Hampshire Wedding Photographer, Surrey Wedding Photographer » Personal Work

Family Friday – Holly Yet Again

Rob — Fri, 27 May 2011 08:00:22 +0000

Seriously…Evan is so getting the shaft lately. But ever since the UK Child Photographer of the Millenium, Helen Bartlett, came round to do a day with the family Holly has been really into having her photo taken. Good thing too. Evan just puts on the most obnoxious grin. His time will come! Tuesday night, after bath, Evan gets into his dressing gown. Holly, in typical fashion, has to do the same. I hadn’t actually seen it as its new. I never ran so fast down the stair. She was (is) adorable…despite being the spawn of the devil only the next day. Rough/smooth and all that.

Ettes – At A Wedding

Rob — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:50:23 +0000

I love to get ettes. They don’t always present themselves nicely, sometimes you have to work at them and other times they just don’t happen. But when they do, when it works, when it leaves you with a bit of chill…they are something spectacular. A departure from reality and a way to look at things from a different perspective. So here is a collection of some of my favourite silhouette shots from 2010 including images from such spectacular venues such as Luton Hoo, Nutfield Priory, Rhinefield House, Cain Manor and Painshill Park.

Inside the marquee (a very grand marquee at that) in Painshill Park, Surrey

A couple from Luton Hoo…in fact, this is from Darren’s collection. At first I thought it was a mirror image but its not

Buda .. meet Pest

Rob — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:55:17 +0000

The final part of my epic 40th birthday month finally drew to a close this past weekend with a trip for Nicola and I to Budapest in Hungary. It was the first time I had been to Central Europe and I was delighted to see the architecture and lifestyle I had expected. I would certainly recommend you take a trip there if you can. The Hungarian people aren’t the most outwardly friendly folks…and they really need to get a smoking ban…but its an amazing place to visit.

I decided to take two cameras. First was my iPhone. With Camtastic installed its a pretty hot little camera considering its size. The second was my Panasonic GF-1 with a 20mm (40mm) fixed focal length lens. Basically, its a point and shoot on acid. A tremendous little gem of the camera world and I’m a proud owner. With that in mind…here are a few shots from the weekend…all taken with the GF-1.

From the Fisherman’s Bastion looking back across to Pest

From The Citadel…I had just seen the WWII Bunker museum so the old time look is important here :)

My favourite location….St Stephen’s Basilica. The first place we found, entirely by accident, but a place we both fell in love with.

Inside St Stephen’s

Here’s where the 20mm (40mm effective) starts to bug me

You might think its a double exposure…but no, the good folks of Hungary directionally light their busts in Roosevelt Square. Thank you kindly!

Point and click my arse! The Chain Bridge looking back to Buda with the Buda Castle lit in all is glory

Inside Mattias Church in the Castle District

St Matthews…what was wicked was this was the backdrop for a small string orchestra which we went to see on Saturday night

A statue in front of the Buda Palace

Light reflects from the water under a bridge

Hubba hubba!

She will probably hate this image…I, on the other hand, love the honesty in her look

The Parliament building

Not your local council office

No related posts.

Mirror Mirror

Rob — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:45:32 +0000

Mirrors are interesting visual devices. They often factor in the bridal preparations part of the day. I don’t walk into a room, see a mirror and just say “gosh, I gotta use that”. It is, in many ways, an easy option. Sometimes there are ways of making that fairly innocuous mirror tell great stories, show things in a unique way or open your mind and your eyes to things you may not have seen before. Of course it all depends on how you ‘see’ things. I’ve seen so many mirror for mirror sake shots that even thinking about it seem so cliche. The trick is to get away from the cliche and bring a different dimension to the image.

So the following are mirror based images. They are not, however, reflections. Eh? What I mean is, the images below all use an actual mirror as a photographic device. Whilst I appreciate that a reflection is what comes from a mirror these are not images created using reflections which occur from other shiny objects. Those take on a wholly different feel and no doubt I’ll be doing a post on reflections as well at some point.

