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Showing posts from 2010

I thank you

Another year and my final job shot with Mary Portas. More point, click, wind, to come I hope and more video I believe x

Minor twitter

I've joined the ranks of finger pushers urgent to share my every whim with you, and will now be available on Twitter, known as 'SnapperHarrison'. Funny how your own name is always gone these days.

Imagine the trip to the bottle bank!

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These bottles are one man's drinking from a month and you can't even see the spirits. I had to have a drink I was so taken aback.

Colour balance?

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I found this old pic as I was looking for syndication submissions this morning, and have spent ages trying to resolve this issue: Just what colour balance is Philip Green? Being as how I am of pasty stock and he has seen a ton of sun, I just can't get him looking right, but maybe this is the truth after all..

And finally, the video. Note photographer's bum

What do you mean the snow's not real?

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'daddy, what do you do all day at work?' Well, this is what our dear Tom Gormer at the mag made of it all- BEHIND THE SCENES WITH NIGELLA The inside story of this week's cover shoot Stylist's Photography Director Tom Gormer - and now cover star, sort of - reveals 10 things he learnt on our Nigella Lawson photoshoot 1. The theme of the Stylist shoot was a ‘behind the scenes’ of Nigella's Christmas, hence my cameo appearance on the cover, blasting fake snow all over the studio. Best. Job. Ever. 2. What you don’t see is the snow machine is leaking and I am covered in a weird smelling liquid chemical 3. Nigella keeps little bags of retro sweet in her handbag. She gave me a cola cube. Twice! 4. A very long discussion was had about the perfect chip. French fries? Homemade proper chips? Chip shop chips? This was before I had seen the brilliant episode of Nigella Kitchen where she ‘cooks’ chip shop chips in bread with hummus. 5. I was also under STRICT instructions not to g

Lighting

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Sometimes lighting is the only way to illustrate a story. This shot is of a gent who found himself taken from his luxuary lifestyle in Dubai and imprisoned under hideous conditions on a flimsy charge. He still seemed to be in shock from it. The client had booked a glitzy studio and needed to layout a DPS from it. This was one of my solutions.

The long drive was worth it

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York and back in a day is a heck of a drive, especially when one is trying to do a covershoot in a corner of a vestry at York Minster. However, here it is in all it's glory. First shoot with my new Profoto flash heads. Still yet to pay for them.

TAKE A LOOK: My New website! Still being tweaked..

http://www.markharrisonphotography.co.uk

Phew! The 4 heads made the cover

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Not the easiest shoot this but great to shoot with quality talent.

Getting there

Just been notified that I have been shortlisted for the Professional Photographer of the Year Awards with my Prof. Winston image. Results in January issue of their magazine.

How many people does it take to do a photo shoot?

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Apprentice shoot at high speed

Here comes the change

Been at the Canon show today in town, and yes, photography is dead. Long live video? Why? Because we can. It seems that now we are running in the wake of new technology without really knowing why. In this case we are, as photographers, even ahead of our client base. Who will pay for the new toys and the time for editing? Feels like th arrival of digital all over again. On the up side, I met the massively enthusiastic Nick Turpin who I have met in my wake on two recent photo sessions. Time to go a bit Strobist?

Domestic Goddess

New lights! After 10 years of steam driven Bowens, I have got some smashing new Profoto bits. My God, they recharge fast. Then, take One Roland Mouret dress and add 2 bags of icing sugar being thrown in the air by the DG herself. Finish shooting with a motor drive on and examine the results. Oh, yes, I was still using the Bowens as fill... Four frames is all that came out. Luckily, I only need one.

Debut music video direction- Annaca : 'Run'

Shot on my trusty Canon on a shoestring budget, here is my first adventure in film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC3t2yKIDbU

Place a man in a space and see what happens.

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When you have 10 mins with a politician in a hotel room, it is critical to have the final image in your mind ahead of the shoot. Courteous and obliging, Mr Milliband delivered as I had hoped.

This week I have mostly been shooting PR pics for Hodder & Stoughton

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How do you spell his name?

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Nice fella this one. Book just out with better pic on the back I think.

Frying tonight

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Can't imagine why Mr Fry described the shoot done with him as making him feel 'a bit of a prawn', can you?

fish to fry

Strange few weeks gone by that include highlights/lowlights of Stephen Fry with a fish, Claudia Winkleman basking in the blue light, and the discovery that I can shoot using just the modelling lamps at a ridiculously high ISO. Oh, and I still cannot get my video edited. Anyone know a cheap Editor?

