This article first appeared in Cheshire Life magazine November 2023.I love autumn and I know I’m not alone. Writers and poets have waxed lyrical on this magical season for centuries. Searching for a suitable quote, this one spoke to me more than most:It was a beautiful, bright autumn day, with air like cider and a […]
Manfrotto Befree GT XPRO carbon tripodWhich tripod is best for food photography?I get asked this question a lot! And as is the case with most photography gear, there are many confusing alternatives and a risk of making an expensive mistake.But before we dive into the features you should be looking for in a tripod you’ll be […]
Ramen styled by Jan Cron @kitchen_maverickCan you use a phone to photograph food?I get asked this question so often and a few years ago, I would have hesitated and replied that it would be okay for certain shots, but that a camera would be much better. Oh, how times have changed… there have been some […]
Do you pinch outwards to zoom on your phone?Oops! That’s not the best way to do it. You need this really useful phone photography tip.(This applies to all phone brands)Your phone camera probably has at least two lenses, if not 3 or 4. This is fantastic news because they let you get closer to the […]
This article first appeared in Cheshire Life magazine April 2024.Make sure it’s not just another photo of a flowerOne of my favourite things about spring and early summer is seeing hedgerows, woodlands and gardens coming alive once more with a riot of colours. Nature has hit the reset button and buds are appearing on once […]
This article first appeared in Cheshire Life magazine March 2024.Visual storytelling – a picture is worth a thousand wordsThe saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is usually attributed to an American called Fred R. Barnard, who wrote it in 1921 in relation to the power of images in advertising. It has since been […]
A few of my favourite things:Photography ~ Writing ~ Being OutdoorsAnd just before Christmas I got to indulge in two of them. I hadn’t used my ‘proper’ camera (Sony A7ii) for pleasure for a long while and was getting a little snap happy with my phone. I suddenly realised I was missing the feeling of […]
How to choose the best phone camera as a non-geeky photographerThe time has come to upgrade your phone. And although on one hand it’s exciting (ooh! a new gadget to play with!), on the other it’s all a bit overwhelming. If you are anything like me, your main criteria is that the camera has to […]
Unlock the hidden potential of your phone cameraThis article originally featured in Cheshire Life magazine October 2023.Capturing life’s precious moments in stunning detail has never been easier, with the staggeringly good cameras on smartphones. However, many of us just point and click, hoping for the best, and we are often frustrated with the results. Join […]
Beyond snapshots – part one’Of’ or ‘about’… It’s not just semantics.Take a look at your photo gallery or your Insta profile (or someone else’s) and ask yourself whether the photographs are of a subject or about it.If you’re not sure, the first question to ask yourself is “how does it make you feel?”If it leaves […]
‘Phojo’A joy and passion for photography.Having the motivation, inspiration and creativity to enjoy photography.(Not yet an official word… rejected by Collins dictionary but I love it!)Is this your camera? Sitting alone and gathering dust on a shelf? Or is it ages since you’ve used your smartphone camera for anything other than quick snapshots? Are you experiencing […]
Travel photography tipsThe phrase ‘travel photography’ conjures up images of buddhists in temples in Thailand or riotously coloured festivals in Delhi, but actually ‘travel’ just means to go from one place to another. And photography is just capturing the experiences you have.Whether you’re travelling half way around the world or two hours to a beautiful […]
LYL On Air – Ep 10: How to properly use Portrait Mode on an iPhoneMost people who come along to my phone photography workshops know that Portrait Mode on the iPhone blurs the background. What they often don’t know is that you can control and change the ‘depth’ effect. Watch this short video to find […]
4 ways that improving your photography can help your business1. Engagement: great photographs grab the attention of your potential customers. They halt the scroll on social media and are more likely to be liked and shared, increasing engagement and getting your brand in front of more pairs of eyes.2. Sales: fabulous photographs show your products […]
SidelightBacklightTwo ways to use natural light for food photography(And a great exercise in studying one subject in depth).A very simple subject – pak choi – photographed and lit very differently, both with just the available light from a window.It’s a great exercise in itself to get one ingredient and photograph it in a number of […]
LYL On Air – Ep 9: Which Lenses Do You Need for Food Photography?You’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear that you can get some really lovely images with just a couple of inexpensive lenses. Watch this short video to find out which ones you need.I hope that you’ve found this video useful. Let me know […]
LYL On Air – Ep 8: Do You Need a Tripod for Food Photography?Do you really need a tripod for food photography?It depends what type of photography you’re doing and how you like to work. In this short video I’ll share when I use one and when you can get away without doing so. I […]
