Amy Davies

Please Sponsor… 30 Day Song Challenge for Tenovus Cancer

30 April, 2013 by amydavies

Just a warning: this post really has nothing to do with photography or anything that I might usually blog about. But it’s for charity, so you’re not allowed to complain.  Anyone who has the fortune to know me may already be aware of my new-found hobby – learning to play the ukulele. I have never learned an instrument properly before. I dabbled a bit with keyboard playing when I was at school, but was far too impatient to see it […]

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Categories: Song Challenge • Tags: cancer charity, challenge, charity, singing, Tenovus, ukulele, YouTube

Portfolio: Lampshade workshop at The Makery for Mollie Makes

13 April, 2013 by amydavies

Something like six weeks ago I spent a fun couple of hours observing the very patient ladies taking part in a class at The Makery in Bath (where I work) creating lampshades. I took photos, had a chat with the workshop leader, Ruth, and even found time to enjoy a cup of tea. The ladies looked like they had lots of fun, and it seems like lampshade making is a quick and easy craft that pretty much anyone can enjoy. […]

Categories: Magazines, Photography • Tags: crafts, flamingos, lampshades, Magazines, Mollie Makes, Photography, portfolio, The Makery

Read: Télégramme Magazine Issue 5

8 April, 2013 by amydavies

I’m taking a little departure from what I would usually post on the blog (my work) to share with you a wonderful (and free! hooray!) magazine which you should definitely check out if you get some time. Télégramme is created by my lovely friend Sarah (who I photographed here and here by the way!) for the sheer love of the photographs within it. It’s a non-profit and as such carries no advertising so it’s 100% lushness inside. The majority of the […]

Categories: Magazines, Photography • Tags: analogue photography, free magazine, Issuu, photography magazine, Sarah Chong, self published, Telegramme

Cardiff Arcades Project: Forbesfield Flowers (or how to create the vintage look in Photoshop Elements)

2 April, 2013 by amydavies

Here’s another posts asking you very kindly to head over to my other blog where I’ve put up another new post documenting a beautiful shop in Cardiff’s Arcades. This time it’s the gorgeous Forbesfield Flowers, which will only actually exist in its current incarnation for a couple more weeks. This is the kind of shop where you (or maybe it’s just me) can take a million photos and still not be done, so I had to try very hard to […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography • Tags: beautiful, Cardiff, Cardiff Arcades Project, Castle Arcade, flowers, Forbesfield Flowers, free lesson, learning, Photoshop Actions, Photoshop Elements, Photoshop tutorial, pretty, tutorial, vintage

Cardiff Arcades Project: Vom Fass

29 March, 2013 by amydavies

Just another quick update to point you in the direction of my other blog, the Cardiff Arcades Project. I photographed the fantastic Vom Fass shop in the Royal Arcade a couple of months ago (most of the shoots I do have a couple of months turnaround… owing mainly due to this stupid thing called life getting in the way – I’m trying to be better though, honestly). Having been open a couple of years now, I’ve been keen to photograph […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography • Tags: alcohol, Canon 60D, Cardiff, Cardiff Arcades Project, food photography, oils, Photography, Royal Arcade, shopping, vinegar, Vom Fass

Portfolio: Country Threads shop in Bath for Love Quilting and Patchwork Magazine

27 March, 2013 by amydavies

At the beginning of the year, I had the pleasure of photographing a lovely shop in Bath just round the corner from the offices where I work. The shop will be an absolute haven for anybody, like me, who’s slightly too obsessed with fabric for their own good. I had been commissioned to photograph and write a piece on the wonderful Country Threads for Love Quilting and Patchwork Magazine – a bookazine from my company’s craft portfolio. Writing about and […]

Categories: Journalism, Photography • Tags: Bath, Country Threads, freelance work, Future Publishing, Love Quilting and Patchwork, patchwork

Portraits: Keara in a snowy Bute Park, Cardiff with the Nikon V2

26 February, 2013 by amydavies

As you can no doubt tell by the snow in these shots, I took these a little while ago … it was actually on the same day that I set off on an epic seven hour drive to Snowdonia… I met the lovely Keara through Twitter – as I seem to meet so many people these days. I put out a request for potential models on my feed, and Keara was one (perhaps crazy) enough to volunteer. It’s great to […]

Categories: Cardiff, Portraits • Tags: Bute Park, Cardiff, compact system camera, Nikon V2, outdoor photography, Photography, portraits, Snow, weather

