ZED Tunnel Guidance Systems in Hersham win the Queen’s Award for Industry : Light years ahead for Adobe Lightroom 3.

©www.trishgant.com

Doink! Down popped a message from my trishgant.com contact form. It was a local company, ZED Tunnel Guidance Systems,  needing a photographer to shoot a presentation. But is wasn’t just an ordinary presentation…oh no! It was the Queen’s Award for Industry presented by HRH Duke of Kent. Blimey!

Since 1975, ZED Tunnel Guidance has specialised in the development and manufacture of advanced guidance systems for Tunnel Boring Machines. With clients worldwide including China, their machinery is mounted on the front of  boring equipment, making sure large tunnelling projects stay on their intended track.

As with most jobs, I like to meet my client first and lured by his offer of lovely tea and biscuits, I made my way over to their premises. Just 10 minutes down the road, the workshop was situated in a bleak, industrial area of Hersham, Surrey.  I love workshops; don’t know why. Could it be the hubbub, the hive of productivity? It was a no-nonsense place, lots of Dexion shelving and storage boxes, components sitting on table tops in ordered rows like soldiers. Sharing their space was a  lovely old boy Stan Lawrence (under the name of The Amp Hospital) who’s been fixing amplifiers for big pop groups for years. He told me bands love using the old style amps because they put out a warm sound that modern stuff can’t beat.

We had a jolly good chat but it was only after that I suddenly realised what I’d let myself in for. It was a first for me, photographing Royalty.

All Images ©trish gant

So the day before, I began testing my equipment. I knew I would have to shoot quickly, so I tried different modes on the my Canon and charged up the batteries, cleaned the lenses. I knew there wouldn’t be much room so I didn’t expect to use my longer lens but I cleaned it all the same. On the day, I was up very early: nerves I guess. When I arrived, I sensed that everyone else was too. It’s a great leveller, being in the same boat. I set my stuff up in a side room in case I needed to duck in there for something. Banners were set up in the background against which they would make the presentation. I drank a lot of water as my mouth was extremely dry. Then suddenly it was all go.

Meeting the Duke downstairs in the lobby was a harrowing ordeal. There wasn’t much space and I found the camera was really taking its time to fire the flash. I couldn’t work out why and missed a couple of shots but when I requested the Duke shake hands again, he wasn’t impressed. Oops! What a no-no. Nerves were getting the better of me, but I just ignored it and barged on. Photography is creative, yes.  Getting good results is also so dependent on reliable kit and knowing it really well but there’s a point when you’ve invested in a new camera that you have your doubts….. Despite testing and testing, it seemed to be misbehaving right at the crucial moment. For the person appearing in the photograph, it’s a complete bore. I’m used to directing people in my photographs and usually they are happy to comply but not this time. I guess the Duke does so many public engagements, he’s time poor plus old school when it comes to the media. So I went with it. Following upstairs, more handshakes followed with various members of the company and a guided tour of the workshops. The Duke seemed genuinely interested and when I took a back seat, taking a more reportage style seemed to work better. I got some cracking pictures of people explaining various components but I did have to shoot fast…very fast.

Suddenly the tour was over and it was presentation time. After the usual speeches, a large engraved crystal bowl for a trophy was handed to Mick the director, an modest and gentle guy. Then the Duke was gone as suddenly as he had appeared and everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief. For Colin it had meant the end of days of prep and he could relax. I just wanted to get home and process the images as quickly as possible so I doffed my cap and left.

Back home, using a demo version of Lightroom 3, I was able to rescue a few of the failed flash shots with the app’s incredible noise reduction and clarity settings. I was blown away by it to be honest and as soon as I can, I will definitely be upgrading. It’s worth it just for this function alone and justifies the reason that I find digital photography light years ahead of traditional methods like push-processing to rescue under-exposed negs.

Check out Trish Gant’s commercial website here

Catharsis or Catalyst?

Catharsis:

1: purgation

2a : purification or purgation of the emotions (as pity and fear) primarily through art b : a purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension.

