John McIntire Photography

When At The Crossroads

2011-05-30T15:50:00.000+01:00

When At The Crossroads

When you're plodding along, often times at full speed ahead, it is inevitable that you lose sight of everything in the peripheral. Everything may seem to be going right or everything may seem to be going wrong. In some cases and certainly in my own, everything may very well look the same. Each step brings the same stretch of of monotony. Imagine it, if you will, as you were walking down one of the many straight and distraction free roads in Kansas. Hundreds of miles of nothing but featureless landscape and empty concrete.

Eventually; however, you have to get somewhere and sticking with the metaphor above, that will usually be a crossroads. Do you just continue straight ahead with no thought? Do you quickly make a decision and go where the roads may take you? Or, do you sit down, have a breather and ponder what has led you here, to this grave stretch of monotony.

Clearly, nobody likes to feel they've lost their way or to feel they've gone wrong somewhere, but in my own case I feel that I have.

After much thought, I realise that this result has happened because of other people, through no fault of their own, offering their input on what I should be doing. It is I that have taken on all those advices and criticisms without flinching. It is my fault that I haven't fully considered whether each piece fits my puzzle or not. So, in taking on everything that's come to me, I became lost, muddled and clouded in judgement, following a path set out by the whims of others.

That's no good.

In doing so, I've lost sight of my own goals; of which I don't even remember if I had any. Instead, just putting one foot in front of the other in order to reach a destination that I'm truly unaware of whether or not it exists. Walking to my own grave if you will.

Now if you've read this far, I am immensely sorry that this is such a personal post; however, it is not a negative one, I promise that at least if you'll only bear with me.

So here I sit, at an intersection and I've been here for quite some time.

Do I ignore the consequences, pick myself up and keep going? Do I say "Screw it" and take a path unknown? Or do I sit here longer, pull out an atlas and plan my own journey; thorough and concise.

Two options are easy. The third, in theory, should be just as easy, yet I find it the most frightening and intimidating of the lot.

However, I am quite exhausted of this free roaming existence with no end result in sight. No goals and no purpose. In that statement alone, I believe I have my answer.

So here it is; a mandate to myself.

Don't do it to yourself anymore. I will plot my own course through this journey. I will take steps as quickly or slowly as each leg requires. But most of all, after each step, I will quantify the results and if that particular facet of the journey does not lead me closer to a goal, then it shall not be repeated.

Most of all, I will strive to enjoy and learn from every single moment on the way.

I am still at the crossroads, but now I'm sat here diligently planning my next move.

My Favourite People On Facebook

2011-02-28T19:03:00.001Z

My Favourite People On Facebook

Probably quite rightly, there's a lot of emphasis on Twitter when it comes to blogs and such, yet Facebook is just as rich! Here's a list of some of my favourite people and their pages (in no particular order) on Facebook! Go "Like" them! You won't be disappointed!

Lottibella

An incredible model and an incredibly nice person!

Panda Face Photography

A huge part of my portfolio with her modelling persona and also quite the up and coming alt photographer!

Emma-Alicia

Another incredible model as well as a brilliant Make-up Artist!

Collette Von Tora

It's only just been over a week since I had the pleasure of working with her, but this Bizarre cover girl is amazing!

Peggy Soo

Yet another incredible model and all over lovely person! Like now!

Miss Lily Stark

I'm going to have to put gaps in between all the incredible models on this list!

Dark Arts

An alternative modelling agency that deserves your attention!

Asha Tank

All over renaissance woman! Owner of Dark Arts, wonderful model and stupidly nice person!

Pirate Photography

Kitten is one of the most prolific and consistent conceptual photographers out there! Also plenty of geeky goodness!

Integra Fairbrook

The closest I have to a muse! Extraordinary woman!

Violaceous Latex

Rubbery awesomeness of the wearable kind!

Miss Cobweb

I cannot believe how many times I've had the pleasure of working with Miss Cobweb. Sheer disbelief: she's that good!

Fetasia Latex

New latex designer with a vintage twist! Gorgeous stuff!

Rudigo

Another model that plays a huge role in my portfolio! Always up for utter craziness!

Zivity UK

The one true home for all UK based Zivity artists! Stay tuned: we're growing fast!

Tamara-Marie

Zivity model extraordinaire and total nut job (in a fantabulous way!)!

Black Lotus

Tea addled conversation junkie who also happens to be an awesome model! She's utterly lovely and joy to know!

That's it for now. Overload is no good after all! I shall probably revisit this in a few weeks with anyone I've forgotten!

Project: Yorkshire Fashion Industry

2011-02-24T14:40:00.000Z

Project: Yorkshire Fashion Industry

For one of my University assignments this semester, I have been tasked with creating a body of work that encapsulates a genre of photography. In my case, I was more or less directed to stay away from fashion and contemporary portraiture for obvious reasons. With those limitations in mind, I also thought it would behoove me to steer away from still-life and music photography as well.

It took a few weeks of very hard thinking to conceptualise a project that would maintain my interest as well as help to further my individual pursuits. Inspiration finally came after I remembered a little snippet I read on Joe McNally's blog quite a while ago regarding how National Geographic spreads are shot. Now, I know most people associate National Geographic with wildlife and pretty landscapes, but I associate it with brilliant reportage and documentary on all manner of subjects; the article I always think of first when I think of National Geographic is one on Caffeine. In Joe's post, he reflected that it used to be 1500 rolls of film used to be shot for a single article. That single sentence provided incredible insight to the quality of photography that National Geographic is famed for. Also stuck in my brain, were that these articles were not comprised of any one genre of photography, but rather encompassed all genres.

With these two notions in my head, I proposed to my tutor that I actually prepare a documentary article on the subject of the Yorkshire based fashion industry (focusing on South and West Yorkshire) and present the final product in the form of a magazine.

Once I had her approval, I began evolving the idea further. More inspiration for the project came from the unlikely source of Magnum photographer Martin Parr during a lecture he gave in Huddersfield. Mr. Parr is currently working on a project based on his fashion work in which his output is no other than a magazine. The inspiration comes from the fact that he is actually including advertising (produced himself) in his magazine as well as the content.

Along with my own ideas for the project, the bits of inspiration from these two legendary documentary photographers helped me to provide a solid plan for my project as outlined below:

Goal: To create a photographic and journalistic article that documents the current state and history of the fashion industry in the region of South and West Yorkshire and produce the final output in a magazine format with intent to exhibit the body of work at a later date.

In order to achieve this enormous task, I intend to research and document the following:

Independent Designers and their workspaces
Fashion Retail
Independent Boutiques
Street Fashion
Textile Industries
Independent Craft Fairs
Fashion Recycling/ Charity Shops
Shopping Culture
Beauty Industries
Fashion Shows and Trade shows
Fashion Related Advertising (Billboards, shop windows, etc)

I need to have the majority of the work done for the beginning of May in order to prepare the final output for the hand-in date, but it should be entirely possible to finish the project in that time frame.

I am open to virtually anyone getting involved in the project as long as it is fashion and beauty based (even if it's not covered in the list above). Please feel free to get in touch via the comments section, the contact forms on my website or by Facebook.

I'm very excited about undertaking a project with huge potential and I very much appreciate the time you took to read this! If you can help in anyway, please don't hesitate!

Replanning and Refocussing Social Media Efforts

2010-11-30T16:44:00.000Z

Replanning and Refocussing Social Media Efforts

When it all seems to be too much, it usually isn't. Well, not to me. When this happens, it's usually just a matter of a different approach. This is certainly the case when it comes to my online presence. Between all the normal social media sites, photo sharing sites, networking sites, blogs and all the other miscellany: sometimes it just gets a tiny bit overwhelming.

For too long now, I've been telling myself I'm going to write up a crystal clear and concise plan with how I'm going to use each and when; an editorial calendar of sorts if you will.

Finally, I'm there. After a good few days (weeks and weeks really) I've managed to come up with a rough, not too strict, agenda for my various outlets online.

Now I could keep this to myself and just get on with it, but this post serves to purposes. First, it's here to direct whomever might be interested to exactly where the information relevant to them might be found. For example, if you're interested in pretty photos on a regular basis, then my student blog probably isn't where you want to be. If you're interested in musings and thoughts on the whole creative and business sides of photography, you probably won't be interested in my Facebook page.

