Looking forward to the Future - Roll on 2014.

Ok this will be the last blog of 2013 so dont expect me to do anything spectacular just before the new year unless it does happen for me.  In which case keep tuned people.

I have new plans for 2014, more shoots lined up with lots of new models who have contacted me and want to work with me for some reason, some have said that I am a pretty hot photographer, just thought it was the aftershave that had that effect on me and made me flushed....

I'm going to be looking for a model to work with on a specific project over the next few months, I plan to fully train up a model with the skills to make them very successful in the industry and guide them through the first six months of the year working on their natural abilities.   In this time I will be doing a number of studio and location shoots with them, running trips out and about to study aspect of different photography and to get them fully aware of what is needed to be a great model.  When this is done I will be contacting a number of photographers with a view to working with her to find out their views on the work that has been undertaken in the training.    If they agree that it has been worthwhile I will also be developing a week long course to be undertaken by trainee models to develop aspects of this project into classroom exercises and practical sessions to give a quality to modelling that has been lacking in previous years for girls starting out in the industry without parting with very large sums of cash to agencies etc.,

Just reflecting again on working with one of my favorite models that I have had the pleasure of working with again recently I would like to express my thanks to Michelle Hush  (Raven) as it has been 10 years now that we have worked together getting superb pictures into the bargain.   Michelle, I thank you its been fun and here's to the next ten years hopefully and god willing.

So in conclusion some exciting times ahead and with that I leave you with a few pictures of Michelle for you to drool over for the winter months.. Till next year TTFN  (For those who do not know Tat Ta For Now)

Have a great 2013 and looking forward to seeing you all in 2014.

2013 - Round up of the Year to date.

Well I thought it was time for yet another blog from me.  Its been a very different year in that I have got back into my photography which many people have commented was very nice to see.   Its also been interesting to see how photographic styles and trends have changed over the years so taking a peek at my old backups I found a number of interesting images.

Sorry for those who like visual images this blog will not have any so you can all wait till the next one for that, this is more about thinking about where we are and where more importantly I am going in the future.   2012 was a year for reflections, about life the universe and everything (Thanks to Douglas Adams for that set of words).   Ex-Wife,  Ex-Daughter, Ex-Business and Ex-Business Partner.   Sometimes you have to consider the past to learn lessons for the future, it brings you many new opportunities and what does not kill you makes you stronger in the coming years.  2013 was a great start to my year, new opportunities, tidying up old problems, making plans, new job and lots more besides.   My restart on photography was always on the cards just when was going to be the question, later or sooner, for me it was sooner and I have found my way again with the help of a few really supportive friends.

I'm not going to mention those who helped, the backstabbers are also protected and are filed under those whom never to trust but those real friends that I have will be there for years to come and I thank them for their support.   Working in the photographic industry for me is still a challenge with new equipment and materials coming by me each day for me to play with and learn about.   I also write up reports on the new pieces of kit that I have access to so that people can find out what to buy and what to avoid in the future.  

Taking pictures is a lifelong commitment and I shall continue to take images in various styles so that my skill is displayed for those who appreciate good photography and are happy to take note, learn, copy and create their own pieces of visual art.   Those whom I have taught over the years know this to be true and the lessons that I passed on to them have not just been that of a tutor or instructor but of a person with a passion for the photographic medium to inspire them on to greatness which sadly a lot of teachers/tutors do not do as they are just in it for the money.

I have enjoyed the recent work on the Black Tape Project and am now working on a number of new ideas for the 2014 season and am busy making plans for those now.   The final shoots of the year will be with some old model friends that I have worked with before and no doubt will give me even more images that I will enjoy to look back on in later years.   A very big new project is also planned for the end of next year and will involve me going out of the confines of the UK to get some truly breathtaking images on mainland Europe.

