13/07/2008 by jim.

“People of Spalding” - Arts project. (Current working title)

I am hoping to start a new photographic project that involves taking portraits of people who play a positive role in Spalding life. These individuals may not necessarily be well known public figures but they must have one unifying quality – their positive attitude towards local life.

The aim is to show the people of Spalding who have and communicate a positive social commitment in their working or everyday life. Initially I am hoping to hold an exhibition of these photographs at the Geest Gallery in Ayscoughfee Hall and future uses could include further exhibitions, an E-Book or, hopefully, published as a printed book.

The exclusivity of these photographs for use in this project and this project alone is very important. Although I am probably best known in Spalding as a newspaper photographer you can be assured that photographs generated for this project will never appear in any other context than this intended use. Both sitter and myself will sign a model release form from that restricts the use of the portraits for this purpose and none other.

This is not a political, commercial or cultural project and although many subjects will have interests in these fields, my aim is to show individual members of a vibrant society in a positive light. I will want to photograph these people in their relevant environment but the pictorial emphasis is very much on the individual rather than the place setting. There will be a unifying pictorial style that will entail a high professional approach to each portrait sitting. No priority will be given to any individual, inclusions are anticipated to be in alphabetical order not social status.

Initially at least all costs for this project will covered by myself and there will never be any sitting fees charged. If the project grows to such an extent that it requires financial support I may apply for any Arts grants that may be available but commercial funding will not be an option. This must remain a totally independent project free from political or commercial pressures. The only funding that will be accepted will be from companies involved in the actual production process such as exhibition venues, printing and framing services etc.

Whilst the choice of individuals will include some obvious high profile examples, many may not be in the public eye. I hope that as this project gathers momentum more sitters will be suggested to me. I do not wish these people to be seen as my personal list of preferences nor as a Who’s Who of Spalding.

If you think that somebody who deserves to feature in this project please get in touch with me.

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10/07/2008 by jim.

This modest young lady has won 107 sporting medals plus a Squadron sword and I needed a shot that was a bit special for the story. We went out onto the track but that was a bit shabby so we found the best spot that we could and laid the medals out.
In order to hide the condition of the track I underexposed the ambient by 1.5 stops and selected Tungsten colour balance on the camera. This would make the track dark and blue making it recede (hopefully).
I then used a full CTO on the main flash (Canon 580ex) to the left of camera. As it was windy I used a bare flash rather than a shoot through brolly.
I then placed a second flash (Canon 430ex) on the ground, behind the young lady, zoomed in to 105mm.
These were sync’d with Elinchrom Sky ports.
This lighting managed to hide the shabby track and make our subject look like the hero she really is.

Posted in Strobist, General photography | No Comments »