Bump shoot with Kelly and Scott (and Ella)

I was contacted via Facebook regarding a bump shoot under recommendation from another client that Im shooting for next weekend. This is good for someone who doesn't advertise!

The shoot went well.

The conservatory at the rear of the house was bathed in diffused light with plenty of space.

The expecting couple; Kelly and Scott were really nice and were well up for the shots.

The greatest part of the shoot though was their daughter Ella who was very funny and very cute. As soon as I walked in the door she was chatting away and singing her ABC's. All changed when the camera came out though, for this Im a little sorry for as Kelly was hoping for some real family shots. I did manage to capture a few candid shots of Ella playing, she was especially happy when I asked her if she wanted a picture of her eating so she can look at it.

Thanks again to Kelly and Scott who were prepared to show some skin and stand in some awkward positions.

Im now debating advertising. Onwards and upwards!

Thanks Kelly, Scott and Ella.

Pre wedding shoot with Ashley and Jolene

I enjoyed a little impromptu shoot yesterday with Ashley and Jolene, whom Im shooting their wedding for In a couple of weeks time.

I met the couple at the church they are getting married at to discuss a couple of details before their big day.

Before I knew it, I had the camera out and I was directing the poses.

This couple loves to kiss!!!!

After a few minutes the couple were starting to act natural and were enjoying a little bit of banter. This is going to help them get prepared for the important shots on the big day.

Thanks to Ashley and Jolene, ill see you in a few weeks.

Enjoy.

Just a walk in the park

I was dog sitting Ella again and just fancied grabbing shots.

We took a walk over too and round the Memorial Park in Sutton Bridge.

I'm liking the way I've started to shoot faces of both people and animals. I'm filling the frame with natural poses.......don't smile!!! So I needed to capture my borrowed mans best friend in this way.

And for once she wasn't the obedient dog she usually is. She just would not look at the camera.
Luckily I caught her eye for at least a quarter of a second before shed look over my shoulder again, she really liked my shoulder; every time I moved to try and get in her eye line she would then alter it again.

And to top it off.....that tongue!

She's a beaut.

ISO640, 157mm, f/4, 1/400



My favourite subject when on a photo walk seems to be benches. Why I photograph benches I don't know. I just love a good bench.

This once a good'un too as it sits right at the back of the back in the trees. Light is diffused in between the branches. Its a very quiet place and the bench is very simple. Simply peaceful.

ISO640, 147mm, f/3.5, 1/200

 Just behind the bench lives a tree with vines growing up the side of it. Very photographic.

ISO2000, 70mm, f/5.6, 1/125

Finally behind the tree above in a section called 'Devils Circle'; I don't know why its got this name, it was just known as this when I was a kid so that the name has stuck with me. I'm not sure who named it this, why or when, is a 'zebra' tree.

 

I'm sure its one of a kind.

ISO2000, 70mm, f/3.5, 1/125

 

What's left of the DFV factory, Holbeach

I remember buying a hockey stick from here when I started 'big' school.

2008, the site had been left empty for a short number of years before someone decided to have a little fire in the month of August, it must of been a cold summer to need to light a fire. Since 2008, the site has been left empty still with the scarred remains of the buildings that once were.

I've been thinking about taking a look for a couple of years now, so my usual free time of a Saturday morning in the month of May was the date and time for the trip. Hardly a trip, its only about 10 miles from my house.

Its easy to get into, just climb over a mound of mud used to block the entrance to the site. Once over the top your met by a larger building to the left that is still intact and a building to the right that is a pile of bricks and charred wooden remains.

The larger building to the right seems to be either home to tramps or a den for youths as there is graffiti on the walls, make shift seats/beds, a fire pit and empty bottles of White Lightning cider everywhere.

ISO 100, 86mm, f4.5, 1/400

ISO 100, 200mm, f3.5, 1/1250

Inside the skeletal remains of the other building were some great textures of the burnt wood and as you push your feet around the debris on the floor you find remnants of old hockey balls, sticks and goal keeper pads.

ISO 100, 105mm, f5.0, 1/60

ISO 200, 9mm, f5.6, 1/25

ISO 500, 105mm, f5.6, 1/25

ISO 100, 105mm, f7.1, 1/100

ISO 100, 24mm, f6.3, 1/400

ISO 500, 105mm, f/5.0, 1/25

ISO 100, 80mm, f5.0, 1/200

ISO 100, 200mm, f5.0, 1/200

ISO 100, 200mm, f5.0, 1/2000
Look closely and you'll see that a fly is hard at work typing

ISO 100, 200mm, f4.0, 1/500

ISO 100, 70mm, f4.0, 1/800
Fancy a seat?

ISO 100, 128mm, f4.0, 1/800

ISO 100, 70mm, f3.2, 1/250.
Anyone got any bog roll?

ISO160, 200mm, f2.8, 1/100
Great light.
This foliage covered the floor of the larger building.

