Archive for May, 2009
Robert and Sarah
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009Just a quickie before hitting the hay as they say across the pond… have completed Robert and Sarah’s pre-wedding shoot. Great shoot on the farm. I like working in the studio particularly since laying the real wooden floor, but it’s equally as good to get out into the yard. The industrial edge can look fabulous in contrast to what we’ll eventually achieve on the wedding day itself.
A commercial photography diversion
Sunday, May 10th, 2009Was burning the candle late in editing mode and thought it worth a post from a recent commercial shoot. This is ‘Ice’ modelling some ties for a Father’s Day campaign that may or may not make it to large format posters in a fairly well known menswear chain. I don’t noose my collar each morning as a habit, but if I did, I’d probably choose a tie like one of these. (I feel a little duty bound to say that, the art director just may be reading this!)
A funny thing happened on the way to the first dance…
Saturday, May 9th, 2009A first today, well in wedding photography terms for me. It was the second of two ‘in a row-ers’ at Wasing Estate as I photographed Matt and Adrianna’s wedding. I’m not a shrinking violet when it comes to addressing guests on the big day. I’d like to think, although you’d have to ask the guests to see if they’d corroborate, that I’m politely and respectfully assertive. A lot of people, and certainly photographers, seem to me vocally shy, even awkward when it comes to gathering guests to construct group portraits. I can’t help thinking that many a fabulous photographer chooses to label him or herself a photojournalist, because the idea of having to organise strangers is such a long distance drive out of their comfort zone, that it’s easier to purchase a 300mm lens and shoot guests from afar. And so today it came to the cutting of the cake. It’s not unusual that I take on the task of gathering eager friends and relatives around the sugar zone for the ‘knife snap.’ But on this occasion I had the benefit of a microphone. Ahhh, I thought, the legendary Shure SM58 microphone… always one to warm up a voice if held just at the right pitch from yer’ lips. Rattle your yaffle correctly with a little depth, and they’ll hear you in Norway. So, I said my piece, gathered guests, collected the shots and moved on. Come the first dance, the DJ planted his microphone in my hands and supported by the groom, persuaded me to introduce the first dance. “You don’t seem to be shy, you’ve got a half decent voice, so would you mind?” Mind? Mind? Me? Of course not. A little trip down memory lane from my broadcasting roots of yesteryear. Hopefully, if you read enough of these posts, you will have worked out I don’t use it to talk of a million and one awards and accolades. But maybe, just maybe, I can claim an accolade, a USP perhaps, my peers would find hard to match. Having worked enough stages and reasonably large arenas in my brief affair as a broadcaster with Radio 1 in the early 90s, (clang name drop) I can now make myself available to photograph a wedding and MC the day’s events, as long as you order a Shure SM58 (the sound geeks will register my excitement and understand.) Anyway, before this all becomes really quite self absorbed, some favourite clicks from the initial download featuring the main event of today; Matt and Adrianna. Have a great honeymooon ‘guys.’
Wasing Park wedding photography
Saturday, May 9th, 2009It’s a Wasing weekend this week as I find myself there on two consecutive days. Jay and Katy’s 70 friends and family members witnessed their nuptials yesterday. I love a good tactile wedding, loads of hugs, tub thumpy kind of hearty ‘I love ya mate’ rugby scrum down embraces. This one had plenty!
