The Clothes Show - a Fresh report

For the 6th year running Fresh Academy Fashion PhotographyStudio exhibited at the Clothes Show Live NEC Birmingham from Friday 7^th December to Tuesday 11^th December and enjoyed every second! As cold as it was outside, it was lovely and warm inside with a hot, hot, hot atmosphere! More like a party than a show, we were privileged to have the current Miss England (and Fresh Academy bff Charlotte Holmes on the stand on the first day.  Charlotte was busy chatting away to all of our gorgeous visitors, giving tips to those who dream of becoming a model and helping us judge our Miss Fresh Teen competition.

Our stand, PK138 was right opposite Rimmel London perfect partners for fashion photographers Fresh Academy, we were also close to Lee Stafford and Claire’s Accessories.  Whilst we were drooling over hairstyles and giving our own Fresh Academy hair stylists plenty of inspiration for our fashion make-overs, we were also coveting the next trend in jewellery and accessories. 

As far as those celebs go, Fresh Academy caught more than a few glimpses of the handsome Peter Andre who was there with his entourage.  We’re so sorry to hear that Peter’s brother is very unwell and we send the whole Andre family our love.  Amy Childs from TOWIE was milling around the show, looking ultra-glamorous and so was blonde bombshell Gemma Collins.  We’re big fans ladies – if you’re ever in the Watford area and want some extra special photographs taken then feel free to ask us!  Also having a wander round the Clothes Show was cute Jamie Laing star of Made in Chelsea.

The big news for us was that we actually had a Miss Fresh Teen Heat LIVE on the stand!  The lucky and beautiful winner of this heat is Emily Darney who comes from Essex, pictured with Charlotte Holmes right here.   Emily is 15 years old and you can find more information out on www.missfreshteen.com where you can vote for your favourite.

As well as Miss Fresh Teen, our Fresh Academy team were busy scouting for Miss Fresh Photographic (heat of Miss England), Miss England and Miss Fresh Plus, were you one of the lucky girls asked to enter?  For more information on these exciting competitions you can visit www.missengland.info, and www.missfreshplus.co.uk 

Other exciting brand names exhibiting included Barry M, David& Goliath and the new sensation Onesies from “One Piece” - these will be on our Christmas wish list!  Haven’t had anyone come into our Watford Studio and ask to be photographed in one of these yet but there’s time!

Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model were busy at The Clothes Show Live and held a terrific catwalk show, Rissikat Bade from the show was also there. If you have dreamt of being on a catwalk then you should come into our Studio in Watford and have some model shots done, could be you next year on that catwalk…you never know.

In the meantime, we need a rest after a hectic few days and we’re so looking forward to welcoming our Clothes Show Live stand visitors to Fresh Academy itself, see you soon!

HRH Duchess of Cambridge – cure your morning sickness with a Bump to Baby Photo Shoot

Poor old Duchess of Cambridge – we’re sorry to hear she’s in hospital suffering from acute morning sickness but we were also so thrilled to hear that she’s expecting the next in line to the throne.  Perhaps we can comfort her with a brilliant bump to baby photo shoot?  After all, there’s nothing worse than all the Paps desperately trying to get hold of the photographs of the century – Princess Kate’s bump!  If HRH would like to step into our FreshAcademy studios we can promise her right royal treatment and complete privacy.  From the moment she comes through our doors, she’ll feel right at home, down to the royal purple carpet and plush seating area.  We’ll bring out all the stops for Kate Middleton as we do for all our clients but we’ll hold off on a glass of champagne and offer her a fresh orange juice to keep her feeling refreshed before a consultation with our professionals.

With a bump to baby shoot, we generally advise that our pregnant lady comes in a couple of months before the big day, so Duchess Catherine, you have a few more months to decide when you would like to visit us and we hope that by the time you do come in, you’ll have got over your morning sickness and will be positively glowing.

