June 29th
These are my current cameras I'm using for the foreseeable future they cost
me an arm and a leg, 2x5d's.
Up until 2002-2007 I had been using Fuji S2's, Nikon D70 and also Fuji S3
but I felt I needed 2 camera's which are reliable with better image quality
especially for magazine album where Ill often have a single image occupying
20"x14". I have been using them for the last 6 weddings they are
not perfect. For instance they are too heavy, not as comfortable to use
as my old Fuji cams, I could throw 3 old S2's in the bag with 3 lenses as
opposed to 2 now.
I found the 5d's to be quiet an uncomfortable camera to hold for any period
of time, so I purchased the hand straps you see and dispensed with the neck
straps it works better for me.This way I only hold 1 camera at a time and
keep the other in the bag, or both in the bag when I'm moving around.
The viewfinders are so much bigger than I'm use to using and brighter, which
you'd think was a good thing, but it is harder to compose an image for me
because now I'm seeing everything, as opposed to a general shape with the
smaller cameras I had. So it will be interesting what effect this has on
my wedding photography.
I purchased the 70-200 USM F2.8L you see on the left for more reportage
photography brides are asking for, walking up the isles, at the alter, guests
hugging the b&g ;-), and generally to make people look bigger.
The other lens is 24-70 F2.8L great for low light shooting at 1600asa in
churches when I want something moody or just a wide angle shot. I also have
the 15mm Fisheye don't worry folks still got one!
The hand straps help with taking the cameras out of the bag, otherwise I
have straps caught up together which I hated, and also the hand-strap provides
less pressure now on my thumbs and wrists, plus I can operate it with 1
hand and concentrate more on my subject matter, anyway we will see.
Im still using the same camera bag I won in a competition in 1992 that's
15 years old Tenba bag!
It uses a bullet proof material really handy for when Im in the line of
fire from a bride, you never know or a vicar that doesnt like photographers
taking pictures near the front of the church.
I have been toying with the idea of an offical blog, and have started
one up but they are horrible things to use.
Heres the one I have started up not sure if Ill bother with it yet?
Typepad
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June 17th
When Im at a loose end with a few hours to kill, I sometimes take an image
which I think has potential to win a SWPP Gold award and play around with
it in CS3. Firstly I duplicated the layer (keep a spare in case all goes
wrong)
I then worked on the blue roof and stars running an action to enhance blues,
the gold archway was a total accident but Ill take the credit :-) Secondly
the chairs on the left were easier to take out than the right. I think it
would have been easier to have removed all the chairs by hand, but hindsight
is a beautiful thing. To be honest I didnt think it would look as good originally.
I also darkened the edges to hide the cloning slightly. The bride Rachael
was very easy to pose, a natural, her petite gentle frame makes the shot
work and obviously the colours have a lot of impact. Anyway we will see
if it wins Gold....
The SWPP is a worldwide photographic organisation which strives to make
us better and better at what we do, its such a shame the certificates they
award us look a bit boring after all the work we often put in to win gold,ah
well!.
There are a few tell tale signs where I have cloned, & copied but overall
Im very happy with the digital transformation. The bride was also centred
more below the cross to aid symmetry.
This is another one entered for Landscape taken at Grasmere. Some will prefer
the original.
In some ways I do too but I like vibrant colours especially in Summer
These are just some examples of the work I do either as a personal exercise
or for a client to get different effects from flat digital files straight
from camera, in this case Canon 5D. More and more photographers are running
whats know as an 'action' through their files to get 'their' own look. Except
this is seldom the case as these actions are used by literally thousands
of photographers on copycat forums..what makes us stand out from one another
is photography that surprises us, something we havent seen before,not an
easy task.i.e new angles, poses.
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The Wedding of Catherine & Lee Swindles, June 6th 2008, Mere
Hotel, Knutsford, Cheshire
The above image has been treated to enhance skin tones/ rollover
Whats interesting about this image is the 3 elements within
it
1)The bride is being congradulated by a guest
2)The groom is showing his approval to a friend out of the
frame
3)The 2 bestmen share a private joke with each other, all the elements are
seperate to themselves but exisit within a single moment.
