Shooting inside a Church, Painting with Light, and the Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla

It's been a busy time since the last blog entry!  Several shoots, one of which I can't divulge any shots from just yet (oh the intrigue) but three main ones that I can, so here goes!

A couple of weeks back, Yol and I went to visit Saint Giles Church in Cheadle with the Willfield Camera Club to try our hand at shooting at night inside a church.  We'd generously been given access to the church for our shooting for an hour and a half, and so with a little coordination to make sure that we didn't venture into each other's shots, a hearty band of around twelve photographers set up tripods and cranked up the ISO settings!

The inside of the church is beautiful, and very calming even though there were so many of us in a relatively small space.  It also made for a nice setting for an interesting portrait of Yol!:

The full set of photos from the church can be seen on Flickr here: Saint Giles Church photo set.


Experimentation in photography is always a fun and educational experience, and with that in mind, Yol and I teamed up with Glyn, Claire and Yvonne and headed up Sneyd Hill one evening to experiment with light painting.  Armed with a head torch, a pack of sparklers, some lighting wire, a can of deodorant and Yvonne's not-so-trusty ciggie lighter, we tried out several different long exposure ideas with the backdrop of Stoke at night behind us.

The most successful shots came from the ingenuity of Yvonne to house some wire wool inside an egg whisk on the end of a dog chain; once the wire wool was ignited and spun around it created some stunning images!

The set of shots can be seen here: Painting With Light.


Today was a rather special day at work! This evening I had the pleasure of handing out the awards at the Level 4 screening of the Keswick documentaries, which was a very enjoyable experience.  But in terms of photography, the highlight today came this morning when I had the opportunity to shoot some behind-the-scenes stills on the Media Centre News Set.  Student journalist Will Piper was recording an interview segment for Staffs Live, and the interviewee was none other than Chris Jericho, the frontman of the band Fozzy and former WWE wrestler!

Chris was an excellent interviewee, giving a very entertaining and insightful interview to Will, and I had the opportunity to shoot before and during the recording:

After the interview, we had the chance to get some photos with Chris, so we took it in turns to get our photos taken!  This one of me was taken by Rich Mortimer, and I'm pretty chuffed with it!

The set can be seen on Flickr here: Chris Jericho at Staffs Live.

Thanks for reading!

Shooting Jen - Twice, Stoke Vintage Fair, and Lest We Forget...

In the last blog entry I mentioned that I had an upcoming shoot with the excellent Jen Latham, where we were going to test some themes that we've been working on.  Well, good things come in pairs, and thanks to the generosity of my fellow snapper Lauren Freeman in lending me her flash head kit, Jen and I have done two shoots!    The shots from both shoots are yet to be properly published, but I can give you a sneak peek of both shoots here - I'm immensely proud of both shoots, and yet again I was left in awe at Jen's talent in front of the camera.

The first shoot took place on Halloween night, so when the rest of the country were out trick or treating we were set up in the Media Centre's Shoot Studio using a combination of tungsten and LED constant lights, and armed with a smoke machine.  We shot a variety of different themes, costumes and ideas, and soon I will be publishing the results.  But in the meantime, here's a couple of shots from the photoshoot:

The second of our shoots came about through luck and timing!   On Phoenix match days in recent weeks, Lauren, Yolanda and myself have been shooting portraits of the players for use in the match programmes and for the upcoming Phoenix calendar;  a couple of weeks back Lauren offered to let me take her flash head lighting kit home with me to practice with, as I've been thinking about getting one.  So it transpired that I had the kit, and Jen had a spare couple of hours before heading to kickboxing one evening, so we set up the lights, got the smoke machine out again, and had an impromptu shoot!  Again, the results haven't been published yet, but here's a quick look:

The full sets from boths shoots will be published soon - watch this space!


Yesterday was a busy day for me with my camera.  Yolanda has an interest in vintage and retro fashion and style, and so when we learned that there was going to be a Vintage Fair in town, it was a no-brainer!  So we set off for the King's Hall in Stoke On Trent, Yolanda with the intention of getting a 50s-style make-over, and me with the intention of getting some shots of the people and styles on show, and to create a photoset that gave a flavour of the event.

The venue itself is quite photogenic, and as the doors to the balcony were left unlocked, I went for a bit of a wander whilst Yol had her make-over done:

I also decided to get some photos of the people in attendance, both the visitors and the stallholders, and I found that everyone I asked was happy to have their photo taken!

The highlight of the show for me though had to be Yol's transformation.  At the skilled hands of Sarah Russell from SGR Vintage Hair & Make Up, Yol was given a new hairstyle and make-over in a retro 1950s style, to match her cherry dress:

The full set of photos from the Vintage Fair can be seen on Flickr here: Stoke Vintage Fair photoset


Yesterday was also Remembrance Sunday,  and whilst we were down in Stoke we were able to watch the Remembrance Parade which ended at the Stoke Cenotaph, right outside the King's Hall:

Remembrance Sunday is always a significant event in the calendar,  a moving tribute to the fallen.  I lost my grandfather when I was five years old, I only have vague memories of how lovely a man he was, but I know from my mother that he served in Palestine in WW2, and so every Remembrance Sunday he's at the forefront of my thoughts.  Lest we forget.

