Sunday 31 January 2010

Facebook fans portrait sitting.


I recently gave 5 fans of my work on facebook the chance for a free portrait shoot. These shots are from the first sitting taken down on Northam Burrows. A fantastic family with kids full of character. As ever it took a while for the children to settle but once they got used to having their photo taken there was no stopping them. It was a real fun shoot and I had way to many shots to chose from. I have posted more shots on my flickrstream.

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Friday 29 January 2010

4/52 - The final few days.

So the beard growth is nearly over, just a few more days and I shall return to normal. Going to celebrate with a cut throat shave and haircut on Monday 1st Feb. Two shots for this weeks post but I just couldn't decide on which one. The striaght classic head shot style or the cheesy pose which better reflects my current persona. Only downside to the first shot is that my hand covers a little too much of my chin. Set up for these shots are as follows.

Shot 1 - Black b/g about 2ft behind me, speedlight 580 exII on stand with beauty sih and honey comb grid camera left around 4ft from me, shot with 40d on tripod, but fired by my VARC. 1/60 sec, f/4, 1/8th power on flash.

Shot 2 - Black b/g about 2ft behind me, speedlight 580 exII on stand with beauty sih and honey comb grid behind and slightly higher than the camera around 5ft from me, shot with 40d on tripod, but fired by my VARC. 1/60 sec, f/4, 1/4th power on flash.

Processed in Lightroom then CS4 where I think I may have over cooked the skin smoothing but as I have the complextion of an aligator it was needed.

Pleased with how it turned in the end, simple lighting set up with effective result me thinks.


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Saturday 23 January 2010

Shane and Jessie :: May 2009

I love every wedding I shoot but all for different reasons, no two are the same and that's what drives me as a wedding photographer. But if you were to hold a gun to my, no if you were to hold my camera bag over a cliff and force me to name my best ever wedding otherwise you would drop the bag, then this would have to be it.
Pretty much everything about this day was near perfect. The weather was amazing, the location was the best there is I reckon and the couple were just fantastic. Very relaxed and chilled. There were no wedding cars, everyone walked from the village to the church and back to the reception. This idea was so simpe but so cool, the walk back down was great, right the heart of the village on a busy sunny afternoon, every one pretty much stopped and watched the wedding party walk by, either clapping or cheering. The rest of the day followed the same theme, relaxed and chilled. After the meal we managed to pop down to the beach for a few sunset shots. The sky was on fire that night and I knew the shots would turn out pretty good. I wasn't prepared for what I shot. The series of shots is one of those that now sits in my portfolio permanently. That's how stoked I am with them.
Shane and Jessie, I wish you both all the very best for the future wherever it takes you. You deserve it guys and thank you for letting me be part of your day.

There are some more images on my Flickr Page follow the link below to see them.

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Wednesday 20 January 2010

3/52 - Chinny chin chin.


Week 3 of the beard growth and it is starting to itch now. Plus all the grey is now showing too. Not good. Honestly thought though that the growth would be longer now than it is. But I can't wait until the 1st of feb to go have that proper wet shave to get rid of it all. A little stumble is cool, but this ain't.
Took the shot with falsh on camera bounced of wall behind, white bounce card placed on table under chin to reflect light back up and under. Camera set full manual (f/4, 1/50 iso 400) flash on manual too (1/18th power and 24mm zoom), processed in lightroom and CS4.

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Saturday 16 January 2010

Paul and Jenny :: April 2009


This was a great wedding, very relaxed and I knew I would get on well with the couple when they told me their cake was done in a snowboarding theme. How cool. Unlike some other weddings there was no stress from the couple all day, everything just flowed smoothly. The service was in St Sabinus Church in Woolacombe, then we took some time out before arriving at the reception to have a few private shots done over looking the sea around at Combesagte. To be honest with the weather that day and the relaxed fell to the wedding I think we could have all stayed their just watching the sea. When we managed to leave the headland it was onto the Woolacombe Bay Hotel.
The second to last shot above was not set up, we just happened to all be walking back from the bottom car park after a few more shots when i turned to notice the line they were walking in. Grabbed about 5 frames before they passed me.
I love Woolacombe weddings as I was brought up there and still maintain it to be one of the best places to get married in North Devon.

Snapshot of my 2009 Wedding Season.


Now my 365 project has come to an end, I have plenty of spare time on my hands. So before the 2010 wedding season kicks off early next month for me, I thought I would share with you some of my wedding images from last year.
Despite all the rain and unpredicatble weather I had it lucky I think, with just one near washout wedding, but we made the most of it.
So over the next few weeks I shall be updating my blog with 10-15 images from a few of last years weddings. I hope you enjoy them as I did shooting them and don't forget I still have a few weeends free this year if you know anyone who is getting married and looking for a wedding photographer.

Monday 11 January 2010

2/52 - Fanny by laptop light

Well here we are for another weekly shot, this week I am shattered, been burning the candle at both end and in the middle too. It's prime wedding booking season and with enquiries and bookings coming daily it's a struggle to keep up with them all and spend quality time with two boys under two. Sorry boys I promise I will devote sometime to you soon. Honest. So the beard growth, well it's cultivating nicely. Not too itchy yet, but I'm sure that's just around the corner.