Second, through conversations, I know I'm not the only person trying to tackle this conundrum. Therefore, if laying out my solution to this dilemma can possibly help someone else in some way: bonus results!

Each tool will now serve a specific purpose, well, as specific as possible without limiting all potential.

So, if there's something in my experience and endeavours that interests you, you can find out where it will be found from now on below!

The Website

Of course, my website will remain the hub of all my online activity. It's purpose, to display my portfolio and allow for a single way for people to find and get in touch with me remains unchanged. Also unchanged from my business and marketing plan is the fact that all other online efforts should in some way point back to the "hub". The same applies to the website for my alternative work.

Facebook

Quite easily the form of social media I use most, my approach to Facebook will more or less remain the same. My personal profile is where I do most of my networking with collaborators and like minded creatives. It's a weird and eclectic mix of personal and professional, but doing things like that keeps it from getting stale and cold in my opinion.

It's been fairly recent that Facebook has shifted as my main means of networking. Other sites such as Model Mayhem have deteriorated in use and priority as their tools have become less effective thanks to a reduction in features for non paying members.

Facebook Pages

I have two Facebook pages. One for my fashion and beauty work and the other for my alternative work. These will continue to be used for regular (almost daily) and short updates and showcasing and a bit of networking as the limited tools allow. These mostly allow a presentation method for people who are interested in my photos but not interested in the photography side of things.

Twitter

With a recent influx of busy-ness added to my schedule, my use of Twitter has dwindled a bit. It's a shame for certain, as I do love it. So, I will pick back up on Twitter as I would really hate to see it unused. As before, it will mostly be for networking between other photographers, models and creatives as well as trying to keep up with the ever-moving fashion and beauty industries.

The Blogs

I have three blogs and I think this is where most of the "confusing myself" has come from. No longer as each now has a specific purpose.

The Website Blog

Tying into the goal of the site itself, my main blog is where I will be posting recent work, who I've been working with, projects I'm working on as well as promotional offers and the such as it relates to my business. Easy.

This Blog

Finding a purpose for this blog was slightly more confusing. However, after careful thought it wasn't all that hard, after all it would be a shame to have no use for it at all. This will be the main point of "operations" for professional industry related networking with other photographers and such. Things like techniques, equipment, thoughts and, god forbid, rants that don't belong with marketing will be here. I will also use it to share things I've found throughout any given week for the benefit of people who aren't sad and always scrounging for any information available.

The Student Blog

As I'm currently enrolled in a FdA program for Commercial Photography, one of the requirements for the course is to keep yet another blog. This was another confusing one as there's tons of information I wanted to share with my fellow students; however, didn't think it was the proper outlet. It's not, as it turns out. So all that info will be shared on this blog. The student blog will be exactly that: student stuff. Course work and it's relatives. If you want to follow along with the things a commercial photography degree course entails then follow there!

Flickr

My Flickr has more or less been taken over by NiceSmileSir (a 365 project). Instead of trying to fight that, I'm going to let it stay that way for a while, so for a photo a day (some really awful snapshots from me as well) check my Flickr.

DeviantArt

As far as photo sharing goes, I much prefer DeviantArt anyway, so that's where the focus will go in that respect.

Model Mayhem

Though it's use has somewhat fallen off recently, I still think Model Mayhem is by far the most useful networking tool avaiable for photographers, models and Make-up Artists. Therefore, I will continue to use it as such. For its recent shortcomings; Facebook has more than made up for them and shall continue to fill the gap.

Purestorm

Purestorm. In the past, I've more than made clear my not so high opinions of this site. However, I've noticed a huge increase in usage of late and can no longer ignore its potential. I don't have the highest hopes, but I will strive to make the most of it nonetheless.

The End

Finally; well, for now. I do apologise if all that seems cold, clinical and slightly dispassionate. Anyone that knows me, should happily tell you I'm not actually like that, I just couldn't think of a way to get the information across without losing the point. In short, if you're reading this because you're interested in some aspect of my work, please use the post to find the stuff you're looking for. If you're here because you're trying to sort out a similar problem, I can only hope it's helped you in some small way!

Thanks for getting this far and hopefully I'll see you somewhere amongst the interwebs!

Zivity (NSFW)

2010-10-20T15:48:00.002+01:00

Zivity <3

I do love Zivity. Why you ask? Easy! It's a great, friendly community where everyone has a similar purpose and goal! Create the prettiest and best work possible and share it! What could be better than that?

Of course, Zivity does have a royalty system for contributors allowing a small amount of payment for work submitted. It's not a lot, but for me, that's not what it's about!

I now have an excuse to create work for the fun of it. Experiment and play around with ideas that aren't exactly commercially viable. More importantly, I have an excuse to work with all the fabulously wonderful models that have also come onto the site!

Add the regular themed contests and there's always a challenge to hone creativity and guess what: have fun!

Basically, it gives me a venue for personal work that doesn't always have a place amongst everything else and just as importantly it's a Hell of a lot of fun!!

So do come say hello! If you're not a contributor, just drop me a line and I'll invite you to a 30day free trial of the site! And if you want to model for it, or even if you're a photographer looking to contribute, just give me a shout and I'll answer any questions you may have, but don't forget to read the FAQ, it's rather concise and for once this is a site that's completely transparent about everything!

I do hope you're convinced and I'll be seeing you there shortly!

Breaking The Rules (NSFW)

2010-10-11T14:17:00.000+01:00

Breaking The Rules

Lately, whenever I've gone through my portfolio, there's been one thing in particular I've been quite critical of. Quite simply, I felt as though I wasn't doing enough to push myself forward.

Sadly, I know where a large part of this problem stemmed from. The amount of energy and time required to run a small business as a sole trader doesn't lend itself very well to creativity. So I had a problem. Wherever there's a problem, there's always a solution right? I promised myself, in the next few shoots I did, I'd strive to push everything a bit forward. I'm always cramming new information into my head, but I'm not always using it. Thus, I knew I needed to dust off the cobwebs and push some new stuff out there!

The best way to start, I figured, was to ignore what I know. Camera clubs and magazines and what not spew forth a lot of rigid rules as to what makes a "good photograph". I've known for a long time that a technically perfect photograph doesn't always translate into a photograph worth looking at, yet when in the thick of the moment, it's all too easy to stick to "what is expected".

I have made very small steps towards this in the past, often inspired by some of my favourite magazines, but usually it would be a one-off before returning to the "safe" images.

Basically, screw it. I wanted to make something different. Something for fun and something interesting to look at. Cue a whole lot of flare, overexposure, underexposure, light stands in the frame, ridiculously long exposures in a studio, white balances all over the place. These past two weeks have been a bit fun and I have no intention of stopping here!

Enough talk! I do hope you enjoy these half as much as I enjoyed making them!

Thanks for reading! I do hope you enjoy the post and even feel compelled to kindly leave a comment!

Back To School

2010-09-22T22:51:00.001+01:00

Two weeks ago today, I turned 30. Shut up. I'm still rather devastated by that little fact. However, one week ago today, I finally began something that has been listed as one of my major "priorities" in life. I started University. Funny how life gets in the way of something you dictate to be "one of the most vital things you need to do in life".

Beautifully, the course is for a Foundation Degree in Commercial Photography through Leeds Metropolitan University via Wakefield College. This should be thoroughly interesting. So far, the first three days have been rather droll; mostly consisting of enrolment and a few very basic camera craft assignments. However, there already is brightness in the future.

If nothing else, I've already found out that I will be able to sign out both the Mamiya 645 and the Rolleiflex TLR. Consequentially, I've already ordered 12 rolls of 120 so I can get that show on the road.

As I get deeper into the course as well as my own work outside of the University, I promise I shall not neglect this blog as I have. Furthermore, as a class, we've been informed that we shall be required to start a new Blogspot blog as of next week. I will link to that as well and if nothing else, I can ascertain that that one will be very regularly updated as it is considered part of the coursework.

Okay. I'll stop for now. Updates with images will be on the way soon!

Frolicking About and Playing Around

2010-06-02T21:14:00.000+01:00

Frolicking About and Playing Around

Earlier, I tweeted: "I want to fall in love with my camera again . . ." Well, I was kind of serious. Through everything that goes into starting up and running a photography business, it's quite well documented that the actually taking of photographs isn't the largest time consumer.

