One of the hardest things to do is to juggle jobs. I already have a busy and very demanding job. It is photography based, although has become more of a management and administrative role, which obviously opens new challenges, but I really miss the hands on with a camera side. especially in the studio. So, this year, I am planning to up the anti on my studio work.

What better way to do that than to offer people lots of free stuff?

Now I have run these things before and they have proven to be very popular. So I am going to open up a studio for a weekend, here in sunny (not today) Middle Wallop. I have booked the community center for the 28th and 29th Jan 2017 and plan to open for some studio portraits.

Saturday will be for children. These will be for one on one portraits, so I can work on some new styling (lighting) ideas. Each shoot will cost £5.00 (what? I thought it was free?), well yes, the £5 goes to Cancer Research completely and the shoot will last for 30 mins (so I will need you all to book 30 min slots), and you will receive a complimentary 8 x 6 in print from the shoot. OK, you don’t get anything for free, right? Well that’s true, I guess. I will need a signature which will allow us to use the images for promotional purposes, although this does not mean we will.

We will be looking at making some really stylish contemporary portraits, that you would love to hang as works of art on your wall.

On the Sunday, we will be doing the same, but with your pets. I have done these things before, so I do kind of know what I am getting myself into, lol.

As I said, all the booking fee will go to Cancer research, as this is an ailment that pretty much touches us all. Who has not had a family member or friend that has not had to battle?

The whole point is that we want to do something with the community, build a reputation and if we can make the odd sale or booking then that is an added bonus… 😉

We will have some other work up and on display. so feel free to come and visit.

Oh, did I say we can do family portrait sessions and weddings too? No? Well, now you know. We look forward to seeing you there?

To book, you will need to call either Roxy or Mark on 01264 781461 and when prompted say ‘Studio Open weekend’. Please call in the evenings though, after 1830.

Please note that this is a session for individual portraits only, no groups or multiples this time. We will be looking at running other themed shoots during the year, so send us your ideas.

Another homecoming parade, how many left?

May 3, 2013

Afghanistan, Military work

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This week saw me attending another Homecoming and medal parade here in Germany. I have lost track of how many of these I have covered over the years. They are always great opportunities to capture some great images although this time for some reason, it got me thinking.

With the imminent return home of British troops from Afghanistan in 2014, these may well be a thing of the past for a little while. Of course this is great news when you consider how many soldiers we have lost during the conflict, but I can’t help feel a tinge of sadness.

These parades are always great events supported by the soldiers and their families. They are a show, a celebration, in many cases an opportunity to reflect and for some a way of closure. But more than that these signify the end of a job well done.

The British Armed forces are there to do these jobs, love them or hate them, these roles seem to come up all too often, usually when you least expect them. These parades are significant as they mean the members of the Armed Forces have been doing a job they have trained hard for.

I do not mean to be disrespectful as the conflict in Afghanistan goes on and there will in all likelihood be more injured or even killed, so we cannot afford to look at the end with too much comfort.

One thing I am glad of is how this operation seems to have brought the Armed Forces closer together. In the past the fierce rivalry used to alienate certain cap badges or trades, but such is the nature of this conflict that every job out there has risk and danger, it is not just the infantry who are risking their lives on the front. I think this conflict has shown the strengths of our armed forces as a whole and that should be commended.

The opinions stated here are simply the opinions of the author and do not in any way necessarily reflect the stance of the Ministry of Defence.

In the thick of it and always experimenting

November 19, 2012

Development, Portraits

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As a photographer one of the best parts of the job is the sheer volume of options. I love the fact that I can always learn new techniques, be it composition, lighting, style or… well the options some times feel pretty limitless. #

The only limit to a photographer is their imagination.

I love playing with lighting, the studio is a great place when things are going well and the most frustrating place when they are not.

Lighting is, in essence quite simple, even the most complex of lighting set ups should look simple, but simple is great to look at and natural.

After setting up a stand at a recent charity fashion show, I thought it would make a great opportunity to try a simple clamshell setup. I have to say I have never used this one before and I really have no idea why. It is an amazing light and with post pro can suit men, women and children.

