Giving Back to Help Protect Against Oral Cancer

I recently met Gareth and Nicki Rowland at a business expo in East Yorkshire, they are the Prinicipal Dentist and Practice manager of the fantastic Perfect 32 dental clinic in Ladygate, Beverley. Little did I know that a chance encounter with these 2 great people would lead not only to a sparkling set of pearlies for me, but would also lead to a working relationship that would allow me to offer my photography services to help the fight against oral cancer.

Perfect 32 are the only dental clinic in our area to offer screening for oral cancer using the 'Velscope' system, a highly advanced piece of equipment that goes much further than just the usual visual examination for this disfiguring and often deadly form of cancer.

At the end of last month, Perfect 32 held an Oral Cancer screening day as part of Mouth Cancer Action Month, which led to over 50 free examinations being given to local people in 1 day. Having being to see Gary previously for a well needed check up and thorough blasting of my neglected teeth, we got talking about the screening day and I offered my services to provide some PR/Press photography coverage. The 2 shots above show Gary using the velscope of one patient who sadly lost her father to oral cancer and also shows the team at the Ladygate Clinic.

As a Yorkshire photographer, I am always happy to donate my time to such worthy causes as this if it helps raise awareness and get people in for screening. The screening itself is completely stress and pain free and in my experience was just like having a torch shone in my mouth whilst I wore a groovy pair of shad! Also, if you're looking for a new dentist or you haven't been for awhile and know you should, go and check out the team at Perfect 32 - a nicer bunch of folk you will never meet!

Creativity - Extreme!

Following on from my last post, I'm really working on 'creativity' at the moment. Being a photographer, I suppose it's a given that creativity plays a big part of the daily work - but what happens when the pool drys up? Having the web to hand is definitely the place to start to rekindle the flow, to re-invent, to re-dream.

I've followed Chase Jarvis's blog for a long time and with him being not only an AMAZING creative genius, but an evangelist of Web 2.0, I often turn to his posts to find new ways of looking at what I do with my camera. The video above was posted on his site yesterday, and although it's not photography based per se, it reminded me that creativity requires youthful openess, belief in the path and a willingness to explore - often failing miserably to make some progress.

As a Yorkshire wedding photographer, I find insipration from so many sources. What will I take from this video and all the other 'stuff' I find on the web? I'm not quite sure just yet but I am sure I'll ask myself this question time and time again over the winter.

Hope you enjoy the video!

Beating the Winter 'Artistic Funk'

Now that the wedding season is over, what do I do with myself... Don't get me wrong, as aYorkshire wedding photographer I'm still really busy designing albums, seeing potential clients for next year and 2011 and also preparing for the Xmas Event season. But am I really busy doing what I love? As a small business, I do just about everything myself. When the mania of the shooting season calms down and I am left chained to my MacBook, I start to question...

How did I end up here?

Where am I going?

Will I be a better photographer next year?

How will i push myself forward?

Will I have time for personal projects?

I'm writing this now because I know that come January, the 'artistic funk' will rear its head, but this year i want to be ready for it and meet it head on. What is the 'artistic funk'? Well to me it's that sense of inadequacy that I'm sure all creative people experience after an intense period of activity, it's that feeling of isolation as you ponder your work and wonder if it's any good, it's that feeling of 'not knowing'. This year, I want to really challenge these feelings - to meet them head on and shoot through them in a furious spate of self directed personal projects.

The video below has really helped me to get my head around the 'funk' - Zack Arias is such a gifted photographer and teacher and I know he feels exactly the same way I do. When I first saw his movie 'Transform' I felt a massive sense of relief - wow - somebody else felt like this! It was this movie that helped me prepare for the next couple of months and I urge you to take a look, it kicks in around the 1.33 mark, but from thereon in - sit back, relax, be challenged and let Zack Arias help you through your 'funk'!

What's in my Camera Bag?

As a busy working Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, the kit I use has to be chosen really carefully. Ever since I started as an amateur photographer, I have always used Nikon cameras (although I must admit, I did try Minolta very briefly when I lived in the US, didn't do too much for me to be honest). My first Nikon camera was the gorgeous Nikon FG, totally manual, old school - any of you remember film? I then went onto a Nikon F80 and then an F90x which I totally loved. When I came home to the UK about 5 years ago, I bought my first digital camera which was the Nikon D70, I then progressed through the D200 finally to the kit which I use now.

