Now I’m not knocking still life product photography I enjoy it, (here comes the but) .. But .. Sometimes it could do with a bit of spicing up, whilst importantly not distracting from the main product.

How do we do this ?

With the models booked and shots planned the emphasis seemed to be on the models but with the touch of ‘spot colour’ added in post with photoshop, something in my view that should be used very sparingly in photography but works extremely well in this scenario as the spectacles stand out just enough.

But don’t think spot colour in my fashion and commercial photography will keep popping up, it won’t ….. I promise!

Although many of my posts seem to be on location I do however do a lot in the studio, be it Fashion or Still Life photography so thought I’d post a recent shoot of model India from Boss Models Manchester for Boardman Bros Fashion Hats and Accessories .

The reason I have chosen this particular shoot is to give the models a shout out, as a good model is everything when shooting on a plain white background and model India certainly knew how to change poses and expressions with each click of the camera. I could say it was all down to my direction and skill as a photographer but I can’t take all the credit (he says modestly) although I will take a fraction. Shooting fashion is more about getting the best out of people and connecting with them, working in a fun relaxed atmosphere (whilst getting the job done obviously), and on the day we had a great team and it really shows in the shots.

Mustn’t forget the great hair and makeup/styling from Hannah Robinson and the very organised and hard working shoot co-ordinator Mel McNab.

“Right Carlton we have a fashion shoot for you, it’s for the spring / summer collection trouble is it’s not in the studio it’s on location and we need to shoot it end of October , oh yes and we need it to look like the middle of summer” .. Right then .. No pressure ..

These are things as a commercial photographer I am used to hearing, so where to shoot it first ? I needed somewhere that green was still abundant so Manchester was pretty much out, and also where the models could in between shots keep warm as to not have their skin go a nice pale shade of blue. There was one place …… The mother in laws back garden ……. Perfect ……. So client invited to come and have a look and location was agreed, just needed to order the weather now aka ‘sunshine’ ..

On the day of the Fashion shoot I made camp in the summer house where tea and coffee were on and the odd blanket set aside, see, us photographers do care about the models you know. They both arrived promptly and thankfully so did the sun but with plenty of shots to get through and not the best amount of daylight, the term ‘best crack on’ came to mind.

Now as I said I was lucky the sun had come as ordered , but as well as this some extra was needed so out came the portable studio lighting kit from broncolor an essential for location photography especially with the sun staying low in late winter.

Looking at the images from the day and with careful cropping in camera it’s safe to say with a great team including the models from Boss Manchester ( acting very warm well ) that we more than pulled it off , and at the end there was a happy client which is always nice …

The Maldives next time? Only kidding …

Now with Christmas a distant memory ( it’s all over a bit quick ) thought I’d post a little festive shoot I did for a client in the run up, you may think I mainly do fashion photography but product and still life photography also feature as an equal part of my commercial photography portfolio which I have to say I enjoy, they do say variety is the spice of life…

Mainly for point of sale the brief was ‘colourful’ with texture, so with the stylist from Nemesis manchester and myself on board, the look was achieved with colour backgrounds and many props with texture, and ofcourse the ‘tweeking of composition and placing of the individual products ..”just a touch more … There!!! ” .

Reflections … A good thing? … Yes … But in the right place … and armed with soft lighting , black card, and the trusted polariser the look and feel came together nicely … I feel Christmasy all over again … No not really …

Children’s Fashion Photography … I know some like to avoid … Can’t think why! … The secret I think to photographing children’s fashion is you need to be a big kid yourself or at least act like one , something that comes naturally to me or so people say, jumping around like a loon with camera in hand keeps them entertained and hopefully gets the right results, a natural smile with a fun shot and no tantrums or bribes of chocolate offered to get them on the background … (I keep the chocolate for the clients tantrums) …

Big thanks to the models who behaved themselves all day , more than me actually , images were for Yellow Melon a Manchester based Children’s Clothing company ..

A fashion/commercial photography shoot in …. yes you guessed it Alderley Edge Cheshire,a favourite of mine that I always seem to be shooting at, this time the fab bridal shop ‘The Wedding Shop’ was the location, the client was hat designer Boardman Bros and project management for the shoot was in the capable hands of Mel McNab as well as the design …. The actual photography obviously left to me …. little photographer self importance there ….