It was time to play. In fact, it was long over due.

Enter my grandmother-in-laws garden; add a dash of exquisite late afternoon light and a sprinkle of shallow depth of field and I just spent half an hour playing around.

None of the results are perfect and a lot of the post-processing is clearly even more playing around, but it was fun and even though all the fashion and beauty and stuff is tremendous fun that has no equal, this sort of fun is totally stress free (especially when were talking about someone who's whole system shuts down around other people!)

So, without further ado, here's the results of an afternoon just mucking about with the light tight box and its requisite hole in the front.

Follow Friday - Or - Lots Of Twitter Love

2010-05-07T17:05:00.007+01:00

Follow Friday - Or - Lots Of Twitter Love

Okay! As I said in my last post, it's time to give credit where credit is due! If you're on Twitter, then you should be following these people. They epitomise wonderfulness! If you're not on Twitter, well, this list should tell you that you're missing out on a lot!

#FF

@ImmortalRStar - It's scary how well I know this guy. Some might think we were the same person!

@amandarecker - Amazing photographer. Amazing person. Amazing friend. Stalking her is a must!

@LaurenIntegra - Because she's all sorts of pleasant wonderfulness and one hell of a model!

@kittiwakekate - Tis' Kate. The very first victim of my tattoo project and many many other times shooting her in the facepalms! Seriously, the world just wouldn't be complete without her!

@tamaramarie89 - The multi-talented, hugely versatile and utterly lovely Tamara-Marie. Model, Stylist, Photographer! She rox0rs!

@raychelperks – Creative Genius. Amazing friend, cohort, mentor, co conspirator!

@piratephoto - After meeting her in person, I can certainly say she's as lovely as she comes across! Fabulous photographer! Do not miss! Ever!

@violaceouslatex - This brand new latex designer is utterly amazing! I've already had the pleasure of collaborating with her several times and can only hope there's much more to come! This woman is going places!

@tattoo_23 – He’s the one the only! Joyously insane!

@HeleneAtsuko - I had the pleasure of working witht his incredible model for the first time the other week! Incredibly lovely and extremely talented!

@BlackLotu5 – Amazing alternative model with whom I can only hope the future allows for many more collaborations! She also single-handedly keeps several tea plantations in business!

@Panda_Face - The Brain to my Pinky. We will take over the world one day! But in the meantime, alt model and photographer goodness not to be missed!

@Rudigo - Because she’s awesome and lovely and prettyful and nice!

@Misscobweb - Another amazing model! Definitely one of the best around!

@misslilystark - Had the pleasure of working with her for my tattoo project recently! Great poser, lovely person! :D

@Cottonarts – Great friend, brilliant designer, genius artist and an immensely talented photographer!

@ASYLUMseventy7 - No one person should be allowed this much creative genius!

@zivity – Zivity = blissful interwebs. What, you’re not a member yet? For shame. For shame.

@nicesmilesir- Nice Smile Sir is a 365 project that I'm currently taking part in.

@thejeangenie10 - A charity event with a difference! Get creative and revamp/recycle/mutilate an old pair of jeans for charity and possibly win a prize! What could be more fun?!

Of course, if you're not following me, please do!! @macjw2

There it is for now. I'm utterly positive it's not complete, but the beauty is, this will be an evolving process. This list is certain to grow over time and I'll likely be expanding on why these wonderful persons should have a place in your "follow" list

Follow Friday Chaos - What to Do?

2010-05-07T16:33:00.000+01:00

Follow Friday - Or - Lots of Twitter Love

The Problem!

For those of you who use Twitter (that should be everyone) you all to well know the concept of "Follow Friday". In it's bare simplicity, it is nothing more than a tool to recommend other Twitter users you "follow" to your "followers". It's a brilliant concept and as such, it has been a mainstay of the networking site on every Friday since it's inception.

Now, everything isn't without complication. There's one huge problem with "Follow Friday". It's messy. Every Friday, hundreds if not thousands of random screen names come flying through my feed. It's difficult, if not impossible, to separate the wheat from the chaff.

I also don't like putting random names out there without any inclination as to why I recommend whom I do. That means, when I have the time or remember to do my #FF recommendations, I'm suddenly quick-firing 20-30 tweets into the Twitterverse. That, of course, doesn't help the chaos either. As I hinted, that is also time consuming, which means often I forget and that's no good either. It's hard to give credit where credit is due when you're not actually giving the credit.

The Solution

I've noticed a few small trends recently of different ways people are trying to clean up the "system". To me, this one, in all it's simplicity and brevity, makes the most sense. Quite basically, I'm going to put all my "Follow Friday" recommendations into the next post on this blog. I'll then tweet that every Friday, once in the morning or afternoon for the UK crowd and once in the evening for the US crowd. I'll update it everytime I have new recommendations and most of all, my favouritest of Twitterers will never be forgotten!

I do hope this works the way I see it in my head! Anyways, off to go make my recommendations!

It Feels Like Starting Again

2010-03-08T13:14:00.000Z

It Feels Like Starting Again

Though starting over isn't quite what I'm doing. For a long while now I've been considering ways of separating my alternative work from my more mainstream work. Obviously these two don't exactly go together like peas and carrots and even the most die hard of the non-rocket scientists out there can confirm that mixing two such genres can turn people off.

At first this wasn't an issue, but in recent months with a bit of press coverage and a huge increase in web traffic, such naysayers have started to become a bit vocal. Add to that, I refuse to put and NSFW content on my main site, a lot of my work has just not been shared.

The main reason why I haven't acted on anything yet is simply because I've had a serious block for the past year and a half coming up with a pseudonym to group it all under. I could have gone for some obscure fantasy references with some dark, huge words that would require a scholar to decipher, let alone spell correctly. Obviously, that wouldn't do at all and I needed something, catchy, kitschy, simple and memorable. Not an easy task I tell you. Not an easy task.

The other week, Raychel of Raynbow Studio approached me with the concept of marketing material focusing around the word "immortalised". It was love at first incantation! However, that didn't solve the pseudonym problem.

Transfer back to two nights ago and I really began to get desperate. With some of the proposals I've had for work, including Zivity, I really needed to move this stuff away from "John McIntire Photography" so I frantically started churning random words out. Eventually, I uttered something I really liked. A quick google check told me I shouldn't though. Though there were no photography related results, there were a lot of music entities and a fashion designer using very similar monikers. No good.

Then, something slightly miraculous happened when I woke up the next day. Raychel's "Immortalised" popped back into my head and the concept of kitschy and catchy with it.

Epiphany!

After two hours and several hardcore Google searches it became apparent enough that after so long, my revelatory moment had given birth to my new pseudonym for my Alternative Fashion and Glamour work!

So, with a quick visit to my web-hosting platform, I quickly secured the domain, threw up a splash page and with that, we have the birth of:

Immortal Rockstar: Alternative Imagery

Check out the teaser page here:

Personally, I love it. A bit cliche, yet catchy and kitschy and it should easily stick in a few minds!

Now I have the enormous task of building a brand around it. Not the least daunting of tasks, but it should be fun and it is quite an exciting prospect. It does kind of feel like starting over, but it's bringing back all the nervous thrills that starting out brought up in the first place and I will tell you, the blood is flowing and I feel more excited and creative than ever!

T-Shirted Merl

2010-03-01T20:14:00.001Z

T-Shirted Merl

Apart from piecing together a fabulous outfit that merged Victorian, steampunk and geisha styles, for our last shoot Merl brought along a selection of T-Shirts from "Cute Culture"!

The concept we came up with couldn't be simpler. A clean white background and some cute, quaint poses to match the wardrobe! Add her blue wig (her hair was green) and there we had it. She even managed a few smiles to top it all off! Simple but effective!

As always, thanks for reading!

Integra Fairbrook And Her Tattoo (NSFW)

2010-02-25T14:41:00.001Z

Integra Fairbrook And Her Tattoo

I did get a little excited when (Sir) Integra Fairbrook agreed to take part in my tattoo project! Certainly one of the best models I've had the chance to work but also one of the lovliest! She's also a bit of a geek too (my Final Fantasy ringtones are courtesy of her), so that makes for all kinds of win!

That's all for now! There's a lot more to come for my project in the forthcoming weeks, so do stay tuned!