The set of photos from the Parade can be seen here: Remembrance Parade

Thanks for reading, all.

A Paperwork Lesson Learned, Working with a Keen Model, and Lauren's Centrefolds

Whenever I shoot a model in the studio, I always get a Release Form signed.  It's pretty much standard practice, and it covers both the photographer and the model in terms of what's agreed and what's expected on the shoot.  So far, all of my shoots have been done on a 'time for images' basis, in that neither I nor the models are paid for the shoot, but the agreement is in place that we can both use the images for our own promotional purposes.  I like to think of myself as a fair person, so I have an additional clause in my Release Forms that promises the model a share of any profits made should an image be sold (either in print or in rights).  I see that as the correct and fair way to do things.

Back in September, I was approached by a model to do some shots for her portfolio.  No problem there, seemed pretty straightforward. But when it came to the Release Form, there was one stipulation that I agreed to do differently this time around, and that was to give the model the right to approve the shots before I could use them for my own purposes.

With hindsight, this was a mistake. 

Now, as a courtesy to the fine models who have given me their time in the past, I have always shown them in advance the photos that I plan on using, and ask if they have any major objections to the shots.  I've never had a problem with doing this, and the models have never had a problem with it either.  This time, however, I had to wait until the model gave her consent for the shots to be used.

So, I waited.  And waited.

Several e-mails went back and forth, trying to get the consent for the shots to be used.  More waiting.  And more waiting. In the end, I invited the model to come along to where I work, and look through the shots with me, one by one, saying yes or no to them.

Finally, the meeting took place, and after a long conversation about the shots, she eventually gave her consent for me to use twelve of the thirty finished shots that I had supplied her with.   It could have been worse, she could have point blank refused.   But the whole experience has taught me a valuable lesson, and that's to always stick to the initial Release Form stipulations!


Anyway, onward and upward!  Over the past couple of weeks I've been developing some new themes for a shoot with a model I've previously shot with, the very talented Jen Latham.  Jen's also a photographer, so she's got a good mind for creativity and for developing themes, and this week we're doing a test shoot to explore a couple of themes and costume ideas.  So far there's been plenty of brainstorming, and a little bit of shopping too - outfit materials and props have been on the shopping list!

Here's a photo of Jen from our previous shoot that I'm particularly proud of, and here's hoping that we can raise the bar with our next shoot!

As per usual, I've been shooting for the Phoenix every weekend, and we've been trying new things there too.  A couple of weeks back, the head photographer Nick Ogden stepped down and I was given the opportunity to step up and take over the position.  Nick's stepping down coincided with a new photographer starting with us (the two events were not connected), and that new photographer was my better half, Yolanda Amor!  So the photo team at Phoenix now consists of myself, Yolanda and my long-time photo buddy Lauren Freeman.

One of the new projects that we're working on this season is an idea that Lauren is heading up; pull-up posters for the centre pages of the match night programme.  So far the posters have been very well received by the programme-buying public!   The shooting for them has to take place on a match day, and so far Lauren's been shooting three players per week.  My role on the shoots is to help set up, and to handle one of the lights when it comes to moving them around.  Whilst all this has been going on, Yol has been shooting away behind the scenes!

Of course, the shoots are being carried out with the utmost seriousness, as this shot by Lauren clearly demonstrates:

More behind the scenes photos can be seen on Flickr here:  Phoenix Photographers Behind The Scenes

Thanks for reading!

Experimenting at the Camera Club, and the New Season Continues with a Visit from Totty!

A couple of months back, I joined a camera club here in Stoke in order to meet some fellow snappers and to learn a new trick or three.  So far it's been quite educational, and a couple of weeks back we had an evening of experimentation, an evening where we could try our hand at several different types of photography.  In one room there was a multi-head lighting set-up and in the other there were several 'stations' where snappers could try macro photography, shooting water droplets, and various other subjects.

Evenings such as this one give everyone a chance to try their hand at new things without the sense of pressure that can sometimes come from an organised shoot.  Especially when shooting inanimate objects.  They don't judge you when you take ages to get the shot just right!

One of the things that we had a go at was capturing water droplets.  To do this properly, you need a tripod and a flash gun, and at this particular evening I had neither!  But I still had a crack at it, using a high ISO.  The grain was an issue, but for a first attempt...

Better luck next time, methinks!

Many of the items that were 'photographable' were brought along by members of the club, including a rather nice Blue John Stone geode:

This particular shot was achieved with the aid of a torch and a piece of paper, and a fair bit of balance!

