ShutterLeaf PhotographyYour Story. Your Day

Lytham, St. Annes, Wrea Green, Hambleton, Warton, Freckleton, Weeton, Preston, Lancaster, Chorley, Rivington, Manchester and the list goes on.

All nearby places with their own beautiful locations providing great backdrops to photograph couples, families and individuals.

All picturesque.

Pretty. Postcard worthy.

I take photographs on location. There are many reasons for this. For practicalities sake, it means I don’t have to have a studio…….gasp. Surely, I need a studio to take photographs in?

Well that’s where I need to put a pin in the bubble of what people perceive as a requirement for portrait photography.

It is very much possible to produce high quality studio like photography, on location. Pretty much any location.

I recently wanted to try out some new ideas with regards lighting, direction and working with an assistant (something I’ve been thinking of doing for while). Why an assistant? Normally, on most wedding assignments, I work alone. On some occasions I bring along a second shooter who also assists. Second shooters are there to help them practice their craft in a live environment. I give this opportunity to a few photographers along the way. Assisting means just that. Helping with setting up lights, holding onto bags, reflectors etc. A second pair of hands is very useful on time sensitive shoots. As I said, I normally shoot without an assistant, so I have to be streamlined in what I carry and what I use – especially on a wedding day. Here though, I wanted to see if an assistant on a photo shoot, rather than a wedding day, would be useful. Especially with the types of lights I will be using, I think so.

I arranged a session with Emily and Aaron – two photography students.

Meet Emily

Meet Aaron

Anything where I try out new things I call a “tester”. Testing means Practice, Practice, Practice.

The original idea was that Emily, whom I have worked with before (in October 2010 – see below for a picture from the bridal shoot we did together), would model whilst Aaron would assist.

As you can see from the photographs, above, they both ended up modelling. This was great. They are not professional models and that makes a huge difference to a shoot. Professional models automatically go into a pose without much direction. Ordinary people though don’t always take to this naturally. I think a good portrait photographer needs to communicate with his/her subject. He/She needs to bring a part of that person out and capture it in a photograph. All photographs say as much about the photographer as they say about the subject being photographed.

Simple setup with Emily on modelling duties whilst Aaron held the lights.

Also originally planned was that we do the shoot outside. Remember picturesque. Pretty. Postcard.

Hmmmmm…..

Not quite how I imagined it when I looked out the window that morning. Grey lifeless skies. Flat light. Raining. Typical winter. The stuff they don’t put on postcards :-)

So, the decision was made. We would photograph indoors. In fact, just like I would with any client. I believe there are locations to photograph, almost anywhere. It’s such a matter of seeing it. Knowing how light will be used. Will it be naturally occurring light, artificially generated or indeed a combination of both?

So on this tester session, along with my very knowledgable assistants/models, we shot the photographs in various locations, around Emily’s home, using various lighting scenarios. Along the way, I was explaining the setups, the exposures I was trying, showing them locations to use, why I was trying certain things out, demonstrating lighting ratios…luckily they were still both awake when it all finished. Always a good sign :-)

Both Emily and Aaron are going to be great photographers in their own rights. I look forward to working them, again, in the future. Here’s my set of photographs from our session.

Enjoy.

P.S. Keep scrolling right to the end to one of my favourite photos from the session.

One of the first shots we took from our session together

Clean and Simple. We used a strip of wallpaper in Emily's house as the backdrop.

Something very fashion magazine about this one.

I think the wallpaper works well as a background.

Love the expression from Emily.

Another room and different wallpaper. Love the decor choices :-)

I love black and white for what it brings in terms of showing off a personality.

I think this exudes femininity.

The blue wallpaper and the red hair I think works very well.

Loving the feminity and the smile.

I love this close up. The black borders are from the handle of the reflector I was holding.

Using just a skylight.

Here's one of the first shots from Aaron's modelling session. Male model in the making?

Haha...made him laugh.

A great masculine pose. One of my faves.

Asking Aaron to look all serious. Smile appearing?

There you go. Big smile.

The last photograph from our session and one of my favourites.

