{ Surrey bike charity photography project launch }
I am so excited to be launching my Farnham Surrey bike charity photography project this summer: ‘Kids and their Bikes’.
I have spent the past eight months developing this project so it is great to finally be at the stage where I am inviting families to enter their children. I hope lots of you are keen to take part and together I hope we raise a good amount of money for the ‘Farnham Bike Ride Charity’.
How did this project begin?
Over the years I have watch my two boys fall in love with their bikes from as early as they could hop on a small plastic push-a-long trike. We have taught one of our boys to ride a bike (or actually he taught himself to ride really) and we look forward to our youngest being stabilizer free very soon too. Getting out and about with our kids on their bikes and helping them navigate their different staged bikes as they grow up has been a wonderful way for us, as parents, to bond with our children.
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Eion posing with his little balance bike in Elstead, Surrey. Eion is not my son, but he is one of the first children to get involved in my project and offer up some time on his bike so that I could photograph him in aid of the Farnham Bike Ride Charity. I will post more about his session soon.
Photographing my eldest son with his scooter one day, quite a few years ago now, inspired me to one day produce a personal fine art portrait project for children who really love their bike (or trike or scooter). I think, for a child to own and ride something with wheels offers them a sense of empowerment and a confidence that you might not see in other activities they do. It is that sense of freedom and that exhilarating experience young children get when they first free wheel down a slope with the wind in their hair….. it is a true sense of freedom and it is unforgettable for a child of any age!
When we moved to Surrey last year I discovered just how big road cycling is in this area and how much the outdoors are appreciated by families in this beautiful green woodland area that we live in. I have also learnt about the fantastic Farnham Bike Ride Charity and The Maltings Festival of Cycling. It seemed obvious, upon making these discoveries about our new area that here and now was the perfect time and place to begin the project I had always dreamed about doing……Kids and their Bikes was born!
As a university fine art trained photographer I used to create personal projects and hold exhibitions regularly. However this will be the first personal fine art project that I have been involved in since having my own children and since embarking on my business as a family photographer about 6 years ago. I want to use this project as an opportunity to stretch my creative skills and I am so excited about the beginning of what I hope will be an inspiring journey for myself and for the children involved. I hope it will also inspire children and families in Surrey and beyond, who view the exhibition or read my blog. I hope they will be inspired to get out and about more on their bikes!
How does the project work?
‘The Farnham Bike Ride Charity’ will benefit from your donation in exchange for a portrait session and a handcrafted Fine Art print of your child with their favourite bike. A selection of the images will be exhibited at The Maltings in Farnham during July 2018 to coincide with The Festival of Cycling (also at The Farnham Maltings). To learn more about my Bike project you can read further details on my bike project page here , on my website.
If you live in the Surrey area and your child loves their bike and you would like to donate to a worthwhile local charity and have a beautiful portrait of your child then you can apply to be a part of my project here>
Read more about The Bike Race Charity here>
Read more about the Festival of Cycling here>
