Get in that tarn and look happy!
I first met the beautiful Lydia about 3 years ago when I did a photoshoot for her gorgeous family! Fast forward to her brother’s wedding a few weeks ago and not only was it amazing seeing Lydia again, but also a total pleasure meeting Joe for the first time! I’ve totally fallen in love with them both. I know from Lydia’s Instagram that they do a lot of hiking and wild swimming. This was a shoot waiting to happen…
I somehow managed to convince these guys to meet me one very quiet morning in the Lake District, swimwear at the ready. We met at the beautiful Blea Tarn at 8am. Even though there wasn’t the beautiful sunrise we’d hoped for, it did mean there was no one around! Bliss!
We started off with a few pictures on the road nearby, with breathtaking views over the Lake District hills. We started off running up and down the road to get us all warmed up – literally! It was such a chilly morning! They even offered to run in bare feet which just made the photos even more wild.
We headed over towards the tarn and got as many photos as we could before chucking them in the water! I knew how cold it was in there. Swimming HAD to be the final item on the list.
I can’t tell you how incredibly natural Lydia and Joe are – both with each other and in front of the camera. They were an absolute dream. I hardly even had to pose them! They literally did not need any guidance whatsoever. I’m just glad I got to photograph them before they realise they should be models, and start charging me hundreds of pounds for a shoot!!!!
Once we’d got all the photos we needed on land, they had no hesitation in getting in the tarn. THE WATER WAS SO COLD, and yet they still managed to look so happy in the photos. The absolute pros they are!
We smashed through the pictures in the water before they got chilly. After a quick swim, and a quick wee from Lydia (yup, there is a photo of this iconic moment), we piled all the layers on them to warm them up. We even plonked a straw hat on Lydia which definitely, definitely helped! It was a great look..
The shoot was just incredible. To top it all off, Lydia and Joe treated me to a gorgeous breakfast in Grasmere which was just divine.
Lydia and Joe – you guys went above and beyond for me on this shoot and I cannot thank you enough for humouring me with my crazy ideas! I’m sure plenty of people would tell me to bugger off if I asked them to jump in a tarn (myself included!). Thank you for allowing me to produce photos that I am SO proud of.
Same time next year?