Landscapes: Snowdonia in January with the Nikon V2 and Olympus PEN Mini

4 February, 2013 by amydavies

A couple of weeks ago, I was mad enough to visit Snowdonia in January. After the trip had already been cancelled due to the blanket of snow covering the whole country, determined to make it up North, we pushed on ahead a week later. A mere seven hours in the car later…. yep…. we arrived at our destination. Then promptly got lost up a random track in the middle of nowhere. It was 2am, there were no street lights or […]

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: January, Landscapes, mountains, National Park, Nikon V2, Olympus PEN Mini, scenery, Snow, Snowdon, Snowdonia, weather

Cardiff Arcades Project: Brooklinde Jewellers

24 January, 2013 by amydavies

Just a quick update post to point you in the direction of my other blog. I photographed the lovely Brooklinde in the High Street Arcade a few weeks ago and used my Canon 60D, my Panasonic G5 and took a few shots with the Sony RX1. I haven’t been using my 60D that much recently, but with all the jewellery I wanted to use my 60mm macro lens to get some great close-ups. The wide angle lens I have is […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography • Tags: Brooklinde Jewellery, Cardiff Arcades Project, Jewellery, macro, Photography, shop, shopping

Portraits: Violet Noir at Northcote Street Lanes with the Sony RX1

19 January, 2013 by amydavies

Quite simply, these are some of my favourite portraits that I’ve ever taken. I met the lovely Violet Noir via the magic of Twitter. I was reviewing the excellent Sony RX1 and wanted to see what I could do with it portrait-wise, so I put out a request on Twitter for anybody with a spare hour or two to volunteer. I couldn’t quite believe my luck when someone with blue/purple hair replied – I love people with unusual looks. I […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography, Portraits • Tags: 35mm, blue hair, camera, Cardiff, full-frame, graffiti, Northcote Street Lanes, portraits, premium compact, quirky, RX1, Sony, Sony RX1, Violet Noir

Beaches in winter: Penarth with the Olympus PEN Mini

6 January, 2013 by amydavies

I’m perhaps a little bit odd, but if you saw my post from Barry Island a few weeks ago, you’ll know that I prefer the beach in winter. Lovely and quiet, and you can wear a coat and not get hot… I like it. So, a few weeks ago when I needed to test the Olympus PEN E-PM2 (aka PEN Mini), I headed straight for Penarth. My good weather luck followed me and it was a beautiful day. For those […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography • Tags: art filters, beach, Cardiff, Dramatic Tone, E-PM2, Olympus, PEN, Pen Mini, Penarth, sunny, weather, winter

Arcades Project Christmas Specials

23 December, 2012 by amydavies

Just a very quick post to guide you over to my other blog where I’ve been running some Christmas specials. I’ve photographed two shops, Hubbard’s Cupboard, a beautiful vintage shop in the High Street Arcade, and the Royal Christmas Emporium, a pop-up shop in the Royal Arcade. The other post concentrates on the gorgeous lights throughout all of the arcades. There’s no need for lots of words in this post… just head over to the Cardiff Arcades Project and you’ll […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography • Tags: Arcades Project, blogging, Christmas, decorations, festive, lights

Cardiff Castle: Mono shots with the Fujifilm X100

10 December, 2012 by amydavies

I’m really pretty fortunate to live almost opposite the Castle (I can see it from my window). As a resident of Cardiff I get free access so I’ve actually lost count of the amount of times I’ve visited the Castle. It’s also a pretty handy photography location, and if I’m stumped for anywhere else (or I just don’t fancy a lengthy trip) having something as fantastic as this on my doorstep is a dream. For you see, I bloody love […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography • Tags: black and white, Cardiff, Cardiff Castle, Fujifilm, monochrome, X100

Barry Island in the winter sun, shot with the Fuji X-E1

3 December, 2012 by amydavies

I’ve never really appreciated how close I am to Barry Island before – but one Wednesday, the sun miraculously came out for the perfect winter day. I love beaches in the winter, they’re less busy, you’re not sweating and there’s no chance of getting a beach ball in the face. True, you can’t really go swimming, but as I’m usually busy photographing, that doesn’t bother me. I was reviewing the stunning new Fujifilm X-E1, one of my favourite new cameras […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: Barry, Barry Island, beach, coastal shots, cold, compact system camera, Fuji, sunny, weather, winter sun, X-E1

Cardiff Arcades Project: Bill’s Restaurant

27 November, 2012 by amydavies

I’ve done a new post on my other blog, the Cardiff Arcades Project about a great new restaurant/cafe that has opened in the Wyndham Arcade. Bill’s is a small chain, with the latest addition in Cardiff being open for just a few weeks now. These were shot with my Panasonic G5 and an Olympus PEN E-PL5. I’m beginning to use my DSLR on fewer and fewer occasions, especially when a CSC is more than adequate for what I’m photographing. So […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography • Tags: Bill's, Cardiff Arcades Project, Olympus PEN E-PL5, Panasonic G5, Wyndham Arcade

