MSW-Design Blog

Monkey Business

2009-09-10T09:13:00.003+01:00

No matter how good a photographer may be, the massive scope of the photography industry means that you can never know it all - either in technique, business know-how or just shoot ideas, so photographers regularly top-up their knowledge and skills by attending some of the many training days on offer.

In this instance, I went along to a Monkey Business training day hosted by well-known photographer, Mark Cleghorn. I've know Mark for a while through my position at Spicer Hallfield, the wedding album manufacturer that is unfortunately no more, and he always offers really simple but effective advice with regards to all things photography.

Held in Earls Court, London, this Monkey Business session focused on fashion photography, with Mark giving advice on how to not only market fashion photography services, but also going through effective lighting set-ups.

The great thing about this training day was that after seeing Mark demonstrate the lighting, the delegates were invited to have a go with their own cameras, which not only lets you have a go with the lighting set-up, but allows you to bring home samples to refer to at a later date.

On the Set of Hotel Babylon

2009-09-02T10:25:00.004+01:00

Having seen an auction of Hotel Babylon props advertised in the local paper, a group of us went along on the viewing day to have a nose and see exactly what was on offer.

What we didn't realise is that Hotel Babylon, the hit BBC series based in a London 5-star hotel, is filmed in a warehouse only just up the road from where we live, and this is where the auction was being held, so we turned up expecting a typical auction room with random bits of furniture and props scattered about, but what we found was the whole entire set for the show!

Being quite a fan of Hotel Babylon, it was quite exciting to be met with the well-known revolving doors, the hotel lobby, the bar, the restaurant, the manager's office, the staff room, the corridors and bedrooms, being able to walk in like one of the many famous guests the programme has featured over the years.

Unfortunately, not knowing just what we'd find, I'd stupidly left my camera at home, but we did have a compact camera with us to grab a few snapshots, with my favourite shot being myself stood behind the Concierge Desk, where Dexter Fletcher's character Tony Casemore frequent resides.

However, although it was great to be able to walk around such a surreal set, in a way it ruined an illusion, as close-up everything is so fake and flimsy. The show really does give you the impression of a real life London hotel, but in reality, it is London skyline backdrops hanging outside the windows, lifts that only open and close and ice that is plastic!

Still, it goes to show how something false and not all that it seems can be made to look real for the camera, which is something I can bear in mind and learn from in benefit of my photography.

New TSOD Teacher

2009-08-25T10:11:00.002+01:00

After a summer holiday to coincide with the school holidays, the Tanya's School of Dance team are preparing for the new term with the addition of a new teacher.

Sophie, a recent ex-pupil of the school, is to join existing teachers, Kerry, Nathan and Rebecca, so MSW-Design was asked to carry out a shoot to mark the new addition to the team.

So, with MSW-Design's portable white hi-key background set-up in the local hall, all four teachers got together for a set of group and individual shots, a selection of which will be used to announce Sophie as the new teacher on the dance school's website.

The photo shoot also included a Ghostbusters theme, which will be used for leaflets to promote TSOD's halloween themed workshops in October.

Golf Day at Mentmore

2009-08-13T18:20:00.003+01:00

After covering a friend's annual golf day last year in celebration of his 40th birthday, it was a case of "the same again" with another visit to Mentmore Golf Club for his 41st birthday.

Now, I'm not really in to golf...I don't dislike it, but I don't really pay much attention to it on the TV or in the news, and the very few times I have actually picked up and swung a golf club, the results haven't been good, so I have decided that perhaps golf isn't for me?

So when it comes to my friend's golf day, I'm more than happy to attend for the purpose of taking 'shots' with my camera and not a golf club! Having hired a nifty little electric golf buggy, I zoomed about the lovely green course from hole to hole, capturing each group of players as they smashed balls miles down the fairway, read the contours of the green and searched for stray balls in the undergrowth.

The end result is a short video montage of the images, animated to music and playable through a DVD player. If you were a player that took part in the golf day, the video is available as from now, so please feel free to contact me for details.

Back To My Roots

2009-08-03T19:29:00.005+01:00

Sorry...a second consecutive motorsport posting! Fresh from my outing in a Formula Silverstone racing car, it got my taste for 4 wheels flowing again and I decided to pop along to a modified car show at Santa Pod to see what images I could grab myself.

Believe it or not, car shows are where I first found my passion for photography. I used to go along as a hobbyist and enjoy recording all the best cars of the day on my camera. Starting off by just taking pics of the cars parked up, I gradually got more and more creative, which tied in with me upgrading my kit as my photography passion envolved.

So, along I went to Santa Pod - one of Europe's best dragster 1/4 mile runway venues, just outside Northampton, which proved to a be a trip up memory lane. I must admit that I felt a bit old walking around amongst the younger generation that I once belonged to, but it wasn't just me that had grown up, the quality of the cars had too.

There were two main areas for capturing action - the 'drift' area and the of course the drag strip. In order to snap the action in a creative way, I used a 'panning' technique, which involves a slow shutter speed and a panning/tracking action to follow the car. This creates a sharp car and a blurred background, thus giving the impression of speed, adding a sense of action to the shot.

Birthday Treat

2009-07-20T16:52:00.005+01:00

Another year of my life has passed and to mark the occasion my lovely girlfiend treated me to a Single Seater Racing Car experience at Silverstone.

Anyone who knows me well will know how much I like my cars and motorsport, so the chance to race around in a Formula Silverstone racing car was awesome!

I had been on a similar experience before for my 18th birthday (all those years ago!) and although I enjoyed it, I didn't have much driving experience behind me and I didn't feel I got as much as I could of out of the day, but this time round, having now driven for 14 years, I was determined to grab the car by the scruff of the neck and push it to its limits.

A wet and miserable day certainly made the limits a lot closer than usual, with big puddles on the track and heavy rain making for very tricky driving conditions, and whilst attempting to get to know the car and find the limits, it was sometimes like driving on a skating rink, but what fun!

Whilst other drivers in the group were sliding off and smacking in to concrete walls, I managed to keep it together and put in what I thought were pretty quick laps, but in reality I was probably seconds off the pace of that of an instructor in the same conditions, and I'll admit to a cheeky spin in my eagerness to plant the throttle coming out of the hairpin!

The speed and responsiveness of the car was incredible - capable of 135mph and the closest thing Joe Public is likely to get to driving a Formula 1 car. I certainly now have a lot more admiration for the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button when they are faced with wet conditions - knowing the car can snap away from them at any moment and not being able to see for the spray and mist.

To get back to a photographic nature though, I took the opportunity afterwards to snap a few 'panning' shots of the cars during the session following mine, albeit not the first time I have photographed motorsport at Silverstone, but knowing I was driving the cars just minutes earlier made it even more of a joy to capture.

TSOD Summer Show 2009

2009-07-08T10:16:00.005+01:00

Regular readers of my blog will know of my regular projects in conjunction with Tanya's School of Dance, and all the recent projects culminated in the school's summer show, held at Long Crendon School in Buckinghamshire.

The show featured over 200 of the dance school's pupils, all performing on the stage in one or more dance routines, making for a 90 minute show spectacular.

MSW-Design were invited along to the show's dress rehearsal a week before the first public showing to take photos of all the cast, and after a busy day of studio style shoots, turned up at the first showing a week later to sell prints to audience members.

With three shows over two days, it was a busy weekend for not only MSW-Design, but all the hard-working and dedicated dancers and tutors, and the shows were deemed a great success for everyone involved.

Now the summer shows have been 'put to bed', thoughts are now on the dance school's summer workshops and the new term. There are also plans for a couple more dance group photo shoots and a TSOD 2010 calendar shoot!

Find out more about Tanya's School of Dance at www.tanyasschoolofdance.co.uk.

Wolfe's Obelisk

2009-07-08T10:05:00.002+01:00

The recent heatwave has made for a hot and humid past week or so, and in the eye's of a photography, sunny summer evenings make for great sunset image opportunities.

So, one evening last week my partner and I trekked up to Stowe Gardens on the Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire border, where there is a fantastic sunset viewpoint at the location of Stowe's Wolfe's Obelisk.

Wolfe's Obelisk is a monument to Major General Wolfe, an army man who achieved fame in the American campaign against the French in the Seven Years' War in the late 1750's.

The Cleopatra's Needle style monument made a great silloette in front of the sunset, helping to show the beautiful orange to blue gradient of the sky.