LYL On Air – Ep 7: How to Photograph Food with a PhoneMy top tips for taking mouth-watering shots of food with your phone.You’ll be surprised about some of them, I’m sure and be using them all the time after you’ve watched this short video.I hope that you’ve found this video useful. Let me know […]
LYL On Air – Ep 6: Do You Need a Camera or a Phone for Food PhotographySmartphone cameras are so good but are they as good as cameras for food photography? And if you do decide to get a camera what sort should you get? This video will help you to decide.I hope that you’ve […]
LYL On Air – Ep 5: The Essential Ingredient For Fabulous Food PhotosDo you wish your food photographs looked more magazine quality rather than quick snapshots? But you’re not sure where you’re going wrong?Watch this short video to discover the essential ingredient for mouthwatering foodie photos.I hope that you’ve found this video useful. Let me […]
LYL On Air – Ep 4: How To Use Aperture Mode in 3 Easy StepsIf you want to take more creative photographs you need to get off Auto mode and take more control of the camera settings. This can seem a little daunting with terms like aperture and ISO making little or no sense.The mode […]
LYL On Air – Ep 3: An Introduction to the Snapseed Editing App.If you’re looking for an editing app that’s quick and easy to use, then Snapseed is perfect. It’s the one I use daily and that I recommend to everyone who comes along to my workshops.Watch the video to get a quick introduction to […]
LYL On Air – Ep 2: How to blur moving water with an iPhoneDid you know you can create stunning long exposure photographs of moving water with an iPhone? You know, those amazing, surreal images where waterfalls have gone all silky and smooth.Watch the video to find out how you do it – it’s so […]
LYL On Air – Ep 1: How to Do Spot Colour on a Black and White ImageHave you ever wondered how you make a part of your image colour in an otherwise black and white photo? Do you need big boy software like Photoshop or Lightroom to do it?You can do this quickly and easily […]
The next Birds Of Prey Photography Workshop is 26th November 2022. Book now.I was amazed at what we were able to capture.Okay so I’m a professional photographer with around twenty years experience of using a variety of cameras and lenses, exploring and using lots of camera settings. I understand the theory and know what settings […]
Why do you take photographs? I’m talking about the photographs you take for yourself or your loved ones. The portraits, the landscapes, the flowers, the sunsets, the holiday photos, the food pics, the friendly robin that’s always in your garden. We take photos to remember, to freeze a moment in time, to share moments with […]
Yes, really! To be honest I’ve never had any doubts. Photography can a very absorbing and mindful activity, slowing down to observe what is around you, consider the light and create an image that lets you remember the moment. Then the yoga or pilates helps us to unwind, be in the moment, leave any day […]
It’s almost that time of year again isn’t it? Instagram and Facebook will soon be filled with photos of children dressed in brand new, too big school uniforms, shiny, un-scuffed black shoes and they will be stood awkwardly in front of a door (causing much hilarity as we see yet another cute #frontdoorpic). It’s such […]
January, I have to admit, is not my favourite month. It’s long, I’m usually skint, I have to do my tax return (which I should have done last May I know!), it’s cold and damp and dark. And yet, it’s supposed to be a time for new beginnings, goal setting, resolving to get fit, budget […]
It’s National Make Your Dreams Come True day today so I thought it might be useful to get you thinking about your photography goals or dreams. We’re already almost halfway through January and, if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably already ditched a few of your New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t tend to make any […]
A few years ago I wouldn’t even have tried to take photographs like this with my phone. It was simply too hard to get a sharp, non-grainy, well-exposed image. A D-SLR produced much better results and also created such lovely soft focus backgrounds. Fast forward to today and I now consider my smartphone to be […]
There comes a point when you’ve mastered the technical stuff enough to get exposure right and you understand what makes a shot feel well composed. But you know that’s not really enough to satisfy your own aspirations and it’s not going to make your images stand out. You want to know how to take your […]
And do you know where you want to get to? People take up photography for different reasons and not everyone is on any kind of path with it. The camera can be just a tool to record moments so that they aren’t forgotten. But for others it’s a passion that drives them to seek continuous […]
Moody food photographs are all over Instagram and Pinterest and it’s a style that looks set to stay for a while. So, it’s no wonder that lots of people want to give it a go. However, unless you know a few techniques and tips, it can be hard to achieve the look. In this blog post you […]
I’ve got a LOT of different food photography backdrops and am always on the lookout for more! They make or break an image, so they are vitally important. This is what I’m looking for:A matt surface. Any shine or lustre is incredibly difficult to work with.An interesting texture or pattern but without really strong and dominant […]