My gear has to be reliable and I need to have at least 2 of all 'mission critical' items. I did have a situation 2 wedding seasons ago when I was shooting the speeches at Danny and Kate's wedding with my Nikon D300, all of a sudden, the autofocus mechanism stopped working. I immediately reached down to my D200 and was able to keep shooting missing only about 30 seconds as I changed cameras and reset.

I use all of the items that you see in the picture above on a regular basis. This is just what sits in my camera bag. I will be posting an article later on in the week about my lighting kits, both portable and studio based sets which i hope the 'gear heads' and 'strobists' out there may appreciate.

So to give you a quick tour around the gear....

A- Nikon D300

B - Nikon D700 (Just love this camera and will be getting another in the New Year)

C - Nikon Sb800 Flashguns x 2 (I also have an Sb28)

D - Extra Battery packs for the SB800s (allows 5 AAs to be used)

E - Nikon Temperature correction Gels for the SB800s

F - Nikon 60mm f2.8 Macro lens (I always use this on the D300)

G - Pocket Wizard Flash Transmitters x 3 - stupidly expensive, but oh so reliable.

H - Quantum Turbo Z Batteries x 2 - great for fast flash recycling

I - Sekonic Flash Meter

J - Nikon 50mm f1.8 - one of my favourite all time lenses.

K - Tokina 12-24 f4 - a little soft around the edges but great when used carefully.

L - Mini tripod for positioning flashes.

M - Home made 'gobo' - prevents light from background flashes flaring into the lens.

N - Nikon 24-70 f2.8 - this lens is my general 'goto' lens for the majority of jobs.

O - Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VR - another amazing Nikon lens, beautiful for portraits.

P - Rocket blower, keeps all the glass dust free.

Q - Honl 'Speed Strap' - used with the Honl flash mods.

R - Nikon SC17 flash cord

S - Cleaning Fluid

T - Quantum cord to connect turbo batteries and Sb800s

U - WhiBal - colour correction card.

W - Xtra Batteries - you can never have enough, I now use Sanyo 'Eneloops'

X - Honl 1/8th Speed Grid - great for restricting light from flashes to a small area.

Y - Strobframe flash bracket

Z - Swiss Army Knife - no photographer should be without one!

1 - Ball bungees - used to secure flashes to pipes/struts etc

2 - Lumiquest Softbox III - great used close in for 'wrappy' portraits.

3 - Various cables for flashes/pocket wizards etc.

4 - Honl Speed Snoot - creates cinematic spotlights.

5 - Wet weather camera casing - now I don't shoot sports so much, doesn't come out too often.

6 - CF Memory cards - about 24gbs worth split between 1gbs/2gbs and 4gbs.

I hope this was useful/interesting and I'd love to field any questions people may have about any of the gear in my bag. Thanks for stopping by!

Sisters (Re-visited!)

A few weeks ago, I blogged about Nikki and Gemma's shoot, sisters who don't get to see each other so often. Well, I spent the night working on their images and I'm really pleased with the results. Dark tones work with lovely frontal lighting to create a soft but dramatic look. The sky over Brantingham Dale worked so well with the off camera flash to produce this look. As a Yorkshire Photographer, portrait sessions like this remind me why photography rules. It's my way of communicating and I can't ask for a clearer voice!

Techno geeks out there - Nikon D700, 24-70 2.8, 24 mm, 800 iso 1/60th sec @ f11. Quantum Qflash camera right, 1/4 power.

Insight Collaborates with the Millhouse SKidby's new E-Brochure

I've recently posted about my ongoing collaboration with the Millhouse Restaurant in Skidby and I am now pleased to announce that owner Mark, has now launched the venue's new wedding brochure featuring images that I created at a recent wedding.

As a Yorkshire wedding photographer, developing long term relationships with venues like the Millhouse gives me an opportunity to shout out about the great places we have in this region to get married. Mark is just coming to the end of a total refurb at the Millhouse and the results are just stunning, he's even installed GHD straighteners in the ladies - how's that for attention to detail!

Fashion Headshots

This year has definitely being the year of weddings for Insight. As a Yorkshire wedding photographer, I have been very busy capturing stories for couples throughout the region but now the season is coming to an end, I start to turn my attention to other areas of photography that I love to do.

Although I probably won't have a great deal of time between now and the New Year to shoot much by way of personal projects, when January comes around, I'll be shooting as much as possible. I had planned on a 1 month trip to Thailand for Jan, but that's not going to happen this year with too many things to do so I'm planning my time a bit differently. The collage above shows some of the headshot and fashion work that I like to work on during quieter times. I love working with models/actors/performing artistes to achieve a really modern, edgy look which they can use for their own promotion whether in print or on the internet.

