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!