Photography Gripes and Seeing Results!

One of my blogger faves - Nodakademic - posted this very informative post about what it's like to photograph a wedding.  Rather than totally hijack her post with my thoughts-in-general about the world of wedding photography, I thought I'd share over here!

Having watched our photographer in action at a wedding recently, I have no doubt that it's a physically and emotionally tiring job. He was wearing a pair of North Face-type shoes, which my fiancé (his friend) commented were rather scruffy for a wedding, until he started leaping almost ninja-like from rock, to bench, to bit of ruined castle, all to get the perfect shot, without getting in the way of anyone.

The niggle that I do have about wedding photography is why photographers aren't more straightforward with their charging methods. When someone quotes me £1500 for a fancy album that I don't want, or £3000 for the jpegs as they don't want the quality of their work to be compromised by cheap printing or online sharing, it's hard not to be really confused about what exactly the role of a wedding photographer is.

Our wedding is not a piece of art, it's a day from which we'd like visual mementoes, and we don't want to have to rely on friends/family members (like we would at a regular party) to give up their party time - so we hire a photographer. We want them to have photography skills, an inquisitive nature, and a keen eye for detail.

That's where the first issue arises - with the increased popularity of recreational photography, there are more and more alleged professionals popping up with no more skill than I have with a camera.

While the improved accessibility is wonderful, and competition is healthy, the fact that these lower-skilled photographers are charging as much as the good ones is just not on. We, the laymen, are not always equipt to make the best decision regarding photography - we may naively fall in love with the details of a wedding and confuse that with good photography; a good-looking couple can also sway us; and the number of photographers peddling tales of celebrity clients is amazing. I know it's all a case of caveat emptor, but the accountant in me is just crying out for industry regulation!

My dream photographer? Someone who says "I'm going to be with you for X hours; travelling for Y hours; processing for Z hours. My hourly rate for onsite work is £A; my hourly rate for travelling is £B and my hourly rate for processing work is £C." They then charge for products at cost plus mark-up, like a regular business does.

I'd be happy to pay a handsome hourly rate to get exactly what I want - nothing more, nothing less. Good photography is a great skill, and it should be rewarded - but an industry where there is such emotion attached - it is rare to hear a bride confess that the photographer had been "just ok" - and where repeat custom is almost non-existent, I'm not sure that fair rewards are being paid.

I'm currently in negotiations with a boudoir photography company (I shall report more later!) who charged £50 for an hour-long shoot including five minutes with a make-up artist, and one 5" by 7" print. The next level up is four 5" by 7" prints, for £250! Not only were there not four that I *loved*, but this is a gift for the groom - but having already bought him a beautiful watch, I'm really not planning on spending even more. We've got a wedding to pay for, after all! 

I offered them a further £75 for a second print - there are two that I love - but they declined, saying that they felt their packages provided good value. Um... Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't buying more than you want kind of go against the principles of good value? Sort of why I'm not allowed to fill my trolley with the 10p-a-punnet tomatoes that are just about to go off. 

So, I'm just sticking with one photo. For the cost they have incurred providing the photographer and the make-up artist, not to mention the overheads -  a pretty studio; hefty marketing; two reception staff - they are reaping a total of £50, simply because they didn't want to compromise. And for the baby bump picture I was planning in the future? I'll be looking elsewhere.

Couldn't just leave you without sharing a pic of my super-slummy lunch! Half a vegetarian lasagne from Sainsbury's; brussels sprouts and spring greens, all on a tasty corn tortilla with lashings of extra virgin olive oil. 

Here's a little story about EVOO, as the food bloggers call it: some time ago, I read an article in goodness-only-knows-what magazine, but a chef who said that you should never use EVOO for cooking, because it loses its flavour - only ever for dressings and such. It was one of those things like saying "hippopotami" or naming your child after a celebrity - people do it to appear refined, but actually show themselves to be less so than if they hadn't tried in the first place. Well... Ha! Mr Snooty Chef. Call me unrefined, but I think that EVOO tastes delicious when used in cooking, and I definitely notice that it tastes fruitier than normal olive oil.

As a result of this discovery, I have decided that any calories I have left over at the end of the day (according to my beloved MyNetDiary app) will be used in a big ol' drizzle of olive oil in my supper. It makes even the diet-iest of meals taste like a treat - and the presence of good fats means that my body isn't going to freak out that I'm eating less and exercising more.

