It's such a special thing to have the opportunity to photograph people across the years.  A number of years ago, I spent a lovely day with my camera at Darryl and Naomi's Vow Renewal based from their beautiful guest house in Ireby and last month we celebrated Darryl's recent Marmalade win with a series of photographs.  

The wonderful Dalemain - home of the Dalemain Mecanopsis - hold their Marmalade World Awards each year with a fabulous mixture of fun and artistry, freshness and heritage (the children in my family were so sad to miss it this year that we had to hold our own mini-awards!).  This year, Darryl won the Hotel and B&B Marmalade category with his 'Christingle Marmalade'.  Made from the oranges from a cancelled Christingle at the church next to their guest house, the Marmalade has a wonderful story as well as an award-winning taste!  To mark the win, we got together to create these photos featuring the Marmalade and Darryl.

So many congratulations to Darryl, and all at Woodlands Ireby, for such a wonderful thing! 

​It's time for the Summer competition!  This year's competition includes two new things I've been excited about this year: my new gallery website from Pixieset and the first year of my Fine Art Greetings Cards.  So... I'm giving away one of my Sitting Vouchers with a £20 printing voucher for your gallery and a set of ten of my Fine Art Greetings Cards. The Sitting Voucher is for a full portrait sitting at an outdoor location or at the studio - you can use it for a session for photos of family, pets or your garden.  The competition closes at midnight on Friday 25th of July and winners will be drawn on Saturday the 26th of July 2025.​ 

​The small print - no purchase necessary and the winners will be selected at random.  The prize is as described on this post and can't be exchanged.  The photo session is to take place in Cumbria so please only enter if you are able to attend or can pass on to someone who can.  UK wide delivery of the Greetings cards is free - international delivery would be at our usual postage rates.  One entry per person.  The competition closes at midnight on Friday 25th of July and winners will be drawn on Saturday the 26th of July 2025.​ Winners will be notified once the competition is drawn on the 26th of July 2025.  de la Mare Creative retains the right to change these terms and conditions at any time. Please contact us for more information.

There are moments in your life, and career, when things line up in a pleasingly, and slightly ironic, way... One of those was when a running joke between me and two good friends ended up being the title of my talk at the BIPP stand at this year's Photography and Video Show at the ExCel Centre in London.  

But let's go back... a couple of years ago I was on a dog walk with two dear friends, one of whom had been my mentor when I was her wedding and studio assistant in my teens.  I can't exactly remember the moment, but I expect it was taking a photo on a very questionable phone when I shrugged my shoulders at my friends and said what has become an infamous line for us... 'even a bad photo's a memory'.  Hilarity ensued. There was even the suggestion that I should use it as a tag line for my photography business (something I've yet to do).  Many years of mockery and pulling of feet has followed that fateful day, however I stand by the heart of my comment... Even a bad photo is a memory, and what is more important the skill of the image or what it represents?  In a business where we, rightly, strive to make the best images we can - taking our cameras, the light, our environments and our subjects into account - we must remember that the memory, the feeling, the reaction caused by the image is as important. 

Jump forward to March this year when I stood at the BIPP Stand and presented a talk based on this idea (in leopard print no less).  We travelled from chickens and cuties in hats, via literary theory and tiktok to an idea of why we do what we do - taking in A.I and analogue on the way.  And all in 20 mins!  Having chuckled to myself as I considered the title and talk, it was a pleasure to present the ideas to people at the stand - what a lot of fun!

Over the last number of year's I've had great times working with Penrith Town Council, particularly in recording the Penrith entries for the Britain in Bloom competition, and this May Day was another fab one.  It's always an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful place that is Penrith and photographing the May Day 2025 celebrations did just that! 

From the charming Teddy Bear zip wire at St. Andrews to the performers and bands, it was a great day.

Having sent photographs to the Herald a good many times of the years (often celebrating the success of UCC students), it was so lovely to be featured in the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald this week. I had a fascinating, and varied, chat with reporter Alan Cole recently about the project, the importance of cash to society, then nature of collaboration and the sense of home! Whilst we chatted across the subjects, the article was focussed on the Guernsey Banknotes project (as, of course, it should be!) and my collaboration with Hayley Mallett. Thanks to the Herald for the great article and I'm trying not to be too embarrassed about having my face in the paper!