3: elimination of a complex by bringing it to consciousness and affording it expression.

For a person with surgical or mental scars, can posing for a photographic portrait be a cathartic experience OR could it be a catalyst to a whole new outlook on life?

When I was 33, I was physically attacked – broken nose and cheekbone, scarring to the inside of my mouth – no loss of teeth thankfully. I remember being photographed for the Criminal Injuries Compensation claim and how the experience helped me to get a grip on what had  happened. I never knew the attacker, who came at me from behind and I was knocked out so I couldn’t remember what he looked like. I asked a friend to shoot some frames on an old roll of film using my medium format camera. I never had those shots processed but kept the roll at the bottom of the drawer, only to chuck it away when I was done with the whole ordeal. It really helped draw a line under it.

This week, I’m broaching a sensitive subject. I was recently asked to photograph an incredible woman: a woman who was brought back from the brink twice whilst on the surgeon’s table.

In 2009, Susan was diagnosed with stomach cancer. She underwent 4 procedures including biopsies through the belly button and exploratory sessions culminating in a dramatic, invasive op to remove 90% of her stomach, a 12 hour ordeal. During this time, 48 infected lymph nodes were removed and she underwent 10 months of chemo before and after.

By way of a gift to her self and her partner, Susan (56 years) decided to face her demons head on by posing nude for a photographic portrait. Now, in my view, any person willing to expose themselves (mentally and physically) to a stranger for the sake of recording her life state is very brave.

Like any shoot involving people, it takes a little time for them to get into it, so the first few frames are usually trashed. Plus, it takes me a while to work out that person’s attributes. With slim Sue, it was clear she had wonderfully long legs and we should make the most of them. The surgery had caused dramatic weight loss for obvious reasons. Sue plummeted from dress size 18-20 down to dress size 8, a mere 8.5 stone (53.4kg fyi) and so major areas of concern to her were under arms, tops of thighs and breasts which appeared deflated in her view. Personally, they looked fine to me but what do I know? Although awaiting reconstructive implants, I was in admiration of Susan’s desire to record her body before the op.

For three hours we worked together trying different angles , shooting in small bursts and reassessing each time. We tried different articles of clothing , from a tight, white satin nightie, through completely nude to a piece of see-through damask from the Monday Market. We settled on this although it caused us a few styling headaches which we overcame with a plethora of bulldog clips and pins.

Painted all white, this studio space was perfect. I figured a strong rim-light would enhance the contours of her body and the fabric, showing the translucent quality of it and maintaining a modicum of  decency, silhouetting her figure.

I placed two monoblocs on minimum power on either side of the canvas backdrop and pointed them directly at the corners of the room. Both had honeycomb grids on to reduce the overall power of the lights. (I’m always struggling to reduce the power of my old Elinchroms these days.) The room being white also acted as a giant reflector meaning I didn’t need to use any front fill. This also had the effect of a soft light on her face which flattered her features. We agreed there was no budget for  retouching  (Sue isn’t the kind of person to want it either) but her pupils being very dark brown, I added two catch-lights in her eyes afterwards to add a little sparkle.

Settling on two final pictures, she expressed a desire for black and white, but as I felt straight would feel too cold, I processed the RAWs adding a little sepia effect emulating those beautiful fibre based Oriental Seagull papers I used to use at Melvin’s lab.

After we had finished, I asked her if the experience had helped. Periodically throughout , when revising the the shots, she said things like : “Look at that saggy…..blah, blah” or ” I don’t like the way my breast looks here.” But she agreed that the process of editing had been a very useful way of revisiting areas of her body that she perceived were a problem for her. She explained she was now able to see herself more objectively. I was delighted to  have found a way to help her using my metier, which can seem vacuous when you think about modern society’s obsession with the traditional beauty of ‘the perfect size 10.’

But hats off to Sue, who took a harrowing ordeal and committed it to paper for all to see.

Catalyst:

An agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action.

Links:

Donate to Macmillan

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Donate/Donate.aspx

Melvin Cambettie Davis / Mastermono.