Black Lotus (NSFW)

2010-02-24T19:14:00.001Z

BlackLotus (NSFW)

Seeing as how we now have the date set for the third shoot with the wonderful BlackLotus, I don't think I can think of a more appropriate time to share an image from one of our upcoming Zivity sets!

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to give BlackLotus and myself a wave on Zivity! The set is due to be featured on the 10th of April!!

A Small Tearsheet

2010-02-23T19:53:00.004Z

A Small Tearsheet

There won't be many words in this post. There doesn't need to be. All I can say really, is that I have been waiting for the this tearsheet for a while. I can only hope it's the start of a fair few from this particular project!

Without further ado:

Click For Bigger

Just in case the article isn't as self-explanatory as I think (of course I am overly familiar with the situation): This is the first piece of publicity about an exhibition of Vivienne Westwood shoes at the Barnsley Civic beginning in May!

I am far too excited myself!

Shifting Focus

2010-02-22T16:13:00.000Z

Shifting Focus

I started this blog, last year, as I was beginning my foray into turning photography in to my full-time profession. The idea was that I was going to post about the trial and tribulations, the successes and the failures I had along the way. To in some way, pass on information and lessons that I learned in the process. I would still love to be able to do this, but I learned one very valuable lesson along the way.

There are no instant lessons. The learning process for each and every piece of information doesn't happen overnight and as expected, there have been more failures and setbacks than successes. The lack of posts along the vein of running a photography business is simple due to that. Whilst I have learned an extraordinary amount, I cannot pass on what I've learned with the risk that it is mostly unproven and potentially dangerous to whomever might read it. That would just be plain irresponsible and quite the antithesis of the ideals of sharing.

Because I do want to maintain this blog and I don't want to inadvertantly sabotage someone elses career choices and therefore their life in even the smallest of ways, I will be shifting focus of this blog a bit. Instead of trying to write about the runnings of a photography business, which I am unqualified to do, I am going to return to the much simpler format of writing about photography. My photography, the photography of those around me that I admire and respect, the goings on behind the images and occasionally, I might still be able to brush on the topic of photography as a business.

So in the coming weeks, I will be sharing with you some of the fabulous times I've had over the past several moths and I will also be sharing with you the people that I admire, the friends I have made and the one's to look out for as they, like myself, set out on their quest to conquer the world!

As these changes are taking place, I've changed the title of the blog and I have also changed the URL. Please, make sure you update any bookmarks or feed readers to ensure you still recieve your subscriptions! The new address is http://johnmcintirephotography.blogspot.com/

The goal of this change is to enable me to provide interesting content on regular basis, so I do hope you'll be sure to keep an eye out for my posts as they start rolling out very soon!

The Portrait

2010-01-29T02:02:00.000Z

The Portrait

-as requested by Rachel Bramall: Photography Student and Model

*Disclaimer* - I do not presume any of my opinions to be absolute and the following is just that: my opinion.

Definition

por⋅trait -[pawr-trit, -treyt, pohr-] -–noun-

1) a likeness of a person, esp. of the face, as a painting, drawing, or photograph: a gallery of family portraits. (dictionary.com)

The way I see things, the first five words of that defintition couldn't be any more precise. When talking portraiture, that's exactly what needs to be remembered: you're capturing the "likeness of a person." Whilst I think the subtext that refers to the face isn't relevant, I won't focus on personal philosophies.

Sub-Styles

The definition above, as accurate as it is, remains pretty broad and covers every single style of portrait imaginable. To talk about all of it under one umbrella would not only be wrong, but each individual style requires entirely an entirely different technique and approach than the next! For example, approaching a fashion portrait the way you would approach a family portrait could only end in disaster. Well, in most cases, a family portrait approach might just be perfect for an odd editorial spread, but you get the point.

Alas, family portraits and fashion are only two of the numerous, numerous subcategories of the photographic portrait. the genre also inludes:

Fashion
Family Portariture
Children's Portraiture
Newborn Portariture
Wedding Portraiture
Beauty Portraiture
Glamour
Boudoir
Art

The list can go on and each subcategory has its own many, many subcategories. Essentially, this just proves that the possibilities for portraiture upon the picking up a camera are limitless.

Quality

Generally, all of these approaches are completely different; however, and again generally, there are a few constants that pertain to technique and camera craft. Now, presume if you will: you have your camera, you have your subject, you have your location or studio and you know what the end style and purpose will be. Particularly if there is any commercial use involved, the resulting photos rely on you knowing the basics of how to use a camera. Sharp focus, good use of depth of field, correct exposure, composition, the biggest piece of transparency or highest quality digital sensor you can get your hands on, (for output of course becasue we all know that in the right hands a disposable camera can be the right tool for the job) and every other thing that I won't dwell on because of course there is already an infinite wealth of that information to be found.

Essentially, know how to use your camera, know how your going to achieve the realisation of your concept and know how to put it all together long before you put your lens in the subject's face.

Style

Now comes the fun bit and the bit that makes the multitude of images out there interesting to look at. Give two photographers the same location, the same subject and the same camera and ultimately the results will be different, sometimes the results are so hugely far apart that you would never guess the circumstance. Are you the type of person who exposes for highlights or rather shadows? Always black and white? Or always colour? Do you always use the shallowest depth of field or do you prefer everything in the frame razor sharp? Soft muted tones or brazenly hard contrast?

Again, the possibilities are endless and as a photographer, whether you realise it or not, there will always be subconcious consistencies in everything you shoot (That is of course unless your intentionally do otherwise). Little things stemming from how you learned your techniques, to the type of person you are and even down to the type of music you listen to will inevitably play a part on your photographic style. That's the real beauty of it all. You can either make a concious effort to develop your style or just let it flow or even break apart anytime.

Now, I hear, "How does this relate to the portrait?". Simple. As you are making an image that portrays the likeness of someone else, you are inevitably impressing upon that likeness part of your likeness as an artist or craftsman. Commercially, your personal style could very well be your selling point; however, it could just as easily be your stumbling block. If your portraits are usually very dark, brooding and dismally atmospheric; you probably won't be taking portraits of very many young children, yet that style might just be perfect for an advertisement in a magazine.

In the end, your style will ultimately effect what type of portraits you take. Of course, you could always train yourself separately in the techniques to take the sort of photos that the clients you wouldn't normally have would swoon over, but that is when it stops being personal and I challenge most people to carry on with it much longer beyond that point.

Lighting

Photographic lighting is another one of those subjects that is covered in hundreds of places in immense depth and it also happens to be one of the last few areas chock full of innovation. Because of this, I won't be covering specifics of what to use or illustrate with lighting diagrams because that would be rather pointless.

What you need to know about lighting, as it pertains to portraiture, is that it is the single most important element above all else, in my opinion of course. Fortunately, to that effect, the options are utterly limitless. If an object emits light, then it is a viable lightsource for your portraits. I don't care if it's a £1000 studio flash head or a £10 work lamp. Whether it's the midday sun or a computer screen. Everything is viable and it's up to you to work out how to use it to the best effect. { There is only one source of light that you should never, ever use and that's that little tiny built in flash on your camera. If your ever tempted to use it, just get a small hammer or other "weapon of opportunity" and break it. You won't be tempted again. If this needs explaining, then it's time to visit some of the previously mentioned abundance of sources on photographic lighting. Personally, I like Strobist }

So, in order to consistently create a high grade of portrait, you have to understand light and you have to know how to manipulate that light. Ambient or artificial, manmade or natural, you must master light in order to make it work for you subject. This is far more important than the subject's ease, comfort, expression or anything else you might hear. Remember, photo literally means light. Without light there is no photo and without controlling that light and making it work it's magic for you there is no good photo except by way of an occasional accident.

Post-Production

I am going to briefly touch on a pet peeve of mine concerning the vernacular commonly used regarding post production. Please, for the sake of my sanity, carefully review the following definitions and commit them to memory.

Editing - The process of going through contact sheets or digital files, weeding out the inferior images and selecting the final images to be retouched.
Retouching - The physical process of correcting, adjusting and removing flaws from images by way of the darkroom or computer software.

Now, retouching is another important element in the portrait. That is, unless of course you're of the frame of mind that retouching is evil and refuse to do anything outside of the camera, then fine, that of course is a valid approach to things, just please make sure that Ansel Adams is not on your list of "heroes" before heading off to preach elsewhere.

