I'm writing this entry on my Blackberry from the Isle of Wight where I've spent the day working for one of my best and favourite clients - Kinnarps a Swedish furniture company. They are a major sponsor of the little britain yacht race and have a team in the race.
We spent a great day in the sunshine following their racing yacht on a sunseeker power boat with me taking pictures like mad. Tomorrow I'm up in a helicopter photographing their boat from above!M
I used my old 5D mk1 today as I wanted to protect my mk2 from any spray etc. The 70-200 2.8 IS lens really came up trumps today and at one point I had a 2X converter on there too.
Yesterday's shoot with new model Rhian went really well - she's a natural in front of the camera and I'll post some pictures here once I've retouched them.
I hate turning down work especially at the moment but another regular client offered me a shoot tomorrow in London but I didn't feel happy that I can make it back in time which is a real pity.
Fingers crossed for more great weather tomorrow!

Well the day went well today after a rocky start. I spent over an hour on hold trying to speak to our bank this morning which felt like a waste of life. Then a couple of new jobs came in!. One from a new customer who'd found the http://www.redshift-photography.co.uk/ commercial site via Google and the other a two day trip to wales from one of our regular clients.

I then headed off to Bedford where I photographed one of my best friends daughters civil wedding ceremony at Pilgrim House Bedford. Then back to the Embankment pub in Bedford - not surprisingly on the river! - for a bloody lovely lunch and some more photo's.

I used the EOS 5D MK2 throughout with the 24-105mm L lens and the camera is so good in low light at a high ISO setting that you almost don't need flash indoors. I did use some fill flash and the pics look good on screen although I haven't worked them up yet from the RAW files.

I spoke about Rebecca yesterday - a new model I'm working with - and I'm about to try to attach a picture of her from our studio shoot last week. It's the first time I've added pictures to my blog so here goes.

I've got a new model coming in to the studio tomorrow so that should be fun too although I've got loads of post processing to do before I go.

Well the picture of Rebecca has now popped up on the screen here in the blog so hopefully you'll be able to see it!.

I'm just off to watch Only Fools and Horses on UK Gold so catch let's catch up again tomorrow.

The shoot with Rebecca this morning went really well. If you log onto our studio website www.redshift-studio.co.uk she's the one in the fashion gallery wearing a red polka dot dress.
Today we managed to fit in four costume changes into a 4 hour shoot. My favourite was the "rock chic" look which I thought suited her so well. I should have some of the pictures on the website by tomorrow. We used a white backdrop that I left unlit so it graduated off to grey but for me the best backdrop was the steel shutter roller doors on my studio - they gave a really hard look to the pictures which worked so well.
I kept the lighting simple with either just one flash with a beauty dish, standard reflector or softbox depending on the look required, but also at times adding in a second head with a snoot attached to lift areas of the picture along with a white reflector to lift the contrast.
I'm having a breather now then off to Crayford near Dartford tonight for a dusk and night shoot in a public park which has just been re-lit with funky lighting.
Just got a new job in for next Monday up in Macclesfield so that's great news too.

Well it was a relaxing day as I'd hoped for. We all went to the annual village picnic and I've walked the dogs twice today too - it helps me think.
I can't stop thinking about ways to promote the studio business and also about how to improve the new web site. I'm also obsessed with studio lighting techniques and can't wait until my shoot tomorrow with Rebecca. I photographed her last week and she is great to work with. we're definately doing the rock chick pictures tomorrow along with some beauty head shots for variety - it is the spice of life after all.
I've got another new model coming in to the studio on Wednesday for a test shoot. She has a very different look to Rebecca so it will be good for the portfolio.
I bought another photography book yesterday to add to my already huge collection. This one is Annie Liebawitz (I think I've mis spelled that - sorry Annie!) at work and I'll post my thoughts once I've read it.
On the subject of books the best photography book I've ever seen is The Fashion Photography Course by Eliot Siegel (I've spelled that right believe it or not!!). The best "how to" book ever on photography.
I've just eaten a huge dinner (it's now 9pm so quite late) and I'm stuffed and trying to watch Miss Marple whilst writing this at the same time so I'm signing off now to solve the murder.

I'm judging the photography section of the Mursley Horticulral Show this morning!!. I don't do this kind of thing as I always want everyone to win and I don't like putting one picture ahead of another - not a great mindset for a photo competition judge. I was first asked to judge the competition three years ago as their usual judge apparently disappeared off the face of the earth and they've asked me back ever since.
I'm going to be planning Monday's studio shoot with Rebecca - a model I photographed for the first time last week - over the weekend. I'm looking to produce some head and shoulder beauty shots of the type you see advertising Swarovski jewellery in glossy magazines. We're also looking to do a "rock chick" style scene as well - probably out on location at a derelict barn I've found but that's time permitting.
I also need to tweak to new website again at the weekend www.redshift-studio.co.uk to make sure Google starts to pick it up in searches.
Next week's looking busy so tomorrow will be a relaxing day with the family - hopefully!.

Left home at 5.15am to get to Guildford for a photo shoot at 7.30am.
Unfortunatley when I got there the university had put up scaffolding and stuff which my client didn't know about so the shoot's postponed for a week!.
It's now 8.30am and I'm drinking a large Starbucks Tea at the services on the A3 towards London. I could do a night shoot in Dartford tonight that's an open booking but it means hanging around all day......still it means I haven't lost a whole day and at least that means I've had a paid job today.
I've put in loads of hours this week setting up my new website and brochures etc but not much in the way of paid work this week. I feel knackered but seem to be obsessed with working on the studio business and setting up all my marketing for it and can't leave it alone.
Check out www.redshift-studio.co.uk for my latest studio work which has been well recieved on Model Mayhem in the gallery section.
To top it all I left home thinking - no sure - that I had my phone with me. I haven't of course and can you find a phone box these days?.

After a lovely weekend of shooting fashion and working through beautiful pictures it's back to reality today. I'm in the studio shooting a small white sensor that goes in the ceiling and switches lights on and off!. And it's been a real pain to keep the thing in the right position!.

At least it hasn't got issues about it's waistline and skin complextion though!!.