So... I should probably share some of my results thus far - 

Whoop! The dotty line is what the scales say; the solid line is the TrueWeight smoothing out. And... The dress is fully zipping up!! Relief. Now I can just get back to slow and steady health-improvement.

As an aside - I apologise if anyone felt that my use of actual monetary figures was a little crass - I just felt that quantities were necessary to make the illustration. x

Ack... The Dress, and The Final Hour

So... I tried on the dress on Saturday, and it's about an inch away from doing up. Oh the horror! 54 days to go, and let's be serious - I've kind of known about this day for almost 18-months, now. *Sigh*

Sometimes I think that maybe I just prefer myself cuddly, but I know that's not true - when I got down to a still-considered-obese-by-the-health-industry 12 stone after a week in hospital last summer, I loved how slim I felt! So, the military "get Becca into her dress" operation has been stepped up a notch. I have officially sworn off alcohol for the next fortnight, and the gym sessions are going to have to be longer!

Yummy lentils, spring onions, red peppers and apple balsamic vinaigrette for supper last night!

Tasty, Healthy Food

I've subscribed to far too many healthy eating blogs lately, and they've inspired me to share my lunch with you!

Well, no, you can't have any, but the thought was there, at least.

I'm afraid to say that I'm a bit of a lettuce dodger, so what I tend to do is buy packs of vegetables intended for stir fries - cabbage, carrot strips and bean sprouts - and make a salad out of them instead. They're combined with my absolute diet staple - king prawns. There's something about the Co-Op ones; they're just so flavoursome.

Next layer is my favourite recent discovery - leek and alfalfa sprouts. They have just the right level of oniony pungency, without being so overpowering that you can't eat them at work! Also, some people do theorise that sprouting grains are magically good for you... Not sure if I buy it, but why not if they're tasty and cheap? All topped off with a tub of basic salsa. I've been having the most insane tomato cravings lately - thankfully they're a Weight Watchers *free* food, so I can snack on them as much as I like!

Want to see supper as well? Oh go on then...

Aubergines and mushrooms - Patrick hates them, so I'm dosing up while he's away - with asparagus in a tomatoey curry sauce. My favourite curry paste is Patak's Madras: it's so delicious. I've been known to put it in cheese toasties!

I added a bit of frozen chopped spinach to thicken out the sauce, and some frozen chopped green beans, just because they were there.

Pud, you say? Here it is!

One of the things I love about Waitrose is that they just stock nice things - even their economy versions of foods are ethically sourced, free range, British where possible... I love these frozen raspberries because they are delicious, and I can eat a tonne of them with minimal calorific damage. Yes, I am a greedy guts, and yes, I eat them frozen. I blended them once, making the most amazing sorbet, but it's too much like hard work, and it seemed like *everything* was pink!

So, with a healthy dose of Maldon Salt (oh come on - I'm over 300 days smoke-free, I've got to be allowed a vice!) I'm very pleased with my meals for today!


What are your absolute go-to diet foods? The ones that help you to feel like you're not depriving yourself!

Walkers World Cup Crisps

I have a confession to make. It's a bit "out-there"; a bit unusual, especially for a girl. I'm really not that mad on chocolate. I know - I posted those delish pics of chocolatey nomminess on a previous post, but outside of my *happy place*, I just don't have a sweet tooth, so my go-to snack is... Crisps.

I grew up on Walkers, of course, and started out with Cheese & Onion, in the green packets as they were in those days! I remember the day I stopped eating them - a boy who lived on my street wandered over to where I was resting on my pink Raleigh Bluebird and demanded a crisp. I obliged, happily enough, but he sniffed the crisp and pretended to throw up into the packet. Nice. I haven't deliberately eaten a Cheese & Onion crisp since!

Nowadays, we are spoilt for choice - last year's foray into the world of the unusual was a bit of a flop - Chilli & Chocolate was disappointing to say the least, and Cajun Squirrel must have contained authentic squirrel flavours as there wasn't a hint of cajun about it! I bravely tried each one, but the only enjoyable flavour was the Hoi Sin Duck, slightly reminiscent of the delicious (and greatly missed!) Spare Rib flavour in their Great British Takeaways range, but nothing like that BBQ Rib nonsense they're serving up now.