The amount and type of retouching you will do will of course depend on your personal style and your skill level. You may simply remove blemishes or you may add a little extra contrast to the eyes or you may go all out and remove your subject from where the image was taken and place them in an entirely different scene. Technically, that would be called manipulation but it all falls into the same boat. You could, by all means, remove all "imperfections" from your subject and give them digital liposuction to disguise that extra 40 pounds of "beer weight" but your're not going to do that are you? Are you?

Output

Output is the last part of the process, but in actuality, probably the very first thing you considered when approaching your portrait. The end result of a session will always factor into the planning and the preparation and then the actual shooting, but it is still the end result and what matters at the finish line.

What are the uses for portraits? Nice, gigantic prints on the wall. That's a good start. Some pretty pictures for social media? Increasingly. A good human way to show the people behind the faceless corporations by way of a wall of photos or a section on a website? Yes. The options for the end result aren't quite limitless; however, you will very badly struggle to run them out in your lifetime.

Your creativity and the amount of work you're willing to put in are the only true limits. That applies to everything I've written about above. Though this whole thing has mostly been blanket generalisations and a whole lot of opinion, in the end, whatever portraits you make will be a piece of you and will show the person behind the camera just as much as the one in front of it. That is what truly makes it art.

Four Months

2010-01-13T15:47:00.002Z

Four Months

Has it really been four months since I last posted? It seems just like yesterday I was gushing on and on about corsets.

Well, there is a reason, I assure you and rest assured it's nothing to do with boredom with it or even having nothing to talk about. In fact, I have been so ridiculously busy the past few months that it just slipped to the sidelines for a little bit.

Now that I've realised what I've allowed to happen, I shall be rectifying that quite a bit shortly. I acoomplished quite a lot since the last time I posted, I've learned even more about business and I've had numerous wonderful shoots and jobs and most importantly, I've moved operations out of my pitiful little loft into a dedicated space in the centre of Barnsley.

In short, I am here and active I shall become.

In the meantime here's a shot from a shoot just before I went away to the States for Christmas:

Corsets, Corsets, Corsets

2009-09-30T16:34:00.005+01:00

Corsets, Corsets, Corsets

Let's face it: In fashion photography, whether it be your mainstream high fashion or your alternative fashion, there is one constant. The corset!

As far as clothing goes, they're beautiful. And take away the functionality of just being an article in your wardrobe, many of them themselves are works of art.

I cannot think of a single other form of garment by itself is just so fabulous. Clothing perfection in my opinion.

Okay that's enough gushing.

The point of this whole post is of course, how well corsets work in photography. Again, fashion, alt fashion, glamour, pin-up; they are all served well with this timeless article of clothing.

Way back, my very first shoot in my home "studio" was for promo material for a local burlesque troupe and almost solely involved corsets. From there I was hooked and I have had the great fortune of photographing many, many of them since.

In fact, I feel compelled to write this post after a recent spate of shoots where several models in a row brought several great corsets with them! Glee!

Anyway, there isn't really too much point to this post except that I really wanted to write something, to express my basic thoughts on corsets and photography and showcase a few of my favourite images involving them! I'll hush up now.

Thanks for reading!

Pop Quiz: What Do You Do When

2009-08-19T13:44:00.003+01:00

Pop Quiz: What Do You Do When

In the middle of a shoot, you decide on the spot that the scene calls for a handbag. Any handbag would do. Black would be best, but your not too picky considering it's just a whim.

Would you ask the two models in the room? Yes, you would. No luck there though as both ladies brought massive bags full of clothes and props. They didn't need a handbag so they didn't bring one.

Doh!

Okay so now you're stuck. That ideas out the window; right?

No.

This is where you start praising your Make-up Artist. Not only does she have a handbag amongst her many many bags, but it's almost exactly the handbag you envisioned!

Perfect!

Thanks Raychel!!!!

The Art Of The Living Canvas

2009-08-17T17:49:00.004+01:00

The Art Of The Living Canvas

One of the many, many things occupying my time at the moment has been a collaboration with the ever so talented artist and make-up artist Raychel Perks.

After a few joint projects, Raychel told me she had some great ideas with bodypaint.

Win!

After searching for a few models, we had a couple wonderful volunteers for the first couple of sets. Diana and Alexandra showed up and not one of the four of us knew for sure what to expect from the day.

If we had decided to expect something magical and wonderful and a full productive day with a great creative atmosphere with some beautifully detailed bodypaint work out of Raychel's first attempt, we would have been underestimating!

But don't take my word for it:

Now, that was just the first attempt! This shoot didn't come close to whetting neither Raychel's or my own creative thirst!

It was time to start thinking about round 2.

Enter Sir Integra.

I worked with Sir Integra on her first photoshoot last January and even then I knew that her enthusiasm and energy and downright loveliness would take her far! Fast forward a year and a half and we have a now, quite, experienced model with all those traits!

Bring on the bodypaint!

There's another beautiful set of bodypaint from this shoot, where Sir Integra is made up as a half-statue, that I won't share here as it falls into the NSFW category. Members of DeviantArt can view some of those images in my gallery HERE

Now the most recent set of bodypaint session was with the ever lovely Rudigo! I still have a lot to work on from this shoot, but I feel I can rather succinctly sum it up with one photo!

Raychel and I already have a few more concepts and plans set into motion, so you can see this is clearly the beginning of a wonderful collaborative effort!

We are also offering these services as a unique portrait session with a bodypainting twist! Feel free to enquire HERE

Thanks you for your time and I hope you found this all worth your while! I certainly did!

Big Sun Vintage Fair

2009-08-11T19:48:00.004+01:00

Big Sun Vintage Fair

This past Sunday make-up artist Raychel Perks and I held a stall at the Big Sun Vintage Fair in Barnsley held at the Lucorum. Tidied away from where the many wonderful vendors peddling their vintage clothes, handmade bags and even paintings; we had ourselves huddled in a great little space where we were offering makeover portrait sessions for a nominal rate!

Mostly, the day was about getting the name out there and through it's course we gave away a great deal of promotional material and what not.

But what I suspect that most people will be interested in is the makovers themselves.

Well, see for yourself:

Overall a successful day and a good boost as it was my first such event as a new small business! I'm very much looking forward to what the future brings!

Hope you enjoyed the photos and that they have you compelled to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!!

Here I Go

2009-08-04T13:55:00.003+01:00

Here I Go

It's been a good while since I've had the opportunity to post here. The last several weeks have been a veritable roller coaster with all the ups and downs. A lot of highs a merciful amount of lows.

The biggest news of the lot would be that as of last Friday at 2PM, my employment in the textile manufacturing industry officially ended. I now have no other source of income other than my camera.

Now other than my continued full time employment, there's the multitude of things that kept me from posting here as I would have liked. Of the many things finished and started over the past few weeks, this is but a quick breakdown:

Business Plan Complete
Several Meetings with a Business Advisor
Several Wonderful Photoshoots
Marketing Plan Complete
Press Release Complete
Several Events and Fairs Scheduled
Found a Studio Space
Lost Said Studio Space
Finished Full-Time Employment (Did I mention that yet?)

Now I plan to touch on a lot of these topics in future posts, as this is still a blog about my endeavour to make a career out of my photography, but for now, I will just leave you with a couple recent images whilst I begin to plan what is next to come.

Bring on The Flashguns

2009-06-03T19:19:00.003+01:00

Bring On The Flashguns

Okay, it might be blatantly obvious, but I love my strobes. Particularily my Bowens GM500. It's magic.

However, a recent conversation with Phil Winterbourne got me thinking about my long neglected, yet trusty flashgun. (430EX) It's been well over a year and a half since I dusted this guy off for no good reason other than I had my strobes to work with.

Phil had pointed out that the flashgun has a highspeed sync feature that I had somehow overlooked. Enthralled, I knew I wanted to try it out.

After a couple test shots in the garden, I knew I was going to get hooked on using my flashgun again. Of course, the first port of call was to take more than a passing interest in the Strobist blog. It can only be considered convenient that the first thing I saw upon arrival was an article on water drops; something I've done dozens of times in the past, but perfect for getting back into the swing of using the 430.

