Wedding Cherub

Green protector

Derbyshire, 2004ish?

I was on a wedding photography course, but, as ever, I was finding that I disagreed with a lot of what the instructor was telling us to do- I didn't want to spend the entire wedding posing and directing people! I didn't need to use flash in the church! Why are we making the bride and groom do silly things way out of their comfort zone? (The couple were models hired for the day, but the principle was there.... ). To me, it was all such stale thinking for an occasion that was supposed to be a beautiful, life affirming event.

We moved from inside the tiny village church to the outside, where the early Autumn light was beginning to fade in the ancient churchyard with its once splendid tombs and gravestones scattered around and partially hidden by the encroaching greenery. The instructor was telling us about posing the couple against a tree, but my mind wandered to how I would have used the setting differently- and that's when I saw the railings around a Victorian tomb... each corner topped by a small Cherub, eaten away by rust and covered by lichen and algae. I slid away from the rest and took a few photos of the little figures, before returning to the fold.

The next day we edited our shots. All of the other photographer attendees had more or less the same images, shot over the instructors shoulders. Mine were, Different.... different angles, subjects, lighting.... in fact, nothing like how we were being shown. It was noticed and frowned upon, but I was there to learn, and the Photoshop skills being taught were worth the cost of the course on their own.

It was this weekend of confusion and frustration that made me realise that mainstream wedding -and portraiture- wasn't what I wanted to do. I saw much more than the fixed standards of the genre and wanted to explore different ways of capturing the essence of the day, but with a light touch, hardly affecting the flow apart from a few posed or directed images of groups.

In trying to fit into the standard mould, I realised my true path that day- and this little cherub was my guiding angel.

Sedona Magic

Spanish lace

 Sedona USA, 2007

One of those once in a lifetime chances- you either take them and face the consequences, or you regret not taking the opportunity for the rest of your life....

Framed flamenco

I got the chance to travel to Las Vegas to attend and help at a photography convention, courtesy of a good friend.

My first time in the US, I relished the chance to experience the excesses of Vegas- the convention was a long weekend, so a bunch of us took the opportunity to schedule an extra trip to Sedona in Arizona- lots of big red rocks and sunshine. I'm so glad we did- the scenery was incredible and  the weather hot- there'd recently been a large bushfire in the area so large parts were fire damaged and blackened. 

Playing at models!

A big reason for our detour was to try out some of the ideas we'd picked up from the talks from the big professionals at the convention. I had never shot with a model before, and Juli didn't need much persuasion to pose for me, so we spent a very enjoyable few days photographing in some beautiful locations. 

I chose the image at the top of the page because it was taken as the sun went down, with Juli holding her Spanish Lace shawl to lend pattern to the light- I loved the effect it made across her face, but struggled to make the best of it. It was at that point that I realised I had so much more to learn about my chosen profession: theory is great, but there's nothing like getting out there and doing it.

Blossom.

The bud

Hannah. Newstead Abbey, Nottingham. 16 May 2010.

Puberty- most religions celebrate it as an important point in a person's development. The passage from childhood to adulthood. But it doesn't happen at exactly the same age for everyone. I'm sure I hit it in my later teens, but it was confusing and scary, feeling urges and surges that I didn't understand or seem to be able to control....

The eyes have it

Hannah is my fourth child, born a good 8 years after no. 3. In this photo she was 14yrs and 6 months old. This trip to Newstead Abbey with my sister and her young sons was the day I saw Hannah for the first time as a young woman. She had a confidence in her style, she was prepared to play with her cousins and Saffron, her little sister, but more in a supervisory role than a participant. She held intelligent conversations with Barbara about bands and 'stuff'....

Style guru

As ever, I had my camera with me and I realised I needed to capture this moment, mostly so that I could take the images and maybe compare them with other recent photographs, to see when this 'change' happened, because I'd missed it! She was initially reluctant to pose for me, but years of having a camera pointed at her soon had her humoring me.

