What's the story?

I almost wish photos were like the moving portraits in Harry Potter. The subjects being able to tell you the story behind the image.

Unfortunately, most of the people in the pictures I was looking at while delving into the family photo collection last week are long gone. Their stories lost with them too.

I know very little about my Nana Cox (the lady sitting middle right) apart from my own memories up until her death in 2003.

She’s the one where my love for Bovril on toast comes from. She gave us oranges with sugar to dip them in. She had that scratchy toilet paper with the spare roll hidden by a crocheted doll cover.

I knew she was involved in WW2 but never heard her stories. I never knew who she was before being Nana Cox. And I really wish I could go back in time to ask her all those questions I have when looking through her life in pictures.

I find it sad that those stories are lost. But I think worse is yet to come, when we realise in the future that digital images we had are lost to time too.

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Don't like being in front of the camera?

I know exactly how you’re feeling!

It might have been because of the outfit, but I didn’t want to have my photo take that day.

Yeah, it was quite apparent I wasn’t a fan of the camera. And if that picture doesn’t prove it for you, maybe this one will.

Believe it or not, I was a happy child. There was just something about sitting in front of a photographer that I didn’t like one bit. And it showed. No matter who you are, if you’re not happy about getting in front of the camera, it’s going to show in the final pictures.

If that’s the case, can you ever have a good picture taken?

From past experience you probably think that you’re just not photogenic, how can you be when you look rubbish in pretty much all of the pictures you’re in? Hell, it’s exactly what I thought. But in reality most of us just get a form of stage fright. We don’t know what to do. We’re nervous. We get super conscious of what every part of our face and body is doing. Who’s going to look good when all of that is going through your mind?

But there is a solution! It’s a really simple one. And it’s something that your photographer should be doing for you. What is it, you ask? They should be putting you at ease. Having a simple conversation, person to person can help you forget about the camera, letting you relax. And when you’re relaxed your natural expressions come through and that’s what the camera captures. Much better than the wide eyed, stiff bodied pose that you might be used to seeing staring back at you.

And just so you know, I haven’t cried in front of a photographer for a while now.

So if you think it’s time to update your portrait with one that makes you smile, give me a call and book a session.

If you would like to hire me for your product, food or drink photography, call or email me.

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Behind the Shot - Apple Backplate

The Inspiration.

Commercial photographer and educator Karl Taylor decided to set a brief for his students (of which I am one). Not only to encourage continued learning and productivity while in lockdown during the pandemic but to show what it is like to receive and work to a brief in the industry. Many clients know exactly what they want and you are there to produce it.

I was intrigued so I decided to give it a go.

The Brief.

To produce an image based on the above sketch. There was also a mood-board showing the look and feel the image should portray, with a list of requirements:

• Apples must be red

• Leaf on apple stalk not necessary

• Soft window light

• No hotspot on apple

• Warm, rustic background

• etc…

Behind the Scenes.

It’s a deceptively simple shot. But it’s all about the prep.

To stop the hotspots, the apples were first washed to remove any wax. Then an artist’s matt varnish was sprayed onto the skin. That combined with the use of the light from the softbox being shone through diffusion paper created a soft, mellow light onto the apples. Lemon juice was rubbed onto the exposed flesh of the cut apple to stop it from browning during the shoot and museum wax was used to prop the apples into place.

The base is a length of oak rubbed down with an antique oak wax to give it a deeper colour. The background is a piece of hardboard painted with a matt black. I smeared orange poster paint over this to create some warmth and texture

The setup only uses 2 lights. The softbox to create window light coming in from the left. I reflected some of this light into the cut apple using a piece of white foam core. The second light illuminated the background. On this, I used a reflector with a loose grid and added an orange gel to bring some subtle warmth to the scene. Other pieces of foam core were used to block the main light from hitting the background.

Result

I’m pleased with the result, in general it fits the brief. Things I would change…mainly the apples. With limited supplies in stores, the measures put into place to practice safe distancing and only essential travel currently allowed I didn’t have the luxury to source the perfect apples for this shot.

I learnt a lot and had fun in the process. Images for clients are about solving their problems and finding solutions to do so.

If you have an image you need to be created, get in touch.

If you would like to hire me for your product, food or drink photography, call or email me.

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