Here are a few of my favourites from 2010.

Some people may not like the reality but it does combine the location with the action

A double whammy…mirror and silhouette

Some people get emotional…others sleep

Not like many mirrors you’ve seen…me either. Made a simple dress shot sing a bit more.

Two times the fun

OK…hands up…an itty bitty cliche

Shooting a scene about 15 feet behind me

Strong light works in mirrors too

Being able to frame the Bride with the door helps to contextualise the image

Time for a 2 for 1. Standing in the hall using the door as a frame

Now the same scenario without the door

A corner and a double aspect. Nice combo.

One of my favourites of 2010. A trick mirror.

Watching the guests arrive

Floor mirror, floor shot

Thank you mirror behind the cupboard door

Same mirror in the cupboard

Another nicey from 2010. Triple aspect mirror but using on 1 side

A different triple aspect but same wedding. Framing by using the third aspect to frame Natalie

This isn’t Photoshop. Its knowing what to look for in a mirror to get interesting effects

Those are three gigantic mirrors behind the bar

What a smile…a smile I might have otherwise not seen…this is more impactful when you see the image before in Sharyn’s gallery where she’s in focus

Mirrors bounce the light back meaning I can set the scene outside a bit better

This is more interesting due to Kat’s expression…but its also well lit (or rather, she sitting in great light)

A small but effective mirror in the Oast House at Bury Court

Similar to the triple bridesmaid a few images back, finding that magic spot on an ornate mirror…hence why its a bit soft

The triangle is complete

Using the light to create a frame

Mother and daughter

Mother and daughter…part 2

Using the mirror gave me something out of nothing. You can see from back of the girls head to the right that it was totally blown out by a ray of light. Shoot from the other side and I’ve got nothing. Turn it on its head, wait for her to look the other way and shazaam.

Triple aspects are your friend

Same triple aspect but with a bit of reflection as well

Mini mirrors…not easy but highly effective

Kaleidescope

I’m really starting to realise why I love triple aspect

Comedy moment

Cliche…but worth it!

Revealing the answer to what she’s smiling at

How many? You can see me as well

Maybe I should have kept this one for the reflections :)

Nothing fancy…the expression makes it mostly because she doesn’t realise I can see her

If only I was another 2 foot taller. Its a good image but it could have been better!

Mirrored wardrobes

Mirrors and rooflights…nice combo

Like anything it all comes down to opportunity. I do plenty of weddings where mirrors either don’t come into it, or they just don’t create compelling images. Its a bit of luck in so many ways. Knowing what you CAN do is great but sometime the mirror fairy needs to spread some of her magic dust. What’s most important is that you find a photographer who knows how to work any room, see its full potential, its problems (but sees the problem as a challenge and a solution) and gets down to business.

Triple Header

Shoe Are You?

Rob — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 09:27:09 +0000

A clever play on words from a classic Who hit. But you have to ask yourself…can a shoe be a star?

Now…don’t get me wrong. I don’t turn up to weddings to take endless pictures of details whilst ignoring the human element. I think a few details certainly have their place. For me, shoes fit into that category. I nearly gave up on shoes about 4 years ago. Then I thought (to quote another classic British rock band) “I want to break free”. I decided that a shoe on a box or a pillow just wasn’t for me. Could I tell a story with that shoe (or shoes)? Could I make a statement? Could it be art? Could it be abstract? Could it be something that you never expected? The answer was yes. I won’t lie. Some weeks are easier than others. There is always the fall back option. But some weeks. The planets align and I find myself with the shoe on the other foot. Here’s a selection of my favourites from 2010.

A wee bit abstract. She decided on existing shoes…doesn’t mean they can’t be interesting

the same shoes…completely different place

Light fall off and bathtubs. A sweet combination

Caramel Choo Choo

I really struggled on this day…utlimately it came down to the comparative chaos versus the control

Windows…sensing a theme here?