Your consultation will be followed up with a private photo shoot (as we do for all of our clients) in our 8,000 square foot Fashion and Family studio.  You can choose from so many superb sets to be pictured in, from a nice comfortable bed (good for resting on when pregnant), to sumptuous chairs or if you’re feeling energetic, our disco floor will have the royal baby dancing away!  Remember our backdrops and accessories – there is a treasure chest full of different things to enhance your photo shoot, from hats to wall coverings, royal crowns to jewellery or of course, you’re welcome to bring the real crown jewels in for the session –we have worked with jewellery before for our corporate clients!

Once we have captured your precious bump we will sit you down, prime position, in our cinema viewing room and we’ll show you just how incredible you look in your pregnancy.  You choose the image you love the best and we’ll treat you to it.

Then it’s over to you to have a couple of months R&R before the birth of His or Her Royal Highness and you choose when you want to come back for the baby photo-shoot.  Our future King or Queen will be treated to their very own baby session complete with or without toys, outfit changes, set changes and props to make him or her gurgle happily.

You can then select your favourite image and we’ll immortalise it for you in another free print.  Of course, we know you’ll be spoilt for choice and want to buy more perhaps as a memento for HRH the Queen, your father in law, Prince Charles or even for the Royal Thank you cards!

We would be over the moon to have you in our studios!  For everyone else who is pregnant right now and reading this blog, just quote KATE and get a free bump to baby photo shoot at the Fresh Academy in Watford – we promise you royal treatment from the minute you book!  Call Hollie on 01923 212673.

All I want for Christmas is a little bit of Fresh...

We bet that you’re finding it hard to believe it’s Christmas next month.  The year has flown by and now we’re nearing the middle of November, hands up who’s really done their Christmas shopping?  If you’re organised then you’ll probably have started, or at least drawn up a list of who’s lucky enough to receive something fabulous and what that is to be.  Or maybe you don’t do a list at all and you just venture out to the shops hoping some special ideas will catch your eye.  Then there are those of you who prefer to sit at home, slippers on, mug of tea and click away until you’ve finished everything off without even having to brush shoulders with anyone on the bus or tube.  Whichever way you do your Christmas shopping, one thing’s for sure – it has to be done!

We all worry about what to buy – and we imagine every year you’re left wondering how to be really original.  You know yourself how it feels to peel away the wrapping paper to reveal yet another jumper you’ll never wear or a pair of scratchy woollen socks!  A couple of DVD’s you’ve seen before or an expensive perfume that isn’t really your style.  So bear that in mind and let’s try and be really unique together! 

For those of you who’ve been into our Studios, you’ll know that we have over 8,000 square foot of carefully designed space.  This includes a very comfortable welcoming reception area, a hairdresser salon (yes – really!) and an absolutely outstanding photographic Studio with a huge amount of sets, props and accessories.  We even have a relaxing area where you can view photographs on a large screen after a photo shoot.  You’ll also know we cater for fashion as well as family photography.  For those of you who didn’t know that, well, you do now!

What’s that got to do with Christmas?  You may well ask…well, we’ve put together a few great ideas for gifts which we absolutely guarantee will bring a smile to those who receive them.  Take your pick from three different presents, two family style gifts and a fashion make-over present.

You could give someone the gift of photography for a whole year….this means not one, but three Fresh Family photo sessions at our studio in Watford and a free 5 x 7 print from each session which will be presented at the end of 2013.  All this for just £69.  That really is easy on the pocket!

Or – give the Grandparents a real treat with a “Generations Photo-Shoot” with their family.  One terrific photo shoot and a free 5 x 7 print for only £29 at our studio in Watford to be taken whenever they like.

For mums, sisters, girlfriends or friends we’re suggesting you buy a Fashion Make-Over which includes hair styling and make-up as well as the photo-shoot and complimentary A5 print for the spectacular price of just £49.

So – now we’ve sorted out your Christmas list, what about you?  Well , you know all those exciting parties you’re going to this Christmas?  Come to us and enjoy our new Fresh Stylepackage for just £45 (that’s 10% off) if you book in advance of December.  Call Hollie for more information about all of our Christmas packages on 01923 212 673.

