I photograph teams all the time – it’s great fun meeting and getting to know everyone, albeit usually very briefly. I understand that selecting a photographer to capture your team can be a daunting task, and you may have several questions about the process. That’s why I’ve created a video that answers some of the […]
FAQ – Commercial Team Photography Read More »
The Yorkshire Coast is a stunningly beautiful destination for photographers, with a rich history and a diverse range of landscapes to capture. Starting from Robinhoods Bay and travelling northwards towards Saltburn, there are plenty of opportunities to take some truly breathtaking shots. Robinhoods Bay Robinhoods Bay is a picturesque village with narrow winding streets and
Top photography locations on the Yorkshire Coast Read More »
When it comes to choosing the right lens for a specific type of photography, there are several factors to consider, such as the type of camera you have, your budget, and the specific subject you’ll be photographing. I get asked it all the time on workshops – which next? There isn’t a correct answer of
Which lens should I buy? Read More »
In today’s digital age, all businesses need great photography more than ever before. Industrial businesses, in particular, can benefit greatly from high-quality, regularly updated photography. Here are my top 5 reasons to get fresh content – we’ll explore the reasons why and the benefits it can bring to their operations. Industrial businesses often offer complex
Why Industry Needs Regular Professional Photos Read More »
Making surreal images using Long Exposure Photography Techniques Long exposure photography is a popular technique photographers use to create stunning images that capture the beauty and essence of natural and urban landscapes – I love revisiting old places I’ve shot many times before to capture it through a different technique. Long exposure techniques involve using
Long Exposure Photography Read More »
Is Miserable Telly Dragging You Down? The relentless negativity of broadcast media I don’t know if you’ve found this, but in the last few years, broadcast TV is filled with relentless negativity, pessimism, doom and gloom and general misery. Take channels like the BBC. I’ve long been a massive fan and advocate of theirs, watching
How Youtube Changed My Life Read More »
90’s House and Rave Music! I was a student in Manchester in the early nineties and a regular at Raves and house music clubs, like:- The state, The Hacienda Sankey’s soap. The boardwalk, The Limit. Home …and many, many others I can’t remember the name of around the Manchester area. So when my friend, soul
The Sharon Stacy’s 90’s Club Hit Band Read More »
The 12 Month Test Have you ever looked back to things you did 10 years ago? You should see some huge progress and changes, based on everything you’ve learnt, new tools or technologies and just growing as a person. But have you ever looked back just one year and revisited something? Like a “Remix” in music
What difference 12 months makes? Read More »
In advance of our Manchester workshop, where I was going to show the delegates how to shoot extra long exposures, using 10 stop (or even 15 stop) neutral density filters, I popped down to the beautiful world heritage site at Saltaire. If you’ve not been, this is the site of a Victorian Mill,
How to shoot and edit extra-long exposures with a 10-stop filter Read More »
Have you been a walk this winter and photographed dead plants, twigs or leaves on branches, got home and been uninspired by them – they don’t really jump off the screen? Well previously in Lightroom, to make these “pop” out of your monitor, you would have to work quite hard to make your subject really
LIGHTROOM TIPS: Making subjects jump off the screen! Read More »
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
Your old work should be embarrassing! Read More »
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
Lencarta Beauty Dish Test Shoot Read More »
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
Social media content creation in Lockdown Read More »
<!– SEO CHANGE LOG 1. Added keyword "tilt-shift lens" to the H1. 2. Added keyword "tilt-shift lens" to the intro body copy. 3. Added keywords "tilt", "shift", and "tilt-shift lens" to the early explainer paragraph. 4. Changed H2 "Why bother using a tilt-shift lens for portraits?" to "Why use a tilt-shift lens for portraits?" to
Tilt shift lens for portraits of Andy Taylor Boocock Read More »
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
Are AI voiceovers a godsend, or hell? Read More »
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
Transforming Websites The Easy Way Read More »
Back in Action with the Godox AD600: A Post-Lockdown Location Portrait Photography Session It’s been donkey’s years, but I finally got back behind the lens with my long-time collaborator and model, Andy Taylor Boocock. Picking a spot in Leeds was like choosing your favourite biscuit—difficult, but ultimately rewarding. So, I packed my Godox AD600 and
Using the Godox AD600 on My First Post-Lockdown Model Photoshoot! Read More »
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
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
Photos only work when you use them Read More »
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
Don't Forget About Photography! Read More »
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
BusinesS Headshots – it ain't what you do… Read More »
Another series of Photography Workshops drew to an end in Manchester on the 26th September. It seems like ages since we started on our beginners evening in Leeds, which turned out to be the only evening where it rained! 2018 was amazingly dry and hot – it made the whole 10 workshops a joy. So
Summer Night Photography Workshops – 2018 Review Read More »
Most businesses need images for websites, brochures, press, adverts…. the list goes on. So when you hire a photographer, what are you actually getting? Good ones will be expensive, they may quote £1000-£1500 per day even in West Yorkshire – how on earth can this be justified. If you read most marketing copy, we would
