Like many people I have used HDR or purely ambient light for property photography for years, when time permitted I would use a a flash or 2 to add some light to the rooms but the results were always a little bit garish, bright and weird shadows would get in the way. This relatively novel… Continue reading Modern Property Photography
Your old work should be embarrassing!
How do you know whether you are progressing at photography? Well, There are many ways to look at this, it could be how successful you are with competitions in your local camera club or whether you get more likes and praise on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or Flickr or more sales and new clients But that’s… Continue reading Your old work should be embarrassing!
Lencarta Beauty Dish Test Shoot
I recently bought the “MOD048 | 60cm Folding Beauty Dish Silver Mk.2” as a small, portable light modifier. These are available (or will be when stock arrives) on their website (https://www.lencarta.com/all-products/light-shapers/studio-beauty-dishes) or if you’re in West Yorkshire, you can order on line and pick it up in Bradford, which is what I did. Couple of… Continue reading Lencarta Beauty Dish Test Shoot
Nicola Paparazzo – Greek St. Shoot
You’ll never get an opportunity to photograph on Greek Street in Leeds like we did this January. The UK was in lockdown and this end of Leeds had virtually nobody there. We had the place to ourselves. Greek Street is one of the busiest bar areas of the city centre, bustling with people eating and… Continue reading Nicola Paparazzo – Greek St. Shoot
GUEST POST – David Garthwaite – Fine Art Photography
I’m a fine art photographer from Yorkshire in the North of England, I started photography in January 2017 after being disappointed by the quality of images from my compact camera, from a once in a lifetime trip to Iceland (once in a lifetime because of the unpaid motor tickets I left behind). As soon as… Continue reading GUEST POST – David Garthwaite – Fine Art Photography
Social media content creation in Lockdown
How can you create new images and social media content, safely, whilst we are still operating under bizarre lockdown circumstances? The good news… Luckily, the government guidance states that people should work from home unless they “absolutely cannot do so” – which most photographers can’t. So this means we can still travel to create images… Continue reading Social media content creation in Lockdown
Leeds Pubs in Lockdown
Leeds always had a thriving hospitality sector packed with innovative bars, traditional boozers and amazing restaurants. I’ve been part of the scene by probably drinking a little bit too much in many of these places, and also photographing quite a lot of food and drinks for bars, restaurants and hotels over the years. I even… Continue reading Leeds Pubs in Lockdown
Tilt shift lens for portraits of Andy Taylor Boocock
Who on earth uses a tilt shift lens for portraits? A nurse by day, a fashion model by – well any time he’s not being a nurse really – on this winters day we had a go at using my tilt shift lens for a portrait/fashion shoot… We met up for a walk this sunny… Continue reading Tilt shift lens for portraits of Andy Taylor Boocock
Fast photo editing software – Luminar AI
Imagine a world where you could click one thing and your photo would be edited to your personal taste – fast photo editing software is the ultimate productivity booster, is Luminar AI the tool for this? Obviously 1-click editing isn’t really possible because every photograph is different and every situation as different lighting and composition,… Continue reading Fast photo editing software – Luminar AI
How to get Maximum Sharpness with Focus Stacking
Sometimes you just cannot get everything in Focus in one shot… This happens a lot when you are photographing landscapes with a very close foreground, the background becomes blurry if you focus on the foreground, and vice versa. In this tutorial I show you two photos I took of the exact same scene, all the… Continue reading How to get Maximum Sharpness with Focus Stacking
Blending Light Painting Photos in Photoshop
Usually when doing light painting workshops, I have several people with torches all lighting the scene at the same time so we catch everything in one frame which you can view there and then on the night. But when you are alone, or in small groups, often it isn’t possible because you just cannot get… Continue reading Blending Light Painting Photos in Photoshop
Affinity Photo for Businesses
After talking with the Yorkshire Garden Designer, Sally Tierney, I learned that business owners occasionally need to do stuff a photo editor or designer would do. Clearly, they would benefit from an affordable photo editing package, which allows you to add text to things like PDF documents and photographs or brighten a dark shot up… Continue reading Affinity Photo for Businesses
CASE STUDY – Fundamentals First
Fundamentals First Fundamentals First an IT company based in Leeds, formed by software experts Phil, Hamish, Chris and another Phil. The purpose of this photoshoot was to create images for the personal Brand, marketing, PR and new website. CLICK TO SEE THEIR WEBSITE For this project we follow our usual process of:- Discover This included… Continue reading CASE STUDY – Fundamentals First
Are AI voiceovers a godsend, or hell?