Blackpool Holiday

2009-06-25T12:14:00.003+01:00

British holidays are reportedly on the up due to the current economic crisis, as families look to cut costs and stick to British resorts for their annual breaks, so my girlfriend and I decided to join in the fun with a short stay in Blackpool.

Known for its Tower, Pleasure Beach and Kiss Me Quick Hats, Blackpool stands for everything that a great British holiday should be. The weather isn't always perfect - far from it - but when the sun shines the beaches and promonades are packed with both locals and holiday-makers, and when the bad weather sets in, there is still plenty to amuse yourself.

Despite not being a great fan of heights, I managed to drag myself up to the top of the tower and sample the great views over the UK's west coast, before then heading back down to watch the world famous Blackpool Tower Circus.

The highlight for me was all the great photo opportunities Blackpool provides - the tower rising above the horizon, the donkeys on the beach, the Fish and Chip shops and the flashing lights of the arcades.

However, to allow for less baggage to carry around, I left my Canon 30D at home and instead decided to record the holiday on my FujiFilm F50 compact camera, and whilst I forfited some manual control with this decision, the FujiFilm still enabled me to take some great shots of what is one of Britain's great historic holiday locations.

Thame Carnival

2009-06-25T12:06:00.003+01:00

Despite only living 3 miles away from Thame in Oxfordshire, I have never been to Thame Carnival before. Not through not wanting to go, but just having not known too much about it and when it was taking place.

However, this year I was invited along by Tanya's School of Dance to cover their presence in the carnival parade, so I went along armed with my Canon 30D and rode on the float to get some great coverage pics.

With political correctness having gone mad these days, most groups, clubs and organisations had turned their backs on the traditional lorry floats due to high insurance risks, but TSOD managed to get past this and boast the only proper carnival float in the parade.

Decorated with balloons and banners, and manned with several of the school's dancers and teachers, the TSOD float was by far the loudest, most colourful and entertaining part of the carnival as it passed through the high street of Thame, and the school rightly won the award for the Best Carnival Float.

TSOD Leaflet Design

2009-06-10T12:13:00.002+01:00

TSOD - Tanya's School of Dance, are now one of my regular clients, having carried out a number of shoots and press coverage for the Haddenham based dance school, and my latest project was the design and print of their summer workshop leaflets.

Using images from our previous shoots, the leaflets are to be used to advertise TSOD's summer workshop tour.

MSW-Design took on the job spec and the information the leaflet needed to contain and come up with a double-sided A5 design, which after proofing with the client, was printed and delivered in time for this weekend's Thame Carnival, in which TSOD have their own float.

This project is a good example of MSW-Design's design service. Design is often a forgotton part of photography, as today's digital revolution has forced photographers to not only be photographers, but designers also, and having carried out many design projects, these leaflets are a good reminder of the design service I can offer.

Press Coverage

2009-06-10T12:00:00.002+01:00

Following my redundancy from image presentation supplier, Spicer Hallfield, back in April, and turning to MSW-Design as my new venture, the Bucks Herald ran a story in their monthly business magazine, which distributes along with their weekly newspaper.

My ex-employer, Spicer Hallfield, unfortunately went in to administration due to uncontrollable debts, and the result for me was redundancy, as the administrators moved in and dramatically cut costs whilst they looked for a new buyer for the business.

The latest news is that unfortunately a new buyer hasn't been found, and the administrators are now in the process of liquidating the business.

This obviously results in major job loses, but it is also a big loss for the photographic industry. Spicer Hallfield have been an institution in the photographic industry, enjoying 100% brand recognition, but this wasn't enough to keep the company afloat in these tough economic times.

For me, not only having lost my full-time job, I am now having to look for new album suppliers, having naturally used Spicer Hallfield during my time there. I am so far undecided as to which new suppliers to use, but I'll be sure to replace like-for-like, so to prevent any disruption to my existing offers and services.

Portrait Day Success!

2009-06-02T10:07:00.004+01:00

MSW-Design held its first ever 'Portrait Day' last week, inviting everyone and anyone to come along and have their photos taken for free. Attendees only need pay if they wished to purchase any of the phots taken.

Held during the school half-term holiday, and aimed at children, the event saw 8 different sets of families come along and take advantage of the professional set-up, which included both white and black backgrounds, having fun in-front of the camera and enjoying a complimentary cup of tea and biscuit.

It was certainly hard work going from one family straight in to another, and trying to entertain the kids in order to get their maximum attention for the photos, but it was a big success and worth all the effort.

With a large batch of images having now all been edited and tweaked, they have been uploaded in to the 'Buy Prints' section of the website, with a password protected gallery for each family, ready for viewing and purchasing.

Keep your eye out for details of MSW-Design's next Portrait Day...

Rural T.S.O.D. Shoot

2009-05-23T11:12:00.004+01:00

It is due to be a busy summer for Kerry and her crew at Tanya's School of Dance, with a list of summer workshops, a carnival and the school's annual summer show, so MSW-Design has been busy helping T.S.O.D prepare with another set of promotional shots.

In contrast to the studio shots of our past shoots, this shoot was shot on location on a rural farm in Buckinghamshire. Deralict barns, wrickerty gates and wooden lanes, coupled with bright and colourful outfits, made for a great set of funky shots, which Kerry says are perfect for the summer show programme.

Contrary to the look in some of the photos, the shoot was actually carried out in dark, overcast and sometimes wet conditions, but Kerry, Becca and Nathan were the ultimate professionals, toughing it out and ducking out from under their umbrellas for each shot, and the resulting shots sure made it worth the effort.

To find out more about Tany's School of Dance, visit their website at: www.tanyasschoolofdance.co.uk

Tips 'n' Toes Shoot

2009-05-13T11:27:00.003+01:00

This was a fun and enjoyable shoot for a local natural nail care technician, Penny, who operates under the business name of Tips 'n' Toes (www.tipsntoes.biz).

Penny is currently having her website refreshed, so she needed a set of new images for her website, to clearly demonstrate her skills and services and do all her fabulous nail designs and beauty treatments justice.

So, I went along armed with my portable studio lights to get all the shots required, along with Penny's web designer and some willing models, who didn't need their arms twisted too much in having their nails and feet done for free as part of the shoot!

There were a great mixture of images captured - with shots of Penny, her treatment room, all her treatments and products, and even shots of a Tips 'n' Toes Party!

It's now over to the web designer to incorporate as many of the shots in to the new website design, so keep posted on the Tips 'n' Toes website and look out for the new MSW-Design captured images, and if you or a loved one need pampering at all, look no further than Penny!

Fantasy Shoots

2009-05-06T11:25:00.003+01:00

Fancy a bit of fantasy? Well, you're in luck as MSW-Design's latest offering is that of fantasy shoots!

Fantasy shoots enable you to take yourself away to another place - to dreamy and classic locations, away from all things normal.

Similar to the American trend of 'Trash the Dress' shoots, MSW-Design's fantasy shoots involve subjects, usually brides, or brides and their grooms, to dress elegantly in formal dress, for photographs far removed from usual surroundings for such dress.

As the name suggests, 'Trash the Dress' does literally mean that the dress gets trashed - usually either in mud, water or even fire! However, MSW-Design finds it hard to understand how subjects would like to trash their elegant clothes, especially a wedding dress, so MSW-Design's fantasy shoots are designed to be a little less extreme - with woodlands, fields and other picturesque locations making the perfect backdrop for some fantasy images.

The above image is a great example of a fantasy shoot - a bride wearing her wedding dress in the middle of a field. Not something you'd see everyday, and that's where the fantasy part comes in, as it makes for a nice dreamy and romantic shot - something you'd expect to see in a fairy tale.

So, if you have a nice elegant dress you'd like some fantasy shots in, or you are a bride who wants another excuse to pull on your wedding dress (without damaging it!), then let MSW-Design take you to dream land with a fantasy shoot.

Tanya's School of Dance Editing

2009-04-23T15:11:00.003+01:00

Following on from the recent shoot with Tanya's School of Dance, I've just spent a few hours sat at the PC, final editing a few of the shots.

With shoots such as this, despite using my black and white backgrounds in a studio set up, there is still editing required to 'perfect' the shots - not only taking out the edges of the background that may be in shot, but colour correcting and taking out any other imperfections.

Within the world of photography, there is a debate as to how much a PC should be used to edit digital photos, in contrast to the film days where only limited editing could be carried out at the dark room processing stage, but one of the advantages of digital is that the shots can be edited freely, using various software packages to tweak shots and in some cases edit them beyond recognition in to a new work of art.

