Tony and Jo’s Engagement Shoot The Wiremill

This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Tony and Jo. A couple whose wedding I’m photographing and as usual I provided an engagement photo shoot in my package. Tony and Jo are lovely people. They were so easygoing and wonderful to shoot.

And after weeks and weeks of rain the skies cleared up and the sun came out for the entire morning. It quickly went away again like it’s been doing all year, but not before we were able to capture the above images.

Thanks to everyone at The Wiremill in East Grinstead for allowing us to shoot there and a special thanks to Tony and Jo.

I’m really looking forward to you big day!

Warburtons Naan Bread Launch

This past Thursday I was honored to photograph the launch of a very special product; Warburtons new naan bread range. Available in plain and garlic. The event was hosted by Michelin starred chef Atul Kochhar at his London restaurant Benares.

Atul is the perfect spokesperson for Warburtons new naan range. His exceptional cooking ability marries very well with Warburtons top notch naan breads. Of which, I had the pleasure of sampling and I was very impressed.

Kochhar prepared several dishes for the array of media personnel who attended the event, including: an Indian pizza, a wrap and a panini-style sandwich. All were gorgeous!

I wish Warburtons all the best of luck on their new line and I know that I’ll be in the front of the lines to snatch these up.

Thanks for having me!

The Swan at Southrop

The Swan at Southrop is one of those places you hear about for ages but never get to. It’s located deep in The Cotswolds in the insanely charming village of Southrop.

The Swan at Southrop first gained popularity when model Kate Moss began frequenting it with her then boyfriend, Pete Doherty. The two would often be spotted outside sporting uber-trendy clothes and pints of ale in hand. It was during a recent trip to The Cotswolds that I got to find out first hand why this restaurant in the middle of nowhere is so popular with those that know.

Covered in ivy from bottom to top, The Swan looks to be an inviting place even before you step into the blue door, which has been welcoming guests since the 17th century. In more modern times this pub and inn was purchased by husband and wife team Lana and Sebastian Snow, who have run The Swan since 2008.

Almost as soon as we sat down we began spotting ultra chic and very fashionable people. This was clearly the place where the rich and famous came to eat when in The Cotswolds. Not that I care too much for that sort of thing, but living in a small village in Sussex, I don’t get to see these things that often. At one point before we ordered my wife noticed a light green Range Rover pull up outside and said, “Wow, that looks like Gary Barlow. It is Gary Barlow!” Gary and the family were having Sunday Lunch in the private dining room at The Swan. It was surreal.

But it wasn’t until the food arrived that I truly understood why this place was special. My Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Parfait with Red Onion, Apple Chutney on Country Toast was, and I’m going to try and not use hyperbole here, UNREAL! One of the best things this foodie has ever put into his mouth. My Fish and Chips with Homemade Tartar Sauce and Mushy Peas were on top form for what they were.

The real stars were the dishes my fellow diners were tucking into, namely: Potted Shrimp with Melba Toast and for mains; Braised Shin of Beef with Horseradish Dumplings, Carrots Chestnuts and Mash. And Pork Belly with Veggies Wrapped in Parma Ham.

The Swan at Southrop is a rare pub. It manages to combine all of the ingredients we love in village pubs, namely; friendly people, down to Earth locals and a warm atmosphere. But it also has an urban feel to it. You never know who’s going to walk through the door next. It’s as good for people watching as it is for food. I highly recommend it!

Canon 1Ds Mark II More Thoughts After Use

I have been shooting with the Canon 1Ds Mark II as my backup for about a month now. If you read my previous post you know that I am and always have been a really big fan of this camera.

But how has it been faring after a few shoots in totally different circumstances?

In the last couple of weeks I have done a wedding and a couple of engagement photography shoots. I’ve also done a kid photo shoot chasing them around finding Easter eggs as well as personal shoots for my own use. Each of these shoots has its own set of issues and I wanted to put the Canon 1Ds Mark II through its paces.

How did it do? Very well! It’s not perfect though. Here are my main issues as well as, what I feel, are its main strengths. Some of these were brought up in my previous post, but not everyone would of read that.

• The LCD screen. I said it before and I’ll say it again, this thing is nearly useless! Colors are off, sharpness doesn’t reflect the actual sharpness of the image and I always think I’m shooting soft only to come home, load up the images and they’re razor sharp.

• The buffer on the 1Ds Mark II is tiny. I mean TINY! Shooting quick successive images in RAW is nearly impossible unless you’re willing to wait quite a few seconds for the preview image to show up on the LCD screen. I totally understand why Canon decided to make both a full frame and cropped frame 1D series camera. The 1D is for action and the 1Ds is for studio. The 1Ds Mark III however and the even newer 1Dx don’t have buffer issues, which is probably one of the reasons why Canon has gotten rid of the cropped frame 1D and merged both the 1D and 1Ds into the 1Dx. They now have the technology to make both a huge resolution sensor and fast buffer. There’s just no need for a cropped sensor anymore.

