My last photoshoot of 2016 was the week before Christmas of 2016, photographing the actress Lydia Rose Bewley in her family home for an editorial piece for the Mail On Sunday’s You Magazine. Lydia has starred in The Inbetweeners Movie, Drifters TV series and Comedy Central’s I Live With Models. Lydia could not have been more friendly during our photoshoot – a consummate professional thoughout.
From my previous post on Tae Kwon-Do, my subject is also Head Chef at a local hotel in Leicester. So of course, we took the opportunity to photograph Chef in his working clothes. I planned this portrait as for an editorial piece within a magazine – a one light setup against a plain background, creating a quiet, simple but powerful image.
I had a great opportunity recently to spend some time in the Leicester studio with a local Tae Kwon-Do sportsman to capture some portraits and actions shots using minimal lighting for that lovely moody style which I am always drawn to. We tried out a few different lighting setups and created a great set of images suitable for an editorial piece.
On a recent commercial photoshoot for West of the Moon I found myself in the Leicester studio photographing scarves with the wonderful model Becki. The scarves were amazing to look at and no doubt destined for buyers all around the world, especially growing regions like China.
The shoot had mainly used the white cove background in the studio to show off the scarves on the model in full and half length poses. We had a few minutes spare at the end and I was asked for ideas for something different. I quickly setup a single light on the same white background on a low power. My favourite style of minimal lighting with lots of shadow gives the scarves a completely different look and feel within the image. The client loved the look and these last 5 minutes created another set of images that could be used in a separate promotional campaign.
American football is obviously not something synonymous with UK sporting traditions, but as a kit became available to use during a recent photoshoot in Leicester with Louisa we put it to good use with some carefully positoned lighting and a black background.
I do prefer this style of portraiture – partially lit with rich colours and shadows. Painting with light. It makes for an interesting image. Great for an editorial in a sports magazine.
Laumina was visiting the UK recently and contacted me to arrange a photoshoot in Leicestershire. I had done a photoshoot for Triathlete’s World a while back at Beacon Hill. I had always wanted to go back for another photoshoot as the location is ideal with its backdrop of large rocks, rugged terrain and open skies. I used a combination of natural light and off-camera flash to create dramatic images to suit the landscape. It was windy on the day of the shoot, but we persevered and captured a great set of images.
Robbie Lewis is a Leicester based DJ. We met in the studio in Leicester to do a photoshoot for a set of publicity images. Robbie was after strong images with shadows that would fit well with nightclub promotional material. We moved though a variety of lighting setups during the hour shoot to get a good set of images to choose from. Shot with the Nikon D800 and 24-70mm Nikkor lens and Bowens lighting.
I recently had the pleasure of photographing Lizzy Rushby and fellow musical entertainer one evening in Leicester for a set of publicity shots. I setup a small studio area in Lizzy’s home, and we spent an hour shooting with a variety of setups. You do not need a lot of space for this kind of portraiture, and it can certainly be more convenient for the sitter to shoot in the home where outfits and props are to hand. All shot in colour, with conversion to black and white in post production where appropriate. Shot with Fuji x-Pro1 with 35mm and 56mm lenses and Bowens lighting.
A recent working trip to New Zealand allowed me to take some time out to capture some images for my personal work. I was based in Wellington, otherwise known as Windy Welly because of the regular strong winds. Wellington is one of the smallest capital cities in the world, and I had a great time exploring the city with its eclectic styles and easy going atmosphere, overlooked by the wonderful Mount Victoria. I renewed my energy by taking full advantage of sampling as much of the fantastic fresh food and craft beers as I could.
A scene at dusk, the light had fallen just enough for the neon signs to create impact in the image. Recent rain creates a lovely reflective surface for the light to bounce around. Mount Victoria is in the background, the peak covered by low lying cloud.
Mount Victoria and the harbour at night. The fantastic Wellington National Museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, is just on the right.
A view of Wellington from the top of the cable car run.
Lambton Quay, Central Business District.
Sunlight finding its way through the buildings, Central Business District.
National War Memorial. New Zealand is quite rightly proud of its contribution to the war efforts throught the years.
View from the road on the way out of Wellington to the airport.
Hilltop homes. Many homes are built on the top of or on the side of hills.
Old Observatory Building, near to the newer Carter Observatory (Space Place).
A little side street in Wellington. Wonderful lighting spectacle at dusk.
Cuba Street, Wellington. A great collection of fantastic eateries.
Amazing modern architecture on the harbour front.
Crane structures on the harbour.
Oriental Bay, Wellington. A great way to spend a weekend afternoon in the sun.
A lazy walk down the Wellington harbour front. A lot of the old warehouses and sheds on the front have been redeveloped for modern use. focusing on leisure activities.
A walk on the bridge.
Diving off a plank into the sea, Wellington Harbour.
Dusk in Central Business District, Wellington.
New Zealand is over 20 hours of flying time and a couple of stops, but well worth it to visit one of the most southern cities in the world. The Kiwis are very friendly, and the scenery is unique. Well worth a look 🙂
After the recent photoshoot with Kate in The Warehouse Gym in Leicester, we were both keen to get back in for a second photoshoot to try out some more ideas we did not have time to do in the first shoot.
It was a lot colder this time round so more of a challenge, especially for Kate, but we came away with a great set of images. The gym is literally in an old warehouse. It is full of character with lots of photo opportunities with the spray painted walls and a variety of gym equipment. And more importantly for me, lots of space to move around with my equipment.