Inside and Out

I’m back in the blogging world! It’s been a month since my last post – the workload has been relentless, with consistent early mornings, long days, and bouts of post-production well into the early hours. There’s no sign of the workload letting up for the time being, so I’ve taken a spare two hours on a Sunday to get back into the routine. And what better job to resume my blog with than a Quayside apartment shoot for a TV presenter?

I was contacted out of the blue by a national BBC presenter – who shall remain nameless for privacy purposes obviously – with a view to photographing their holiday let on the Newcastle Quayside for marketing purposes. I’d shot another flat in the same building, so I knew the layout, and potential difficulties due to lighting issues, the size of the rooms, and so forth. First task was to shoot some context shots from the other side of the river. I parked on the street at Melbourne Court – a block of council flats inhabited by all sorts of folk. The old Tyne T…

Once or twice a year, I get to shoot a place so opulent that it makes me think about my place in the world. I understand that there will always be disparity in the levels of income between rich and poor, and no political system can ever overcome that, but there seems to be a massive gap developing which sees the richest flaunting their wealth at the expense of everyone “beneath” them. That gap seems to have become wider due to property wealth. Those with property have the world at their fingertips – security, future riches, a handout to children to continue the division, and a real part in ensuring further social division by amassing more assets while those without property sink into a hole occupied by tenants and serfs. I hear the term “but I’ve worked hard for it” almost on a daily basis – uttered by people who reside in houses that provide more income just by existing, than they could ever earn by working for it. It is a term that is proffered to me in an embarrassed sort of way, b…

Impressing new clients is an art form. When I was contacted by an interior design firm that fitted out boutique hotel rooms, I was flattered, but keen to show what I could do for them on a long term basis. I’d shot the owner’s home last year, and it had subsequently sold within a few days of the listing going live, so they were well aware of my capabilities. That had actually been a bit of a toughie in terms of lighting.
The company website and brochures featured nice enough photography, but it was apparent that it wasn’t done by a professional, as the lighting was flat, and the vertical lines within the scene weren’t straight. A dead give-away every time. The location was the Shangri-La suite at the posh gastro-pub and hotel called The Crab & Lobster just outside Thirsk in North Yorkshire. The short brief was to shoot about 15-20 images detailing the whole room, leaving out any of the “worn” elements. They’d tried to shoot it themselves, but just didn’t have the skills or equipmen…