This image has to be one of my all time favs, what incredible
colour & details. If you rollover the image
you can see what it was really like inside that church. Apparently when
being restored by the Victorians they laquered
over the dirt before cleaning it off, this is what it could have been like.
What really makes it work for me is how Lee is holding Catherines hand and
the direct eye contact with one another says it all.
The guests listen to the Opera singer during the signing
of the register some interesting expressions
She really was amazing, Avec Maria was breathtaking
Hitched, with their certificate they are married!
During the speeches Lee said 'I do' about 2 paragraphs too
early jumping the gun of the vicar and brought the roof down.
He looks a bit embarassed to say the least, good ol' Lee.
All 1600asa F2.8 1/100th Tungsten balanced
I was sat right under their noses, it felt
a bit weird but makes for interest here.
A nice 4 series
Clive the driver parked the car up and I set up a traditional
wedding photograph
Poppies in Garden June 8th - 5D+24-70 Fill-In flash 100asa (Shot in RGB so conversion to sRGB not entirely accurate here)
SWPP May Awards June 4th
Receiving 1 Gold & 2 Silver awards (Flowers-Gold Award-Pictoral Category) After/ Before
Silver
Silver
The Wedding of Clare Johnson and Rob Barclay, Langdale Chase, Windermere, Cumbria May 31st
An incredible day up at The Lakes for Tim and me, we had such fantastic weather and it was very relaxed day.
Rob a Kiwi from Taupo, brought some of his family over, Clare and Rob now in Derbyshire had great views.
The dining area
The ceremony takes place in the main hall, using the fisheye to emphaise the beautiful wood panelling. Some of the
artifacts in the hotel go back to 1664 (Kronenburg?) The building was built in 1890.
A nice moment captured
I do
A groupshot from a balcony framing the mountains, flowers, and even a water-skier!
The backbreaker pose, I dont generally do this shot but I must confess I think it worked! Well done Rob & Clare.
I love this look Clare has in the sepia shot, the boat adds a little extra with the Langdale Pikes looming in the background.
Canon cameras in the past have been criticized over the flash accuracy, using the 580 mrk2 flashgun dialled at 50asa
it has coped admirably with this mixed light of direct sunshine & shade capturing all the sutulties in this lovely evening shot.
The last embers of sunlight create a halo around the guests as we head off.
An interesting juxtaposition first of Clares mum in foreground, then duplicated behind them.
A bridesmaids teases a guest with her present
I could resist another kissing shot, sorry but I do like this romantic style, needed to have Robs face more side on, but hey
theres always next week to get it perfect.
A beautiful ray of sunshine appears through the clouds as we set a wedding photograph up against the side of the Langdale Chase. 3200asa
One of the last shots of the day, Tim's idea very lovely, and earlier we had a boat trip out onto the lake- Langdale Chase from the boat.
Grasmere, my favourite lake in the Lake District to photograph during weddings,
this very tranquil lake has excellent access points on both sides.
Apparently Sting has a place up on the left high up, perfect for inspiration I would have thought.
Tim and I nipped out for 30 minutes for a spot of landscapes. 5d+24-70F2.8 -160asa F11-1/160th - 8.45pm
Almost mirror like the south side of the lake is often very still and sheltered on a warm hot day as we experienced,
in true english fashion the following day was rain!
The
Wedding of Chloe Elizabeth McMinn Titterington and Christopher Mark Bailey
May 24th 2008. St.Thomas's Church, Crosscrake, Kendal -
Marquee @ Private Grounds
I covered a beautiful wedding in Cumbria, the weather was very hot with
a refreshing breeze all day long.
Tim and I started at 1pm at the church, through till 9pm for the dancing
at the huge marquee.
