BlogShmog

If you are offended by nudity... chill out...

2011-12-10T00:36:00.001-08:00

Sometimes everything just goes wrong, wronger than ever.

And so it was that the man from Hassleblad was on his way to my house to drop off a H4D-31. A 10 grand camera with 31 pixels of mega.... err.. ness... yeah mega-ness... That's a lot of pixels. I'd been commissioned by Professional photographer magazine to produce an article called "What pro's want...", it's basically a chance for me to try all those toys I can't afford. Anyway, the Blad was on it's way, a shoot was booked for Sunday, as was a stylist and MUA and a model. My margin for error was narrow due to the fact that I only had the camera for 48 hours. Confidence as always was high. The only problem was I'd arranged to pick up some pieces from a designer in London and just like the Hassleblad they were only available for a 48 hour period. Still I wanted them so I'd have to drive. Then it hit home there was no way I could fit everything in so I called the designer and postponed for a month or so. The shoot would still go ahead as I had every confidence in my team.

Then the proverbial hit the fan. The stylist pulled out as she wasn't happy with the styling, she then in turn cancelled the MUA who only confirmed this about 12 hours before the shoot. Ok so now I have a model coming and no stylist and no MUA. Shitballs!!!

Numerous frantic calls later and still no one was forthcoming, it was the weekend and christmas party season was underway. Thanks Christmas. Another stylist friend of mine tweeted my need for a MUA and lo and behold a reply came from a young lady called Faye Aydin.. she called me at 7am on the morning of the shoot and confirmed her presence.. Saved! Then the styling... Luckily I have a friend who makes these leather harness pieces, I bought her an egg nog latte and a marshmallow twizzler in return for the loan of said pieces and before you knew it, my shoot was back on. The day was indeed saved. Mainly because of my refusal to give up and not deliver the goods to the editor.

But also because sometimes everything just goes right, righter than ever.

Gothic Aristocracy

2011-11-29T03:45:00.001-08:00

Do you ever have one of those days... you've sorted out a test, a full creative team is on board. You wake up.. and you're just not feeling it. You're hoping that the next text to come through will be someone cancelling so you can do nothing but stay in bed. No? Well I did. Oddly I just wasn't in the mood for a shoot., however something inside me just gave me that kick up the arse and boy was I glad I did. The designer, a young man called Richard Hible lived about 2 miles from my house. What a talent this guy is. I'd not paid much much attention to anything regarding this shoot I just knew it would all come together.

So the 2 models Jess and Holly are in Hair and make up so I'm just spinning around on the studio chair in between making tea. The stylist is a young lady by the name of Tess Daly, she's a remarkable person not just because of her eye for detail but also because she's in a wheelchair. To be honest her chair is better than mine at spinning round and it has a horn. Anyway if you get a chance to work with her do so. She knows her stuff.

Also on the team is Verity Faichen on hair who'd come all the way from the lake district and Natasha Horton on facepainting duties. A thoroughly top team.

So anyway, with no budget to speak of how could we possibly build a set? Well I'd recently bought 2 8'x4' polyboards and some black paint to build myself some reflector/deflectors. Taping them together and painting a piece of old lino I had myself a set. Lighting wise I wasn;t overly keen on using flash so I dragged the whole thing just outside the studio door and shot using only the subdued light of an overcast november day in Sheffield. The window to shoot in this light is only about 2 hours as after 2pm it starts to turn "mucky" (more of Mucky light in my next blog).

And that was it.. about as simple a set build and lighting rig as you can get.. and if that wasn't enough, Italian vogue only went and approved it for their website. Just goes to show that there's always a reason to get up and shoot. This is my favourite shoot so far this year and will take some bettering. But it will be bettered I promise you that because that is why I do it.

It were like... windy trevor...

2011-11-29T03:29:00.001-08:00

So the make up artist flew in from Miami.. did that sound good? She did actually.. although she was here visiting friends but I'm pretending we had her flown in. Anyway Sephora Professional Nikki Oxley was in town and wanted to give her book a "UK style", don't quite know what that is.. but I imagine it's shooting on no budget, in the cold and no one getting paid.. so that's what she got.

This is Zana, a new model friend of mine and someone who I get the feeling I will shoot again. I chose a particularly small light source for this image and positioned as far away as the studio space would allow to give it that harsh sunlight effect. It did work and the RAW files looked good as they were but to be honest I wanted to have a play in photoshop. I'm not too heavily reliant on the old digital spanner set but I felt it needed something. I was toying with the idea of science fiction in my head and a teleporting chic in a mask sprung to mind. So there you go.. For me it gives the image a narrative although there are only two in this series so they aren't part of any bigger theme. Still like them though and that's all that matters. As I mentioned before I'm trying to get away from airbrushing skin although sometimes it is a necessity I'm just beginning to feel that realism is the way forward. I will remove non permanent spots and lines but anything else stays.. for now that is. I'm not doing it for any ethical reason to be honest I was just getting bored of seeing flawless people, we aren't like that in real life. I'm the same with cakes... those manufactured production line perfect pastries might float someones boat but I like every one of mine to be individual... wonky... a tad burnt... uneven... So there.

You've changed....

2011-11-29T02:34:00.001-08:00

There are times when you just have to get in the studio and shoot something, regardless of ideas or concepts. Just go to the studio, book a model and a make up artist and shoot. Shoot simply, shoot quickly, shoot without fear of failure because if it's no good, you just don't use it. It's nice to have a full creative team although they don't half get through your teabags and sometimes too many cooks don't just spoil the broth, they also get on your tits. At the point of taking the image the only people that matter in that studio are my model, and myself.

Another complaint I have of working with other creatives such as make up artists and stylists is they often don't share my editorial viewpoint and seem to be too eager to show me and the world exactly what they CAN do. In much the same way as a newly qualified teenage driver wants to show the world exactly what he/she can attach to his 8 year old Vauxhall Corsa. And the results are equally as garish as they are distasteful. The fact is and always will be that less is more. When I compose an image I'm looking for lines, that lead the eye all around the frame before focussing on the main point, usually the eyes. Sometimes make up and styling makes this difficult and for me these 2 elements should be conspicuous by their absence. A subliminal compliment if you will. Thankfully over the last few months I've paid particular attention to who I'm working with and will only now work with people who I know, "get it." I'll also guide them more as to what I want. The bottom line is however if I don't like someones make up or styling those images will never see the light of day. I don't expect any MUA or stylist to understand anything about lighting but I've took it upon myself to make sure I know something about what they do, and my work has improved because of it. That may sound a little arrogant, it isn't I just have a clear understanding of what I want to achieve in an image.

For this shoot, which was literally thrown together in a couple of hours I called on the services of Laura Gingell make up artist and free spirit, as well as a model I'd never shot before, Chloe Gray. In this instance Laura had an idea of using lace and actually covering the eyes. I was happy with the idea and had total faith in her. Laura is a whirlwind of ideas and talent, despite dressing in her own grandmothers clothes she does add creatively to a lot of my test shoots. We are on the same editorial wavelength, the similarities end there but thats the only wavelength I'm interested in when choosing a creative test team.

Lighting for this shot was simple in the form of one softbox to my left and not so high and also a bare reflector set at +1 stops just behind and to the right of the model. You'll note the rimlight over her left shoulder and the obvious flare in the top corner of the frame. For any digital artists reading this, thats the cause and effect of a well placed Elinchrom and not a Photoshop filter. OK. Just so you know. I'm getting increasingly tired of seeing images produced with lens flare appearing through a solid wall and falling onto the side of a subject which falls into shadow. It's a dead giveaway, it may be all the rage with the new breed of digital photographers but to me all it does is shows a distinct lack of understanding of light. OK Whinge over.

I've been experimenting lately with harsher lighting, bare reflectors with little or no diffusion. I love beauty lighting but I'm interested in giving my work a different look. Early results are encouraging but it does need to be used even more carefully. I'm also trying not to be such a perfectionist. We'll see how that goes.

A day in the Life...

2011-10-14T02:40:00.000-07:00

It was a rainy October day in Sheffield, and Craig, was bored. So bored in fact that he couldn't even be bothered to spin round on the studio chair. For Craig, that really is bored. Plus he was out of biscuits. Racking his brains he witnessed a flash of light, so he turned off the faulty Elinchrom and continued to rack his brains. Brain racking was something he excelled at, conclusions weren't, so, he went for a wee.

Upon returning to his desk he realised he hadn't shot anyone in over 2 weeks. The rain continued to strike the roller shutter door at a steady pace, his eye's flicked between the high windows and his monitor, ever watchful of the impending email which would send him and a creative team to some far flung corner of the tropical world to shoot a cacophony of beautiful people. But the email never came and the rain continued to.. well.. rain.