• Unless you buy the 1Ds Mark II with its original battery, which will most likely be old and not able to hold a good charge, or you buy a new Canon battery, the NP-E3, you’re going to be very unhappy with the after market batteries made for this camera. They don’t seal correctly on the housing and instead they leave a small gap about the size of the thickness of a quarter, or 50p piece if you’re using English money. This totally voids and negates all the benefits of buying this weather resistant, weather sealed machine. This might feel like a moot point, but I don’t think it is. Looking around on eBay I found dozens of sellers advertising their 1Ds Mark IIs with new batteries only to find, upon closer inspection, that they were almost all after market batteries. I’ve had to spend  the money to buy a new Canon battery for my 1Ds Mark II because I just couldn’t handle seeing my gorgeous camera with a small sliver taken out of it where there weather proofing was supposed to go.

Notice the sloppy fit on the after market battery!

• Images even at ISO 100, when zoomed in 100%, are grainy. Totally reminds me of when I would scan in my Fuji Provia film. The images at 25% and 50% were smooth, fine images, but once you get in close grain is prevalent. It’s not a bad thing and I actually kind of like the look. I’ve found that with the 5D Mark II my images are sometimes too grain-less and too razor sharp. Every spec and impurity shows up in huge detail. But it’s something to be wary of before you buy this. If you were born into digital photography and have only known grain-less images, you’re probably not going to like the images the 1Ds Mark II makes. If however, your favorite photographer is Henri Cartier-Bresson, you will love it!

Ok, now onto the things I love:

• Silly, insanely fast auto focus. I recently showed the 1Ds Mark II to a pro photographer friend of mine, she uses the 5D Mark II, and she put her finger on the shutter button and pressed really lightly just trying to engage the auto focus. Before she even had time to fully compose her shot the camera had auto focused and fired off a shot. All I heard from her was, “Ah! Oh, wow!” And that’s the way I feel about it’s auto focus.

• Weather sealing! I recently did a shoot in Brighton and the weather was supposed to be awful. Luckily it wasn’t, but knowing I had a fully weather-proof camera and L lens really put my mind at ease. I wouldn’t dare take my 5D Mark II out in that kind of weather.

• It just feels right in my hand. Owning the 1Ds Mark II and the 5D Mark II I find myself reaching for the 1Ds Mark II far more than the 5D Mark II. That isn’t to say I think it’s a better camera, it’s not. The 5D Mark II is one of the world’s greatest machines. I just like the feeling the 1Ds Mark II gives me. It’s the difference between buying a used Audi S4 with its 4.2 liter V8 engine and the newer V6 model. There is just something about the sound of the engine, that throaty groan when you throw it into 6th gear and fly past that Corvette. It’s just a nice feeling and even though the newer S4s are a better car, better handling, bigger, better on consumption, etc. you still love that V8 sound. I love the sound the shutter makes when it’s taking a shot. I love that I can throw it over my shoulder and have it hit something and not scratch or break. I love the weight and the feel of it in my hand. I just plain love it.

It’s not for everyone and I wouldn’t tell anyone to sell their 5D Mark II to get this. I would say though, if you’re in the market for a backup, or have just switched from zoom to prime lenses and need another body to extend your range and stop you from having to switch lenses every 5 minutes like me, go for the 1Ds Mark II. It is cheaper than a 5D Mark II and you’ll be able to use it in a hurricane!!

Better yet, if you have the money, buy the 1Ds Mark III and forget everything I just said. Because that has all the best points of the 1Ds Mark II and none of the weaknesses. But personally, even if I had the money, I’d stick with the 1Ds Mark II. It’s really a great machine and a hell of a bargain!

Heidi and Paul’s Engagement Shoot in Brighton

This April weather has certainly been interesting. Rain, sun, rain, sun, rain, sun… well, you get the idea.

But this past Sunday the clouds parted and the sun came out… albeit, for just a few hours and then the rain came again. But it was enough to capture Paul and Heidi in Brighton for their engagement photo shoot.

I love Brighton! I love shooting there and I love spending time there. All the health food shops, the cool trendy clothes shops, etc. It’s a fun place, especially when the sun is out.

Paul and Heidi brought along their young son Ollie and together we got some really special images.

Thanks to Paul, Heidi and Ollie for spending the morning with me in Brighton, getting these wonderful images.

I’ll see you back down in Brighton for your wedding in June!

David and Mirka’s Wedding at Langton Green Church

This past Friday I had my first wedding of the spring. And what a great wedding it was. David and Mirka were married in their local church in Langton Green, Kent. Just minutes from their house, it was the ideal location.

The day started off with some pretty scary weather. It was extremely hazy and cloudy. But almost as soon as the ceremony started the clouds parted and the sun began to shine. And it turned out to be a beautiful day.