Cardiff, Lomography Style

5 November, 2012 by amydavies

By the time I had fallen in love with photography, the digital revolution was already well under way. Sure I had used the odd film compact camera when I was very young, but the first time I got my own camera was roughly 2002, and it was a digital offering. I think it had something AMAZING like two megapixels! So, I’m not one of these photographers that spent hours developing photos in a lab, as much as I’d like to […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography • Tags: 35mm, analogue, film, Fisheye 2, La Sardina, Lomography, Photography, Sprocket Rocket

Bute Park in Autumn: A Kaleidoscope of Beautiful Colour

29 October, 2012 by amydavies

Autumn is, quite rightly, the favourite season of many photographers – and I think I’m no different. I’m really fortunate to live just a couple of minutes walk away from the magnificent Bute Park which looks quite frankly resplendent at this time of year. Somehow, last year, I managed to miss most of the autumnal goodness, so this year I’ve been going much more frequently to try and catch the best moments.

Categories: Cardiff, Photography • Tags: autumn, Bute Park, Cardiff, colour, E-PL5, fall, G5, Nikon, Olympus PEN, P7700, Panasonic, Photography, seasons

Portraits: Helen in Bath (shot with the Fuji X Pro1)

22 October, 2012 by amydavies

Anyone might think I have a penchant for redheads considering the frequency with which they appear on this blog. Well it just so happens that most of the redheads I know are really game for posing for portraits – maybe having bright hair makes you more confident than the average brunette or blonde? Anyway, this is my friend Helen in the wonderful city of Bath. I work in Bath but I don’t take too many photos there, so it was […]

Categories: Portraits • Tags: Bath, Fuji, Fujifilm, ginger, Photography, portraits, redhead, Velvia, X Pro1

Portraits: Shots from the Tenovus fashion shoot (winner of a CIPR award)

20 October, 2012 by amydavies

I have already written about my experiences of shooting the Tenovus “Worn by You, Loved by Us” earlier in the year, but I wanted to upload some shots in honour of the fact that the campaign has been nominated for a few CIPR awards, including best use of photography or design! Update: I’m thrilled to say that the campaign won three awards at the CIPR awards, including two silvers and one gold for Best Use of Photography or Design! Although […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography, Work • Tags: Canon, Cardiff, Castle Arcade, charity, CIPR, DSLR, Nikon, Photography, portraits, Tenovus

Arcades Project: Hubbard’s Cupboard with the Nikon D600 and Fuji X Pro1

11 October, 2012 by amydavies

Just a quick post to direct you to the latest post on the Cardiff Arcades Project, which I shot a couple of weeks ago. These photos are from Hubbard’s Cupboard, a new vintage shop which opened up just over a month ago and can be found in the High Street Arcade. I shot the majority of the photos of the Nikon D600, which is a great addition to the full-frame line-up. Being smaller than other cameras of its type, I […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography, Uncategorized • Tags: Arcades Project, Cardiff, Fuji X Pro1, Hubbard's Cupboard, Nikon D600, Photography

Sunny Oxford on a beautiful summer’s day

8 October, 2012 by amydavies

We haven’t had a particularly good summer in the UK, but there were odd days of delicious sunshine. And on one of those days, by some miracle, I happened to be out shooting to review a camera. I’d never been to Oxford before, but my love for old architecture meant I knew I’d like it. I’m really happy to report that I wasn’t wrong in the slightest, and I spent a few hours merrily wandering around with no real plan […]

Categories: Photography, Travel • Tags: Architecture, England, Oxford, Samsung, Samsung NX210, summer 2012, sunny day, sunshine, UK, weather

Portraits: Nina in Castle Arcade, Cardiff (shot with the Canon 650D and the Panasonic G5)

1 October, 2012 by amydavies

If you’re a regular reader of this blog (I must have at least one, surely?) you might know that the Castle Arcade is one of my absolute favourite places in Cardiff. Not only is it a great place for a wander around, filled with all kinds of curious shops and cafes, its beautiful architecture make it, in my opinion at least, a fantastic place to shoot portraits. So it was here I brought Nina, my latest subject, to shoot this […]

Categories: Cardiff, Portraits • Tags: Canon 650D, Cardiff, Castle Arcade, DSLR, Micro Four Thirds, Panasonic G5, Photography, portraits

