FRESH AT THE MISS ENGLAND SEMI FINALS – after the Heats, THE HEAT IS REALLY ON

We are honoured and privileged to have been part of the judging panel at the Miss England Semi Finals, which were held on Monday 13^th June.  Rain didn’t stop play and what a fantastic day was had by all, contestants, organisers and judges alike!  Firstly, the venue is fabulous if we say so ourselves.  Who doesn’t want to spend time at Champney’s Springs, Leicestershire – The Champney’s Group recently won the award for the 2011 Conde Naste Readers Spa Retreat of the Year which went to their Forest Mere Spa. We definitely were impressed with the stunning location; glorious landscaped gardens and delectable food, everyone who attended were so well looked after…we’ll definitely be going back. For a tense fixture in the calendar it’s the perfect place as it’s aura of calm and serenity most definitely helped all beautiful semi-finalists be much more relaxed for this important day. 

The rounds were split into four and there were a total of 54 fantastic girls who all took part.  We always find it hard to judge these events as there is something special in every girl that takes part, in fact, every girl who comes into our Fresh Academy Studio has a certain something that makes them all uniquely beautiful.  The Semi Finals have a boot camp in the morning and an interview later on, plus a superb fashion show which was set in a breathtakingly decorated marquee.  This is known as the “Eco Round” and the “Evening Wear Round” – we think that’s our favourite, always great to see the girls dressed up for a stylish party!

Amongst the 9 Semi-Final judges, we were represented by Charlie Kaufman who is the founder of Fresh, a top photographer himself, with years of outstanding experience he knows exactly what he’s looking for when looking at beauty, behind a lens and in front of it. The judges come from all different areas of the fashion, media and beauty industries, from former beauty queens to hairdressing, and the current Miss England herself, Jessica Linley. Each was looking for something individual and has their own ideas and opinions on who should go through – believe us, it was one tough selection process.  As well as the obvious, which of the finalists are the most gorgeous, personality is a key factor in going further in the competition, as is community work, and we spent a long while deliberating all the ladies who were in the Semi’s.  Every one of the girls was debated and it is always hard letting the ones who don’t make it go as they’re all fantastic.  No doubt the finals are going to be extremely difficult to decide. 

Obviously this event is key as it’s the run up to the Miss England Finals on the 18^th and 19^th July.  Here’s a list of the amazing girls who are going through to the Miss England Finals, we wish each and every one of them GOOD LUCK:

Miss Bath City Amy Willerton

Miss Harrogate and District Alexandra Devine

Miss Sutton Coldfield Roxanne Smith

Miss South West London Margarita Nazarenko

Miss Wigan Abbie Green

Miss University Katie Farr

Miss Fylde Coast Sophie-Leigh Anderson

Miss Blackburn Harriet Noakley

Miss Newcastle Hannah Gray

Miss Preston Runner Up Hollie Robinson

Think you’ve got what it takes for 2012?  Then let us know and check out our website www.freshacademy.com for further information on our Fresh Academy photography, make-over’s and our stunning portfolios.  Remember this, the winner of Miss England will go on to compete in Miss World, where the prize is an astounding $100,000!

Leanne, our Studio Manager tells you all you need to know about being the Fresh Studio Manager...

We thought we’d do something different this week and give you an insight into the world of the Fresh Academy Studios.  For those of you who have passed through our doors you will have met various members of our fabulous team, including our Studio Manager Leanne Pearson. 

Leanne makes it all happen!  She co-ordinates all of our fantastic photo-shoots and keeps you comfortable and happy making sure your Fresh experience is 100% brilliant!  Leanne has bags of experience and knows exactly what works for our customers.  How does she know what works? How does Leanne co-ordinate all these shoots?  How did she manage to get such a great role at the Fresh Academy and how does she keep so calm and relaxed when things get really busy… We asked lovely Leanne lots of questions that you often ask us and also give all you budding Studio Managers out there a glimpse into “A Day in the Life of a Studio Manager”.

1. Who’s the most famous person to pass through the studio’s doors?

Probably Danny Jones from McFly. We also had a few of the Britain's Next Top Model girls in for portfolio updates.

2. What’s the worst thing that has ever happened to your team at the Fresh Studio?

That would be when a girl who came in for a portfolio shoot left her bag of clothes and shoes on the train. Luckily we have a cabinet of accessories here that she could borrow, and a few nice members of staff willing to give up some items of their clothing!

