Unveiling simplicity

A really quick post for this morning...

I recently undertook a job for one of my long-standing local clients. Nothing over complicated, it was a simple case of recording the viewing of several newly-constructed properties, with the resulting images destined for use in various traditional and online marketing publications.

Given that the people involved were there simply to discuss the new unveiling - and not to be bossed around by their photographer - this was a very flexible shoot which involved me fitting the various imagery of my brief around their schedule.

As is quite typical, the shoot entailed the official 'group' picture, informal portraits and a number of interior scenes showing off the overall spaces, fixtures and fittings. And with the properties being empty, devoid of any furniture, the brief really lent itself to some lateral thinking - after all, how does one make an empty room look homely and inviting to would-be residents? Well, if you know me and my approach, you can imagine that the answer is not too complicated!

Because of my long-standing working relationship with this client, I knew that they would be very open to the idea of a little creativity in the form of what we technical people call 'wonky angles' ;) It's a simple enough technique, really - you just rotate the camera a little to throw a touch of visual interest into the picture. Simple, but effective.

On a slightly more technical note, simplicity again won the day - I used a single camera, mounted on a tripod (for the interior shots), and alternated between two lenses (note techies: 18-70mm, 10-24mm). Lighting was whatever came through the windows and from the ceiling-mounted light bulbs, apart from the people shots, which required a single flash light either bounced off the ceiling (inside) or fired directly from a position alongside the camera (outside).

So there you have it, a quick post about a quick set of basic imagery which will be used to promote my client and their properties over the medium- to long-term.

Waiting for inspiration to strike

They say that inspiration is lurking around every corner. But is it? Are such moments of clarity really there for the taking, or do you have to make them appear through the process of your own thoughts and actions?

Whichever way you cut it, inspiration comes in many forms. Whether it hides in the pages of a book or magazine (my current read of the moment is Wired Magazine), or comes from the company you share... Perhaps the places you visit or the journeys you make around the internet super highway - everyone has their own way of coming up with fresh ideas.

For us photographers, we need to be on the constant lookout if we are to stay on our toes and produce interesting images. It is one thing to be set a brief to follow, but when you are commissioned to create a set of images, it is your ability to visualise concepts and bring them to fruition that will keep the client happy - not simply your ability to 'press the button'.

What about personal projects? In previous posts, I have written about the importance of photographers producing work for themselves, as well as producing commissioned work. I have been getting a few ideas of my own together recently - nothing concrete, just a few thoughts and images to test the waters - and the latest developments came about thanks to the postponement of an assignment over the recent Bank Holiday.

Seizing the opportunity to get out of the house, Manda and I headed off for the local ancient woodland - with no real thoughts towards image making in mind. It was a beautiful day and we were just glad to be out in the fresh air. But... Me being me, with my head always buzzing, I began to think about how I could use the location to my photographic advantage; every corner we turned presented the possibility of a would-be backdrop.

Thoughts immediately sprang to mind of Drew Gardner's fantastic work, which I have been following via his blog in recent months, and I soon found myself stopping to take 'location snaps' to place in my sketch book for future reference.

What I have in mind is by no means the same as Drew's concepts. I am drwaing on my own interests and influences, my own love of the outdoors and how I wish to place my subjects there.

I have not set myself a deadline for this personal work - it it not at that stage yet. For now, I'm happy simply to keep on walking, to keep on thinking, to be open to outside influences and the oportunities of what is yet to come.

In spite of the rain...

Whilst up in Manchester, Manda and I decided to take a trip out into the countryside of Bowland - a lovely area of rivers, sheep and rolling hills crossing rural Lancashire and North Yorkshire in the North West of England. I'm sure there's probably more to the place than that, but these were just my initial observations!

Having been treated in Blackpool, the day before, to a relatively mild afternoon with dry weather and a fantastic sunset, we were all fired up to have another day out walking around and taking pictures 'just because we can'. As I said in a previous post, creating more personal work is very much on my 'to do regularly' list this year.

