Jamie & Tori's Story

As Seen in the Tenby Observer Wedding Planner

Firstly, I must apologise the lack of updates on this blog but then again who actually reads? Times have been up and down to say the least, and that has played with my mental well being, especially when it has come to my photographic practice. For many years, I have concentrated on giving 100% to my passion and this is my source of income as a professional photographer. However, the pandemic has made me stop and think about sustainability within the photographic industry and just what is it all about and for what?

Photographs are not just images; they are physical artifacts. The physical form of the photographic image, prescribed by prevailing technology, determines what can be photographed, how it can be displayed or published, how it can be encountered by others, how it can circulate through public culture.

I wanted to introduce the toy photography work that I am involved with. This is a collaboration with the wonderful team over at Stuck in Plastic (SiP Link) .

Having grown up in the 70’s, I thought I could find some old photographs from this time in my life but sadly, I have been unable to locate any and that makes me recall little moments that stand out in my vivid memory which helps me write this post.

In the search for the ideal image it became evident that I had seen everything before and I wanted to produce something different. My intent was to take image manipulation further away from the real but I was also aware this could come with some critic good or bad.

The Wolfscastle County Hotel & Spa, Pembrokeshire

Since starting my MA program, I am required to keep a critical research journal in the form of a written document, so I have created another blog on Wordpress which I will continue to update on a regular basis. I have completed the first module and I am now looking at the second module. This blog at https://beverleythomasphotographydotcodotuk.wordpress.com is being made as part of an accredited educational programme.

Week 30 sees the word Anger appear in my list of values. This words comes just around the time I begin to get a little frustrated about the times I get asked why do you photograph lego, and the fact other people just do not understand. It's simple you either like the images and get the concept or you do not, it is as easy to understand that! So how about this, I will answer the question as to why I photograph a little piece of lego and perhaps then you might just understand my logic as to why I find this toy photography rather fun to create, plus it is not hurting anyone and perhaps making someone stop and think and smile. So as I have said before in previous posts, I started Instagram in 2016 whilst in University studying for a Batchelor of Arts in Photography. Photography is my life work and gaining a first class honours degree was just something special in the process of recognition. Since receiving my degree and numerous other certificates related to the photographic industry, I realise that I have done so much and I can leave paper behind to suggest I was here once, when I eventually meet my maker. I can also leave others with memories of special wedding day memories and newborn images or their own families photographs, I can even leave behind memory books for my own family but I wanted to develop something more. November 21st 2000, the release on DVD was the box office movie, my husband and I sat down to watch this movie which has stayed with me for all these years and turns out to be one of our favourite films. I found myself remembering it for perhaps a reason that the directors did not intentionally make it for, that movie was Gladiator. You have all seen it? Right! - Staring the actor Russell Crow, Set in Roman times, the story of a once-powerful general forced to become a common gladiator. The emperor's son is enraged when he is passed over as heir in favour of his father's favourite general. He kills his father and arranges the murder of the general's family, and the general is sold into slavery to be trained as a gladiator - but his subsequent popularity in the arena threatens the throne. My Favourite and most famous quote from Maximus: "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next". What draws my attention during this whole film is the fact he has these enduring little figures of his family which he carries with him ... when asked by a fellow gladiator he replies: Juba: Can they hear you? Maximus: Who? Juba: Your family. In the afterlife. Maximus: Oh yes. Juba: What do you say to them? Maximus: To my son - I tell him I will see him again soon. To keep his heels down while riding his horse. To my wife... that is not your business. So without stating that I am anywhere near a Gladiator standard, I feel connected to that family dream, I am fortunate to have special people in my life, living and breathing, to whom I am extremely proud of and so I began to use the concept of Lego to create images that resonate with my daily life and feelings, perhaps one day these lego figures may be looked at in the same way that Gladiator used his, until then I continue to create and have fun with them as part of a little ongoing project that was started in 2016, life through a lens.