Before falling into my photography business, I was a makeup artist. So when I was doing my makeup yesterday to go shoot a wedding, I thought: ‘I should share this with my readers!’

Shooting is a far sweatier, heavier, more physical job than those who don’t practice it can imagine. And this quickly translates into sweat, oil and redness on the face of the photographer. How many women have to wipe foundation and oils off their camera screen every 5 seconds? It’s so annoying! And having your camera up in front of your face all day can make you feel even hotter. So here’s the way I do my makeup before a shoot.

Foundation foundation – Before foundation, I lay a foundation with primer. Luckily, I have a full professional kit of MAC products to use up after ending my makeup business. If you don’t have access to MAC, Benefit makes a good primer too. Primer re-texturises your skin, soaks up oils and stops sweat in its tracks (up to a certain point).

Oil mattifier – I have pretty oily skin, especially in the summer (wedding season) so in addition to primer, I use oil mattifier on my forehead, nose & chin. Oil is a camera’s silent killer so keep it at bay.

Foundation – I use either MAC studio fix liquid. If I didn’t have to take a 2 hour train to get to MAC in London, I’d pick up the studio fix powder foundation because I’m so so oily.

Lippie – No photographer has time to be messing around with their makeup during the day so I whack on some lipliner and MAC gloss and it lasts all day. I also keep a tube of balm in my pocket because talking with (and sometimes shouting to) clients all day can get your lips dried out.

In my kit bag – in my kit bag, I keep a pack of oil blotting tissues which you just press onto your oil slick, not wipe across your face. They soak up excess oil quickly without messing up your face. If you’re in America, you’re lucky enough to be able to get the Clean n Clear ones which are the best! They’re made out of this weird blue plasticy material and they soak up soooo much oil.

So there you have it – a bit of beauty advice for the photographer who wants to look as good as the bride (just don’t wear white!) :)

I’m so proud to announce that we’ve added a new member to our family and I didn’t even have to give birth this time!

Elizabeth Halford Photography has adopted one child through Compassion International. Compassion is a Christian aid organisation dedicated to operating with the utmost financial accountability and integrity so when we sponsor these children, they really do get their needs. And after a year of faithful sponsorship, we will even get a chance to travel and meet our new little guy!

Compassion works to support children throughout their lives by opening ‘projects’ in regions where the children go daily for school, meals, bathing, clothing, healthcare, etc. The money Elizabeth Halford Photography sends pays for the needs of Victor in Equador so he can grow up with the advantage of education and health. {CLICK HERE} to see a video about the life of a sponsored child in India.

The thing I love the most about Compassion is that when the children are grown and they graduate out of their project, they regularly turn around and begin sponsoring children of their own because they have jobs and careers thanks to education. I recently met a woman from Kenya who grew up in a Compassion project. She made it to London and received her Master’s Degree and she is now returning to her home to save children just like her from the clutches of poverty, prostitution, hunger, AIDS and certain death.

{How Can we Work Together?}

The best way to support a child through Compassion is to adopt one. Or you can partner with Elizabeth Halford Photography. One of my favourite days here on the blog is Reader Photo Friday where you can email me your photo and I edit it for you. As always, this is completely free and I greatly enjoy the community with my readers. Feel free to copy the finished product to post on Facebook or email to your friends and family. If you would like the full resolution finished product emailed to you so you can print it as big and as many as you’d like, the cost is $25 and 100% of these monies go straight to Victor in Equador. The more popular Fridays become, the more children we can help so spread the word to your friends who enjoy photography.

If you’ve previously had a photo in Reader Photo Friday, I’ve still got them so please feel free to order if you’d like.

{Meet Victor}

This is Victor. He lives in Equador. His birthday is September 2005 (he’s exactly the same age at my Jack). He lives with his parents who are extremely poor. When he can find work, his dad makes the equivalent of only £40 per MONTH which is what I spend on my mobile phone alone. At the very young age of 4, he washes clothes, fetches water and gathers wood. He has 4 brothers and sisters. Daily, he attends school at the Compassion project where he gets schooling, medical care and a hearty dinner before returning home to his family. Elijah is already writing Victor letters.

Please sponsor a child or partner with Elizabeth Halford Photography to help Victor.

Edited with One Willow’s new Fairytale set and Florabella Textures

We climbed to the summit of Crib Goch in Wales. I didn’t think to look it up on Wikipedia before we headed out and it’s a pretty good thing I didn’t because this is what I would have read:

“Crib Goch is a knife-edged arête in the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, Wales. The highest point on the arête is 923 m above sea level. This first part of the ridge is very exposed and serious, having resulted in several fatalities, even of experienced mountaineers. The Snowdonia National Park Authority describe it as “not a mountain for the inexperienced”.

So I really shouldn’t have made this my first mountain experience. There were many times I looked down and realised how much danger I was in and started shaking, crying and having visions of my children’s faces at one point.

It took 9 hours in total and they were the most harrowing hours of my entire life.

Edited with Totally Rad Actions

We had dinner with her family and she photographed Grace in the garden just as the sun was about to go down. These are the results. She’s a very busy lady, so I received her raw files and edited them myself.

Edited with One Willow’s B&W presets for LR, Florabella textures and Totally Rad LR presets

I’ve always seen those calendar photos of mountains in Ireland, Scotland and Wales and had a sinking feeling in my gut that I would never see these things for myself, but tomorrow it will happen. And of course, come hell or high water, I will be photographing it!

If you’d like to sponsor me in any aMOUNT (har har pun intended), just leave a comment below. Check out this video to see exactly what we’re doing and why:

Here are a few photo highlights (you didn’t think I’d leave my camera behind did you?)

Last flight of the space shuttle Atlantis

Gracie infront of the house where I grew up (it's for sale now)

the kids were in the Lion King show @ Animal Kingdom

Sister 12 weeks after baby - must be shown!

Spent 3 days @ the Animal Kingdom lodge

...and in the US, you can take photos by the pool (take that, child protection laws!)

Feet of a Florida girl. No shoes required

Gorgeous new nephew

Jack's new girlfriend - he aims high!

My mummy and grandmummy

Being kids again

Crime scene

Courtesy of my lovely friend Wanda

This is going up in my dining room on a HUGE canvas! Courtesy of my lovely friend Wanda

Us - Courtesy of my lovely friend Wanda

He surfed! - Courtesy of my lovely friend Wanda

I LOVE this one - Courtesy of my lovely friend Wanda

The view from our room @ the Animal Kingdom Lodge

Oh how I adore this teeny weenie bikini - Courtesy of my lovely friend Wanda

I have been sorely disappointed in the past week as I have been trying to resolve this in the proper channels with no suitable outcome. I called Trading Standards to report the breech of copyright and from them, was referred to the copyright authorities. When I called them, the number had an answering machine that sounded very homemade and my call has never been returned.

I was left with no other option than to contact them myself. When I called the shopping mall kiosk, the man was surprisingly nice considering the script I read to him over the phone which stated that he was in breech of copyright and blahdee blah. He said he’d gotten the canvas from his ‘supplier’ in Birmingham. He later called me back with the supplier’s details and said he would keep the canvas for me.

So now, there’s a company in Birmingham who is distributing these photos of my son to their canvas stores. As if I don’t have enough on my plate!

So please…if anyone in the UK happens to see this photo in their local shopping mall, I would REALLY love to know about it.