Baring up for charity
A PHOTOGRAPHER from Queensferry has taken the plunge and stripped down to the bare essentials to help promote a calendar for breast cancer awareness.
Although Hannah Beaton does not feature in the calendar, she was happy to give Gazette readers a first look at the work she was recently commissioned for.
Hannah has just completed a glossy calendar which features staff from Marks and Spencer's food department at The Gyle. Money raised from the 5 calendar – to be launched in the store tomorrow (Saturday) will go to the breast cancer screening unit at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.
Professional snapper Hannah, who has previously carried out work for cancer charities, was contacted by the M&S staff for the photoshoot.
The 47-year-old didn't think twice about it taking on the job as a close relative had been treated for cancer, and she was happy to offer her professional services for free.
She said: "My mother-in-law had a mastectomy 30 years ago and continues to be screened and cared for at the Western General Hospital – it is dear to my heart."
Hannah added: "I was really excited about the commission but nervous too as I had never photographed nude portraits before, but it was real fun and the staff said they enjoyed it too."
Hannah was based in East Lothian before setting up her studio in Queensferry five years ago. More used to photographing weddings, portraits and corporate events, the calendar proved an exciting experience for her.
Over three Sundays in June, after the store closed, Hannah and the 10 women and four men got down to work.
She said: "They had ideas as to how they wanted the scenes to look but it was left up to me design the backdrops.
"This is the biggest printed publicity shoot that I have done in my career and I am so proud to be involved."
One of the women featured in the calendar said: "A girl in the store told us her daughter was having a baby but then a lump was found on the daughter's breast.
''We came up with the idea of raising money for breast cancer with a calendar being mentioned. We had a laugh about doing it on the basis of the 'calendar girls'.
''We were lucky to find Hannah, who said she would be delighted to do it for us. The printer arranged the printing at a discount too."
editorial@journalandgazette.co.uk
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Weather for Linlithgow
Saturday 04 February 2012
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