I learn more through audio than text…. I don’t know about you but I definitely take more information in through my ears than through reading! Which is kind of ironic, because I’m writing this using words which you will be reading…. Anyway, having searched for the most realistic, affordable text to voice converter on the… Continue reading Are AI voiceovers a godsend, or hell?
Transforming Websites The Easy Way
Here’s a quick “video blog” on solving the problem of poor looking websites the easy way… The text is below if you prefer to read or can’t have the sound on right now I read a Pearl of Wisdom on LinkedIn yesterday which was “Business is all about finding a problem then providing a solution… Continue reading Transforming Websites The Easy Way
Try these 3 Things RIGHT NOW to improve your phone photos
You can definitely take great phone photos these days. The technology has moved on massively since the early days, and the app software is truly amazing. There are probably dozens of phone photos tips you could give, but realistically these three things will make the biggest difference. 1 – Where is the light This may… Continue reading Try these 3 Things RIGHT NOW to improve your phone photos
Using the Godox AD600 on My First Post-Lockdown Model Photoshoot!
First Outing In Ages After what seems like a year, I finally met up with my old friend and model, Andy Taylor Boocock, for a photo shoot. As usual, we debated where to go. Having photographed at most locations in Leeds so it’s never an easy one trying to work out what to do –… Continue reading Using the Godox AD600 on My First Post-Lockdown Model Photoshoot!
Temple – Leeds – The New Holbeck!
A new name for Holbeck Here is a video version, with the words spoken… or carry on to see the photos and read it for yourself. The area south of Leeds station has been rebranded “Temple Leeds”, probably because of “Temple works”, an iconic Mill building in the style of an Egyptian temple. Previously this… Continue reading Temple – Leeds – The New Holbeck!
Make your photos SHINE with the LIGHTROOM Brush Tool
The Lightroom Brush Tool Stand out with Selective Editing Some images really stand out when you see them on Instagram or Facebook, parts of the shot just look so much better than you could ever achieve using normal Lightroom techniques. The secret to creating these kinds of images is to get selective using the Lightroom Brush… Continue reading Make your photos SHINE with the LIGHTROOM Brush Tool
FREE Luminosity Mask Extension in Photoshop
Photoshop now comes with lots of “extensions” you can install – either paid or for free – you get to them from this menu item That opens up a web browser – you need to be logged in to your Adobe account if you’re not on Creative Cloud this may not work. … Continue reading FREE Luminosity Mask Extension in Photoshop
Storm Brewing in Leeds
Having I watched the most amazing spring from my garden during lockdown it seems a little bit unfair that the weather in June is dreadful for photography…. But one day last week the sky look like it was about to erupt at any second so I took the gamble of going into Leeds to see… Continue reading Storm Brewing in Leeds
10 “Must SEE” Leeds Areas for Photographers
If you are planning a trip to photograph Leeds, where should you go? Like most cities, Leeds Centre and shopping areas are largely bland (with a few exceptions…) and many shopping centres actually ban you from taking photographs inside. If you have a tripod they will definitely ask you to move along. Having photographs Leeds… Continue reading 10 “Must SEE” Leeds Areas for Photographers
Locked Down Leeds
9 weeks into lockdown and I finally decided to take my daily allocated exercise by walking around the city centre of Leeds. I had been putting it off because I didn’t really want to upset and overstretched police force or get a fine! I expected in the early lock-down weeks, it’d be desolate, 9 weeks… Continue reading Locked Down Leeds
Get the most from your photos during LOCKDOWN
Like many businesses, we deal directly with clients in person, so have taken quite a hit with this lockdown. We can’t really leave the house to do any new work – and if we could, we can’t get close to people so it’d be awkward. Here are a few things you can do remotely, and… Continue reading Get the most from your photos during LOCKDOWN
Photos only work when you use them
How many things in life do we buy & not use? Most kitchen gadgets I use once or twice, and then stash away neatly in the cupboard never to see the light of day again, All that money spent, all that good intent to make a change and no return. The same can be said… Continue reading Photos only work when you use them