For this one I had a 1.2m Octabox as the key light, with a simple shoot through brolly as the fill from the floor. The lights were no more than 1m from the subject so I used a wide lens for most of them.

Another set up in the bank.

Building books and the tangible truth

October 22, 2012

Afghanistan, Military work, Opinion, Portraits

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If there is one aspect of digital photography and the internet that I don’t like it is simply the lack of necessity to print your images.

There is nothing quite like a decent print, and trust me it is never simply a case of hitting the print button. So in the last six months or so I have been responsible for producing 4 photographic books, and all I can say is wow. Although the books have been limited run or one offs, the sense of achievement you get after all the work of putting them together and handling it is second to none.

I now have the printed book bug.

A reflective image is so different from a back lit image, that seeing your images feels like seeing it again for the first time.

There are some amazing companies out there that can produce these books and some of the software you can use to complete the books are very straight forward. All I would say is don’t feel the need to over complicate the layout.

Photo books should ideally, in my humble opinion, be about an image at a time, although that is not always possible. There is certainly a skill in putting a book together and I feel myself getting better each time. There is a lot of work, in particular when you are trying to include other contributors.

Another important effort is to do your best to create a narrative, to make the images inter connect and flow from one to the other and at times, even if you have a cracking image that misses the narrative, do not shoehorn it into the book just out of hand. If you need to add another section to the book to fit it in, then try but be your own worst critic.

The end result is worth it though.

Award winning, does it really make a difference?

October 12, 2012

Military work

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I write this blog in somewhat of a state of shock. I have just been told that I need to get myself over to London next week to pick up a couple of prizes from the Army photographic awards. This image was taken at 0500 using available red light on a high ISO and shows us packed like sardines into the back of a Chinook about to go on an operation.

This year was only the second time I have entered in ten years for one thing or another, and after being runner up last time, the improvement was great. This macro shot was taken with a macro lens and was supposed to be an observation of religious prominence within the military and more so with the Americans. What is does not show however is the levels of religious diversity that we have now.

If I am totally honest, I didn’t really hold out much hope as much of the last 12 months was doing video, and if I am even more honest, not to a great standard. Military equipment – this was one of my favorite portraits from Afghanistan, it shows an attitude and toughness that belies the old equipment they operate with.

So back to the competition. I am obviously very pleased for the recognition, but I really don’t think it means all that much at the end of the day but what we can do to raise the profile of our small group of individuals who work hard to show our colleagues at their best. This is not down to me being disrespectful to the other entrants in this particular competition, just the fact that winning competitions may be a skill but also requires a lot of luck. After all three judges look at the images subjectively and pick their favorite and on another day with different judges, the results would, I am sure, probably be very different. This military portrait taken in the studio is intended to show a diversity within the whole port folio. It is a standard portrait with a little twist.

I had no idea who was judging this competition, not that knowing that would have made any difference. The simple fact is that photography is purely subjective and what one person loves another simply can’t stand… the Marmite thing I suppose. In the absence of a perfect boxing or skiiing shot (not much of either in Afghanistan), I wanted to demonstrate a little bit of the British soldiers sense of humour… unfortunately there was no lake in sight.

So what did I win? Well rather surprisingly, the Professional port folio award and the best Professional image. Wow, now I am speechless. From the harshness of Afghanistan to the grandeur of Hannover town hall for the Queens birthday celebrations, a city that has close ties to the royal family.

The port folio was a simple case of choosing eight images, each one fulfilling a single criteria. Operational image, Sport, Macro, Black and white, portrait, military equipment, Interior and Public relations image. So the portfolio was always going to be a mismatch off images rather than a coherent collection of images to support a narrative.

Which ever way you look at it, there will be controversy and disagreement, as everyone will see different things from the images submitted. So there we have it for another year, I only hope that we as a photographic trade can make the most of this and promote ourselves as the self motivated, professional individuals we are.

The image selected by the judges as the winning image, taken just before the officer at the front of the picture screamed at me for not being where I should be.