Now, this is by no stretch of the imagination perfect, nor is it even an example of highspeed sync. What it is; however, is me picking up my camera for the Hell of it, for the first time in a long time and even if it is just a quick five minute experiment, I know, once again, that I need to shoot just for the sake of shooting a lot more often!

Tattoos and Things

2009-05-07T20:24:00.004+01:00

Tattoos and Things

Okay, I lied. There aren't really any things involved in this post, but there are certainly tattoos!

This past bank holiday Monday, for me, hosted a shoot I have long anticipated ever since Nick (tattoo23) proposed the shoot! The other model, Demari Vi Syth, I have wanted to work with for a very long time. Sadly, distance prohibited such a collaboration. Until now!

Seriously, this was a fantastically amazing shoot! Having worked with Nick twice before, I knew he is great to work with. Now, Demari Vi Syth: Wow! This woman is amazing! Amazing as a model and just an amazing person in general!

Now put these two together in front of a camera for six hours: MAGIC!!

These guys made this one of my most enjoyable photoshoots to date! Honestly, the energy and enthusiasm they brought to the table broke the scale!

As always, thanks for taking the time to check these out! Don't forget to drop a comment below should you feel the urge!

Who Needs Octopus?

2009-05-01T23:25:00.003+01:00

Who Needs Octopus . . .

When you have Gummi Worms (well, technically Jelly Snakes)?!?!?

Just a fun take on all the alternative beauty shots involving octopuses and models' mouths!

Enjoy!

Androgyny

2009-04-30T10:35:00.005+01:00

Androgyny

I could easily have titled this post with a song reference, but I refuse to quote that atrocious "Beyonce" song and the "The Who" lyrics I have in my head are probably a little too obscure to serve this purpose.

Alas, today I'm going to talk about one of my favourite trends in fashion and fashion photography. Androgyny. I love it. So visual, so visceral, so moving at times. From images of David Bowie to Agyness Deyn to the backup dancers in the video for "Addicted to Love" to the fashion photography of Paolo Roversi. I love it. The whole style, the whole movement.

As such, it is only natural that I would want to incorporate the use of androgyny into my own photography.

Thanks to a few keen models, though not entirely without trepidation, I have been able to start an ongoing body of work based solely on that single, yet enormously broad, concept.

While I am over the moon about being able to conduct this project, I've found that there are a few misconceptions out there that turn a lot of people off of the concept. In particular, male models . I seem to find people tend to believe that androgyny is the act of a girl looking like a boy or a boy looking like a girl.

At least in my vision of the concept, that could not be further from the truth. In fact, it's about being genderless. Either or. Not gender reversal, rather a convergence of both feminine and masculine traits.

Minor hindrances aside, I am now fully on my way to furthering this particular body of work and I can only assume that as the project progresses it will only get easier to justify my vision. I have seriously enjoyed creating my photographic work with androgyny so far and I can only hope to continue to do so in the future!

Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings. Feel free to drop a comment below whether you loved the images, hated them or think I'm just completely full of it! All feedback is always appreciated!

Promotional Poster for the Barnsley Civic

2009-04-28T10:13:00.003+01:00

Promotional Poster for the Barnsley Civic

The Civic Hall in Barnsley has recently been refurbished to an extreme and wonderful degree. Inside, one will now find a music hall, art gallery and creative workspaces all surrounded by the exquisite architecture of the building itself. It really is a wonderful place.

To bring things back to the matter of relevance: below is a promotional poster created for the Barnsley Civic incorporating one of my photographs of the lovely Monika!

A Few Personal Favourites

2009-04-15T00:15:00.005+01:00

It is often said that we are our own worst critics. To this, I am certainly no exception; in fact, more often than not, I epitomise it. I often find myself loathing each and everything I do. I'm always finding the smallest, most insignificant of details to ensure that I am not happy with anything I produce. I, of course, am talking about my photography here, but this also applies to every aspect of my life.

My point is simply, that when I do feel I've done something right, the resulting feeling of accomplishment is indescribable. Incredibly, this is something I've felt several times over the past few weeks alone.

These past three weeks have been astronomically busy for me. On top of the day job, I've managed to squeeze in eight photoshoots and a whole lot of retouching. Add a day trip into Derbyshire for good measure and I'm feeling quite accomplished, if not a bit exhausted.

Was it worth it?

Oh yes.

I've somehow managed to make several photographs which I absolutely adore. Considering that I guesstimate my perceived success ratio to be about 1:10000, this is phenomenal to me!

Alas, enough with the words. Please allow me to share some of these images with you, whether you agree with my own impressions of them or not!!

I do hope you enjoyed viewing these as much as I did making them. Feel free to leave your thoughts as a comment below.

Inevitably, I will be talking about some of the things that went into these shoots on this blog in the near future and I'll be talking about the shoots themselves on the blog on my website before long.

A Smattering of Randomness

2009-03-22T22:17:00.005Z

A Smattering of Randomness

It has been an interesting weekend. To say the very least, it has been interesting.

I'll try to give the "Blogger's Digest" version to keep it short!

Friday: Wake up with the whole left side of my face swollen and in pain. No idea what it was, but the hole in my jawbone where my "not yet wisdom teeth" were taken out is still killing me. By evening, I had enough drugs and what not in me to get on with some retouching. (Example below!)

Saturday: I had a really great photoshoot with Rudigo that was heavily based on concept. I'm quite fond of the results, but the finished product will take me a while because I'm going to have to learn a few new retouching skills for these sets! (sneaky peak below)

Sunday: Today has been odd. One of those days where you just have so much to do, but just can't seem to focus at all. In the end I got a few things done and even played with my toys a bit. (Photo below :P) Finished out the evening with sushi and "Lost". (FTW)

Anyway, here's the weekend in photos:

Friday - Retouching:

Saturday - Photoshoot with Rudigo (Sneaky Peak):

Sunday - Playing with Toys:

Flickr Friday: Phil Winterbourne

2009-03-20T16:14:00.003Z

Flickr Friday: Phil Winterbourne

Okay, it must be time to stop talking about myself again:

For this week's installment of "Rampaging Ferrets Meandering Through The Cotswalds In Rickety Skodas" I would like to fully divert your attention to the wonderfully varied and visually euphoric gallery of Phil Winterbourne

Once you find your eyeballs burrowing deep within the photographic awesomeness that is this photostream, you will, hopefully, quickly come to realize exactly why I've sent you there!

From stunning landscapes to phenomenal gritty editorial fashion and portraiture, it is clear that this guy loves his camera and that it also loves him back. Seriously, after having a perusal of Phil's stream, I challenge you disagree that this stellar body of work really serves to illustrate the passion of the man behind the light-tight box.

Enough! Onto examples:

Images © 2009 Phil Winterbourne. All Rights Reserved. Published here with explicit written permission.

Well, I honestly hope that this have served to entice you into visiting Phil on Flickr!

And for an even more enjoyable experience, do visit his website at www.philwinterbourne.co.uk

Oh, and a little side note, if you're familiar with my work before visiting Phil, you may very well recognise some of the models he has worked with.

London Calling

2009-03-18T11:23:00.004Z

London Calling

Why is it that everything seems to be in London? London, London, London, London!!!!

Some days it's enough to drive me insane. First you log into Model Mayhem and check for new members only to get 25 results for London and 5 for the rest of the country.

Then check all the other sites. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Then you start looking in to specific jobs. London.

Then you start seeing some awesome gallery exhibitions. London.

Then people you know from around the globe are visiting this country. London.

London, London, London.

Every thing is in bloody London and I can't get there. Even if I could I couldn't stay long enough to do anything with my time there.

This is something that's long been ingrained into my head and it's an issue I would really like to sort out. But for right now, I really need to let it go. I know I can't get there. I know I can't stay there. I know I need to leave it.

/endrant (for now)

Photoshoot: Christine

2009-03-15T21:46:00.004Z

Photoshoot: Christine

This past Thursday wasn't the first time I worked with Christine. In fact, it was the third. The difference in this case is that the first two times she was accompanying her friend Helena .

Christine a lovely girl with a unique look. If she were to take more than a small interest in modelling, I'm positive that she would be fairly successful.

But I digress. It was a lovely shoot and I am glad I could be a part of it.

