Reality Sucks Transforming reality into an uber-detailed, fantastical coloured fantasy world… No highlights or shadows are allowed – they shoot loads of different exposures to make sure not one pixel will be clipped black or white. Even on flat light days, when you don’t need HDR, they still bracket away – it’s all part of […]
Photographer Type 6 – Fantasy HDR Creators Read More »
Joe Cusimano Founder of the Lovelution Movement, Joe Cusimano met for a shoot in Halifax – sheltering from the rain under a few of its viaducts! What is Lovelution… From his Viva La Lovelution Facebook page, Joe says… Join the Lovelution: Follow your Heart, Shine your Light,Seek the Truth and Reunite! This is YOUR revolution!
Light it at All Costs The Flash Addicts are driven to introduce their own light to everything – whether it needs it or not. Their enjoyment is in adding that rim lighting, colouring backgrounds, and playing with the latest flash modifiers. Stacks of Kit… Armed with “poverty wizard” style radio triggers, light stands and a
5 – Flash Addicts – Strobists… Read More »
Sleep Deprivation Up well before the lark, usually 2 hours before the sun rises, so they can drive an hour and walk 40 minutes to be in “that” position for the sunrise they’ve planned for the last 4 years. They say a prayer before bed – “Please god, let the light be good this year”
4 – Die Hard Landscaper Read More »
Who are they….? Tortured Visionaries who take photos of stuff, cut it out and bung them all together in a hybrid shot. There is usually some deep story behind the image and the challenge is for you, the viewer, to work it out. They go for months without touching their camera – they need inspiration,
Photographer Type 3 – The Compositor Read More »
Or digital artists – these are very popular on all the photo sharing websites, their natural home is Deviant Art. Often young and female, with attractive friends who resemble extras from “Skins” – they take moodily posed photos, often with a bag, teddy bear or some other large prop, in woodlands or derelict buildings.
Photographer Type 2 – Floral and Lace Read More »
The Grande Finale! We started a series of Night Workshops back in November 2013 – 15 workshops taking people from Nidderdale in the north to Huddersfield in the west, Parks and moors, city centres and saw dozens of photos edited for the attendees. The final night was thankfully a dry one, one with hazy moon
Fire on the Moors! Read More »
Read about our trip east to enjoy The Humber Bridge Bridlington Flamborough North Landing Flamborough Head Lighthouse http://www.mcfade.co.uk/training/flamborough-head-review/ Here are a few of our photos from the day… more if you follow the above link
Flamborough Head Workshop Read More »
You’ll know these as they’ll ask you what camera you have before anything else. Then move on to whether you’ve heard about the new camera they’ve heard speculated about on the forums, and how it’s ISO performance “blows out of the water” your camera… He is in a state of “always craving more kit”, and
1 – Geek and Tech Addicts Read More »
It’s unique isn’t it – this photography thing. It appeals to retired men and teenage girls It’s used by bohemian artists and geeky computer programmers. It’s as slow and contemplative as fishing, or as fast and furious as grand prix racing. It’s a fun pastime, or a serious competitive sport. It can take hours of
Photography appeals to EVERYONE! Read More »
Real Ale on the UP! Real ale is on the up – micro breweries are springing up all over the UK, nowhere more so than in Yorkshire. Every small town seems to have it’s own brewery producing everything from pale ales to dark porters. Ossett, Salamander, Daleside, Rooster’s, Leeds Brewery, Wharfbank, Saltaire, Wendworth, Copper Dragon,
CAMRA Bradford Real Ale Festival – 2014 Read More »
Your business is all about you Not in an egotistical way, but any SME business owner knows that they are the “face” of their company. It’s unavoidable really – we create:- the business idea, the hard graft to get it going, the risks you take, the people you meet These things are all down to
It’s All About YOU Read More »
Just been asked to do one of these things… so thought I’d share! Q. What do you do for a living? I help add personality to businesses by replacing tired, generic “stock library images” with stunning photos of their people, place, products, suppliers… to make their website tell their story. Q. What makes
60 second interview…. Read More »
Welcome to Castleford: A Photographic Adventure Exploring the Waterside Castleford, a small town in West Yorkshire, is a treasure trove of photographic opportunities. My adventure began by the River Aire, which was brimming and roaring as it cascaded over the weir. I snapped away with my trusty 70-200mm lens, capturing the scene in all its
Capturing Castleford Photos: A Photographer’s Guide to Hidden Gems Read More »
2013 is no more… I needed some new shots so on Thursday 2nd of Jan, 2014 I hit the road over to Ferrybridge to see if the sun was hitting the steam clouds over the cooling towers. It was to an extent, my usual spot by the canal gave some reasonable long exposure shots
5 Shots of Ferrybridge Read More »
December’s night workshop was at Brimham Rocks so I decided to head up there early to get some shots of the valley… little did I realise the clouds would be inverted, with the valley full of mist and the sky clear… here are some shots from one of the best days of 2013.
