We had a meeting this evening with the fashion students (‘clients’).  Because I am secretary for my cricket club I have been to many, many very boring meetings and wanted to make sure we had a bit of a framework to work to.  So I produced an agenda, as shown below with a brief summary of what was dicussed:

1. Hello! Everyone know everyone else?!  – Just simple introductions.

2. What do fashion students want/need out of this? – Images for portfolio’s.  Especially Gemma who has an online portfolio.

3. What do photo students want/need out of this? – Images for hand-in and portfolio’s as well as the whole fashion shoot experience.

4. Communication, email ok? Swap mobile no’s? – We already had a few email address’ just needed to clarify Nicole’s email address, that had a random underscore at the end!

5. Logistics, all drive? Relying on busses? –  Nicole does drive, but lives very close to Malcolm.  Gemma doesn’t drive and lives in Melton, but can get lifts if needed.  Could be an issue.
6. Proposed dates, anyone got holiday etc. – Everyone was ok with weekend shoots, Gemma and Nicole do some weekend work, but can swap with notice.  Out studio session had already been booked for 6th November, so need to get moving!
7. Proposed idea’s? – Gemma and Nicole had brought their coursework and dresses in with them, so could talk about the idea’s behind them.  Gemma had gone for a natural look, long flowing lines.  Nicole had gone for 1920’s-30’s flapper girl.

Is there a particular look or brand that is to be achieved? – Flapper girl for Nicole’s dress

If we decide on outside venue’s do we have a contingency for bad weather? – Lindsay did had a venue in mind that he’s walked and driven past before.  Private land, he would try and contact the owner.

Changing area for models? – Lindsay suggested the back of his builders van for an outdoor shoot!  We hoped we could find a room or a ladies loo for an indoor venue.

8. Costs? Expenses etc? – We decided that we’d split any major costs between us, small items we’d take care of ourselves.

9. Info for models, I.e. Shoes, accessories, makeup etc? – Gemma and Nicole had people in mind for their dresses and were happy to do makeup.  Models needed to bring shoes.  Gemma’s model needed to bring some white underwear to avoid being exposed!

10. AOB and further discussion of idea’s – Lindsay continued to describe the private estate that he’d walked around.  Because the weather hadn’t been great recently we were also trying to think of indoor venues.  After seeing an image of a model in front of patterned wallpaper, which everyone liked. Suggestions were: Beaumanor hall, City Rooms, New Walk Museam, Prestwold Hall, Calke Abbey, Grand Hotel and the Guild Hall.  Malcolm agreed to investigate the indoor locations. 

Overall a good meeting.

As part of our business unit we have been asked to work with fashion students from the college and photograph models in white dress’ that they had previously made.  I was actually in New York when the brief was set, but have been put in a group with Lindsay and Malcolm.  We have been assigned to Gemma and Nicole.  The business part of the unit is treating Gemma and Nicole as clients, i.e. have meetings, create dummy quotes, contracts, invoices etc..  We have a meeting booked with them on the 9th October to discuss and see coursework.

We were emailed pictures of the dress’ so this is what we will be working with:

Gemma’s dress looks to be quite tall and elegant.  Although we were a little worried about how transparent the skirt appears to be!


Gemma FrontGemma Back

Nicole’s dress worried us a lot, because of how short it appears to be!


Nicole Front

Nicole back

My wife and I have recently had a sort break away to New York.  It was brilliant, although we were both shattered when we got back from rushing round trying to see everything.

We managed, in no particular order:

  • A brief look at Grand Central Station, straight off the bus from the airport.  Then tried to work our way through the subway system to get to our hotel in Brooklyn.
  • Night on broadway to see Jersey Boys, first night there after our long day of travel!
  • Various city tour busses
  • Central Park
  • Yankee Stadium Tour
  • New Jersey Devils vs New York Islanders ice hockey
  • Times Square
  • 911 Memorial
  • Empire State Building
  • Top of the Rock (Better than Empire State)
  • Tiffany & Co (Expensive day!)
  • Brooklyn Bridge
  • Staten Island Ferry to see Statue of Liberty
  • Madison Square Garden
  • Kats Delicatessen (from When Harry met Sally)

Below are a few of my favourite shots from the trip:

A friend of mine who plays for the Bosworth Blazers basketball club called me one evening to ask if I would go along to the friendly fixture between the A team and the B team.  They had new kit from new sponsors, would I be able to come along and take some team photo’s and action shots.  Plus I was offered petrol money and a pint afterwards. Well, I was chuffed to be asked, but also a bit apprehensive because I know the sports hall that they play in is quite dark for photography.  I knew the team photo’s wouldn’t be a problem, but action shots could be a challenge.

After a bit of experimenting while they were warming up. I went for my 50mm prime, 1.8f lens for the whole shoot at about 500iso.  On camera speed light was creating too many horrible shadows and I decided that I could crop anything that I couldn’t get close to.  As It happens I got full access around the court, so ‘zooming’ into the action wasn’t a problem.

