Creative, commercial photographers.

Shoot the dog!

March 31, 2011

Not literally of course! Taken at a recent shoot for Wagg Pet Foods. How cute!!

Filed under: Powerhouse — written by Powerhouse

Spaghetti with mussels recipe – beautiful

Shot as part of a series of recipes, we thought we’d share the recipe with you

  • 8 ounces Spaghetti
  • 1/2 cup  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • Fresh mussels cleaned and rinsed (Discard any damaged or open shells)
  • 1 cup crushed plum tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Directions

  1. Spaghetti according to package direction; drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
  2. In a large skillet heat the Extra Virgin Olive Oil over a medium high heat, add the garlic and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Add mussels, cook for 2 more minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes, wine, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Cook stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens slightly, bring to a simmer and cook another 4 minutes until  mussels start to open. If the sauce is too thick add a few tablespoons of the water from the cooked pasta.
  5. Add the drained spaghetti to the sauce, coating evenly. Arrange pasta on platter and spoon mussels around the rim. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Filed under: Powerhouse — written by Powerhouse

Painting with light – no Photoshop here!

Roo (Rich Warburton) produced these stunning works of art this week for a well known agency who wanted some unique images for their client. At first they tried to construct them in Photoshop, but they were too perfect. The only way to achieve these was in-camera the old fashioned way – painting with light.

Filed under: Powerhouse — written by Powerhouse

The joys of vegetable food photography

March 30, 2011

While we may have despised them as kids, one of the most wonderful things to photograph is the humble vegetable. Rich in colour and texture, vegetables offer the ideal subject in food photography that really whets the appetite. However, food photographers in Leeds put careful thought into how a photo will be set up, as while the colours and shapes of vegetables look interesting, they still need the right amount of styling and preparation to get that winning image. (more…)

Filed under: Food Photography — written by Robert

Leeds studio opens for emerging artists, commercial photographers and other creatives

March 28, 2011

A new studio space for the creative community including artists, exhibitors and amateur & commercial photographers will open in Leeds this week. It is to be housed in Melbourne Street Studios in the centre of Leeds, run by local non-for-profit organisation Test Space. Test Space provides a platform for up and coming talents in the creative world to let them showcase their work to the public. They have previously run rapid exhibitions, guerrilla pop up shops & kitchens, and cross city showdowns. (more…)

Filed under: Commercial Photography — written by David

Commercial photographers using Flickr

March 26, 2011

There are countless photo-sharing websites available these days, but perhaps the most well-known is Flickr. In fact at the end of 2009 there were over 40 million users of Flickr worldwide. However, Flickr isn’t just used by amateur photographers sharing holiday snaps with their friends. Commercial photographers are seeing the benefits of using the site too. While Flickr restricts commercial advertising on their website, it does let photographers share their work with millions of other users which could lead to new business opportunities. For example, a commercial photographer who shoots the Yorkshire Dales could attract the attention of a travel website. That website could be so impressed with the photographer’s work; they could commission them to provide imagery that promotes Yorkshire as a travel destination.

One of the main benefits of using Flickr is that the user can join up to online communities which have discussion forums. Here users can share their knowledge, ask questions of other photographers and network. However one of the most important ways to get your photos found is by using keywords or Flickr refers to it as tags. The photos should be well tagged so they are more likely to appear when someone does a search through Flickr. They can also be more easily found through Google Images.

While the commercial photographer in Yorkshire may not be able to blatantly promote their business through Flickr, they can certainly do all of the above – but it’s not just about making new contacts. It’s also a way of giving back to the online Flickr communities as they can share some of their expertise and help budding amateur photographers hone their craft.

Filed under: Commercial Photography — written by Jane

Setting up a studio for room set photography

March 24, 2011

If you’re flipping through furniture or a homewares catalogue, those images you see of a perfectly fitted out kitchen or beautifully decorated bedroom, were not necessarily taken in somebody’s actual kitchen or bedroom. It’s more likely they were taken in a photographic studio. Room set photographers in Leeds generally work in a fully equipped photographic studio that can be easily transformed into any number of scenarios – such as a kitchen or bedroom.

A photographic studio is generally a large airy space that gives the photographer plenty of space to work – often alternating between more than one room set. High ceilings are also useful at it lets the photographer shoot from various viewpoints and evens out the light. It helps to have lots of natural light streaming in, however while studio lights can recreate this for you, it can’t beat that glorious glow of natural sunlight in the images.

A well-stocked studio will include all the photographer’s essentials such as professional photography lights, reflectors, a soft box for soft lighting effects, tripods and lighting stands.
Room set photographers will work with hundreds of props, which is why they need plenty of space. It is also helpful to have adequate storage units in the studio, as like chefs in a kitchen; a clean working environment is conducive to a productive one too.

There’s a lot that goes into creating a fully functioning photography studio, but it ensures room set photographers in Leeds can take those authentic-looking bedroom and kitchen shots.

Filed under: Roomset Photography — written by David

Phone apps for commercial photographers

March 22, 2011

There is no doubt that smart phones such as the iPhone are making our lives easier. From guiding us to our intended destination through the built in GPS, to telling us where the closest ATM is, you have to ask – what did we do without phone apps? Even commercial photographers in Yorkshire are relying on their smart phones when out on a shoot. While the iPhone has not completely replaced professional SLRs just yet, commercial photographers can now access hundreds of (more…)

Filed under: Commercial Photography — written by David

Tricks of food photographers

March 20, 2011

Food photographers are tasked with the rather difficult challenge of making food look appetising, without the luxury of relying on other senses such as taste, touch and smell. Think about it – if you see food photography on a Leeds restaurant’s website, compare that with actually seeing, smelling & tasting the real thing at the restaurant. Which one is likely to appeal more? The real thing of course but it is the food photographer’s job to make these one dimensional images evoke interest and (more…)

Filed under: Food Photography — written by Robert

Commercial photography manufacturer suspends operations in Japan

March 18, 2011

Canon has been forced to temporarily suspend its operations in Japan following the devastating earthquake that hit last week. As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of photographic equipment, many commercial photographers from Leeds to Los Angeles have all relied on Canon cameras at some point in their professional lives. The Canon factories which closed are based in northern Japan – an area which has been hardest hit by the 8.9 magnitude earthquake.

A statement from Canon released on Friday said:

“‘Canon can confirm that the Canon Inc headquarters and the Canon Group Subsidiary locations in Japan did not suffer major damage to any buildings or factories as a result of today’s earthquake and tsunami.

“In one location, Canon Utsunomiya, approximately 12 employees suffered minor injuries and in some Canon manufacturing sites production was suspended as a result of power failures.

“Canon is currently assessing the situation regarding the impact of the earthquake on production.

“Our thoughts are with our colleagues and customers in Japan and here in Europe who have friends and family there.”

The earthquake which hit on Friday has since triggered a tsunami and explosion at a nuclear power plant leaving a trail of destruction. It is believed the death toll will rise into the tens of thousands and it has already left thousands more homeless.

The Japan earthquake will no doubt touch the hearts of the people across the world including commercial photographers from Leeds to Los Angeles who would have a special affinity with Canon.

Filed under: Photography News — written by Robert
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