Fresh – we really do have something for everyone!

Miss Fresh Plus - BIG IS Beautiful

It’s here and we know you’ve been waiting for it!  Because of the success of our Miss Fresh Photographic Heats we’re bringing you a brand new heat in the search for the coveted Miss England 2013 title.  Called Miss Fresh Plus we want you more curvaceous beauties to enter the competition and give yourself the incredible opportunity of possibly winning Miss England 2013.  The winner will also be treated to a full fashion make-over and photographic shoot at our Fresh Academy studios – where so many Miss England entrants and winners have already visited before.

What we love about this heat is it’s not about being skinny.  It’s about showing off your curves so you girls out there who are size 12 and up take note, this could be your passport to winning the most prestigious pageant competition.  We don’t believe there is a stereotypical model, and Fresh Academy celebrates women of all shapes and sizes.  After all, Marilyn Monroe had the most superb figure and so does Kate Moss, what we’re trying to say is there’s a place for all beauties, regardless of size.

For those of you who remember, back in 2008, Chloe Marshall who won Miss Berkshire came second in Miss England; Chloe is a friend of Fresh Academy and a truly gorgeous, voluptuous size 16.  It could be you next…

Curves are IN – there are so many shapely women in fashion right now, Adelle, Kelly Osbourne, Kim Kardashian, Sophia Vergara – not that you need any more reasons to enter!  Find out more by visiting www.missfreshplus.co.uk and show yourself off to win.

Boobs, Boudoir and Kate Middleton

We couldn’t let the biggest story of the week pass without a mention!  Kate Middleton’s topless shots could have been done so much more professionally if she’d have contacted us and booked in a Boudoir by Fresh photo-shoot.  Now, we can see that Kate has a terrific figure and we also know that she doesn’t like tan lines – but don’t worry about the Paparazzi Kate, we’ll make sure you strike a pose in the privacy of our 8000 square foot photo studio.  It’s also just down the road from Buck House – a few miles away in Watford.  We’ve got the royal colours too, purple carpeted stairs and our Boudoir set is most definitely fit for a (future) queen!

Kate, you will be made to feel comfortable, at ease, and confident too – not that you need to build your confidence.  If you’d rather a bikini shot, that can be organised, or choose some of your gorgeous Rigby & Peller (we’re just guessing…) lingerie and we’ll do the rest!

Boudoir is for everyone, from royalty to celebrities and the untitled crew – meaning us!  So Kate, no need for a royal flush, come and enjoy our superb sets, subtle lighting, experienced make-up artists and hairdressing.  You don’t even need to worry about anyone taking a peak, the studio is empty except for you and your (female) photographer.  We won’t let the Paps near you!  Then when you’ve finished your photo shoot you can see the incredible results in our private cinema style room.  You can then choose from the countless stunning images that we’ve taken of you, a gift for Wils? Maybe an early Christmas present?  We’ll even wrap it up for you!

To book a Boudoir Shoot - please contact the team at Fresh on 01923 212 673.  Kate, if you're reading this, come in for free - oh, and Harry, we do men too!

Fresh Help YOU Reach Your Modelling Goals!

If you’re feeling inspired by Miss World in Mongolia, we can give you some suggestions on what you can do to reach your modelling goals.  A universal competition such as this one is the perfect opportunity for making the decision to hit those goals and make informed choices which could change your life. Our beautiful Miss England, Charlotte Holmes (friend and client of Fresh Academy) did so well at the competition, she went down to the final 15 and came 8^th out of 117 girls.  Through sheer determination and ambition Charlotte has come so far and with some help from us too!  Did you know that you can enter Miss England through the Fresh photograph heats?  For more information about that visit http://www.missengland.info/regionals/photoheat1 - That’s just one path you could take…here are some other ideas.

