black and white Archives | JK Photography

Advice on Low Light Photography

Shooting in the dark

When the clocks go back many people pack their camera away, believing that the lack of light in the winter months prevents any interesting photography. However, the dark days of winter offer different opportunities. In this article I’m going to discuss my views on how to get the best results from low light photography, particularly indoors.

The challenges of low light photography

Don McCullin: Early morning, West Hartlepool, County Durham, 1963

Being able to take pictures in seemingly impossibly dark places has always fascinated me: when I began learning photography (back in the days of film, wet processing and darkroom printing) the maximum film speed available was ISO 400, which meant that a dull winter’s day presented challenges. [Read more…]

How to improve your photos, by a Derby photographer

As a Derby photographer and lecturer I am in regular contact with people who are interested in getting into photography in Derby, either as a hobby or career. A lot of people think that to take better pictures you need to splash out on a fancy SLR camera. If that’s what pleases you then go ahead but it’s worth stopping for a moment to think about what you actually want to achieve. In this article I will offer a little photography advice, focusing on the picture rather than the camera. [Read more…]

Roads To Wigan Pier – 28 Years Later

In 1984 I was in the second year of the BA (Hons) Photographic Studies course at Derby College of Higher Education (now the University of Derby). I was commissioned to produce photographs for a group exhibition to be held at Impressions Gallery, York, titled “Roads To Wigan Pier”. During July and August of that year I travelled around the North of England exploring what was to me an unfamiliar landscape. At that time Lewis Baltz and his fellow topographers had a huge influence on the way I viewed the world. I enjoyed their cool, detached style, and the focus on urban environments. [Read more…]

Pet Portraits

Despite the warning about never working with animals or children I have done both on more than one occasion. Here are some examples of my encounters with animals (more can be seen on the Portraits page of my website). Although I have shot pet portraits in the studio I find that the experience of going into a strange environment can be unsettling for the animal, and it is a more relaxing experience all round to take photos in the animal’s familiar surroundings. [Read more…]

Actor headshots – Ava Scott

These actor headshots were taken for Derby actress Ava Scott’s portfolio. I’ve tried a few different treatments on them in Adobe Lightroom, my preferred image editing program. For straightforward correction and retouching I find Lightroom is faster and more logical than Adobe Photoshop. It’s interesting how a shift in tone or contrast can make such a difference to the mood of the shot.In the first photo I’ve done a basic edit to correct for white balance and exposure then done a little retouching to smooth out the skin and brighten the eyes. Digital photos always require this kind of work as what comes off the camera always looks a little “flat”. The other photos show how it’s possible to create subtly different effects by adding grain, manipulating the colour balance or simply converting the image to black and white.

Ava is now based in Hollywood while she completes a drama course – I can’t claim that my actor headshots played any part in her progress, but it’s great to know that she’s doing well.

[Read more…]