With the photography being done on location at the wedding shop the shoot had to take place on a Sunday as it was the only day it was closed, may have got in the way of their clients on another day …. just a little. Early start for me then with all the lighting and photographic gear to set up before the shoot could begin, thankfully having worked with the team on a regular basis I was supplied with coffee at regular intervals …. they know me so well ….

The brief was lifestyle shots for the new Autumn Winter collection for exhibitions and brochures and Mel’s choice of location for the photography fitted the brief perfectly, it was then up to me to come up with the shots to show off the hats, again with a ‘little help from the team’ and the excellent model Natasha Beardsmore from Nemesis Model Agency in Manchester, along with great hair and make up by Clare Brinsmead, the shoot flowed from there and within the time set aside we had come up with shots that pleased the client and ‘the boss’ Mel, and just as importantly pleased me too.

A bit more of that photographer self importance again, these creative types hey ….

The client came from a recommendation from a very good friend, and very good model Graham Gardener , a client new to the world of commercial photography who had decided to go with his own design of the ‘tweed style’ jackets with a modern feel, a bold move but a natural one for him.

The Jackets are aimed at the high end market and with the brief ‘make ‘em look good’ … Quite a broad one then … In fairness this was explained before and as mentioned in previous blogs this was not a problem .. Sometimes it’s good to be given free reign, although it does come with it’s pressures , but I can handle it (just) ….

Initially a studio fashion shoot was mentioned but looking at the jackets I suggested this may not do the various styles justice and would look far more interesting going down the location photography route. So obviously on the day down came the rain … Again ..I’m sure it just waits for me to shoot on location.

The base was my studio in Cheshire and I made sure the locations were nearby (just incase the studio shoot became more favourable re the weather) and we ventured out in to, as I’ve said before the ‘fashion’ capital that is …..’Macclesfield’ …. The models i had worked with many times before before so I was confident they would deliver the shots I needed , and look great in the clothes as well … obviously.

The great textures around Macclesfield really complimented the jackets and the client turned stylist for the day was delighted with the finished result and went back to Manchester a ‘happy client’ … Sigh of relief with the ‘make em look good’ brief then….

Looking forward to the next shoot … hint … hint

A fashion shoot in April .. Springtime .. The week before t’was a heat wave .. Perfect photography weather then .. What could go wrong? This is England after all, but …… SNOW!!..

Yes snow was forecast on the day of the shoot and sure enough on looking out at 7am on that morning .. SNOW!! Actually more of a blizzard.

Did I ring the team and suggest we postpone? .. No .. Did I stay positive ..(sort of).

So off I drove to hopefully a better type of ‘photography’ weather in Manchester to meet the team for the M.E.N fashion editorial spread made up of Kim Mellor the Model from Nemesis Manchester, Alison Chesterton Make up Artist also from Nemesis, and last but certainly no means least the fab clothes stylist Matthew.

We all met up and made base at Matthew’s apartment and despite a greying Manchester there was only a little drizzle and no sign of the snow I had left behind, so I could put up with that and as I had packed the broncolor Mobil pack to set up studio lighting outside all was on track with umbrella’s on standby.

With the makeup underway Matt and I had time for a quick recky for nearby locations as the day was set to be an in and out kind of day, set up set down, you know the type. The Northern Quarter had some great locations for fashion photography, with some fantastic graffiti and textured walls and even better a stones throw away from the base.

Makeup done and five outfits to shoot we were underway, and with all involved, despite a few weather hiccups, the shoot couldn’t have gone better. Kim was great to photograph and the make up and styling was excellent. We also had a bit, actually a lot of good fortune as the two shots that were done on graffiti backgrounds were painted over in the afternoon with black, so good timing by me then.

The shots were all done with the aid of a great fashion photography light and my personal favourite, the ‘ring flash’ to give that clean look (and also to make up for the dismal weather) but it suited the shoot and style I was looking for, pity it didn’t give off heat as Kim was a tad chilly towards the end of the day but the true professional she was you’d have never guessed.

Thanks again to a great team and hope to work with you all again, just make the weather a little better next time… Right??