Leeds Architecture 2020
There’s a lot of new building going on in Leeds, so on a rare sunny February day I decided to take the 5D Mark IV and the 24mm tilt Shift lens out and going capture some of the new and classic architectural delights. I decided to start at the new Wellington Place developments which is… Continue reading Leeds Architecture 2020
Medusa Shoot
What do you do on a wet day in Sheffield? Well if you’re Clare Jane Garret, you get a dancer called Sarah Hobson and paint her green, then get a milliner called Hannah Gray to create a fantastic headpiece and create a real-life Medusa! This was all done in a dance studio near the university… Continue reading Medusa Shoot
Wh0
DJ and production duo “Wh0” are a mysterious pair currently rocking the House dance floors around the UK – They’ve both been around in their regular DJ slots for years and have remixed some of the biggest acts around. So after a gig in Leeds a few weeks back, we met up at this amazing… Continue reading Wh0
The Madness of Share the Shoot…
What’s it all about? About a year ago I came up with an idea, it was based on years of photographing companies and what had worked best. It offered individuals who may be just starting out (or ready for a new set of images) 5 photos of them for a bargain price… and other people to act… Continue reading The Madness of Share the Shoot…
How to choose a photographer from the 1000's recommended on LINKED IN
Recommendations are King The best way to source most products and services these days is to ask for recommendations based on people’s experience. It can certainly filter out solutions, products and providers who have given a good experience. I’m pretty sure everybody who is buying a new pair of headphones will read the Amazon reviews… Continue reading How to choose a photographer from the 1000's recommended on LINKED IN
Jaeda Sharman 2
A second shoot with this Morley based star of the future – a model and competition diver at 12! This was at a ruin in a Morley golf club on a cold January day…. It’s an exposed bit of land, the lights were blowing around, Jaeda had a cold starting – it had all the… Continue reading Jaeda Sharman 2
Don't Forget About Photography!
Everything is video these days, we are all told to do Facebook lives or record things from the seats of our cars, in car parks, before meetings to engage with our audience. I’ve spent the last year creating video content, be that behind the scenes footage of a photoshoot, close-ups of food or even photoshop editing videos. It’s… Continue reading Don't Forget About Photography!
BusinesS Headshots – it ain't what you do…
It’s the way that you do it… “It ain’t WHAT you do, it’s the WAY that you do it” – As the Bananarama song goes. That’s probably true in most businesses but it’s certainly the case with photography. It’s not just the end product which counts, but how you get to it. I’ve been shooting… Continue reading BusinesS Headshots – it ain't what you do…
How to organise your photos like a pro
Finding old photos can be a pain – if someone asks if you’ve got photos of Liverpool (or something like that) in future, how quickly could you locate them in your file system? Or if you’re looking to create a print of Ingleborough, could you find all your photos of the hill and quickly make… Continue reading How to organise your photos like a pro
NEVER use direct flash
I know – sometimes it’s too dark to shoot and you don’t have any off-camera kit, so you have to use your flash “on camera” But the light you get off a direct flash is horrible – there’s an example in the video below. It serves a purpose, but it creates a passport photo look… Continue reading NEVER use direct flash
A Beach Wedding
We love working with creatives – one day after a fashion shoot in Leeds we discussed what we could do for our next project. I wanted to do it over in Liverpool for a change and to help Denise with travel, and it grew from there into a wedding. So the team on the day… Continue reading A Beach Wedding
A LIGHTROOM Dream Come True
HDR used to be painful in LIGHTROOM If you’d shot 300 shots of a house, you’d need to merge them down to 100 photos – that’d have you anchored to the computer manually selecting and merging photos for AGES. In fact, if I’d done more than 10 shots, I’d use something like PHOTOMATIX to blend… Continue reading A LIGHTROOM Dream Come True
How to create a Panoramic in Lightroom