I like to work with mixed light sources when I'm shooting headshots. Using natural light with reflectors and adding in small flash units (Nikon Speedlights) for the more dramatic looks gives a client a really nice mixture of styles to choose from.

Roll on January when the diary is a bit more free for pesonal shoots!

Commercial Feature Photography

As a busy working commercial photographer in Hull, I am asked to shoot a broad range of subjects for businesses to use for their promotion and communications. I've noticed a lot of businesses battening down the hatches where marketing and advertising is concerned during harder economic times - I would argue that this has actually been a perfect time for organisations to develop PR stories and really shout out about the successes in their businesses - surely these will be the stories that bring customers banging on the door!

I've recently been introduced to Mark (above) owner of the Millhouse Restaurant at Skidby who really embraces the PR mantra. I met him whilst shooting a wedding at the Millhouse and talked about his new website and blog. As the Millhouse has recently undergone a major refurbishment (looks great!), Mark really wants to communicate how hard he and his team have worked (again during really hard times). I was commissioned to shoot a couple of stories that Mark can use in his blog to connect with his clientele. Blogs are a great way of allowing customers 'under the skin' of your business and really involving them in what makes your business 'tick' - its culture, values and brand story.

Mark and I talked about the 'story' he wanted to communicate and we developed some appropriate themes. The Millhouse is all about fresh, seasonal ingredients and locally sourced wherever possible - this includes game. Mark loves to shoot - pigeon in particular - so we created some 'feature' style photographs of him in action like the one above. Other sets included cooking at home (Mark is a trained chef) and some very casual shots of him with his dog Enzo. The Millhouse will use the images to bring into focus the culture that exists at their restaurant and let their clientele have a closer look at what makes them tick as a food business. It's really refreshing to meet business owners that have embraced digital story telling/blogging as a way of reaching out to their loyal clientele and to those who havn't experienced their offerings before.

For the gearheads out their, I shot the image with a Nikon D700, 25-70mm 2.8 Nikon lens (1/250th sec, f11, ISo200) with a SB800 flash triggered with a SC17 flash cord, set manually at half power with the flashed zoomed in to 50mm)

Photoshop Free - All Natural, 100% Organic Wedding Photography

As a Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I make a promise to myself before I shoot each and every wedding. That promise is that I will push the creative envelope a little bit further on at every wedding day that I cover. To be creative as a wedding photographer is a given but often there is so much going on at weddings, that I really have to plan well ahead how I am going to fit in the 'diamond' shots that I like to deliver for my clients. The shot above was taken during a very busy wedding day for Caroline and Paul and I only needed 5 minutes of their time to create it. I had been thinking of this shot over the past few weddings but it never quite made its debut until last Saturday. I always recall my Canadian photo mentors doing a similar shot on dancefloors and it worked really well but I wanted to put my own spin on it. I took Paul and Caroline out onto the croquet lawn at Rowley Manor and placed a Quantum Q Flash behind them on a small tripod, a Pocket wizard was used to trigger it. I think the flash was on around 1/4 power. My first exposures were around 1/8th second and I instantly liked the look but I knew there was another element missing. I opened up the shutter to around 4 seconds for the frame above and what happened was just magic - although it was pitch black, the camera's sensor picked up on the very low amount of ambient light and burnt in the beautiful red sky you see in the scene. I had to ask Caroline and Paul to keep very still as my Nikon D700 recorded the frame but 4 seconds of stillness for the bride and groom was much appreciated! There is absolutely zero photoshop work in this image, it is as was captured in the camera and is a very similar effect even if I had used film (film? What's that now?) I'm really proud of this image and it has definitely raised the bar for the lit work I do for modern, discerning wedding couples and it is why as a Yorkshire Wedding Photograper, I love my job!

Caroline & Paul - Rowley Manor 17th October

As a Hull Wedding Photographer, I had the pleasure of spending today with Caroline and Paul as they celebrated their wedding day. The day started early at the groom's home where Paul was experiencing his fair share of pre-wedding nerves, but with a lively set of groomsmen we managed to get him through it! On to the bride's where a gorgeous set of bridesmaids and a great family were helping Caroline make her preparations. The bride made her way to St Andrew's Church in Kirkella by horse and cart and a beautiful service followed - the choir sang Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley/Alexandra Burke) as the couple signed the register - it sounded so majestic. A reception followed at Rowley Manor with great food, great speeches and dancing led by one of my favourite live acts - Johnny Pat and the Aces. Caroline and Paul will be leaving on their honeymoon tomorrow and will spend a month in Australia - wishing them all the best for a beautiful life together!