One Flew Over the Shoe Shoes Nest – sadly Budgie wouldn’t play ball

Another tough location…time to think way outside the box

Sharp tells the story

Flat shoes can be difficult. Time to stop accentuating the flatness.

Would you believe January in Bournemouth?

I’ve always liked this because I knew just how blinking difficult it was to get this. It was sooooo dark.

Lines and curves

They have a 3 year old…that’s why I love this one. Its one day combined with real life.

Thankfully she only had 2 feet

I would have to say this is my favourite shoe shot of the year.

This is the first one. I mostly liked it, but its very busy…why show it?…..

…same shoes, close up on the work surface. No need to remove the ‘character’ as it, in itself, lends to the story

Ooppps…wrong white balance. Forgetaboutit

Luckily it was a hotel, because that light fixture was never as ‘solid’ as when the day starter

Frosted glass and big shoes. Nice combination.

Stare for long enough and nods just like that dog on TV

One that never made the blog…but made me laugh when I thought of it

The absolute scariest shoe shot ever. Falling over the other side meant a 9floor drop to the top of another part of the hotel. To the left the sky line of Tel Aviv (Israel), to the right the Mediterranean Sea

As soon as I saw the blue I knew I had to contrast the patent sheen of the cream. Problem was getting the things to balance on the round part of the rail. Both dropped seconds after taking this.

When you’ve got a full size Ferrari F1 car in your own bar you kind of have to do this

In a sink…again

I had never seen a full blow, bowed window before

Loo Loo relights my fire

I love this one as it just makes you think

“God knows…God knows I want to break free”. Hope you enjoyed that collection of images. They were but a handful of images from the total collection. Enough to tweak your interest and get you asking questions. Have a lovely weekend.

Much Ado About Portsmouth

Rob — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:23:46 +0000

A few weeks back my great photographer friend Duncan and I took a few hours out to go shoot some personal images. The light at 14:00 promised much but then failed to deliver. However we still made every effort to come up with something. In this instance I tried to use some different processing techniques. Whether I ever use them again is anyones guess…but learning is never a bad thing.

Thanks Very Much…

I’m The CEO B*tch

Rob — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:00:49 +0000

If you haven’t seen The Social Network you might find that a bit upfront. The reason I mention it is that I used it a few times in my first speaking engagement yesterday for the East Midlands Master Photographers Association. In a comic way I need to add. In any event, I promised that I would post some of the images from the 25 minute practical session. Too many times I’ve been to ‘seminars’ that you never saw the finished work. It really bugged me. I don’t want to be the same type of speaker.

So here you go!

Actually…HE’S the CEO :) (The quick and dirty one light)

The Not So Quick but Still Dirty Three Light

1 light Lovers (shame about the power lines)

Fortunately I don’t have to do dance shots in what is effectively a corridor!

No related posts.

2010 Digital Photographer of the Year Awards

Rob — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:01:10 +0000

Some of you keen snappers out there might be interested in Digital Photographer magazine’s Digital Photographer of the Year awards. Here’s a press release from Imagine Publishing and Samsung.

The hugely popular Digital Photographer of the Year Awards returns for 2010 – this time with backing from photography giant, Samsung

Imagine Publishing and Samsung are joining forces to launch the fourth annual Digital Photography of the Year awards, with better prizes and categories than ever before. Fresh from celebrating over one million copy sales earlier this year, Digital Photographer magazine anticipates record a number of submissions for the competition in 2010, with the overall winner receiving a Samsung NX10, three lenses and a flashgun kit. Six category winners will each receive a Samsung EX1 camera.