The studio set-up in the other room was a rather nice construction, with a full paper roll backdrop being interchanged with a lightable soft-box backdrop.  The model for the evening was Heather, the sister of one of our photographers, and she did an admirable job of keeping her pose and composure whilst being repeatedly flashed at by lots of strange men and a couple of strange women...

The downside to having lighting set up for multiple photographers at the same time is that the lighting is set up for multiple photographers at the same time.  Basically what I mean is that when you have one photographer, the lighting can be set for the one lens, everything is geared towards that one shooting position, but when you have more than one snapper the lighting can be uneven.  However, this in turn gave me a chance to do some more experimentation with HDR:

More shots from the evening can be seen here:  Willfield Camera Club experimental shots

The Manchester Phoenix season has been continuing, we're now several games in, and the shooting is still fun and varied.  The action is also a bit varied, ranging from masses of action to the occasional bout of 'nothing going our way', but at all times the view through the lens is always an exciting challenge.

Our home game against the Wildcats just over a week ago gave a rare treat to the people of Manchester, and to Yol and I in particular - the referee was Joy Tottman, one of our travelling buddies from our trip to Maine in 2010!  Joy has been an ice hockey referee for a number of years, but is normally based 'darn sarf' and seldom gets selected to referee Phoenix games, so to see her take to the ice at the Altrincham Ice Dome was a pleasant surprise!

Cheers for reading!

A Return to Gauntlet, and three weeks of Phoenix

Earlier this summer, I took Yol to the Gauntlet Birds of Prey centre for a birthday treat, and for my birthday she returned the favour!  Yol had booked me onto a half-day photography workshop, which took place on the morning of Sunday 9th September, and here I am three weeks later still smiling about it!

The course was split into three sections, the first of which was photographing birds on outdoor perches.  There were about seven or eight snappers taking part in the session, under the guidance of a Gauntlet bird photography expert who was giving tips and advice to anyone who wanted it.  The first bird out was, by pure chance, the first bird that Yol had handled on her Owl Experience - Yoda, the Little Owl! 

I was shooting most of the outdoor shots with my 70-300mm lens, at the far end of the scale.  The advantage in using that amount of zoom from a relatively close distance was that the depth of field was pretty shallow, as demonstrated in the shot above.  At first I thought I could shoot with my 18-105 lens, but that didn't give me enough zoom even from that close range, so I went to the 70-300 and got some results that I'm particularly chuffed with!

The second part of the session was indoors, and utilised flash heads and model lights.  Once again, I was 'reunited' with one of our favourites from Yol's Owl Experience - Humph, the White Faced Scops Owl!:

To say that I have a soft spot for Humph is an understatement, he's excellent and so sweet too!  Although he did spend a great deal of time during the photoshoot seemingly fascinated by something on the ceiling...

Humph was under the model lights, which are constant light sources rather than flashes.  The first bird under the flash heads was Roy the Harris Hawk, a rather magnificent bird:

He was followed by Frodo, a baby Malaysian Wood Owl who was taking only his second turn in front of the cameras.  Still with some of his baby feathers, he looked simply adorable!

Slightly less adorable, but just as fascinating, was Frank, the Saker Falcon, who was having his dinner under the model lights:

Shooting the birds under the model lights required the use of a tripod to get the best results, as I didn't want to push the ISO up and lose quality in the images.  So I used a remote trigger to limit camera movement, set up the tripod, and shot that way.

The third part of the session was the trickiest - shooting birds on the wing!  This took place outside, and the photographers were invited to take shots from wherever they wanted between and near the two take-off and landing points, so I shot from a variety of positions to get some alternative shots:

For any photographer with an interest in shooting wildlife, I'd thoroughly recommend Gauntlet.  I had an absolutely thrilling time, and came away with some shots that I am truly proud of!

The full set can be seen on Flickr here: Gauntlet Photo Workshop

That day also marked the start of the Phoenix's home campaign, with a visit from the Steeldogs for the second leg of the War Of The Roses.  Having shot in Sheffield on the Thursday, I'd sort of found my hockey-shooting legs again, albeit from ice level, so this was my first chance to shoot from the stairs and re-find my mojo!

Shooting with the D90 is an absolute blessing!  My trusty D40 got me some very nice results, but having the D90 has given me an extra set on the ISO scale, which in turn means less post-producing and better noise reduction.  Also, I can shoot at a higher shutter speed and get clearer shots.  Plus, having two camera bodies now means that I can be one of those poser pillocks who carries two cameras! But at least I can legitimately do it!

A few weeks back, my photo buddy Lauren Freeman and I shot the portraits for the team, and a couple of weeks ago we shot the volunteers too.  Thanks to Lauren's expert lighting (and Yol's patience) we were able to get some cracking photos of the people who make the match nights work at the Phoenix, and in amongst those shots we naturally had to capture the likenesses of ourselves!

The Phoenix match nght photos can be seen on Flickr here: Manchester Phoenix Flickr feed

Cheers all!