The most knowledgeable black and white hand printer I know.

Dictionary Definitions – Credits

Thanks:

To Sue, who gave me kind permission to write this entry and  publish her photographs unaltered.

Shooting Food – Waste Not Want Not

I love working with food. It’s delectable, delicious and very challenging. Although the home economy trend is towards more natural, there is a fine line between natural and looking a mess I’ve found.

During my assisting years, I worked with some great food photographers: all exceedingly talented. One had his own photo-library shooting dishes to order for clients when stock was a relatively fresh thing. His studio was tucked away behind some shops in a rather well to do part of London. You’d never know it was there. He was the first person I knew to have a bespoke mobile cookery island that could be pushed around to the set he was working on. From there, he regularly whizzed up dishes llike soufflés and crepes which were absolutely fresh as they hit the table.

I also recall working with another on some advertising shoots for a well known cured meat company. In those days we did all kinds of things to manipulate the look of the meat. His dog, a friendly and energetic Boxer called Hogan, used to drag me to Keishi Colour with boxes of 5×4 for processing. Naturally there was a lot of waste doing food shoots. One time, I was so brassic that I took home boxes of cakes from a freelance job. Well , they were destined for the bin anyway. I particularly had a penchant for the Lemon Drizzle fingers. Waste not want not! I can honestly say that after a week of them, I never wanted to see another in my life again….the strong stench of sugar made me gag. (I lived near Portobello then.)

Watching home economist Mary select hero cakes and fill in any air holes with crumbs using a fine scalpel was fascinating. Now it’s all about cloning in Photoshop!

One time, I took home a Lobster Thermidore from a Fortnum’s Christmas shoot: a rich source of protein for any impoverished assistant and return for the long hours we spent creating something which looked amazing. Nowadays food has to be as natural as possible. In photo sessions, vegetables are almost always raw or barely cooked to retain their colour. In the UK our love for Oriental style dishes flash cooked in a wok or steamed has influenced the way we see food in terms of nutritional value and how it fits in with our busy, hectic lives.

There is a growing raw vegan movement and the food is surprisingly filling and tasty, sourced locally where possible. With the opening of restaurant chains like Wagamama and Yo Sushi, offering instantly fresh and nourishing meals among informal surroundings, the British palate is changing.

Growing your own is extremely popular too, especially for cash-strapped families. The age of frugality is here and is being championed by Premier model Mak Gilchrist whose local bus stop allotment programme in Brixton featured recently in the papers. (One of my earliest childhood friends, she’s always been a bit “right on” introducing me to Spirulina shakes and sprouting beans in the 90′s.) I’ve tried sprouting but mine just end up hairy!

This week, I took advantage of the harvest in my garden and completed two food tests using Passion Fruit from the front of the house for a dessert and veg grown in my little 8×4 plot to make a courgette linguine dish. Courgette sliced up with a julienne peeler is a great low carb substitute for pasta but it collapsed rapidly once it was dressed with lemon and olive oil.

Lately I’ve developed an irrational craving for young Nasturtium leaves and add them to salads whenever I can. I planted a few this Spring and they’ve gone bonkers, creeping across and up walls, invading. So why not eat them? The flowers are yummy. If you’ve not tried them, they’re peppery like cress, but do check for Black Fly because they love them too. Chuck them in a bowl with Virgin Olive Oil, sea salt, black pepper and fresh lemon juice for a zesty, healthy meal.

Covering Low Light Events

In July, I invested in a Canon 5d Mk 2 and just as well that I did because I a job came in to work at an event in Oxford which turned out to be a real challenge. (Despite the reviews on the newest pro level Nikon being better, I had to stick with Canon because of my lenses.) As soon as I arrived my client expressed: NO FLASH. I walked into the lecture theatre and the first thing that struck me: how pitch black in there it was. The projection screen was dim too and save for a few pools created by halogen spots, the areas where the speakers stood were dark: extremely dark.  It was also the kind of place that needed discretion, the use of a long lens was de rigeur to avoid upsetting the high profile academics.