It was at this juncture that Craig, 41 from Sheffield, made a new and startling discovery that would change the fabric of his universe not just now but for the next 3 minutes. This discovery was in fact a lever under his chair which allowed said chair to pitch not only forwards, but backwards too. Craig was in his element and proceeded to have more fun on that chair than he'd had over the last 2 hours. Unfortunately as every child knows, playtime, has to come to an end, and with that thought, Craig got up out of his newly pimped office chair and decided enough was enough. Time to DO SOME WORK. So he went for a sandwich because as everyone knows an army marches on it's stomach! Metaphorically speaking I hasten to add.

"Are you being served" said the woman with the lazy eye at the cafe..."Turkey & Stuffing on wholemeal..." Craig confidently announced. "I wasn't looking at you.." she said.. "Oh" said Craig as a small badly dressed office worker continued to reel off his order for his entire workplace. The minutes passed by. "Can I help you love?" The lazy eyed assistant requested... Craig glanced slightly behind and as his mouth began to open... "Not you, the lady behind.. with the 4 children... ". Craig stood down, apparently patient but inside boiling over at contempt for the myopically afflicted missing link that stood before him. "Who's next?', Craig looked over both his shoulders and realised he was the sole customer in that establishment, with her customer service shortcomings now forgotten Craig knew that this was his moment, this moment more than any other was his time to shine. "Turkey & Stuffing on wholemeal please.." he chirpily announced. "Sorry we haven't got any Stuffing... " was the curt reply. "ok just turkey on wholemeal then... ", saying nothing the lady went into the backroom, returning a minute later she looked deep into Craigs eyes.. "ant got no brown bread..", with patience having already ran thin it was now positively anorexic. Craig took a deep breath..."ok turkey on white...", "We've just ran out of white.. I'm afraid.." It was at this point that the photographer began to wonder whether this was in actual fact a sandwhich shop or some sort of hospital for people who have no concept of reality on any level of consciousness. "Ok, lets do this another way...Do you have any Bread?" - "No" - "Ok do you have any turkey?" - "No" - "Ok what, in the name of metal mickey, do you have, foodwise, that is currently available for purchase, by myself, in this establishment?" - "Vanilla Slice?" - "Fine, please may I have one of your finest Vanilla Slices, thankyou.." - "No need to shout..." She replied as she picked up the tongs that would enable her to handle said pastry without contaminating it with any of her subterranean DNA strands. Unfortunately she picked it up by the top layer of pastry and as it made it's aerial traverse from the chiller to the counter the bottom two thirds of my pastry lost their battle with gravity and plummeted towards the dusty floor. Looking timidly towards Craig she proclaimed.. "I can knock the dust off..?". Craig, silently turned, walked and exited the shop.

Returning to his studio Craig slumped back into his chair put his feet up and went to sleep. What seemed like moments but was in actual fact 4 hours later his silent slumber was shattered by the phone ringing, A job! he thought. "Do you do passport photo's?" - "Yes I do" - "How much do you charge?" - "£500 and that doesn't include retouching.." - "Oh.. ok.. Well I'll have a think about it and call you back.. tarrar." The phone went dead, the caller despite his promise.. never returned that call. Putting it down the economic downturn Craig sat up and decided he needed to shoot. Two emails and one phone call later, he'd sorted out his MUA, hairstylist and a particularly pretty girl all of whom would descend on the studio the following day.

24 hours later the studio was in full swing, with Craig and the creative's all sorting out their respective equipment. The model, Tina, sat patiently in her chair, being transformed by the team. Then with everything ready she stood before the background and with beauty dish in place proceeded to do what she does best, and Craig, he did what he does best... And all was well with the world.

And so the moral of this story my friends is this.. if all around you isn't going too well.. just get off your fat arse and shoot someone.... photographically speaking I hasten to add....

These Streets.

2011-09-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

Putting together a test is a tense time, I need stylist that can deliver what they say they will, I need the models from agency, a make up artist and a hair stylist. Logistics need to be sorted how and when everyone will get to the location... the location which I too need to sort out. Then of course we have to pray that none of us will get a paid job on the chose day of the shoot. I personally book myself out but not everyone can. On top of all that I have to make sure that the images I produce are good enough for the models books, otherwise the model agency may not be quite so forthcoming with people the next time I want to shoot.

Thing is if you can't handle a test then you really should't be gunning for commercial work anyway. Guess thats why we call it a test, it's not just about how you handle the models etc it's about everything to do with putting a shoot together, I think of it as practice for the commercial jobs.

For this latest shoot we once again took to the streets of Manchester. I love shooting this classic style tailoring, I may have mentioned before my love for all things sartorial and this is no exception proving yet again that style beats fashion every time.

Northern Soul

2011-08-29T03:46:00.000-07:00

I've headed to Manchester again for yet another test shoot. This time we've opted for some of Boss's brightest young things. Another successful mission by my usual team of creative team , so sit back and relax whilst watching my behind the scenes video. Enjoy.

Get ahead, get a muse...

2011-08-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

It's not often when testing that I shoot the same model but over the years I seem to have shot Sundal quite regularly. The positives of this far out way the negatives. For a start you get to know how they're going to move and there are none of the heirs and graces sometimes associated when shooting new models. Both photographer and model can relax and concentrate solely on producing great images. The benefits of testing are that there is no pressure on anyone to perform, but that's not just how I see it. For myself, testing provides a boost of confidence in my own abilities but the best thing is, it keeps your profile up there on social networking media, itself a greater source of income than most people might imagine, specially when plying your trade as near to the arctic circle as Sheffield is!

All photographers should have a muse, I'm between muses at the moment but they are an excellent excuse to shoot on those days when you have nothing to shoot. The best muses for me tend to be people I'm happy to hang around with anyway regardless of whether we're there to shoot or just socially. They need to trust you implicitly and in my case they also need to show their appreciation via the medium of biscuits... or cake... I'm not fussy. Actually cake. I am fussy.

For this shoot we headed to the urban delights of Manchester and a location that had recently been used in the film 'Captain America'. It was also the the same building that my stylist, Natalie Armin lived in. Shell Sullivan provided make up and Mr Man Ellis was the designated coiffure for the day, luckily the model was also his muse as well as his girlfriend so all in all it was a close knit team. Despite low light levels and an irate shop owner I think we pulled off what we set out to do. Urban grit.

Model: Sundal @ http://www.lenismodels.com

Styling - http://www.nataliegreenstyling.com

Make up - http://www.shellsullivan.co.uk

Life on the dark side...

2011-08-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

So recently I was asked to do a mini shoot for a friends fashion blog. Normally I would't be quite so accomadating but I knew it would be a relaxed affair with a few samples on set which I could utilise to shoot something in my own style. I also already knew the model, Kat as she is known, so I was happy I could achieve something with a little bit of edge. I often use the term 'edgy' but to be fair I'm actually looking for a little bit of narrative, theatre and sexuality all rolled into one image. The lighting was no different to the commercial images I'd been shooting all day but I did do a little more in post production than I normally would. Here it works though.

I still feel like I'm trying to find my style, but it's becoming apparent that I do have leanings toward the darker side of photography. I'll happily shoot with as little as one light or even just a bit of window light coupled with careful use of a reflector and I'm never afraid to get plenty of shadow into the images either. More dark stuff to come I'm sure.

New york.. Milan... Rotherham...

2011-07-28T13:10:00.001-07:00

During the war, my Grandad used to work in the steel works of Sheffield and Rotherham. It's quite possible he actually walked past the location for my latest shoot, maybe.. just maybe... he may even have sat in the exact spot where I sat my model. Then again he might not have. Either way I do find it odd that with a good team we can produce things as beautiful as this image in an area that's not exactly know for it's aesthetics.

You may ask me.. "would you swap Sheffield for New york or Milan?" And the answer would be...Of course I would. South Yorkshire is no place for a creative and I'm not totally stupid. Given a choice I'd head for Manhattan tomorrow and if those six balls drop in my favour this weekend I'll be there by Sunday evening. I love the creative buzz I get from being in places like London and New York... don't know what it is but it just gives me a creative boost. A bit like Berocca but without the radioactive wee.

My team for this shoot was the Uber talented Laura Gingell on make up, Hair was courtesy of Natalie Shafii and the styling was provided to us by a 17 year old designer called Ashley Jones. No 17 year old in the land has the right to be that talented but he is. Watch out for him in the future. Our model for the day was Stephanie Slater on loan to us from http://www.bossmodelmanagement.co.uk in Manchester. All in all not a bad days shooting and so what if we weren't in Milan... I heard it rained anyway.

Personality is key.