For me, editing is not a case of transforming the photo in to something too far away from what the camera sees, only refining the image to make it cleaner and more professional. Whilst the well known phrase of "the camera never lies" cannot be said for today's digital images, and whilst it is not strictly true for my images, I do like to think that my photos are a good representation of reality, unless of course the purpose of the shoot is to create unrealistic images!

So, all I've done for the Tanya School of Dance images is clean up the backgrounds and tweak the odd colour to make the colours more representative of real life, making for clean and professional images, and then adding the Tanya's School of Dance logo for a final touch.

Parent's Albums

2009-04-17T15:10:00.003+01:00

Following the handing over of Sam & Michael's wedding album, reported on the blog a few weeks ago, not only were the bride and groom elated with the album, but the bride's mum was so impressed she just had to have one too!

However, instead of going for a full-size version exactly the same as the bride and groom's, the beauty with digital art books is that they can be scaled down to create smaller versions, either in this case as a parent's album, or for a small copy for the bride to carry in her handbag, to save carting the full-size version about.

So, a half-size 7"x5" version of Sam & Michael's wedding album was ordered and produced, featuring the same cover and page layout designs, but just a scaled down version.

Sam's mother now has her own copy of the album to proudly show family and friends, helping to further spread and recreate the mood and atmosphere of her daughter's big day.

Tanya's School of Dance Shoot

2009-04-15T16:34:00.002+01:00

This shoot, for a local dance school, was a very enjoyable shoot, as it was packed full of energy, movement and attitude.

Tanya's School of Dance is a village based dance school, holding after school and weekend classes for kids in and around the surrounding area, catering for various dance styles such as street, disco, tap and ballet.

The dance school's owner, Kerry, was on the look out for a photographer to help promote the dance school and cover workshops and shows, and having been personally recommended to her by a previous client, booked me for a shoot with her and two of her dance teachers, Nathan and Rebecca.

We started off with a casual tracksuit look against a white hi-key background, which I had set up in a local hall, and as well as the usual posed shots, also did some action shots with the help of some dance moves and a mini trampoline!

The trio then changed to High School Musical themed outfits for the second part of the shoot, with the High School Musical theme proving to be a massive hit with kids these days, and also moved location in to a dressing room, with the resulting shot due be used by Kerry for leaflets and the school's website to promote the theme.

The shoot was such a success that I have since covered an Easter half-term workshop, capturing the event as a 'fly on the wall', helping to document the workshop on the school's website. News of this to follow...

For more details on Tanya's School of Dance, please visit their website at www.tanyasschoolofdance.co.uk

Louise & James' Wedding

2009-04-15T16:11:00.003+01:00

It was again a great honour for me to photograph the wedding of one of my friends, this time for an old school mate, James, and his bride Louise.

Held in Aylesbury's Registry Office, it was a nice and personal service for family and friends of the couple, with the reception back at the Holiday Inn, Aylesbury.

The couple didn't want much of a fuss and only wanted a few photos to remember the day by, but I still captured over 150 images from the ceremony and the reception, which I think do well in capturing the mood and atmosphere of a great day.

Congratulations to Louise and James on their marriage, and I hope the images I captured help you to cherish the memories of your big day.

Sam & Michael's Wedding Album

2009-03-27T16:14:00.004Z

Since having shot Sam & Michael's wedding back in February, and designing their wedding album shortly afterwards, both myself and the couple have been eagerly awaiting delivery of the finished product from my album supplier.

After what seemed like an age to the expectant couple, the album finally arrived a few days ago, and I arranged to meet Sam & Michael to hand over the album.

The result was a very happy couple! I've often thought that the best thing about photography - carrying out shoots and presenting the results, is seeing the reaction clients have to seeing their photos, and this certainly wasn't any exception, with the bride, Sam, constantly looking through the album time and time again, giggling with excitement.

The album takes the form of a Digital Art Book, sourced from the UK's leading album supplier, Spicer Hallfield. Digital Art Books are ultra modern when it comes to photo albums, with flush mounted photographic print pages, and no matter how well I try to explain them to clients, not seeing them 'in the flesh' never does them justice.

Sam & Michael had previously seen a Digital Art Book sample I had shown them, but the impact of seeing their own wedding photos in their own Digital Art Book still amazed them, and this is the challenge I have when trying to convince clients how much they need a Digital Art Book of their own photos!

As well as Sam & Michael's album, I have also had my own copy of the album manufactured as a sample album to show to potential clients, so if anyone would like to see it, just let me know.

Album Restoration

2009-03-23T10:57:00.003Z

MSW-Design isn't just a photography service - it also offers album design and restoration as one of its main services, as a recent job highlights.

Dawn & Colin were married 29 years ago, back in the good ol' days of 1980, but for one reason or another, the wedding album they put together shortly after the wedding was never really exactly what they wanted.

With a friend of their's taking the photos, the square format photos were loaded in to a cheap W.H. Smith album, creating what was always planned as a temporary album.

29 years later, MSW-Design have been able to recreate the album and restore it as a modern, but still traditional, wedding album. The result is a set of old photos with a new breath of life, with a brand new, clean and tidy album complimenting the valuable memories the photos hold for Dawn & Colin.

The couple still have the original album, un-touched despite the restoration, to hold even more memories of their big day, but they now also have the new album to complete the wedding and proudly show to family and friends.

Christening Shoot

2009-03-10T14:04:00.003Z

Regular viewers of my website and blog will no doubt be familiar with baby Ethan, my girlfriend's nethew.

Ethan is now nearly 6 months old, and with his Christening having been scheduled for June, I was asked to take a few recent photos of him and design the family a Christening invite to send out to family and friends.

I obviously see Ethan quite regularly, and I've carried out many shoots of him for my girlfriend's family, but instead of using an 'archive' image to decorate the invite, decided to carry out another quick shoot to get a nice and recent photo to use.

This shoot literally only took 30 minutes to complete. I set up one of my studio flash lights in the living room of my girlfriend's house, drapped one of my black velvet backdrops over one of the armchairs, and got the shots needed within minutes.

Ethan is now at the age where he responds to fully grown adults pulling funny faces and making silly noises, so it was nice and easy to make him laugh and look in certain directions, adding to the speed of the shoot.

Photography part done, it is now over to the design stage, typifying how MSW-Design is not just a photography service - from photography, through to design of albums, invites and other forms of image presentation, MSW-Design is a 'one stop shop'.

Winter Fashion Shoot

2009-03-06T13:02:00.007Z

It's been a long and cold UK winter so far, with extremes of severe snow, but as reported in a previous blog entry, the cold weather does make for some interesting photo shoots.

My latest shoot was a winter fashion shoot, shot at a farm just outside Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, with my models for the shoot, Livvy and Charli, dressing in some stereotypical winter clothes - wrapping up warm in woolly coats, scarfs and gloves.

When planning this shoot, I had visions of how I wanted the photos to look, and I'm really pleased how the resulting images matched my visions.

Shot against a backdrop of rural farm buildings and a quiet country lane, the images typify a modern and contemporary portraiture style, with a saturated and contrasty effect applied to the images.

Not only were Livvy and Charli really pleased with the shots, but I'm loving them just as much, as they are a really good example of one of the varied portraiture styles I can shoot. The same style works with families, couples, children and individuals, so if you fancy some portraits of your own in a similar style, please feel free to contact me.

As a singer, Livvy will use the images to promote herself on her website, whilst Charli is a dancer who is also considering starting a modelling portfolio, so images from this shoot will be her first entries.

A full gallery of the images from the shoot is available on the main website.

Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers Membership

2009-03-04T08:33:00.002Z

I've recently joined the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers, or SWPP as they are more commonly known within the industry.

Membership of the society has a number of benefits for me and my clients. Being a member of the society should help assure clients that I am of a professional standard and operate to the correct industry codes and conducts, and for myself personally, the society enables me to strive to improve myself further, gaining levels of qualifications, the offer to attend training and seminars, reaching out to a wider audience and providing me valuable advice in how to succeed as a photographer.

Having only just joined up, I'm only an associate member at the moment, but I'll be quickly looking to gain my first qualifications and move up the ladder, so to further assure my clients of my competence as a professional photographer.

Focus On Imaging 2009

2009-02-27T10:59:00.004Z

Wow, what a busy past couple of weeks! Following my photography at Sam & Michael's wedding two weeks ago, I've not only been busy editing all the photos and putting together their digital art book album, but I've also had my hands full in my full-time job with Spicer Hallfield, helping the image presentation company prepare for the Focus On Imaging show at the Birmingham NEC.

