HellyBelly...

HellyBelly is the blog belonging
to travel, food and portrait
photographer Helen Cathcart
www.helencathcart.com

Monday 30 July 2012

Whitstable Oyster Festival


Whitstable Oyster Festival...what a lovely wee day out! Random giant parade puppets, Morris dancers and more seafood than you can shake a stick at. It's pretty stressful deciding what to eat first. It's not just all about the oysters you know! Mussels cooked with garlic on the barbecue were my favourite find.

Monday 23 July 2012

Polpo and Spuntino

 One thing you may notice from these photos is that to work in Polpo or Spuntino you have to look pretty hot. These shots were taken for BMI Magazine for a feature on the Russell Norman empire, soon to expand to Smithfield. Both continuously bustling, Spuntino is made deliberately hard to find in a NY inspired way, with its unassuming industrial frontage nestled in Chinatown. But the queue snaking to Brewer Street may give it away. If you have tenacity, hopefully you will get your bum on one of those coveted bar stools. The truffled egg toast may make you a bit dizzy for breakfast but definitely goes down well with one of their Negroni's in the evening. Just don't forget those Negroni's have about 10 shots of alcohol in them!

Monday 16 July 2012

Backstage Nicholas Oakwell Couture AW12

Beading, beading and more beading, and some mink thrown in for good measure. This was backstage at the latest Nicholas Oakwell Couture show, which I was asked to photograph for his Autumn Winter Collection. Think 70's New York socialite lounging in her uptown living room with a dirty martini. Stunning.

Friday 6 July 2012

Vinoteca Soho

I was asked to photograph the new Vinoteca opening in Soho for their website and PR, and being a fan of their Farringdon restaurant I was really looking forward to it. They are situated on Beak street and the building has beautiful huge windows which catch the light all day. They have a 'library' of amazing wines but the food by Head Chef Will Leigh more than stands up to them. My seabass with lentils and spinach was beautiful.