D A W N C A S T.

blog.

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I recently purchased the Sigma 24-70 F2.8 lens. After getting the 6D I was pretty stuck for a zoom lens, but I didn’t want to settle for anything standard that would just “do the job” - I felt it to be a waste of money. My issue was that the standard lenses were the only ones I could really afford. 

I made a trip into The Real Camera co. in Manchester and found the Sigma. It was a very good price, and exactly what I was looking for with regards to aperture (With the canon version costing almost 2K, I never thought id end up owning this type of lens this soon). So, after seeing how low the price of the Sigma was, I made the bold move to trade in my old 700D and 50mm 1.8 as a part ex.

This shoot with Jess was the first portrait shoot using the new lens, and it was a nice change from the 50mm 1.4 that I would usually use. With the deeper DoF and slightly wider focal length used in this shot, it was refreshing to see the photos come out with a more editorial look over my usual artsier style.

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Model: My gal

I got a hold of the canon 6D, and its safe to say going full frame has been the best decision i’ve made with regards to my photography gear (aside from getting the 50mm 1.4 for that sweet DoF). Everything about the camera has benefited my photography - yes I know its not all about the gear that you use, but if that were entirely the case then pro’s would be using sub £500 cameras. Fact is, you need to be able to take a good picture in the first place, but having a tool that makes it easier to put your vision onto screen can help a hell of a lot. Investing in your passion is important, especially if a return is being made from it.

Ive still kept the 700D, it is hands down a great camera, however i can’t see it getting much use other than just being a spare for when I need it.

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Model: Ayron Irving

This shoot with Ayron was fun. Having been followers of eachother on IG for a while and having a mutual friend, it was nice to finally meet and do a shoot with her. 

The lighting was good for the day - not as sunny as it was for the shoot with Cammy, but this set a nice mood which I think suited Ayron better. We also went to the same place where the canal boats reside, and one of the owners of a boat was kind enough to let us use it for a few of pictures. 

After getting a good set of photos from there, we headed back into northern quarter and into Affleck’s to get some indoor ones (above picture). The lighting was just about bright enough in the little cafe on the first floor (just past the bong/jewellery store) so we decided to use that, and the large red chairs gave a nice backdrop, leaving just a bit of space for the window at the back to show.

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Model: Abbie Ozard

Back to the Nantwich shoot with Abbie. 

The lake was one of my favourite parts of the town to go to when i was younger; especially this section that flows into the silt beds. My Nan would always take me as a kid and read the “DANGER - Silt beds” sign to me. 

For this reason alone it was nice to come back and do a shoot here, and the way the lighting  fell on Abbie here really creates a sense of nostalgia. There is something about the photo that I feel look familiar, even to a viewer who doesn’t know this place.

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Model: Cameron Carter

The weather for this shoot was perfect, the best i’ve had this year so far. The first location we used was outdoors in an area I often use as its mostly quiet and very colourful. One of the few parts of the city that I feel almost at home in. 

After this we moved to an indoor location. I very rarely shoot indoors (only really for bands/artists), and I’ve never done a shoot like this indoors; despite it something that I’ve wanted to do for a while. The big window that spanned the outer wall created a really nice, soft lighting; and using the blinds to add depth to the photo was kind of an accident that worked out really well. It creates a very candid yet personal atmosphere between the viewer and the picture. An almost intimate appearance, something that I find my photos do more recently

Its photos like this where I continue to develop my niche in photography, something so important in such a saturated industry.

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I don’t shoot at home too often as most of the bands I shoot are from Manchester during term time whilst i’m at uni halls - however when I do shoot at home its always a nice break. Manchester doesn’t have a lot of immediate countryside areas, so to drive a few minutes down the road and find places like this is a nice change.

This shoot was interesting as I don’t spend much time shooting in flat, cold lighting...but for this it worked. It created a mellow vibe that wasn’t too moody and I am pretty happy with how the final edits came out.

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I often get frustrated at the editing of my photos. The way i’ve been editing them for the past few months has done me well, however i’m starting to notice things I don’t like about them. The way I use contrast and curves, the colouring; its close to how I want it but just not *quite* there. 

I decided to go against the way I do things and purchase a preset pack.

I felt like this was a bit of a copout when I found myself really liking some of the presets and preferring them over my own. I needed to turn it around so that I had still put in work to get these photos to look how I wanted them to look. I decided to dissect my favourite ones out of the pack and copy them as close as possible, going through every tool that has been used and working out how to use them. This took me way deeper into editing than I had previously done (especially into HSL) and taught me that the contrast slider was doing more bad to my photos than good. 

This is how I have ended up with the shot above - The model is Daisy Carberry, she’s a songwriter at my uni. I’m genuinely happy with this edit, and I feel the colours and contrast are perfect for the shot and for her. Its raw and organic and filmy, yet still sharp. 

Purchasing those presets was one of the best things i’ve bought so far and now I wish I did it sooner.

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I’ve decided to start documenting what I do on here now. After almost a year of finding my feet and doing things wrong then right then wrong then re-doing things over and over, I feel I should just start getting everything I do with photography down in writing.

For christmas my family and I traveled to St. Andrews, Scotland to visit some family we have there and to just enjoy a change of scenery. I got a vintage Minolta 35mm F2.8 under the tree off my parents, and the beach was too nice to not shoot on, despite how cold it was.

I’ve never shot using a completely manual lens before but its not as much of a challenge as I expected, and actually feels nicer than just throwing autofocus on; especially with a more relaxed shoot. The lens has a really nice tone and feel to it. Somewhat dark and contrasty which is exactly what I wanted. 

In lightroom I tend to mess around with the curves a lot to achieve the vintage fadey look - I just find it more visually pleasing this way.