Focus On Imaging is Europe's largest annual photography trade show, taking place in the Midlands every February. It is a chance for all photographic trade suppliers to exhibit their range of products and services, with photographers turning out in their thousands in order to keep updated with the latest innovations and styles.

As the UK's leading album supplier, Spicer Hallfield have a big presence at the show, with a 10m x 5m stand showcasing some exciting new product ranges, which received heaps of positive feedback from the 4 days at the show.

In my role of Marketing, the lead up to Focus is a very busy one for me, helping to prepare sample albums, literature and logistics, and the work doesn't stop once the show is over, as following up on all the positive feedback is one of the most important aspects of exhibiting at a show such as Focus on Imaging.

Focus On Imaging is not only a chance for Spicer Hallfield to reach out to photographers and check out the competition, but for me personally, as a semi-professional photographer, I obviously also have a great deal of personal interest in the show, looking at ways to further enhance my own photography and services.

For me, there wasn't a great deal that hadn't already caught my eye, although I did introduce myself to a couple of industry associations and pick up a couple of little bargains.

As for Spicer Hallfield, their albums and competitors, whilst I obviously have a bias towards the Spicer Hallfield products I use, checking out the competition reinforced my opinion in that Spicer Hallfield products are the products to use regardless of my main employment. Spicer Hallfield albums appear so much more refined in terms of quality and presentation, and I come away in the knowledge that I present my photography to clients in what I regard as the best albums available in today's market.

Sam & Michael's Wedding

2009-02-17T08:17:00.003Z

It gave me great pleasure to photograph this wedding for my personal friends, Sam and Michael. To be given the trust to cover such a big day was an honour for me, and I'm happy to have contributed to the day, helping to make it what it was and capture it all to prolong it in Sam and Michael's memories.

Covering the wedding from the bride and groom getting ready right up until the late hours of the reception, it was a long and tiring day for myself and my camera, and my assistant, Carl. But looking through all the photos from the day, it was worth every bit of it, with some cracking photos that really sum up the feel of the day.

I also set up my white hi-key backdrop in a side room at the reception, inviting guests in to have portrait photos of themselves to mark the occasion, with many couples and families providing a steady stream of business throughout the evening.

In all, it was a great day - Sam and Michael loved every second of it, as it was everything they had hoped for, and I'm glad to have captured the day for them.

Firemen Shoot

2009-02-10T08:40:00.004Z

The village I live in has a very dedicated and enthusiastic part-time fire crew, and I was honoured to be asked to pop along to their weekly training night to take a few official photos for them.

It had been several years since their last proper team group shot, so I went along armed with not only my studio flash lights, but also my white hi-key background, to also capture some professional individual shots of some of the lads.

On a cold, dark and wet February evening, the group shot had to take place inside, so the Fire Engine was moved back a bit to fit all 11 fireman in front, with my 2x Elinchrom flash heads providing the light.

Group shot done, it was through to the entrance hall, where I had moved my lights to my white hi-key backdrop set up, and it literally took only 5 minutes to grab a few individual shots for the firemen who wanted an official photo for their mantlepiece.

Being a fireman and providing such a service to the local community is a very proud achievement, and a lot of the lads wanted to mark this with a proper photo of them in their uniform - something to cherish the memory and show the grandchildren, etc.

So, the result was some good photos, and no doubt the group shot will be taking pride of place on the Fire Station wall.

Winter Wonderland

2009-02-06T08:38:00.004Z

As everyone in the UK will know, we've had some pretty heavy snowfall during the last few days, causing major disruption for anyone who has to travel - either by road, rail or air.

Although, for a photographer, it's a rare chance to go out and take advantage of some very pretty winter scenes the snow creates.

So, armed with my compact digital camera, I stopped to take a few snapshots on my walk to work through my village the other morning. Nothing too fancy, but was just trying to capture the moment and the conditions. If the snow continues over the weekend, I'll be sure to get my 'big' camera out and try for some more artistic shots - something I haven't yet been able to do due to still being able to get to work each day.

Some might think that being able to walk to work in snowy conditions is a bad thing, as many like to be able to use the conditions as a good excuse for a day off, if the roads are too bad to travel on, but for me, working in the photographic industry, I have such a passion and interest in my job that I don't mind being able to make it in to work.

The snow did put a stop to a creative flash training course I was due to attend yesterday though, which was postponed due to the snow, so I went to work as per normal, but the training course will be re-arranged for another date soon, so won't have lost out at all.

However, I haven't seen much of my partner this week, due to her home having been subject to conditions that have seen her 'snowed in', so that's the main negative the snow is causing me to suffer from.

Michael's Stag Do

2009-01-26T13:32:00.002Z

Having carried out a Pre-Wedding Shoot for friends Sam & Michael a couple of weeks ago, and the wedding day of 14th February fast approaching, it was time for the Stag Party.

As a keen follower of Horse Racing, Michael chose a day out at Cheltenham Racecourse for his Stag Party, with 17 of his friends travelling by coach to the picturesque setting that is Cheltenham, with all members of his party dressed as the Blues Brothers - including myself as the photographer!

With such a recognisable bunch, and the spirit of a stag do, it was fairly easy capturing members of the group laughing, relaxing and having a good time, with lots of great photo opportunities.

However, one of my favourite shots from the day came as a 'staged' shot before we'd even got on the coach - with Michael taking a foreground position and the rest of the group (excluding me of course) in the background - helping to create an image which set the scene for the day.

Baby Ethan & Mum Emma

2009-01-23T16:03:00.004Z

The great thing about photographing children is that they grow up so fast, as even though I carried out this shoot as recently as the Christmas holidays, 3 month old Ethan has changed and grown so much since, therefore meaning that the photos from this shoot already have more emotional value than they did at the time of the shoot, as nothing else can capture and preserve memories like photographs - Ethan will never be 3 months old again!

So in these dark days of credit crunch and recession, there may not be much spare cash floating about, but can parents afford not to capture fine memories of their children, before it is too late and they grow up to be a stereotypical sulky teenager?

These shots were taken using my temporary studio set up in the living room of Ethan's parent's, Emma and Craig. I have to confess that Craig is my girlfriend's brother, so I know the mother and baby well, but that didn't have any influence in how good the photos from the shoot turned out - the results can be achieved whoever the subjects.

Ethan didn't really know much about what was going on, and disrupted the shoot a few times to be fed, changed and have a little snooze, but with time on our side, as soon as he was ready to get back in front of the camera again, we carried on shooting, and for a 3 month old, Ethan was a joy to photograph.

Using a black background for the shots, the images are nice and clean with no cluttered backgrounds, making Ethan and Emma the centres of attention.

More photos from the shoot are in the main gallery on the MSW-Design website. Thanks to Emma, Craig and Ethan for the shoot.

SWPP Convention 2009

2009-01-19T11:48:00.003Z

Have just returned back from a tiring weekend away at the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP) Convention in Hammersmith, London.

Was primarily at the show working for Spicer Hallfield, the UK's leading photo album manufacturer, but also took the opportunity to have a look around the rest of the trade show and be inspired by some of the world's leading photographers.

The convention offers everything for the working professional photographer - not just how to improve photographic techniques and styles, but also business advice on sales and marketing, etc.

As a result, I came away from the convention not only with sore feet and aching legs, having worked on the Spicer Hallfield stand for three days, but a few tips and tricks and ideas to try out, which I hope to put in practice with some up and coming photo shoots.

A big hello to everyone I met and chatted to at the show!

Sam & Michael - Pre-Wedding Shoot

2009-01-12T09:08:00.004Z

Two of my friends, Samantha and Michael, have kindly invited me to photograph their wedding, set for Valentine's Day, and as part of the preparation for the event, we carried out a pre-wedding shoot.

Pre-wedding shoots serve a dual purpose. Firstly, they obviously provide a set of images for the couple to enjoy, but secondly, and more importantly for me as the photographer, it allows the couple to relax for the camera more on their big day, having already sampled what a shoot is like and used to my style and way of working.

So, on quite a cold Sunday afternoon, in a nice remote part of Buckinghamshire countryside, a quick 40 minute shoot produced a great set of images, and pleased with the results, Sam & Michael now go away with excitement as to how their wedding images will look even better and trigger more emotion, which should make taking photos of them easier on the wedding day.

Also, as personal friends of mine, my wedding present to them is to be a framed image from the shoot, with a cardboard mount for guests to sign at the wedding reception, providing a great momento from their wedding day to hang on their wall for ever and a day.

