Support Forum

Hey there chaps. I thought it'd be a good idea to restart the blog, but make use of it as a support forum for the 3 of us. Or anyone else who wants to sign up.
I think we can all agree that we don't need to set each-other tasks. We all know how to take pictures.
But I always have questions about the professional practice, and there's no shortage of discussion groups online. I'm signed on to one on LinkedIn that I contribute to and check up on now and then.
But I'd like to keep one going that's a little closer to home. That's you guys by the way. Something we can use to throw light on problems or get opinions and advice going between us.

........so here's topic number one for discussion.

What do you think about cold calling?

I don't necessarily have a problem with cold calling people and organisations I've researched to get a contact; but I find it tricky knowing when or if to follow up after sending my details. Especially if they sounded interested.
Also, what about clients you already worked for (assuming they're happy with you).
I'll keep in touch with bi-monthly mail-outs linking to my photoblog..
http://lucidjude.blogspot.com/
..and try to make myself look as busy as possible. But is it ok to call up previous clients to see if there's anything coming up? Maybe it's obvious to some but I'd like to know what you think.

Barker.

Client's Choice versus My Choice

Hey chaps. I know it's been a while and this is only my second post. Or third, not sure.
So, I got a good call last week from DV8 Physical Theatre (we all know them) to shoot some pre-press photos for their new show. Basically they haven't made it yet but they're being hassled for press images now.
Naturally this is great news for me. Not just the job, but the prestige of the company and what it could lead to if I play it right.
The session went well enough. It was just meant to be basic rehearsal type stuff, which I was to shoot in a wood paneled (thought that had two "L's") room. I knew it would be dark so I took my Elinchrom and two strobes and hope for the best. Just as well, as Lloyd Newson wanted me to shoot repeatedly as the dancers worked through material. I've learned over time that I don't like working this way (and neither does Lloyd usually), but I rigged up and got on with it. To be fair, I did have the control to stop them and set up shots; but as time shortened and Lloyd changed his mind this became a looser affair and a bit of a numbers game. You know, shoot loads of shit and see what sticks.
All together it was actually ok and not as stressed as it sounds, and I wasn't going to bust my arse for the perfect poster shot, cos that wasn't the job.
Now....while shooting, Lloyd was using the limited light from my modeling lamp to take pics on his iphone, and I joked that we'd probably end up using his pics in the end.
Well not quite but as damned near as you'd guess. I replicated the shots he was doing, but with hard portrait light.
The end result has been that he's asked for one of those shots (fine by me) and asked me to make it look like the crappy phone shot (not so good).
So, here for you opinion is one of my choices against his. I'd like to ask them not to credit me, but that would seem rude and probably not help me capitalise on their name.
End of rant. Not asking for comments on the photos, just wanted to share with the group man!

Spring Style 2010

Yesterday I was asked to do the photography for Spring Style a fashion show held in Reading, this year with GMTV style guru Mark Heyes.Had great fun photographing all the great looking models, this is a quick video of some of my images.

I'm a hero in Sweden??

Great new ad for the boy in me, shot on a Canon 5D Mk11

Ian Rudgewick-Brown
http://www.lifestylephotographic.com

I've gone all light fantastic today, a few interesing vids made with still camers.

Making of Vancouver 2010 Freezelight Promo from FREEZELIGHT.RU on Vimeo.

Still photos and some coloured lghts, great result!

Freezelight Elements (Exhibitions Promo) from FREEZELIGHT.RU on Vimeo.

This was made with 35,000 still shots from a Nikon D3, Not Video!

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

Where's me boys at, innit?

Berkelio, Rudgio, Wherefore art thou? Hope this is not turning into a one-legged tripod, as those things are none too stable (insert own humorous comparison here...). Here's a few shots I've taken over here in Thailand; I like that they have a different feel to what you might expect from shots of Thailand. Got inspired by your 'blue light' images on your blog, Ian, so I got up early one morning at the beach; sadly I'd already missed first light, but the light was still low enough that I could take a slow-ish exposure for the first shot and nice light for the second. Got some others, a bit 'blue-er' that I've not worked on yet. Must not put the alarm on snooze so often next time! The last couple were shot on a broken down old railway bridge in Bangkok at sunset; got loads of great stuff there, but these are the first couple I've worked on. Nothing fancy; bit of mid-tone contrast, levels, that's about the size of it. Hope you like...

And by the way, I think we should get another challenge going, post-haste. Why don' one of you guys come up with something, anything you fancy, be creative, and post it up sharpish... I'm getting hungry for some exchange...

how to shoot a tiger...

Happy Year of the Tiger, 2010 brother men! I snuck off for a couple of hours t'other night to one of the main temples in Chinatown here in Bangkok. Sadly it wasn't the actual day of Chinese New Year, but the evening before; still plenty of folk out in their best, celebrating and lighting enough incense to smother an army!! Got some nice shots, just shooting old-skool; hand-held, 400asa, no flash or gadgets; move quickly, look for the light, deep breath in, let it out, squeeze the trigger... shoot that tiger, baby!

Valentine's Special

Inspiration

Crash Taylor (well known wedding photographer and nice guy) has set up this website/blog. Each week interesting images are uploaded & explaining how they were done.
Have a look.

The Still Image

Ian
http://lifestylephotographic.com

I came over all Joyce Tenneson today!