Left to its own devices (in AUTO modes) your camera may fail to expose a scene as you would like it to. I’ll try to explain why, without getting too technical. Your camera’s meter (how it measures light) sees everything in greyscale, a range of grey tones from very dark grey through to almost white. It […]
Discover how I learned how to photograph long exposure sunsets and, even better, it doesn’t matter that I can’t quite afford the filters yet! A couple of weeks ago I went to the Lakes and had a go at long exposure landscape photography under the expert tuition of Melvin Nicholson. We had a fascinating half […]
Polarising filters are a useful addition to your kit if you enjoy photographing landscapes. They reduce atmospheric haze and reduce reflected light, which can be helpful to your images in a number of ways: They give you more detail in the sky, revealing clouds and darkening the blue areas. In the images below you […]
WHITE BALANCE This is really meant as a quick intro for people not familiar with this setting. Light can be different temperatures and degrees of warmth from cool to warm. You will have encountered this when buying light bulbs. The colour temperature of light is measured in degrees Kelvin as shown in this chart from Digital […]
Silhouette images have a certain magic about them don’t they? A simple story told with an outline against a beautiful backdrop, usually a sunset or other beautiful sky. They can be quite difficult to create though, often occurring by chance rather than intention. Here are some tips: Shoot towards the sun – but remember that doesn’t […]
This is a photo I took of a friend’s lovely white Alsatian (Luna?). You might not be able to tell at this low resolution but it is nice and sharp. Although the auto focus on modern digital cameras is awesome, you do need some knowledge on how to take advantage of it to avoid operator error. […]
Tips for photographing moving water, such as fast moving rivers and waterfalls As you will need to use a slow shutter speed you should avoid bright sunshine, so overcast days are better, or at sunrise and sunset. You will need to shoot in manual (M) or Shutter Priority Mode. Set the ISO to 100 and use a […]
C for CONFIDENCE – it’s hard to photograph people you don’t know. I’m not comfortable with it, but there are some amazing shots to be had if we could just get over our fear. So I want you to go for it this week. I’ve had a go over the last week, knowing this topic was […]
I’m taking a slightly different approach with this post and not taking you through all the classic composition rules for landscapes. I’d like to concentrate on WHY you are taking the photograph and what you should CONSIDER before you press the shutter. I’m a huge advocate for slowing down and thinking before you click away and end up with […]
Triangles can be used in different ways to create a striking composition. In the image of the couple above their heads and shoulders have created a symmetrical triangle, which makes the image feel stable and harmonious – exactly the feel you want for a young couple in love.
5 family photo shoot tips We all want lovely photographs of our family don’t we? And as our children grow older, we can foresee the day when they will have left home to pursue lives of their own. This was the case with this lovely family, where the oldest daughter will be heading off to […]
Well the inaugural Love Your Lens guided photography walk took place on Saturday and I hope it will be the first of many. I met up with six members of the Love Your Lens Facebook group at the famous Chester Cross next to a lively puppet show. Everyone was looking forward to seeing what the […]
Practical street photography tips for “newbies” I was in London last week, having won a four day trip! We had an amazing time sightseeing, eating, drinking and of course, photographing. I decided to try my hand at street photography, well aware that it was out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot and thought you might find […]
What a fabulous day this turned out to be! The idea to hold a Fine Art Photography Course came to me when I first visited The Botanist in Alderley Edge late last year. It is a beautiful and unusually styled venue, with botany and gardening inspired props and plenty of distressed and stained wood panelling. If I’d […]
When my kids were born I barely knew which way up to hold a camera, never mind have any idea of how to photograph babies in the best way. As a result my photographs of them are very average (still very special to us though!). The odd good picture happened by lucky accident and we resorted to […]
Had a new camera for Christmas? If you are one of the lucky people who have been given your first D-SLR or mirrorless camera as a gift this Christmas, you are probably part excited and part apprehensive about getting to grips with it. Whilst it’s fine to use it on AUTO for a while and enjoy the feeling […]
How to photograph crafts Do you have beautiful products that you lovingly hand craft and sell? That you are proud of and passionate about? That people love when they see them in your shop or craft stall? Now for a harder question. Do the photographs of your gorgeous products do them justice? Do they stand out from the […]
How to photograph fireworks One thing I’ve never got round to photographing is fireworks. I’ve admired other people’s shots but it’s always felt like too much hassle to me, to lug a tripod around, set it up in the middle of crowds of people, mess about with camera settings in the dark and keep an […]