Amazed in Nidderdale… Read More »
After running a workshop on Anglesey in the late Noughties, I got chatting to a professional photographer from Somerset. Great guy, had a few beers and his main comments on his 20 years in the photo business were stock photography wasn’t worth doing any more and assignment pay rates had dropped and not to even
So you want to be a pro photographer… what they don’t tell you Read More »
The answer is of course, yes. Give me a dentist’s drill and I’ll have a good go at it! Never done it before, but I used drills in Woodwork at school, and many times on the farm I worked as a kid. Would you let me do it – based on that experience? I’m
Can I Drill Your Teeth? Read More »
Visiting Yorkshire? The coast is well worth a visit for anyone, especially photographers. Here are 5 places to call into with your camera. All these photos were taken on one day – Sunday 1st December 2013 – during a McFade Photography workshop, proving you can get a huge variety of subject in 20 miles of
5 Yorkshire Coast Photography Locations Read More »
Title: 5 Tips For Photographing Holiday Parties The holiday season is nearly upon us, and for photographers that may mean a number of Christmas events and similar holiday parties coming up. People love to have professional quality photos of these special events, and indeed it’s a great time of year to create some lasting memories.
5 Tips For Photographing Holiday Parties – GUEST BLOG Read More »
Here’s a selection of photos from Leeds’ Roundhay Park firework display on 5th December 2013, and a few tips on how we did them. Get a good place to watch them A good clear view is best, you get to watch the entire journey of all the fireworks. Too close and you may end up
Fireworks Photography Tips Read More »
Casvegas…. Pontecarlo…. West Yorkshire’s casino district? Well maybe not, but between the 2 or them, they have a couple of real photographic gems. The boating lake at Pontefract’s racecourse is fantastic for sunsets, and this bridge in Castleford is pretty spectacular after dark. So what brought me here… Well 2 things really – I’m starting
September’s travel photography trip included a surprise trip over to Seville, we were 2 hours away so it was well within range. We’d been recommended by the car hire bloke AND a cab driver who said it was the “home of beautiful architecture – and women”. SOLD! So we got there on Saturday afternoon when
40 Photos of Seville Read More »
The lakes in Austria tend to be green – a bluey, greeny Jade kine of colour. But on an overcast day, they weren’t really shouting “colour” at us – so I decided to create a series of black and white images from our morning walk around the lake on the German border. The passers by
Austria Workshop – The Lake at Kufstein Read More »
Waking to see rain was never what we wanted, but you just have to go with what you get… and what we started with was a hearty “Austrian farm” breakfast of yoghurt, meats, cheese, bread, butter, jam, orange juie and lots of coffee. Huge thanks to our hosts Keith and Manu for this each day
Austria Workshop – Day 1 Read More »
One of my Leeds prints has found its way on to a client’s mantelpiece – Laura’s just sent over this shot. Love seeing them in place – you send them off not knowing where they’ll end up, so it’s a real buzz seeing them in place like this. I think this one was about 45
Happy Customer… huge Leeds print Read More »
The amazingly beautiful town near the Spanish border… I’ll let the photos do the talking… [AFG_gallery id=’1′]
Portugal Trip – Tavira Read More »
After a shoot with personal trainer, Victoria Wood, she made the comment:- “who knew that lighting was such a big thing!” And it go me thinking about this blog… All we do as photographers is use a device which records light – it’s called a camera. We use things called “lenses” to focus and manipulate
Its all about the lighting…. Read More »
Snow Blind? I’ve used the term “snow blind” a lot recently – it’s refers to that moment when you’ve been shooting the same thing over and over again, to try to get that “perfect” shot – usually for an art director or designer who’s looking on. You’ve tried all sorts, move the lights, changed the
Photographic Therapy Read More »
Surreal Leeds! You’d not normally bother with the camera on a day like this was, but here’s what I tried, making a surreal Leeds…. It’s mid-afternoon… The sun is bright There is a slight wind blowing the clouds There are people and cars around I’ve just left a meeting in Leeds… So do I
30 Surreal Seconds in Leeds…. Read More »
York based financial advisers, Ardent Financial Planning, are having a new website site and brand built by digital agency “Plump Digital” – Rob Colley invited McFade over to capture some great new shots of directors. Being a York based company, I was keen to create some images with York in the background – it’s a
Team Shoot for Ardent – York City Centre Read More »
Wind farms are, by definition, positioned in windy, desolate places. This makes for truly atmospheric shots – given the right lighting conditions. The best time is sunset or sunrise, because the sun light comes in low and lights 1/2 of the turbine, leaving the other half in shadow. It gives a 3D feel to them.