Still playing catch up

October 4, 2012

Military work

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One of the best parts of this job is the diversity of the tasks that come in. One of the more interesting that has come in recently is the funeral and re-internment of a soldier from Operation Market Garden from World War 2.

Not one for being known as a historian, but basically Operation Market Garden was the momentous assault by the allies of Arnhem in the Netherlands and more specifically the bridge in Arnhem.

The operation was known for a number of reasons, mostly for its audacity and the scale as an airborne operation made famous by the old film ‘a bridge too far’.

Not all the soldiers involved were Para’s or airborne and due to the intensity and ferocity of the fighting many soldiers lost their lives, many being buried in field graves and marked accordingly with the intention of burying properly after the battle.

As part of the battle though, the German military burst dykes and flooded part of the land as a defensive measure which also washed away many of the grave markers meaning so many soldiers were never found.

Occasionally remains of soldiers are found and the difficult task of identification ensues. With no DNA records on file, the investigations are usually based on artifacts found on the bodies and dental records which do take an inordinate amount of time.

Private Curtis was only 19 when he fought and lost his life in battle with his unit the 5th Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment. His body was discovered almost ten years ago and then the difficulty began to try to identify him.

The family were there to see him buried with full military honours and the poignant thing was that a relative of Pte Curtis, Rifleman Edwards is now serving with 5 Rifles who are the current guise of the old regiment.

More Royalty and the Rifles march on

July 17, 2012

Military work

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Wow, where have the last two weeks gone? Work has been crazy, a new promotion and a busy diary have contributed to my head spinning.

Having spent a vast amount of time in Afghanistan recently, it is natural to take some time to get back into the real world. Life in Afghanistan in many ways is simple, you get up do your job, eat and sleep, there is not too much more to do. Life back home seems so much more complicated as a result.

Getting the kids to school, sorting out the kids passport, chasing bills and paying invoices, meeting clients, and even at times taking the odd photograph, it all seems like there is so much to do.

So the tasking came in to photograph a home coming parade for some local press journalists from the UK came up. This is after all our job so this is not a problem and it also gets me out of the office doing what I enjoy so its a winner all round.

I have never photographed a Rifles parade before so I was there early to get a good look around and make sure everyone knew what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. In the middle of a parade it can be quite daunting to wander onto parade and shoot away.

It is mostly a simple case of letting certain people know what your intentions are and they will be fine. They also know that they will be getting copies of the shots for their own use too so everyone’s a winner.

The weather in Germany has been as bad as the UK recently so that will tend to be an issue but you can’t plan for every eventuality although in this case we worked out being quite lucky.

All in all it was a good day and we got some good coverage in the press back home.

Herding cats and capturing character

May 13, 2012

Development, Portraits

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There is a popular phrase that we have all heard stating you should never work with children or animals, however as a photographer, you try that. I recently came up with a promotion idea to get people into the studio, to see how we work and hopefully come away with plenty of workable images to wow the customers.

This became the ‘Pets win prizes’ competition. The premise was for local people to bring their pets to our studio in order for us to try to capture some of their character. The shoot was free and an image from their shoot was to be displayed on Facebook in a gallery for people to vote (like) their favorite. The winner is the image that 7 days later has the most likes. They then win a canvas wrap print of their pet (not necessarily the one used in the competition).

As with anything like this, the build up can be nervous as you find yourself asking the questions, like, did we promote this enough? Will people turn up, have we explained the situation properly? Has word got around?

I need not have worried because apart from a quiet hour at midday, the event was a success. We got a variety of pets in from the expected cats and dogs to the more exotic Bearded Dragon and some tropical fish in a huge beer glass.

I like to put myself under pressure, and I limited each shoot to 15 minutes, which included the time to get to know the animal a little, try to find some of its character, decide on how to work with it and light it, and then execute (not the animal but the idea). I could quite easily have set up a flat light setting and just gone for the safe option but I didn’t want a load of same images. I wanted to be creative, to try to show off each animal as best I could in the time.

