52 Portraits...

Project 52 is done and dusted, all that is left to do now is give all those who took part their print as a little thank you from me. The book has been printed and I shall post about it in a few days. I set out to do this project in a year; it took a year and a half. A little longer than I had anticipated, but if a job is worth doing…

Alan

Why portraits. A lot of people ask me that. I have asked myself the same question many times in the past. I prefer portrait photography over all other forms of the art. In the end it comes down to one thing; I am fascinated by people. I want to know what makes them tick, what drives them, what motivates them. I suppose that makes me something of a voyeur. I guess all photographers are voyeurs of one sort or another. But I try to make my portraits anything but voyeuristic. I want to show people how interesting they are.

Above all I want the photo to be something more, to reveal something about my subject. And this is where it gets interesting.

Chris

Joe

In the first photo is Chris. With the addition of a slide rule, I am telling you a bit more about him. Your own world experience then fills in the blanks. Most people, of a certain age, know what a slide rule is; engineers and scientists use them. Chris is a structural engineer, while today he might use a computer, as do we all, back in the day he used a slide rule.

In the second photo, Joe, who is a building contractor and of Sicilian descent and all round great guy. But from the photo you cannot guess that. Everyone who knows Joe and sees the photo loves it and say ‘that’s Joe’. They are not just seeing the image; they are seeing beyond it and something of Joe from what his face is saying. But you have to know him to get it. As it happens this is one of my favourite shots.

The question here is audience. What is your audience? For a shot to be personal and meaningful to a family, then Joe’s shot works; for a shot to be more commercial then you have to tell more of a story. I hope that Joe and Chris’ photographs will be part of their family gallery for sometime to come.

Both approaches are valid; you take the shot to suit the market. It’s all about pleasing people. This project was primarily about pleasing myself, and that is how I tackled it. Some of the shots are more personal than others, some you will ‘get, some maybe not.

David

you had to be there to get this one...

The experience I have gained has been unprecedented. Apart from the obvious lessons of improving technique, there was the working under pressure; often it was half an hour in someone’s kitchen or ten minutes in work, dealing with people; not just themselves, often their family as an audience. Setting up the next shot was a good one; who was going to be next weeks model? Many a sleepless night.

Pre-visualization is also important, I did know all the people I photographed, some more than others. But I generally had an idea of how the shoot was going to pan out. I was hit by surprises on a number of occasions, thats to be expected, but it all worked out in the end. On the whole I was lucky; not one of my models were reluctant – the odd few were a bit shy, but once we got going there was no stopping them or me.

Jerry

Paul

Portraits are forever, that’s why I love them. I have so many books of the great photographers and it is always a pleasure to leaf through them. I go back to them again and again. The great black and white movies of Hollywood are my favourite genre, and I hope to be doing much more in this area in the future. The atmosphere and the lighting are very evocative and the emotion is easy to see and feel. What do you think about when you see a persons face? What does it tell you? All the emotions that can be conveyed are in there. Sometimes happiness, sometimes sadness, anger, relief; the list goes on. All it takes is a moment and its captured forever! Why would any photographer want to shoot anything different?

Paul

Which brings me onto technique; the lighting had to be simple. I prefer portable speedlights, so does my wallet and my wife (more money for shoes…) I use a Nikon SB800 and a Vivitar 285, both of which I trigger remotely – there is only one shot taken with on-camera flash in the entire project – find it if you can. I used umbrellas, softboxes and gridspots to control and modify the light from the flashes along with the occasional gel filter.

My favourite setup is a crosslight shot; the umbrella close to the model and then a rim-light from a flash further away with a gridspot to control the spill of light. I know this setup works; I use it time and again.

Which brings me back to why do a project like this? I have come to the conclusion that these kinds of projects are where the creativity really lets loose; answerable to no one; only your own imagination. I have already thought of a dozen projects for next year, the only question is which one…

Bill

Morag

Ria

Roger

Once again, thank you one and all, for your patience, and kindness in allowing me to take your portraits. It has been a real pleasure. I must also thank Catherine and Cein for putting up with my incessant talk about the project, thanks guys! And there is one person that has to be thanked for help above and beyond the call of duty; Katy.

Katy

I can safely say that this project would have got nowhere without her help. Thank you Katy.

just following those shoes again...

I am lucky enough to be attending a seminar run by Moo, those wonderful moo cards people, tomorrow up in London. Blurb will be there and Etsy. The topics include, marketing, photography and photobooks for a small busniness.

I am really looking forward to it, and it gives me a chance to take a day out in London! I'll keep you posted.

Project 52 is complete!

Project 52 is now complete and I am into the vast amount of post processing that goes with producing a book and story of the journey! It has been great fun and very rewarding. Do check back soon when I shall post about this amazing journey.