If you’re an aspiring model, the same could be applied to what you want for your future.  You may have shined or be shining brightly at school, a straight A student or really good at something like art or languages, but you are desperate to be a model.  That’s great; it’s wonderful to have a dream we can try and help you too.  It’s not our decision but why don’t you finish school and do your further education if you can.  In the meantime you can make some steps to achieve your ambitions.

Fresh Academy is THE destination for modelling portfolios.  Many, many beautiful girls get scouted at exhibitions, shows, in bars or just walking down the street, but not all of them do.  Even if they are scouted, they will need a portfolio and ours are without doubt, the best you can buy.  Our portfolios include 15 A4 images of your choice which are all re-touched and displayed in an eye-catching aluminum case.  You can have additional prints as well, included.

 
We do recommend that you have one of these prepared, as agencies ask to see model portfolios.  We also suggest that the studio you select to take these is above all, professional and really knows what they are doing for you.  If you are going to spend your money on having this done, go to the best.  At our studio, we have over 30 purpose built sets to choose from, so if you want to be pictured against a pure white background we can do this, but if you want something more quirky, we have a car, a hedge (which is inside!), a bed, and a  funky floor! There are so many more – you can ask us for a brochure if you want as these show off more of what sets are available.  We also have props and accessories, lots of superb backdrops and inside our studio there’s our very own hair salon and make up artistry.  So if you want to feel confident that you’ll achieve the best possible look, we’re a safe bet!

There are other routes you can look at, we run a yearly modelling competition called Face of the Hair Group.  You can enter here www.faceofthehairgroup.co.uk by submitting your photograph and an entry form.  The winner will receive a modelling contract with Models Plus as well as many other terrific prizes.

If you want to increase your opportunities on the scouting front, visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/freshacademycasting.  This is where gorgeous girls can post their pictures and while we can’t promise you’ll be spotted, we do get requests every now and then from people looking for models asking if we know anyone who will fit the bill.  We update and look at our page regularly and use it for recommending girls that we think will work well.

If you are just looking for a new look, you could also try Fresh Style, which is a new package bookable over Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays where you can come into our studio and enjoy the benefits of hair and make-up for just £50, you’ll come out looking beautiful, ready for a special night or just because you want to try something different.

 Finally, as we mentioned the competition earlier, we also sponsor Miss England and we sit on the judging panel, so we are very experienced in the world of modelling, whichever type.  So we say if you have an ambition, get inspired and realise that ambition now!

www.freshacademy.com

Model of the Month July 2012 - Sarah O'Reilly

We’d like to introduce you to Sarah O’Reilly, our July Model of the Month.  Not only is Sarah our winner, she was also a semi- finalist in the MissEngland competition and is the current Miss Abingdon.  Sarah is 24 years old and from Oxfordshire and recently came into the Fresh Academy to have her professional photographs done.

Here are the three that Sarah beat to be our Model of the Month, Sarah's in the middle!

She’s a very ambitious lady having set up her own events company at just 21 years old and she now runs a business from home using her sales talents, working in recruitment,   Sarah also sings and acts and like so many of the gorgeous girls who come through our doors, dreams of being successful.  We have also been told that she has had to work hard to build up her own confidence and wants to pass over her knowledge to children and young people who don’t yet believe in themselves.  In fact, Sarah won Miss Charity after raising more than £300 for good causes.

Beauty, brains and charitable too – we wish Sarah lots of luck on her road to stardom!

NO TICKETS TO THE OLYMPICS? YOU CAN STILL CELEBRATE AT THE FRESH ACADEMY!

Don’t worry if you didn’t manage to grab tickets to the table tennis or the pole vaulting.  Perhaps you had your heart set on the 100m Men’s sprint…maybe it was the swimming!  Whatever event you wish you had tickets to you can still commemorate the London Olympic 2012 games with us at the Fresh Academy.

Being the largest photographic Studio in the UK, we would probably win GOLD medal if there was an Olympic category for fashion make-overs and family photo shoots.  We put our heads together and thought what could we do to celebrate this momentous occasion?  We’re going to give all of our Blog readers, Facebook Fans and Twitter followers an Olympic Offer worthy of any medallist.  Book in with us for the month of August and you will enjoy an incredible package of a full Fashion Make-over, plus photo-shoot – then your family will join you for a secondary photo shoot all on the same day so you’ll get not one free offer but two!

