If you’ve ever been self-employed, you’ll know the importance of having a network of colleagues and friends in your industry. People with whom to share ideas, learn new stuff, solve problems, and occasionally get together and have a jolly good time.
That’s what SNAP is all about. Great photography, looking after each other, and every now and then a fab party!
Every year a
SNAP Photography Festival is held with an emphasis on learning, inspiration, community, and fun. In 2019 it’s from 29th April to 3rd May. We attended the full Snap Festival earlier this year and popped in for a couple of days last year too. Fellow photographers if after reading this post you decide that being part of an inclusive and creative community sounds like your kind of thing you can check out more details
here.
Hold on, Phil wants to butt in on my blog post
🙄
"Sorry for the take over, but I'm sure Toby is used to it by now 😜 I wanted to say a few words about the SNAP community and my personal experience. Some of you may already know that I've always worked within the design industry, whether that's graphic design, illustration, or photography. I know how important it is to be part of a creative hive of people. Folks to bounce ideas off, learn from, and grow creatively.
Being self employed makes it all the more important, as the opportunities to work as a team don't arrive as often. Toby and I never want to stop growing as photographers and creative individuals. We want our photography to constantly build so that our business and what we offer to our couples and clients constantly develops. Any creative who isolates themselves risks becoming stagnant and boring. SNAP's inclusive and supportive community is constantly there for us, for advice, back up, support, and some might say most importantly some fun too. If you're a photographer who feels they could benefit from attending a SNAP event and becoming part of the Snap circle, tickets for next year are on sale now, so make sure you check it out.
Right then, back over to Toby. Love you, byeeeee"In the autumn there’s also a SNAP Social: a chance to meet up with friends, relax, discuss ideas and pitch talks for SNAP 2019, and have lots of fun. This year it was held over Halloween in Barrow House by Derwentwater up in the Lake District. It’s an amazing place, with vistas out across the lake, and a great big waterfall. We were led on a mountain walk with the promise of a “surprise view” that our friend Rowan justifiably complained that “you could see all the way up”. To be fair I did treat her to a 'surprise view' at the top, just to make it unto her. Take a look in the photos below. Obviously we all took our cameras, and now we’ve got some great pictures shot by some very talented photographer friends to update our profile pics!
Then there was the Halloween party itself. I dressed up as my favourite Doctor Who, Tom Baker. Phil chose to cosplay as Deadpool, with a unicorn’s head as an unusual additional touch, because… why not! #unipool Everyone looked terrifying! There was a creepy cutting of a cake, followed by demonic first dance, and that other well-known wedding tradition: the passing around of a severed arm.
I was also introduced to the game of Sardines: group hide and seek! One person goes off to hide, and a few minutes later everyone else splits up to find them. The twist is that when someone finds the person hiding, they hide in the same place with them This continues until everyone is packed together in the hiding place, like sardines, and one last poor person finally finds them all. I found it deliciously creepy the way that the old house went from being full of laughing people running along the corridors, and up and down the stairs, to quiet and empty, as they disappeared, seemingly into the walls, one by one. I was the last to find everybody tucked away in a dark corner of the laundry room, and so was sent out to hide myself. In the big kitchen I found that there was just enough space to lie across the dining chairs tucked under a big long table, hidden by the tablecloth hanging over. Just enough space. Those tables were jiggling up and down as I was squeezing underneath! It was hot and uncomfortable, but well worth it to watch lots of pairs of legs running in and out of the kitchen, with their owners convinced it was empty. After a surprisingly long time, it was reluctant hill-walker Rowan who spotted me first and then with little extra room under that table, everyone else quickly joined us. I was crowned King Sardine, for having the best hiding place; a true honour!
👑🐟Here’s some pictures we took whilst at the SNAP 2018 Social.
We rarely get photos of ourselves as we're usually behind the camera instead, so it's with great pleasure we present you with some images from a few amazing Snapters.
Photos by Chris from
Chris Barber Photography
Photos by Danielle from
Maytree Photography
Photos by Hannah from
Casey Avenue Photography
Photos by Rowan from
Parrot and Pineapple