Just the One

IMG_1518, originally uploaded by martinsmith99.

This was about the only shot I got recently on an uninspiring trip out to Gloucester.

Fortunately, the light helped me out.

Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

Daylight Fireworks @ The Exchange

Some shots from last night's album launch of Daylight Fireworks new work, titled: Some Kind of Low. The gig was held at The Exchange in Old Market, Bristol

Click the images for bigger sizes (jump to Flickr).

Or to know more about the band and download some music: www.daylightfireworks.com/


Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

Autumn Colours

A colourful trip to Westonbirt Arboretum with some old Zeiss lenses. 

Click the images for bigger sizes and more information (jump to Flickr).


Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

A Dust Up at the Pond

  I've not blogged much lately as I've not been able to shoot much.

These were taken at a recent trip to Slimbridge.

Click the images for bigger sizes

Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

More ZeroSignal

This time live at The Fleece

Click the images for bigger sizes:


Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

ZeroSignal @ The Louisiana

Here are some of the shots I took from a recent gig.

Click the images for bigger sizes (jump to Flickr)



Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

Zorki 6

This is a selection of shots taken with one of my favourite cameras, the Zorki 6 rangefinder.  I really prefer using rangefinders over SLRs, they just have something special about them.

The film was Fomapan developed in Rodinal (just for a change).

Click the images for bigger sizes


Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

An Album (CD) Cover Shot

This was a shoot with model Emma Maddox to attempt to get a usable image for local electro rock band ZeroSignal.  The title of the album will be `Black Summer', so the theme had to have a dark feel.  The whole shoot took around 30 mins and I took around 30 frames, of which I gave them 6 images to choose from.  This was the winner (luckily as I had actually stopped shooting, but tried one last pose).

Click the image for bigger size

Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

Italian Car & Bike Show

In a brief dry spell on Saturday I managed to attend this show and take a handful of pics.  I was hoping to use film, but the light was all over the place so played it safe and used the 5Dii.

Click the images for bigger sizes


Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

New Look Zero Signal

It's been almost a year since the last time I did a shoot with this band and things had gone a bit quiet, so I was pleased when I heard that they wanted more photos featuring their new drummer.

Click the images for bigger sizes (jump to Flickr):



Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

BIG

BIG, originally uploaded by martinsmith99.

It's BIG!

I'm not sure what is big apart from this piece of street `art' spotted near Bristol Centre a few weeks back.

Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

"Charlie's" 1st Shoot

After plucking up the courage for her 1st shoot (it took months to my knowledge), Sarah `Charlie' Harding had the dubious pleasure of working with me for her first shoot. I like to get to know models a bit before I shoot with them as it puts both parties at ease and makes the whole experience a great deal more pleasant. We met up in Bristol Centre and had a chat about anything and everything for a while, before even discussing the shoot. I do tend to inject quite a bit of humour into the shoot and this gave me a chance to check before hand, what type of personality Charlie had and if my light-hearted approach would be suitable; luckily it was.

This was just a `Testing' shoot, to get Charlie over the 1st hurdle and to have some photos to start her portfolio and get used to working with photographers. I do tend to give a lot of direction which is pretty much always needed with inexperienced models. I did warn about this at the very outset and asked Charlie to let me know if she needed a break to just say so. Each time when trying something different, I stopped to show Charlie the shots in the back of the camera so we could discuss what was and was not working. I think this is very important and don't understand why some photographers frown on `chimping'; I suspect it's nothing more than snobbery or deluded elitism .

We had no make-up artist or stylist so given this and the above, I wasn't expecting too much given the circumstances, but I did get a few portraits (below) that I think worked well.

Click the images for bigger sizes (jump to Flickr):


Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

Modelling shoot with Holly `Bambi Berretta' Searle

Continuing my simplified equipment theme and really enjoying it, this was an urban shoot I was invited to and not knowing any of the models I wasn't sure what to expect. Of the 3 models there I started working with Holly (aka Bambi) and as usual, the shoot seemed to get better as it went.

All shots taken with Canon 5D mkii and Canon 24-70 F2.8 L lens.

Click the images for bigger sizes:


Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments

Kate - Back with Modelling Photography

After a 3 month break from not only modelling photography, but also back to digital imaging after using film only.

This was another shoot arranged for the Bristol & South West Modelling Photography (BSWMP). The model I feature here is Kate Davies (as she is fairly new to modelling and my 1st time with her).

I'm still in B&W mode after using only B&W film. I (as usual) set my camera's LCD to B&W so I could determine if I was getting the look I was after. After shooting with only film cameras (without an LCD preview) I found I didn't look at the LCD very much at all (I don't chimp much as a routine).

Anyway, Kate:

Click the images for bigger sizes (jump to Flickr)

A rare slightly desaturated colour image

Click to read the rest of this post and/or make comments