You’ll receive a professional make-over consultation (for one) and once we’ve discussed the look you want (it could be an Olympic theme if you like?) we’ll whisk you into hair and make-up and let our make-up artists and hair stylists take over.  After you’ve been transformed it’s into the 8,000 square foot studio (it could have been an Olympic venue!) for your fashion photo shoot and then your family will join you for a full family photo shoot.  If you didn’t already know, we have over 30 purpose built sets and an enormous selection of backdrops, props and accessories that you can choose from.  You can also feel completely relaxed as our stylists guide you through your photo shoot, they want you to look your best and are on hand to advise and answer questions throughout.

Once the photo shoots are complete, you and your family will be invited to our cinema viewing room where you will be able to see all of the pictures on our viewing screen.  You can choose the images you love (it will be a tough decision!) and you’ll always look back at your photographs  remembering it as the time London hosted the 2012 Olympics.

To take up this celebratory offer, call Hollie on 01923 212 673, quote Olympic Offer and book in (subject to availability) – we’re taking bookings up to the very end of August so hurry!  For more information about us, check out www.freshacademy.com and www.freshfamilies.com.  You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Getting ready to party with Fresh Style

Big nights out, hot date with a new man, sister’s wedding….a 21^st birthday? It could even be the school prom night.  Whatever it is, we all want to look and feel beautiful. We’ve all got hectic diaries and Friday and Saturday night’s there’s usually something fantastic coming up may be a party or a get together with good friends.  Of course, some of us want to go clubbing, and some of us go out for a meal with our boyfriends. Whether we want to go for a drink with in the local pub or bar what we all have in common is that we want to look gorgeous.

One of most enjoyable things about getting dressed up and going out is the preparation!  That can be going shopping with the girls on Saturday to find the right outfit, or during lunch hour looking for the perfect pair of skinnies, maybe a sparkly top the same colour as your eyes.  It can also be seeking out the best accessories to compliment – who can find the highest pair of shoes, who’s going to wear the strappiest sandles?  Anyone for some clip in hair extensions?  We love looking in Boots for the most sparkly nail varnish and new make-up, maybe replicating Cheryl Cole or Tulisa’s style. We girls love shopping, trying and exchanging tips and ideas – and if you haven’t got time to shop then swapping clothes with your best friend also does the trick.

Often being out all day shopping or just hanging out with the girls means we’re just about collapsing on our feet by the late afternoon and there’s nothing better than relaxing and get into the right frame of mind for going out on the town later on.  We definitely need a re-charge and it’s times like these that we would love the luxury of having someone pamper us, we could just sit back, relax and let someone else do all the work for us.  Well that’s what we say to each-other nearly every week.  One of us heard about a brilliant new service at the Fresh Academy.  Behind the doors of the largest fashion make-over studio in the UK (8000 square foot!!) is a hair salon with a professional hairdresser and the best bit – there’s resident make-up artists and they’ve just started up an ingenious new service where for just £50 a professional will style your hair and apply your make up for your night out.  Not only does this mean you can take a break from all the hassle of getting ready, it also means that your make up is done like a star’s and your hair won’t fall out of style in a couple of hours!  Best of all – you can bring your outfit so that everything can tie in really well.  

We thought this was a brilliant idea and actually finished off our day perfectly.  We’d all shopped until we dropped and so we booked appointments for all of us.  Then we spent an hour being completely pampered while our hair and make-up was done by the Fresh Style experts.  You would have been impressed – we looked like we were all going to a red carpet event!  We were so pleased with the results and everyone made us feel really welcome.  For just £50, our hair and make-up stayed the distance and we still had our lipstick on at 1.00am – not bad having been at the Academy for 5pm!

Can’t wait to use the service again, we’re already booked in for our friend’s wedding next month, watch out the bride!