And now Saffron is 12. I hope my life isn't in as much turmoil as that sunny day in 2010 that I somehow miss her growing up, too.

Youth music. London Style.

Sunlight silhouette

Another paid jolly down in the Old Smoke....

Steel pulse.

I was privileged to attend and shoot this music event in Canary Wharf back in 2006. One massive big space with wall to ceiling glass at opposite ends, a great view of the canal, and full of talented youth musicians. Schools from the Tower Hamlets area sent their best groups, assemblies and orchestras for a massive concert in a posh venue, and I got to photograph it!

Rock!

The image above shows a synthesizer group who were having a great time. The sunlight shone bright against the wall behind and I couldn't resist taking this image. I loved that the music sheets were illuminated with a green lamp and gave the image another clue as to what is happening.

Never work with....

Meet Gomez....

 Yes, I do pet photography too!

Not as much as I used to, but I do enjoy it. Animals are totally and instantly accepting of the camera and are more phased by the presence of the strange man holding it....usually!

Peepoh- the first minute.

This shoot came about through a scheme I joined where people buying pet insurance through a certain company would have the choice of special offers from local businesses- mine involved a free photo shoot of their pet.

The old- flying catnip mouse ruse.

Gomez was my first client- he was a very young cat with limitless energy and he spent the entire session running crazily around the garden, stopping only to catch his breath, or to chomp on some of the treats we put down in an attempt to catch him at a standstill.

The title image was one of those moments. From many hundreds of shots I think my average 'in focus' rate was 1 in twenty- not what I would normally aim for: but he was so fast, my camera couldn't keep up. He saw the shoot as a game where he tried to stay as far away as possible from me and, as much as we tried, he managed to keep a distance, and on the move. The owner helped with the treats and a scabby mouse on string- Gomez' favourite toy- but with limited success.

Tired....

After about an hour he started to tire, lying panting on the grass, so I was able to get a few more shots in with a long zoom lens before we ushered him back into the house and closed the door- apparently he would eagerly disappear over the fence via the apple tree at any opportunity.

Gomez was the only cat I worked with during that promotion, the rest being dogs- but he was certainly the hardest work!

Strathy, 30th July 2005

On the way to the store in Bettyhill, just down the road from Strathy.

 OK, literally the furthest point on the mainland from my first post, Brownsea Island, in Poole Harbour, Strathy is a tiny, sprawling village on the most Northerly coastline of Scotland. My (then) girlfriend's mum, Wendy, has a crumbling old cottage up there.

A Strathy sunrise- from the cemetery.

13hours driving, but so worth it. If you time it right, you're driving through the centre of the Highlands on the A897, a single track road in a valley, just as the sun is rising over the peaks. Always made me laugh that we drove through Kinbrace, Forsinard and Achiemore, too, but Helen was always asleep when we did, so it was just me tittering to myself in a sleep deprived mania.

 We normally went to take a week away from it all- literally, as you couldn't pick up a phone signal in the cottage and had to climb the nearest hill to find a signal. The cottage had electricity and solid fuel heating, (a 'log fire' for all you young 'uns). It also had rising damp, mold, mice, spiders and most other rodents....

There were always jobs to do- chimney re-pointing, tin roof fixing, painting, sealing, guttering to put back, nests to remove. One time I drove there alone and installed a new bathroom, with tiling, and shared the bed with a family of mice.

But the photograph at the top of this post?

The red water that flows across Strathy beach

Well, what can I say about the skies in North Scotland- big, beautiful, dramatic, big... Helen and I would walk the area in the daytime, finding coves, beaches, light houses, abandoned vehicles, peaty red streams, and sometimes we'd just sit and watch the landscape as it changed. I always had my camera with me and took hundreds of photos- it really is a photographer's paradise up there.
 In the evenings we'd eat, then jump in the car and drive to a pub, or try to find somewhere to eat hot food, or a shop that sold provisions. None of that exists in Strathy.