I had to make a compromise between retaining detail on the projection screen and losing detail in the shadow areas of the speaker.

I’ve struggled for a couple of years,  feeling that my existing camera, although excellent in the studio and in average daylight conditions, was a bit limiting. I flew by the seat of my pants covering the Funny Women awards at the Hammersmith Palais and were it not for the phenomenal Canon image stabilised lens I hired , would have failed miserably.  The Canon 1ds Mk2 was everything I wanted in a camera and more when I got it 5 years ago, but how things have moved on. The kind of work I’m getting has changed too. I’m doing more stage stuff, more events indoors. I remember covering  a belly dancing troupe in a local pub and although the pictures were beautiful, they got rejected by my library Alamy for being too noisy despite the noise reduction function in Capture One Pro working over time. There’s a limit to what you can do. Sometimes the most creative shots are not the most technically correct, but a compromise made under certain conditions.

When the speaker was directly under a spot light, the level of detail and lack of noise was amazing.

I had done a camera test the previous week which ascertained that 6400 ISO was the highest I was prepared to go. The 5D Mk2 does go higher but I didn’t like the feel of the files and wasn’t prepared to take a chance on a job. So that’s where I stuck.  The exposures had to be  bang on, because any pushing at a later stage would increase noise. The drop-off in light level was felt most as the presenters swayed in and out of the hot spots, a difference of several stops. I deliberately had to make a decision to under-light the speakers when they were pointing at the screen so as to be sure to keep the detail in the projection. I pre-determined a minimum shutter speed of 1/160th to eliminate camera shake and had image stabiliser on the whole time.

I hadn’t banked on having to up-grade my version of Capture One Pro either, which gave me funny colours like cross-processing, when I tried to process the RAWS. So luckily I still had Lightroom 2 ( they’re on Version 4 now)  on my computer to use  and as its noise reduction facility is excellent nevertheless, it helped me to reduce digital noise in the shadows. (Digital noise has many causes, can be down to sensor size or the chip over-heating in Summer.)

Having so much more to play with was a joy. Where I used to struggle at 1600 ISO, it was now a breeze. Using faster shutter speeds meant that hand holding was now possible. I did notice the lens hunting a bit due to lack of contrast in certain situations, but hey! Whaddya want? I was now shooting at 6400 ISO, 1/160sec and f4. Way to go! Can’t wait to try the HD video…..but that’s another story.

http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/Digital_SLR

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/

Walton Open Gardens – A Great Way to Spend a Sunday

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Yesterday the 19th was the thrid time a select bunch of keen Walton gardeners opened their doors to the public.   At £4 a pop, over 300 tickets were sold with the proceeds going to fund the up-keep of open spaces in Walton. Judy McRae, the organiser, exhibited her own cosy city garden which was a fine example of how much you can cram into a small space. (It was my favourite, although we had to queue as it could really only reasonably cater for 10 at any one time.)  Funnily enough, since we moved here 18 months ago, I had always admired her front garden in the Spring and marvelled at the blues on the way down to the Anglers pub.

I started at the old Mount Felix Stables near the junction with the A244 and met a charming Spanish gentleman who was checking tickets as people entered.  Impressed immediately by the planting in this garden, there were several ‘rooms’ created on different levels, featuring lovely mature trees, surrounding the main lawn. What I especially liked about this was the mix of vegetable beds with the more traditional bedding plants and shrubs. Rows of lettuces planted in triangular beds between paving slabs added to the perspective, drawing the eye to features. There was a lovely huge barrel overflowing with tomato plants and nearby Papaver Patty’s Plum bobbed gracefully against the silhouette of a local tower block in the distance.

Next, I moved on to Rivermount, along with another couple. Although it feels as though  we’ve had lots  of rain lately, the soil seemed very dry even so. This was a broad garden over looking the Thames with a stepped lawn and flower beds on both sides. Yellows and acid greens dominated this one. There were lots of visitors arriving now.

