A day of headshots

Highlight: Two small jobs - one headshot at each place. Simple!

Lowlight: In no particular order, one parking ticket, one RAC call out, one postponed job, one postponed meeting, and one headshot turning into ten portraits and a lost credit card.

Fill in: At the beginning of the week all I had was a school job on Monday and a headshot on Tuesday but after my holiday down in Cornwall I needed a rest so I was looking forward to a quiet week. Monday's job was straight forward and then another job for Tuesday was booked in, but as it was a simple single head shot and would be a bit of a rush to get there but make hay and all that.. Tuesday came and I had to be on london for 10am sharp. Aways a tricky one as to get here on time as avoid the rush hour means leaving early and arriving early. I got up at 6am - and arrived in plenty of time, only to meet up with the PR and to be told the job was cancelled due to a family bereavement. So I went from having no time at all between jobs to having two hours to kill. It was raining, but determined to make the most of the time I decided to visit the Natural History Museum and get some stock shots. I parked the car directly by a parking meter, paid £5 for the hour, took my partner's credit card (for emergency use only) and spent a happy hour photographing stuffed specimens. 

I went back to the car to find it decorated with a cheerful yellow sticker informing me that I owed the council £130 or £65 if I was quick. Open mouthed I stared at the ticket, stared at the time on the parking ticket, stared at the parking meter and in my shocked state slowly registered the writing in small, neat letters on the side of the meter informing the reader that residents bays war eon this side (indicated by a discrete arrow) and public parking was on the other side (i.e not the side I was one). It was particularly irritating as most of the residents bays and parking bays were car free anyway. Still, I could see no way out of it and rummaged around ofor the credit card - this was an emergency if ever there was one. After a few frantic minutes where coat pockets were turned inside out and much groping round the car floor ensued, the second shock of the day was realised. I had lost the credit card. One phone call to my long suffering partner later, and by the time all was sorted I was not running late for my next job. 

A nasty journey including lots of hard stares (from me to other drivers who were driving too slowly and from other drivers to me who was driving too fast) got me to the Musicians Union just in time. I was all set to do the quick head shots and was gaily met by the organiser who announced that 'quite a few' people were up for having their photo taken (usually everyone is trying got run away) so I had to muster up a socially affable mood for ten times the amount of time I had paced myself for - no mean feat for a miserable git like myself. 

Now I was rushing to get to my evening meeting on time. I finished  the job and checked my emails. The meeting had been postponed, so once again I had a couple of hours to kill. Reluctant to leave the car and tired out from being nice, I stayed int he car and had a quick snooze. On waking and checking my phone, I saw it was running low and put it on charge for a while. I went to my meeting feeling pleasantly refreshed and glad I had notice amy phone - Keith is always ring on at me to keep it well charged up. After the meeting, I returned to the car. It wouldn't open. I used the keys manually ( always an adventure prising the real key out of it's socket), the car wouldn't start but a cheerful yellow light blinked at me from the dashboard and informed me the car battery was dead. Two hours later with a phone running low on battery the RAC came and rescued me and I arrived home at 1am to another email asking me if I was free to do a job the next day....at 5.30 am in the morning start...to be continued...

Use of yellow tungsten room light to highlight red hair and backlight subject.

Use of window to backlight subject and 'blowout' the background.  

Both shots have fill light from the front with a speed light from the left through a brolly.

Tech spec:. For single casual headshots I use an 85mm F1.4 so I can get a blurred background however small the space. I use the D700 as it has a small flash for fill in but if there is room I put a speed light on a stand with a small brolly just to get bit of modelling. I open up the shutter and shoot on an ISO high enough to get the ambient light.

Further info:

http://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/

Festival of the World

Highlight: Photographs on display at Southbank Centre as part of the life changing arts projects!

Lowlight: Not actually my photos which are life changing!

Fill in: Slambassadors is involved with the Festival of the World at the Southbank Centre as part of the life-changing arts projects from all over the world. I'd like to say it is my photography that is a life changing project but it is actually the poetry project Slambassadors! which I photographed not my photos that is life changing! (Although I would argue that photography has been life changing for me at least and therefore not totally undeserving of a little notice in this auspicious exhibition). 

Aaraon 'ICY' Denyer and Chris Preddie OBE who will be speaking at the summit on 25th June.

Tech spec:. Well I didn't do anything really except remain faithful to this exceptional project. Slambassadors! is a showcase of spoken word performance for young people organised by post-punk poet extra-ordinaire - Joelle Taylor and every year the young artists never ceases to inspire and amaze and keep my faith in the the future of human kind knowing these kids are the next generation. The Poetry Society continue to use me for this event which I am extremely proud to be a part of.

For more info:

 http://world.southbankcentre.co.uk/

http://slam.poetrysociety.org.uk/

Maldon Saints Football Tournament

Highlight: Working with Fearless Frog again.

Lowlight: Trying to park. Ended up having to do a quick dash across a field of kids practising their penalty shoot outs to get a free space.