A proud father takes Chloe down the aisle to be married to Chris (Chad)
The client had requested an informal style of photography thoughout. using
Canon system lends itself to rapid shooting.
A little bridesmaids casts her eyes up to the heavens 'whats happening'
look?
An overview of the service (I had the entire right front seats to work from
- what a bonus), and all the time, makes a nice change.
The shot on the right is one of my favourites, an informal moment after
the ceremony see's Chloe looking very relaxed & happy.
Fill-in flash using the pink dresses against the green background a technique
used to emphaise colours
All the girls sitting out in 'the garden' the weather was beautiful &
breezy and the ladies all made a fabulous effort in being colourful.
Always fun getting my hands on the ladies to organise them into groups,
the boys can be very awkward at times but they always respond to the hip
hip horray tactics!
I organised the bails into a hap hazard array, and asked the guys to plonk
themselves down in a random fashion, the bubbley was flowing all day long.
1 of the 2 lakes can be seen in the background, what beautiful scenery!
1 of the guests had a Ferrari, he kindly parked the car for a few shots
with the bride in, something colourful to set the greens off a bit.
Im using the 70-200 here to emphasis the car size more and keep the bride
looking quiet large. I was conscious of my subjects looking a bit small
in previous years, although a wide angle helps aids creative shots, the
telephoto lens is a great option for a fresh look at things.
70-200 f2.8 Throws the background very blurry, and alters the perspective
A beautiful silhouette by Tim my assistant on the day
Breathtaking views+fill-in flash+24mm+5d We went out of the marquee for
3 minutes just before sunset (30 mins later..gone)
I knew the buttercup field would make the shot work, I had the idea of seeing
both their faces with a burst of flash aiding the brightness.
A n action has been used to saturate colours and darken/ lighten certain
areas of the composition.
Inside the marquee, Chris starts his speech with the use of a 15mm fisheye
lens we can see whats going on more.
The guests go nuts for wacko-Jacko, some of the men are less impressed,
was kinda funny thou.
Tribute to Michael Jackson act after dinner, very lifelike!
THE END
May 18th - Matt 21yrs
rollover
May 14th
Whilst on a visit to my mothers house in Lancaster I took this shot out
of her front window 5d+24-70. Landscape is something I would like to get
back into.
The Wedding of
Maria Simon & Barry Parr, May 10th 2008, Graythwaite Manor, Grange Over
Sands
Maria on the bed lit with daylight, actions run through
image to pop the contrast.
Tim (my assitant) & I made our way up the long windey road to Grange
for a wedding in a quiet part of Cumbria, a lovely picturesque spot.
The main view of Graythwaite from under the Elm tree which aids the framing
here. The gardens below are full of mystery, new avenues
each time you wonder around there is something new to discover. The flowers
are a wonderful testamony to the 2 gardeners whom have won many awards throughout
the area.
A posed shot of Barry & Maria signing the register, this was my favourite
the low light captured at 200asa with the 5d creates a nice mood.
I do take many informal reportage shots at every wedding, but my skills
lie in the semi-posed field currently. I have recently purchased a
zoom telephoto for capturing expressions in churches when I cant get close
and am enjoying that side of the job also.
Using a 15mm and fill flash I like the positioning here, have dropped a
sky in from last year to add contrast & interest in the sky region.
Beautiful ferns & many shades of greens make this garden a serene location
for a wedding, if you dont want the hustle & bustle of The Lakes.
Candles by the ceremony steps out on the lawn.
The Posse
Maria and little bridesmaid on bed shots I generally start off the day with
a few images of the bride once I have cleared the room to make sure no towels
or cups get into the shot to distract. I like to use the main window light
and occassionally some fill in flash or maybe a bedside lamp on behind the
subject.
Barry runs his hand throught he hair of his wife with the Manor in background.
The cakes awaits........
The Canon 5d camera truely is a fantastic piece of kit. After 2 weddings
it appears to have no weakeness. Low light focusing is good, ability to
recover shadow areas without grain appearing, excellent skintones, accurate
exposures the list is endless so far so good. I shoot and work in RGB colour
and the web images convert to sRGB so the colours you see are not entirely
accuate.
