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 »
Over a decade of shoots It’s over 10 years since we first did a personal brand shoot for John Thompson, from Metropolis. Back then it wasn’t called a “personal brand” of course, it didn’t really have a name – I just called it something vague, like a Profile Shoot. That first shoot was in the
John’s 2023 Personal Brand Shoot Read More »
The Old Estate House Here is one of our work interior photography jobs for estate agents. This particular home is at Bretton, basically near the West Yorkshire Sculpture Park just off the M1 near Wakefield. It was the office for the Bretton Estate where you went to pay your rent and all the documents are
Estate House – For Sale in Bretton 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 »
A New Website We first photographed, Isaac’s around six years ago, when they were getting their brand new website built. In 2022 we returned to see the team again, for you’ve guessed it, images for a new website! We discussed different looks for their team’s photography. The last time we shot the team members at
Isaacs Accountants – Charcoal Background Shoot Read More »
Surely professionals only shoot in MANUAL? I’ve never been a big fan of using anything other than manual mode for exposing photos. Especially when you are doing professional work, where you want complete control. However, occasionally you have to shoot in a room where the light is massively different from one side to the other, and
When should you use AUTO ISO on your camera? Read More »
Street Photography Experience It’s great to take people with strong landscape photography skills around the city and challenge of them and to capture people and architecture as it happens. That’s Street photography for you. Some of the most memorable photos you will have seen are street photography. Often you sit around waiting for things to
The York Walls and Street Photography Experience Read More »
We have all the time in the world… That’s what Louis Armstrong sang at the end of a famous James Bond film or two, and if you have some time to spare then get yourself a 15-stop or 10-stop neutral density filter and have a go at long exposure photography. That’s just what I did
Selby Abbey – Long Exposure Photography Read More »
Littondale… then the weather changed! I don’t have a crystal ball so you never quite know what the weather is going to be like in 6-months when you are scheduling workshops in the Dales. This was to be a day in the beautiful littondale, a steep-sided Valley that branches off upper Wharfedale. The sides of
The Most Flexible Workshop EVER! – Littondale Read More »
Manchester – Street and Architecture Having cancelled the first Manchester workshop due to Hurricane winds and monsoon rains, we were all delighted to finally meet and spend the day capturing both the people and architecture in this amazing city. We started with a coffee on Portland Street, headed into Chinatown, Peter’s Square, are down to
Manchester Street Photography Workshop Read More »
Humber Bridge, Bridlington and Flamborough Head We had a great day for our 2022 trip over to the east coast, with bright sunshine for pretty much the whole day. Humber Bridge As usual, we met at the bridge that goes from Hessle to Barton over the River Humber. It’s a massive suspension bridge with a
Flamborough Head, Humber Bridge and Bridlington Read More »
Part 2 – Composition The portrait class of 2022 met at Leeds university this time to learn about composition and portraits. We had some exercises in finding:- Lines textures shapes colours angles These are all things to look out for when composing any photograph, can you use a line in the road or a colour
Portrait Photography Workshop 2 – Leeds Uni Read More »
Anybody who photographs “normal people” will hear this question – every single shoot! It’s our “question everyone asks”. People want to look their best and they put their trust in you, also a great Icebreaker. The answer is “Yes of course”, we always do “something” to the photograph, just how far and how long we
Can you photoshop me? Read More »
If you set up a camera tripod and flashes outside an operational power station, it wouldn’t be long before security along asking you to move on, I know because it’s happened to me a few times. If you ask them whether terrorists often turn up with a model, 3 tripods and flashes, they are not
Andy at Eggborough 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 »
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
Nicola Paparazzo – Greek St. Shoot Read More »
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
GUEST POST – David Garthwaite – Fine Art Photography Read More »
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
Leeds Pubs in Lockdown Read More »
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
Tilt shift lens for portraits of Andy Taylor Boocock Read More »
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,
Fast photo editing software – Luminar AI 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 »
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
Storm Brewing in Leeds 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
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
Get the most from your photos during LOCKDOWN Read More »
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
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
The Madness of Share the Shoot… Read More »
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
How to choose a photographer from the 1000's recommended on LINKED IN 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 »
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
How to organise your photos like a pro Read More »
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
NEVER use direct flash Read More »
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
It’s Grim Up North Read More »
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
Jaeda Sharman – Future Superstar Model! Read More »
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
Nightscapes 1 – The Art of Light Painting 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 »
Our second portrait workshop the summer was with Nicola Papperazzo, Chloe Mason and Andy Blue McLaren. We split it into a couple of locations on the west end of Leeds city centre. Starting in the flowery Park Square, where I showed people how to use flowers in the foreground to add blurry texture – like this one
2018 Portrait Workshop 2 Read More »
Can mixing a holiday and photography ever work? So you’re off somewhere amazing for your holiday, with friends or family who probably are not photographers – or at least not as serious as you are. Can you really make this work? The dream holiday photography… For the die-hard-photographer who wants photography perfection, you really
The Nightmare Of Holiday Photography 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 »
Blackpool – the beach, prom and Cleveleys Its got a bad press, Blackpool. It’s glory years are long gone, there is a drug problem which I’ve never seen, for myself, but you hear about it… But despite all that, you can get a great set of photos on the right day. We went over on a
Blackpool – the beach, prom and Cleveleys Read More »
A foggy day on the coast Driving up to the workshop I feared the worst – a day of rain and misery, with a group of photographers huddled together keeping dry It was grim… But as Americans would say, when life gives you lemons, make a G&T…. or something like that! And that is just
Yorkshire Coast Photo Workshop Read More »
Night Photography at Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds Ok, we’re really lucky to have a ruined abbey right on the edge of our city – and it’s got lots of free parking! So each year I take a new group of photographers down there to light it up with powerful torches and sparks. Here’s what we got
Night Photography at Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds Read More »
Ovenden Moor and Wind Farm Photographers have flocked to this wind farm over the years – the bright stone on the road really stand out from the darker heather moorland, the large turbines create fantastic subjects and if you can get some rotation on them, preferably 1/3 of a turn, they look magical. I’d not been up
Ovenden Moor and Wind Farm Read More »
Is Portrait Professional 17 Terrible? My Experience and Verdict The internet is not kind to Portrait Professional 17. In the depths of comment sections, where opinions fly unchecked, there’s no shortage of criticism for this software. But is the backlash justified? In this post, I take a deep dive into my experience with Portrait Professional
They say Portrait Professional 17 is Terrible… but is it? Read More »
Age your photos in seconds! I’ve tried using “bought” LIGHTROOM presets many times and they all seem to have one thing in common… This makes perfect sense to any seasoned Photoshopper or Lightroom expert – but I guessed that most photographers don’t know about this. So here’s a video explaining how you do it – a quick “how to” guide so you can start making your own toned presets for free!
Instant Vintage Effects in Lightroom Read More »
Your headshot is important – it represents your brand, your business and you. Headshots work for you every day on Linked IN and the other social media channels, your website, in print and at every touch point the world has with you. So it’s worth a little thought about what you want! To help, we’ve
3 Leading-edge options for your new 2018 business head-shot 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 »
Using LIGHTROOM to make a dreamy waterfall Here’s a shot from a recent workshop at Swaldale – it’s Crackpot Force, yes, that’s really a thing! The shot was underexposed, but I liked the shape – so gave it a go in Lightroom anyway. Things we explain:- black and white conversion basic controls like Highlights, Whites, Shadows
How to make a soft, dreamy, black and white waterfall photograph in LIGHTROOM Read More »