3.  What’s your favourite set?

Our sets are always changing in the studio to make sure everyone gets something different from their shoots, but if I had to choose a favourite I'd say our blue/grey door as it is the perfect most flattering beauty shot lighting.

4. What’s your favourite “look” to shoot?

 My personal favourite “look” to shoot is quite quirky, trendy and a bit daring;  although of course we can have fun with every look that comes through the studio door.

5. What’s the most amount of people you’ve had for a photo-shoot in a day?

The most amount of people through the door in one day has been 18. It was a long day for all, but everyone still managed to love their photographs!

6. What’s the strangest request you’ve ever had?

That would have to be a lady that wanted to BE a cat- she wanted to look as feline as possible in her pictures and even brought in whiskers to apply to her face and a tail as well!

7. What’s the most popular request?

The most popular request is an obvious one- to look as beautiful as possible, and to be directed through the shoot by our team!

8. What would you like to see as a set at Fresh Academy?

I would still love to have a bath tub put into the studio- filled with beads or jelly beans!!

9. How did you become a Studio Manager?

I became Studio Manager after a few years of working as an assistant then as a photographer at Fresh. My hard work and organisation skills were recognised by the Directors and it just shows that dedication to the company pays off!

10. How did you get your job at Fresh?

I got my job at Fresh whilst i was studying photography; it was a weekend assistant job. I heard about Fresh through my hubby who is a hairdresser and has styled hair for shoots for his salon at Fresh.

11. What are your qualifications?

My qualification is a National Diploma level 2 in photography. However this is an industry where you learn just as much “on the job” as you do in college or at university. It is all about creativity.

12.  What advice do you have for anyone who wants to be a Studio Manager?

My main piece advice would be to keep organised! There are always a million and one things to do, all of equal importance. I need to remember to check my staff diary to see which photographers are booked in for which days, and how many make up artists are needed on each shooting day. To be a studio manager you have be dedicated to the company and have faith in your team.

13. What’s your favourite photograph ever?

I don't have one singular favourite photograph from Fresh, but I love the set of pictures taken for the Boudoir by Fresh launch. The lighting was beautiful, the models were fabulous and the mood of the pictures was perfect for the whole Boudoir scene.

14. What suggestions do you have for any wannabe models?

Any wannabe models need a nice strong set of images to email through to model agencies. The pictures should show a variety of expressions and a variety of crops to show full length, half length and close up. Also for aspiring models patience is a virtue. It is highly unlikely that the very first ever agency you approach will take you on immediately.  Don't give up- keep trying, and keep updating your portfolio...

15. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?

Trust in your instincts- they are almost always right!

16. What’s the best thing about being a Studio Manager?

1) Your days are never monotonous as a studio manager. No two days are ever the same.
2) You build relationships with all members of staff in the whole company
3) You're the only person who sees a customers whole entire journey with Fresh through from beginning to end. From their booking, to their consultation, their hair and make up choices, their shoot, their viewing, the retouching of their images, the printing and then finally overseeing the finished product.

17. Who is your fashion icon?

Without question Nicola Roberts. Her style is quirky yet sophisticated, and her hair and make up is always perfect for her complexion- she makes us pale people feel proud!!!!

18. Describe a typical day!

A typical day in the studio begins with the staff member's viewing the job sheets (diary) for the day so everyone knows who is coming in for a shoot, when, and why. Then the make up artists are briefed on times their customers will be sent up to them. We set up the studio- turning on all the lights, getting the camera set up. Then customers begin to flow in! Each customer has a consultation to discuss why they are here, what they are looking to achieve from the session and what end product they are aiming for. They are then sent to either hair or make-up if applicable, or straight into the studio for their shoot. After their fun filled photo-shoot we take them for an instant viewing on our cinema screen in the viewing room and show them through all the images that have just been taken. They then select the ones they would like to order usually with our professional opinion thrown in for good measure! Then this is all repeated for every customer who comes through the door. A typical day at Fresh is fast paced and busy, but we make sure every customer is looked after throughout their whole Fresh experience.

19. Tell us a little about the team at Fresh…

The team at Fresh are all young and enthusiastic, have an extreme passion for their art, and enjoy making people look and feel fantastic!

20. Finally, what’s the best thing about working at Fresh?

It’s making people look and feel fantastic!!! Creating amazing images that people can keep and treasure and show off forever! Above all, on a personal note, it’s great to turn a hobby into a career.

Thanks to Leanne Pearson for her words of wisdom – I’m thinking of making a career change now!