better.

WORDS + PICTURES

The new theme of overlays is officially out! It’s a lovely collection of quotes and words that photographers will relate to and I think my favourite theme so far in the LetteraEtc collection.

These overlays can be used for personal scrapbooking projects or to create a unique gift, or you can use them in your business, within limits. I hope I’ve been flexible enough in the copyright usage and in setting a great price for these overlays for them to be accessible to everyone.

To see the full range, you’ll need to hop over to Etsy where I’m selling them under the name LetteraEtc, along with some borders and hand-drawn clipart.

This is what you get; 12 hi-res hand-calligraphed quotes or words in PNG format and two of the designs – Don’t Be Negative and Photography is my Therapy – have 5 colour options. PLUS, all of the designs are supplied as ABR Photoshop brushes files for you to stamp across any project or image that takes your fancy and it’s super easy to change the colour too.

Hope you enjoy them!!

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LetteraEtc

INSPIRING WOMAN

Work goes on apace on my new calligraphy venture, LetteraEtc. It takes a week to turn around a theme with around 10 or so quotes and that’s going at it full-time but I think it’s worth it and I’m slowly adding finished pieces onto the website too.

The next theme will be specifically for photographers and that should be up in a few days. I’m posting new stuff all the time on Instagram if you’re active there and want to follow along @angelafanton. See ya!

LETTERA ETCETERA

Very happy to announce my latest project, LetteraEtc.

In a nutshell, it’s about enhancing your photography (or indeed any creative project!) by overlaying gorgeous calligraphed quotes and words with a few doodles thrown in for good measure. After my calligraphy course with Melissa Esplin which I loved to bits, it seemed like the most natural thing to do to combine typography with photography, my two favourite things in the world.

It’s early days but so far, I’ve prepared a great selection of quotes that inspire adventure, some for those who find themselves drawn to the sea and an essential set of greetings in different languages and words that are often used with ‘hello’, for example ‘hello summer’. Plus I’ve done a series of mountain and tree trunk doodles that would work well with the adventure quotes or on their own.

Each theme is provided in hi-res PNG and ABR formats so you can easily stamp whatever you like wherever you like, change the colours and increase the size. I’ve been using them on my own photographs so far and uploading to my Instagram page but I’m excited to get some ‘hello’ cards or postcards printed and send them off to family and pals as a little surprise ‘ciao’ from Scotland! I’d love to know what you think and you can see more and buy from LetteraEtc’s Etsy shop!

SPRING X 2

Double exposures. I cannot get enough of them. So much so that I have my new Fuji XPro1 permanently on double exposure mode. The process of overlaying two images, one on top of the other, can be used to great artistic effect. It’s a great means of photographic storytelling and you don’t need to stop at two images, you can keep going to create one image from multiple exposures if your DSLR allows it.

In the case of a double exposure, I have found that I get a better outcome if the first image is quite dark. You can stop down the exposure or choose a subject in shadow. I then like to have a fairly bright second image and always work in live view mode so that I can see how best to align my two images.

I’m not too fussed about having a clutter-free background as I prefer my double and multiple exposures to be organic but that’s probably a plus for me in that I shoot mainly nature, trees and such like. If you are shooting portraits then you want that first image of the person to have as clean a background as possible so you have more focus on the silhouette of the subject.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to shoot a double exposure at the same time and you can simple keep one ‘on hold’ on the memory card and move to another location to shoot something else whenever you choose.

SIGNATURE STYLE

So much has been happening to me recently, it’s hard to keep up and I mean that in a head-spinning, happy way.

One of the most exciting things is I got approached by a company called VIDA asking me if I would be interested in creating a signature collection of scarves and silk t-shirts printed with my photography.

The company is much more than a partnership for artists and manufacturers, it uses part of the proceeds from sales to support literacy programs for the makers in Pakistan, providing them with opportunities they otherwise would not have.

Beautiful products produced in a sustainable way… you can see why I signed up on the spot!

There are now four of my photographs up for grabs on my VIDA page, three available as scarves and one as a silk t-shirt which I’ve shown here for you to see how fab they are (even if I do say so myself)!

So exciting for me! And now I want to pass part of that on to you, 25% of it to be exact. If you pre-order any item in the next 10 days, you will get 25% off the marked price, that’s around US$30 for a modal scarf and US$49 for a pure silk t-shirt. It’s an unbelievable offer. Plus, international shipping will cost you just US$5.

CIRCLE OF TREES

Trees in Winter are so poetic. So exposed that you can clearly see how delicate they become toward the tips of their branches. It seems natural to highlight this and since I’ve become slightly hooked on making these kaleidoscopic abstracts, I couldn’t think of a better way to do it. So here is ‘Circle of Trees’.

MOOD OF THE ORIENT

THE memory of my first Christmas in Dubai way back in (ahem) 1996 popped into mind when I’d finished putting these images together.

I remembered buying bags and bags of frankincense and myrrh (plus a little gold trinket) to give as gifts to everyone. It was the first time that I had seen these stunning orange/gold balls of resin and let me tell you, the scent they emit when tossed onto an open fire or onto an oil burner is unbelievably beautiful. To me, they smell of a souk, dusty and musty and heady. Gorgeous.

I got taken back there with these shots, even though they’re images of colourful stones in rock pools, taken on a wonderful beach walk with my family last weekend. I think they’re amongst my favourites. 🙂

EARLY DAYS

I happily type this with inky fingers. Thought you might like to see my very first calligraphy alphabet! It’s not as easy as it looks, the consistency being the absolute hardest thing ever, but it’s tremendously fulfilling and addictive.

I’m moving onto words in the next lesson … exciting!