Venturing along Manor Road to Berkeley Gardens, I came across two side by side, both beautiful. The first was full of foliage texture,  shrubs and a magnificent mature Magnolia, the second opened with a regal Clematis which looked like a variety called “The President.” I only know that because I’ve put one in myself this year from Wilko’s and it isn’t out yet.  A bubbling pond provided a place of relaxation to take in the fabulous planting. This garden featured some lovely whooshing grasses which provided good contrast.

Judy McRae’s very popular small city garden was so busy I asked if I could return to concentrate on it when there were less people around. I especially loved the architectural Aliums. Around the corner, I then visited Noe’s garden. Every Thai person I have ever met is an exceptionally tidy gardener, disciplined and attentive. The raised beds featured climbing courgettes, squash and beans in flower. A delicate white clematis clung to the corner of a blue garden house and was protected by a large stone Buddha. Here I met a very charming Dutchman and his partner from Addlestone and after a time I explained my photographic interest in gardens. He invited me to see his place in August when he suggested there would be a second burst of colour. He also sang the praises of Shere Open Gardens near Guildford, this year open to the public on Sunday 26th June from 2-6pm.

Last but not least, I ambled along the tow path to the most Easterly garden, another riverside view. The lovely Jill explained her battle with plants and the wind. I recalled a visit to the Chesil Art Galleries in Chiswell with my bee-keeper mate Chris Slade. Unfortunately the owner and resident artist Margaret Somerville has now moved to Dorchester, but her garden was full of plants that loved arid and windy conditions. It was featured in many gardening mags. I’ve followed up with an email to Jill and hopefully she’ll find some inspiration the next time she’s down that way.

Walton Open Gardens

Shere Open Gardens

The NGS Yellow Book

Chiswell Walled Garden

Chris Slade’s Bee Blog

Ojén –More than Bitter Sweet

Juan, Mum’s neighbour and Gene Wilder look-alike with the bright blue eyes, lamented the election of a Basque politician at the beginning of May 2011. I had some sympathy. How do we assimilate extremist politics without it being at the expense of the moderate voter?

“Spain is finished. We may as well move to America” Juan stated in a resigned way. I drew parallels with Northern Ireland but Juan bounced back again: “You are Great Britain. You’ll be O.K. Our royalty is finished.”

Not being aux fait with Spanish politics, I only got the gist. One thing’s for sure : the Spanish are a passionate bunch alright.

In all the years I’ve been visiting Spain, this was the first time it had coincided with elections of any kind. Marbella is normally a play ground for the rich but this time, I noticed an increase in Graffiti : “ Immigration – NO!” The people here, like in most EU countries, have suffered greatly with the property slump, the rise and rise of India and China. In any recession, extremist political parties enjoy a parasitic popularity, preying on the down right insecure. Hot topic here was the talk of Portugal needing further financial assistance.

It’s upon this background that I find myself once again visiting the quintessential white village Ojén.

Just 30 minutes’ drive from Marbella on newly surfaced, curling roads, Ojén (whose name is apparently derived from the Arabic for bitter or rough),  has remained relatively unspoilt. Situated on the Almadán Stream and close to the Rio Real Valley, historically, the town was attractive for its minerals: talc, nickel, iron and lead. It was also famous at one time for its Aniseed liqueur Aguardiente.

Ojén’s weekly market compares favourably with Marbella’s sprawling Monday effort if picturesque is what you want. It features the most beautiful fruit and veg, the biggest tomatoes I have ever seen and there is less emphasis on cheap clothes. But that’s not to say there aren’t any because this market serves a small community which would be cut off were it not for modern transport. The fresh water pours relentlessly out of the fountain and locals drop by with a bottle to fill.

Here, Andalusians catch up with their mates and place a bet and as with many town squares, their activities are overseen by a church. Offerings are left outside.

Swallows nest beneath the shelter of balconies, making globe like structures from their spittle and mud. Pausing at the entrance to feed their young, then darting off again, whistling through the air, they’re so fast, almost impossible to capture. I feel exhilarated trying to do so and all this happening above the bustle of the market place. A short visit to the local shop is in order. (It’s owned by a friend of my mum’s.)

