This set of images was from a recent street photoshoot in the city of Leicester on a very warm Sunday afternoon in the middle of the 2018 Summer heatwave. I love using urban areas in cities because of the wide range of backdrops that can be used – walls, doorways, factory entrances etc. I use my small speedlights to mix artificial lighting with natural lighting to provide a dynamic looking image. The side streets of a city are generally quiet on a weekend afternoon, so we can get on with creating a great set of images without too much interest from passers-by. It is a great way to capture fashion and portrait images with a little difference.
These two images are from a recent family photoshoot we did on the best day of the year so far. We started off with an Environmental shoot in a picturesque local park, and then moved into the studio for more formal shots. These were two quick images taken inbetween and at the end of the shoot. I try to use as much of the time in the studio as I can to capture images, even when waiting for other family members to change outfits.
Local studio ‘Boss Studios’ recently organised a group shoot with a very special guest. Group shoots are a great way to meet local models and fellow photographers and collaborate in a relaxed informal way. We had the pleasure of working with an Albino Burmese Python, accompanied by his handler. The famous saying ‘Never work with animals or children’ generally rings true, but conducting a photoshoot with a snake in the equation was not as troublesome as imagined. Snakes do like to move around a lot, but the with the expertise of the handler close by we managed to capture some great images. Once the snake had departed for a rest we captured some more ‘traditional’ images sans snake.
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.
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.