Hammersmith, in London, was the location for the 2012 SWPP International Convention for Wedding and Portrait Photographers (and many other photographic disciplines besides).

This week’s post has been delayed because it’s taken me a week to recover from the 7 or so days I spent in London town.

My time consisted of attending a number of talks, given by prominent photographers in my business. Practicing my own talk for my masterclass. Meeting other kindred photographers. Practicing my talk some more. Attending the trade show. Practicing again. Missing my wife and children. Delivering my first ever public talk. Attending the Awards dinner. Having a big smile when my friends’ names got announced. Even bigger smile when my name got announced as one of the top 5 Fine Art Photographers of the year. A little sad to not have won but the winning photographer was a very worthy indeed. Having an absolutely huge smile when the photographer next to me won the photographer of the year award and even bigger still as I watched his mum whoop with delight when he went to pick up the award.

It was a very successful convention from my point of view. I learnt a lot in that week and very proud to have been selected in the top 5. Considering this was the first year I had ever entered any competitions, I was more than happy.

But the awards were only the icing on the cake for me. I delivered a talk that came from the heart.

My talk was called “The Myth of Being a Wedding Photographer”. I was selected as one of around 160 or so speakers at the week old convention to give a talk. A proud moment. What I spoke about was my journey from a father, having just bought his first ‘proper’ camera (some 5 years ago), to where I am now as a full-time, professional wedding and portrait photographer. The talk was to exemplify what it takes to succeed in this business we call wedding photography. The myth is that it is easy to become a wedding photographer. The truth is far from it. I love what I do. I really, trully do but the journey has been long and not always easy. I have put a lot of my time into being trained, teaching myself, practicing, practicing and practicing some more to get here. It has taken a lot of hard work, patience, sweat and toil to come this point. I feel confident of my abilities, of my craft and of the art I produce and boy I’ve had fun. I just can’t imagine ever doing anything else.

Giving my talk at the SWPP Convention

The Convention and the Talk were the culmination of sorts, to a throughly enjoyable 2011. I met some great couples, photographed some lovely families and made a tonne of friends on the way.

I have a saying – Do the things you love with the people who love you.

It couldn’t be more truer than in my line of work.

I have a lot more to give and I can’t wait to realise some of my ideas.

So, here’s to 2012.

Love ya! :-)

It’s been 7 incredible days. This is the final day of my stay at The International Convention of The Societies of Wedding and Portrait Photographers.

I am sat here in a hotel lobby, a little tired from the awards dinner last night, waiting to go in for a full day seminar and lecture. A little toddler just ran past, as toddlers do, with his mother in chase. They were playing a fun game of catch me if you can mummy. The rules are self explanatory. The little boy’s laughter and indeed the smiles and chuckles from his mum just got me a….little….emotional. Just a little.

I am missing my girls. Daily phone calls are fun but I miss them very, very much.

….a little break….

I’m now sat in my full day seminar. Everyone has broken for a break and all I can think of is my girls (getting a little teary writing this).

Anyway, I have massively digressed from the original topic of what I was going to post today.

Today, I wanted to put a post together featuring a poem I wrote around 3 years ago. That’s really all…but then I saw the little boy running,

Version 1

I stared at you this morning
you were engaged in conference
with sleep
and it’s open seas.

So I carressed you and said
“Wake up little one”

You returned and turned
then set sail once again
with ideas
of lives other than yours.

So I patted you and smiled
“Up you get”

You acknowledged words were spoken
smiles and eyes alive
with lights
with such a want to snort.

So I took my position paternal
and hugged you in manners embraced.

You laughed awake and laid fragile
creaking up to sit attentively
with tears
that want my fatherly hold.

So I took you from that bed
and stood you down upon the floor.

You treated me and wandered off with zeal
dramatising, yet again, such trivial acts
with compliance
with some coaxing,
you awoke to a beautiful morning.

My Youngest out staring an Egg (and winning by the looks of it)

My Eldest, enigmatically, out smiling the same Egg :-)

The London 2012 Olympics is THE major event this year. I hope you all had a wonderful 2011 and are looking forward to 2012.