A delicious honey covered traditional Spanish pastry accompanied by the obligatory café con leché doesn’t go amiss before we head back to the urban sprawl of town.

Stopping at the viewpoint to take in the approach to Ojén is sort of a ritual as is taking in the view of the massive dam on the Rio Real: for once, no cranes spoiling the view. Perhaps the recession is a cloud with a silver lining. At least developing new villas seems to have stopped for the time being. Perhaps the unstoppable really is stoppable.

Maybe development isn’t always a good thing. Yes, it creates jobs but at what cost? That’s all well and good coming from a tourist that visits once a year but what future is there for the next generation of Andalusians? I wonder.

Fair Dos at the London Book Fair

Yesterday, in the bright sunshine, writer and collaborator Thérésa Hedges joined me in the big smoke to hit Earl’s Court’s  London Book Fair in the hope of finding a publisher for our raw recipe book. (The Raw Deli’s Silvia Clausin was UTA due to being tied up with workshops at a retreat.)

There are some buildings in London that, for me, represent the essence of our great city and Earl’s Court is one of them.

Designed by architect C. Howard Crane and opened in 1936, it has hosted shows and events  from David Bowie, to the annual Boat Show. On approach, it’s so imposing, monumental, happy memories flood back….it has a special place in my heart. I’ve seen tons of bands there over the years but I digress….

We still aren’t decided on a name for our book. It started as Seasonal Raw in two editions, Autumn/Winter, Spring/Summer.  A personal project that has been on-going for what feels like months, my motives for getting involved were portfolio development. Silvia wanted something to sell at workshops and Thérésa to raise her profile. Then it grew and grew.

There was very little dosh around so we opted to use Blurb.com’s Booksmart software. That way we would be able to order small amounts on demand. This seemed to be the perfect solution, plus although I’ve used InDesign, we’re none of us graphic designers. (I did train in Graphics a long, long time ago when people still used Cow Gum!) Unfortunately during the last year that we were working on the book, the unit price of each book rocketed due to global econonic pressures.

We had come so far down the road. The text was ready, the recipes were tested and I had shot the photographs. Then we hit “THE WALL.”

Around the same time, I had a call from Arthur Brown, of Cooling Brown book packagers. (He’s a past client through DK.) Perfect! Just the ticket : a man who’s on the money. So we met  him over a coffee. He’d had a look at our stuff and Silvia’s web site and thought there was mileage in our idea, especially since Silvia has some on-line video recipes to offer. So we decided to try and find a publisher.

The Book Fair was well timed. It took Thérésa and I about an hour to get our bearings once inside. The exhibition was enormous. All the major players were there: DK, Kyle Cathie, Jacqui Small, Mitchell Beazley, Octopus….it just went on and on. People were generally helpful and friendly and we got some great leads. Upstairs were the literary agents, corralled separately. We had less luck there. We couldn’t find any that specialised in recipe books plus they were SO ALOOF DAHLINK. We wandered about, eyes wide and finally came to rest for a bite to eat. I was ravenous as I’d forgotten breakfast entirely. Thérésa was much more organised. We discussed ideas for a new title over a bagel with yeast paté. Very healthy and loaded with magnesium and B vits. Tasty too, all washed down with Thérésa’s surprising raw cocoa smoothie. How organised!

We were tired and happy, very satisfied and filled with optimism. We’d come with a goal and had achieved it : to get as many contacts as possible. Job done!

All I can say is, if you want to get a book published, or want to know about publishing for Kindles or Ipads, this is the place to be. Who knows…..we might get a publisher very, very soon….so watch this space!

The London Book Fair 2011 – 11th-13th April.

Face It …….. Isn’t There More To A Portrait Than “Just A Simple P.R. Shot?”

Today, when I was out shopping, I did something I rarely do…. pick up an in-house magazine . Why? Because those sultry eyes of Colin Firth’s worked their magic on me.  I wondered just how many visitors to the bank had done the very same thing. There’s something about those eyes that linger, that draw you in…..