I photographed a wonderful little boy today named Tommy, he is only 2 weeks old and so small!
In these images I was really looking for something different, its so easy in a situation like this to just repeat what you know and shoot in a predictable manner. So with these (the high key ones) I paid homage to the wonderful US photographer Joyce Tenneson, I really wanted to evoke his vulnerability and gentleness, I hope that’s what is communicated in these images.
Nothing too cleaver with the high key shots in PS just moved the levels way over exposed in light room, then bit of dodging and save as sepia toned. The low key images have not had much just levels & curves etc.













Ian Rudgewick-Brown – Photographer
Ian Rudgewick-Brown is a Photographer in Berkshire who specialises in producing timeless images.
He is a contemporary, lifestyle family photographer and produces images of pregnancy, newborn, babies of all sizes, families, teens and also has a commercial side to his business which is predominantly product and service photography as well as formal but approachable portraits for annual reports or PR purposes. Nursery photography is also amongst Ian’s portfolio.
Ian is based in Datchet, Windsor but is available for commission throughout the UK and Ireland.
His main working areas are:- Windsor, Ascot, Maidenhead, Marlow, Henley-on-Thames,
Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell, Egham, Staines, Chobham, Twyford, Wargrave, Bray, Sunninghill, and throughout Buckinghamshire including: Gerrards Cross, Beaconsfield, Chalfont St Peter, Chalfont St Giles, Bourne End and Cookham.
Ian’s Facebook – Ian Rudgewick-Brown and on Twitter come and follow him at – Ian_Rudge_Brown
To contact Ian about your requirements – please go to the contact form on his website or alternatively email him at ian@rudgewick.co.uk or call him on 01753 583 980
All images and text are copyright of Ian Rudgewick-Brown. All rights reserved. Please do not copy.

Great marketing ideas to brand your business!

Homoeroticism For Beginners

And here's my effort. Basically we were in a dark hallway in my flat using a single strobe with a snoot on it triggered off camera wirelessly. 10 second exposure set and then point and flash twice with the subject in one place then the other. In other words, 'painting with light' as Ian said.
I've tried a couple of presentations. One as is with a bit of contrast and desaturation. The other I messed about with a bit. It's two layers of the image, one cold and one warm. Then use masking to keep warm skin tones against a cold wall. A bit of enhanced merging of the limbs using the liquify tool (but really not much), then a bit selective focus using Gausian blur.
Easy enough technique but could be used to great effect with a bit of choreography and a more interesting location.
Nuff said. Barker.

Double weird...

Hey chaps... Mr. Berkeley-White and I were playing around recently with a modified form of double-exposures. Basically working in almost no ambient light, with a single long exposure (10 secs or so) and firing a hand held strobe several times with the subject in a different position each time. It was rather fiddly but with a bit of perseverance we began to develop a bit of a method. Here's some of my results from shooting Stephen; what do you think? Interesting? Disturbing? No doubt he'll get his own back and post some of me before long...

I'm always a last minute Larry when it comes to things like this. So, I may have posted the blog after the deadline, but I took the pics before it. Mitch is my witness (sort of).
On the day of the deadline while Mitch was nursing a Herculean hangover at my house, I went in search of a portrait subject on the streets of Walthamstow.
I decided to hijack a previous idea and dive into the Pie n Mash shop half way up Walthamstow market and ask whoever was working there for a portrait. The woman behind the counter was called Lisa, a proper East Londoner and sweet as you like. A little bit of charm and persuasion and she agreed to pose for me while the shop wasn't busy.
While I was setting up an old boy strolled in and joked that I might take a photo of him. I said I'd hold him to it, and I did. I hope he doesn't mind that I've called him PieMashMan. I forgot to write his name down.

Set up was simple. Canon 5D on ISO 400, f/3.5 at 1/50th for the ambient light. And a strobe and small brolly to the right, balanced to fill in. That's it.
I like desaturating my portraits with high-ish contrast, and I'm into the square thing at the mo.

Who's this guy?

Bumped into these shots the other day, anyone you know? The twin towers were up! makes you think.

Ian

Steve your up...?

While we are waiting for Barker Boy check this little lady out! Only 23 self taught, what talent!
Miss Aniela
She has quite a following on Fickr

Ian
Lifestyle Photographic

Mitch is in;

Okay boys, here's my entry. Shot them under an old archway by the side of Dublin Castle; Geoff is putting together a new website and needed some portrait shots. We had to work quickly, as the staircase belongs to Dublin Castle, and therefore you are supposed to have a permit to shoot

there. I've had to get one of those permits on occasion, and believe me, it's a Kafka-esque labyrinth you have to negotiate; suffice to say, I didn't have a permit for this little job.

Pretty dark under there, which I liked for the stairs and the brickwork but not so much for Geoffs' delicate features, so I bunged an SB800 flash on a stand, with a shoot through brolly, and triggered it wireless from another Sb800 on the camera. Slid that stand in as close to Geoff as I could get while still keeping it out of frame and fired away on manual. Quick in, quick out. Just as we were packing up, plod stuck his head round the corner and did his jobsworth bit - "can't shoot here, this is state property" - I always want to come over all revolutionary in these situations ("the state is a construction of it's citizens" etc etc), but I've always found that the best response is to plead ignorance, say sorry, mate, but we're done now anyway and leave smiling.