At the end of the day, I sit through the images and I have to be honest, I am happy with what we got. There are a lovely range of shots, the customers went home happy and I now hope they like what they see. I don’t photograph a lot of pets, so this was an ideal opportunity to try to broaden my horizons as a photographer.

As I try to complete the job, my eyes are heavy, this was a challenge but like all challenges I am left in its wake feeling content. This is the kind of project I think I should do more often and I urge others to also. It is all to easy for a professional photographer to focus on revenue, but there is a kind of warm feeling when you undertake a project for no obvious gain, that said I did take a couple of bookings today which is nice but certainly not what this was all about.

If you have read this blog today, could I urge you to visit our Facebook page, and visit the gallery. Please take a little time and like any images you like. The winning pet owner will I am sure be most grateful. Plus there are more images from the set to see. As with any of my work I love to hear from people, feedback is important.

Promotion and give away’s

May 2, 2012

Development, From the Archive, Opinion, Portraits, Wedding

2 Comments

The technical side of photography is not a problem for me. I know that may sound big-headed, it’s not meant to be. My photographic training was, let’s say, comprehensive. A seven month full-time course that in wider circles is well-respected, certainly gives you a grounding. I look back at some of the work from back then and cringe at it, but I also accept it for what it is and am still striving.

A personal first from ten years ago, the use of many layers, taking days to do and really pushing the computers boundaries.

Having been presented with the subject ‘shopping’, it made sense to mimic some of the visual inspiration of the time. Not great work now but it was a step.

When I graduated from the school, I felt a little bit like when I had just passed my driving test. I knew how to take a photograph but that was just the mechanics, I now had to develop that knowledge into a style, to give my images some character. This I think is where the real challenge of photography is.

I really enjoy shooting weddings, they are challenging and never easy, so you need your wits about you.

So ten years on, my photography has developed into its current manifestation and I now think I am a marketable commodity. This is where my next hurdle lays. All my training does not prepare me for self promotion. Some of you who have been reading my blog or follow my Facebook page may be surprised to hear that, or maybe not. I have in recent months been looking into the different ways to market yourself and mostly it is now down to the internet.

In the studio, you need to work hard to get the shots you want, you can never just turn up to a shoot.

Sometimes it is a shame that many elements used in the shot are hidden.

Inspiration is important to any photographer, we draw our inspiration from other image makers all the time.

Being in Germany does kind of limit my available market somewhat but this gives me the opportunities to try out marketing plans to get an idea about what works or doesn’t. Mostly though I just want to stay busy, producing new work. I have in the past organised a very successful studio open day where I allowed visitors to come in off the street into the studio, sample a micro shoot, see the product and as a result took bookings for bigger shoots. My next project is similar, but based on the pets theme. This one will be slightly different as it will be a kind of competition where people who have their pet photographed will then see their image on our Facebook page. This is where they vote (by liking) their pets image and they then invite their family, friends, anyone who knows them to also like their image. The winner will receive a canvas print of the winning image. Votes can also be included by the general public, so there will be a need to really push the Facebook page.

Sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet, a studio full of animals is a daunting thought.

The idea excites me, I am intrigued as to how the project will work out. This does need loads of work to work, but it is just another step in the journey of building a client base and a reputation that is in this industry all important.

I don’t find self promotion easy, I find that at times I feel clumsy and awkward with it, I am always too critical of my own work, but I accept that in these times I have to get beyond that and just go for it.

Catching up and cooling off

April 9, 2012

Afghanistan

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Settling back in at home after six months away should not be taken lightly. In my absence my family have learned to deal with my time away as have I. This is no less than human nature. There is a temptation to jump back in with both feet and just try to carry on where we all left off. I’ve done that before…….

I have also been keeping busy trying to sort my archive out. There are lots of images to get organised and some catching up with processing images that kind of fell by the wayside.

I took some images during my R+R (Rest and Recuperation) back in February. Although I did have a quick glance, I never properly had a look. So now back home with my own work station and newly installed Lightroom 4, I can kill two birds with one stone. It feels so great to have internet access that works.

