Think SMART and Tendo VIP Day This year’s VIP event unfolded in the heart of Wakefield, bringing together a vibrant mix of familiar faces and new connections. The day was dedicated to learning from the best – former squash world number 1, Laura Massaro, and her coach (also her husband), Danny Massaro. It was a …
Think Smart VIP Day – Shooting Professional Event Photography in Yorkshire and Leeds Read More »
Understanding the Great ROI of Investing in Professional Photography for Business Growth In today’s digital age, where visual content reigns supreme, the value of professional photography in business cannot be overstated. It’s more than just snapping pictures; it’s about crafting an image that speaks volumes about your brand, tells a story, and connects with your …
The ROI of Professional Business Photography in Leeds Read More »
Best Gifts for Photographers in 2023 – Affordable Camera Accessories for Every Photographer Are you on the hunt for the perfect gift for the photographer in your life? Whether they’re a budding smartphone snapper or a seasoned pro, this guide’s packed with the best photography gifts of 2023. From nifty lenses to must-have gadgets, we’ve …
Best Gifts for Photographers in 2023 – Top Camera Accessories for Every Photographer Read More »
Smartphone Photography Tips For Beginners Mastering the Settings: Tips for Configuring Your Smartphone Camera Knowing your way around the settings menu on your smartphone camera can make a world of difference. By fine-tuning certain settings, you can take far more professional-looking shots without needing to carry around extra equipment. Here, we focus on two …
The Ultimate Guide to Camera Lens Filters: Raise Your Photography Game Summary: If you’ve ever wondered how to take your photography to the next level, this comprehensive guide to camera lens filters is for you. From polarising filters to neutral density filters, we’ll delve into the nitty-gritty of what each filter does and how to …
Photography Filters: The Ultimate Guide to Camera Lens Filters Read More »
The Ultimate Guide to Buying Your Next Camera Lens: Things to Consider for Your Next Lens Purchase Summary:Right, so you’ve got a camera, and you’re itching to take your photography up a notch. The lens you choose can make a world of difference. This guide is your one-stop shop for everything you need to know …
Best Camera for Beginners 2023: A Guide to Entry-Level Cameras So, you’ve decided to dip your toes into the world of photography this year, eh? Good on you! But wait, where do you start when it comes to picking your first camera? Not to worry—this comprehensive guide is here to point you in the right …
Photography, while often pursued as a hobby, holds the potential to evolve into a career or source of side income. It did for me 🙂 The advent of digital technology, social media, and changing market dynamics has broadened the scope of opportunities available for photographers. Whether it’s selling prints, licensing images, or taking up professional …
Why do Photography? 12 Potential for a Career or Side Income Read More »
Who needs a diary…? Photography, often viewed as a medium to document the world around us, can also serve as a powerful tool for recording our personal journey. The camera becomes a diary, capturing not only the moments and scenes we encounter but also our growth and transformation over time. When we first begin our …
Why do Photography? 11 Documentation of Personal Growth Read More »
More than just clicking a button Ever thought about how photography is more than just snapping pretty pictures? It’s like a journey into yourself, a way to boost your self-confidence. Let’s chat about how that happens. Learn the basics first When you first start out with photography, it can feel like you’re climbing a mountain. …
Ever feel like the world’s moving too fast? Like everything’s all about the ‘now, now, now’? Well, here’s the thing – photography is like a chill pill for our high-speed lives. It’s all about taking a step back, slowing down, and really soaking in the moment. And guess what? This slow-mo approach isn’t just good …
Why do Photography? 8 Increased Patience and Perseverance Read More »
Photography is like a superpower that changes how we see the world. It’s like a workout for our eyes, making us notice all the little details and patterns that we’d usually miss. As photographers, we become super aware of everything around us. We’re always on the lookout for the perfect light, the right colour contrasts, …
Why do Photography? 7 Boosting Observation Skills Read More »
Make New Photography Friends Photography, at its core, is about capturing moments, telling stories, and expressing perspectives. But beneath these fundamental aspects lies another equally significant facet of this art form – its ability to connect us with others. The world of photography can open doors to friendships, shared experiences, and communities, both in the …
Photography is an art form that evolves with time, as do the skills and perspectives of the person behind the camera. Far from being a static hobby, photography presents an unending journey of learning and growth, offering a rich tapestry of skills to master, styles to explore, and concepts to grasp. The initial plunge into …
When it comes to photography composition techniques, the Rule of Thirds is one of the most fundamental and effective principles to create visually balanced and captivating images. Understanding and applying this rule can significantly enhance your photography composition skills. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the concept of the Rule of Thirds, its benefits, …
Mastering the Rule of Thirds: A Guide to Balanced Composition Read More »
As a beginner photographer, building your camera gear collection can be both exciting and overwhelming. With so many options available, it’s important to invest in the right equipment that will help you learn and grow as a photographer. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the essential camera gear you need to kick-start your …
Best Camera Kit for Beginner Photographers: A Complete Guide Read More »
Are you tired of relying on automatic settings on your camera? Ready to take control and unleash your creativity? Mastering manual mode is the key to unlocking the full potential of your photography. In this step-by-step tutorial, we’ll guide you through the process of understanding and confidently using manual mode. Let’s dive in! Why Master …
Mastering Manual Mode: A Step-by-Step Tutorial for New Photographers Read More »
Building a well-equipped photography kit is essential for capturing stunning images. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced photographer, having the right equipment can make a significant difference in the quality of your photographs. In this article, we’ll explore 10 must-have photography equipment items and discuss why they are crucial for every photographer. Let’s dive …
10 Must-Have Accessories for Your Photography Kit Read More »
Why do we need headshots… Corporate headshots are essential for showcasing the professionals behind and working in a company and creating a positive first impression – usually on the About us page of your website and on professional networking sites. However, traditional headshots often lack authenticity and fail to reflect the true personality of the …
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 »
The Canon 5D Mark IV is a favourite among many professional photographers due to its high-quality build and features. Here are the top things that I love about this camera: Overall, the Canon 5D Mark IV is an absolute joy to use and is a great value for the price. If you’re in the market …
While zoom lenses are indeed more flexible and convenient than prime lenses, there are still several reasons why photographers might prefer to use prime lenses in certain situations: Overall, while zoom lenses are more versatile and convenient, prime lenses can offer superior image quality, wider apertures, and specialized uses that make them an important part …
Why would I buy a PRIME lens when I have a ZOOM already? 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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 »
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 …
Tilt Shift and 15 Stops… I always thought 10 stops was more than enough to create surreal exposures, but discovered the Nisi 15 stop filter (which multiplies your exposure time by 32000) and found a whole new world of experimentation. To test the filter on front of the 24mm tilt Shift lens and went for …
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 …
Absolute Beginners Workshop After a 3-year break it was fantastic to get back to to be showing people her to do location portrait photography. We had our friends Andi, Andy and Michele, and a new model called Rachel, to play with around the exchange area of Leeds. The main focus of the workshop was settings …
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 …
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 »
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 …
How do you get started in this industry? I’m sure you’ve seen some of the amazing photos gracing magazine covers and advertisements. You might even have a few friends who’ve modelled for various modelling sites and agencies. But what do you really need to know about getting started? The first step to getting started is …
Sometimes you only get a fleeting second of light and you’ll have to grab what you can with the camera you having your hands. The story behind this photo is that we were walking to a limestone pavement to capture photos of trees growing out of rocks when one of the clouds opened and let …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
How to get Maximum Sharpness with Focus Stacking 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 …
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 …
Try these 3 Things RIGHT NOW to improve your phone photos 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 »
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 …
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 …
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 »
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 …
