Soon be 2011, a few thanks

Well it will soon be 2011, can I thank everyone who I have worked with and helped me in the past year. It's been a great year and I can't complain about anything  in 2010.
I am so lucky to have such a great Family and such loyal friends, not to mention fantastic models. I will mention a few names here but if I don't mention you it's only because i just wouldn't have the room here but you know you are in my thoughts.
First I would like to thank My Mum and my son Adam I have managed to get my own studio in Widnes now and thats all down to my mums help. Adam has been a rock for me since 2009 which asmost of you know was not the best of years for Adam and I. He has been so good when I have been spending a lot of time up at the studio.Big thanks also to my twin Brother Keith and his beautiful wife Danielle (next time you come up north bring Danielle she is a far better looking model than you Keith) I owe you both a great deal and wil never forget the help you have given so freely. Also my big sister Janet, I never know where she is LOL but she is always there to talk to when things seem bad.
Photographic wise I have loads of great friends both old and new and this year I have been so lucky in meeting a lot of great photographers, models and MUA's and that's all down to a lovely lady called Jo Rutherford  Jo's enthusiasm is so infectious and saved me from just packing it all in, I know Jo's walkabouts came to my rescue just at the right time, so for that Jo I can't thank you enough :-).
Another female tog (god they are all female I must be at that age !!!) is Andrea Ellison Andrea is without doubt one of the lads, and I mean that in the nicest way Andrea I love being around you, and as for her wedding photography ..... well go take a look ..... stunning :-).
Just one more person I would like to thank here for all her help and advice is someone who I won't give her real name (I think she likes the little bit of mystery) :-) Its someone who I have met though my stock photography work and was luck enough to meet in person on a trip to London PZDesigns PZ you have helped me more than you think you have, Please all visit her shop and buy buy buy loads of her great items there.
Right thanks over here's a few images from my two most recent shoots in the studio with Kamel ( a model I met at on of Jo's walkabouts) and Zarra who wanted me to start off her model portfolio :-)

One more big thanks to everyone I know

Happy shooting :-) have a great Christmas and an even greater New Year

Whos the ugly bloke ?

Yes it's me !!

Hey all here's a few of the first ever shots in my Studio, and yeah I know it's a bit of a let down having my ugly mug on here but I was only doing some tests and kinda liked the result of my self portrait (only image of me I have ever liked just a little !!) 

Everything seems to be working as it should be and a new studio flash unit arrived last week so all is good :-). I'm busy trying to spread the word at the moment and I know times are hard but my prices reflect the times as well as the hard work and hours that go into the production of these type of images. Take a look at my prices Here  this is my website which I know needs a little more work but I will get to it someday !!. This gives you a basic idea of my prices for a studio sitting its by no means all the stuff I do so just get in touch for any photographic work you require and I will try my very best to get the images you are after.

Big Shout out to the models above who were the first to be shot in my studio Danielle Unwin (fantastic model) wow those legs ;-). Jessica Kirkby (also a great girl who I intend to work with a lot more) and the beautiful Heather Aspinall (who has always been a fave at the photography walkabouts). As for the bloke in the last image well ..... enough said ;-) xx

Happy shooting

Test shots all done :-)

Well all the tests have gone well, big thanks to Danielle and Jessica (above) who helped me out on a couple of shoots and didn't mind all the messing about with lights and backgrounds. I also have to thank My brother Keith and his wife Danielle also for advice and help.

Whilst doing a couple of shots with my twin brother (who came to visit from Basingstoke) It was lovely to see Jo Rutherford who came for a look at the place together with some cakes and a nice bottle of rose wine, for anyone who doesn't know Jo she is a great photographer based in Southport and has been the driving force behind the photographic walkabouts you hear me go on so much about. Please take a look at her web site and be amazed at her wonderful images. Jo's web site

Now I need people though the door, so please pass on my number,website in fact just let people know about me please :-) I am also doing portrait sitting vouchers to buy as gifts at a cost of a very special £50 for which you will get a portrait sitting, up to 8 images on a CD and one 10x8 framed image from the CD, just contact me for more details. This offer is via the voucher only. 

