The girls who work in our shop are a pretty talented bunch and we thought it was about time we shared their skills with all of you. So, for our latest style blog, we asked our budding photographer Zoe to shoot our very own Dee in a selection of their favourite Lazy Oaf looks. And we think you'll all agree, these two are a match made in heaven. Read on to find out more about the girl behind the lens, Zoe Jade Bateman.
What's your name, where do you come from and what do you do?
My name is Zoe Jade, I'm a born and bred London girl, and I am a photographer/Lazy Oaf shop girl
These photos have a really dreamy feel about them, how did you create this effect?
Oh I'm glad you think they're dreamy; that's exactly the look I was going for! I shoot on film a lot, which I definitely think adds to the dreamy effect - I have a Canon AV-1 and I like to use Kodak Portra VC film which gives really nice natural colours. I do also use Photoshop to give my images a slightly faded 'vintage' look. There are lots of tutorials out there to help you achieve this effect, and lots of great free Photoshop Actions you can use if you're a newbie to Photoshop.
Stars and Stripes Crop T-shirt
You've snapped lots of different Lazy Oaf looks here, can you talk us through your favourite outfits as modeled by the lovely Dee?
I think my favourite outfit is the Stars and Stripes skirt - we paired it with my foam Statue of Liberty headpiece which I bought the first time I went to New York City. It's such a fun kitsch look, perfect for summer. Oh yeah, and I just HAD to make Dee pose like the Statue of Liberty too....
Cop a Feel Tee Dress tucked into stripey trousers.
Geo Heart Slob T-shirt with the 3D Pyramid Necklace.
Can you tell us a bit about the location for this particular shoot?
All these photos were taken near my house - we looked like crazy old bag ladies carrying round a suitcase plus several tote bags of clothes and props. Most of them pictures were shot in the park where I walk my dog - it's got big open fields, plus some wooded areas, so is great for shoots.
What's the most important technique/skill you've learned since studying photography?
Oh gosh, I have learned so much since I started my Diploma in Photography. I know everyone says it, but practice is key, especially in photography. Take your camera with you everywhere, and photograph everything in manual (if you're using a DSLR that is!) Trust me when I say you will notice a huge improvement in such a short space of time. Try photographing everything, and see what you like to take pictures of the most then focus on that. If you enjoy what you're doing it will show in your work.
What's your favourite thing to photograph?
I love photographing the small details of my everyday life. Some of my favourite photos were taken whilst walking my dog, or going to the flower market with my parents. I also love to photograph Dee because she is very photogenic and doesn't mind when I tell her to do things like climb in trees or hide in long grass.
Palm Trees Crop T-shirt with the 3D Pyramid Necklace
We love to follow your blog Ladybird Likes - can you tell us about the most interesting thing you've posted recently?
Well summer is the season for car boot sales, and I'm a self-confessed car boot sale addict, so a lot of my posts have been a show and tell about what I've bought on my travels, such as this post and this one. I've also been posting some of my photography work from my final major project which you can see here and here.
Our verdict: Gosh where do we start?! We love the hazy, sunny afternoon vibe Zoe has created in these photos as this is the first time we have seen Oaf items shot in this style. The girls have really gone to town with the looks and we're particular loving those flowery trousers worn with the Ice Cream Slob. There is some great styling here too with the Cop a Feel Dress tucked into candy stripe trousers giving it a fresh new look.
You can find more of Zoe's photography on her blog ladybirdlikes.blogspot.com and on her Flickr at flickr.com/photos/zoebateman. And, if you'd like to meet Zoe and Dee in person then be sure to visit our store sometime soon!