One evening, as we drove to the nearest village shop, we came to a high point near Bettyhill- wow, we just had to stop, as had others. The view was spectacular- shades of green and grey stretched out in the hills and valleys before us. I took some shots as we stood there, transfixed, for about half an hour, before reluctantly continuing to the store before it closed- no 24hour Tesco Express this place!

Returning from the shop in Bettyhill.

On our return, we were once again hit by the fabulous sunset and stopped the car in the same spot. I shot a few more photos, and we waited there until the sun and colour had gone and the cold crept into our bones. This image was from that return journey.

Sunrise over the cemetery.

The following morning I woke early and left the cottage before sunrise. I had a small penlite torch and there was no street lighting so I stepped carefully. I headed off down the lane and entered the village cemetery with the intention of following the path down to the beach, but as I opened the gate, I turned and saw the sunrise had already started, so I started taking pictures in the cemetery instead, looking for dramatic juxtapositions with the ancient crosses and the brilliant colours behind them. It was my first sunrise shooting experience and I was amazed to find I only got about 15 minutes before the colours disappeared and daylight poured into the valley. I sat and watched it for another few minutes, then returned to the cottage to share my cold feet with Helen, who was still curled up warm in bed...

The grey, grey mist....

A warm wedding welcome

Holme Pierrepont Hall, Nottingham at 2:41pm, December 22nd 2006.

The Hall.

In those days I would meet the couple at the venue, rather than start my day when they did and photograph everything, as I do now.  I knew this shoot wouldn't be an easy one from the beginning due to the time and the date- three days before Christmas day, in the middle of the afternoon isn't the most ideal situation for the perfect wedding photographs, but, forewarned is forearmed, as they say....


I arrived at Holme Pierrepont Hall in good time, as usual, to be greeted by- fog. Someone had tied balloons to the gateposts but they flapped sadly in a low breeze and looked so forlorn! I stopped the car and quickly took a few images before continuing to the venue.

Inside.

 The fog never really lifted and the daylight continued to fade with little resistance from the sun. Fortunately, the family that still live in part of the Hall had made the place look magnificent and festive, with lovely traditional decorations tastefully placed around the place and a few table lamps to lend a cosy glow. 

A VERY dark room

The rest of the day went without a hitch, apart from the fact that the ceremony room was very dark! I managed to use a high speed setting on my camera that produced focused, but very grainy images- there were old canvas paintings in the room and the owners had banned flash photography! The next day I bought software that could smooth out the graininess from images- I was still using it until recently when I bought my present Fuji cameras that excel in low light situations.

Lighting the way.

My one regret with this wedding was that we couldn't go out to use the fabulous gardens for any shots, but we managed to group people around the large Christmas tree and I maxed out the flashguns to fill the high ceilinged room we were in.

We had a great day- I learned a lot about using available light to illuminate a shot as well as how to carry a large tripod around without knocking valuable items off small occasional tables- and when the couple saw the 'balloons in the fog' image, they had me put it on a canvas print to hang in their new home!

The Brownsea Experience.

Starting this week, I'll be regularly posting images from my archive and giving a little of their back story. Some will be from client shoots, whilst others will be from my private albums featuring the most precious jewels in my life: my family and friends.

Saffy-Next -The-Sea.

 'Brownsea Island is dramatically located in Poole Harbour, with spectacular views across to the Purbeck Hills.' So goes the National Trust's blurb.

I think my first visit to Brownsea was about 1985. We wanted a holiday in the UK and looked for a cottage to hire. Quay cottage sounded ideal, so we booked it.

Cool dude! Saffron wearing my trendy sunglasses on the ferry.

And it was a fabulous holiday! The visitors don't arrive on the island until about half ten in the morning and then have to leave by about half five, so we had the place to ourselves, apart from a few of the NT workers that lived there and guests at the Castle.

And what a place! Red squirrels, Sika deer, peacocks, and a huge Nature reserve that takes up half the island. There are trees, valleys, ruins, hidden beaches, cliffs, views, the very first Camp that established the Scouting Movement, a castle, a shop, a restaurant....

Door- walkway-beach-sea.