Budding models, contact me by phone, my facebook page or my website for great prices on model portfolios. Right then time to get something useful done now :-)

Happy Shooting to you all :-)

Warren xx

No more studio in my living room !

Well I now have my own studio Yeah :-), its been a dream of mine for a long time now and on Friday I moved in.It was being used as a photographic studio anyway by an old photographer friend of mine and he rang me up a few weeks ago now asking if I would be interested as he was giving it up. Well my first thoughts were should I take the plunge and go for it ?, will I make it work ?, should I do it ?? ... Well after a few late nights, loads of consultations with friends and family (special thanks to Danielle here) I thought "well if i don't how much will I regret it?" .
So about the studio, well its not massive but just the right size for my use at the moment and a lot better than my front room which came with Louis my little dog and Adams Xbox corner !!. I have a Mafrotto background support unit with a few rolls of background paper three of which can be on the background support at any one time and just rolled down as and when you need them. I have two sets of posing tubs (black), chairs, stools and lounger. Lighting is three 300w strobes and arriving Monday a 400w strobe, one small softbox, three medium soft boxes, two large softboxes and a large Octobox, two 5 in one large reflectors. A toilet and store room which will be the changing room for models during a shoot. Oh i do have a kettle coffee and sugar. 
This coming week I will be doing a few test shoots in there and then I'll be truly up and running so if you want a nice portrait to give as a Christmas Gift you know who to contact :-).
I will also hire it out to photographers at great rates so also contact me about rates as well.
So here's to a bright future I hope :-)


Happy shooting all 
Warren 

Great time at Bar Destination, Liverpool

Had a great time at Bar Destination, Liverpool last Weds 20th. Adam Johns a fellow photographer set  up the shoot and asked me to attend with my studio flash units so he could get an idea of how to use them. Adam had arranged with four models, Samantha,Rebecca, Markus and Jon to do the shoot in the bar starting at 12ish.

So once I had found the place both me and Adam set about putting together the three 300w flash heads and fitting a softbox to each one, the main light we used a large octobox, which I love, it gives a nice even wrap around light and tend to use it on most shoots now.

Once we had the lighting set up for our first location in the bar we set about taking turns shooting, I love seeing how other photographers work and Adam certainly is a great guy to work with, I do hope we do many more shoots together.

Rebecca, Samantha and Jon are also dancers at the Bar so we also took a few images of them with there "Pout" dance gear on. Well worth a visit to see them dance I would say judging by the outfits ;-).

All in all a great shoot with great people ..... big tanks to Adam, Rebecca, Samantha, Markus and Jon ....We made a great team !!.

Facebook ..... images removed, anyone else had this problem ?

I have over the past few days had a few of my imges removed from facebook and can't think why ?? .... so far I have had four warnings to my email address and also on my wall telling me that an image has been removed. I know two of the images that have been removed (see below) but don't know which others have ??

I can only assume that these images were reported by someone as I can't honestly see that FB would have the time to check every image uploaded on the site, must run into millions a day !!.

Has anyone else had this happen to them ? would be interested to find out.

Here's two of the images I know have been removed.

Microstock Photography ....... Good or Bad ?

Well as some of you know I do a lot of whats known as Microstock. Before I get into the pros and cons of Microstock here's the meaning of Microstock in a nutshell from Wikipedia :-


Microstock photography, also known as micropayment photography, is an offshoot of traditional stock photography. What defines a company as a microstock photography company is that they (1) source their images almost exclusively via the Internet, (2) do so from a wider range of photographers than the traditional stock agencies (including a willingness to accept images from "amateurs" and hobbyists), and (3) sell their images at a very low rate (anywhere from $.20 - $10) for a royalty-free image.
A number of microstock sites also sell vector art, and some sell Flash animations and video as well as images.



So yeah I sell my images real cheap (well some anyway) but for those of you who don't know these images can sell 1000s of times. I also sell my images with five agencies Fotolia, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, Bigstock and a small amount with Depositphotos. My images have been used world wide both in print and on the internet. Quality and quantity are the two things you need in your images to make any real money in microstock, its not a get rich quick kind of deal (but what is??)