1 Shot from 2 parts This is one of the many beautiful waterfalls in Iceland – not often seen as it’s on a 4×4 route and well-hidden. It’s called Fagrifoss – they’re all fosses! In this tutorial I show you how I took the shot with the 24mm TSe lens, taking 2 photos ready to… Continue reading How to create a Panoramic in Lightroom
Goodnight Kris
Imposter syndrome, self doubt, feelings of doom, am I doing the right thing… everyone who has taken the plunge to leave employment and go it alone will have had all of these in varying degrees. In 2010 when I finally got my redundancy from “the job” I hated, I just started telling everyone I was… Continue reading Goodnight Kris
Abi the Ballerina – in some woods
Abi In The Woods Abi’s a talented dancer from west yorkshire and got her dream to pursue dance at ballet school this summer We took her and family to some woods near Bingley to get some photos next to a folly – then to end we used this long woodland track as a background. Thanks… Continue reading Abi the Ballerina – in some woods
Our Group Photoshoots – Mike Doing a Presentation
APOGII’s MD – Mike Munt This is MD of design and illustration agency Apogii – Mike Munt. He came on our 3th Share the Shoot day – which was early 2019. Watch the live action and some of the great photos we created for Mike. The whole creative process should be fun and it’s all… Continue reading Our Group Photoshoots – Mike Doing a Presentation
5 Days in Austria – It’s Magical
In 2018 we had out 7th trip to Austria and got images on all 5 days of the trip – this video contains some of my favourite moments from the holiday. It’s well worth a look if you’re pondering coming
All Creatures Great and Small
Do you recognise this ford? Here’s the ford you see the old car go through at the start of All Creatures Great and small, a BBC TV show through out my childhood. It was compulsive viewing in my village as a child, with everyone either being a farmer or working on them. this is a… Continue reading All Creatures Great and Small
A Fast Website Refresh
A new look without a new site Websites can be a stressful thing to create, write and update – you’ve got to think of all that functionality, the copy and layout – it’s usually the first victim of procrastination! So how do you give your existing site a brand new look, with minimum impact to… Continue reading A Fast Website Refresh
Winter 2019 Workshops
As spring begons we say good bye to another winter, and what a fantastic winter is was for workshops at McFade photography. We had a series of weekend workshops, places like Liverpool, the Yorkshire coast and lots of bits in-between. Then we had some night workshops which took us around famous landmarks in the dark,… Continue reading Winter 2019 Workshops
Leeds 2019
Leeds Architecture in 2019 Winter’s a great time for Leeds architecture photography. The sun is low in the sky and sets around 5PM, so you’re not out waiting for ages in the evening. We’ve done this before of course, here are some shots from 2014 and some from the shopping areas in 2014. On the… Continue reading Leeds 2019
It’s Grim Up North
Give me grey and day There’s nothing more boring than a blue sky to us photographers! So when we got this dramatic sky all day on my last trip to the northeast, it really was a gift. Pinnacle Bridge, Sunderland First off we went south to see the new bridge in Sunderland. It’s the tallest thing… Continue reading It’s Grim Up North
Jaeda Sharman – Future Superstar Model!
Leafy November Shoot This November I did a shoot with young Jaeda, a star of the future who’s not only a great model but a competition diver too! A portfolio shoot around our mutual hometown, Morley, hair and styling by her mum, makeup artist and skincare consultant, Michelle Sharman – who also did the art… Continue reading Jaeda Sharman – Future Superstar Model!
Nightscapes 1 – The Art of Light Painting
NIGHTSCAPES 2018/2019 Begins! It all started last night in Roundhay Park – our winter of light painting around Roundhay Park saw us using torches and gels to colour the world! New for 2018 is a “Manker MK 35” torch – this claims to have a 1.4Km beam – it does shine a hell of a… Continue reading Nightscapes 1 – The Art of Light Painting
Mavic Air – HDR Panoramics
Getting used to a noisy sensor again! Drones have tiny noisy sensors compared to your DSLR – if you’re used to brightening up shadows on an underexposed shot with your camera, you’ll be shocked how bad this is on a drone RAW file. So what can you do? Bracketing and HDR is the answer. Bracket… Continue reading Mavic Air – HDR Panoramics