Author Archive
Natalie
It is not that often that I shoot someone I’ve never met before but that is what happened here with Natalie Chinnyah. She is a dancer and a friend of a friend who is a photographer who was working with her recently. I was at his house (by invitation) while he was shooting.
I found Natalie quite fascinating as a model and very interesting as a person. She is a dancer and actress and is busy with work which doesn’t surprise me in the least. She has the ability to assume a character and move and act as that character with the ease of experience. It’s great to watch and great to work with.
My friend Paul took a break for about 10 minutes and I got these. They are a taste of things to come as Natalie and I are now planning a shoot together in the next few weeks.
Andrea Again
This is another composite image. Andrea was shot at my underground car park high tech studio in East Grinstead several months ago. The background image was shot about a week ago in London. I shot the London image as a background with the Andrea image or something similar in mind. This was practice for a couple of very interesting assignments that should be coming up soon but which will remain nameless until they are in the bag.
I love this kind of work and see a lot more of it in my future. Some might say that it isn’t really photography and maybe they have a point. But I couldn’t care less. This could have been shot in the same session but that would have meant arranging a whole new shoot. Sometimes it’s better and cheaper to do it all in post.
What’s the Story?
Several months ago Dave Press and I met up for an ideas session on promo images. We had coffee and talked and I came up with an idea he wasn’t sure of at the time. Nevertheless I did shoot several images for this idea. When it came to processing I didn’t think I had all the parts I needed and so didn’t even begin to put them together. The missing ingredient was a jukebox and I hadn’t got one. Time was limited and finding the right jukebox wasn’t a priority. Other images were made. They were used and the original idea was forgotten.
Until a few hours ago. Then I was looking over some images for another purpose entirely and I came across the girl. I loved the shape. I guess I’m funny that way. And so I played around with it and then remembered what it had been shot for. Just for the hell of it I decided to go ahead with a different composition and see how it would turn out without the jukebox. I think it turned out okay. The jukebox was more of a prop rather than a character in the original idea. It was to be there to provide the “motivation” for the girl.
But the main point of the image was layers of interest and depth. I wanted to see if I could have an obviously sexy woman in a major part of the frame and for her to somehow not be the centre of interest.
You be the judge. What is the story here? If you had to write a caption about it what would it be?
Camden Town Shoot
Portrait Photographer?
This is the famous leaning St Mary the Virgin Church in Little Wakering, Essex. You may think this not a suitable subject for a portrait photographer and you’d probably be right. But sometimes I like to do a personal project that is outside my usual field. Being temporarily in Southend-on-Sea I’m taking advantage of the fact and shooting things that interest me outside of people.
The lean of this church is greater than that of the tower in Pisa and yet it isn’t anywhere near as famous which is an oddity. The tower was built in 1416 and that is about all I know of it’s history.
The Once Grand Hotel
This is the once Grand Hotel in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. I went there quite a bit in my youth. Bands played there and I might have even played there myself. Far off days.
Today it is empty and available for rent and I believe it has been so for quite a while.
I know it isn’t like me to be posting images sans people but I sometimes like to mix things up a little. So there. I hope you don’t mind.
This image is quite large in the original and should anyone want a print I’ll be making it available as a 24×14 inch print.
The Kursaal – Southend-on-Sea
Around 110 years ago The Kursaal was the only amusement park in the world. It used to occupy a site of many acres and was a place of mystery and wonder to me as a boy growing up in the area. Today it’s grand entrance hall is pretty much all that survives. But it still has some magic for me.
Which Witch?
This may not be the best example of standard portrait photography but then I’m not much of a standard portrait photographer. I find myself getting more and more involved in making images that are themselves made up of several other images. This is from 3 images made of Julie, who describes herself as a witch, plus some other layers that include spiderwebs and lightning forks.
I love this kind of work even if it does add many hours to the process of producing a final image.
Adrianne
This is Adrianne. She is very sweet and has tons of spirit.
Chris Carter
Chris is about to launch a website for his new book which is a detective story set in New York in the sixties. Chris is one of the most knowledgable people on the planet on the subject of The Velvet Underground and a fairly reliable source (Chris himself) told me the book has some aspects of that scene woven into it.
This session took place at Chris’s compound in deepest Finchley, London.