Each microstock company uses a different pricing and payment scheme. In some instances the same photo can have several prices. Photographers can upload the same pictures on multiple sites or, with some agencies, become an exclusive supplier and receive an increased commission and additional benefits.

So whats the big deal ?, well Microstock is in some ways a new kid on the block, and a lot of "professional" photographers believe microstock devalues the practice of photography, because of the low prices images are sold at. Myself I love microstock because it gives the hobbyists photographer a chance to make a little pocket money out of the hobby they love.

I do think Microstock is here to stay and will grow and grow and I for one am glad I started near the begining of its growth rather than at its peek :-).

Please feel free to add your thoughts and comments.

http://en.fotolia.com/partner/97054

http://www.bigstockphoto.com/?refid=odSXxCRWaK

http://www.dreamstime.com/resp1947310-high-resolution-image

http://submit.depositphotos.com?ref=1005710

http://submit.shutterstock.com/?ref=536320

Happy shooting :-)

St Mary's church Centenary

St Mary's church Centenary Year

All this year I am covering events for St Mary's church Centenary year. Last week I was left alone in the church all morning to take images for a book which will be published early next year. Ive been in this church hundreds of times, in fact it was in this very church that my wedding took place to Patsy (one of the happiest days of my life) and where Patsy's funeral took place almost a year ago now (one of the saddest days of my life).
Its an amazing building and you only come to notice this when you have the time to have a good look round as I did last week. So armed with my trusty Manfrotto I set about taking images of the church. Exp times where long between 10 and 50 secs but I was very pleased with the resulting images its just a shame I can't post them all here.
Next month they will be having a centenary church service at which the Bishop of Liverpool will be and also our local MP and which I will be covering, so think I will have to dig out the old suit and tie for that job :-)

Happy shooting everyone :-)

The new St Mary's web site

Roller skates + Beautiful girls = Great shoot 14-10-2010

Had a great shoot yesterday with Danielle and Adele, the day started with me picking the girls up from Danielles home and driving to Otterspool, near Liverpool. I have worked with both Danielle and Adele before but this was the first time together (they are best friends as well).
Weather wasn't that good just a tad too dull but hey who was I to complain :-). The girls were ready in the first outfits when we arrived so we wandered down to the park there and started shooting. All the time Danielle, as she does, keeping her eye out for great locations (which she always seems to find).
We then found a nice building in the park which used to be the Cafe, the workmen working there downed tools for a quick break (and a good show!!) as we shot around the building :-).
Once finished there we walked back to the car and Danielle spotted a nice tree for us to do a few shots near (if i could, I would employ Danielle as my artistic director but as I said to her the wages would be crap, in fact none existent) so once the girls had changed it was off to the tree. Both girls looked stunning in the dress's they had brought along....... and draped on the tree ...... well amazing !!
Also found some nice rocks to pose on (which I spotted Danielle !!).
We then went back to the car for another change and to get the Roller boots on The site of two beautiful women getting changed and dodgy old git with a camera made one driver drive past at least three times just in case he missed anything, but it paid off for him as he caught Danielle sat on the ground in her shorts and bra, didn't see his face but it must have been a picture :-).
We had decided to take some shots of Adele with her roller boots on down on the prom at Otterspool. Now the thing is Adele had put her boots on at the car park and it was a rather steep slope down to the prom from there. So it was down to me and Danielle to get each side of Adele holding on for dear life as we tried to get down the slope !!!! think the fishermen at the bottom of the slope thought the circus had come to town :-).
Anyway we got down without  leaving go and letting Adele roll off into the Mersey, and ended up getting some fantastic shots.
Oh and some jogger running by was panting something about wanting to buy the calender for £300, so we made him a deal £200 each........ seems fair to me :-)
Till next time happy shooting everyone :-)

Well I have done it and created a blog. Haven't got a clue what Im doing yet but keep watching (and waiting!!) and I will get the hang of it :-)