Photography by Andy James of Photo3

Large Format Prints

2009-09-22T05:04:00.000-07:00

All our printing is handled by external labs and we place routine orders with labs for prints 12"x8" and 18"x12" size. We had a recent request from a client for prints at 50"x30" size which is way beyond the maximum of 30"x20" that most labs can produce.

With a little searching online I found a company in Wales called The Dot Foundry who were able to help. The images were uploaded online to their website and they were extremely helpful in arranging the printing and delivery to meet the clients very tight deadlines.

The prints were exceptional quality and their service was second to none so we would highly recommend them for large format printing and their specialist area of fine art prints. Production and delivery were achieved to schedule and the client was extremely happy with the results.

You can view their website at www.thedotfoundry.co.uk/

Video of Model Photo Shoot

2009-08-30T02:03:00.001-07:00

I've been experimenting with the video capability of the Canon 5D2 camera. Thanks to David Lee for shooting some video of me doing an outdoor fashion shoot with model Selina. This was edited in Sony Vegas Pro and you can see the results of the photo shoot on YouTube here

Military Odyssey 2009

2009-08-23T02:03:00.000-07:00

Military Odyssey 2009 takes place at Detling Showground, Maidstone, Kent from 29-31 August 2009.

It is a great show to take the family to as the re-enactors cover all aspects of history from Stone Age through to Second World War. You can see photos from the Military Odyssey 2005 event here but there will be some from 2009 after the show.

Editing and Playing HD Video from Canon 5D Mark2

2009-07-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

If you have read previous blog posts you will have seen the problems that I have encountered viewing and editing the HD video from the Canon 5D Mark II on a PC. Due to the files being Apple Quicktime MOV format there appears to be no issue using them on an Apple Mac but due to the need to decode on a PC they do not play smoothly.

I have now discovered some software called Cineform NeoScene which enables the MOV files to be converted to native AVI files that both play and can be edited without problems on a PC. The conversion process is very fast and allows both single file and batch conversions.

Although not cheap at $130 this appears to be the perfect solution for being able to edit video from the 5D2 on a PC.

Prince Charles Visits Pembroke House, Gillingham

2009-06-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

Prince Charles recently visited Pembroke House in Gillingham. His visit was covered by John James, one of our photographers. You can view the gallery here. All images are available to purchase with a donation to Pembroke House for all photos sold.

Prince Charles at Pembroke House

M2 Car Transporter Fire

2009-05-22T04:39:00.000-07:00

I was driving on the M2 this week when a car transporter caught fire. This was the first real test of the video capability of the new Canon 5D Mark 2 camera which performed excellently.

You can see some of the photos I took here

http://www.321web.co.uk/clients/index.php?gallery=M2_Fire

The BBC used the image for their Kent website

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8060532.stm

Page 3 Idol Glamour Modelling Competition

2009-05-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Sun Page 3 run the annual Page 3 Idol competition to find the next Page 3 girl. One of our local models Kelly is in the competition this year, along with 4 other models I have shot in the last 12 months (Laura Jayne, Sophie, Carley, Nicky and Kelly)

Kelly's profile on Photo3 website

Unfortunately there are some appalling photos in the competition this year and means that a potential model may miss out purely because no-one can see what they look like. So it is well worth investing some money in some clear professional shots to boost your chances in the competition.

There is still time to apply to please get in touch if you would like to book a shoot.

Latest Canon SLR Camera

2009-04-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Canon have just announced their latest camera which again follows the trend for including HD video on their SLR models. Compared to the first Canon camera to allow HD video recording the Canon 500D provides several very useful enhancements. In particular it has different HD modes which allow you to shoot at either 720p OR 1080p.

As 720p is still far in excess of the resolution required for current DVD technology this is a very helpful addition that will make shooting for DVD easier. The option on the Canon 5DII is only 1080p or 640x480 which is not sufficient to get DVD quality yet 1080p is overkill for DVD.

The market for HD video on SLR is continuing to develop apace and as I suggested in my first post on this subject last year it is becoming the standard feature for new SLR releases.

GMTV Next Top Model

2009-02-25T00:57:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Charlotte who is into the finals of GMTV's Next Top Model. She has been at London Fashion Week and is appearing on the Lorraine Kelly show this week.

We first shot Charlotte back in November 2008 and could see then that she had the potential to succeed.

Modelling Portfolios

2009-02-16T10:03:00.000-08:00

We are often asked what a modelling portfolio is. The simple answer is that it is a collection of your best shots either in printed form or stored online. It is far better for a portfolio to have a small number of stunning shots than to try to pad it out with mediocre shots just to make up the numbers.

Your modelling portfolio should never be static and should always be updated with the results of new shoots or with examples of your published work known as "Tear sheets" as they would have normally been torn from the relevant publication. The same applies to changes of hair length or colour - your portfolio should be updated to take account of these changes to your appearance.

You can find out more about modelling portfolios and the services we offer here.