Ok, ok I said that I would not name names but I feel that a few people need a quick mention to give a quick thank you for some extra special thanks for their support.   Firstly Carl Hugger of Hugger Studios, a great person and lots of fun to work with, he makes each shoot such an enjoyable experience for my models and supplies the usual banter with tea/coffee and soft drinks as any good studio host does.   Secondly and in a similar vein I should mention Andy Harris of Justforyou Studios again Andy is a superb guy and really makes you feel welcome every time you attend the studios for a shoot.   Thirdly a big thanks to Chris Petersen (Uncle Lens-cap) as we used to call him at the old studios, his support, wit and humor makes life bearable and I know that he has not had things easy but he has always been there for me.  Finally a quick mention to Gemma Lawrence (Makeup Artist) who I have know for a number of years, it was so nice to see and work with her again recently and I look forward to seeing her smiling face again soon, she has talent coming out of every pore of her body and it shows with the superb makeup results that she supplies.

Thats all for now folks, time to close the blog till next time when I will be writing about a shoot that I am doing with a good friend of mine soon and some pictures to show how she has progressed as a model over the years that we have worked together.

Paul.

Models who last.... and stand the test of time.

Well for my next blog I decided to write a short ish article on models that I have had the pleasure of working with over the years.   This also got me thinking about the lifespan of a model?  Some of you out there reading this might be starting to think about this too so stay tuned and we will see where it leads us.    It all began when I decided to back up some more recent images and then took a peek at my archive hard drive.  This one is much older than the one that I currently use but contains a considerable number of images, it takes over five minutes to load up these days at the Terabyte drive was quite advanced for its day and fast but with it almost full when I moved on to my next one it has stood the test of time.

Looking through the endless index listing of name of models I noted that a few of them stood out for me and it got me thinking about those models who are still working in the industry after five, ten or fifteen years of modelling.  Its nice to know that these young ladies still look stunning and are producing outstanding pictures for us photographers.   So to illustrate this I decided to pick three girls that I have had the pleasure of working with and are still smiling for the cameras today.

Firstly the Pleasure.

Firstly Rachel Travers.    Great model whom I have had the pleasure of working with on a number of time, still modelling and with a stunning figure.

Although taken in 2003 they really show what a fun model she was and still is to work with. Thanks Rachel.

Next up on my list of Brill Girls is someone whom I got the chance to work with a lot and still models today mainly from her home which is superb, I mean of course none other than "Raven". others know her as MH.

Its always a pleasure to work with Raven and she always delivers top notch images just as she did back in 2004 when these were taken at a now closed studio in Sheffield which was at the top of an old mill building.

Finally on the list of Celebs I must add the name of Jocelyne Booke Hamilton to the listing she was stunning to work with back in 2005 and still delivers outstanding pictures for those who work with her.  A real professional model wanting to go that extra mile to deliver.

Sadly I have only managed to work with her the once back in 2005 but it was an experience that I will never forget with her ability to put the photographer at total ease and work to produce outstanding images.






So getting back to the blog:

Lifespan of a Model?

I also wondered about the effective lifespan of a model in the industry and what she has to look forward to if she wants to make a go of being a photographic model.  You only have to take a peek at the websites for models and photographers to see those who are tying to start out, a good set of images would help so many and the ability to communicate is another essential but what is their actual lifespan.

Sadly from looking around its not very long in fact they peak very quickly (No pun intended) and then vanish into the background, no replying to e-mails or phone calls.    Its a dog eat dog world out there and the bitchiness really does get to a few girls who give up when they meet other models or so-called models socially or on shoots.  Its also a fact of life that girls get bored, get boyfriends, get dogs(Or cats) or even get pregnant.   Some come back afterwards but find well toned and more motivated models out there having taken their crown they don't want to give it back.

Attitudes to models have changed over the past ten or fifteen years in that photographers take them for granted and tend not to stick with one girl to support and move them forward.  I can think of only half a dozen photographers who have done this successfully with girls that they have trained and those girls are doing really well indeed with that support.   Most are left out on their own, some make a go of it others fall by the wayside, in fact more fall by the wayside because modelling is considered to be seedy by friends, family and work colleagues.  Do models have a sell by date tattooed on them, well some have tattoos but that is not what I was meaning, is it just ok for a few years or do models have a time when they decide to pack it in for good and bow out gracefully as they have lost their looks or body shape?