A big thank you again to all of you whose portrait I took and to all those who helped me and without whom I could not have made it work.
Thank you.

Project 52 ... 52

The End. Finally. The project has finished and what a journey it has been. I couldn't have done it without the help of my daughter, Katy. So it was only fair that she got to take the last portrait; me.
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Noel

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Here is Katy's experience of the shoot...

This was the last portrait of 52 in 'project 52' and one of my first photo shoots. Taking photos with my Dad is always fun but when he isn't behind the camera he has no control on how I take the photo  IT'S GREAT! I used one flash; an SB800, fired into a reflective umbrella which I closed down to limit the spill of light.We tried using a reflector behind Dad's head but I wasn't happy with the results. We also tried putting a flash with a grid behind his head but the light was too powerful even at the lowest setting. it took a while to get the shot I wanted, but it was worth it. I had lots of fun.   

Thanks Katy, for taking a great shot, even if it is of me. And it was a different experience to be behind the camera for a change.

Flight of a lifetime!

Catena Magazine

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Back in March this year a rather special event took place, The Bracknell Forest Catenaian Circle held a raffle in aid of its Presidents Charity. The tickets were £10 each and the prize was a flight in a Hawker Hunter T7A jet fighter. The lucky recipient was Gil, who passed on the ticket as a birthday present to his son, David. Here he is with ex-RAF Pilot Ian Chruchill, who piloted the plane.

David and Ian

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I was lucky enough to be asked to photograph the day and to write an article for inclusion in Catena Magazine, the magazine of the Catenian Association. The full article can be read here. David's family all turned up to wish him well and share in this wonderful day; an experience of a lifetime.

The Topgun moment

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Pre-flight checks.

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The day was captured on video by Andy of Cam Ara

who specialise in Aviation Event Filming

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Preparing to taxi.

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David and Ian making a fly-by.

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The event was hosted by Mr Mike Harding of Bracknell Forest Circle and Delta Jets, both of whom went out of their way to made sure the day ran flawless and was amazing for David and everyone else. A big thank you to all concerned. 

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Back on solid ground...

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David and his Wife, ecstatic after his flight!

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Once again, a big thank you to everyone at Delta Jets, Mr. Mike Harding of Bracknell Forest Circle and Cam Ara for making the day really special for David and for the rest of us.

More information on The Catenian Association can be found on their home page, here.

Delta Jets events and services are listed here.

For Aviation Filming, Cam Ara information is available here.

A little time out in Oxford

A few weeks ago I realised that I had not had a holiday for sometime, so I booked a few days off and we all headed for the lofty spires of Oxford; Morse and Lewis country. Oxford is a little crowded; not least of all with the thousands of tourists that come to see the magnificent city, so driving in the city is difficult at best. We stayed in a hotel on the outskirts and got a bus to wherever we were going.

Katy

'Katie' Boat

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No trip to the city would be complete without gazing at some of the wonderful architecture, for me God is in the details...
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Oxford Sculpture #1

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There are also a huge number of bikes around town...

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Oxford Bikes #1

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Oxford Bikes #2 (+ Angel)

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One of the things I always enjoy when exploring a city is to really look at the details. Sometimes what you see is surprising; there are Angels everywhere...

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Oxford Angel #2

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Oxford Butterfly #1

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Oxford has been photographed to death; so if you have the chance to go there, try to show a different view of the city. I must admit to have taken all the other shots over the years, but you will have seen them already.

Tom

This is Tom. Tom is one of my oldest friends. We have known each other since we were about 13 in secondary school in Cabinteely in Dublin.
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Tom #1

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Tom is taking the plunge and moving over here to England to get his new business off the ground. he came down to see us one Sunday evening a few weeks ago and I couldn't let the opportunity of taking his portrait go by.

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Tom #2

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So I set up my gear and told him to do serious, well he couldn't. Which wasn't helped by another onlooker, whom shall remain nameless... giggling and taking the proverbial. Sometime later we reached a happy medium.

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Tom #3

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And I got the shots I was looking for.

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Tom #4

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Tom was instrumental in sparking my interest in photography; he was one of the founder members of our camera club in school. I shall never remember the day when I brought in my Dad's Agfa Silette and Tom asked for a look. he took it; noticed there was some dust on the lens and went to blow on it to clean it and something else came out of his mouthand covered the lens. Quite. That being said - and I shall never let him forget it - Tom is a great friend and one that no doubt I shall have when I am seventy. Thanks Tom, for your patience, and your friendship over the years.

Noel

Project 52 ... 51

Meet Joe.
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Joe #1

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Joe is an all round great guy and a wonderful partner to Maria, lucky man...(I photographed Maria way back here...) I only know Joe through Catherine's friendship with Maria, and only for a short time, but a nicer man you couldn't meet. When I asked him if I could take his portrait, he immediately responded yes, which is always a relief! And make no mistake this is a big deal; I have been reading and commenting on many blogs about how photography opens doors to meeting different people. These people give you a glimpse into their lives; they open a part of themselves up to you, put their trust in you to deliver a photograph that will last forever and become part of their lives. No pressure.