Fill in: A couple of years ago I was asked to help out at this children's football event, and was pleased when Trevor Fearless Frog contacted me to cover it again. Fearless Frog turn the images around on the day so it is always great to see your pictures displayed up on the boards minutes after disgorging them onto Trevor's long suffering partner Alison. (For the single people out there, do NOT get involved with a photographer, you will  be end being every thing from packhorse - carrying cartloads of delicate equipment, to runner - posting film, collecting film, sending film, to therapist - 'yes darling of course your photos are great', to bank manager -'no you can't afford £5,000 for the Nikon D4', to general motivator - 'get up and go and do some work'. 

Tech Spec: I was on the youngest teams - under 8's, and everything from team shots, to award giving shots to action shots - preferable a good one of every single child there - was the modest aim of the day. Inevitable I was always at the wrong end of the pitch, taking lots of a team who weren't interested in buying photos , and getting requests for kids in action who were for the most part inactive. However Trevor, ever organised, had schedules all planned including lunch breaks and drinks so there was time to convene with the other two photographers there and have a collective lament on the trials of the day. 

Even a small tournament like this demands long lens work and the 70-200mm on a D700 was still not closing in as well as I would like. Most of the day was spent with two bodies on tow in Shutter priority to freeze the action (at least 1/250 second) and adjusting the ISO to get the necessary aperture.

For more info:

www.fearlessfrog.co.uk

She Bop a Lula

Highlight: Get to see my picture up on a wall - again! She Bop a Lula is exhibiting at a  venue in East London

 

Some great rock photographers and me from She Bop a Lula at Proud Galleries, The Strand.

Lowlight: or maybe not! Smaller venue so only a selection of the images will be on display although the whole catalogue is available for sale.

Fill in: 

SHE  BOP A LULA PHOTO EXHIBITION AT

THE GEORGE TAVERN, Commercial Road, London E2

The George, situated in the heart of London's East End, has been standing for over

700 years, and is a renowned venue for both emerging and established artists,

musicians and creatives. Www.thegeorgetavern.co.uk

The owner of the George is an amazing lady called Pauline Foster who had dedicated

herself to not only preserving the George as a historical landmark, but also nurturing

the talents of up and coming musicians, actors and artists. Pauline loved the concept of

She Bop A Lula, and as a breastcancer survivor, wanted to contribute to Breakthrough.

We are, therefore, putting on a combined Photo Exhibition in the first floor Theatre and Music Event in the ground floor Bar, as follows:

Thursday 21 June 6-8 pm  Preview Party

Friday 22 June Exhibition 4-11pm, Female Fronted Bands and female DJs 8pm-3am

Saturday 23 June Exhibition 4-11pm, Female Fronted Bands and female DJs 8pm-3am

Sunday 24 June Exhibition 12 noon- 6 pm, Vintage Fair in Bar 12 noon-6 pm

As before, all proceeds for prints will go to Breakthrough. The George will be donating

the door entry as well as taking collections at the Bar

Tech Spec: Make sure you keep your archive easy to use and to access. You never know when your old pictures will be called to attention.

http://www.shebopalula.co.uk/

Belle Enfant

Highlight: Photographing the cutest, coolest, chickest baby clothes in the world.

Lowlight: The death of a Garden gazebo.

From the Belle Enfant Collection

Fill in: I got this contact from a friend and it is a departure from my normal work. Working with a company from the start is always exciting and Belle Enfant were full of fresh ideas, visually very aware and their baby clothes were to die for. We had several meetings and trial shoots before our major photoshoot of the collection which was held at my workshop. The clothes needed to be steamed before being shot. It was an sunny but breezy day and I put the steamer outside under a gazebo so the steam did not interfere with shooting in the workshop. As the day wore on, the breeze picked up and the sides of the gazebo started to act like a sail so I took the side flaps off leaving just the canopy. My neighbour gave the gazebo a good hammering into the ground to secure it and the shoot continued. Imagine my surprise when I went out to get the next set of clothes to see the stylist open mouthed staring at the sky with steamer in one hand and cute woolly jumper in the other and stuttering 'It just took off like a rocket!'

'Where's the gazebo?' I gasped and she pointed with the steamer nozzle (still issuing clouds of hot vapour) to beyond the roof of the garage.

I looked over the garage roof but no gazebo was to be seen.

I peered over the garden fence into the sideway but no gazebo was to be seen. 

I stood on my son's trampoline to get a good view onto next door's garden beyond the sideway but still no gazebo.

Then looking off further into the distance, I spied the gazebo, spread-eagled like a giant dead spider, turned inside out by the wind and splatted halfway up a particularly robust conifer.

All I can say is Thank God for that tree. With the wind the way it was, who knows where the gazebo may have ended up. The M25 is only up the road and I hate to think what would have happened if it had crash landed in the fast line at Junction 28.

