The eyes are the window to the soul - tips for good Photography

Time for the weekly tip and this one is about the importance of eyes in a portrait. If nothing else is in focus make sure the eyes are, most cameras have autofocus so make sure when reviewing a picture in the screen on the back that the eyes are crystal clear. The eyes on this young dancer are stunning.

I almost always use a flash outside and one reason is to make sure there is an 'eye light', this is that sparkle that we see in moist eyes. One more thing, get in close, it almost always improves the image and we can see the detail in the eye which again brings them to life. Again most modern quality cameras will allow you to get closer to people to bring out their character.

I hope this proved helpful. Very happy shooting!

Keeping it simple - tips for good Photography

Hi readers. Each week I will publish one handy tip for making your photographs even better than they are. I will offer up one of my own photographs which I think helps to illustrate the learning point being made. Feel free to comment on whether you thought it useful.

This week it is 'keeping it simple'

This picture was taken at a wedding recently. It was not a posed shot but taken candidly as people were coming out of the ceremony. The bridesmaid was standing in line which made it easy to get into the right position. There are no distracting details and one is drawn to the face, particularly the eyes. I have cropped (cut the picture) to a square format to improve the composition and reduce even  more any distractions. Making it black and white simplifies the image even further, although it looked great in colour too.

Even very simple photo editing programmes should allow you to 'crop' a picture and the simplest way to turn them black and white is to 'desaturate' (takes the colour out).

Happy photography!

Staffordshire Firefighters receive long service medals and awards

It was a pleasure to photograph these people as they were honoured for their long service to the community. As  with most public servants they are probably facing cuts, but can we afford to run down vital parts of our society? We may end up paying more in the end if we don't support and invest in quality people like this, and that cost may be in lives and quality of life.

Musicians - picture the sounds

Enjoyed listening to a Flute Choir called 'La Flûte Harmonique' at the weekend. The concert was extremely entertaining.

Russell Gillespie is the conductor of the Choir and his personal playing was brilliant.

Portraits, portraits, portraits!

Getting to grips with the new lighting, enjoying every minute. So lucky to have this beautiful woman for a wife.

SWPP training day - Tom Lee gave brilliant advice on how to pose and use lighting

I attended a SWPP training day recently where Tom Lee showed 10 enthusiastic photographers how to pose people professionally, and how to get the best from available, flash and studio lighting. Vivienne the model almost made it too easy, knowing what we wanted before we did!

Cannot wait to use my new studio equipment!

Elements Studio Lighting has arrived!

New lighting, backgrounds and support system have all arrived as I refurbished my studio. It is now  a priority to get it all installed and open for business! Really looking forward to increasing what I can offer clients and the greater range of creativity a studio will give me.

Beautiful Wales

Worked in North Wales today. Despite the rain I really enjoyed the countryside. The hills and mountains of Wales were my first experience of upland landscapes and I have really enjoyed photographing them recently.

Advertising, Advertising, Advertising!

I have had so many approaches from different people offering to help me advertise my business. The tough call is how cost effective it all is, and which package to go with? Word of mouth is great once you are started, but what catalyst do you have to use to start the reactions? I have had nothing but positive feedback from the people whose pictures I have taken, but getting a network going and getting known is a challenge.