One of the best ways to improve your photography is to take photographs as often as you can, ideally daily or at least several times a week. This isn’t as hard as it seems as most of us carry smartphones everywhere and can practise our craft with those too. Setting a photography project is a […]
This is quite a tricky composition rule to explain and it’s one that we probably apply unconsciously, as our minds seek balance in images and art. A balanced image feels right, pleasing and stable. In a balanced image there is perhaps some symmetry and the main subjects have equal weight or importance in the shot. An image […]
I often find myself recommending “superzoom” lenses to students on Love Your Lens courses and one to one lessons and thought it might be useful to take a closer look at them. First off, what does “superzoom” mean? The term is commonly used to describe a lens that goes from a wide view to a […]
In just over 24 hours I’ll be heading to a beautiful mountain village in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy to photograph a wedding for a lovely couple who live in the UK but are marrying near where the groom was born. I’ve photographed lots of weddings in the UK and one a long time […]
I have never stopped learning and developing my skills as a photographer and I don’t think I ever will. Technology won’t stand still (!) and there will always be new subjects to explore: wildlife, landscape, low light or night time photography, macro photography, architectural, travel – just some of the areas where I’ve only dabbled […]
My kids are older now – 12 and 14 – and although I still love photographing them, they are not as keen as they used to be (wild understatement – Abii acts like a vampire being shown a crucifix when I point the camera at her). So I concentrate more on what’s around me when […]
I absolutely love it when one of my clients sends me pictures they’ve taken that show what they’ve learned and how confident they now are with their camera. I had a great email from new mum Louise today. She attended a Let’s Shoot The Kids course in January and has recently given birth to baby […]
I’d like to introduce you to Marie. She’s a grandmother to two very lively toddlers (I should know as I’ve photographed them!), happily married to Brian and enjoying her retirement. She’s well known in the family for her baking and started a private blog for family and friends some time ago. Marie came to me around […]
Markets are great places to practise your photography. There are so many interesting and colourful subjects and people generally don’t mind photographers snapping away. At the Easter Sunday Makers Market Knutsford people were in such high spirits in the long awaited Spring sunshine, that there were broad smiles all round! A few market photography tips […]
I’ve been in the new studio 3 whole months now and it’s marvellous! It’s changed the way I work, given me a new lease of life, awoken my creativity and given me back my mojo! I’ve posted quick snaps along the way: befores, afters, durings, pictures of courses, shoots and a party, but I’ve not […]
“You’re buying another camera?!” I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard this recently, but this time I had a good excuse: old age. Well OK I’m not ready to retire just yet, but certain bits of me are starting to protest every time I heave my camera bag onto my shoulder or lift my […]
Do I need a tripod? I get asked this a lot and I think it’s because people see professionals with tripods and assume that they, therefore, need one too if they want to take better photographs. I fell into this trap when I started out and between my other half and me we have either three or […]
Pancake Day has fallen in the school holidays – yes! We’ve got time to do it properly, which means Abii indulging in a spot of baking, me in a bit of pancake photography and the boys (Nic, Sam, Ferb and Buster) in stuffing their faces! Mixing the perfect batter was down to Nic, with no […]
6 months ago we decided to convert our garage into a natural light photography studio and office. Here’s the story in pictures. I still can’t quite believe we did it! I had a clear idea from the outset how I wanted it to look and used Pinterest to collect all the ideas. Click here to […]
We recently made a much anticipated visit to the Dr Who Experience in Cardiff, where fans get to take part in an adventure with the latest Doctor and then look at real props, costumes and prosthetics used in the show. Our kids are Dr Who crazy and were beyond excited and fascinated. All of the exhibits […]
The wet and mild conditions of Autumn provide the perfect growing conditions for fungi and this exceptionally mild Autumn means that there’s lots around at the moment, without having to look too hard. They have their own kingdom completely separate to plants and animals and there are tens of thousands of different kinds. They are fascinating to […]
Like it or not Hallowe’en is growing in popularity every year and if your children are anything like mine, the opportunity to dress up and be allowed to accept sweets from complete strangers is the ultimate in fun. Their costumes get more elaborate each year, as do the decorations in our house, even spreading out […]
