photography

Photographing Whiteford Lighthouse in South Wales with my Drone

So a few days ago I headed back to photograph Whiteford Lighthouse in South Wales; the very same place that only a couple of weeks ago I very nearly smashed my camera, lens and a filter.

Not one to give in though, this time I headed back but with a completely different game plan … to use my Drone instead of my main camera.

My reason for this was that ordinarily to photograph the lighthouse, you have to be near to it so that you can photograph it at the right angle and for that you need to wait for the tide to be out as it is such a long way offshore. Trouble is I didn’t want to photograph the lighthouse when the tide was out so that it was stood on a flat, dry, rocky sea bed with no water around it.

The solution would be to use my DJI Air 2 drone; the question though is, would the quality from the drone be good enough?

Well, I’m VERY happy to say the answer to that question is a definite YES…

Whiteford lighthouse

This time everything came together…

I was joined by my dear friend Anthony Crothers, and having checked the weather, the cloud cover, the tide times and the drone flying zones, when we finally got to the location, it simply couldn’t have been better.

So, here’s a Behind the Scenes video PLUS I go through as bit of the retouching of the final image in both Lightroom and Photoshop…

EPIC FAIL: My First Photo Shoot of 2022

EPIC FAIL: My First Photo Shoot of 2022

All smiles now but could have been a very different story…

Got up early today for the 3.5 hour drive to Whiteford (Gower Peninsula, South Wales) to photograph the Victorian Lighthouse.

Having arrived at the nearest car park it was then just over a 3 mile walk across boggy wetland / marsh and forest to get to the beach…

Thank You TPS 2021

Thank You TPS 2021

Finally landed back in Devon at 12.30am after what has been a fantastic few days at The Photography Show NEC, Birmingham.

Hats off to the Team behind the show for everything they have put in place to bring it back but as safely as possible. I was genuinely surprised at the numbers despite all the whispers beforehand that attendance would be low; there were more than I expected and a great atmosphere.

Photographic Filters: Now an ESSENTIAL Addition to my Camera Bag

Photographic Filters: Now an ESSENTIAL Addition to my Camera Bag

A few years ago I attempted a landscape photography project, and me being me, that meant buying investing in some kit I’d had no call for until then as a portrait photographer, such as filters. The brand I opted for, and that everyone seemed to mention at the time, was Lee.

I purchased a number of Graduated Neutral Density (ND) Filters, Reverse ND Filters, Polarisers, Big Stopper, Little Stopper and so on, obviously in addition to the filter holding system, carry case and all.

The landscape photography venture didn’t really go much further than one photograph, but to be fair that was mainly because my 39-45 Portraits Project picked up a heck of a pace and took over.

Fast forward to March 2020 when circumstances dictated that I give the landscape stuff another try. I ventured out a few times taking along my Lee Filters but very soon they took a back seat, stayed on a shelf in my office and never saw the light of day.

Harley Davidson in Wales Photo Shoot: Behind the Scenes

Harley Davidson in Wales Photo Shoot: Behind the Scenes

This was going to be perfect for the look and feel I was after, ‘Freedom and the Open Road’ which seemed highly appropriate after the last 18 months or so that we’ve all been living with the pandemic.

I couldn’t have wished for a better location and with it being so close (just a 10 minute drive from Ian’s studio). So, once an exact spot had been decided on, and the position of the sun checked using the PhotoPills App to see where it would be , we were all set for 11am the following morning.

How to develop your own unique and recognisable style

How to develop your own unique and recognisable style

I’ve recently updated my Developing your Style PDF where I go through what I truly believe is the way to develop your own unique and recognisable style.

As photographers, or indeed any form of art, I think it’s fair to say that we all want to have a style that is uniquely us, rather than a body of work that looks no different to the next person; but how?

Photography at Porlock Weir and meeting Mr & Mrs Grumpy

Photography at Porlock Weir and meeting Mr & Mrs Grumpy

I hadn’t actually intended to post this here on my website, but having shared the story on social media, and seeing the responses from people (some that were hilarious) I just had to add it here too for anyone that didn’t see the original on the likes of Facebook and Instagram.

Some of the comments posted on social media, I’ll add to the bottom.

Right, here goes…

Photographing Long Exposure Seascape at Sandymouth, Cornwall

Photographing Long Exposure Seascape at Sandymouth, Cornwall

Conditions were absolutely perfect for some long exposure photography, and wow, what a stunning location!

We arrived around 5pm with the high tide expected at 5.20pm, and had to wait maybe an hour or so before some of the hidden rock formations became visible. This gave us plenty of time to set up kit and think about where we would position ourselves; this being made a lot easier from Doug having been there before.

Photography saved me during the Covid 19 Pandemic Restrictions

Photography saved me during the Covid 19 Pandemic Restrictions

It’s fair to say that the Covid 19 Pandemic has affected each and every one of us in one way or another; be it with the loss of a loved one, a friend, or how the restrictions placed upon us have affected our everyday lives.

I can only talk about how it’s affected me, or rather how it could have affected. Now I say ‘could have’ because I know what I’m like and I know, that even with no pandemic to contend with, I’m the kind of person that gets restless and agitated if I’m not constantly working on something new.

As a Portrait Photographer, pre March 2020 it was easy. I had portraits to take and I had my 39-45 Portraits Project which in all honesty, I’m happy to say

Mark 'Billy' Billingham (SAS: Who Dares Wins)

Mark 'Billy' Billingham (SAS: Who Dares Wins)

Back in May 2019 I was at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon, Wiltshire photographing and filming Mark Billy Billingham (former UK Special Forces and star of TV’s SAS: Who Dares Wins and Who Dares Wins Australia) whilst he was on his ‘An Audience with…’ tour.

Having met up with ‘Billy’ early in the afternoon, we set up on the stage hours before the audience streamed in to take some portrait and promo shots as it was shortly before his first book The Hard Way was released…