The Wedding
of Rachael Gleeson & James Rickerby( Boo's brother ), May 3rd 2008,
St.Pauls Church, Marton, Blackpool
My 1st outing with the Canon 5d also in strong sunlight so I will add some
technical details as we go along the way. 15mm Fisheye.
Kevin Lindeque was my assistant on this job and pulled out some brilliant
images as ever. More next week.
Rollover for a sneakpeak, let me know if you want this one taking off but
the expressions behind are brill and so were you!
24-70 F2.8/200th 400asa. A beautiful colorscheme in the kitchen (Rach's
mum) really helps the lime bridesmaids dress shot work well,
a mixture of daylight & tungsten lighting ususally works well. A typical
Yervant type shot but effective.
Martin Parr-esque?
I love u.
The wall had the most amazing gold drapes we used for extra pop. A nice
shot by Kevin shows the symmetry of church
Using 2 photographers we can execute a range of angles to keep everyone
happy.
Angle 2
Angle 1
The entourage
Work it girl
Montage of cake, rings in bouquet & cutting the cake shot brings all
the elements together for a magazine album style.
8th
May 2008
Brides and grooms of Shaw owned by my partner Gill, she has
some fantastic wedding dresses to suit all budgets.
A comprehensive range of wedding dresses, bridesmaids, including prom and
evening wear, confirmation dresses and gents formal hire.
The staff are very helpful and knowledgable with 4 large changing rooms
available.
My wedding albums are visible in the shop at most times for brides to be
to flick through, pricelist are also available to pick up.
I like to make appointments with couples and talk through the wedding day
plans.
19th APRIL 08 MARTIN WINS GOLD IN CREATIVE
WEDDINGS
MPA/BIPP North West Professional Photography Awards. Venue at Park Royal
Hotel, Stretton, Warrington
What a wonderful event that was staged by the 2 main photographic
organisations The BIPP/MPA for the North West Region (from Carlisle, Cumbria
down to members in Crewe, Cheshire) to host this years Professional Photographic
Awards night region hosted brilliantly by Nigel Jay the Newsreader.
Myself & Gill, my mother,Tim (assistant) headed down to Warrington for
a Champagne reception/ dinner, where all 14 categories were on display that's
140, 20"x16" prints shortlisted down from approx. original 1000
computer entries. Originally 61 images had been entered into the Creative
Wedding section.
I had my eyes only on 1 award since last year, although wedding has 3 categories
there was only 1 title I was after (to start with anyway):-).
Approx. 150 people attended the awards ceremony including 80 photographers
from all over the North West Region. Creative Wedding was 3rd out
of 14 so I didnt have long to wait, just after the starters.
10 images were shortlisted to be printed then assessed by a panel of experienced
judges at the NEC in February.
Martin was awarded Gold for his winning image 'Flames of Passion' taken
at The Gibbon Bridge Hotel, nr Preston at Adele & Roy's Wedding August
3rd.
Bronze was awarded, phew not me, I was looking down breathing deeply keeping
a low profile, 'Silver'.....Ray Kearney's name was shouted a brilliant creative
photographer whom on the night did very well. 'Gold'.......Martin Crombie,
I was shocked I got up and walked up to the front to be presented with a
framed certificate and Trophy by Andrew John Sherriff who also did very
well on the night. Heres me looking made up, my first Title,
Creative Wedding Photographer of the Year NW 2008,
or Overall Creative Wedding Photography 1 Gold Winner. (Technical details
Fuji S2+17-55 - 1/30th F2.8 400asa, CS3)
So out of 100 entries my image won which wont come as a surprise to my bloggers
to hear was taken at Adele & Roy's wedding. Ray Kearney won Wedding
Album of The Year the only other category I entered, Andrew John Sherriff
(Sherriff Studios) not to be confused with
Andrew John Photography of Liverpool, cleaned the board and won overall
Title of NorthWest Photographer of the Year, and Ray got Title
of Wedding Photographer of the Year title. Next year I will enter more categories
as I didn't know about the points system which adds up to go towards the
bigger titles. A brilliant night, one to remember and I'll be back next
year to defend it!