2011-07-28T01:24:00.000-07:00

Our latest shoot was no different to any others, I supplied crisps and cakes the model brought an apple. Before the shoot the MUA and hair stylist asked me what our muse for the day was like. I answered without thinking, "well, she's beautiful but lets just hope she's got a personality.." Luckily she had it in bucket loads and was a joy to work with. It got me thinking about how hard it is when the person you're shooting just doesn't.. well.. turn up. It does't matter how beautiful a model is, if she has no charisma it's always a struggle.

I tend to be a photographer that likes to direct models, however this time I wanted this to come from the model herself. We're all guilty of relying on what we know and I didn't want the same poses. Initially she was a little awkward but this helped to be honest, by the end of the shoot she was brimming with confidence and all in all the day was very productive.

Back to the Future

2011-07-26T12:30:00.001-07:00

As reported yesterday I was going to let you know how I got on with my Holga 120 test shoot. Well judge for yourself. To be fair I was blown away by the feel of the images. Totally different but exactly what I was looking for. So my up coming project (more of that soon) will involve a lot of 120 XP2. It did cause some confusion in jessops but to be fair that's normal these days.

I do need to tweak the post production though, I need to find someone who will scan the negs with all the film showing without costing an arm and a leg. I never did understand why scanning was so expensive. Here I actually taped the neg to the front of my soft box then shot it on the 5D MkII and inverted it in Photoshop. Took about 5 minutes. Still I'm happy with this although I would have liked a bigger file as my Canon 24-105mm f4L doesn't focus so close so it was a major crop, only sold my 100mm macro last week as well. Bummer. That said my thinking behind using the holga was not about pixels but more about mood so all's groovy in Studio del Craigio. Ciao...

CAUTION: Breasts Ahead ! !

2011-07-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

If you are of an easily offended nature, then perhaps you ought to look away now. Personally I don't understand how anyone can be offended by this image but each to their own. It lasted on Facebook about 8 minutes before some one saw fit to report it, rather than just delete me. Could someone have been that offended or was it a case of professional jealousy? Who knows, who cares? I certainly don't. More to come for sure so get used to it.

I also shot on a Holga 120 today, loaded with Ilford XP2 or should I say Harman XP2. Funnily the guy in Jessops had no idea what it was. "I can sell it you but we can't process it..." - "yes you can" - "no we have to send it away.." - "no you don't, it's C41 process, monochromatic colour film" - "yes I know but it's black and white" - "trust me you can process it..." - "oh........ ok".

I can remember my first roll of XP2 or was it XP1 anyway it was new on the scene and I shot a roll of it through my Minolta dynax 7xi or my Minolta x300s.. can't remember which but I always remember how every one of my cameras has smelled. Odd. Anyway I shot some inner city cycling thing and was blown away with it's quality. Coupled with that it had a mild sepia tone to it, warm and luscious. I still love sepia today. Maybe that's why I like tea.

Back to the Holga, They leak light, have a plastic lens, the film doesn't run true, it has no backplate, you have no idea how far to advance the film thats if you even remember to advance the film. So why the Holga. Dunno, I'm just an old fashioned kinda guy and I'm getting tired of pixels....

Hair Lip..!

2011-07-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

Today I did something I advise other photographers not to do. I did a job in return for a haircut! A haircut? You say. Yes. A haircut. Why? Well the job I was asked to do was nothing more than setting up one light and taking about 5 frames of a staff member for the salons website. As I said I of all people wouldn't normally have entertained the idea but she has been a particularly loyal client over the last 5 years so it wasn't any hardship. Another reason I said yes was 2 days ago whilst out jogging past the local junior school I ran past to a barrage of "get runnin bog brush" and various other insults. So I did need a haircut. Not just any old haircut though, my client is award winning so I'm now resplendant with my award winning haircut. Cant wait to run past tomorrow...

Optical delusion...

2011-07-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

This is my favourite shot of this year. I can't quite put my finger on why it just is. I think it's down to the fact that it is a different style to my usual. And it's a style I intend to explore further. Odd too when I put it on facebook I had a few messages asking which photoshop plug in did you use or which photoshop filter. No one could ever imagine it was all done in camera, the only post production here was the black and white then sepia conversion. Sorry photoshoppers, that's the truth. Fact is I'll always prefer to achieve an effect in camera over photoshop any day.

To fink or not to fink...

2011-07-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

For some bizarre reason I often seem to work better under pressure. It's not actually the pressure because I am generally the calmest person on set even when all around me are losing their heads. Instead I've decided that it's more likely down to the fact that I'm better when I don't over think. On a recent hair show shoot I was told to turn up and shoot some models. So I did and when I was asked to photograph these two specimens I didn't think to much about where to shoot them so I said in a cool confident manner let's shoot through there, pointing to the door marked "toilets".

My confidence spilled over to my models who knew they were in safe hands, "is it better light in here?"... asked one of the models. "no" was my reply.. ."I just can't stand that loud music".

Luckily as I posed the first model outside the disabled toilet, I did realise I'd pulled off a veritable master stroke. The background matched the models skin tone and the ceiling was only 8 foot high and was painted freshly white. Pointing my speedlite skywards and setting it to +1.5 I shot for a total of 30 seconds and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

So sometimes thinking is bad. From a creative point of view that is. Obviously if you're a surgeon or an airline pilot then perhaps you should think about what your doing. For me however, I'm going to stop thinking.

We need to book you.. but.

2011-05-31T12:28:00.000-07:00

If there's one positive I know about recessions it's that they actually perform a service. In much the same way that a forest fire does. Without it you won't get new growth. Ever.

So I'm positive. Yes. I am. No really I am. What galls me somewhat is that this past week has brought in two enquiries from what are probably my 2 most distinguished clients. Both of whom have asked me to do a job for free. Now don't get me wrong if my lottery came in tomorrow I'd still do exactly the same as what I'm doing now, the only difference being I'd wear better clothes and get to my job in a car that doesn't sound like a dodgem car. I'd also go back to a better house, well a house as opposed to someone elses house (mum, girlfriend or brothers).

But would I do it for free? Well no not really. I love my job, it's my passion, my life. It has never brought me riches but it has brought me happiness and a sense of worth, something I never had in my employed life. So to ask me to do something for free is kind of difficult. I don't want to offend my clients by saying no but I do find it slightly worrying. I know recessions mean that even the graviest of gravy trains has to pull in at tighten your belts station but come on, is my work worth so little. They may think it is. I'm here to tell you that it isn't.

Happy Days Indeed.

2011-05-16T02:38:00.001-07:00

Shooting Pauline McLynn for the Sheffied Theatres production of Samel Becketts Happy Days was I one of my happiest shoots in a while. There was a full creative team of hair and make up, three theatre staff were on hand also and we had hired quite possibly the oddest studio I have ever seen. It was in Rotherham, which is bad enough but this was a second floor 'office' type space on the type of industrial estate that seems to have spawned its way around South Yorkshire like Japanese Knotweed. Added to this the studio owner seemed to be on edge just in case anyone helped themselves to tea and coffee without paying the 50pence fee. Also in the 'studio' was a stage and a recording studio. Bizaare was an understatement.

Luckily Miss McLynn was as talkative as she is in her TV roles so the shoot was very relaxed. I've mentioned before that actors are a different breed to models, and in the main are easier and much more fulfilling to shoot. It's not always easy though, some take their art very seriously and seem unable to relax but this can also lead to stronger images. This shoot was anything but that and the results speak for themselves. All in all it was an excellent shoot despite the studio owner and his 50p tea.

Dear Santa

2011-05-14T02:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Santa,

This year I have been good and would like a 27" iMac with capture one and photoshop cs5, a canon 50mm f1.2 l series lens, 3 Elinchrom style 600 heads with attachments, a loacation shoot utility vehicle (motorhome), a hassleblad HD40 one with lots of mega pixels please and a terry's chocolate orange. I realise this is alot to ask for and if the elves do have trouble then please don't feel you have to worry about the chocolate orange as I normally eat everyone elses anyway.

From Craig, aged 40.

Dear Craig,

Sod off.

From Santa, aged 349.

So there you have it, doesn't look likely I'll be getting what I want this year. To be honest there's always something I want, but what do I actually need. Well, the iMac will be on my desk soon if I have anything to do with it. Everything else will have to wait.

I think the next few years will be very interesting to photographers, I can see cameras taking another massive leap. Pixel counts will grow but this won't be the main advance, what with Canon working with Technicolour you can see how serious they are about the moving image. I have a few of my own ideas regarding computers and post production and I'd love to put them on here but not before I've put them to Steve Jobs first.

