Studio diary of Fareham, Hampshire based photographer - Mike French
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Just back from Queens Club in London for the 2010 Aegon Championships and day two of the tournament. On a changeable day the tennis, and practice, was interrupted by several rain showers but the evening cleared and produced some excellent doubles and beautiful light.
Last week I entered a local print competition with two of my favourite images for sometime. With over 80 entries across a wide variety of subjects, and a singular judge there is never any kind of expectation as to how you are going to get on. Well we did great. After all the comments and scoring both of the images were held back for a final comparison and score, and the result was both images were awarded perfect 10′s and also unexpectedly a 1st and 2nd place, which was a first for this competition.
Today I met up with a group of great photographer friends at a property in London for a location fashion shoot. I have worked with a model on location before but predominately in natural light, and this was an excellent opportunity to try some things out as well as work with a very experienced model.
Some days you get to do photography for yourself. Not much but sometimes. Today this Hampshire photographer managed to get over to the Festival of Speed at Goodwood House near Chichester (a lovely wedding venue) in West Sussex for the first time in years to do a little personal work.
TOCA package images from Thruxton, my local Hampshire racing circuit and first on my list for a no wedding weekend of photography
With no wedding today and with bright and breezy weather here at Hill Head, Hampshire I took my camera down to the beach for some personal photography. With the tide going out I wandered down and perched on a wooden post near the shoreline and photographed some of the kitesurfers and windsurfers enjoying the wind...
I’m taking advantage of some of the weekends in the run up to the 2009 wedding season where I have a “spare” day to do two things. Firstly I’m starting to push my cameras to their limits in tricky shooting situations as preparation for the romantically lit churches and wedding venues around the South of England where I’ll be photographing critical, unrepeatable and emotional moments – and secondly shooting some personal work (OK I know – busman’s holiday) to relax and enjoy myself.
One of my biggest learning experiences from the time I spent 1:1 with world renowned Australian wedding photographer David A Williams towards the end of 2008 was the importance of details in providing context to many of the other wedding images taken during the day – much more so than I had previously allowed for....
No portraits, weddings, pre-wedding shoots or indeed meetings this weekend meant that I could go out for a rare opportunity for a wedding photographer to photograph something else. As I have some new equipment this year I thought I would take the opportunity to get some more frames through the cameras and lenses and try out some new things – especially with a tricky subject like a gaggle of runners.