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Joe #2

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Both Joe and Maria hail from Sicilian families that immigrated over here in the 1960's I am told. British born, they speak fluent Italian and Sicilian. They have known each other since they were teenagers. Joe is a builder so we got on really well from the start, he showed me some of his completed projects on his iphone at which point I started to get jealous...

We made these shots on a very balmy Friday night during World Cup season; Maria and joe treated us to a fantastic barbecue, Sicilian style and then at about 8:00 I set up the shots.

The first was a simple set up in the front garden with the evening sky begining to fade behind. I threw in a bit of flash with an SB800 and a shoot through umbrella to camera left. I took a low vantage point which always works great on a man; makes you look tougher- Joe looks tough anyway.

I then changed tack and shot the SB800 into a reflecting umbrella closed down to only throw light on Joe's face. At this point the ladies were chatting over a glass of wine, time to break that up! It would have been rude not to have taken a shot of Maria and Joe together, so I did.

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Joe and Maria

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We had a wonderful night chatting and taking photographs in a really relaxed way; so a BIG thank you to Joe and Maria for being great hosts and great models too! I can't wait until the next barbecue!

Follow the red shoe... part two

Follow the red shoe, just follow the red shoe...
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Red Shoes #1

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The red shoes have become a sort of way marker for my creativity. Part of my branding as it were. If I keep following them, the path will be good.

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Katy and strobes

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What is photographic style? There has been quite a bit of talk about this on lost of blogs recently; it got me thinking about what my style is. The first thin I asked mysefl was where it came from.

My picture taking style is influenced by everything that has gone before. Sweeping statement, but what does it mean? Ity means my Dad, and how he influenced me by lending me his old Agfa camera when I was a kid, it means looking at the hundreds of photos he took of the family and how he took them. They were all black and white and full of emotion. It means all the movies I saw as a teenager. It means all the books and comics I read when I was young. The list goes on, but this is how I was influenced and this is where my 'style' comes from.

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Hallowe'en 2007

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Catherine, Silver Dress

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Back then I wanted to try every technique under the sun; I had the sun-burst filter and read all the magazines and so on. Then I was still searching and learning. My style was only developing. The books I read told tales of far off worlds and exotic heroes and beautiful women. Some told tales of the past through the words of our Gothic story tellers; I was mesmerized by the dark tales of mystery and imagination. All this and more, is reflected in the photographs I take. I try to stick to a simple technique; I use one or two flash guns and usually set them up in a linear cross lighting fashion. It works for me. But that is only a technique, style is about what the content and emotion that comes out of the photograph is. When starting out it is important to learn as many techniques as possible, use them and master them so they become second nature. Then forget about them and just shoot.

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Paul and Katana

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I want them to be edgy, I want them to tell a story and sometime I want you to be uncomfortable, just a little, when you see them. My 'style' is my interpretation of the world; its how I see it, full of possibilities and emotion. Its what I try to capture in my photographs. My photographs have become my own comic book, but still when I turn the pages, its always something new, even for me. I don't know the end of the story either, but it sure is fun watching it unfold and wondering where the red shoe will take me next.

What do you think your style is?

Think about where it came from and where it is going.

Thanks for reading!

Inspiration...

What books do you read for inspiration?

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Book Keeping...

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There is a great series of books about Vogue...

Vogue Covers, published by Little, Brown, isbn 978-1-4087-0213-0. This book shows a selection of the best of the Vogue covers from 1916 to 2006. A great read and some insight into each cover is given.

People in Vogue, again published by Little, Brown, isbn 978-0-316-73114-0. Buy this book immediately, it is an amazing insight into the portraits from the many and vaired people that made it into the magazine.

Unseen Vogue, once again by Little, Brown, isbn 0-316-72766-0. Actually, buy this book immediately; it is the story of the shots that didn't make it into the pages of Vogue. A facinating insight into the world of fashion photography and the photographers.

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And then some from Taschen...

   

Fashion Now by Taschen, isbn 3-8228-4075-0. A great book to flick through for inspiration. There are many versions available, I believe they update this book fairly often.

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And probably my favourite and one that I constantly pick up...

Camera Work, another Taschen, they do publish great photobooks! isbn 978-3-8228-3784-9. this book is about the camera journal 'Camera Work', by a group of photographers that called themselves Photo-Secession. Curated by Alfred Stieglitz, this is an amazing body of works that spans from 1903 to 1917. From what must seem to us as a primitive age in photographic technology, these wonderful photographs have come. Buy this.

So, what do you pick up for inspiration?