Sisters

As a Yorkshire Portrait Photographer, I had the pleasure of working with Nikki and Gemma over the weekend to create some images for their Xmas Box to give to their Dad. Nikki lives in South Cave, Gemma lives in Newcastle so their get-togethers are few and far between. I had a great time working with them to create a set of pictures that hopefully will wow Dad! I am happiest creating pictures for clients where there is a story, Nikki and Gemma were no exception!

We used natural light in my doorway to create this portrait with a 24-70 2.8 Nikon lens which did me proud once again. Set at f5.6, we got lovely depth of field with the creamy background you see here. Portrait photography needn't be complicated - it's all about your sitters - tell a story and everyone is happy!

Hiring a Professional Wedding Photographer

Many of you may have seen an article in the news over the last couple of days regarding the unfortunate West Yorkshire couple whose wedding photography was ruined by a so-called 'professional'. I couldn't help but leave a comment on the national Daily Mail's website and it seems that lots of other professional wedding photographers have done so too.

It got me thinking about what I do in the age of digital technology and why I am committed as a professional to the progression of the art of modern, wedding photography.

Over the past few years, there has been a massive influx of new photographers to the industry and to each and every one of them, I wish them good luck for their success. However, I wish them good luck as long as they carry with them the responsibility of being a professional wedding photographer - that means several things. It means at the most basic of levels, at least one back up piece of equipment for each critical part of their camera system; at least giving their clients a written contract/booking form which clearly states what the terms of business are and exactly what the clients will receive for their investment; It means having full and valid public liability insurance in the event of an accident in a public space and usually PAT testing for any equipment they take to a venue. These are all practicalities that professional wedding photographers take as given, even more importantly though are the other aspects of a photographer that you should consider well before booking.

Does the photographer's style of photography make you tick? Does he/she have the relevant experience in all types of weather conditions to produce a consistently great image for your album ie. Does he/she have experience with lighting gear which will allow them to keep shooting creative images even when it is raining outside. Can you imagine your photographer spending upto 12 hours with you on what will undoubtedly be one of your most special days of your life so far? In an ideal world, you should be able to answer all of these questions positively!

I enjoy nothing more than meeting with clients after their return from honeymoons to show them the story of their wedding day - this to me is a big prize for the job I am lucky enough to do professionally. What I do know is that I am continuously getting educated as a photographer - I take courses, read continuously, go to seminars, join professional organisation s- basically I have an insatiable appetite for getting better at what I do everyday. When that desire is not there, I'll hang up my Nikon and retire gracefully.

Bringing it all home, when you hire a professional photographer for your wedding, you can and should expect images such as the one above, you can and should expect a professional who is adequately prepared to deal with all that the stresses of a wedding day can throw at them and lastly - they should be ultimately passionate about their craft and how that translates to your wedding album - when the cake is scoffed and the hangover is long forgotten - you will always have your album to reflect on how perfect your special day was.

As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I cover wedding stories all throughout the north of the UK.

Insight's New Wedding Showreel - Part 2

As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I posted the first part of my new wedding showreel yesterday. I am now posting the second part that I hope that clients (old and new) friends and family will all enjoy. I'm so proud of what I do as a wedding photographer and I hope that my passion for my work comes through. Enjoy!

Insight's New Wedding Showreel - Part 1

As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I have the privilege of meeting the best couples and families in the world! Sharing their wedding days with them and all of the emotions that go with it is a unique experience and gives my work as a photographer a very special meaning.

Clair and Andy got married on the 18th July this year at the Ramada Jarvis in Hull and when I began to think about a couple to ask to help me with my new wedding showreel, I immediately thought of them. Part 1 of the showreel introduces you to Clair, Andy and some of the preparations they went through in finding a wedding photographer and ultimately giving me the honour of capturing their special day. PArt 2 of the showreel will be posted tomorrow, so stay tuned to this channel!

Russell & Suzanne - 09/09/09 - 9 Years Together!

As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer I had the pleasure of spending 09/09/09 with my good friends Suzanne and Russell. Here's the story - 2 weeks before their wedding, they decided to get married! I got a call from an excited Suzanne who told me her and her hubby had decided to organise a wedding with 14 days to play with!

The best thing in the world is that on their wedding day (remembering that the date was the 09/09/09) they had been together exactly 9 years! Russell and Suzanne managed to organise the beautiful Hessle All Saints for a Wednesday wedding and then I took them down to the Hessle Foreshore for their 'Penny Drop Session'.