This Photograph was taken over 4 years ago when it was just a hobby

My year has been very eventful to say the least. I started 2011 by attending my first ever International Convention held by the Societies of Wedding and Portrait Photographers. London was the location. I was introduced to so many wonderful artists and I took away a lot from the experience.

In 2011, I shot some wonderful wedding days and spent time documenting a stage in the lives of some amazing families. I’ve ensured that I have kept up to date with my photographic and business training and am looking forward to 2012 with a view to providing a higher level of service and photography for my clients.

A photo shoot from around Summer 2011 in North Wales

A Silver Award Winning Photograph from a Shoot in October 2011

The End of the Night for a Wedding Reception held at Bartle Hall Lancashire

The other part of what I am about is my personal work. The love of seeing something with my eyes and putting that vision onto a photograph. The beauty of everyday life…the moments, the things, the landscapes.

On a wedding day, a fixed amount of time where there are a lot of variables involved, my aim is to produce a beautiful account of that magical time – to tell the story for my couples that they and their families will treasure for a long, long time. Some of the photographs may not be “art”, per se, but they are equal to it where my clients are involved.

A Formal Portrait of Michelle and Matt

My personal work gives me time to explore more. To try things I couldn’t on a wedding day or a portrait shoot. To keep my eyes open.

I remember this day with my 2 daughters. This is my eldest at the playground.

As a result, I have a large portfolio of images that are never normally shown here.

A Silver Award Winner in Fine Art

In a few days time, I will be attending my second International Convention for the Societies of Wedding and Portrait Professional. An event that has been annually held for a decade and organised by one of the biggest Photographic bodies around (SWPP). This will also be the first time I will be giving a talk to an audience (first time ever!) of fellow professionals. With attendances, in previous years, exceeding 12,000 photographers, from all around the world, it’s an honour to have been asked to talk.

Another Silver Award Winner - taken on the Pier near Lytham Lifeboat House.

A beautiful moment exemplifying the love of two people

Over the year I have been entering my photographs into monthly competitions against other photographers. In 2011, alone, I have accumulated 4 Gold and numerous silver awards. Two of my Gold winning images were in the Fine Art Category. At the end of the week long convention, this year, there is the annual awards dinner where the various category winners will be announced. If you have won a Gold Award you will be judged against all the other winners, in your category, to determine whether you are one of the handful to be nominated to go through to final judging.

This is one of my Gold Winning Photographs in the Fine Art Category

One of my Gold Winning Photographs in Monochrome. Grand Organ in a Church.

Around a week or so, ago, I was informed that I have been nominated for Fine Art Photographer of the Year 2011. I must admit to have been thrilled to get the news. I was ecstatic to earn a Gold award in Fine Art, let alone 2, but then be told that my photographs were good enough for me to be nominated for Fine Art Photographer of the Year…..I was, to say the least, Speechless….and anyone who knows me…knows that’s not easy :-)

There are some amazing photographers in this category. I’m just happy to share such great company.

On the Way home from Wiltshire, I saw this sight.

So rather than showing you the best photographs, which are elsewhere on this site, of all the weddings and photo shoots I’ve done this year, as an alternative to an annual review, I am going to be showcasing quite a number of new images. These are a select number of Award Winning images from September to November 2011. You’ve seen some already, see the rest, below.

If you want to see the winners from earlier this year, click on the following links:

Award winners – First half of 2011
Award Winners – June to August 2011 – Part 1
Award Winners – June to August 2011 – Part 2

For me, there two very special events happening in London in 2012. The Olympics being one.

Have a great 2012 and I’m hoping to share lots of amazing photographs in the coming year with you all.

All the best to You and Your family,

Anurag.

P.S. Happy New Year

Underneath the new pier at St. Annes near Blackpool

I love this shot of the boy on the beach with the man rushing down the pier

A photograph taken with a 7 year old compact camera - Llandudno

My own Lighting Set up from a Photography Training Course I did in 2011.

Against a very strong sun and to keep the dog still. Very tricky.

I love this photograph. Just the colours and side lighting. Gina looks beautiful.