As the kits are very similar, the A team played in the old kit.  The club have seen my photo’s and are happy enough to invite me back to shoot the A team in a league match in the new kit!

Below are a few of my favourite shots:

 

I was asked by the Managing Director to take some Team and Action photographs for the junior football team that he has sponsored and one of his sons plays for.  Below are a few of the shots, which I got some positive feedback for:

A colleague of mine at work has written a novel about a series of murders in Leicestershire.  He approached me about taking some shots for the cover.  This was an interesting project because the client had sorted out a model (one of his grandchildren), a location, Knighton Woods, as well as the shot that he wanted.  He was looking for a shot, in a wooded area, with the child behind a tree, or with at least half of the face obscured, so the child couldn’t be recognised.

I took several shots and passed them onto him to choose a favourite.  Here is a selection:

The shot that he actually went for is one that we’d not actually planned, i’d taken it more in setting up:

Innocent Woods Used

Chosen Image

The book is now available to buy: Innocent Woods by Stephen Malyon (opens in new window).

Innocent Woods Cover

I took my National Identity First Shoot Images into college and got some positive feedback as well as idea’s for improvement.  It ended up taking a bit of bribery and about £20’s worth of fish and chips, but I managed to secure a second shoot.

College liked the football supporter with flag image (which i’ve not posted because the model isn’t comfortable with it) and the family on sofa shot.  Although they suggested a similar shot with the kitchen door closed and a few more signifiers (identity clues) around the room.

I also tried to play on the football hooligan a bit more, but I struggled with the location and lighting, it wasn’t ‘dark’ and sinister enough.

Here are my better shots from the shoot:

Again, I took these images to college.  I got very positive feedback on the family shots.  But the shots in the alleyway were too bright and urban.

 

In the end I decided to hand in the shot that my model doesn’t like and this family shot (I liked the proud look on the fathers face in amongst the other goings on in the room, a final comment from a lecturer was that I maybe needed to sit him up on a cushion to allow for the sag in the sofa, so there is less knees).  I received a Merit for my efforts:

Our 4th and final project for the  HNC Photography 1st year is National Identity.  We have been tasked with producing two documentary style images to portray a national identity.

I chose Englishness.  My brother in law is a very keen football supporter.  He is a Leicester City season ticket holder and gets behind the national team when they are on the TV.  Now i’m maybe being a bit unfair to him, bit with his shaved head he does look a little bit like a football hooligan. This is actually a long way from the truth and he is a wonderful husband to my sister as well as a fantastic Dad to my Nieces.  I thought the football supporter and doting Dad would make a good contrasting pair of images.  After a bit of persuasion I’ve managed to secure a date to go round and take a few shots.  My main inspiration has been Martin Parr a well known English documentary photographer.

Here are some of my better images from the shoot (there is an image that I really like, but the model isn’t keen on, so i’ve omitted it.  It is him from the waist up, topless showing tattoos, holding an England flag behind his head, almost screaming into the lens):

My favourite shots are the one i’ve not shown and the ones of the family sitting on the sofa.

After some discussion with the unit tutor I’d decided to follow the beer can photography route and photograph Leicester landmarks.  I did some research and decided that I needed 5, 10 and 15 second exposures at each landmark to try and cover all bases.  Because it’s very difficult to change the ‘film’ (photographic paper) in a beer can camera without over exposing it, I’d decided I’d take a lot of pre-loaded cans out with me.  Here is my stack of beer can camera’s:

Pinhole tower

I must add that I didn’t drink all of the beer in these cans.  I went to ASDA and bought some smart price larger and bitter 4 packs (only £1.99 each!).

So, last Sunday (21st April) my wife and I went for a bus trip all around Leicester taking shots at 4 locations.  I’d taken the shots, but I wouldn’t know the results till today.

Because i’d happened to book the day off work I’d spoken to the tutors and arranged to go in early, use the darkroom and develop my shots.  I’m so glad I did, everyone was well over-exposed.  I had 12 black sheets of paper for my troubles!

So, I bought some more photo-paper and ran over to the bus station.  Took shots at 1,2 and 5 seconds. Got them back to the darkroom, success!  2 seconds seemed to be ideal for that shot.  So I loaded up my remaining cans and went for a drive around Leicester.  I went to the King Power Stadium, Tigers Stadium, The Space Centre and Abbey Pumping Station.  I then got back to college and was reasonably happy with the results.  These were then scanned, inverted, cropped, tweaked and printed A3.

Below are my final images.  I’m fairly happy with them, although they do lack a lot of definition.  I would have liked to spend more time and perfect the shots, but this wasn’t possible.

King Power Stadium

King Power Stadium

St Margarets Bus Station

St Margarets Bus Station

Abbey Pumping Station

Abbey Pumping Station

Welford Road (Tigers)

Welford Road (Tigers)

Edit:  I received a Merit for this project.