Here's some results:

I hope you enjoyed these at least a fraction of as much as I enjoyed making them!

Flickr Friday: Molly Wassenaar

2009-03-15T21:25:00.004Z

Flickr Friday: Molly Wassenaar

Okay, so this week it's Sunday. I'm less than pleased about that; however, with the week I've had I will allow myself a slight slip there.

Anyway, this week on Flickr Friday I have a real treat in store for you. One of the most talented photographers that I'm aware of, Molly Wassenaar has a photostream to die for.

HDR your thing? She adopted it early on and her stream is full of masterpieces! Medium format film your thing? Her Hassy will kick the Hassy out of your Hassy.

I'm seriously going to stop talking now.

Seeing is believing and you really really have to see her work! Here's a few examples:

Images © 2009 Molly Wassenaar. All Rights Reserved. Published here with explicit written permission.

That should have got your attention. Go, give her the attention her absolutely inspiring flickrstream commands!

This Past Week

2009-03-15T21:09:00.003Z

This Past Week

This past week, all of it, has been slightly mental! Between mentoring proposals, days off, being called into work, shoots, cancellations and viewing absolutely wonderful studio spaces, I really haven't had a chance to let my brain keep up; nevermind keeping up with everything else!

So not only do I have a few posts to write, but I have to sort out what's in my head. Probably the most important of these is that Wednesday, I was shown a studio space in the town centre that is exactly what I've been dreaming of. Not only is it in a wonderful historic building, but the way that building has been refurbished is beyond imagination! It has all the modern accoutrements one would expect in a 21st century hub but not only that, it is literally 2 minutes from the train station and the rates are absolutely dead cheap.

Right.

That's me needing to get on top of my business plan, setting up meetings with business link, registering as a sole trader, opening a business account and somehow convincing a bank I am more than worthy of a business loan in this dire time of economic woe!

I can do this, but it's not me that I need to convince!

My Facebook Page

2009-03-09T16:19:00.004Z

Let's Network

I've finally managed to find the time to make one of these Facebook pages for my photography. So, if you're on Facebook please click the following link and become a fan!

Pretty please! ;)

John McIntire Photography On Facebook

Here's the selection of images I chose to put on there for now:

Go! Fan me! Show some love! Let's Network!

Fun Fun Fun

2009-03-07T22:23:00.005Z

Fun Fun Fun

Nothing thoughtful or particularily deep here. Just a fun set from this past Saturday!

Flickr Friday: Amanda Recker

2009-03-07T12:31:00.005Z

Flickr Friday: Amanda Recker

Okay, so it's actually early Saturday afternoon. I learned a valuable blogging lesson this week. That is to make sure that these weekly features are planned well in advance. Flickr Friday WILL appear on FRIDAY next week!

Now, on with the show!

One of my favourite aspects of photography on the internet is watching people grow as photographers! So this week, I will be sharing a someone from my contact list who's stream shows incredible growth as a photographer.

Amanda Recker

Amanda's photostream is a joyous conglomeration of many different types of photography: Portraits, still life, weddings, art, etc etc. Certainly, there is something in there that will catch your eye.

A few examples:

Some lovely floweriness:

Some thoughtful self-portraitiness:

And a cross between artiness and self portraitiness:

Images © 2009 Amanda Recker. All Rights Reserved. Published here with explicit written permission.

If that's not enough to catch your interest, than I must apologise; however, if it has headon over to her Flickr account and show her some love.

For even more of Amanda's goodness, be sure to check her blog and for all the tweeples out there, follow her here: @amandarecker

Enjoy!

Who Do You Take Photos For?

2009-03-05T12:05:00.001Z

Who Do You Take Photos For?

This is a question I've been dwelling on quite a lot recently and after a conversation on twitter with @bburzycki and reading a related post on Chase Jarvis' blog I thought I relate my thoughts on the issue.

With all the instant sharing capabilities of the internet, we as photographers have a near infinite selection of methods for instant feedback on our work. This, of course, is fantastic; especially for those just starting out trying to learn the ins and outs of their light tight box.

For example, we have DeviantArt , usefilm , pbase , www.fredmiranda.com , PhotoAnswers . Then, for those brave enough to the terms of service, there's the less obvious choices of Myspace and Facebook and many many more.

Great! We have many wonderful channels to share our work and get advice as we progress!

The Forum Trap

If it seems to good to be true, than it must not be true; right? Does all this instant feedback and critique come at a price to our artistic integrity?

I mean, picture this: You're a self-professed n00b armed with a new camera and a teach yourself photography book. You've scoured the pages thoroughly and have already taken hundreds of photos you are well aware should never see the light of day. All of a sudden something clicks and you just sit staring at your monitor. You did something right and the very first photo that you're really proud of is staring back at you. Hastily, you post it to one of the online forums you've been lurking on, yet have never posted. You come back an hour later to find three comments. The first one says "That's pretty". You're now beaming. Scroll down. The second says "It's nice, but the white balance is off." Okay, you understand that because you've been brushing up; something to note for later. You scroll down to see the third comment is from one of the forum's veterans that you've noticed a lot of activity from. You get excited and start to read. All of a sudden, you're photo is torn apart. Nothing about it is right. Everything is completely screwed up and it should be binned.

In that situation, I've seen people react in two main ways. Either they give up or they turn around and and try again making absolute sure that everything that was nitpicked is fixed. Why? Simply because they want that same person to turn around and approve of what they have done.

Again, for someone starting out, this can be the boost they need to start piecing everything together. However, I've seen very experienced photographers fall into the exact same trap. Essentially, they'll have stopped by to test the waters in a new forum and got sucked into the trap of bending over backwards to meet the standards of another faceless photographer.

What's the Price?

From here, let's exclude the people starting out. For the most part, the information they can get can prove invaluable. Let's stick to the many of you who understand the relation between aperture and shutter speed, who live by inverse square law, who know that the rule of thirds isn't a rule at all.

By far, my favourite photography related adage has to be "How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? One. Then another ninety-nine to say how they would have done it different."

Anybody, armed with the knowledge and the right equipment (yes equipment does absolutely matter depending on the task at hand) can take a good photograph. My issue, is what happens when that photograph is "finished" and posted to a forum, or similar outlet? I have seen far too many photographers who DO know what they're doing and who DID know what their exact intent was turn around and be bullied into either removing the image altogether or going back and completely changing it, losing the original intent altogether. Why? For the sake of positive feedback from other photographers.

My own personal definition of art is something you create to your own standards. My definition of craft is something you make to someone else's standards.

By my reasoning (Oh and I don't claim to actually know a thing so take this with a grain of salt) when someone turns around and changes the content of an image, or removes it entirely, based on the critique of someone else, they are actually bastardising their art and betraying their vision for the sake of feedback. No longer is it a piece of personal expression, but rather it is a craft work designed to appease the masses.

The same applies to those who make images with the sole intention of gathering bajillions of comments on Flickr or those who intentionally set out to make it into explore. They aren't taking photos for themselves. They are making photos for an audience. More power to them if that's exactly what they want to achieve, but have you ever spoke to some of these guys and girls. Some of them get very disillusioned very fast.

It's a Double Sided Coin

Here, I am going to contradict my entire argument.

There's always two sides to every story and this one is no different. In the examples above, I honestly believe the whole personal aspect of photography as an art is being obliterated by people trying to achieve mass appeal.

Is this neccasarily a bad thing. No.

Obviously, when it comes to selling photography as a commercial product, one of the boxes that must be ticked is "mass appeal". So these guys and girls in my Flickr example are potentially placing themselves in a situation that might just be preapring themsleves for a place in a very competitive market.

Then again, they might not be. Referring to my original point, the "masses" of Flickr tend to be other photographers.

The general rule that people need to remember is that photographers don't buy photography. So if you're trying to market yourself and make photographs that appeal to buyers, why on Earth would you seek approval from someone who wouldn't buy it in the first place?

Yes, feedback is nice. Very nice. As is networking and sharing with like-minded individuals. However, that doesn't mean that photographs should be made for that purpose.

Who Do I Make Photographs For?

Since this issue has been on the forefront of my mind for quite a long time, I have given it some very strong thought. My own personal decision has been to forego forums altogether, at least for now, as I was fairly prone to that trap myself.