Tech Spec: The golden rule of thirds is known by most photographers but the golden inverse rule of size verses preparation is not so well known, in that the smaller the item to be photographed is, the more time will be spent arranging it and preparing it for photographing. The baby clothes were tiny and getting them to look cute and natural, but tidy at the same time was no mean feat. In the end they had more Photoshop work done on their wrinkles and bumps than an ageing c-list celebrity in Hello. I lit them with the largest soft box I own, with huge reflectors for a vitally shadowless set up and the clothes were hung from a  hanger over a white still life cove-table and allowed to 'fall' into a natural shape. 

For more info:

www.belleenfant-boutique.com 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Belle-Enfant/138211632927214

Stanley Avenue Street Party 2012

Highlight: A chance to met the neighbours and let them know what  a lovely family we are...

Lowlight:  Kyle throwing a tantrum in front of whole street; becoming known as the looney with the camera

Fill in: 

Our street was having it's own party for the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations and in the hands of one of the most organised women on the block. The road closure was cleared, tables, chairs, food, a band, face painting, a raffle, prizes, bouncy castles, an entertainer, games and even a visit from the Mayoress had been arranged and over 200 tickets sold in less than a month and when rain threatened enough marquees to cover all the kids had been blagged. I was asked to take some photos for the local rag.

Tech Spec: When you take photos for a living, it is a temptation to skimp a bit on equipment when doing freebies - especially if it is raining, but it was a mistake. I left the house with one camera and a standard lens but was sooner pining for the long lens and wide angle. There were some great shots to be had and only the rain kept me from annoying all my neighbours by cheerily popping off a flash in their faces every time they opened their mouths for a jam sandwich. 

Field Day Festival 2012

Highlight: A chance to check out the hottest new indie bands...

Lowlight: ...and the not so hot ones...

Fill in: With so many festivals around, shooting them has lost a bit of its thrill, and I had decided the inevitable rain forecasted for the Summer had put a bit of a damper on my enthusiasm for them.  However this one-dayer was a fairly simple request  from Redferns and as it didn't require camping overnight or wearing designer wellies I was willing to give it a go.

Getting a photopass for a festival is just the beginning. Each stage usually has it's own restrictions and each band on each stage will have further restrictions and this festival was no exception.  The main stage was unusually a free for all most of the day with photographers being able to drop in at will to shoot whoever was on the stage, the only exception being the headline Franz Ferdinand which was the normal first three songs no flash. The second stage in a tent was  bit more of a challenge. At first we were  not going to be allowed in at all. Then when we were allowed in we had to stay close tot he crowd barrier  (which is unusual as normally security prefer you to be out of the way and up against the stage). As the day went on more and more restrictions were put in place including not being able to stand in front of the stage, having to line up in the crowd until the band were actually on stage, only four photographers being able to shoot at any one time and only being able to shoot one song. Elsewhere, one tent was a free for all, one tent we could only shoot from the crowd and one tent banned photographers halfway through the event. This may seem a bit nightmarish, but there is always an over crowded schedule as far a photography is concerned at most festivals so the restrictions just made the juggling of the timetable easier. 

Tech Spec:  My kits for festivals includes, two bodies, 24-70mm F2.8, 70-200mm F2.8, flashgun, storm jackets for the cameras, kagoul for me, a bottle of water, £5 for a dodgy festival meal and a good pair of walking boots. Good tip is to slowly sip your chosen liquid meal to reduce the necessity for toilet breaks....

For more info:

www.redferns.com

Matthew Callow launches 'Eden' Album

Highlight: Chance to be creative

Lowlight: Very quick chance - Short  deadline!

Tech spec:. To work a photo into an ethereal type image suitable for album called 'Eden'. I did suggest Tree of knowledge (Matthew) and snakes and fruit but Matthew is afraid of snakes, even virtual ones in a photo so I started with a lush green idea. Matthew was happy but it seemed a bit lacking to me. In the end I decided to look to the future rather than the past and built on the idea of the birth of a new world with Matthew being a normal person but also a God - a creator of a world. In the words of Joan Osbourne 'What if God was one of us'. He is also the centre of a circle - which could be an atom, a window or infinity.

Fill in: Having worked with Matthew Callow a couple of times on his magazine, Magical Times, it was great to hear he was finalising his new album. He asked if I would do the promo artwork for the project.' Of course' said I. 'Need it by next Monday' said he. ('said' all being virtual as this conversation took place over a day via Gmail). Monday was  week away and I wasn't going to get the photo to work on until  the end of the week so it only left me the weekend to do the work and I was already busy.  But having boasted to Matthew that I worked much better with deadlines and that I rarely got a chance to do creative stuff it seemed a bit churlish to start complaining. Of course more jobs turned up in  the meantime and I had to work on the image in several short sessions,( I much prefer a long run) and Monday came and went. But I did have something he was happy with by Wednesday. Sorry for delay Matthew!

Related links:

www.matthewcallow.com

http://themagicaltimes.com/