Tallulah's Vintage Salon meets Charlottes hen do

A couple of weeks ago I responded to a request from a friend to take a few promotional pictures for half an hour at an event she was doing. I knew that Tallulah's Vintage Salon was in the business of doing vintage make-overs, what I didn't realise was that the event in question wasn't a public market but was Charlotte's hen do and that all the guests were dressed in 50's attire ready to have the hair and make-up done in time for a Charleston lesson. My boy-shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops felt a bit out of place!

I ended up staying for two hours because I was enjoying myself too much. As well as the promo shots of the artists at work, we also played with doing portraits of many of the hens and I just loved how the transformation from the make-over created a transformation of demeanour too. Suddenly everyone was at play, confident enough to twirl and pout and prance - and some of these very same hens were telling me they never wore make-up normally and hated having their photo taken. I was mesmerised by this transformation, seeing a new confidence emerge in each hen. It was beautiful to watch.

I have been a bit in love with the idea of play recently, and exploring it has been something of a therapy for me. I have realised how much of the photography I love doing is when I'm watching people tap in to their inner playfulness. So this day was an absolute treat for me and I think it's a grand idea for a hen do. I wish Charlotte all the best for her big day, and know with this bunch of women around her as guests that it will be a great celebration.

All images ©KateCooperPhotography2013