Once the ceremony finished and we completed the initial set of photos we were off on an old red London bus to The Little Silver Hotel in Tenterden for some drinks and great food.

Thank you David and Mirka for sharing your special day with me. It was amazing!

Canon 1Ds Mark II Review

Taylor w/ the Canon 1Ds Mark II

In 2005, when I was still an amateur photographer, there was one DSLR that I dreamed of having but couldn’t possibly spend the money on; the Canon 1Ds Mark II. At a price of $8,000 or £6,000 it was way out my budget. In fact, it was way out of most photographers budgets, pro and non-pro alike.

The Canon 1Ds Mark II features a 16.7 megapixel sensor, a 2 inch 230,000 dot LCD screen, 45 point auto focus and is capable of 4 frames per second. A feature set that in 2005 was cutting edge. Seven years later those numbers seem quite antiquated. Especially when you can get a newer technology camera, say the Canon 7D for about the same price as a used 1Ds Mark II. The 7D goes for about £1,000, brand new! The 7D has an 18 megapixel sensor, a huge 3 inch 920,000 dot LCD screen and a burst rate of 8 frames per second. It also does HD video and has much better high ISO performance.

But it isn’t full frame. So, for me, it’s out!

The Canon 5D Mark II is my primary body. I can’t say a negative word about it. It’s nearly everything I’ve ever wanted in a digital camera. But when I needed to purchase a backup body, mostly to photograph weddings, I did my due diligence and chose wisely. I didn’t want another 5D Mark II as I shoot in bad weather constantly and the 5D Mark II has horrible weather sealing. Even the 7D is better weather sealed. I also wanted faster autofocus. If the 5D Mark II has any drawbacks it is these two: weather sealing and autofocus.

My options were: Canon 1Ds Mark III, with its giant LCD screen and the same sensor used on the 5D Mark II with 21.1 megapixels and costing, used, about £2,200. The Canon 1DX, I won’t even comment as it’s still brand new and very cost prohibitive to all but the wealthiest photographers. And then there’s the Canon 1Ds Mark II. The workhorse that many professional photographers lovingly used for a couple of years, including Annie Leibovitz. Well, if it’s good enough for Annie, it’s good enough for me.

Having done my research and not wanting to spend £2,200 or more on an extra camera body I sprung for the Canon 1Ds Mark II. My reasons are:

• The 1Ds Mark II at 16.7 megapixels is still an incredibly capable machine. I never shoot at full resolution unless I know my client if going to need giant enlargements anyway. For a wedding I shoot on RAW 1 or jpeg medium with the 5D Mark II and I shoot jpeg medium with the 1Ds Mark II at its highest quality. Images are huge and I don’t see any need to go larger. In fact, Canon seems to agree with this as they’ve made their new 1DX an 18 megapixel camera, which is a step down from its predecessor, the 1Ds Mark III at 21.1 megapixels.

• The autofocus on the Canon 1Ds Mark II is simply mind-blowing and when compared to the 5D Mark II it really shows why it’s part of the 1D series. Almost before I’ve pressed the shutter halfway down it’s already focused and ready to shoot. Sometimes it’s even faster than I am and I have to catch up to it. Sounds like a weird concept but it’s just that fast.

• I find it captures skin tone incredibly well. It reminds me of film actually, Kodak Portra, or Fuji Provia. It contains visible grain, something that people are trying to avoid like mad, but I think DSLRs are actually getting too good and the pixels are too clean. I like a little grain. Gives the image a bit more depth and flatters a bit more. Again, this sounds like a really odd thing. Most people want DSLRs that have NO grain even at ISO 3,200 and higher and here I am saying I prefer the look that the 1Ds Mark II gives with its grain. There are situations where I would prefer to use a higher ISO, something above the 1,600 on the 1Ds Mark II and for that I would definitely reach for the 5D Mark II. Food photography in dark restaurants for instance.

• Weather sealing. The Canon 1Ds Mark II is nearly waterproof. With an L series lens that has the rubber washer on the base it can be dropped into water and still come out ok. I haven’t tested this, but I have taken it out in the rain and I didn’t worry about it at all. There’s something nice about that. Knowing that even when the weather is bad you can keep shooting.

• Ability to write to 2 cards. This is a huge advantage, especially when photographing weddings. Because there are so many wedding photographers writing articles online to boost their page rank, the average person is much more clued up on what to look for in a wedding photographer. One of the main things these wedding photographers advocate is that whichever wedding photographer you choose has a backup camera or is writing to 2 cards, thus backing up every image they take. It also means I get to use all of those SD cards I bought at various times and for various point and shoot cameras.