Although most of my previous blogs have been about Fashion Photography I thought i’d post on another equally as important part of my business- Still Life / Product Photography.

Product photography can come in many different guises large or small, each commanding different lighting techniques and pricing structures. This particular assignment was for a leading office furniture suppliers catalogue and required every inch of my studio space as well as the height. The process of setting up each shot took time and careful, considered lighting techniques to bring out the various surfaces of the furniture. Four to five shots per day was the maximum that could be done as the desks also had to be put together in the studio, (not by me ofcourse, my D.I.Y skills are not the best ..just ask my wife).

The shoot took the best part of 2 weeks as this was for an extensive catalogue including chairs and storage. My studio resembled a warehouse but it made a change from photographing people (furniture doesn’t talk back) and they do say variety is the spice of life and that’s a key factor in keeping your photography fresh. Next it’s bikes again but that’s another post in the future, now where’s my fishing rod wire… don’t ask..

Now it may seem from recent posts and blogs that I only shoot fashion photography on location in Alderley Edge, which in the not too distant past has been the case, so it won’t surprise you to know I recently did a fashion shoot in, yes you guessed it as mentioned earlier Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

Now with out exaggeration January was quite ‘nippy’ so it was a good job for our model Freya that the shoot was for hats, gloves and scarves (could have done with them myself). The shots were for large format posters for an upcoming exhibition so required high end digital cameras with plenty of those pixels, oh and also the skill of the photographer by the way, obviously!

There was one shot in particular (centre of the three) which required an extremely slow shutter speed to create the model being centred with people rushing past appearing blurry while the she was static, tricky for two reasons Freya had to stand perfectly still for several seconds (not as easy as you think) and the second, more importantly was I had to stand in the middle of the ‘very busy’ road with a tripod counting on being warned when a vehicle was about to run me over. Fortunately the team were good at this so managed to get the effect the advertising agency ‘Paws on Everything‘ run by Mel McNab required for the shot.

Thanks as well to the Make up Artist Richard Harvey of Nemesis Model Agency Manchester, and also to Costa coffee and The Aldeley Edge Bar and Grill for allowing photography on their premises (which with some locations has not always been the case) and ofcourse for the great coffee’s..

My last fashion shoot of the year came courtesy of ‘Vintage’ Manchester and the brief given ..’gritty’.. , which you have to say was pretty ‘brief’ ..but fortunately we were on the same page and I was left to come up with 4 strong shots for point of sale, which hopefully you agree I achieved.

When given a free or shall we say ‘relaxed reign’ on shoots I split the process into three 1. Location for the photography 2. The Model and 3. Styling.. Simple really.. Right?

The location initially was going to be Manchester .. The obvious choice, .. but as we all know in this ‘fabulous always rely on the weather part of the country’ we live in, this became a little difficult planning wise, so after looking around more locally, Macclesfield Cheshire (convenient for me) seemed the best, as days were chosen on a weather permitting basis and with Christmas looming time was not on our side. With the fashion shoot taking place in Macclesfield instead of Manchester it also created a bit of a stir in the town as they weren’t quite used to seeing Models and Photographers here as its not really a fashion capital.. Paris , Milan , New York , London ….Macclesfield, it does however have a certain ring to it.

The model was Graham Gardener from Nemesis Agency in Manchester who I have known for many years (too many years.. that I prefer not to mention) and who’s look was perfect for the shoot ( sorry Graham i’m sure your not just ‘gritty’ ) and with photography and especially in the fashion side where you are always on deadlines (and against weather in this case) an experienced model is essential and Graham delivered just that, making my job that much easier and enjoyable, as I am a great believer in having a good time while you work even a bit of a laugh now and again, as long as you get the shots for the client that is… obviously!…

Styling was sorted by the client with a little input by yours truly as there was many items to choose from but only 4 needed , in all honesty the clothes were great and we could have chosen any and all looked good on Graham (he says jealously) ..

Overall a great photography fashion shoot and client happy which makes me happy .. Bring on the next one .. Ladies fashion next ..

Watch this space… or you could just check in from time to time, save you sat in front of your computer for days on end ….