Going back to the basics when models start acceptable training courses for models are sadly in the minority telling them the facts and laying out the reasons why they can do well and or how they can improve.   To be honest we need some sort of mentoring service to advise and assist models with this to allow them to gain information that will enable them to engage with customers, become more effective and independent.  So where are they now, take a look down the high street and you can see them, "Be a model, No Way, I aint taking my Kit off for nobody"!   Its a shame but hopefully in time things will change and restore modelling to something of value and not something seedy and hidden away in private when mentioned in conversation.

Till next time hope you enjoyed this.  Please feel free to comment.    Paul Rowe

Original or is anything Original at all for photography.

I have noted in recent months a number of photographers posting on social networking sites and forums on modelling sites moaning that people are copying other peoples work like sheep and following trends too much.   The big complaint is that why don't people do something original for a change, which got me thinking about this for a few minutes.

Photography has been around now for well over 100 years so the chance to do something truly original is massive in that hundreds of thousands of photographers all over the world are working on many projects that might be similar or with a type or style that others will see as not original cause someone has done it before.  In this time Many styles of work have been developed (No pun intended) by photographers in fields such as portrait, landscape, closeup, architecture and glamour photography.

To be truly unique in this day and age together with all the photographers past and present is not only a challenge to do but something of an impossible feat.    If you consider all the styles, topics, locations and settings that photographers work in its all been done before to an extent, so nothing can be original. 

So whats the point in doing it, when its all been done before by someone five, fifty or a Hundred years ago.   The solution is simple and one that has escaped the notice of those complaining about copying.   To truly copy something you would need to re-create the shot exactly, which unless you have a time machine is impossible to do.    You might be able to copy a style to produce something similar but with all the variables you could never produce an exact likeness of a photographers picture even if you used the same gear to take the picture, the same model to work with the same lighting conditions, the same viewpoint, the same time of day to point out just a few variables, not to mention the location?

Having thought about this people blindly following trends like sheep is a bit harsh but to understand that people like to take portraits, glamour, landscapes etc.,  If that's it then what is the problem?   Those who complain about this should take a long hard look at their own photography and think, why did you take those pictures, was it worth the time and effort to get the result.   If yes from the photographer, model, viewer then it was worthwhile and it does not matter that the photographer has used a style or type that has been done before as the shot will clearly reflect the talent or lack of talent that he or she has used to get the result.

Photography is subjective, how can we learn it without copying other peoples styles or types, how then do we manage to get a better picture without practice of our art.   If you think its all copying then whats the point in taking pictures?   In answer you should be thinking that you have created your own unique image and that it does not matter if you have made a landscape or glamour shot its the creative style that you present it to the world that matters.

In the same way that people like some food and dislike others its all a matter of taste.   I also noted that those who complain are always the ones who troll the internet sites moaning about the quality of other peoples work yet so far cannot produce good quality work that they are proud to own up to as their own.

I always think of the saying "People in Glasshouses shouldn't throw stones" as being so true for these folk.

Photography is an art form and should be considered a combination of the technical with the artistic to be creative at all times it does not matter that its been done before, the question is do you like what you see.

In finishing I will be penning more of my thoughts on photographic matters in the next few months I hope that you enjoy reading these and make you think about your own photographic art.

2013 and all that....

Well it has been a long time since I posted anything.  I have moved on a lot, the studios closed and I have been doing the odd job for clients over the past 12 months.   I now have a new job working for a Photographic Retail Chain that I will not mention as a Camera Expert and for those wanting to know where I am these days just drop me a mailing and I will let you know.   I have not been doing any studio shoots for some time but hopefully in the next few months I will be getting back to taking pictures dependent on the shifts I get allocated for working.  I'm also looking at doing some outdoor location work in the near future since the weather has greatly improved.  

Just to mention this blog will be under the old studios name but will in future relate to me and my varied views on photography, thats just to let you know whats going on.   And now to improve your day I thought it would be nice to put in a few pictures from the past.

I will be posting more for you fans in the future.  Till then Happy snapping.....enjoy the sunshine.