Thanks to Sam & Michael for travelling over to the shoot.

New Equipment

2009-01-12T08:28:00.004Z

As part of my continued quest to further enhance and improve my photography and the style of shots I can offer, I have recently invested in a couple of bits of new photographic kit.

Firstly, to compliment the black portable background I have been using for a while now, I now also have a white 'hi-key' portable background.

Normally, creating a pure white background requires a proper studio set-up, with separate sets of flash lights to light both the background and the subject, but the product I have invested in is a unique new product from Lastolite called the 'Hilite'.

The Hilite is basically a portable system for producing studio style 'hi-key' effects, allowing images of the style 'Venture' studios have made so popular. Using a pop-up tent type construction, the background pops up in seconds, and can be set up in halls and large living rooms with ease. It then requires only one flash light to light the background, with just one other light required to light the subject.

This product opens so many doors for me, as I can now actively promote a white 'hi-key' effect when fielding shoot enquiries.

Another product I have recently invested in is a professional lightmeter. Manufactured by Sekonic, the leading lightmeter brand, the lightmeter allows me to accurately meter available light conditions for my shoots, leading to perfect exposures and also allowing for more creative lighting.

I look forward to putting both new products to the test with some shoots very soon.

Giggling 7-Month Old

2009-01-08T16:50:00.004Z

Another of my pre-Christmas shoots was a shoot with a friend's two children - 10 year old, William, and 7 month old, Jessica.

The images from the shoot were to be used as Christmas presents for both sets of proud grandparents, and after a quick shoot using my portable black background studio set-up, had many beautiful shots to choose from.

As the saying goes, "never work with children or animals", and the prospect of shooting an unpredictable 7 month old could certainly back up this statement, but Jessica is one of the bubbliest and happiest babies I have ever seen - always in a good mood and very easy to pull faces at and make smile.

Therefore, the shoot was a breeze, with Will and Jessica interacting well with each other and both performing well for the camera in their solo shots. Jessica did get a little bit grumpy towards the end of the shoot, but some great shots were already 'in the bag', and an hour in front of the camera is enough to tire out any 7 month old!

I'm told that tears of happiness where shed by some of the grandparents on receiving the photos, and as with my other pre-Christmas family shoot, knowing someone is made so happy by my photos gives me so much satisfaction in my work.

Thanks to James and Sarah for the shoot and allowing use of the images on the website.

Top Secret Shoot!

2009-01-06T08:54:00.005Z

Happy New Year everyone!

2009 is already proving to be a busy year so far for MSW-Design, with a number of shoots and album designs lined up, but before I go off shooting new material, I thought I'd share with you some of the shoots I worked on before the festive period.

On the Sunday between Christmas and New Year, a friend from the village, Kevin, was turning 40, and his partner Rachel had organised a surprise party for him down the local Sports and Social Club.

However, this wasn't to be the only surprise, as Rachel commissioned me to produce a photobook for Kevin as one of his presents - a photobook featuring Rachel and the five children.

So, one Saturday evening, with Kevin doing a shift behind the bar at the Sports and Social Club, Rachel made her excuses and left for home, where I had set up my portable studio for some shots of Rachel and the kids.

Only an hour later I had all the shots I needed, which I then designed the album with and handed over to a very satisfied customer.

I'm told that Kevin had tears well up in his eyes when he viewed the photobook on the morning of his birthday, which I hope weren't tears of disappointment! But seriously, photos like the ones in the book are priceless when it comes to capturing memories and triggering emotion, and I feel that my job has been done when it causes a reaction like Kevin's.

Thanks to Rachel for allowing use of the images on the website, and Happy 40th Birthday Kevin!

Season's Greetings

2008-12-22T14:58:00.003Z

Well, it's almost the time of the year to have a few days off, get the turkey prepared and put up with endlessly repeated James Bond films on TV, quickly followed by seeing out 2008 and seeing in 2009.

MSW-Design has had a great 2008, so thanks to everyone who has been involved in my work, both posing for the camera and assisting me, and I have plans to make 2009 an even better year, with more shoots already planned and good ol' Father Christmas hopefully bringing me some upgraded photography equipment to enhance my work.

I'll be blogging shortly after Christmas and the New Year to feature some shoots that I haven't yet been able to feature (due to them being for surprise presents), whilst also dropping a few teasers of future shoots I have planned in 2009.

January and February also sees the UK's two biggest photographic shows - the SWPP Convention and Focus on Imaging, which I'll be attending and working at, and hopefully come home with lots of new ideas to try out.

So, MSW-Design wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and hopefully see you all again soon.

Frosty Football

2008-12-10T08:51:00.005Z

We're certainly getting more than our fair share of frosty and frozen weather conditions in the UK at the moment, and after planning to go along and take some photos of a Sunday morning football match, I got out of bed, looked out the window and saw white covered grass, so doubted whether the match would be played.

However, I rolled up at the playing fields in Bedgrove, Aylesbury, and to my delight, the players were all out on the pitch getting ready for kick off, with what was a frozen pitch quickly defrosting under the morning sun.

The match was between Thame Athletic and Bucks FC in the Aylesbury Sunday League Cup. For those that know me personally, I've recently been training with the Thame Athletic team on a Thursday night, but having not played for a few years, I'm not yet at the stage where I'm on the verge of a team call-up.

So, rather than getting involved on the pitch, I thought I'd go along, show the team some support and take a few pics for the team's Facebook pages.

With a bright sunny morning, it was quite easy getting some well lit action shots of the match and I was quite pleased with the resulting photos, as were the players when they viewed them on Facebook.

Christmas Rush

2008-11-25T12:08:00.005Z

Well, it's that time of year again, where it seems everyone is thinking up ideas for presents to give family and friends, and as a result, it's usually a busy time of year for photographers.

Photos of family and friends make great gift ideas, and for wedding photographers, the demand for wedding albums in time for Christmas is high, so newlyweds can take advantage of showing the album from their big day to visiting family and friends during the Christmas period.

MSW-Design has been no exception, carrying out a number of shoots in the run up to Christmas. Due to all the shoots being gifts to loved ones, I can't really say too much about the shoots, for fear of giving away any secrets and spoiling any surprises to the receivers of these gifts, but I'm sure I'll be able to tell more come the new year.

Although we are fast approaching Christmas, exactly a month away from Christmas Day, there is still time to have MSW-Design come up with a few Christmas gift ideas for you. How about a shoot of the family, with framed prints or put in to an album, or get some of your existing photos from your summer holiday made up in to an album?

Contact MSW-Design if you want some affordable Christmas gift inspiration.

Old Fashioned Portraiture?

2008-11-04T17:11:00.004Z

Am just sat listening to the Scott Mills BBC Radio 1 show and they are talking and laughing about high street photography studios who offer make over photo shoots.

The joke is that Mills, his colleagues and the majority of his listeners think the stereotypical black and white portrait images - with soft focus and feather boas wrapped around the shoulders - are very old fashioned, and in many ways they are right!

Just like all fashions and trends, times change and the majority of high street studios have fallen behind them. Granted, there is still a certain demand for this type of portrait, but today's 'in-thing' for portraiture is a much more relaxed, natural and lifestyle format, with less empathsis on 'before and after' and just concentrating on a subject's natural, everyday beauty in convential environments.

Instead of plain backgrounds and studio props; a wood, park or even a scrap yard make for much more interesting portraiture backdrops, with the key being to capturing the subject in a relaxed and natural way in these surroundings.

This trendy style of portraiture is great because it works for all forms of portraiture - families, kids, couples or friends.

So, whilst Scott Mills mocks the photographers who offer the old fashioned makeover style shoots, MSW-Design are with the times in offering more natural 'lifestyle' shoots that many photographers are yet to grasp.

Sextons Shoot

2008-10-20T10:31:00.004+01:00

With my links to the modified car show scene, I was commissioned to carry out a professional shoot of a hot modified car for car modifiers, Sextons of Southampton.

Chris Hayes is one of Sextons' loyal customers with his awesome Nissan Skyline GTR, and with Chris planning to either radically dismantle the car and rebuild it with a new look or sell the car on to make way for another project, he wanted a proper shoot of the car to act as his own personal keepsake of the car.

This was easily achieved using a drive-in studio near Tamworth, with ample space and top quality lighting used to light the car from all angles and produce some great images.

The result is a very satisfied car owner, who now plans to order a few prints for his office wall.

Do you have a car worthy of a professional shoot? Get in touch with MSW-Design if you want some top quality images of you car!

