MA Photography
Below is a small collection of imagery, either commissioned or my own personal work. I have chosen the images for certain reasons. Be it a technical application applied to gain a specific outcome, or an attractive composition. The images represent my ability, however there are thousands more that I could have included and other genres like press shots and models.
A portrait of a student created for Ardingly College, for an advertising campaign. Showcasing current students getting ready for the outside world. Coloured gels with flash lighting were used to enhance the drama in the shot. Together with graphics utilising opposite colours to capture the eye.
A techincal shot in my infinity cove. A BMW M4 in my own studio I built myself back in 2017. The studio had an 800sqft infinity cove with floating ceiling, offices, model changing facilities, kitchen, portrait studio and chill out area, overall it was 2000sqft. Auomotive photography was my first love, it’s technically challenging, being that every side of the car is reflective and a difficult object to model correctly. Fortunatley I was taught by one of the best automotive photographers in the country at the time.
Although I was the head e-Commerce photographer for Unilever UK for a number of years, the image above was never used. This was a test shot developed in the studio and complied from a number of product shots to achieve a group shot. All graphics, shadows, and reflections were added in post production and are in fact artifical.
Food photography is something I have always enjoyed doing. Tom’s Kitchen in London commissioned me to capture a range of dishes to feature on their social media platforms, as well as their menus. The image above is a particularly good shot as I enjoy the shallow depth of field and composition. It’s simple but it works.
Being low resolution really doesn’t do this image justice. An action shot in a prestigious golf club’s kitchen, where a chef prepares food. Although mobile studio flash was used, a slow exposure was utilised to give a feel of movement in the food leaving the pan. Along with a shallow depth of field leads the viewer’s eye into the focal point.
Dungeness has been photographed a trillion times by photographers. It offers so much. However, I decided to include this image as I enjoy the lines and the black and white contrast producing an erie feel. The composition and vantage point from the lighthouse provides a vista of all that the power station provides and how it’s positioned within the landscape. You can see the roads and pylons, the sea and heathland surrounding the premises.
A product shot compiled from many images to ensure perfect shadows and highlights. Artifical dropshadows and horizon line created in postproduction along with reflections.
The brief given by a creative agency in London, was to create stylish headshots of the team. Being creatives they were game for something different. I enjoy making a sitter feel comfortable. I find breaking them down gets some amazing results. I really enjoy monochromatic photography, infact the whole set was submitted in black and white!
A personal project. To create a contrastingly lit product shot of a seemingly mundane object. Using wide perspective, coloured gels and hard light. Giving feeling to the drill. Along graphics and branding in post creates more authenticity.
Taken on Cannes beach, (Facebook Beach, named at the time). Shot created for the artist, Germans Ermics to be showcased for Instagram on behalf of Facebook. I particually enjoy the composition of the image, with converging lines and wide angle perspctive. This appeared within many digital magazines and upon many social media platforms.
A composition showing a model in studio. Surrounded by flash lights. Contrasting lack of colour, black equipment and a white studio bring this image into the collection.
Many attempts were made before this final frame was captured. Taken outside with avaliable light, a white background and a hose. Colour was added in post production. The shot was frozen with fast shutter speed and a wide aperture along with a long focal length for added shallow depth.
Simple product photography used for an advert. 1 soft box with flash. Fill light was added with a bounce board. The charater was captured using flash lighting in studio setting using a model. All added together in post production along with graphics. All shadows on the product were artifically created in Photoshop. Even basic product photography can be added to graphics to create a more attractive engaging overal image.
Team portraits taken for a creative agency. Captured on green screen then colour changed in post production. The grid format benefits from the shadows remaining in shot and colourful clothing.
Flash lighting was used to freeze the portraits. What I particulally enjoy is the action and character from each person.
A personal project. Shoes appear to be floating, and lit using contrasting cross lighting technique. From memory 5 or 6 lights were used in this shot whilst the shoes and laces were all suspended in air using fishing line. The background light and graphics were added afterwards in PS.
A commission lead me to work with Jemma Lucy to model for this start up Scar Tissue Clothing. Mobile studio flash lights combined with avaliable light to enhance the drama in this abandoned factory. The shot was featured on websites and social media. When possible I’ll always use ‘Rule of thirds’.
Yet another simple advertising product shot. Simple white background enhances the product and was created with a 3 light technique. 2x flash lights with soft boxes and diffusing paper, along with a rear back light. You might notice the tall slender format. It was featured in bus stop posters across the UK.
One of my all time favourite shots. West Pier, captured very early one autumn morning. Camera on tripod, using a long shutter speed to create a blanket soft feel surrounding the decaying metal structure. The colours were added in post production. This image featured in a double page centre fold in a well known magazine.
Advertising shot created for Woodworm sports clothing. I particulally like this shot due to the vivid colours. It really made it to this collection due to the number of shots taken. Retaining the same camera position, the manniquin was really put through its paces! 4x studio flash lights and a lastolite collapsible reflector, along with black side flags to create a strong shadow line giving modeling to the shirts were used to create these.
Final image of the collection is one of Dame Zandra Rhodes. IKEA commissioned me to cover a whole project spanning months, firstly at her home address London Fashion and Textile Museum, then a couple of visits out to Sweden IKEA Town HQ. Mobile studio lighting and shallow depth bring your eye to the centre of the image. Even though the image is cluttered, it’s clear what the focal point is.