January 24 Update - I’ve Moved!

Christmas at the studio

Having finally emerged from the sugar coma created as a result of too much Christmas stollen, lebekuchen mulled wine, and brandy butter, it's finally back to work! It's been a busy few months, but I'm excited for January is going to bring. Here's a quick update on what has been going on and what is in the pipeline for me over the next few weeks.

I moved!

 

Having lived in Canterbury for over 16 years, I moved in with my partner in September. That means that Chris Henry Photography also moved to its new home in Great Chart, Ashford, the move bringing with it a number of changes. Mainly, my new home studio is significantly bigger than the last one, and that opens up a range of possibilities for new lighting styles and other possibilities. I'm very excited to see what the new space offers and explore all of the possibilities that a larger environment offers.

On the other hand, Google kicked me off their map because I do not have permanent signage outside the house. Whilst it took a month to sort out my business page’s verification with their awful customer service, more seriously this has caused a serious decrease in the amount of traffic that comes to my website and, consequently, a drop in clients.

Please do get in touch if you know of any ways to get around this limitation and get back on Google Maps. Otherwise, let me remind you that I offer a £30 referral fee if you have a photo shoot with me and then somebody else books mentioning your name.

Then the house flooded…

As if moving both a home and business wasn't difficult enough, just after I moved into the house the living room flooded with water from a filled up drain! This meant that the studio with out of action for another month whilst we drained, dehumidified and sanitised the house and, of course, this put studio work on pause.

Fortunately, everything is now back as it should be and normal service has continued, but it certainly wasn't the most auspicious start to the new move!

Upcoming work in January

Fortunately, it hasn't all been bad news, and I have some exciting projects coming up to share with you.

The Gero Y Migle UK team photoshoot

As anyone who has met me will know, I'm a very keen dancer and have been teaching it throughout Kent for the last decade. I'm very much looking forward therefore to photographing a brand-new performance group led by the fantastic Bradley Joseph and Faye Leslie, who also led a group I previously performed in.

I’ll be shooting the group at their performance on Saturday 6th January at Salsa Wild’s Monthly Party Night in Rochester, Kent. The party night takes place in a sports hall, so getting good photos with the florescent lights will be difficult, but we don’t grow without challenge and I’m looking forward to what should be a good night!

Competition winners photoshoots

Both winners of the Christmas competition will be coming in for their photoshoots this month. Runner up Jess Leaper is a talented actress, often associated with the Tenterden and Hythe Operatic and Dramatic Society, who will be using the opportunity to put together a refreshed set of portfolio headshots. Competition winner Megan Locke-West is a fantastic bachata dancer who teaches in Maidstone and central Kent. A joy to dance with, I’ll be working on some portraits with Megan to express her passion for dance and movement - I can’t wait for the results!

Swan & Dog Staff photos

Since I moved into the local area, the staff and regulars at Great Chart’s one and only pub, the Swan & Dog, have been wonderful and so welcoming. It’s a tiny village and I was a tad worried that I would find it hard to meet new people in the area, but they couldn’t have been more warm and welcoming. As a result I wanted to give something back and I’ll be taking everyone’s headshots for their marketing and social media. They’re a very friendly lot, so keep your eyes peeled to the website to see if they’re the sorts of people you’d like to spend time with, and please do come along!

Despite what is shaping up to be a busy month, I still have a couple of spaces left for headshot or portrait photoshoots, so do get in touch if you would like to book. Now that I’m out of Canterbury and the studio is useable, I’m very excited to get cracking!

As long as you’re not allergic to cats, studio cat Kio can keep us company during the shoot!