Moving image

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OK, so it's harder than I thought this video lark. Easy to shoot a still though mid shoot as you can see here. Now, how to edit it and sync with the music. Hmm.

Video vs stills

Well the time is nigh to learn something new. Video rehearsal tomorrow for new band Annaca with a great song called 'Run'. Got most of the bits I think I need but it will be interesting to see how much/little I really know outside of my ken.

Cherry picked

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My interest in all things military currently paid off in a great shoot this week at RAF Hendon. Thank god for wireless syncs and a wonderful flash charging unit made by Innovatronix. Normally large groups become difficult to herd into place-not this lot-still and ordered throughout.

Video on a stills camera

I have spent the last few weeks researching how to make my Canon 5d Mk11 ready for shooting a forthcoming pop video. Somehow it is just an utter compromise but still, move with the times. A few guerilla tactics may have to be employed to save the enormous funds needed to make it look the part.

So, they spelt my name wrong..

Click on the title above to see a Katherine Jenkins 'Behind the Scenes' video from last year.

Lego

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I'll tell you what, sometimes shoots end up being like constructing a building. Planning and execution wise, we all end up being logistics experts. Take this recent shoot for Luxx Magazine: 'No worries' I said as the Art Director quizzed me as to my solution to the cardboard box group shot we had planned. Suffice to say, I could barely squeeze into them ahead of my less than keen subjects. A series of ladders and boards saved the day i think.

The Group Shot

Strange thing the way you get called on repeat if you complete a scenario successfully. First it was TV and then Classical Music and now Groups. Large groups of people organised in military fashion for photographs are not easy, but not that difficult either. This week has seen 4 group shots completed and the learning curve extends. Two key things seem to apply: First, are their eyes open (there's always one, usually with blue eyes). Give them a drink and that's sorted. Second, will they fit the layout and where is the gutter going to go? Mind you, no pressure when you add Bill Wyman to the mix but job done I'm just glad I invested in some new 'Creative Light' softboxes. Think I'm an early user and very nice they are too.

In my dreams

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To the next shoot my boy..

Reflections

Cor. What a week. Crazy schedule last week including a CD and magazine cover on the same day, 2 studio shoots and a phone call to'GO NOW!' to a certain TV show set in Wales. Currently staring at 80GB of work to process...

Shoot update

Finally finished retouching on shoots for a new Autobiography as well as a fun shoot with the new Doctor Who and his Assistant. Despite the hideous drive to Cardiff, I can now claim to have shot all the "Who's' back to Pertwee. Not bad for a fan.

Bang the drum

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Keep finding recent snaps taken after shoots-this one is of Nick Mason's drumset (Pink Floyd) which sat in the corner of his office. Why can't all drum sets look this good?

Who?

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Been reading Tom Baker's great Autobiography (Who on Earth is Tom Baker?) on flights recently. Very strange and funny , much like the man himself. Found an old shoot I took of him that suggests this rather well.

Never meet your heroes..

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So says the mantra and generally I agree. Shooting Gary Numan was great and no let down. Sorry but I'm 19 again.

Jenson Button-the inside story

It takes me ages to get round to things, but checkout this video of me trying to shoot Jenson Button, F1 champ, from the passenger seat. Think Bluewater car park, 100 mph and lots of smoke.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxjFAxBJ8TU

Orlando via Detroit?

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As I suspected-when you allow the client's booking team to arrange flights, you find yourself on a flight to Florida via Michigan to save a tenner. After a grilling and a half at Customs, they finally allowed myself and my client, Chris (see with truck), in to the warmth of their country. We had come to shoot the second fastest runner in the world (Tyson Gay), although being number two doesn't sound all that great does it. Shooting abroad these days involves loads of prep and the hiring of local talent. Scott was my man and was rather good at his game. With a pickup full of Profoto, we headed off to the location and shot till he'd had enough. The light in Florida makes the whole job so much easier. It is almost distracting to look around as there are constant echoes of every documentary book where brightly coloured fire hydrants plague the page. The afternoon off gave me the chance to cruise the Florida swamps via an Air Boat. Despite 1 million Alligators they proved incred

Pond Life

Planning a shoot in Orlando Florida. Never easy when you don't work in cities and there is little budget. Wonders of the web.
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Just back from shooting in the Czech Republic where they 'take the waters' in a contemporary Spa town Yeuch.

Hurrah!

Well, here we are finally. This will be my forum for publishing a few thoughts and the odd 'behind the scenes photo'. Please let me know what you think!