When leaving the site a lady from across the road came out to speak to me. Warning me of the dangers of entering the site; falling debris, glass on the floor etc. She said kids are always playing on the site and that she has seen/heard people in there at night, which backs up my idea on the den/home. She did also say though that deers and foxes are quite often seen in the early hours.

Shooting in the walks, Kings Lynn, with Taj

I text Taj saying I was going to the Walks in Kings Lynn to take some shots. He was supposed to bring his camera too but he forgot......oh well, that gave me something to take photos of; Him.

Before I met Taj I had 10 minutes or so of time to myself so I strolled around and got one of my favourite shots that ive taken recently.

This guy was walking about 10 steps ahead of me and then sat down on empty bench listening to his tunes with his legs crossed. I see Taj arrive as I walked behind this guy on the bench and gave him the shush signal. I new I couldn't be long and mess round with trial and error of exposure settings, I decided on my exposure and took the shot.

24-105L, 70mm, F5.6, 1/80, ISO160

I love the posts sticking up on the left of the image balanced by the guy on the right.

Maybe I should of tapped him on the shoulder and said "alright mate, I just took a picture of the back of your head".

But I didn't.

So Taj and I went over to the red mount to make the most of the textured bricks and doors as backgrounds.

As always, these days, my Sigma 70-200 was the lens of choice and I also attached a Nissin di866ii flash for some fill light in the shadows and catch light in the eyes.



70-200, 91mm, F5, 1/100, ISO250

Ever the cool dude

70-200, 70mm, F5, 1/200, ISO800

70-200, F5, 1/640, ISO1250

My favourite shot of Taj, I like the grain added by choosing a higher ISO, the tilt (gotta love them tilts) and the pose, although Taj did complain that it wasn't comfortable.

70-200, F5, 1/200, ISO400

70-200, F5, 1/200, ISO400

70-200, F5, 1/80, ISO160

Ive had an idea for a little project of frame filling face portraits, here's my first.

 

Wisbech; a strange place

Not much of a story; I was going food shopping and decided to take a walk around Wisbech before hand with my camera with my Lensbaby attached.

I had eyed up a building that looks empty, I didn't find a way in though but the outside was nice and worn.

 

I like this alleyway; its narrow and people walk past without knowing that Im stood in there taking photos.

 

I only noticed that this hairdressers has a picture and advert for the Bridge Hotel in Sutton Bridge, my home town, recently. I had to get a picture.

 

 

 

Nice grande stone steps and pillars.

 

 

 And that was my stroll around Wisbech.



Exploring Salou; Hotel Cala Vina

I should of gone back in..................I  should of gone back in.

We've recently been on holiday, Laura and I, to Salou in Spain. The weather was hot and the food was good, what more can you ask for?

When walking back from a meal in the local resort we walked past a hotel that was abandoned.......result!

Laura, kindly waited as I jumped over the fence surrounding the hotel and searched for an open door, I didn't find one though.

A couple of days later I decided to have another look. I started by going round the back and taking a selfie.

Real exploring clothes, swimming shorts and a vest

I then walked around the site and climbed up a low level building. It was then when I see possible entry point. The downside, I had to climb again to get to it, not so easy when you've got short shorts on and a camera bag hanging off your shoulder.

Oh well.

First I had to balance on a flimsy open ventilation pipe that was just wide enough that if I fell in I would be stuck, I mean really stuck considering no one would know where I was. The next step was to push off of a wall and then jump to a very unstable piece of scaffolding. The scaffolding wasn't supported at the end I was to climb up on, when I put weight on it moved and sunk and swayed. I really had to either man up and go for it or just give up.

I went for it and jumped and balanced on my stomach before I brought my leg up and climbed. Rough work when I was in little shorts.

So I was on the scaffolding but I still had to get in. The way in was a small opening made by pushing a piece of boarding back, getting on my knees and crawling through.

Safe to say it was absolutely roasting inside. I mean damn it was hot.

The corridor I crawled into. The gap i crawled through is on the left hand side.

My goal was to run upstairs and get on the roof, I was stopped immediately on the next floor up, an ALARM. To say it was surprising is an understatement. There was no way I was going up on the roof to then have police or security turn up when I had no other way of getting down.

I lost my bottle!

So I turned round and went down stairs to the ground floor.

It was weird.

The reception and office behind looked as though the hotel employees had downed tools one day, turned off the lights and locked the doors behind. I mean everything was still there; computers, paperwork, pens, pencils, you name it.

 

The alarm was still going off and it was dark, not ideal for photography as I felt rushed so I didn't have time to swap lenses, I just took 2 shots and another selfie and then ran back upstairs to get out. I had crawl out and jump down yet.

I really wish I went back in, I just know that there would be a dining room full of tables and chairs and kitchen full of pots and pans. That's not too mention the guest rooms, there was probably 100 of them.

I did however take a couple of shots of the outside.

I just love a good tilt

It was a big place

 

I really hope I go back to Salou for a holiday again.

Ill have to take less camera gear though as my bag weighed a tonne.