Rosie Tanner, Editor of Digital Photographer, is brimming with expectation for DPOTY ’10: “The DPOTY awards offer digital photographers a fantastic platform to showcase their work across a wide range of categories. It’s an amazing opportunity for fresh talent to emerge and we can’t wait to celebrate new and undiscovered digital photographers. The fact that such a prestigious camera company like Samsung is supporting the awards is a huge compliment. Its support means the competition and prizes will be better than ever before.”

Since its launch back in 2007, the DPOTY awards has seen year-on-year success and is now widely recognised by the photography industry as one of the top photographic competitions of its kind. The judging panel for the 2010 awards features some of the country’s top photographic professionals including big names such as Guardian Picture Editor, Eamonn McCabe and pro photographer, William Cheung FRPS.

The call for entries opens on the 15 July, which coincides with the on-sale date of Digital Photographer issue 98. In contrast to previous years, the format of the awards for 2010 will see a brand new competition category launched in each issue of the magazine. There will be six photographic categories in total – each designed to push the creativity of photographers. The categories are:

The Big Picture – Landscapes

Strike a Pose – Portraits

Wild at Heart – Wildlife/nature

Location, Location – Travel

Capture the Action – Motion/action

Get Creative – Creative/image editing/HDR

Rosie Tanner added, “The categories we’ve picked this year are reflective of the creative capabilities of Samsung’s fantastic NX10 and EX1 cameras. There is definitely a category to suit every photographic taste, so we look forward to seeing a broad range of subject matter.”

Steve Mitchell, General Manager Marketing, Samsung Digital Imaging said: “Samsung is proud to be part of Digital Photographer of the Year 2010. We have a longstanding relationship with Digital Photographer magazine and we are particularly pleased to have been chosen by the team to be the main sponsor of DPOTY.

The Digital Photographer of the Year competition showcases some of the most exciting photographs every year and with the creative possibilities offered by the Samsung camera range it is a perfect partnership which will inspire any photographer. We are looking forward to judging and awarding the very best photography in this year’s competition.”

For all the details on how to enter, look out for Digital Photographer issue 98 on sale 15 July 2010 or head online to www.DPhotographer.co.uk.

Walk Upon England’s Mountain Green – Pt 1

Rob — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:55:34 +0000

Number one…I’ve yet to see an English mountain and number two this has nothing to do with England and everything to do with Jerusalem. As in Israel. During our trip to shoot Emma and Effi’s Tel Aviv wedding Nicola and I took a day to travel out to Jerusalem to see the Holy City. In some ways its like nothing you’ve seen before. So much history and meaning. Walking in places that, until then, were only the places talked about to you. To see them in the flesh is breathaking. Of course they are literally thousands of visitors to the Old City. Jews, Christians, Catholics, Orthodox (Greek, Russian, Armenian) and probably a few Atheists in there as well. So in other ways it feels like a full blown tourist attraction. No sign of mouse ears or blokes dressed up in character suits thankfully. We did a blitz tour. 3 1/2 hours, just us and a tour guide. We went with the expectation of taking the free tour and ended up on a private tour burning through £70. The odds are it was totally worth it. That’s what I keep telling myself. He knew his stuff, spoke 5 languages (even American) and knew when enough was enough.

I’ve never been a travel photographer. But here are a few things (more later in the week) that I captured.

The Wailing Wall (or Western Wall)

The structure bottom right is Jesus’ tomb where he was laid after being crucified. I couldn’t understand this as I was always taught that he was placed in a tomb, a rock rolled in front. This tomb was in the side of hill or rock face. It was explained to me by the guide that Jerusalem has been destroyed several times and each time things were built on top of other things. Hence the placement.

No related posts.

Inspiration to Weary Travellers

Rob — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:33:48 +0000

I know this whole Volcano thing is no laughing matter…I have a friend stuck across the pond…he’s had to give up two weddings and spend a fortune to get back and he hasn’t even stepped on the plane home yet. But if this message finds you weary and down I hope that the following remind of what you have to come home to will perk you up. A bit of Blighty…a wonderful place to be!

Home!!!

Triple Header