4th April 08
2 Silver's for March '08 SWPP awards first one taken of
Clare & David at The Imperial Hotel, Blackpool First time out with the
Canon 5D I did have the
24-105 F4L but found I had to go to 3200asa too often so I now have the
24-70 F2.8L version.Which is heavier lens but provides me with more aternatives
especially when the light levels drop.
Strangley enough I did some basic tests between the Canon 5d v's Fuji S2
and for outdoors I couldnt see much difference,
however indoors without flash is a different matter altogether.
The above image also receives a Silver from Storrs Hall this time Fay &
Mason. Had I moved a table directly out of the way(weighing about 1 ton)
which would have allowed me to get a perfect circle in the composition,
then I suspect it would have received Gold but theres always a next time.
I did also submit the wrong one with some photoshop errors in which didnt
help my cause.
Then one of my favourite images I took this year gets 'unclassfied'
below???? I have to scratch my head sometimes as to what the judges are
smoking.
BIPPNW Awards set for 19th April 2008
Well the excitiment is almost over, less than
3 weeks to find out whose won 'Creative Wedding Photographer of
the Year NW 2008'
Out of final 10 images I have 2 shortlisted. Heres
the 10. The judging has been done its just a waiting game now.
I also put in for 'Wedding Album of the Year' so it will be interesting
to see whose won.
Update 30th March/ Put on hold till Im less busy
This website will be totally changed during mid-late April for something
more professional, concentrating more on my imagery via flash.
It has served me relatively well since 2002 but tastes have changed. I have
also made a conscious decision not to be running a blog in the immediate
future.
Any important news will be reported in a different format.
Any exisiting customers wishing to buy photographs please do it asap via
the online link
as this feature/ host will change
Thanks everyone.
March 10th 2008
Wedding Fayre, The WhiteHart, Lydgate, Oldham
Is me! The 1st fayre at the Lydgate
for 4 years 1 a very popular venue.
Gill my partner had organised a fashion show she own's Brides
and Grooms of Shaw heres some of my favourites from the day.
The young man in the background is Matt, Gill's son, blonde model is Sharon
what a stunner and great at her job.
The guests were speechless. All these dresses can be purchased at the shop10-5pm
Very nice I love this
over the top table decor.
The girls make a last dance then the shows over
March 3rd Fay
& Mason, Ulverston, Storrs Hall, Cumbria
A pleasant sunny day
in Cumbria, very cold wind but the sun came out for us and lifted our spirits
for some creative photography
at Lake Windermere.
Heres a few of my favourites
composition wise very romantic style of photography here.
.
Snow on the mountains north of Windermere, 2 hours later the clouds arrived
Matching his/ hers
I was the witness at
the wedding and also signed the register, just the 3 of us and my dad came
in at the end as art director around the lake :-),
he has a great sense of fun and direction knowing the area as well as he
does, thanks Tom.
February 21-28th
Spent a week in Lanzarote out of the cold British weather, in 23 degrees and a moderate warm wind. Did some windsurfing badly, and generally the food out although expensive and generally Fillet Steak, Chinese or proper Indian curry was of a high quality at Puerto Del Carmen south of the airport.
Although the week was expensive we all had a good refreshing holiday.
Martin
wins 3 Silvers at SWPP January awards 2008 Boo &
Danny
This shot was taken by Kevin Lindeque my 2nd shooter, a fantastic reportage
photographer, showing signs of greatness
Wedding Sunday 27th January
Sun Young Park & Phil Carter, , Farington Lodge, Preston, Lancs
The decor at The Farington reminder me of Japanese paintings
Sunday 20th Jan 2008
Martin Crombie Photography Blog 2008
