14/11/2008 by jim.

The traditional business portrait can be a tricky assignement. It needs to engage the sitter with the viewer straight away. It needs to have a degree of animation to make the subject dynamic, it needs a degree of power to instill confidence.
For this portrait I used my favourite light - a 1.5 metre Octa on an Elincron Ranger Speed powered head. It was still daylight outside and the curtains didn’t close so I need to overpower the ambient light. I needed to use 100 ISO to get the best quality from my camera. I wanted a greater depth of focus than usual, shooting at at least f16, I wanted drama yet maintain shadow detail and the Octa makes that possible. I also used a couple of small Canon Speedlites using good old Strobist techniques to add a little hair light and also to put just a hint of light into the background.
I miss the old days of Film Star portraits when they all held a cigarette in their hands. Hands are weird things to photograph, leave them out and the subject looks too static, include them and they can just appear to wave about in thin air. They can add power to a portrait but they also have the ability to do exactly the opposite.
Lots to think about and the pressure is usually intensified by lack of time. Busy men have tight deadlines. You just got to love doing business portraits. I do.

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26/10/2008 by jim.

I have finally got around to updating my on-line portfolios.
My main “Pro” portfolio is at www.pro.photoimagery.co.uk and
The current state of the “Faces of Spalding” art project is at www.faces.photoimagery.co.uk

I find it very difficult to decide how to present portfolios and this time I have gone for a Flash based presentation made using Lightroom.

Any comments good or bad are welcome.

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24/10/2008 by jim.

It was slow getting off the ground trying to arrange appointments throughout the “Summer” month(s), however the project is now taking shape with some 30 portraits in the can.
I have put them on a web site here.
There are loads more subjects in the pipeline so this project looks like it will be growing rather larger than expected.
I will now have to give some serious thought about presentation. This will be my first solo exhibition so it will be a steep learning curve.

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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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