In summary, this is not a direct comparison to the Canon 5D Mark II. It is simply my reasons why, if you’re on a budget and are looking for a second camera body, you should look into the 1Ds Mark II instead of doing what everyone else does and spending a fortune to get a machine that will lose 25% of its value the moment you purchase it.

Things aren’t all rosy with the 1Ds Mark II. There are a couple of features that I’d like to see on it, such as:

• A larger, high resolution LCD screen. The current one is just plain rubbish. The low quality 2 inch LCD screen on the 1Ds Mark II is almost unusable. It doesn’t show the image colors correctly and I’m constantly thinking I took a bad shot. However, having used film for 10 years prior to going digital I have a very good understanding of how to make a great image without a preview. It’s just nice to have it. I don’t even mind the size of the LCD screen actually, just the resolution. Awful!

• A self-cleaning sensor would be nice. I love knowing that every time I turn my 5D Mark II on and off it shakes some of the dust bunnies off the sensor and onto, well, someplace else. Only to return minutes later. But still, for a brief time they are redistributed.

• Better high ISO performance. Images on the 1Ds Mark II above 800 ISO are, how can I put this? Not that great! Anything below 800 and you’re dealing with some of the nicest files ever to come out of a DSLR, above 800 and you are going to have a lot of editing to do. I like grain, but not that much.

And that’s it really. So why didn’t I just buy the 1Ds Mark III then? It’s got everything I want on the list above? Price! I wasn’t prepared to spend £1,000-£1,500 more for a camera that didn’t have anything that would really enhance my images. After all, 8 years ago I owned the Canon 1V. A film camera with NO LCD screen, NO self-sensor cleaner (didn’t need it) and film at the time above 800 ISO was nearly unusable as well. I actually like taking a leap back in time and shooting with the 1Ds Mark II. It makes me feel that I won’t have to compulsively buy new equipment every 2 years. And I like having a camera that not many wedding photographers in Sussex have. Everyone shoots with the latest and greatest and here I am with my 7 year old Canon 1Ds Mark II creating images that are far superior.

If this camera does one thing good it’s this; it shows what a great photographer can do and it highlights what a bad photographer is bad at. You need to know your stuff to shoot with this thing. And, having spent 16 years doing this, I do.

I highly recommend this camera to any photographer needing a 2nd body. Let the other people take the hits on the newer gear and in 2-4 years pick that up for a fraction of the cost when new. It’s the smart way to play this new digital game.

1Ds Mark II is Great for Skin Detail

Images are Razor Sharp Even with Shallow Depth of Field

Seven Sisters, Eastbourne Sunrise Photography

It happens to me every so often. At night I get an itch to photograph something beautiful and decide to wake up at some horribly early hour and drive to the location in which this beautiful thing resides. In this case, the horribly early hour was 3:30am and the beautiful thing was Seven Sisters in Eastbourne. Called so because the cliffs comprise seven distinct peaks, or heads, this landmark site has drawn visitors, including myself forever.

I have tried on numerous occasions to capture this image and have always failed. Either by the time I got from East Grinstead to Eastbourne the skies had gone grey, or the light wasn’t in the right position. And I’d say on this occasion everything fell into place perfectly and I was able to capture an image from this vantage point and with the right lighting conditions.

I can’t really imagine a better image being produced from that same location, however, perhaps later in the year the sun would be a bit further to the right, illuminating the cliffs, sky and foreground a little bit more. However, I quite like the intense, moody atmosphere that the darkness gives.

I highly recommend Seven Sisters during sunrise to any photography enthusiast, or nature buff.

New Beer Merchants Website With My Photos

Today I had a glance at BeerMerchants.com.  A giant beverage distributor in Kent. One that I had worked for last year shooting nearly 200 bottles of beer and almost that many glasses. Well, today I saw that their new website is up and running and they have used most of my images on their website.  The images that aren’t mine are because they didn’t have that beer in stock when we did the shoot.

I love doing projects like this, ones that involve great challenges and are quite involved. I’m very proud of the end result. And I hope it increases their sales a lot and that users on their site will have a better, clearer understanding of the products.

Spring Photo Session in East Grinstead

East Grinstead, as well as most of Sussex, had some of the best weather this weekend that I can remember.  Well, since last year anyway.  :)

So, like I always do when the weather is beautiful, I got out there and shot.  And, like many other days when the weather has been nice, I dragged my very beautiful wife out with me and took some photos.  She is my favorite model to shoot and is always up for it.

The best thing about this time of the year is the light.  Spring and summer light is much nicer than winter light.  The light stays out longer, and when it does go down it is a much more flattering light.  A sort of orange, glowing light that makes skin tone radiate.  This is why I always try and schedule my engagement photo sessions during the spring and summer even if the wedding is in December.  This way we can ensure I capture you in the best light possible and you have the best images of you and your fiancé possible.

I can’t wait to get further into the spring and summer seasons and especially until next month when my first wedding of the year is taking place.