We fell in love with 2 Quay Cottages.
Luke, Elspeth and Isobel loved the private beach that was 6 feet away from the front door. We would spend hours with a cuppa, sat watching the sea traffic coming and going from Poole Harbour, from the tiny jet-skis to the massive Channel Ferry that blocked the TV signal as it passed within a few hundred metres of us and lit up our bedroom at night. We walked the circumference of the Island in the evening, looking for the deer that would hide in the rhododendron bushes, only re-appearing when the visitors had gone away. We hammered the free ferry pass that took us one way to the car at Sandbanks, the other to Poole Quay and shops. One week was never enough....

Move on a few years. The 3 older kids are grown up, Hannah and Saffron are now part of the family and we're looking for a holiday destination. It was a no brainer- we booked 2 Quay Cottage again.

So, after a day with my brother in Portsmouth, we motored down to Sandbanks, unloaded the car and carried it all onto the ferry. As soon as we'd deposited the luggage and food in the cottage, allocated bedrooms and put the kettle on, we ventured back outside. It was a warm, slightly overcast day, the tide was out and the shingle beach was fully exposed. Saffron was so keen to paddle in the sea that we just removed her trousers and socks, rather than empty the suitcases to find the swimming cossie.

 Cautiously, she tottered over the pebbles down to the sea. The water was cold, but she wanted so desperately to get her feet wet. Just at that moment, waves created by a big boat were breaking on the shore, wetting her skinny little legs. She absent mindedly lifted her knickers to stop them getting wet, and looked so cute stood there, wanting to walk further but unsure of herself, that I took a picture.

And there it is at the top of the page. The image represents for me the whole holiday- all the 'firsts' the girls experienced; the sunny weather, the relaxed island lifestyle, the wildlife.... I'd love to take them back, one day.

We left a special present on the beach for future cottage dwellers to enjoy- I wonder how long it survived!

The ferry, interpreted using shingle from the beach.

If you have a favourite retreat, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

More soon. Paul x

Practise what you preach!

SNOW TOO!

My favourite shot of the year, so far!

Soon after writing the feature about Winter photography last weekend, it snowed in Nottingham- and some!

So, not one to miss an opportunity, I packed up my equipment and hiked up to the local park, where I expected to be alone with the trees and cold stuff.... Erm.... I think half of Sherwood was there on sledges, snowboards and even skis!

Winter photography essentials

SNOW!

Patterns and colours in Winter are often more vibrant because of the contrast with the snow.

So you’re excited about this cold, white stuff because it’s the first of the Winter and it’s a novelty…. And at the moment, it’s nice and fresh and fluffy and it makes you want to go out and get those amazing Winter shots you see all over the media at this time of year.

Well, with a few precautions and a little bit of knowledge, your efforts should look good, no matter what digital camera or phone you shoot with.

Look for the unusual opportunities.

I’ve picked out a few useful hints below that should help.

#1 Try not to let your camera get too warm before you leave the house.

As soon as all that warm metal and plastic hits the cold air, it’ll probably mist over and you’ll have to wait longer for it to be useful again- that’s on the inside of the camera, as well as the outside! Keep it in a coat pocket if you can, to allow it to acclimatise, or keep it on the strap around your neck, under your coat and only whip it out when you see your photo opportunity.

#2 Carry a spare battery or two.

When the weather turns cold, so does everything else and camera batteries are no exception. With all that zooming and focussing in a cold, recalcitrant camera, they’ll not last as long, even fully charged, so keep your spares in a lovely warm inside pocket or camera bag, away from keys, coins and any other metal object that could short out the contacts- we don’t want a pocket fire, no matter how cold it is!

#3 Use the viewfinder, if you have one.

Rear LCD displays are handy and useful, but they don’t half use up your battery power! Instead, find out how to switch it off and look through the little eyepiece conveniently placed on the rear, usually top right. Make sure it’s set for your eye by adjusting the focus with the tiny little lever or dial that’s often right next to it. If no eyepiece, see tip #2 above. There’ll be a lot of glare from all of that snow, as well, so it might not be as easy to see the composition in the LCD.