Smash Mash Colour Splash

2011-05-09T02:25:00.000-07:00

My local photographic dealer had mentioned they had some pretty garish background rolls on special offer at £20 each, orange, blue, green and yellow... What self respecting studio photographer would want those guffawed one local snapper with his Nikon slung round his hairy neck!

"I'll have em" I shouted from the back of the store with my head buried in the discounted bottles of Id11 and kodak D76 whist dusting down a paterson safelight. And have em I did, 2 rolls of full length orange and blue colorama... "yant come on yer motorbike av ya yooof" announced the hairy necked nikon wielding luddite. I acknowledged his question with a look that was a mixture of "go away retard" combined with an added air of "lose the nikon and shave your fat neck"... it seemed to do the trick as he and the rest of his photo snapping chums quickly realised I wasn't impressed by a fat old northern wannabe comic who's only audience was his sycophantic entourage hanging on to his every word. I don't know who he was but he obviously thought he was something, which he was.. a f**kwit.

F**kwit aside I loaded the backgrounds into the Jazz and set off to the studio. Two days later I've got hair and make up artist and a wardrobe stylist combined with a brace of Boss talent in the form of Verity and Felix.

Now I've know for a number of years that the trick in this industry is to only work with people who are amazing. Photographers spend a lot of time making people look amazing, but the thing to do is work with people who make you look amazing. So I did. And they did.

Problem is I shot 661 images as part of this shoot and of those about 450 are keepers. Now I've engineered my life to be as stress free as is humanly possible but this has caused me some consternation for I have no idea which ones to edit. They're all that good. I'm still scratching my head now wondering which ones to edit. I need a retoucher and one that charges 3 pence per image.

One light wonder

2011-04-30T01:54:00.000-07:00

I've always been somewhat of a one light wonder throughout my photographic career. It's not laziness, I often try and add extra lights but I rarely think they add to the overall effect I'm trying to achieve. This isn't something I'm particularly apologetic for either. I am happy however, to use different light shaping tools, softboxes, beauty dishes, honeycombs, bare reflectors, they're all in my armoury and all regularly get utilised. I may even mix them up with a silver or gold reflector and occasionally a black one.

One of my pet hates is people asking me how I shot something, the ones who want the exact exposure, the lens, the exact lighting set up, was it a softbox? or a beauty dish? What t-shirt were you wearing? was it hot outside??? It's at this point I generally make something up like I shot it using a baked potato on a tripod, lighting was from a giraffe with a headlamp from a 1962 Morris traveller. Oh and I did it on one leg. It's not that I'm scared everyones going to go and copy what I've done and steal all my clients it's mainly that I really can't remember and the technicalities really aren't the point of it all.

Wardrobe stylist extrodinaire. Part 2.

2011-04-30T01:34:00.000-07:00

If you've read part one of this article you'll realise I'm not keen on parting with money, that's not strictly true. But when it comes to key styling pieces I firmly believe that less is more. In this image we have 3 main pieces, background, clothing and neckpiece. The first two elements in this example are in fact one and the same, a curtain, procurred from my girlfriends spare room. The 3rd is actually a belt from top shop which I knew would make an excellent neck piece, I wasn't wrong either. I will buy things with the sole intention of keeping the receipt and taking it back post shoot. This may be a little immoral, but I don't think it will bring top shop crashing into financial ruin, and you can't stand in the way of creativity so I'll sleep well at night thank you very much.

So we have two very different images all of which cost virtually nothing. Because of financial restraints I have no option but to source things from bargain sale bins or my girlfriends spare room and to be honest I'm like one of those 3rd division football managers that gets a shot in the premiership then spends £200 million buying players who would probably have a better chance of scoring if there was a bell in the ball... I know myself even if I had a big budget I'd still go to car boots and antique shops for my styling then probably blow the rest on catering.. well. . you gotta keep the team happy.

Wardrobe stylist extrodinaire. Part 1.

2011-04-30T01:16:00.000-07:00

Styling and make up are one of the most important and often overlooked elements in portraiture. For this image we had nothing in mind but a quick visit to the local shopping centre resulted in us finding this lace mask, it was in a sale bin in a tacky chain store. Or Anne Summers as you may know it. I'd seen a black diamond eye patch in the shop window but this was part of the sex pirate outfit so I'd have to buy the whole thing if I wanted the eye patch. Not keen on parting with anything more than a fiver I decided against it and instead found this key piece for the princely sum of 5 english pounds.

I wanted the image to be strong so asked the hairstylist to slick back the models hair so nothing would detract form my bargain styling piece. Luckily the shot works, helped by stunning make up from Nicki Donohoe (www.nicki-donohoe.com), so a relatively simple brief gives us what I think is a very strong image. And all for a fiver.

0161 Manchester...

2011-02-27T03:57:00.001-08:00

So I found myself in a club, in Sheffield.. an alien environment for mysef, much preferring the calm and safety of the settee, feet up watching Midsomer murders with a nice cup of tea and a chocolate digestive. But in a club I was. I'd arranged to do a quick backstage shot of Bez who was apparently a dancer in the Happy Mondays. Luckily I'd pre planned 10 minutes with the fellow backstage with a two light set up comprising of small soft box and 21cm honeycombed reflector over his left shoulder. On arrival I was introduced to a somewhat worse for wear promoter, I asked him where I could set up my lights and was greeted with the response - "there's some lights on the ceiling..!" Indeed there was but they weren't the type of lights that have an Elinchrom style bayonet fitting or produce 500 watts of light in a 1/1500th sec burst.

Yet again I found myself armed to the teeth with about 4 grandsworth of gear on my back and someone who was supposed to have been briefed about my presence having absolutely no idea who I was or why, more to the point, I was there. I also found myself with an assistant/girlfriend who'd rekindled her passion for redstripe straight out of the can. This could only go two ways.

Bez was there to do 'a set' which is modern parlance for about an hours so called work. Anyway I ended up having to wait and upon him finishing I approached him amidst the gaggle of tipsy revellers all queuing up for a snap with their role model. I was granted about 20 seconds and whisked him off to the relative sanctuary of the stair well. Red wall, white ceiling, Canon flashgun pointed skyward and 20 seconds and five frames later I'd got it.

We barely spoke in that time except when he saw a semi clad girl on my business card which seemed to have the same effect on him as a solid chocolate kit kat does on me. Needless to say I was happy with the final result, a bit of editing to take out the harsh shadow of the flashgun and a black and white conversion sponsored by channel mixer and I was a happy bunny. I prized my dancing girlfriend away from the dancefloor and retired back to the settee just in time for tea and medals. Sometimes it pays to get out the comfort zone.. specially when your hearing gets back to mormal.

A day in my life.

2010-11-25T04:33:00.001-08:00

So I got up this morning round about 7ish as Nicki was doing some promo in Castleford and they'd tipped snow which never arrived. Upon descending the stairs I made 2 cups of tea for myself and my showering girlfriend, I also made porridge. Porridge is good for you so eat porridge.(That was brought to you by the porridge alliance). I ironed my FDNY hoody which is not something I've ever done before. I also ironed Nicki's daughters blouse for school, again another first.

Anyway next thing after catching up on the news was to shower, so I went in the shower.. and had a shower. Nicki left at half 8 I took Monkey to school (I don't have a real monkey it's my name for Nicki's 6 year old daughter, soon to be 7). Dropping monkey off in the classroom I then proceeded to rescue a beauty dish and some reflectors which I'd left at a salon. I say rescued because the builders were using it to prop up 3 tons of rubbish, good of them but then again most builders are stupid. And thats why they are builders. It's also why when they talk shop they make out like it's rocket science, which it isn't. I know because I have worked in that trade albeit briefly and I know that if building was rocket science builders wouldn't, nay couldn't, do it. And while I'm on the subject Rocket science isn't exactly rocket science either in much the same way that window cleaning isn't but don't get me started on window cleaners... or rocket scientists.. but mainly window cleaners.

So upon leaving salon I was greeted with something in my windscreen wiper, some charity thing which is A) Begging, and B) Littering so please everyone please stop, I give to my chosen charities as and when I can and my compassion fatigue is increasing specially in these times of hardship. Upon driving home I'm listening to a story about some students in Sheffield who locked themselves in by means of a protest against Nick Cleggs education U-turn. In retailiation the university janitor turned the air con down to 'quite cold - perhaps a jumper' setting, which is cutting edge protests if ever there was any. If your going to lock yourself anywhere do it in a pub or a bakery. Honestly students.

Plus to be fair to Mr Clegg has said no student will have to pay back anything unless they earn over 21 grand which is cool cos no call centre in the land pays that and neither does Greggs so your all safe, panic over get back to sleeping in till 2 and not washing for 4 years whilst poking your nose into other peoples business all in the name of political self righteousness. Some woman phoned in the radio and said in a broad Sheffield accent 'Get watter cannon on em Ronay err toby, if thiz one thing students don't like it's watter' -wise words indeed.