These images taken during my time back home on a brief visit home (that is what it feels like), mid tour, were secondary to spending quality time. I take my camera where ever I can (within reason).

I had arranged a short intimate break for my wife and I to Berlin, a city I had only briefly visited once and did not make the most of it last time, we wanted to see the city, spend time together and catch up for lost time.

So I did not take a camera bag full of my lenses, rather one body and a lonely 50mm. A lens that I have got to know quite well.

R+R is a strange beast, you are back home, its fantastic to see your family, but its also clear that you will soon have to take that trip back to Afghanistan sooner than you think!

You never properly relax. It’s a rest, certainly, but you are not really home yet.

Anyway I wasn’t carting all my gear around focusing on the images, but I grabbed a few on the way!

These are a small selection. I hope you like them. They are a world away from the shots from Afghanistan. Now I am back, I am starting to put that chapter behind me, however life in the military is never really predictable, so you never know, I may end up going back out there again in the future, or somewhere else. I look back at my images and feel the strangest feeling of nostalgia, you never really expect to feel while you are out there. The people you have met, the things you have seen, experiences few may have. I am proud, my family are proud. Everyone is happy that I was fortunate to come home in one unharmed.

So to conclude, spare a thought for the ones who don’t, their families who have to pick up the pieces. all I can do now is look forward to what the future holds from now.

Thanks for visiting.

Is the photographic industry dead or dying?

March 5, 2012

Opinion

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I am a professional photographer, that simply means I get paid to take photographs. This is my livelihood and not just a fun pass time (I know how lucky I am to enjoy what I do for a living). I am aware of the things that are said and done on the internet and the speed with which this industry is changing.

As anyone in this industry its hard to be truly objective about its development as anything I will say could be seen as sour grapes. On a positive note, digital photography has made photography accessible to anyone, which is a good thing, right? This means that the numbers of people with a ‘decent’ camera, clicking away has gone exponential. Even IPhone’s are regarded as excellent at gathering the image. You even have Pro’s shooting weddings with one!

Now I am not a photography snob (at least I don’t think I am), photography is not about your kit or equipment, its all about seeing the potential of an image before you take it and using your skill to capture it, however I do worry about perception with the public (clients) and more and more with people within the industry. Weddings are now being shot by Pro’s with the iphone 4, which is great for iphone and I am sure that a skilled operator does it justice. The problem is that every man and his dog has an iphone though and the perception ‘could’ be that anyone can now do a professional job with one. Not true. There will however be an issue with costs as you can get one of these cameras free on a contract and other photographers have over ten thousand pounds worth of kit, both pitching for the same wedding, there will be a massive range of costs, so where will this lead. Not having an iphone (for now), I really don’t know just how adept they are, my understanding is that you get app’s to re-work the images. This to me is like using a filter in Photoshop to give your images a ‘look’. In essence you use a filter to make ‘ordinary’ images stand out. This is only my opinion.

Where does that leave the industry? Well only time will tell, but one thing that gives me a degree of hope is that more and more clients are beginning to seek references from a photographer prior to booking, could this be down to the client now understanding that its the person that makes the image and not the camera? Is this knowledge borne from the experience of having a ‘good’ camera and wondering why they can not get the quality of image they expected by pointing it and shooting? Could this finally be the bubble of an over saturated market about to burst and the beginning of the rediscovery and homage to the skill of the photographer?

This is not intended to be an elitist subject, because these developments have brought some very talented people into an industry that was largely inaccessible before, but a statement about how an unregulated industry is seen by many as being in the dying twitches. Could we be seeing the dawn of a new era? Discuss.

What is bravery?

February 28, 2012

Afghanistan

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As I sit here getting ever closer to the end of my latest tour of duty, I contemplate the mind set of the British soldier. This may or may not be one of the most dangerous places on the planet, probably not but it is still dangerous. It makes me wonder exactly what bravery is.