#4 Stop Chimping!

Unless you’re desperate for a particular shot and need to see if you got it, don’t keep looking at the pictures you’ve taken- it’s called ‘Chimping’, because when they review their images, photographers will often make an excited ‘ooh ooh’ sound! Wait until you get home, or at least, the warm café or car. That way you’ll save battery power.

#5 Once back home - wait!

For the same reasons your camera steamed up going from warm to cold, don’t be tempted to immediately look at the images- instead, leave the camera in the coat pocket for half an hour or so to re-acclimatise. Take off your wellies, go and make a deserved cup of tea and switch on the computer instead!

That's 'snow' lion, that's a statue.... I'll get my coat....! :)

I’ve not mentioned the technical aspects of Winter photography here as it’s worthy of another post- suffice to say that you should try to get out early morning or late evening, when the light is lovely and yellow- assuming the sun is out!

Wrap up warm and have fun!

Paul

Why do my photos have that colour cast?

As someone who lives and breathes photography, I have to admit that I’m always looking at the quality of the light around me; its sources, intensity and colour- that’s right, colour! Did you know that natural light presents as a spectrum of different wavelengths, most not visible to our human eyes?

Throw open the curtains one dull mid-winter morning and you’ll be immersed in blue tinged light, (watch the latest ‘Girl with a Dragon Tattoo’ movie, to see that gorgeously atmospheric  North Swedish light- Daniel Craig’s not bad in it, too…. ). Close the curtains on a Summer sunset and the warmth of the yellow glow from the sun hits you. Sit in your living room, fire crackling, old fashioned tungsten bulbs blazing and illuminating the space, and you feel comforted by their warm, orange light. Go to the kitchen for a cuppa, switch on the fluorescent light and find yourself bathed in a harsh, greenish glow. ….. And all the time, we don’t notice, because our vision adapts to each tint and tone. But it’s there, if you look. And it shows in your images!

Cameras, however, can’t adapt so easily, and the very act of taking a photograph throws the composition into a state where we’re able to scrutinise it with more care, so you notice the alien tints and tones. 

Take a picture of your kids in the living room, for example: A couple of table lamps in the corner, your new LED reading light on the desk, curtains open on a North facing window…. No wonder your camera is confused and your kids look half Avatar character, half jaundiced plague victim! 

Bluish on the left, yellowish on the right- they wouldn't let me switch the lights off....

Yellow/orange/green/blue cast?

...and it was ALL yellow!

.... too blue.

Correct 'tungsten' white balance setting on camera- (note my funky Paul Smith sock bottom right....

Use a more neutral light, such as daylight, an LED light, or a halogen bulb, which all emit a ‘whiter’ light, or play with the ‘white balance’ setting on your camera to see which is closest to what you desire. Different cameras have different menus and buttons- if in doubt, get out the manual or go online!

Overcast day outside, happy photographer inside!(window light only)

I love- and prefer- using daylight when I photograph, (not sunlight- too harsh and intense!), whether it’s people or products, and I turn off all internal lighting, where possible, positioning my subject near the window or doorway and ‘bouncing’ light back into any shadows with anything that I can put my hands on, such as a sheet of white paper, fabric, etc. I like the more contrasty effect this gives, with stronger shadows giving the subject more depth and contrast. If the outside light is too strong, filter it through a translucent fabric such as a net curtain or cotton gauze. And remember that direct sunlight is very yellow, so try to work with indirect daylight.

If you wish, you can use your flash, but for me, it produces a flat image that doesn’t really do justice to the subject unless you spend lots of time experimenting with bouncing it off things first. Personal preference!

OK, there are other considerations that you should think about, too, such as positioning, depth of focus, angles and groupings, but they all depend on what kind of image you need and its purpose, Another blog post subject!

Whatever you do, please remember that digital photography costs nothing until you print, so play, play, play with that camera!

Paul Dale