Hiring a Photographer : 7 things you’re REALLY buying Read More »
Fed up with paying £10/month for Lightroom? Don’t get me wrong, I really like Lightroom – but I’m not a huge fan of paying a tenner each month to use it… I used to like buying something and then being able to use it as long as I liked. The new subscription model Adobe use is
Is ON1 RAW 2018 the Best Solution For Cost-Conscious Photographers? Read More »
Flash of inspiration This technique came to me one night – just watching sunset on a road bridge and thought about it. It applies to Tilt Shif lenses mainly – but I’m sure you can do it with a normal lens, or telephoto. Maybe not an ultrawide 16mm though. The Problem So you invest £2000
How to fake an ND Grad filter with LIGHTROOM Read More »
I can’t taste or smell the food I see on telly, yet I still watch cooking shows… I’ve never really got why food is such a compelling viewing pleasure, despite the 2 main senses food excites (taste and smell) are not yet available. We can’t feel the texture either… so that’s a third sense we’re
Why Chefs are on TV and Photographers Aren’t Read More »
Was the Pixel Stick Worth it? Having watched this cool light painting tool evolve for a while it was only a matter of time before I got one. That came on Black Friday 2015 when the offer price was right. It arrived from the states a few days later, and I was raring to go
The Pixelstick – The Verdict Read More »
Why does every marketing team love stunning, unique images? It makes their job easy – photos are powerful – they make your business:- stand out from the crowd easy to understand have INSTANT impact communicate who you are show how you do it Well here are just 9 of the many ways photos help boost your
9 Ways Photography Can Transform Your 2016 Read More »
How to Create That Vintage Look in LIGHTROOM In this short tutorial video, we look at editing a beach shot at Alnwick, Northumberland. It was a bright day with strong clouds, so lots of mid tones and some crisp shadows to play with. There are many ways to process such a shot, in this session we’ll
Creating Vintage Photos Made Easy in LIGHTROOM Read More »
Snow Photography at Settle and Malham It’s not been the snowiest of winters, but on a trip out with Richard Spurdens, we were treated to some great Snow Photography opportunities. The soft blanket of white offered a serene backdrop that transformed familiar scenes into picturesque landscapes. As we wandered through the rolling hills, I realized
Snow Photography in the Yorkshire Dales Read More »
5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Going Pro I’m sure many pro photographers get asked “How do I become a professional photographer?“. I have and it’s never a straight forward answer – in fact, the answer would be unique for each person. Every photographer is different (personality, experience, confidence, business savvy, camera skills etc.), so there’s
5 Essential Questions for Aspiring Pro Photographers Read More »
10 Stop Filters – All the Rage! I’ve got one, have you? Well no landscape or architecture photographer worth their salt goes out without one these days do they ? 😉 It is the current fad – that surreal sky, those misty sea shores… you simply have to use them… They are genuinely interesting to
Fake Blurry Skies… in 2 minutes Read More »
Shoot to the right… what’s that then? It’s a technique to get better image quality… simple as that really. Why does the “shoot to the right” technique give you better image quality? Well the science is pretty complicated and all to do with how a sensor captures light. Digital cameras sensors are more efficient at capturing the light
Why you should “Shoot to the Right” Read More »
Who’d Want to do Photography in Leeds ? I’ve heard this said many times – along with classics such as… you’ve not got many great buildings, you’ve not got any sky scrapers costs a fortune to park and they charge you at night its really rough and you’ll get mugged. Ok… Parking is Terrible… Well
Leeds is RUBBISH For Photography! Read More »
Ea mei nostrum imperdiet deterruisset, mei ludus efficiendi ei. Sea summo mazim ex, ea errem eleifend definitionem vim.Malorum temporibus vix ex.
Design is not how things looks, but how things work Read More »
“False Praise” on Social Media I joined my first online community in 2004 – it’s called EPhotozine – and since then I’ve learned an incredible amount from the site, lots of useful tips from more advanced photographers guided me away from common mistakes. However, what has been a perpetual gripe on the site, from me
The “X-Factor” Problem Read More »
The Perennial HDR Photography Debate: Is HDR Bad? As someone who’s used HDR Photography to make a living and has been a fan since 2006, I often get involved in HDR debates. Sigh… The usual comments would be around I don’t like HDR, it looks a bit weird or maybe I like HDR Photos when
HDR Photography isn’t Bad – People Are! Read More »
End to end screen recording, with strange northern narration, of a dull day photo in Stainforth, North Yorkshire.
LIGHTROOM – Creating a Black and White Landscape 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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
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 »
Just had to share this on the blog GREAT INFOGRAPHIC A great piece on the differences you need to be aware of with Pro/Amateur photography
Pro Versus Amateur – Infographic Read More »
So you can do most things in Lightroom these days. I thought I’d meddle with this shot of the Royal Armouries to show a few things you can’t do in Lightroom…. yet! Start point So to get to this point, you could probably have used Lightroom. Its been through these steps… Capture – 1
How I did This…. 5 Photoshop Steps Read More »
Famous for it’s monumental prison and a gyratory, Armley isn’t the first Leeds suburb you’d go shooting alone in – let alone on an incredibly dull February day. I took to the canal first first, to see how the graffiti artists are doing – these walls change regularly. Then down to the river Aire and over the
HDR Photography in Leeds… Armley Read More »