Great Fosters wedding photography
Sunday, May 3rd, 2009It was an early ’set off’ yesterday for Adam and Julie’s wedding. Usually I’m car bound during Wossy’s Radio 2 gig, but if the radio splurts a dash of Brian Matthews when I turn the engine over, then I’m probably dodging traffic on the M25. Destination Ewell, arrived 10.30, service midday (sent to the balcony, up in the Gods at the church, if you’ll pardon the usage) – why is it everyone in the House of God is welcome bar the photographer? Anyway, back to a favourite venue of mine, the Tudor splendor that is Great Fosters near Egham for the reception. A couple of years ago at the very same venue I’d been doing an arty lit shot with the bride on a stairwell. I whipped closed a couple of curtains, only to find these were original designs by Jane Austin hung in 1798 by the great lady herself. I get selective vision when I’m photographing weddings, so large ‘don’t walk on the grass’, ‘don’t photograph in here’, or more pertinently titled signs like ‘don’t touch these curtains ever ever ever’ don’t tend to fog my vision when trying to grab a shot. Still no harm done, honest guvnor. A couple of favourite images from yesterday then…
Do you Twit or Twoo… (I’m now on Twitter)
Sunday, May 3rd, 2009I always thought of Twitter as legalised stalking. You sign up, look up a myriad of folk who for some reason you feel the desire to electronically follow hour by hour, and then hope that some or all, will then decide to reciprocate by following you back. In email terms when I was gainfully employed on Planet Corporate, this would be akin to cc-ing the entire company into your every action. 9.21 – I will be in the mens room for the next half hour reading yesterday’s footie pages from Sport of the World. 10.06 – Has anyone seen my stapler? 10.17 – I have just put the kettle on. But… I am intrigued by this virtual portal to the type of people who would usually brush you aside at the steps of Stringfellows. On Friday, a fellow networker (don’t you loathe that word) informed me he’d been chatting with Richard Branson! What about I don’t know. Perhaps Dickie had run out of paperclips? If sat in front of a pyscho-wotsit, explaining that you were on a mission to collect friends and followers would receive a sharp glance, with the immediate order to go buy a dog-eared copy of The Road Less Travelled from a second hand book shop. Still, I was sick of being asked why I didn’t Twitter, so last week I went and joined. As of this moment, I have 27 followers. They include a gynecologist, a few work acquaintances, a waste disposal department, life coach and Howard Stern fan. If you belong, look me up, and if you don’t take five minutes to join up. The link’s to the left. Anyway, I’m off to read that book. I have a copy already. 22.36 – In the ‘boardroom’ reading Road Less Travelled. (PS Update, we have two Twitter accounts; one for nealejames and one for breathepictures.)
Smile for the man?
Sunday, May 3rd, 2009I reckon, standby – HUGE generalisation about to emit via this ‘ere blog… I reckon, that the main reason people have a fear of being photographed, is not that their soul will be stolen and sold to the cheapest bidder via Ebay, but they feel a pressure to bring on an unnatural smile. Such is the memory of school photographs where the history tutor (why was it always the history guy) would stand in the school photographer’s doorway and threaten you with six of the best if you failed to show your parents via a smile how wonderful your schooling days were, that many an adult now likens a trip to Doctor Camera with a one hour subjection to root canal surgery. It is true that I may as a photographer ask a sitter to smile, or at least crack a faint smiley type expression thingie to show enthusiasm for the session. But usually that’ll be during a family shoot, where you know your work won’t be displayed if you return a Victorian presentation of earnest intensity. Often though I won’t ask for that, opting to create some kind of diversion, usually by conversation, where the subjects engage more naturally. I shot two pre-wedding shoots today with couples I’ll see over the next couple of months – and I like to think, both shoots will yield some cracking images. Each session started with the usual mantra; “I hate having my picture taken.” By the end of it though, I hope that both couples felt we’d done nothing more hellish than simply walk through the countryside adjacent to my studio, popping a couple of shots here and there, and talking about their wonderful honeymoon locations. I asked one of my couples; “Now, how many times in the last twenty minutes have I told you to smile?” Just as an aside, some parents who bring their children for a family shoot will feel the shoot hasn’t yielded any gold if they don’t remember a particularly smiley visit. I’m delighted when I receive a mail or phone call to say how surprised and delighted they are with the results. A little wry smile appears on my face, naturally that is.
Silchester House wedding photography
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009Just in the final stages of presenting an album design to Chris and Natalie from a wedding shot a couple of months ago at Silchester House, Berkshire. Thought I’d take a moment to share some of my favourite black and whites from the day. It was a privilege being there for you both!
The wedding documentary book is released
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009I’ve been working on one for a number of months now as an alternative to our choices of wedding album. Many couples I work with would love to include a great number of their wedding photographs in an album, but subtlety often plays a role in their final choice. So after some time searching I have finally found a published product that feels and reads like a book where there is no limit to the number of photographs you can place in a 100 to 200 page presentation. Don’t think album though, the pages are thinner and it has a wrapped cover. See the book at our showroom in Thatcham, Berkshire.