A few images from a recent shoot on a farm in North Leicestershire. Farms are full of interesting barns and machinery, providing lots of photo opportunities with different backdrops. Spoilt for choice, but time is always limited. Light levels can be low in farm buildings, so the use of portable flashheads and power packs can be useful. My first shoot on a farm, but looking forward to revisiting at some point in the near future.
It is great to take advantage of an opportunity to do a photoshoot with a special theme and costume, and for me the idea of a Warrior Princess themed shoot with a small group of collaborators in local woodland was too great to pass.
The wooded area is very popular with locals, especially on a nice day, but there is so much space that we could easily find a few areas to work away from the crowds.
The outfit, and especially the head dress, supplied by Sandalwoodpictures.co.uk and worn by local model Tracey was outstanding and made the shoot extremely enjoyable and quite different.
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.
I had a first time shoot with local model Nicola Jayne recently in a close by woodland area. We tried to schedule the shoot for dusk to incorporate a colourful sky, but being mid-February the light falls really quickly and we resorted to finding a nice area in the wood away from the mud. Although the evening was very cold and dark, we managed to get a few shots completed before we called it a day.
This is my favourite image from the shoot, using my Nikon D300, Nikkor 24-70 F2.8 lens, Bowens Gemini 500 flashhead and travelpak, with an Octabox. Triggered with PowerWizard MiniTT1 and TT5 receiver.
London is all about moving around – from A to B to C…and back again. Like ants building a nest on a spare piece of land. Scurring everywhere – building and doing. Travelling to tomorrow. And travel options are bountiful – on foot, bike, tube, red bus, taxi, pedicar. The choice is seemingly ours.
Westminster Bridge with the London Eye.
London Bridge
London has some fantastic modern architecture spread across the city. I love glass fronted building and the reflections created.
The gentrified Butlers Wharf. Once the world’s largest tea warehouse in the world. Now a mix of luxury flats, restaurants and office space.
Ice cream break by Tower Bridge.
A London Evening Standard newspaper distributor by the entrance to an underground tube station. How much longer will this be a scene on the streets of Central London in the new digital revolution world with instant media streams.
Taking a moment away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The 39 Steps – and a lot more once you have spent a few hours in London.
A meeting place for those who are halfway between A and B.
Stop and chat waiting for the traffic to halt.
My second photoshoot with the X-Pro1 was with local model Beth through Model Mayhem. First try out with the fantastic Fuji 35mm F1.4 lens, along with the wider Fuji 18mm F2.
We shot in the same area as my first street shoot of 2014, but using different buildings as backdrops. Even though the photo shoot was mid afternoon with bright sunshine, the use of off camera flash enabled us to create a night time look in some of the images for a dramatic effect.
The use of natural light and off camera flash on a 2 hour street shoot enables the set of images to include a mix of moody and dramatic images along with bright and sunny examples.
A street shoot is great fun for model and photographer, and is a great option for an editorial piece for a blog or magazine.
I took advantage of the start of Spring and the kinder weather to kick off my 2014 Street Shoot season with a photo shoot with local model Yasmin. I took along my new X-Pro1 camera, with its small design and fast sharp lenses being ideal for this type of shoot.
We met at a predesignated point in Leicester and used a handful of side streets in the same area for the photo shoot. This reduces the amount of walking to each area and maximises shoot time. A mix of natural light and off-camera flash gave us a great selection of images against different urban backdrops, ideal for model portfolios, editorial portraits or family portraits with a difference.
We battled with the wind somewhat but had a great time,and produced a fantastic set of images. The X-Pro1 performed brilliantly, and as I learn how to get the best out of it, will become my go to camera for portrait photography. It is very easy to carry around, and the quality is amazing. It worked flawlessly with my pair of Nikon SB-800s and Pocket Wizard Mini-TT1 trigger and TT5 receivers.
I love the one-on-one focus and interraction with an individual photoshoot. It allows me time to get to know the client a bit more than I would with a small group family photoshoot.
I had the pleasure of recently photographing the same client in two different environments – the first in a lovely local park for an environmental photoshoot, and then again a couple of weeks later in the studio to create more dramatic imagery, which can only really be created in the studio where full control of lighting is possible.
1st image is from the studio photoshoot, lit with a single Bowens head through a gridded beauty dish.
2nd image is from the environmental photoshoot, lit with a single Bowens head through a brolly, powered by a TravelPak.
One of Leicester’s inner city areas is aptly named Frog Island, an area of land situated between the River Soar and the Grand Union Canal. It was once a great industrial scene, with mills and breweries located in the area, and the Great Central Railway running over the top of the land via a series of viaducts. There is evidence all over Frog Island of its great industrial past, with old buildings being reused and some being left in decay.
I was asked to do a fashion shoot for up and coming dress designer Michelle Schoemaker with model Ellen Ferguson. Location requirement was somewhere old and raw to highlight the softness and delicate look of the outfits. After scouting several areas in Leicester, Frog Island fitted the bill nicely, with a great selection of urban scenery within walking distance.
The image above was taken in the one spot in Frog Island where you cannot see any urban decay. A lovely peaceful view on a bridge over the River Soar in the middle of a busy city centre. Off camera flash and cloud filled sky creating a dramatic environmental portrait.
My latest model shoot was with Rebecca in the grounds of Jephson Gardens in Leamington Spa. The weather remained dry if a little cold but we got some fantastic photographs. Check out the full gallery here.