Shot set up. - 580exII laid on laptop keyboard firing straight at me, 128th power with stofen, behind my head is the 430 ez with aqua gel and home made diffuser, which will be used in in some later shots this month. All fired by cactus v4's and 40d. If I had a third strobe working then I would have used it to add some fill to the front of the laptop.

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Sunday 3 January 2010

1/52 - It's me! The cultivation begins.

Ok, the first week of my 52 project and it's a SP, camera held at arms length directly in front of me and speedlight off to my right triggered by cactus v4 trigger, very little work done in PS other than clone out catch light from flash in my glasses.
The months theme is my beard growth. For 16 years I have had to shave for the fire service, now I am no longer a retained fireman, I am growing a beard. So why not document my beard growth..

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Site Updates.

I am currently trying ot update my blog with a fresh new look to enable me to display bigger images, things aren't going according to plan so this may take a day or two. Please stick with me whilst I attempt to break my site and call on the help of someone to get back up and running again.

Just so you all know my 52 project is well under way with the first image due as soon as I have sorted this site out.

Friday 1 January 2010

My 2010, 52 project.

Well my 365 project is now behind me and as ever I am always looking towards the next project, so for 2010 I shall be undetaking a 52 project. Every week for the whole year I shall post an images here on my blog and on my flickr stream. To make it a bit more interesting, I am going to theme each month. As hinted in my 364/365 image I am not shaving for the month of January, so this will be my theme for the first 5 weeks of this year. I have several ideas for theme's for the rest of the year but am open to suggestions. So get thinking, drop me a line and suggest theme. You never know I might even throw you a free photosession with me if I use your suggestion.

Once again thanks to eveyone who has supported me though out 2009 and here's to new ventures in 2010.

365/365 - The end, I did it!



Well it's done, one image everyday for the year of 2009. Have been racking my brains trying to think of a suitable image to sum up my year and this is it. Not the most technically well executed image of my year, but one that means a lot to me. My boys. Besides I think Jack was more interested in Postman Pat on the tv than me.
This little project has been fun and as much as it has been a bind somedays, it has pushed me as a photogrpaher and a person. in 2010 I am going to be doing a 52 project, one image a week for the whole year. Check out my blog for more info.

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364/365 - Take a holiday guys. You deserve it.




Well these guys are going to be redundant for the first couple of months in 2010. For the past 16 years I have had to remain (semi) clean shaven for the fire service, but as of 11.59pm on 1st Jan I shall no longer be a retained fireman and not need to stay so clean shaven, so for the the month of Jan (at least) I am not shaving. Beardsville here I come.
This will also be the first month's topic of next years 52 project. Check out my blog for more info on that photo project.

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363/365 - Welcome to my kitchen.



Granny Jersey is over visiting for a few days, so the boys are having another christmas today with yet more presents. The look on Jacks face when he relaised he had his own kitchen was priceless, took us nearly an hour past bedtime to drag him away from it. Another Jamie Oliver in the making? We can wish.

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362/365 - Inflight meal.



Tring to walk off some of the xcess we have consumed over the past few days, we ventured out to feed the ducks again. Nothing too inspiring but a shot I am pleased with none the less.

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361/365 - Iphone fun.



Fired up by a book I got for christmas, I took some sound advice from it.
"You are never more than 10ft from a good picture and the only thing limiting you taking a good image is you not your equipment"
So with these word in my head and the boy asleep in the van I ventures 10 ft from my parking spot whilst Jack was snoring his head off and got snapping.
This was taken with my iphone and converted using Chase Jarvis's "Best camera" app.

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360/365 - Baby sitting.



Boxing day is possibly as exciting as christmas day for me. No matter what we have done the day before we always spend it with my family. This is my dad babysitting our youngest. Putting a lot of effort into there I see Dad, cheers.
Taken on my iphone and tweak using Chase Jarvis's best camera app.

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359/365 - Family christmas.



Happy Christmas everyone. Just a quick family snap as we make our annual prilgrimage down to the beach on christmas day. Not yet fuelled on turkey and alcohol, but nearly.

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358/365 - Um, turkey.



Our fresh Copas turkey arrived today, 4.74kg's of succulent lovelyness. Just preping the bird for a good rasting tomorrow.

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357/365 - Slippery when icy.



"One of our lorries is missing."
"Found it!"
One very lucky escape for one of our lorries. Need I say anymore?

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356/365 - Lastminute.me



Just a few last minute presents to wrap. Yeah right, I'm male so that means wrapping all the gifts I have brought.

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355/365 - Why do I offer?



Ugh, christmas food shopping. Being the loving husband that I am, I offered to do the food shopping for the festive period. Cat food and brandy. What else do I need?

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354/365 - You looking at me?



Ok, so what happened to day 353? Well back in August I doubled up on a day's numbering and only just realised today. Bum. So I have skipped a day's number.
Todays shot was taken on an injured duck down at our favourite duck pond.

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