Next up I have 10 images need retouching so I turn on the PC then get a call that my Grandad isn't answering his door so I'm called out on emergency grandad duty. My mum and sisters all panic thinking he's stone cold in bed whereas I imagine he's probably stole the Mrs next doors wheelchair and wheeled his way to spearmint rhino where he's locked himself in as a protest against Nick Clegg and the ConDem coalition. We're all wrong he's just a bit under the weather and has decided to have a lay in. I make him a brew then get back to my editing.

Then another Emergency call this time from a client, 'the press photographer hasn't turned up can you get to Wakefield in like 10 minutes', I can't but I endeavour to be there within the hour, postponing the editing a second time I load the car at which point I get another call 'panic over - the press guy just turned up... ' up down up down. Anyway undetterred I carry on with my editing. It's 1pm and I'm on the 3rd image of 10.

To be fair I wouldn't consider a 'press' photographer not turning up an emergency there are other workarounds. If you're ever presented with a situation where a local press photographer fails to show follow these simple steps.

Arm yourself with a battered camera.
Talk nonsense and dress in the style of Jeremy Clarkson
Pretend you have THE most important job in the whole wide world
Take numerous quirky angle shots whilst at the same time asking the subject to do ridiculous poses.
Work for three minutes and forty eight seconds then run away as if you're going to a breaking news story but it's actually a pub.
Act like a twat.

So there you have it, press photography for dummies.

So what else will I be doing today, well very little in the way of photography but I will be baking bread later and making Nicki's tea. So you see the life of a photographer is somewhat bizaare but I wouldn't change it for all the tea in Morrisons not ever you hear.

Disclaimer: The above photograph is staged. No model was harmed during the making of this image although she did ladder her stockings but I thought it added to the overall image. I have slightly retouched it but not much so please don't self harm. Oh and if you are offended by a woman in her bra then perhaps you need to lighten up a bit.

2010-11-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

I'm getting more into shooting regular people these days as well as actors and models. It's nice to get back to reality and the images themselves are nothing to do with gear or lighting they're just about the subject. Surely that's what portrait photography should be about no matter who you're shooting, and it is, but if you're shooting for a paying client you have to give them what they want. Sure they've booked you for your style but they still have every right to expect what they've asked for.

Increasingly these days I find myself doing exactly what they want and then about half way through I'll show them another style and 9 times out of 10 they change their mind and go with that. It's an odd way of working and as my late dad would have said 'only give them what they want, then get paid'. To be fair he was right in a business sense but he fitted beer dispensing equipment for Stones brewery and the scope for creative experimentation in that industry was somewhat limited. That said it didn't stop me putting my own 'Dali-esque' slant on the cellar equipment when I worked with him... slant being the operative word. Needless to say my days as an apprentice beer dispense equipment technician were numbered.

Anyway I digress, the point I'm trying to make is as a creative I feel it's my job to do what a client wants then show them what else I can do. So that's what I'll always do, even if I've been booked for four hours and I'm still there after 7 hours as long as I'm creating I'm happy.

It's a cover up!

2010-11-21T09:54:00.000-08:00

I'm lucky enough to have a girlfriend who's not only a model but a make up artist too. Inevitably what this means is at the back end of most of my paid shoots I get the opportunity to shoot her. My passion for shooting women is never satiated more so than when I'm shooting Nicki, specially naked. And here lies my dilemma - I love the images we get from our little 10 minute shoots and I'd love to show them to the world in all their glory but I have to admit to being a little protective of my girlfriend. Don't get me wrong if I had the opportunity to hang them in a gallery and sell them but to publish them on the internet seems to me to be giving her away a little cheaply.

To be honest I prefer the images with the cheeky banner anyway. So if you want to see the original you'll have to buy it as a limited edition print, funny how cash broadens my mind in an instant.

Last Wednesday I picked up my Lowepro trekker backpac only to find I hadn't zipped it up - Bang went the 5d Mk II with 24-70mm f2.8L series lens as it hit the floor. The camera doesn't seem to be damaged, the lens however ended up in 2 pieces. Gutted was an understatement. Lucky for me I have a professional insurance policy. Or is it. I called them yesterday and was told I have to get it to a service centre - 'I'm sorry we don't have a list of service centres Mr Fleming' - Gobsmacked I carried on with the conversation. Basically I have to drive the lens to Stoke on trent where it will sit on a bench for a week or so before someone looks at it. After which they'll send me a report which I have to fax to the insurance company. Then they'll decide what happens next. They also said the 5D will need checking but have offered me no rental kit in the interim. Not until the report is on their desk which could take 2 weeks or more.

Now as a professional I cannot afford to be without my kit for 1 week let alone two so why am I paying an insurance company for a policy which doesn't look after me. The answer is I don;t know but I won't be paying them next year. I've ended up having to buy a 24-105mm f4 lens in the meantime and thats something I could have done without. My advice - clarify the small print before you go ahead with insurance.

Lady Whiteadder...

2010-11-01T02:32:00.001-07:00

As a photographer who's lucky enough to occasionally shoot celebrity portraits I'm not often blown away or star struck by them, which is good I suppose. The last thing they want is some tongue tied buffoon of a photographer sucking up to their every word and not getting the job done. I need to be focussed and give direction the same way I would if I was shooting anybody from any walk of life. So when I was asked if I could go to London and shoot actress Miriam Morgolyes I didn't bat an eyelid. 'little old lady' I thought... doddle.

A doddle it was too, I've never met anyone who performed for the camera quite like Miriam. I barely had to speak throughout the shoot. She worked that camera like no one else I've ever met, and unlike most so called professional models she knew when I was about to shoot, she seemed to understand my constant need to re-focus on her eyes then recompose my shot keeping perfectly still until the shutter had fired, which she insinctivley knew was her cue to change her pose. Absolutely brilliant. I've never met anyone like her in front of a camera. What's so beautiful about the way she works is she seemingly has no vanity and so doesn't seem to care what's happening at my end. Now if I could bottle that I'd be a very rich man.

Since shooting Miriam Margolyes I've also come to realise that you can tell the age of someone when trying to describe her, basically to anyone over 35 she's Lady White Adder from the TV series Blackadder and anyone younger knows her for her role in one of the Harry Potter films. Thankfully I'm in the Black adder camp.

Sexy or Sexist?

2010-10-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Sexy or sexist? That was the title of an article in this months Professional Photographer magazine. Damn fine article it was too and it got me thinking. Mainly because I have no idea, I couldn't possibly comment on this subject whether it's my own work or someone elses. What constitutes a sexist image? Is it the woman being shown in a derogatory light? Or is it something more complex. For the benefit of my own limited intellect I have decided it's not for me to decide due to the fact that I am in fact a little bit stupid. It was a good article though and it's not often that an article has any affect on me at all, maybe it's because I'm getting older. Who knows.

Don't believe the Hype.

2010-10-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

It's come round to that time of year again when the news turns it's gaze to the 'great airbrushing debate' yet again.. blaming photographers and photography for giving impressionable teenagers the world over the wrong idea about what is beauty and perfection. Is this really the case? I'm not so sure. Debenhams have jumped on the back end of the airbrushing debate by announcing they won't be airbrushing their images of models in future. Good bit of publicity but if it affects sales in a negative way you can bet they'll quickly revert to manipulated images yet gain, maybe this time without the public announcement.

I really don't have much time for life's moral crusaders or their questionable motives but I'm sure this debate will rage on.. right up until something more newsworthy comes along. I for one prefer to give my clients the best possible image and if that means manipulating what ever I have to, then so be it. When I shoot men for instance I go the other way and use contrast and toning to exaggerate lines and wrinkles. Hope the kids don't get wind of it though.. for their own sakes.

Take us to your leader!

2010-08-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

I love the british summer, it's the other 11 and a half months I can't stand. Mid July and I've booked a model and MUA, I've styled the shoot myself so what can go wrong. Cue the British bleedin summertime. What should have been early showers giving way to bright intervals turned into heavy persistent rain with low cloud and a wind that belonged on the other side of Febuary. Not a happy bunny I carried on regardless. The model and MUA were both in full whining mode as they dressed and did make up behind the car and they also accused me of being an inconsiderate photographer, it was something like that anyway I couldn't tell what they were saying behind the background noise of my car heater, honestly some people. Undaunted I carried on reading my newspaper with my hot coffee while they got on with their thing. Still it proved one thing to me, when they need to, models and make up artists can work quickly.

A mod and a wink!!