Model Portfolio shoots in Kent

Editing HD Video from the Canon 5D Mark II

2009-01-19T11:21:00.000-08:00

I've bitten the bullet and bought a new PC to allow me to properly edit the High Definition (HD 1080p) video from the Canon 5D mark 2 camera. My current setup is more than adequate for photo editing work as I have dual core processor and 4Gb of RAM but this just isn't enough for HD video. The recommended minimum spec is Quad Core with 3Gb of RAM so my new PC will be substantially better spec than that.

As a separate issue it appears that there is a known problem with playing the HD video from the Canon 5DII using Apple QuickTime on a PC running Windows XP. The frame rate is very jerky with dropped frames which doesn't happen with Canon ZoomBrowser EX software.

The specification of the new PC is

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 8Mb cache (2.4GHz) Processor
Asus Motherboard
ATI Radeon Sapphire HD3650 512Mb RAM Graphics card
16Gb RAM
3 x SATA hard drives
12 (!!) USB ports

Canon 5D Mark II High ISO Test

2009-01-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

Having had the Canon 5D mark 2 for over a week I decided it was time to put it through its paces and test the high ISO performance and noise levels showing. I was fortunate to be having a shoot with new model Bekki and took a number of shots in sequence ramping up the ISO between them.

The results show that noise is very controlled up to ISO 6400 but beyond that the images would only be suitable for emergency use. As a sign of both the quality of the full frame sensor in the 5D mark II and the improvement in camera design I looked at the images from my first digital camera, the Nikon Coolpix 775 back in 2002. The noise levels at ISO 100 are higher than those at ISO 6400 from the Canon 5D II.

Canon 5D Mark2 Camera Shooting HD 1080p Video

2009-01-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

I've now purchased a Canon 5D Mark2 camera and am currently testing the HD (high Definitiion) video capability at 1080p. Over the next couple of weeks I hope to show some example movies shot with the camera that demonstrate its stunning high ISO performance.

The initial impressions of the video from the camera are that it is stunning quality but very unforgiving of anything but the fastest computer and graphics cards. In many configurations the video can show dropped frames but considering that 1080p HD video is 1920 x 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second the volume of data being processed is massive.

The movies are stored as MOV files that can be opened by Apple Quicktime software but this appears to drop more frames than the Canon ZoomBrowser software that is bundled with the camera. I have tested this with a variety of graphics cards and it certainly appears that the Canon Zoombrowser software is far more reliable and plays the movies much more smoothly than Apple QuickTime software.

I've retested using an upgraded graphics card in the PC I use for editing but it still appears that QuickTime drops frames but Canon ZoomBrowser does not.
(Note : The PC used is dual core 64 bit processor with 4Gb RAM, SATA drives running Windows XP Service Pack3 with nVidia Quadro NVS290 graphics card, with lower spec nVidia GeForce 6200 card the number of dropped frames is noticably higher)

Olan Mills Goes Into Administration (Again)

2008-12-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

We have just heard that high street photography chain Olan Mills has been placed in administration and yet again customers have lost money.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7804393.stm

Sadly this is a familar story as the same thing happened in 2006 prior to the current "credit crunch" and the expected recession.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6183435.stm

We can reassure our customers who have purchased our vouchers for portrait sessions that we are financially secure and have no debts unlike companies such as Olan Mills. If customers of Olan Mills require family portrait sessions we will be happy to help.

Movember - The End Results

2008-11-27T11:41:00.000-08:00

The BBC have run a report on Movember that you can view here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7751206.stm

Visit http://uk.movember.com/ to donate.

Preparing to cut the Mo!

Film Vs Digital - Which is Best?

2008-11-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

The Gadget Show recently ran a test of film vs digital cameras for a studio image. Their first show did exactly the same test of film vs digital and back then film came out on top.

http://fwd.five.tv/videos/challenge-blow-up-part-3

This time interestingly they judged the digital camera to produce the best image which was felt to be clearer with better colours and less grain (digital noise). Admittedly the test was based on images blown up to 5m across and in a studio setting but in theory a professional digital camera should perform even better in low light real life situations such as a church for a wedding. Low light shots with the latest full frame digital SLRs like the Canon 5D and 5D Mark2 give options that could only be dreamed of with film and with the flexibility to change settings between each shot if needed.

So is your photographer using digital - if not why not!!

Just So - The Musical

2008-11-12T14:36:00.000-08:00

We have worked with Tag Productions to provide photography of their performance taking place at Brook Theatre Chatham from 13-15 November 2008. The musical is based on the stories by Rudyard Kipling and features a local cast bringing the quality of the West End to Kent.
You can book tickets here https://www.medway.gov.uk/theatrebookings/show.asp

The TAG Productions website is www.tag-productions.org for more info about the company.

Suporting Mo-vember

2008-11-10T10:53:00.001-08:00

Photo3 are helping support the charity event Movember which is a moustache-a-thon for the whole of this month for charity event in aid of research into prostate cancer.