Iceland in high contrast mono (shot with the Sony a99)

25 September, 2012 by amydavies

Iceland is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go, so when the opportunity came up earlier in the year to visit the country to test the new Sony Alpha 99, I couldn’t quite believe my luck. We visited in mid-September, where I naively believed it wouldn’t  be *that* cold. I couldn’t have really have been more wrong, and was very grateful for the thick winter coats provided to us after I’d only packed a light jacket (the fool). On one of […]

Categories: Photography, Travel • Tags: a99, black and white, cold, full-frame, high contrast, Iceland, mono, Photography, Sony Alpha, travel

Portraits: Liz at The Bunkhouse, Cardiff (shot with the Nikon D800 and Canon 5D Mark III)

23 September, 2012 by amydavies

What do you do when two of the best cameras currently on the market come into the office at the same time? Obviously, you take them both out for a head to head shoot. This session pitched the Canon 5D Mark III against the Nikon D800. Both firmly in the semi-pro category (whatever that is), they  both retail for roughly the same price and are both lusted after by different groups of people. I photographed my beautiful friend Liz yet […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography, Portraits • Tags: 5D Mark III, bar, Bunkhouse, Canon, Cardiff, D800, full-frame, hostel, Nikon, Photography, portraits

Jacobs Market with the Fuji X100

4 September, 2012 by amydavies

I shot these photos a few weeks back of one of my favourite Cardiff places to have a mooch around on a Saturday afternoon. If you’re not familiar with Jacob’s market, you’re really missing out and you should pay it a visit the next time you’re in the city centre. If you’re anything like me you will have seen it thousands of times out of the window of the train before your first venture in there. There are loads, and […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography • Tags: Antiques, Astia, Cardiff, Fujifilm, Jacobs Market, Photography, X100

Goodbye little dude!

1 September, 2012 by amydavies

Please indulge my soppy side for one short blogpost… my crazy little hamster died this week and I realised I had so many photos of him that I could probably him into enter the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s most photographed hamster. I found I have over 600 on my phone alone… which I guess is quite a lot All of these were taken on my iPhone(s) and are usually of him sleeping or eating something… it was […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: cute, hamster, Hipstamatic, Instagram, iPhone, Photography

Cardiff in high contrast monochrome (shot with the Sony NEX-F3)

18 August, 2012 by amydavies

It’s fair to say that this summer has been a bit of a washout, weather-wise. So, a few weeks ago when yet another grey and gloomy day was threatening to thwart my photographic plans I decided to go with the mood instead. I was shooting with a Sony NEX-F3, which is one of the company’s compact system cameras. It’s a fun little camera to use, and one of its Picture Effects is called High Contrast Mono. Sometimes, I like to […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography • Tags: Architecture, black and white, Cardiff, high contrast, monochrome, Photography, Sony NEX-F3, weather

Some snapshots of Bath (with a Sony RX100)

23 July, 2012 by amydavies

This year has been a fantastic year for new cameras, and the Sony RX100 has easily been one of my favourite (so far). It’s a nifty little compact camera featuring a larger than average sensor (one inch). I only had my hands on it for a few days, so on the last day I had it, I decided to take it for a quick spin around Bath for some street/architecture/slightly unusual photography.

Categories: Photography • Tags: Bath, Photography, Sony, Sony RX100, tourists

Portraits: Elena in Bute Park (shot with the Sony a37)

19 July, 2012 by amydavies

These portraits were taken what seems like an age ago – when this big blanket of blue stuff hung in the sky and it was actually warm. Remember those crazy days of May when it was actually hot for a brief window of time? Ah to get that back again… Hopefully these will be an omen of an improvement in weather to come, and if not, hopefully they can distract for a moment anyway. I took these shots of Elena […]

Categories: Cardiff, Photography, Portraits • Tags: a37, Alpha, Bute Park, Cardiff, colours, DSLT, portraits, Sony, Spring, summer, sunshine

Portraits: Sarah at Gwdihw, Cardiff (taken with the Nikon D3200)

16 June, 2012 by amydavies

I recently reviewed the Nikon D3200, a new entry-level DSLR. As part of my test, I shot some portraits of Sarah at Gwdihw, a local bar which has a pretty cool interior. I used a pretty basic set-up to capture these (as always), using only the kit lens and a 50mm f/1.8 lens for all of the shots. This year I’ve been lucky enough to use the camera at the very top of Nikon’s range (the D4) and this, almost […]

Categories: Photography, Portraits • Tags: Gwdihw, kit lens, Nikon, Nikon D3200, Photography, portraits, Sarah