Another Jen Shoot

2008-10-13T12:43:00.005+01:00

Sorry for the lack of updates recently...have been taking my annual vacation and catching up on a few things, etc.

Am almost back in the swing of things now, enough to be able to update everyone on the recent shoot I did with my mates Jen and Ali, carried out just a couple of days before jetting off for two weeks of sunshine.

I've known Ali, a model friend of mine who lives in my local town, for a few years now, having designed her portfolio website and shot her a few times in the studio, and I know Jen through my friendship with Ali.

Whilst Ali is a fully fledged model, having been hired for many high profile jobs, Jen, despite having the look for making it into modelling, is new to the world of modelling and chose MSW-Design and I for her first go at a shoot.

Having loved the experience, this was my 4th shoot with her and she is currently in the process of signing up with an agency in hope of attracting some paid modelling work.

This 4th shoot was for another set of portfolio shots, and Ali came along to offer a bit of moral support and join in with a few of the shots.

Jen is now due to take delivery of an MSW-Design portfolio album at the end of the week, featuring all her favourite photos from the shoot, and allowing her to go to model castings with a professional portfolio to showcase her work.

Edition 38 Show

2008-09-02T14:02:00.006+01:00

As a VW/Audi enthusiast, I went along to Overstone Park near Northampton on Sunday to the annual Edition 38 show.

Edition 38 is one of the top VW/Audi clubs/communities in the UK, starting off with regular meets in Northampton and having now grown to having one of the biggest VW/Audi shows in Europe.

I'm currently on my 3rd VW/Audi car - an Audi A2, having also owned two Golf GTi's, so I popped along on a cold and wet morning to see the latest cars and happenings from the scene.

Despite the weather, the numbers attending was very good, but unfortunately the rain spoiled the show for me somewhat, limiting me to only a handful of photos and just a couple of circuits of the show area, before retiring to Milton Keynes for a spot of Sunday shopping.

New Kit Shoot

2008-08-27T10:48:00.005+01:00

My local village football club, Haddenham United, took delivery of their new playing kit yesterday, and so as to launch the kit on the club's website as soon as possible, a photo shoot with Tracy Kiss modelling the kit was quickly arranged for the same evening.

Tracy is a pro when it comes to modelling - reliable, on time, great at posing and puts her all in to every shoot, coming up with ideas and up for having a laugh and experimenting with daft shots, which Tracy somehow manages to pull off and make work.

So, new kit in hand, Tracy and I met down the local football club's clubhouse, and after quickly setting up one of my Elinchrom flash units, carried out a quick 20 minute shoot with great results.

The photos are now launching the kit on the www.haddenhamunited.co.uk website, ready for the club's first league game of the season this coming Saturday.

Thanks to Tracy for doing the shoot at such short notice and being so enthusiastic during the shoot.

Let's Dance!

2008-08-26T16:02:00.006+01:00

Having recently put together a website for Ellie Leigh, a singer/dancer friend of mine, www.ellie-leigh.co.uk, I was then commissioned to take some profile pics of Ellie and her dance crew, to add to the website and for other general uses such as business cards, posters, etc.

So, one weekday evening last week, I popped 100 yards along the road and set up my portable lighting studio in Ellie's dance studio, putting up my grey backdrop along with my Elinchrom twin head kit.

Starting off by getting all three girls together in black and white dress, I then moved on to a few individual shots before Ellie, Charli and Amy changed in to fancy red and black outfits, complete with feather headsets!

To finish off, I changed my lighting to a more head and shoulders portrait setup for the girls' official profile pics, and 2 hours after starting, the shoot was 'in the bag'!

Again, the shoot is a good example of how I can setup in someone's home or venue and get some professional style photos within just an hour or two, and Ellie has already booked me for a follow up shoot for more ideas she now has!

Late-night Shoot

2008-08-19T08:53:00.002+01:00

With my sister's boyfriend's birthday approaching, my sister had the idea of doing a photoshoot with her boyfriend, Tony's, 9 year old daughter, Tors, so to put together an album for one of his birthday presents.

So, having to pick a time when Tony wasn't around but Tors was, the ideal opportunity arose when my sister, Tors and I returned home from a Friday night out down the local social club.

Although it had gone 10.30pm, I was quickly able to set up my backdrop and lights in my living room, have Tors do her hair and change outfits, and within 30 minutes, I had all the photos needed to put together a hardback album, which was designed the next day and delivered the middle of the following week.

This just goes to show how quickly I'm able to knock together some professional style shots without the need for a proper studio, and with all of Tony's family now interested in similar shoots for their children and grandchildren, I'm hoping to do more shoots like this in the near future, although at a more sensible time of day! :-)

Lighting Course

2008-08-11T11:11:00.003+01:00

As part of the continual development of my photographic skills, I signed up for a studio flash lighting course to fine tune my lighting setups for my portraiture based shoots.

The course was run by Chris Burfoot of The Flash Centre, the UK's main distributor of Elinchrom studio flash lights. Manufactured and designed in Switzerland, Elinchrom lights are pretty much the 'bee's knees' when it comes to studio flash and are the number 1 choice for a lot of professional photographers, including MSW-Design of course!

I have a set of Elinchrom D-Lite 4's, so the course would help me maximise the features and benefits the lights offer me and my photo shoots.

The course was held on a sunny late July weekend in Lacock, Wiltshire - regarded as the home of photography due to the invention of the positive/negative film process by William Henry Fox Talbot whilst resident in Lacock Abbey.

The course consisted of 2 days of practical lighting set-ups and techniques, with a female model to practice shooting on the Saturday, an additional female model on Sunday morning and a 3 year girl for some baby photo set-ups on Sunday afternoon.

The attached photo is of Saturday's model, Laura, and was taken with a three light set-up - with no Photoshopping! One main light, a reflector to act as a fill light, a hair light and a light on the background to create the gradient effect.

In all, it was a great 2 days. Although I already carry out quite a bit of studio work with my lights, I still picked up loads of tips and tricks and I now have more understanding of why lighting works as it does, helping me to be more creative with it when required.

Thanks to Chris at The Flash Centre, the models and everyone I met on the course.

Golf Day

2008-08-08T09:16:00.003+01:00

Had the pleasure of being invited along to photograph a friend's Golf Day at Mentmore Golf and Country Club on Friday 1st August 2008.

Held as an annual event, this year's day was a bit more special as it was my mate Gary's 40th birthday, and a group of 13 golfers turned up on a bright summer's morning for a bacon sarnie brekkie, 18 holes of golf and a meal of steak pie and chips in the club house to finish off.

Provided with a nippy golf buggy, I spent the day driving from hole to hole, capturing each member of the party as often as I could - action shots of swings, concentrated looks on the green and flying sand from bunker shots.

In all, a really good day out with lots of photos to show for it - all of which are available now in the 'Buy Prints' section of the site.

Photo Used in Sunday Star!

2008-07-28T10:28:00.003+01:00

The popular UK national newspaper, The Sunday Star, yesterday printed one of my photos as part of their search for a 'Foxy Football Fan 2008'.

The photo used is of local model and friend, Tracy Kiss. I took the photo about two years ago now, to help promote the village football team's new playing kit, and whilst the photo isn't technically as good as my recent work, due to the skills I have gained since the photo was taken, it was still good enough for The Sunday Star to want to use in order to include Tracy in their search.

If successful, my photo will have helped Tracy become a 'Sunday Star Babe', and be a regular face in one of the UK's leading Sunday papers!

Jerry's the Man!

2008-06-30T12:36:00.000+01:00

Well, I posted on my blog last month about how I was organising a seminar with the one of the world's best, if not the best, wedding photographers, Jerry Ghionis, through my role with my 9 to 5 employers, Spicer Hallfield.

Not only was the organisation of the day a complete success, with everything running as clock work and going to plan, but wow...Jerry was amazing!

Not only is Jerry a great photographer, with a great eye for a photo and with his own distinct style, but he is also a top businessman and seminar presenter, making him the best photography tutor I have ever seen.

With over 100 paying photographer's in attendance, Jerry spoke for over 11 hours, covering his inspirations, his techniques, his passion, his marketing tips and all other things photography.

As part of the seminar, as per Jerry's request, I had booked a female model for Jerry to do a demonstartion shoot with, with the experienced Katie Green fulfilling the role of the willing model, and not even considering the circumstances of taking the photos in a dark room with over 100 people crammed in, the photos were amazing!