2010-08-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

So my obsession with all things vintage is still rolling along. I think it's my age, you see, I'm approaching the grand old age of 40 in a few weeks and its true as you get older you look less towards the future and more towards the past. I don't know what the cut off point is when those scales tip. But I must have passed it in the last couple of years. It wasn't so long ago I used to wonder what the future held for me as a photographer and also for photography but now I look back at where I was and the equipment I used to use. I've even just bought a Nikonos V underwater camera which dates back to 1985. Can;t wait to get underwater with it and shoot a few sub surface portraits.

This image above was talked about for months and then literally thrown together in about 15 minutes. One call to the owner of the scooter and one to my make up artist and all was green to go. Oh plus a quick trip to a boutique for the Fred Perry top and that was it. Once again I took the lighting gear with me but once again I preferred the natural light images. To be fair I knew this would be the case, no point putting a modern lighting twist on an old image, I wanted it to look like Thatchers Britain. This industrial backstreet was perfect for the job too and the model, Nicki fulfilled the brief perfectlyto give us a range of cracking 80's mod pictures. What's next in the vintage series you ask? Well I'm toying with the idea of a vintage lingerie shoot but even more exciting is a possible range of skinhead and punk pictures, real people stuff too so I'll be on the prowl for a few of those. Other than that I guess the series will go on and maybe in 20 years I'll be shooting portraits with a 2010 theme.... so that'll be Chav's and benefit cheats then. Best start taping Jeremy Kyle now for inspiration.

Back to the future....

2010-07-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

One thing that really annoys me about digital cameras is their inherent ability to make everything look like it was shot by pixar or walt disney. Super sharp and super saturated images are all very well and groovy for certain things but for portraiture and fashion I spend most of my time trying to make the images look like they were shot on film. Old film and I'm talking pre 1980's had a quality all of its own, mixed with dodgy processing and the fact that most films being taken into the chemist had a christmas on each end of the roll and the summer holiday in between, thus showing how long it took most people to finish off a roll, all helped to give them a tired and worn look.

It's something I employed on my latest fashion shoot, using photoshop to create a film effect. It's odd when I shot film I used to shoot Velvia on 6x7 and quality was my main consideration. Now I have a 5d MK II, quality is no longer an issue and I spend most of time trying to emulate the poor results of 1975 print films.

With cameras now able to shoot HD video all the talk is of the still image moving aside for the moving one. Even respected journalists in our field seem to be of this opinion, trouble is I can't help feeling this is just the camera manufacturers dictating to the narrow minded journo's. I for one have no desire to start taking moving images instead of a still. Still photography is more of an art form and always will be over the moving image, why? Because we have one frame to convey a feeling and a mood. A movie maker has soundtrack, dialogue and about 3 million frames to get the point across. So in 10 years are we all to believe we will be hanging mini movies on our walls instead of a photograph. Why would anyone do that? Will e-magazines be using moving image adverts alongside copy? I hope not, I have trouble concentrating on the words in a paragraph without a film running alongside it.

It's information overload, you only have to watch skysports to see it in action. An anchorman gives us the results in person while a scrolling red bar brings us the results as they happen, underneath that another thicker bar gives us more general sports results and meanwhile on the right of the screen the football tables are shown on a continuous loop. If that wasn't enough they have to have the channel highlighted on the top left and the red button on display on the top right just in case you need any more information. So what happens is you end up concentrating on nothing and you take in less information. Thats why still photography will always be here because every now and again we just want to see a simple beautiful image with no bells whistles or shouting anchormen. Photographic journo's take note.

Seeing the light.

2010-07-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

When I go out on a shoot I take everything with me, lenses, cameras, 2 studio flash heads and a mammoth battery pack. I often try and use them too but for this shoot I just used available light and when I say light it was the last knockings of sunset so there wasn't much about. Flash can kill a shot so I just relied on my metering and for once a tripod. I'm not a fan of tripods but I was shooting at ISO 400 with shutter speeds down to 1/20th of a second, I don't use an IS lens either so tripod it was.

We shot in a very dodgy closed road in Sheffield, it was obviously a haunt for glue sniffers and drug dealers but luckily they stayed away while we were there. I hate specatators when I'm shooting, dog walkers, models boyfriends and friends, cyclists I've even had a guy with a Canon shooting over my shoulder. He didn't even ask. I don't mind people tagging along as long as they go and do something other than stand behind me. I just don't understand it, if your girlfriend works in Greggs they wouldn't let you stand beside them while they serve hot sausage rolls to fat badly dressed poor people.

To be fair I never expected much from this shoot I wasn't digging the location and the light was failing fast but I like to think we nailed it. I'd been saying to my stylist for weeks we needed to shoot at dusk. The thing with light is.. less is more.

Full Circle - Part 2

2010-07-10T02:29:00.001-07:00

So those nice people at Canon sent me a 50mm f1.8, it was for a magazine article I'd been commissioned to write and although I was eager to get it I have to say I was a little dissappointed it wasn't the 50mm f1.2 which I was planning on buying but instead I booked a September trip to New York. Anyway the lens arrived and despite it's plastic toy like feel I had read good reports on it.

To be fair I knew the results wouldn't match up to my usual 'L' series requirements but for this shoot I actually wanted a soft image. Pin sharp eyes are all well and good but sometimes things can be too sharp and contrasty. This fashion shoot was going to be shot using natural light in an old fashioned bookshop so ultra sharp lenses mixed with studio flash would have killed it altogether. I took my tripod just in case but I needn't have bothered the fast 1.8 lens gave me a shutter speed of between 1/80th and 1/250th sec depending on where I was in the shop and as I've mentioned before I can happily hand hold down to speeds of around 1/20th specially with a 50mm.

So that's it, 25 years ago I started out on my photographic journey, armed with a zenit 11 and a screw fit 50mm. Back then I longed for all the exotic optics and now a quarter of a century later I'm once again armed with a 50mm. The manufacturers marketing is all aimed making you believe you so NEED the latest lens or camera but in actual fact to take great fashion portraits all you need is a bit of light and a smidge of vision and you can't buy either of those at Calumet.

Popular consensus and the art of free thinking.

2010-06-23T01:50:00.001-07:00

One of the problems when using studio flash on location, specifically dimly lit locations is maintaining the ambiance. Studio flash can kill all mood in these places so you have to think very carefully about how you light them. If for instance you follow the advice of many and shoot at around f8 or f11 all you're going to do is underexpose the background and what's the point of shooting there when you're not going to see it. You may as well shoot on a black background.

Fear not though there are a number of things you can do. Some may try and light the background but this doesn't help the ambiance at all. You need to use the light that's already there. I prefer to shoot at around f2.8 or f4 even when I'm using flash, this helps to bring the background out of the shadows but more often than not it's just not enough. So what's the options? You could turn off the flash and up the ISO, fine but you're not guaranteed good light on the model and the art of good lighting means total control in every area, model and background. So, we're shooting at f2.8 at ISO 100. Popular consensus dictates when using flash that we use a shutter speed of 1/125th or 1/160th of a second. Why? Because that's the maximum sync speed for shooting with flash. And herein lies the problem.

As photographers it's drilled into us throughout our learning curves that we should shoot at f8/f11 because that's the optimum aperture performance wise. Proven by lens designers who wear white coats but rarely take a picture. We're also told that when using flash we should set the shutter to 1/125th or 1/160th of a second. Why? because that's the fastest sync speed designed into most cameras. (Yes some cameras do have faster sync speeds but this is irrelevant).

The trick to a shot like this is to actually drag the shutter and by this I mean setting a shutter speed of around 1/30th of a second or slower. Use a tripod if you have to and tell the model to keep still. That way you will record detail in the shadows and the flash will take care of the model.

The first thing I do when I walk into a location is take and ambient meter reading so if the meter suggests 1/25th of a second @ f2.8 then that will be my exposure, I will then set the main flash head at f2.8. So ignore what you might have learned and go into every situation with an open mind. There will be times when 1/125th sec @ f8 is the perfect exposure but in my experience, not many,

The day I met a legend.. and a thoroughly decent chap.

2010-06-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

The opportunity to photograph one of British Theatres luminaries is one I would not have passed up regardless of illness or injury. And nor did I. 48 hours previous to this shoot I'd been involved in a football related incident leading to a broken rib, punctured lung and several severed arteries. In actual fact it was more likely a cracked or bruised rib but I feel it is my duty as a real man to exaggerate and embellish all and any ailments that come my way into a near death experience that would befall even the manliest of men...

And so it was that accompanying me on my latest shoot is my girlfriend and muse Nicki. I don't know how I could have completed this assignment without her either despite scaling down my kit. The brief is simple, Simon Callow is here to promote a one man show all about Shakespeare and with a portait of old Will on display in Sheffield's Graves art gallery on loan from the NPG in London, I've been asked to get a few shots of him in front of the actual portrait. Once again I arrive early to set up and I'm glad I did as the portrait is behind perspex so it's a tough job eliminating the reflections from my softboxes.

