A few years back, when I worked in London and drove home to Wiltshire for whatever reason, there was always a point in the journey when I would heave a heavy sigh of relief. I can’t pinpoint the exact location but it will be around where the M3 joins the A303. As the rolling hills of the South West come into view and the city hustle becomes a memory, my head and shoulders know its fine to release the tension.

This is the very feeling I felt when stepping into Nora for the first time. Nora is a beautiful, woodland nordic-inspired cabin exuding a magical air of tranquillity. Unusually, she is right bang in the middle of Exeter city centre. Even more unusually (for me anyway), I’m here for our first Flock photoshoot.

Pretty much everything about Flock is a step outside my comfort zone. I’ve never considered myself in any way creative and 2 years ago, if you’d asked me to lead a photoshoot, you may as well have asked me to go to Mars. But 2 years on and here we are in Nora. I selected Nora on the basis of looks, but it turned out she had a far more important quality: a feeling.

I mentioned Nora is located in the middle of Exeter. She is, but she is nestled amongst the trees in an oasis of lush woodland that appears from no-where as you look out of her cabin doors. It is impossible not to breathe a bit deeper and feel yourself truly relaxing. As I take in the amazing light, the beautiful Scandi interior and the rich woodland view outside, I can let the creative anxiety go, as I know this is going to be a treat.

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One of the best things about Flock has been meeting and working with an awesome bunch of people. Gina (www.gina-jones-photography.com) is one such awesome person. Sam, intern-extraordinaire, is too. The night before the shoot we stayed up far later than planned as we nattered, ate chilli and steamed clothes.

In assembling an awesome crew around you, daunting tasks just fall into place. Jordan, our model just knew how to make the clothes look amazing. Gina produced photographs that I could only dream of. Sam made fire, drafted in extras (look out for Fergal the dog), and had the keenest eye for detail.

After shooting in and around Nora, we took ourselves to the beach. It was as if the pebbles of Budleigh Salterton had organised their pallette around Flock. We got the wind in our hair and Jordan waded through the freezing water…at her own suggestion. She’s a trouper. Finally Sam insisted on the beach hut shots, which I wasn’t sure of but it turned out to be a great call.

The hugest of thank you’s to Gina, Jordan, Sam and also Sarah & Andy who welcomed us to Nora. Because of you, the daunting event that was Flocks first photoshoot turned into the very best of days.

Credits:

Photography: Gina Jones. www.gina-jones-photography.com

Model, Hair + Make Up: Jordan Hale

Location: Nora. Noraland