All Jerry needed was available light from a window for one shot, and a video light for the others, and the effect was inspiring. Any bride-to-be simply cannot resist photos of such artistic style and emotion.

So, although I was rushed off my feet most of the day, and was up at 4.30am and at the venue for 6am, I met the man and the legend that is Jerry Ghionis and picked up some very useful tips to try applying to my own photography, and hopefully it is same time again next year for another Jerry installment!
www.jerryghionis.com

GTi....Yeah!

2008-06-26T16:32:00.000+01:00

Popped along to the GTi International Show at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground near Leicester on Saturday 21st June 2008, shooting many a nice motor.

I'm a big fan of all things VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda, so this show is always of great interest to me, and as already stated in my previous blog, I was lucky enough to have a press pass for the day.

As a result, I got some great pics of all the cars, the track action and the promo girls, despite the wet weather which did its best to put the dampers on everything.

Off to GTi Inters

2008-06-13T08:57:00.000+01:00

As a 'veteran' of car show photography, with attending car shows how I first got in to photography, I've just received my press pass for the up and coming GTi International car show at Bruntingthorpe on 21-22 June 2008.

Being a VW enthusiast, the GTi show is one of the first shows I look for on the calendar, as it features all the best cars and mods from the VW scene, along with VW's sister brands - Audi, Seat and Skoda.

Having a press pass for the show gives me priviledged access to the show, enabling me to get the best photos possible to cover the event.

In days gone by I have rolled up to shows in my MK4 Golf Gti and then my MK2 Golf Gti, but nowadays I am more practical with an Audi A2 TDi, so GTi International will be a good opportunity for me to relive the cars of my younger days, and capture them with photos worthy of their class.

Tristan and Gemma's Wedding

2008-06-10T13:18:00.000+01:00

Had the pleasure of going along to the wedding reception of Tristan and Gemma on the outskirts of Milton Keynes last Friday evening, so to take some studio style pics of the lucky couple and their family and friends.

Having actually tied the knot the weekend previous in Gretna Green, it was back to the local area for a big reception a week later, and MSW-Design was there for all the couple's photography needs, setting up a grey backdrop and studio lights for the formal shots, and then snapping some shots on the dancefloor for the couple's first dance.

Highlights of the evening included a difficult group shot of over 20 people, and the very impressive singer re-writing the lyrics to 'American Boy' to fit the couple, with the chorus changed to 'Ginger Boy'!

Digital Photography in a Day....literally!

2008-06-09T10:34:00.000+01:00

Took a day out from my 9-5 job on Friday to attend a training day in London, hosted by John Clements, professional photographer and Technical Editor of Digital Photo Pro magazine.

Titled 'Digital Photography in a Day', the course was in conjunction with Colour Confidence and generally covered the basic aspects of digital capture and workflow, from getting exposures right 'in camera', colour profiling, RAW post-processing and monitor calibration.

I already knew the majority of the course, but it was great to hear John's very interesting and informative take on it all, helping to refresh my memory of things I now take for granted, as well as pick up new bits of information and understanding.

To then literally back up the 'Digital Photography in a Day' title, I then rushed back home from London to gather my studio lights and backdrop to cover a wedding reception event just outside Milton Keynes, making my day fully photography based.

Didn't think I was going to make it at one point though, as on attempting to enter the London Underground at Euston Station, I realised I had lost my train ticket, so had to rush back upstairs to purchase a new underground ticket, and luckily my credit card receipt for my original ticket was enough to get me on my train at London Marylebone, meaning that I got home on time and was able to get to the wedding reception in time to set up.

Organising a Jerry Ghionis Seminar

2008-05-27T16:17:00.000+01:00

Most people don't like, or even hate their 9 to 5 jobs, but I'm priviledged to actually work in an industry I have a personal interest in, and therefore enjoy.

A good example of this is a recent project I have been given by my 9 to 5 employers, Spicer Hallfield - organise a seminar day with one of the world's best and most renowned photographers, Jerry Ghionis!

From Melbourne, Australia, Jerry Ghionis has emerged as one of the most influential wedding photographers of the 21st century. Named as one of the Top Ten Wedding Photographers in the World by American Photo magazine and an ‘Icon of Imaging’ by Microsoft, and he continues to raise the benchmark as an artist who is admired and respected by his peers and loved by his clients.

For me, just starting to take my photography seriously, Jerry is the kind of photographer I can learn massively from, and organising this seminar is not only an opportunity to attend his full day seminar and pick up tips and tricks, but it is also a great opportunity to meet the man personally and have him as a friend, both in terms of business with Spicer Hallfield, and personally with my own photography.

Having spent the back end of last week working with the design agency in producing marketing literature for the seminar, I published details of the event this morning and the response so far has been amazing!

So many people know of Jerry and his work, and want to capitalise on him being in the country and learn from him...I'm excited to be there on the day and experience the Jerry Ghionis experience!

Crewe Cruise

2008-05-19T13:21:00.000+01:00

Had the pleasure of being invited to travel up to Crewe in Cheshire for a charity cruise yesterday, covering the event for a friend of mine whose car tuning and styling company, KP Auto of Congleton, sponsored the event.

So, I set off early on a mild Sunday morning and was one of the first to arrive at Crewe Fire Station, where the cruise was being held in conjunction with the local council, with the event helping to raise money for the local air ambulance and awareness for safe driving.

As a 'veteran' of car show photography, I was quickly 'at home' in moving around and capturing the cars, and got to work in helping to document the day.

Much to the frustration of my photographer colleague, who I had arranged to meet up there for the day, with him being fairly local to the event, there wasn't much of the typical car show 'totty' in attendance, but he was much happier when Miss Great Britain 2008 - Gemma Garrett, turned up for some publicity photos.

Armed with her crown and sash, Gemma happily posed for photos with each of the cars and was very co-operative in helping to promote the event, with a friendly personality to match. For her it was then back in her chaffeur driven Mercedes and on to a charity football match, where she was to be playing and not just watching, and just in the few days since meeting her, she's been front page on the Daily Star and Zoo Weekly magazine!

Overall, a nice day out in the north, meeting up with a couple of friends and spending the day taking lots of photos and meeting new people.

More photos to appear in the website gallery soon!

Awards Evening

2008-05-19T13:08:00.000+01:00

As Vice-Chairman of my local village football team, Haddenham United, I took along my portable studio to the club's Annual End of Season Awards Presentation Evening, where I offered portraits to those attending as a small fund raiser for the club.

I've not really done too much of this sort of event photography - normally shooting the photos in and around activity in a photojournalism style, instead of being the main photographer with people coming to me.

However, I was able to adapt and I took quite a few orders to help profit the club. Also, it helps me establish myself and MSW-Design in the local community, building the base for a trustworthy and skilled photographer.

I'm therefore hopeful to be invited to other events similar to this in the future.

Kegan Shoot

2008-05-15T15:59:00.000+01:00

Having increased my web presence with the new MSW-Design website and posting on various model directories, I was contact by a young local model by the name of Kegan, who was looking for a professional style shoot to kick off her modelling portfolio.

So, she popped over for a couple of hours last Tuesday evening, accompanied by her Mum, who took the role of chaffeur and make up artist.

Started off with some casual, natural photos, with Kegan not wearing any make up, then added the make up for a more glamourous look, with a prom dress, casual tracksuit and party tops providing a good mix of clothing outfits.

I was really pleased with the resulting pics, with Kegan and her mum just as pleased, and Kegan now has a CD of a selection of finished photos to use.

Paul, the owner of the studio I use, and who is practically acting as a mentor to me with each shoot I do in his studio, was really impressed with a few of the pics, which is quite a compliment having seen the pics that regularly flow off his camera.

Full gallery on the website coming soon!!!

Jade Shoot

2008-05-08T12:33:00.000+01:00

I was doing photography at a car show in Maidstone back in September 2007, and whilst there stumbled across Jade, a part-time promotions girl from Norwich.

Wanting some modelling pictures taken, Jade remembered me and contacted MSW-Design about doing a casual shoot of her in her nearby woods on the out-skirts of Norwich, as well as then doing a shoot back in her flat with a studio set up.

So, we took advantage of the Bank Holiday weekend and I travelled up to Norwich on a warm Sunday to do the shoot.

Jade has a very natural look to her, so I tried to capture this in the very natural environment of a wooded area, adding a bit of post-production softening to really enhance the photos and show Jade's beauty.