Wind Farm Workshop with McFade Training Read More »
Mark’s been in the shipping game for 15 years – mainly sending containers around the world for clients. He’s just started a new role in a brand new business so needed some new shots to promote both him and the business. Images of Shipping… in Leeds? So the challenge of finding a suitable location
Business Profile Shoot – Mark Broscombe Read More »
Coming from Ribblesdale, this is one I’d been looking forward to leading. The Ribble is around 70 miles long – we were at the source, I’m from about 35 miles downstream… so it wasn’t really “my hood” – but I’ve been around Horton, Settle and Ribblehead many times so knew a few gems to show
5 Photos from Ribblesdale – the McFade Workshop Read More »
I’d just put an exhibition in the Midnight Bell pub and had the camera with me… so decided to get all nostalgic for 15 minutes and capture the end of town I worked in for 2 years – Holbeck. It’s had one hell of a face lift since 2000, now housing lots of businesses, 2
No Flash? We thought it a little cheeky setting up lots of lights in the Doubletree Hilton’s cafe bar – so we did a few shots with natural light, well a mix of light from outside and the halogen bulbs inside. Fast Lens Most of these are taken with the Canon 85mm F1.8 lens, which
Natural Light Portraits with Ann Read More »
This may seem a bit obvious, but having taught many people flash/portraits, it’s the number one reason why you get bored looks on your photos…. Don’t look at the back of your camera all the time You need get the lights right and checking this on camera is fine. But once you’ve got the lights
Top Tip to Keep Your Portrait Sitters Happy…. Read More »
Mastering the Art of Portrait Photography: 5 Essential Tips for Engaging with Your Subject When it comes to portrait photography, the technical aspects like lighting, camera settings, and composition are undeniably important. However, the way you interact with your subject can often make the difference between a good portrait and a great one. Whether you’re
The Ideas Man… Paul’s business card really does say The Ideas Man, and it’s true – you’ll go along way before you meet someone with more ideas – on branding, marketing, web, life, music… you name it! His Design Agency, All Good, is a one-stop solution for people needing innovative branding and marketing
It’s All Good… Paul Dodd Read More »
We’ve been supporting One Britain One Nation (OBON) for a while now, a campaign started by former police inspector Kash Singh, to bring people from ALL communities together in celebration of being British. This event at the Aagrar Midpoint centre at Thornbury saw giants of the local restaurant business unite behind Kash by the ceremonial
Raise the Flag for Britain Read More »
Gayle is director of Boroughbridge’s IRYS Ltd, providing a wide range of services including training, coaching and mystery shopping. When we were planning the shoot, we quickly discounted the typical “corporate office style” shots in favour of using Leeds’ Victoria Quarter – a place Gayle knows VERY well and is very at home in! Along with being
Business Profile Shoot with Gayle Partridge Read More »
Had a great shoot with Claire Turner, who’s tax partner at WGN accountants in Leeds. As anyone will who knows her will tell you, Claire’s the polar opposite of the stereotypical tax accountant – but her current photos were not really getting this message across. So we decided to make the most of the area
Business Profile Shoot with Claire Turner Read More »
Hardeep @ Keyhouse Kitchen Opening The World Curry Festival’s star, Hardeep Singh Kohli, came to the opening of the new training kitchen at Bradford’s Keyhouse – a venue which helps house and train the homeless of the area. The kitchen is a new project to help train the homeless grow and cook
Hardeep Singh Kohli @ Keyhouse Read More »
You don’t HAVE to have a boring profile shot these days…. Had a great time talking to fellow business people at BiY today – part of a creative “trio” with Rob and Andy of Plump Digital and Video Advert. Just thought I’d note down my main points from the talk… The world has changed –
Make Your “Online First Impression” Count – BiY Talk, June 2013 Read More »
Want some new kit? If you’re a “kit monkey” and have unlimited funds, you may as well stop reading this now. However, have financial limits, here are a few things to ask yourself when looking to buy a new gizmo for your collection. 1 – What “extra” will it enable me to do? This is
Which lens should I Buy? Read More »
Live Well Project – Chris and Anne One of the huge bonuses of running a photography business is meeting great people, and on Sunday I met Chris Jones and Anne-Louise Savery. They are starting a social enterprise in Holbeck to encourage and help people of all abilities, ages and backgrounds to improve health and build
Leeds Couple Inspiring a Community to “Live Well” Read More »
Trying out a new softbox with Rocco Here are a few of the results
Shoot with Rocco Salah in Meanwood Park Read More »
A Great Way To Build Teams Volunteering days are the best team building events – spending time with good people doing good things for a good cause… what could be better? Having been on 2 when working in a corporate environment, I can vouch for them – getting out of the office and tooled up
Volunteering Days – 5 Reasons to Hire a Pro Photographer Read More »
Exposure is entirely dictated by the light conditions when you are shooting. There are no perfect settings – you need to use your light meter to “read” the light level, then set ISO, Aperture and Shutter speed accordingly. There are certain rules of thumb you can follow – generally landscape shots are sharp from front
Exposure – Subject Cheat Sheet Read More »
Infographic A simple aide-memoire for the 3 main exposure settings. Enjoy!
Exposure Cheat-Sheet Read More »
