Quick Tip Monday- Textures

Xtraordinary Photography — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:06:25 +0000

Although I started this series of Quick Tips with every intention of posting a brand new tip every monday, time just hasn’t allowed– no matter how much I tried!!

The plan is now at least one Monday a month I will post a brand new set of tips of how to best capture photographs of your own children with minimal requirement for expensive equipment, specialist lighting or a studio type set up.

This time I have looked at the use of texture- I literally shot these in my back garden 5 minutes before writing this blog to show that with the right kind of sunlight (the magic hour) you can achieve a beautiful look. For these four images I have used four different background textures within the confines of my back garden; Brick work, slat fencing, decking and mud!

Using a slightly different angle on something like brickwork and shooting with a low depth of field i.e f2.8, f.4 you can achieve a very creative yet simple look. Whereas, shooting onto slat fencing directly and choosing a slightly different crop gives the image a different kind of look and imposes a feeling size from the background.

The shot against the mud, being a very dark background, naturally pops the face of Oliver as he is in a great spot to catch the best of the light with the background in shadow. Combining two types of texture or background can sometimes be difficult to pull of, but with the image of the spaced fencing and decking it works well as a blend to articulate the dfferent levels and the seating space Oliver was using.

All in all a very simple set of images shot in a very simple way- it just goes to show that you don’t need the most jaw dropping back drops to achieve beautiful images…Now to mix it up a little more…..

If we use exactly the same backdrops/textures but change the angle slightly, or the distance at which the child is away from the background we can create a totally different look yet again. This is why I tell my clients that no matter where we are, within 100 yards I can find “100 different backdrops” and it is through using different angles and techniques that I can…

NOTE: NO CHILDREN WERE HURT OR TOLD OFF IN THE MAKING OF THIS BLOG…..IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FUN!

Portfolio Shoot- Sabrina- Sneak Peek

Xtraordinary Photography — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:24:44 +0000

So Sabrina and I got together in Middlesborugh town centre for a quick shoot which she absolutely nailed with a number of different looks in 40 minutes! Here is a sneak peek from the set…

Family Time- Chester le Street

Xtraordinary Photography — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:58:26 +0000

Sun, food, football and lots of lovely kisses and cuddles from my boys. No better way to spend a beautiful bank holiday with my beautiful family at Chester le Street park today….

Engagement Shoot- Steph & Nikki

Xtraordinary Photography — Sat, 04 May 2013 07:28:21 +0000

It may have taken two attempts to capture this shoot, but it was definately worth while! Our first attempt was interupted by very strong winds and a huge downfall, but getting back down onto the beach a few days later under the golden sun gave us a beautiful backdrop for this lovely couple.

Due to be married this summer, Steph & Nikki had good fun and acted like true pro’s when we walked around Whitburn beach and park…here are my favourites from the sessions….

Portfolio Shoot- Dee- Sneak Peek

Xtraordinary Photography — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:15:29 +0000

Walking around Jesmond Dene, on a glorius day, talking about planning laws, breast feeding and the beahviour of kids was a great way to accompany some awesome shots of the amazing Dee. Here is a sneak peek of what we got up to….

Fashion Photography

Xtraordinary Photography — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:42:13 +0000

If you’ve seen the sneak peek of this set of images you will know what to expect with the full set- a stunning model, gorgeous clothing and amazing eyewear!

Client- Wade Opticians

Model- Jade Turnbull

MUA- Jo Leversuch

Hair- Helen Johnson (Ascend Hair)

Clothing- Elan Fashion & Fashion Bible

Jewellery- Ginny D

Location- Auckland Castle

The Thursday Club…..

Xtraordinary Photography — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:22:14 +0000

So last week I had the pleasure of meeting up with some familiar faces that I photographed about 18 months ago- this time we decided to head up to the beautiful Gibside for some fun family portraits with all of these lovely kids who meet every Thursday!!

Here are some of my favourites from the session…

If you’re interested in Portrait Photography- drop over to my website to get in touch

2013- The story so far….

Xtraordinary Photography — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:10:35 +0000

I can’t believe it is April already- and I know I say this to myself every year, but this one is absolutely flying by. I guess its true what they say; “Time flies when your having fun!”

So far this year I’ve been lucky enough to photograph two new wedding venues- Winstone View and Newton Hall. I was totally blown away with both venues for very different reasons and I cannot wait to shoot at them both again. We’ve shot a great range of engagement sessions including one 1300ft up on a mountain in North Yorkshire in the middle of a blizzard and a beautiful urban shoot on Gateshead Quayside.

I’ve met some awesome couples and booked some amazing weddings for 2014 and 2015 at some venues and locations to die for, not to mention the fashion and commercial work I’ve been doing in conjunction with a great North East Business.

On a personal note, I became an Uncle again to gorgeous twins Ruby & Max (what out for shots of these two in the next couple of weeks!!) and my little Noah (6 months) said his first word- Dad!! I had the slight inconvenience of being rushed into hospital to have my appendix taken out recently but that meant getting to spend lots of time being looked after by my beautiful wife while I recovered- so not all bad!

All in all its been a pretty amazing four months of 2013, and I for one cannot wait to see what the next few months hold! Here is a quick look at some of the images from this year so far…

The Wedding of Paul & Paula- Sneak Peek

Xtraordinary Photography — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 22:40:46 +0000

It seems an age ago that I first met this couple when they booked me to photograph their big day, and then all of a sudden their day came around. A week of snow, icy winds and low temperatures didn’t put us in a positive position for the weather at todays wedding- especially when we arrived to snow on the ground at Whinstone View. However, as the clouds cleared and the sun came out it became a glorious day… here are a few of my favourites from today…

For Four Eyes Only- Sneak Peek

Xtraordinary Photography — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:51:19 +0000

So here is a little taster of what I am working on at the moment, a shoot for a top Opticians in Durham City Centre showcasing their amazing range of Channel, William Morris, Prada and loads of other amazing brands……I cannot wait to share this whole set with you in a few weeks..