Discovery of these various flavours is mostly serendipitous - stumbling upon something you've never tried before in a random corner shop or vending machine is a true delight. I'd like to take a moment to thank Kaplan in Bristol for the lime-green packets of Pickled Onion that got me through many a tax class, and McColl's of Walsall for being the first place to supply me with the heavenly Thai Sweet Chilli. What can I say, the life of an accountant requires snacks!

This time around, I'm particularly excited about their new range, themed around the World Cup - the Flavour Cup. Now this is a World Cup event that a girl like me can really get interested in!

Friday night's planned Pimmsathon was a bit of a wash - lots of Pimms, but all in one place... It was redeemed, somewhat, by the inclusion of a mass crisp-tasting session!
English Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding - this was tasty, but bizarrely creamy... Also, contained the rather ominous-sounding "poultry stock", so our vegetarian panellist couldn't partake.
 

Japanese Teriyaki Chicken - well, you really can't go wrong with a flavour like this. Full-bodied and tangy!

Dutch Edam - very cheesy, but very weird. Things that crunch ought not taste like things that squidge!

American Cheeseburger - this has been a forerunner on a couple of occasions!  Beefy and cheesy, with a delicious hint of gherkin!

German Bratwurst Sausage - so accurate that it was spooky! Lord only knows how those chemists rustled up such a medley of flavours, but we were left thinking of Violet Beauregarde... A proper, smoky sausage with a definite burst of sauerkraut and hint of mustard.

French Garlic Baguette - I am a garlic fiend - awaiting our trip to the Stinking Rose in San Francisco with great relish! - but this was just weak...

Argentinean Flame Grilled Steak - this tastes of not just beef, but grilled beef. Less freakish than some others - I could really see this becoming a regular flavour.

Brazilian Salsa - Oh yawn. A little tomatoey, a little spicy, but mostly blah.

I have yet to try the remaining countries' flavours...

Spanish Chicken Paella
Irish Stew
Australian BBQ Kangaroo
Italian Spaghetti Bolognese
Welsh Rarebit
Scottish Haggis
South African Sweet Chutney

Has anyone given these a try? Or are you too grossed out by the bizarre ingredients lists? What's your favourite crisp flavour?

Disney Food Blog Cross-Sections

Those of us who know and love Walt Disney World shudder when they hear "But I couldn't go on holiday and just live on burgers and chips!" We know all about the top-quality steaks, fresh and flavoursome seafood, and extensive wine cellars, but there's no harm in indulging in a little junk every now and then.

AJ over at Disney Food Blog provides excellent reviews of restaurants and food events all the time, but the thing that truly sets it apart and gets me through these lettuce-laden pre-wedding times is this...

Ohhhh... Yes. Not only does AJ write about and photograph some of the most nommy naughtiness around, but she actually cuts them in half and shows us the gooey, sugary innards. Yum! Above is the White Chocolate Chip Brownie, available at Disney's Hollywood Studios' Starring Rolls Café.

For those who love the kitschness of American chocolate bars, this one is a treat - the Butterfinger Cupcake, again from Starring Rolls. Would you like some cupcake with your two kinds of butter icing?

If all this sweetness is starting to give you toothache, here's a savoury number from Disneyland's Naples Restaurant, part of the same restaurant group as the hotly-anticipated Via Napoli in Epcot's Italy. The Arancini with red pepper dip is like nothing I've ever seen before, and I definitely plan to try that creamy, cheesy, crispiness when we're on our honeymoon!

Carrying on down the peanut butter route... How gorgeous does this look? It's a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake, again from the legendary Starring Rolls Café.

Next up - the German Chocolate Cookie, in all its glorious coconutty goodness. Yes, that's a word. Contrary to popular belief, German Chocolate Cake, this inspiration for this cookie, actually has nothing to do with Germany. It is named after Samuel German, the Englishman who created the chocolate used in the recipe, which was thought to originate in the American South. This beast of a cookie can be found at Goofy's Candy Company, and - between you and me - I think it kind of explains the shop's proprietor's quirky smile!

Would you believe that I've actually lost weight on every single trip to Disney World? Something about clocking up 20,000 plus steps every day, I'm sure!

Big thanks to AJ - all photos were used with written permission from Disney Food Blog. For more yumminess and great food reviews, check out DisneyFoodBlog.com