Known as "Mo Bros" the men clean shave on 31 October, then they are not allowed to touch a razor until the end of November, apart from to shave off their beards to shape their own moustache.

Jeff Hore who arranged the month-long event said: “Movember is a fun innovative way to raise money for prostate cancer. The “mo” can be any shape, colour or length as long as you’re clean shaven on 1 November and you let it grow for the duration of the month.“The number of hairy faces walking around offices across the country may increase over the next month, but it’s all for a good charity.

The money raised will go towards researching a cause for the disease and we hope to raise awareness for men’s health along the way.”Movember runs for the whole month each year and is an international project for individuals to help raise money for prostate cancer across the globe.

Throwing away the razors at the start of the month

Inspecting the mo's growing!

Family Portrait Photo Shoots in Kent

2008-10-12T11:59:00.001-07:00

Most of my family portrait shoots are done at the studio but occasionally I get to shoot in someone's house. Yesterday I visited Stacey & Paul for a shoot with baby Beau who is now 9 weeks old. Their house was south facing with perfect light and some great props to use for the shoot. This is one of my favourite shots from the shoot. I only wish I'd got some shots like this when my kids were this age but time races by and they are now at school!

Video and Still Photography

2008-09-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hot on the heels of my previous post it looks like the prediction of merging of video & stills was spot on. Vincent Laforet a Pulitzer prize winning photographer from the States has produced a video shot entirely with the new Canon 5D Mark2. The quality of the film is stunning and truly shows the potential that this camera can offer. You can view the film here.

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=2086

I will be getting a hands-on preview of the camera next week and will post my followup thoughts after that.

New Canon 5D camera to revolutionise wedding photography?

2008-09-17T05:13:00.000-07:00

Canon have today announced the much anticipated replacement for their 5D camera. This camera has become the tool of choice for wedding and portrait photographers for its stunning images and low light performance since it was released 3 years ago. All the photographers in the Photo3 team currently use Canon 5D cameras for exactly this reason.

The replacement 5D Mark2 nearly doubles the sensor pixel count to 21Megapixels and adds even better low light capability. In addition one feature that could revolutionise the wedding photography market is the inclusion of HD video capability in the camera. It now means that as well as taking still photos for your wedding album the photographer can also take short video clips to include in the DVD slideshow of photos. It is one feature that we are very keen on testing and aim to offer in our Kent wedding photography packages for 2009.

We will be testing the Canon 5D Mark 2 as soon as it is available in the UK so watch this space for more news of the advances that it can offer for your wedding photography.

Kent Wedding Photography - Feedback St Botolphs Church Northfleet

2008-09-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

The weather for Emily & Matthew's wedding at St Botolphs Church in Northfleet was less than ideal with pouring rain but despite these challenges they still loved the photos of their day. Rain may mean certain shots are not possible but it does bring other opportunities for shots. I always make sure I have the full studio lighting with me so in the event of group photos needing to be taken indoors we can still get the shots.

Emily and Matthew said "Thank you again so so much for capturing our day so well and for helping to make it so special for us. If you have any business cards I would be more than happy to pass them out as I know a few people who are getting married soon!"

Wedding Feedback - Bearsted Church and Ferry House Inn, Sheppey

2008-08-28T08:26:00.001-07:00

We recently photographed Daniel and Tamsin's wedding at Bearsted Church followed by the reception at Ferry House Inn on the Isle of Sheppey. Despite some rain as we arrived at the church and again as we left, the sun came out later in the day for some stunning images. We have received some lovely feedback on the images from the CD that is included in our Platinum package. This CD is supplied before we leave in the evening of your wedding and includes a selection of our favourite images from the day. We also sent a few photos by email ready for return from honeymoon.

"We had a lovely honeymoon and really cant stop talking about the wedding. Thank you for all your support. All the photos you have sent so far look fantastic we also love the disk you gave us and much enjoyed sharing it on Sunday with all the guests at the recovery barbecue.

The photos you emailed are stunning , again many thanks for everything you both really made our wedding something we will remember for ever. "

Wedding feedback - Little Silver Hotel Tenterden

2008-08-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

We always love to hear from couples once they receive their proof wedding photos from us. We recently photographed Gina and Alex's wedding at The Little Silver Hotel in Tenterden. It was a bright sunny day which creates challenging conditions for photography. As with most of our packages we include coverage of the bridal preparations along with the groomsmen getting ready by using two photographers.

Gina says "I received the disc yesterday, thanks very much. We'll be in touch about which photos we want for our album, but i just wanted to thank you as they are all wonderful! I'll have trouble choosing just 20 for the album!"

The Little Silver is a great wedding venue with the magnificent Kent Hall available for your reception in a secluded garden setting. We have photographed a number of weddings there and always find Oliver and his team provide an excellent service.

This is the gazebo in the gardens where the marriage ceremony takes place.