Mr Callow arrives and a minute later two press photographers turn up and for some reason they are granted first shout at capturing the great man. I'm glad they are because it gives me a chance to see first hand just how inept some professionals are at shooting portraits. I wouldn't mind but we're in a room with a multitude of portraits on the wall all with one thing in common, simplicity. And that's how a portrait should be, simple and to the point it is after all only a portrait, what could be easier. I watch enthralled as the two press guys ask him to adopt all kinds of poses whilst at the same time trying to avoid reflections on the Shakespeare portrait.

As they finish Nicki plugs in my flash heads and I'm greeted by my subject. Holding his hand out he smiles as do I albeit through my cracked ribcage. Ignoring the pain I shake his hand and get on with the shoot and with the first shot in the bag Mr Callow turns his attention to the my beeping flashhead. 'What a funny little shriek!' He exclaims, in a tongue that you don't often hear this far north.

With the main shots done I'm allowed to get a few more images and using the gallery wall as the backdrop we carry on. Again it's the subtlety with which they move that helps me get the shot I'm after. I have a theory that like models, actors are picked because of their faces. Simon Callow is no exception, I think it would be difficult to get a bad shot of him, even I was a press photographer!!!

All in all I came away from this shoot with a warm feeling, as well as a sore rib. Despite a minimum of interaction with him he still came across as a thoroughly decent chap as well as being a pleasure to photograph,

Celebrity Shooting.

2010-06-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

And so I got the call. 'Would you like to come and photograph Richard Wilson?' It's the type of call I dream of. I love shooting characters even more so when it's someone who's been in the public eye for years. Arriving early at the location I set up my elinchrom 500 head, asked the press officer to stand in to get the exposure right and set about tidying up the area we were shooting in. The architecture was simple clean lines with little distraction, a perfect backdrop.

I never get nervous on any shoot and this was no different, however this was the first time I'd used this flash system, trading in my old and tired Bowens kit for something a little more, a: portable and b: reliable. And so I set up the Elinchroms, I'd only seen it used once in the showroom but flash holds no fear for me I've used it for years and even though this has an array of modes and features just as my camera does I only ever use it in manual mode.

Enter Mr Richard Wilson, stage left. I shook his hand and started off shooting him stood against a white wall. Actors for me are far more intriguing people to photograph. They give more than a model ever does, that might sound obvious as this is their trade but it still never ceases to amaze me just how easy and more important, simply, they perform for the camera. And it is solely for the camera, not the photographer. The subtlety with which they move is a joy for a portrait photographer, understated movements and expressions all help create the final image.

I often curse the fact that I only get about 5 minutes with most celebrity type people but to be fair if I had any longer I just think it would give me more time to cock it up. The fact is a 5 minute shoot although fraught can be the best way to get results. You can't beat about the bush with these people and this pressure often brings out the best in me.

Switching the direction of my lights by 180 degrees I ask Mr Wilson to sit in a chair I dragged over from the bar area. He obliges quietly and we continue to shoot, 'Chin up please...', 'Eyes to me..', 'looking through me now, just beyond my elbow...' And all too quickly the shoot is over. Skimming through the images I can't help but smile, knowing that of the 20 or so images I took at least 15 are keepers. Holding that smile I once again shake his hand, thanking him for his time. He returns pleasantries and smiles also, this time without me asking him to.

Hair of the Blog !

2010-04-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

So it's around this time of year I shoot for Wella trend vision and L'oreal Colour trophy. I used to love shooting hair but in recent times it's become almost like shooting a passport photograph. This image above was shot 3 years ago and is still one of my favourite hair shoots ever. The thing is salons seem to have cut budgets a little but I find this a little odd. They concentrate solely on hair and pay little attention to anything else including models and styling not to mention set design.

In this image I've built the set using 3- 8 foot by 4 foot poly boards and about 3 packs of polystyrene ceiling tiles.. a bit of grey paint and there you have it. A set for less than hundred quid. The model and the make up artist were all top professionals so it wasn't cheap for the salon but the results were outstanding. Salons need to compete and imagery is one way they can stay ahead of the rest of the field. Oh and it pays my bills too.

Full Circle.

2010-04-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

This little beauty will shortly be the new addition to my lens range. It's the Canon 50mm f1.2 L series lens. Way back in 1983 I started shooting on a Russian Zenith 11, it came with a 44mm f2.8 Helios lens and I can still remember how excited I was to have an SLR. I can actually still remember how it smelled and how cold the metal body was. Back then I would dream of owning a Canon and a host of exotic optics and it's a journey as a photographer you have to take. I recently traded in my Canon 17-40mm f2.8L and 70-200 f4L series lenses for a 100mm f2.8 and a 200mm f2.8L series prime lenses. Why? Because I just didn't like them, the Sigma 15mm fisheye lens which I recently tested for Digital SLR User magazine was vastly superior to the wide Canon at 17mm and the 70-200 was quite frankly a terrible lens.

Lately I've been shooting a series of portraits of people in Sheffield. It's a lucrative commission for me and one which I'm keen to carry on once the project is officially over. I've actually gone back to shooting portraits how I used to, with natural light and letting the portrait say something about the sitter. I leave the Bowens kit in the car and it's been a mini revolution for me. So that's why I'm going back to the 50mm, with it's fast 1.2 aperture it surely is a modern exotic optic without being flash. It will bring a style to my work that I sometimes have to emulate in post production and believe me when you start shooting regularly for paying clients the only time I really want to spend in front of the computer is time printing invoices.

Charge of the tight brigade...

2010-04-06T01:22:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest problems I encounter on a day to day basis is whether to charge for editing or not. Some jobs are big enough to soak up this cost but the smaller ones aren't. And its these smaller jobs that cause the biggest headache. It never fails to amaze me how many clients think the retouching costs are included in the hourly rate. They aren't. And they never will be. My hourly rate is based on a number of things but retouching is such a wide variable. Plus if I do a four hour shoot say then you can guarantee I'll need to spend at least another 4 hours retouching.

Recently I've put the model portfolio package to bed, simply because it's not cost efficient. To get the jobs in the first place I have to charge a relatively low fee, but this fee would never cover retouching.

Another problem with I encounter is model agencies. I can;t speak for London agencies but there's a school of thought going round up here that a model should never have to pay for a portfolio. Why? Does a photographer not have the right to earn a living from his/her craft. Of course he does. I've spent years developing my style and investing in equipment so why should a 17 year old who's only investment into their own careers is one of luck playing the genetic lottery.

I know of one model agent in Sheffield who tells models never to pay for a portfolio, I wouldn;t mind but she's not taking on the calibre of people who are going to be taking the New York catwalks by storm either. And that's the thing I don;t mind testing with decent models but newbies who have no experience in front of the camera have no place walking into my studio and getting free shoots.

This leads me on to the free press, every city has one or two of these magazines. They charge an arm and a leg for ineffectual advertising but pay nothing for editorial images. Again I would have no issue with this if they were using those pages fairly to show off that cities talent and use it as a springboard to help launch their careers but instead they rely on enthusiastic amatuers who's ego's far outway their talents. At the end of the day it is up to them who they use but come on.. if a picture is worth publishing then that picture is worth paying for.

Fashion or Portrait Photographer?

2010-04-05T02:16:00.000-07:00

How would you describe yourself in photographic terms? I always say I'm a portrait photographer, I just happen to shoot fashion images but I still do it in a portrait style. What does that mean? Well I use the props I have to hand such as location, clothes and model to portray a story. Here I've used the model and clothes to say something about the fictional background. So what do you see when you look at this image. I see a military man from a different place and time, maybe South america under a military coup and this is the hastily put together publicity shot of the newly installed dictator.

That's how my mind works as a photographer and you can put that in reverse to tell a factual story should you need to. Looking at it you'd say it's a fashion image but why, and if that's the case then every portrait that shows a hint of textile is surely a fashion image. Thats what's so fascinating about old photographs, we always look back through old family albums and laugh at the hair and the clothes and funny as they are, they are surely a very important socio-historic study.

So the line between fashion and portrait photographer is blurred even further.. or is it. For me it's more a question of who the client is, if I'm shooting for a fashion designer then it's a fashion image but if that model goes on to use that image in their book then it becomes a portrait. There's that line.. blurring again...

Back to the future.