Jessica St. Clair of Green Families UK.

The portrait glowers back at me. I ask myself, what’s in a portrait? Recently, I’ve been doing quite a few for local business people. I’m really enjoying the experience because I don’t normally get a chance to look into what’s between the ears.  Under normal conditions, it’s always a rush. I follow a traditional approach on a shoot; make my subject comfortable, try to allocate some extra time to the session to warm the subject up, show them some attention, try to get to know them, shoot lots. Invariably the shots at the end are always better than the first.

Of course, the worse thing you can do on a portrait shoot is to be in a hurry, it’s not conducive to good results. It’s important to romance the sitter somehow so there is a connection. There’s no way you can really know them in half an hour, but you can get a whiff of what they’re about. Equally, if they’ve got other stuff on their mind it’s no good. They have to want to be there not bullied because they think they ought.

What is it about that Colin Firth portrait that is so engaging? This portrait isn’t just about an actor, a man. It’s about a BRAND. One glance and he’s instantly recognisable. He’s enigmatic, bearing almost the same qualities as the Mona Lisa.  (In fact he’s almost in exactly the same position.) With one look, you are reminded of almost every film he’s been in. Can he really just turn on that sultry look on demand or does he just have a natural propensity to do it? I wonder…did the snapper do something to bait his reaction?

So when a customer comes to me and says: “ I just want some nice shots for P.R.” what does that really mean? Just? Infuriatingly glib, I’d say…

The power of the portrait knows no bounds. Get the image wrong and you can damage your brand, get it right and well, maybe people might comment on what a good likeness it is of you and it might just stick in their minds.

It’s a strange thing, what the digital age has done to the creative process. Because results are almost instant, there is the perception that there is no value or skill involved at all, that almost anyone can do it. Not true. When a professional person actually produces the goods, the reaction is well, almost one of surprise…how weird.

It’s only human nature: experiencing a failure  is the only way we can recognise a success, but who honestly has the time or budget to shop around and experience this for ourselves? That’s why people increasingly go for personal recommendation over traditional advertising. That’s why this year, I’m not going to spend dosh on paid ads at all, I’m going to concentrate on my on-line efforts and networking. Face to Face is best.

What you want, what you really, really want, is some essence of that person communicated to you through the image. It’s no accident that taking a photo is called a ‘capture”.  And it’s no accident that the software I choose to process my Raw files is called “Capture One”. Because that’s exactly what I’m doing.

 

Is Black and White Photography Dead?

I offer Black and White options to most of my social photography customers but very few order…. why? I thought Black and White was meant to be really fashionable and creative…try my on-line survey. It’s very quick, only 5 questions:

http://polldaddy.com/s/809D36F89363C4B9

February Snow Drops at Welford Park

I first came across Welford Park in conversation with a Buddhist friend of mine. I’ve been into plant photography for ages and I mentioned that I wanted to shoot Snowdrops. She immediately suggested Welford Park so as soon as I could, I headed up there. At first I was taken aback by the amount of visitors. Obviously, the Snowdrop season lasts but a few weeks, so they have to maximise its potential. I would have preferred to get access early in the misty morning but the park doesn’t open before 11am.  Because of the Beech trees however, the light is scattered and softened as it glances across the Snowdrops, so creating lovely pictures isn’t hard.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The walk around the Beech Woods can take between half and hour to an hour but I advise you to go slow as the aromas from the flowers are intoxicating. You can also meander along the River Lambourn and the paths are well tended so taking the family isn’t difficult, they’re pram friendly.

Welford Park’s Queen Anne period house and grounds is only open for a few weeks in the Snowdrop season, February. (Check out their web site for exact information.) Set in the heart of the Lambourne Valley near Newbury, the Snowdrops cover  a 12 acre site which is quite stunning. The money raised by Welford’s opening supports several local charities including Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust and Thames Valley Lupus Group.

http://www.welfordpark.co.uk/

Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust

Thames Valley Lupus Group