Is it simply brave to just be here? Is it brave to step outside the wire? Is it brave to fly those flying chariots that are our primary mode of transport here? Is it brave to don all of your PPE (Personal protective equipment)? Is it brave to poke your head up over a wall in the middle of Helmand?

I am not sure. These are the day to day experiences of some of the soldiers out here in Afghanistan. Although you feel trepidation prior to any of the above, when you get there, you just go, do your business and the training takes over. You are so busy looking, thinking, observing, watching, you don’t really have the time to be worried. We don’t constantly worry about every step, or that it could be your last.

I certainly don’t feel brave when in the relative safety of Camp Bastion. I don’t feel ‘brave’ when I go out on patrol, I don’t feel ‘brave’ when I fly in the Merlin or Chinook and I certainly don’t feel brave wrapped up in my PPE (only bloody heavy).

So what is brave?

I had the good fortune this week to photograph a soldier who had been lucky. He had been shot by an insurgent, whilst on patrol in Helmand. Luckily for him he was saved by his body armour, the round embedding into his back plate.

Armed with what remains of the round, we were tasked to get some photographs of Trooper Dan Griffiths for the UK press, I asked him how he felt. He told me that he ‘worried’ now. During the incident he was knocked down with such force that he truly believed he was seriously injured. He admitted to screaming in pain, clambering for cover. Only when checked over by his comrade was he then aware he had escaped injury and just how lucky he was. Dan is now one of the few who knows what it feels like to be shot and I am sure it is not an experience he would like to repeat, yet he still has to endure, he still has patrols to go on, operations to take part in, be part of a team.

Simply put, in light of his experiences, in my eyes, Trooper Griffiths is brave.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/4156468/Squaddie-shot-in-the-back-but-battles-on.html

The Afghan National Army

December 30, 2011

Afghanistan

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Our latest mission has been to go out with the Afghan National Army (ANA), to film and photograph them, as the ‘defining moment of operation Herrick 15’ would be their first major operation planned and executed by themselves to clear an area of Helmand from the influences of the insurgents.

Being the video guy, my job was to film them from the orders through the patrol phase, to watch them as they took over compounds and created, from scratch, their Check points in an area that insurgents had been deeply embedded in.

Say what you will about the ANA, they may lack an element of our professionalism, skill or ability, but when you consider that they are poorly paid, receive only a fraction of the training we get, are nowhere near equipped (by our standards), they do a fantastic job and in light of all this they are beyond doubt very brave indeed.

During this operation, they moved with all they needed to sleep rough across difficult terrain in freezing temperatures, which was tough indeed. They don’t get issued the warm or wet kit that we all get issued, and yet they just continue to work. The Afghans seem to work without complaint, they know what they need to do and they have a resolve to do what they need to, in order to rid their country of the enemy.

The ANA is a fledgling army, already growing to the required numbers, they know they have a tough job and continue to do their best to get it done, and they are proud.

Regardless of any shortcomings, I tip my hat to the Afghan braves and only hope that they gain the popular support of their countrymen because they above all deserve it and with it can begin to make the giant step towards peace, the likes of which has not been seen in this part of the world for decades.

These soldiers are going to be a big part of this countries future and every journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

Good luck.

Les & Natalie

December 14, 2011

Wedding

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This gallery contains 13 photos.

A small selection of images taken from the wedding of Les & Natalie Simmons, who married in Bournemouth, UK. A blustery start to the day on the British south coast. As with all weddings, opportunities always present themselves for the cute shots. The dress detail is a must do shot. Loads of natural light and …

—The mastery of life, work and Photography

The eye sees what it sees, the camera sees what you ask it to and the rest needs to be discovered.

Archive

Tag Archives: celebration

Never work with kids and animals? Why not?

Another homecoming parade, how many left?

In the thick of it and always experimenting

Building books and the tangible truth

Award winning, does it really make a difference?

Still playing catch up

More Royalty and the Rifles march on

Herding cats and capturing character

Promotion and give away’s

Catching up and cooling off

Is the photographic industry dead or dying?

What is bravery?

The Afghan National Army

Les & Natalie

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