Another one of my favourites.

Just love the road leading away from a couple so very much in love

Twin babies. You'll have seen this one previously. Look it up again and watch the video.

Sunrise. One of my earliest photographs (around 4 years ago) on a DSLR.

Sunset. View has now been replaced by prefab buildings. One of my earliest pics.

December wedding photography with a Christmas feel.

Ah Yes, it’s christmas day and I wanted to celebrate it by telling you all about the wonderful wedding of Kathleen and Gary, at St. Pauls Church, in Blackpool, followed by their fantastic reception at The Villa Hotel in Wrea Green.

During the first dance

You may have seen the earlier sneek peak I did a week or so ago. You can catch it by Clicking Here.

I shot this wedding 3 weeks ago. The couple, who are settled in Canada, wanted to get married here in Lancashire, where Gary is from originally. I was contacted by Kathleen’s mum, Penny, few months back requesting me to document the day. They did not want photography for the bridal preparation nor within the church. They also did not want too much formality with the photography. I accomodated their requests without issue and reduced my formal shoot, normally around 30-45 minutes, down to 15 minutes. This worked out perfectly for the couple and the small gathering of friends and family who attended. The main focus was to retain the sense of joy and occassion that such a happy day brings. To capture the emotions and personalities of the people involved. That is what I endeavour to do with all my photographs.

Can't help but smile at this one

The day started overcast, with rain threatening. Luckily, it held back for the times when Kathleen and Gary were outside. The celebrations at The Villa Hotel were marvelous. A wonderful welcome by the staff to drinks and canapes. Such a relaxed atmosphere. I’m sure this was exactly what they were looking for. The highlights for me were the speeches, the wonderful children, the first dance and the disco when hair was most definitely let down. Touching words from Kathleen’s brother and a laugh out loud performance from the best man were fitting for a day like this. It was great to see the Canadian side of the wedding party getting into the Lancashire spirit. A good old fashioned family shin dig.

Laughter and Smiles

To cap it all off, I would like to share with them a little surprise of my own. This is my thank you and Christmas present to a wonderful, loving family.

Enjoy the video.

With best wishes to you all. Have a great christmas and I hope Santa was good to you. :*)

Childrens portrait photography is a discipline that is not easy to master. As a wedding photographer, I love to capture emotions and meaning in my photographs. I want to give a sense of who the people are in my images.

A number of weeks back I was asked, by Twesha and her husband Sanjay, to photograph their 3 children. An elder son and his twin siblings (one boy, one girl). Being a father of two children, myself, I know how important it is to have good photographs of my kids while they are young. They grow up so quickly and every passing month there is something else, new, you notice. I document. I record. I photograph these times and these moments that would, otherwise, be lost forever.

Three wonderful children

Photographing very young children is not easy. Especially when they are twins and one of them decides to have a nap for an hour and a half! It gets even tougher when they are both awake. Tiddlers, as I once heard older babies once referred to, will shift, will cry, you can’t talk to them and you can’t reason with them. These two, though, had a wonderful chemistry. It’s a twin thing perhaps but they were just a delight to photograph. We captured a whole variety in a short space of time. We did this during late afternoon, one day, with the help of mum and grandma.

Their older son arrived from school, later, and we did a shoot with him outside in the garden and then once more with all three together.

Shooting in an environment, like their home, to me, gives photographs context. Children feel more relaxed. From my experience, at least, having taken my two to a studio, it’s not easy. You need to distract them with toys and get them to behave and studio time ebbs away. I love studio photography. You can really get beautiful shots but there is something more, I feel, when shoots take place somewhere where the children are familiar with. To be honest, being experienced with photographing in a wide variety of different locations and environments, there is always somewhere to set up your shots.

We even got grandma involved with holding a flash for me. The shoot was so natural. So organic. Fun. A lovely, memorable day.

Here are the final results of something I know that they will treasure forever. My favourite bit of the video comes right at the end courtesy of Twesha. A truly wonderful mum. Enjoy.

The Villa Hotel, Wrea Green and St. Paul’s Church, in Marton, provided me with the backgrop to a lovely family winter wedding.