Despite her very natural look, Jade was nervous about the shoot, so I did my best to make Jade feel relaxed and gain confidence in herself and her poses, and tucking my jeans in to my socks so that the bottom of my jeans didn't drag in the mud seemed to help do the trick! lol

Having got some great pics in the wood, it was back to Jade's for the studio shoot, concentrating on some lovely portrait shots and some arty low-key images.

So relaxed was Jade by this stage, she decided to finish off with some underwear pics for her portfolio, which she had never felt confident about doing before, and after a few tasteful underwear shots, it was a wrap and it was left to pack up and make the onward journey home.

Jade was really pleased with how the shoot went, having enjoyed the shoot and loving the preview images as she looked through the images on my camera, and I'm pleased that I was able to offer this experience for her. Jade now has bundles of confidence and I'm sure it won't be my last shoot with her.

Full gallery now available in the website galleries!

Wedding Dress Shoot

2008-04-30T08:28:00.000+01:00

Working in the photographic industry, and mainly within the wedding photography sector, there is a bit of a new craze sweeping the industry - Trash The Dress.

Originating from the States, Trash The Dress is wedding photography with a bit of a difference. As the name suggests, in most cases the dress gets trashed, although put loosly, Trash The Dress is a shoot of a bride in her wedding dress in a scenario not normally associated with weddings.

So, imagine a bride in the middle of the woods, on the back of a horse, running around in trainers or sat having a drink in a pub....not your usual wedding shoot! In extreme cases, and as the name does suggest, Trash The Dress can also involve muddy puddles, paint balls or scissors, and this is where the dress well and truly gets trashed!

Wanting to have a little go at Trash The Dress shoots myself, I did a quick search on Ebay and purchased a second hand wedding dress for a ridiculously cheap price. The dress is currently in immaculate condition, but not for long!, so before trashing it, I asked my model mate Tracy Kiss to come along to a studio shoot and model it how a wedding dress is normally modelled, so to preserve the memory of how the dress used to be.

In a few months time, the wedding dress is certain to look a bit different, but for that you'll have to watch this space! ;-)

Full gallery now available in the main website gallery!

Dave Wall Seminar

2008-04-29T08:18:00.000+01:00

Had the pleasure of attending a Calumet 'Prefect Portraits' training seminar at Calumet's London branch yesterday, and it was another good learning process for me in my quest to improve my photographic skills and ideas, etc.

The talk was headed by top commercial photographer, Dave Wall. Dave has won many awards and is best known for his no nonsense approach to photography - saying it how it is and giving his honest and frank opinions about equipment and techniques.

Representatives from Fuji Film, Sigma, Lastolite and Perma Jet were there to help give more body to the event and it was good opportunity to catch up with John Grayston from Fuji Film and Nick Procter from Perma Jet.

Emma Delves Broughton Seminar

2008-04-21T11:29:00.000+01:00

Went along to Calumet London last week to attend a seminar by top glamour photographer, Emma Delves-Broughton.

Emma specialises in all things glamour, but mainly lingerie and PVC shoots. Having started to photograph strong, sexy women during the early nineties, Emma's work was first featured in Skin Two magazine and Amateur Photographer in 1998. This was shortly followed by her first solo exhibition entitled "Lipstick & Lashes" at the f-stop gallery in Bath. Most recently her work has been on show in London, with a solo exhibitioin “Kinky Couture” 2007 at La Galleria Pall Mall, followed by “Seduction” 2008 also at La Galleria.

Emma can also boast her work has been published in a variety of magazines, such as Loaded, Maxim, GQ, Front, Kerrang, Skin Two, Marquis, British Journal of Photography, Practical Photography, Amateur Photographer and Professional Photographer, and also in National Newspapers.

It was really interesting to hear about Emma's rise from photography student to a leader of her field, finding out what inspires her, how she conducts her shoots and hearing some of the stories behind her favourite photographs.

Personally, Emma's style and nature of photography is not a style and nature I am looking to concentrate on, but it was still a very worthwhile experience, picking up on some general tips and tricks and appreciating how other areas of photography work.

ADL Reserve Cup Final

2008-04-16T13:12:00.000+01:00

Went along to watch the village football team in the Aylesbury and District League Reserve Cup Final on a mild Monday night and took along my camera for a few shots to help capture the evening.

Sadly, it was defeat for the village team, but I managed to get quite a few good shots to remember the final by.

With the majority of the match played under floodlights, it was difficult to capture technically great images in such low light conditions, as the low light doesn't allow for very fast shutter speeds to freeze the action, but photography isn't always about being technically great - it is about capturing the moment and the emotions.

Unfortunately it was the wrong emotions for all the village supporters' point of view, but there has to be a loser, so maybe next year???

Jen Fashion Shoot

2008-04-14T09:29:00.000+01:00

My mate of a mate (who can now just be called a mate I suppose?), Jennifer Jones, really has the modelling bug now, as having not done any modelling before MSW-Design's first shoot with her last year, and after a second shoot with her just last week, Jen was back at MSW-Design again at the weekend for a slightly different shoot to normal.

Jen's mate Harriet is a fashion student, and nearing the end of her current project, needed a model to showcase a variety of dresses, necklaces and shoes, so Jen was on-hand to don the clothing and accessories.

With my classic black background and Elinchrom lights set up as a temporary studio, and well over a thousand pounds worth of clothing and shoes laid out on the table, Jen worked through each outfit, with Harriet even taking control of the camera for most of the shots, so to ensure she got the exact poses required to show off the appropriate article of clothing.

Therefore, MSW-Design acted as more of a consultant for this shoot, providing the equipment and expertise, and allowing the client to control proceedings to their own requirements.

The result was a very happy Harriet, very much liking the shots she had got for her project and leaving very pleased with her MSW-Design experience.

Full gallery of pics on the main MSW-Design website!

Shoot with Ray Ray

2008-04-14T09:19:00.000+01:00

Having previously done a shoot with Ray Ray (Rachel to anyone that doesn't know her through MySpace! lol) in her home town of Weymouth at the back end of last year, a change of hair colour and signing up to a model agency prompted Ray Ray to get in touch with MSW-Design again for some new pics.

This time, having now moved to London, it was a case of setting up a temporary studio in Ray Ray's Islington flat and shooting a variety of different outfits against a classic black background.

After an interesting drive-by of Arsenal's new stadium on route to the flat, a 'quick' 2 hour shoot was classed as very successful, with Ray Ray loving the shots, and a selection will now be sent to her agency for use on Ray Ray's online portfolio.

Full gallery on the main MSW-Design website!

Jennifer Jones Shoot

2008-04-05T09:28:00.000+01:00

I yesterday had the pleasure of shooting my mate Jen for a second time. Having previously shot her in a typical white/black background studio environment, this time we went for a location shoot, and chose my local sports and social club as a good place to get some pics.

So, armed with my new Elinchrom lights, we set up in the bar area first and got some pics around and on the pool table. We then moved on to the bar itself, before then moving in to the football changing rooms for some football kit related pics.

As you can see, Jen has a great look, but surprisingly she hasn't done much modelling before. However, after the two shoots she has had with me, she really wants to try and get in to it more, so if anyone would like to work with her, you can contact her through me.

The full set of pics from the shoot will be available on the MSW-Design website galleries from early next week.

MPA Cherubs Day

2008-04-02T11:03:00.000+01:00

I had the pleasure of attending the MPA (Master Photographer's Association) on Tuesday 1st April 2008, held at the Hilton Hotel in Coventry.

Despite working at the event as part of my 9-5 job with Spicer Hallfield, I was able to take the opportunity to have a look around the other trade stands and listen to some of the seminars - most notably the seminar by american award winning photographer, Bambi Cantrell.

Bambi is regarded as one of the best wedding photographers in the world, ranked in the top 10, and having met her, listened to how she works and seen the photos she produces, I can see why!!!

I can only aspire to be just half as good as Bambi, but having contact with photographer's of Bambi's calibre is sure helping me pick up tips and tricks to apply in my own photography and helps with my own personal learning curve.

Hello to everyone I met at the show, especially Bambi and Chris Burfoot from The Flash Centre.

Welcome...

2008-03-31T16:20:00.000+01:00

Hi, welcome to the MSW-Design blog!

This is where I will be posting news of MSW-Design's latest shoots, events and other general news.

MSW-Design is always on the look-out for feedback and comments, good or bad, as if people are liking the work, it would be great to know it is being appreciated, and if there are elements which people don't like and don't work very well, it would be good to know and try and improve on them.

Please keep checking back to read the latest happenings at MSW-Design HQ...

Thanks

Mark - MSW-Design