In the first of this series we looked at How to Photograph Trees (click on the link if you missed it). This time we’re going to concentrate on how to photograph Autumn leaves and capture their many glorious colours, shapes and textures. It’s all about the Light. Well of course it is as without light we wouldn’t have […]
I LOVE Autumn (or Fall, for our friends across the pond!). Summer is fab while it lasts but around the start of September I yearn to wear fleecy jumpers and knitted hats, to walk through woodland, seeing my breath as white clouds, kicking through fiery coloured leaves with my wellies, spotting weird fungi on tree stumps and […]
We spent the second week of our summer holiday at my brother’s cottage in Marazion, Cornwall, with its famous landmark, St Michael’s Mount. Our accommodation is undergoing major refurbishment and we had been warned to have an “indoor camping” experience. It proved to be far more than this, with a beautiful kitchen, designer chairs in […]
When Sarah Gardner of Sarah Gardner Photography put out feelers via her Facebook Group as to whether anyone would be interested in a collaborative styled photo shoot with our teenage daughters, I jumped at the chance. It took all of two seconds to persuade Abii; the mention of hair stylist and make up artist did […]
I am often asked how you get from snapshots to great shots. Some people assume that I can take good pictures because I have expensive cameras and lenses. I tell them that I have a great oven but my cooking is awful… So it’s not about kit. You can take great photos with a camera […]
Our little cornish break came to an end all to soon, but I managed to squeeze in a quick trip to Glendurgan, a National Trust garden, on the last morning. Miraculously I was able to drag Abii out of bed and persuaded her to come with me (anything was preferable to packing). This is a garden more about […]
Helford Passage is a lovely spot on the Helford River, offering everything you could want from a little seaside hamlet, a decent pub, boat hire, ice creams, crabbing, a tasteful gift shop and a dozen gigs! These are fast, narrow rowing boats and there’s obviously a thriving community of them in Cornwall, judging by the […]
Saturday promised to be a glorious sunny day and we had planned to head to a beach for a spot of boating, crabbing and exploring, but talk of a display by the Red Arrows over Falmouth changed our minds. It was windy on the harbour but we found a gem of a cafe with […]
340 miles door to door… seven hours (including stops to collect a teenager from a sleepover and obligatory leg stretching, Costa coffee buying and loo breaks) in the car with an over-excited dog. All made well worth while when we saw the view from the living room window of our home for the next few days. The two […]
Most of the images in my “how to” blogs are taken using a professional level D-SLR and some pretty fancy lenses and I imagine I can hear people saying, “well, she’s got expensive kit, no wonder her pictures are good!” I can’t deny that good equipment does improve photo quality, although you have to know […]
Most of my blogs are about how to take better photographs, but it’s time we looked at what to do with the ones you take. What do you do? Share a few on Facebook, send some to grandparents and every now and again print and frame the special ones? Gradually your hard drive gets full and […]
I often get asked which D-SLR I would recommend for beginners. I’m a Canon user but have no hesitation recommending other brands, especially if they are offering a good deal. I don’t want this to be a long rambling blog about all the options available, so this is very much aimed at providing a concise […]
The RHS Tatton Flower Show gets scribbled on the calendar 1st January each year and we haven’t missed one yet, but this time it was pipped at the post by The Chelsea Flower Show, booked before the calendar was even out of its packet. A few glasses of wine and a bracing walk on a North […]
According to my site analytics blog posts with pictures of cute babies and children on get far more views than those with (toy) meerkats, so I won’t be using my little Sylvanian family again! They enjoyed their little trip to the Riviera (side of our pond) but are glad to be reunited with their dad on the […]
In Part 1 we looked at how Aperture plays a big role in how to get blurred backgrounds in photos. Low f/numbers (large apertures) give us a narrow depth of field and high f/numbers result in a wider depth of field. This sounds pretty straight forward, but like lots of techie things it’s not quite […]
How to get blurred backgrounds in photos is high on the list for people who want to take better images and it’s one of the things that distinguishes good pictures from snapshots. It can be easy to achieve but if you really want to understand what you are doing and how to control the amount of blur, you should read […]
Photographs of your baby beautifully dressed in your favourite outfit, with a shiny clean face and huge smile are fantastic and they are the pictures that end up in frames around the house. However, some of our favourite moments may not be “frame-worthy” but are still very special and the ones that make us laugh every time […]
I love babies and (most) kids and for some crazy reason I like to earn a living by chasing them around with a camera, capturing natural photos of them and selling them to their parents. Newborn babies are my favourite subjects as they don’t get about so much and because they are without exception extremely […]
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