2025 has not really been the year of Wainwright's for me so far.  Though I did have a good old trip up the Barf run, finishing off in the beautiful village of Lorton, last month.  The woods were full of the beginnings of spring and the hot weather brought out little surprises like the pictured lizard.  Here's hoping for a few more fell-tops sometime soon! 

Great to be featured in the Guernsey Press article about the new Guernsey banknotes, alongside Hayley and Natasha.  I definitely felt a little like a school girl getting her photo done (how strange to be that side of the newspaper photo!)... Either way, it's a great article about the project and you can read it here: Artists’ designs chosen for new banknotes

I often say that I owe my name, my height and a lot of who I am to being - very proudly - a Guernsey girl.  Coming from Guernsey has shaped who I am, and I'm so grateful for the love of being outside, the coast, community, family, culture, and shared history that growing up on the island gives. It's not a surprise that my love of Cumbria - where I'm based - reflects lots of those aspects though with more mountains, lakes and rivers than beaches near me!  Much of my creative work is based on that identity.  My visits back are often to see wonderful family and friends and the sights and smells of home, but there's so much creative inspiration there too and that's what drew me to making work inspired by both of my homes.

So this project ... When the opportunity to be involved with the new Guernsey banknotes was first published, the ideas and inspiration started flowing.  I've grown up collecting Bailiwick notes, coins, and postage stamps (a habit I haven't grown out of!) and was very excited about the possibility of being a part of that rich history.  During that time, Hayley Mallett contacted me about using one of my photographs for her submission and the idea of a collaboration came into being. Having gone to Hautes Capelles Primary and St. Sampsons' Secondary SchooI with Hayley, we reconnected in 2022 when Sula Gallery featured an exhibition of my photographs.  Whilst we hadn't seen each other properly in almost 20 years before the exhibition, both Hayley and I have such a complimentary love of Guernsey's nature and flora - especially in detail - and I've been following her beautiful interpretations of the natural world for years - it's been such a natural collaboration and our shared ​love and focus on nature has informed the concepts behind our designs.  We've worked together - with photos by me that have then been beautifully worked by Hayley in thread and bead - to create designs for the bank notes that are examples of the islands’ nature that we hope bring a sense of pride and joy in our Bailiwick, something we feel strongly!

I can't wait to reveal the designs (that won't be for a while yet though!), but you can hear a little more in the States of Guernsey film above or on their website: The new bailiwick banknotes - States of Guernsey.  On the reverse of the notes, work by the talented Natasha K. He will be featured. 

You can see Hayley's beautiful work on her website: Hayley Mallett Art - Mixed Media Textile Artist.

What a wonderful privilege to be part of the Guernsey banknotes!

I had a great day chatting about careers in the creative industry with students at Austin Friars in Carlisle - along with my collection of design and photographic bits and pieces!  Topics covered digital and analogue cameras, the intersection of art and other subjects (including maths) and the role A.I will play in the future.  It was also a pleasure to meet people from other industries who were there to speak to the students.

If you are interested in a career in the creative industries, you can find some questions to ask yourself on my education page here.  Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions at all!

Austin Friars popped a little post up here about the day.

From the first enquiry, to a lovely lunch... to their wedding day, it was an absolute treat being involved with Laura and Stu getting married.   From the thoughful touches they put in to look after their guests, the celebration of their family and friends, and their care for each other - Laura and Stu planned a fantastic day with some many proper laughs, beautiful moments and so much love on show.  There were so many proper laughs, beautiful moments and so much love on show. Thank you for having me be a part of it!

Locations: Lady Gillford's House and Carlisle Cathedral

If you've been reading my blogs or posts, you'll notice the phrase 'it's a privilege' come up quite often.  The reason is that it often is a privilege to photograph the things I get to celebrate.  That's never more true than when working with Hospice at Home.  From making films to recording photos like these, helping shine a light on this wonderful charity really does make my heart sing.  Do look into their excellent work and considering supporting them today: www.hospiceathome.co.uk 

What a cause of celebration to have a sister in love and getting married! And a new brother-in-law as a bonus. Beth and Sam wanted a lo-fi, film-like look to these shots to celebrate their engagement and it was an absolute pleasure (on so many levels!) to oblige. With their wedding venue in the background, these were a joy in every way.

A recent trip to the wonderful Holehird Gardens.  Here's the Winter/Spring border... a sea of spring! Another fantastic plant from Holehird coming up on the blog soon! If you live locally or visit the lakes, do go ans visit Holehird.