The previous day had been very wet and the forecasts were not too good for the wedding day itself. Despite the cold, coastal, winter winds, the rain was kept at bay whenever the couple were outside. It was such a happy occassion, I don’t think anyone noticed.

Kathleen is from Toronto, in Canada, where she met her husband, Gary, who was brought up locally in Lancashire. Both sets of families came from far and wide to attend their wedding.

Here are a couple quick teasers, from the day, to whet your appetite.

A beautiful bride wearing an equisite bridal gown and equally stunning shoes

I’ll be blogging more, from this wedding, in about a fortnight’s time as a gift from Santa :-)

Bride waits patiently

Photographing a self portrait to show off my attempts at Movember.

I am, last time I checked, a man and an occassional shaver. Yes, I know, it’s perhaps news to you but I don’t shave daily. I sometimes, with wild abandon may I add, just let my face get all 5 o clock shadow and sometimes let it get to quarter to 8 before I do something about it.

November has just passed. I have double checked with google. What November signfies, for some men around the world, is a means of showing their support to a movement by the name of Movember (google it for some tachetastic display of malemanship). In short, Movember is a means of raising awareness of Prostate Cancer amongst men. Men, round the world, show their support and raise awareness by growing a moustache (yes you read right).

This year, I decided to do my bit. It’s a movement to raise awareness. So over the last month, I’ve been asked by various people, what’s with the facial hair. Some look at me as if I look like a reject from the Village People (please don’t google The Village People or you’ll make me feel old). Only about 10% of the people actually guess and indeed know about the cause to which I’ve decided to dedicate a month of my life to. It works. Either people know about it or ask me why. So I explain. That’s it. No request for donations. No guilt trip. Nothing like that. Simply it’s a way, albeit by means of humourous or tragic facial hair (delete as applicable), of getting people to talk about it. I know it’s an odd thing to be doing but it’s important to raise awareness of such a tragic illness that if detected early on will save someone’s life.

I am going to be (sadly) shaving it off shortly. I will presume from the lack of any comments whatsoever that you are all happy it goes. It was fun while it lasted but my children are complaining. So, perhaps, till next year.

Anyway, without further ado may I present my Movember Moustache.

The missing member of The Village People - Young man....

This Photo Shoot took place on the dunes of St. Annes, earlier this November. As you may have gathered by now, I love photographing near the Fylde coast and it’s beaches. The couple, for this shoot, were Angela and Richard.

One of my favourites of a wonderful couple

They are getting married, at The Villa Hotel in Wrea Green, next year and wanted to get their shoot done before the winter weather really started to gather pace. We were fairly lucky on the day, as you will see from the photographs. Other than the day getting progressively more cloudy, we were rain free. We were also joined by their wonderful dog, Alex, who was very spritely and well behaved throughout the day. I think that first shot, in the video, epitomises how easy going he was. He went into those marsh bushes and the muddy ground without any problems. I was also ably assisted by Andrew, Angela’s father, who not only took care of Alex but helped me with some of the lighting in the earlier shots.

Angela and Richard were brilliant on the day. As with most of my shoots, the best shots always come out near the end. I’ve also added a number of my favourite shots from the shoot to allow you to see them in more detail.

I hope Angela and Richard like these and I am looking forward to finding out which photograph they will choose to have framed. Sit back, press play and enjoy.

Here are some of my favourites – watch the video first before you peep at these.

Dunes at St. Annes

Another lovely moment between Angela and Richard

Part 1 was akin to an engagement photography shoot. Part 2 was very much about being a childrens photographer. This, the third and final part, is a combination of both disciplines. It showcases different aspects of how I shoot with families and couples. Claire and Jason, the parents to the vivacious 3 year old you saw in Part 2, were originally destined to be the other couple I was going to photograph that day.

It is all about discovering beauty in everything you see.

Their daughter stole the day. Hence rather than two parts we have three. This part shows Claire and Jason as they are – loving parents, a family and a beautiful couple. It was a pleasure to photograph them. Fun, lively and patient. Without further ado, here is part 3.