2010-04-05T01:27:00.000-07:00

As a photographer I seek my inspiration from almost anywhere, but when my girlfriend and muse Nicki, bought me a book I knew I had a new source of inspiration. The book was 'Norman Parkinson - A very british glamour'. Norman Parkinson was an old school society photographer and he was the first photographer to take models out of the studio and onto the British streets of the 40's and 50's.

If ever there was going to be a film made about a photographer then 'Parks' would make a brilliant subject choice. He was everything a photographer should be, well travelled, a gentleman, unique and maybe even a little eccentric. His wife and muse 'Wenda' was often the subject of his shoots and he had a way of shooting the beautiful in amongst the mundane and making it his own. He kept pigs and even invented his own sausage - 'The Porkinson Banger', which you can still buy today.

The appeal of Parkinsons work for me goes way back to when I was a child, my weekends were spent at my Grandma and Grandads house and Saturdays consisted of me waking up at 7.30, slipping quietly downstairs to watch Spiderman in cartoon form, then a fried breakfast followed by a walk to the shops with Grandad. A kickabout on the road with my brother then fish and chips for lunch, after this I'd sit down with my Grandma and we'd watch an old black and white film and this was the clincher... the women in those films were always immaculately presented, they were stylish and behaved like ladies. I loved the stark black and white and the how the lighting gave them a flawless look although at the time I didn't know this would shape me and be instrumental in my life. When I met Nicki I knew she had that 40's look but I didn't think she'd pull off the look this well.

The shoot itself was all sorted in a matter of minutes. It was February and the coldest winter we've had for years. I knew the low lying mist would add to the atmosphere of the shot, giving it a London smog kind of feel. However we were 190 miles from London so we headed off to Wentworth woodhouse which boasts the largest frontage of any stately home in Europe, conveniently it's also about 3 miles from my house. We'd already sourced some vintage clothing from a woman on facebook and Nicki, a trained make up artist set about getting some slap on.

By metering from under the brim of the hat I've ensured her eyes aren't in shadow and this also helps to give the image a high key look. To be honest this is why I love photography, there wasn't much ambient light at all but with careful metering I've fooled the image into looking brighter than it was. Mist and fog is actually one of the most beautiful lights to shoot in as it's the biggest softbox you will ever get. Being a portrait and fashion photographer in England means I'm often at the mercy of the weather but you soon learn to work with what you've got, this in turn makes you a better all round photographer in my eyes.

www.craig-fleming.com

Shooting for mood.

2010-04-05T01:14:00.000-07:00

This image was taken for a stage production of 'Alice in Wonderland'. The director wanted something that was dark and mysterious. The thing is this is a commercial stage production so I know full well that the directors version of dark and my interpretation is miles apart. Shooting with one light ensures there is shadow on the face and by moving the model and light closer or further away from the background I can have a little control over the tone of the background. In essence it's a simple shot and the larger part of creating this image comes in post production. I say larger part but look at the actress, she's playing the part to a tee.

I actually prefer shooting actors and actresses to models, they bring something extra to the shoot, whereas most models only know how to look their best, actors bring a whole range of characters into the studio. I'm not sure yet whether the director of the production likes the image. I think it's a little too dark and disturbing to use for commercial purposes but fo rme it fulfils the brief perfectly.

Beep Beep !

2010-03-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

While we're on the theme of projects here's another example of why it's important to get out of the comfort zone. My '500' project was something I just did whilst spending a few days in Italy during the spring of 2009. I can't go anywhere and not take a camera and I'm glad I did as the Calabrian region of Italy is visually rich despite being somewhat rundown and is one of the poorest parts of the country. I'd find these little mechanical marvels allover the place and they just fit in to the scenery. These cars date back to 1957 and some of them actualy look like they've been around since then although they ceased production in the 70's.

The beauty of this project was that you couldn't just walk past a side street without looking down it, I couldn't stop and turn back I had to keep searching for these charismatic vehicles and because of this I think I saw more of the Calabrian villages than the average tourist. I did get some odd looks from the locals, to them these cars probably don't mean as much as they do to an English photographer but not once did I get stopped even when I was shooting outside the jailhouse of the Carabinieri. I'd love to keep going back and photographing these cars, just take a camper van and scour the Italian countryside forever in search of the next one.

Clowning around !

2010-03-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

I've always had a thing about clowns, I'm not scared of them and I don't particularly find them entertaining but I do think they're visually interesting. Ever since I was a child I'd always go for the colourful toys.. or cakes.. or clothes for that matter. I'm actually colour blind and no that doesn;t mean I see in black and white. It doesn;t mean anything to be honest as far as I'm concerned.

The clown project came about by having to hand a host of talented make up artists and a lot of spare time. I'd been shooting beauty for a while and I was getting bored of it so to give the MUA's something extra to think about I set about with my clown project. It was a good exercise in styling too, putting together the outfits. Of all the images I took in my clown project this one of Grace on the right is my absolute favourite, it has a timeless quality and the expression is almost awkward without detracting from the overall mood. Likewise the image top left shows a sense of fun whilst maintaining an editorial feel, another one of my favourites.

So what's next in the clown project. Well I'd love to photograph some real clowns, and show them in a very harsh light taking it down a more serious route. Clowns are there to make people laugh but I always think there's something quite sad about them. I don't know we'll see, it is important as a creative to work on your own projects. It forces you into areas outside your comfort zone you wouldn't normally go and you can never push the boundaries unless you actually push those boundaries, sounds daft but it's true. It's all too easy to fall into the easy way, but don't, get out there and photograph something that you're not comfortable with. Then, and only then will your work advance. Trust me... it works.

Steel city shoot !

2010-03-16T03:22:00.000-07:00

My latest shoot was a short test on location around Sheffield. My model, Sundal, had come up from London for the shoot so I needed the weather to be kind to us. Styling for the shoot was provided by Natalie Green and make up was Janeane Hodgson at MAC.

I picked up the model from her boyfriends home and we drove straight to make up. I like to have some ideas for make up even though my make up team share my creative vision it is noce to give them something to work to. Singling out an image in 'Tank' magazine I left them to it.

An hour later she was ready and off we trolled into Sheffield's city centre. I often get a little nervous shooting in inner cities but up to press I've had no trouble whatsoever. I parked illegally for the 10 minutes it took to get this shot of my model and the traffic warden just smiled and said ' don't be here when I get back'. It's amazing how peoples attitudes change when they think you're shooting something really important. Anyway this image was shot in front of Sheffields instantly iconic 'cheese grater' building. It's actually a car park and as such has no cheese grating qualities what so ever. Well as far as I know it doesn't anyway. Moving on from this we continued to shoot on the top floor of one of the old 70's style concrete car parks. It was very cold up there and the model was a consumate professional. You have to work fast in these circumstances and luckily we kept the car running with the heaters on. Image manipulation was minimal on this test shoot and to be fair not much was needed. The beauty of shooting in the city is that it is the biggest and best equipped studio in the world, the downsides are you often get mentally ill people staring at your elbows. The upsides are worth it though as are the results. I used only my Canon 5d Mk II and the standard 24-70mm f2.8L series glass, If I could only ever use this combo for the rest of my career I wouldn't be disappointed, it's the best camera / lens combo I've ever used.

Flash !!.. ah aaaaaah saviour of the universe.....

2010-03-16T02:59:00.000-07:00

I keep getting asked to test the glut of various flash accessories that seem to have flooded the market recently. The problem I have with them is that I've been spoilt for so many years having owned a more than adequate set of Bowens lights for so long. The quality of light plays such an important part in digital photography that I just can't see the point of them. Why spend all your hard earned cash on the best DSLR you can afford then go and use an inferior light source.

If quality is paramount and it should be if you are at all serious about your photography then you really need to think long and hard about your portable light sources. It's not that speedlights and other flashguns are particularly inferior it's more to do with the size of the lightsource. I must admit to being a bit of a snob when it comes to equipment and I was a little surprised when I recently tested a ringflash adaptor that fits on to my Canon 430 flashgun. Handling was awkward but then again I am a bit hamfisted to say the least. Anyway this ringflash adaptor actually worked. You can;t use it too far away from your subject as you are governed by the power of your flashgun and to be honest, as with all these flash attachments I really wish I could use them on my Metz gun rather than my Canon. All in all I was quite impressed by it and it's price is about a tenth of a Bownes ringflash.

Interestingly I do tend to prefer my hamerhead Metz for all my flash requirements where I can;t get the Bowens in. Getting to grips with manual flash is something people shy away from but once you've mastered it you'll never turn back. It's actually simpler than the auto flash on my Canon and how can you be in control if you don;t know what it's going to do. Same with cameras, I have two Canon 5d's, a mark I and Mark II and both of those came out the box, got switched to manual and tha dial has never been touched since.

I'm sure I'll be testing more of these attachments over the coming weeks so I'll keep you posted.