In theory then, the idea of another day out was a good one... Seeing that the light was pretty good and conditions were almost rain-free, we packed the car with everything we'd need to create simple lighting on location - 2 flash guns (Nikon SB-800s), 2 lightweight stands and a set of Pocket Wizard remotes (for reliable wireless flash triggering). Between us, we were using both Nikon and Canon camera/lens kit. Oh, and just for a bit of comfort, a flask of coffee came along too (pity we forgot the milk!).

I say the idea was a good one 'in theory', because nature had other plans for us.

With every mile we drove, the wet stuff got worse. Specks of rain turned into a fine drizzle, before passing through a state of what can at best be described as 'lazy droplets', before threatening to become a downpour. Add to this the increasing cold and we were getting further and further away from what would be considered 'favorable' conditions.

But of course, in true British spirit (that is to say a stubborn and determined fashion), we refused to be beaten by this. I always carry a bunch of clear freezer and zip-lock bags with me, to keep all the electronic stuff dry in such scenarios - and thankfully, as ever, this simple, cost-effective solution proved perfect for the job.

Modern pro kit is pretty resilient these days - it has to be - but even so, it makes sense to give it a helping hand from time to time.

We managed to get a good few pictures in the can between us before the decision was made to head off to a different location further up the road. In the event, the weather really set in and so 'Plan B' came into force - head for the nearest pub on the way back and have a late lunch before settling down to a warm evening and review our day's efforts.

All in all, we had a great time in Bowland. And despite the weather, the experience only served to fuel what drives us as photographers, and what it's all about - a passion for photography, and a desire to make images. Pure and simple. And with the thought of long summer evenings on the not-so-distant horizon, we can't wait to get out and about and do more of the same!

Snow... in April?!

Working on location in a local city at the end of this week, it was with a certain "yeah, right!" scepticism that a collegue and I considered the forthcoming weekend's weather forecast. The 'experts' promised us snow - this, as we stood in perfect sunshine, interrupted only by the occasional rain shower. After all, it is now April, and we are just starting to properly see the first glimpses of Spring in the surrounding vegetation.

So much for being a smarty pants then as, would you believe it, they were right all along and we did actually have it - and not just a cursory fluttering either. No, what greeted the waking public this morning was 2 inches of pure white snow which fell in the space of about an hour, early morning (so I'm told - I was still warmly wrapped up in bed at the time!).

The moment I saw this, I was like a little kid on Christmas morning. Filled with sudden excitement, my first thoughts were immediately to go for a walk to shoot some stock pictures. Ok, admittedly I have a vested interest as I love the outdoors anyway, and would jump on any chance to get out and about. But that's not the point. You see, it is such a rarity for us to get snow like this around here these days, that I was keen to fill some gaps in the archive. All things considered, then, how could I possibly resist?

So, off I went to one of my favourite haunts - the local woodland. This is the same area that, only 2 weeks ago, I conducted some lighting tests, as described in this post. What a difference the weather makes! I have walked in and around that area so many times that I now know where various paths lead and what photographic opportunities can be found in certain places - but with a covering of snow, I may as well have been in a different country. Without exaggeration, it was like walking into a winter wonderland (only... um... in April).

This kind of weather does something to the senses, I think, and it is quite beautiful. Have you ever noticed just how calm and still everything appears when it is snowing, or immediately after a snow fall? I'm sure there must be a scientific explanation for this, but that's for another day - and besides, it's always just nice to hear that wonderful sound of snow gently crunching under foot, isn't it?

With many of the usual land marks taken out of the equation, one is left to pick out the finer details. As photographers, much like trackers, we must assess the scene and make adjustments accordingly. Not just with regard to exposure, but also to the composition and what actually appears in the frame.

It's a bit like pointing your camera out to sea on a dull day and expecting to capture a glorious silhouette of a ship. It's just not going to happen. Similarly with a snow scene, we are presented with a plain canvas containing very little detail and it is up to us to seek out the good stuff. With practise, this is not such a daunting prospect.

And even if it was... we do like a challenge!