In the last throw of summer I was commissioned to do the photography for the 2012 collection for a hat fashion brochure , the great thing for me was as well as the studio standard detail shots of the hats ..(which of course I found fun and interesting ….) the brochure was to be complimented by a full day of lifestyle photography shots with an initial brief from the Creatures UK agency in Cheshire. Under the close scrutiny of the head honcho Mel McNab I was allowed to expand on said brief and let the creative juices flow…so to speak, which is always appreciated.

Fortunately for us the weather was perfect for the shoot and with a fantastic location sourced by the agency in the heart of the Cheshire countryside I couldn’t go wrong, not to mention the rest of the fantastic team made up of the models Gideon Thomas and Freya Holmes from Nemesis Models in Manchester and Make up by Richard Harvey also of Nemesis.

A great day and some great images and then right at the end of the day when we needed rain for the rainwear shot … Hey presto … Down came the rain ordered by myself of course , I have connections you know.

Now the prospect of a Cheshire fashion shoot with Ten Little Monkeys with Tiger Feet, is enough to fill any fashion photgrapher with dread… So I was really relieved when I found out that, actually, these were two of Cheshire’s cool children’s fashion boutiques, (tenlittlemonkeys.co.uk and www.tigerfeetshoes.co.uk) and that I wouldn’t be working with real monkeys’, but two perfectly behaved, extremely professional Manchester child models.

Kids’ fashion shoots, can sometimes be unpredictable… As many children’s fashion photographers will testify! But, I have to say, we had so much fun and our Manchester fashion models knew just how to work the camera, as well as show off Ten Little Monkeys and Tiger Feets’ new season’s fashions perfectly. The overall outcome was a really great shoot. Was it down to their talent, the boutiques’ fashions, or in the expert skill of one of Manchester’s finest fashion photographers?…Ahem. I’ll let you decide. Take a look at my gallery, and if you want to see more, just let me know. Thanks to everyone involved, for a great fashion shoot.

If anyone’s looking for an experienced, children’s fashion photographer Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire, or indeed anywhere else in the UK, give me a call on t. 01625869717, m. 07802420281, or email carltonphoto@aol.com .

Great Fashion Photography shoot for the new and exciting YMoC Mag with Rumpus Swimwear of Wilmslow nr Manchester. Shot on location at the stunning Restaurant/Bar Panacea in Alderley Edge Cheshire.. The model was Alex Leigh of Nemesis Models Manchester who made my job a lot easier as she certainly knew how to work the camera and with great make up and styling of Alison Chesterton also of Nemesis Models it made sure of a great outcome… Big thanks to the great staff at Panacea and the manager Andreas for being so helpful and accommodating..

Fashion photography for the new magazine YMoC shot on location at Gusto in Alderley Edge Cheshire , the clothing was for SVE Fashion, models from Nemesis and Liquid were great to work with as had to hold some of those positions for quite a while , and kept the diners well entertained throughout the day…
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This was a fashion shoot for a new tanning spray campaign which required a night photography shoot so shot it very very late, lots of portable lighting used, the location was central manchester on a busy night “when is it not?” so had to allow for the stop start of passing traffic and ofcourse the odd comment or two from passers by but I’m sure that was more for the model…The finished shots are going for point of sale and still have more to do with different themes so more to follow… by the way would have liked to have taken the Aston for a spin but they wouldn’t let me…

Great fashion photography shoot in association with Camp Four Climbing Wear based in Macclesfield, really enjoy location commercial photography as it adds more interest to the shot and in my view makes the clothing more appealing when you see it in “action”. The location was “the edge” at Alderley Edge in Cheshire.

Models were from Industry People Model Agency based in Manchester and were great as I did put them in some compromising positions, but not one model tantrum… Put myself in a few awkward positions myself but the shots were worth it.

Another great location photography shoot for S O S clothing in Manchester and Liverpool , finding the location proved time consuming but eventually found a place where barges were moored in Macclesfield Cheshire which had some fantastic backgrounds and textures that really added to the clothing and photography.

The weather again we were fortunate with to the point you’d never guess it was shot in England..

Models were from Liquid Models based in Wilmslow Cheshire and again were very easy to work with and made my job as the Photographer a little easier….