I have decided that I will make my photographs to the standards of three groups of people:

Myself, My Models and My Clients. Any other feedback is an added and welcome bonus!

So far, I have had the great pleasure, from both my models and clients, to be able to make photographs for them to my own standards for the most part. That in itself, is quite the honour and one I hope to have for some time in the future.

*DISCLAIMER* I at no time actually claim to know what I'm talking about. This post represents my opinion based on my experiences and should under no circumstances be taken as gospel of any sort. Simple food for thought at the very most! Also, this was by no means meant to be critical of anyone. I do not presume that I can or should tell anyone else how to conduct their own personal matters. This is only my own thoughts as of how to conduct myself.

Going Freelance?

2009-03-04T11:27:00.004Z

Going Freelance?

As I stated, in the very header of this blog, this is meant to be a chronicle of my attempts to become a full-time professional photographer. Most likely a freelance in my case. My intent was to ease myself into a transition as I built up the motivation and the knowledge and rid myself of the bad habits I have developed over the past few years. Well, thanks to the global economy, it looks like I need to fast track that decision.

Unexpected

When I went into work Monday afternoon, I was promptly given my time sheet for last week with a large, thick envelope attached. Though the content of the letter was sufficiently padded with intentionally distracting garbage, the meat of it was essentially: from next week, I will be working reduced hours. (Fridays off) After four weeks of this shift pattern, the company will then take actions if needed to maintain the sustainability of the business. That means redundancies of up to ten people.

Considering that, on the production floor, each shift is only made up of ten people that would give everyone about a 50% chance.

It's time to take action, I think. Unlike so many others, I do have a skill that I can fall back on. It's just a matter of developing the necessary business and marketing skills to make sure I reach its full potential.

One Last Hurdle

However, here's the big question. Now what? How do I actually go about making this a business? Where do I go? Who do I talk to? What boxes am I obligated to fill under UK and EU law?

I don't know.

This, I think, is going to be my biggest challenge of all.

Colours and Caution Tape!!!

2009-02-28T21:35:00.005Z

Colours and Caution Tape!!!

Today, I had a great photoshoot with two wonderful alternative models! One of them goes by the name of Merl. The two of us have been trying to set up a shoot for quite some time, two years to be precise, but something always seemed to get in the way. The other model, some may recognise. This was my 6th (!!!) shoot with Helena! So, here's a little preview of what we achieved today!

Merl's initial concept for the shoot was to use bright punchy colours. She mentioned a bright pink wig, so I checked my colour wheel and ordered a bright green roll of background paper. Thus, we have:

Helena's concept called for the gods of all things cliché. Fortunately, I don't, at all, mind cliché, even if it was the notorious caution tape. Well, quarantine tape! Hey it might be a cliche, but it actually turned out to be a fun set and that's all that really matters!

In the end, it was a definitely a fantastic shoot today and I've got loads of photos to get through!

Flickr Friday: Tara Leigh

2009-02-27T17:00:00.001Z

I've decided to start my first sort of regular post by featuring my favourite Flickr streams here. So, every Friday, I will be showcasing a Flickr stream of some of the greatest people in my contacts list.

You may have noticed that I have recently taken issue with some goings-on regarding Flickr. I am, as of yet, undecided about what to do, but in the meantime will carry on with this feature.

Of course I needed a title for this new feature and I had some thoughts. Possibly:

"Rampaging Ferrets Meandering Through The Cotswalds In Rickety Skodas?"

No?

How about:

"Freshly Featuring Fantastical Flickr's Finest Fuzzy Flickrites Fleeting Frivolously For Fruitcake Flavoured Furballs"

Nah.

We'll stick with "Flickr Friday"

On with it anyways.

Today, the spotlight goes to . . . *drumroll* . . . Tara Leigh!

Pilfered directly from her profile, this snippet of self-assesment says most of what anyone should need to know about this gem of a Flickr user:

"i'm silly. sometimes a goofball and full of energy. it's a personal problem really, i'm thinking about seeking treatment (via sugar)."

Tara's stream mostly contains portraits and what a collection of portraits it is. She always manages to get the best out of her subjects resulting in some beautiful, vibrant and personal images! Here's a taste of the wonderfulness in store should you choose to visit her stream!

In the random and cataclysmic event that you should think that a collection of beautiful portraits of beautiful people isn't your cup of tea, than switch to coffee. Ha, no seriously, I promise you will find many other jewels of photographic juiciness in store! For example:

By now, you should be thoroughly convinced, CLICK HERE and give this wonderful woman all the credit she is due. I promise she doesn't bite; well, maybe a little, but don't let that deter you! :)

Also, be absolutely sure that you have a gander at her main portfolio as well! www.taraleigh.com Oh and subscribe to her blog while your there! Oh and while your at it subscribe to this one as well at the top of the screen!

Images © 2009 Tara Leigh. All Rights Reserved. Published here with explicit written permission from the copyright holder.

Photo: Dreads

2009-02-25T18:55:00.005Z

This is from my fifth shoot with Helena. Helena was one of the first models I worked with and we have regularly worked together since. In fact, we have two more shoots planned for the near future, each with some great concepts on board.

Anyway, Helena turned up for this shoot straight from the hairdressers with these wonderful cyber-goth inspired dreadlocks!

Are We In For a Wave Of Viral Copyright Theft?

2009-02-24T16:16:00.005Z

Are We In For a Wave Of Viral Copyright Theft?

I know how much everyone who labours over creating their intellectual property loves hearing about the new ways the world is trying to rip us off, but I just couldn't leave this one to pasture.

I've always been aware and concerned about how, to many, many people, Flickr is nothing more but the internet's biggest "free" stock library. It's the first stop for many upstart and amateur graphic designers, photoshop artists, bloggers and the teeming masses (who seek "pretty pictures") looking for quality, quick and penniless imagery to use in their projects. It's been a persistent problem for years and one that really hasn't shown any sign of going away.

I have a sneaking suspicion that copyright theft on Flickr may have just gone viral.

I logged into Facebook this afternoon to find one of my acquantainces had posted a new note. It didn't appear to be one of those stupid "25 Random Things" so I had a look. This is what I was greeted with (without the infringed upon photo because that would be perpetuating the problem):

The infringed upon image is HERE .

Personally, I am far more worried about this than the "Facebook TOS Scandal". I know Facebook aren't actually trying to use my images. I know that they're only trying to protect themselves from sue-happy cretins.

What makes this so terrifying, is that the vast majority of Facebook users, many of whom will jump at this new "craze" have little understanding of copyright law nor do many of them care. A million blog posts and bulletins and tweets and what not can be sent out about this, but the people who will perpetuate the "note" are the exact ones who will not be reading any of those. It does not apply to them insofar as they know, so why should they? Much in the same fashion that the daily politics of Mozambique don't apply to me, so I don't read about them.

What can be done?

I, personally, don't have the slightest clue.

I do honestly believe that the "mimic everything" culture of Facebook might just spiral this out of control and I do honestly believe that us creators of photographic imagery, particularly those of us who use Flickr, will very soon witness a case of VIRAL copyright theft.

Fan-frickin-tastic.

*UPDATE*

So the "anything on the internet is free for the taking" culture is alive and well on Flickr. That was well proven today. Yes, of course someone will always try and argue non-truths and utter fallacies if they think it saves them face. But the real shocker of the day came from Flickr itself. When I reported a group specifically made for collecting these illegal images, I got a fairly concise response.

In short, the Flickr team told me "We don't care unless we're being threatened."

The question that will be at the forefront of my mind the next few days will ultimately be "Am I paying Yahoo my money for a substandard service?"

I Love Dyed Hair

2009-02-23T16:57:00.009Z

I Love Dyed Hair

After reading a blog post by a good friend of mine, Jennifer Brindley, where she outlined her thoughts on dying her hair orange (she's also quite the talented portrait photographer herself), I instantly remembered how much I love hair dye of the extreme variety. I always have; from my long-haired teenage years to these days as an aspiring fashion photographer. I love it.

It's true. I absolutely love vivid colours. A weird thought coming from a guy who's entire wardrobe is almost exclusively made of black, blue, dark red and dark green. When it comes to photos; however, the brighter, the punchier, the more vibrant the better. When it comes to fashion, there isn't much better.

Here's a selection from my portfolio:

Red:

Black, Pink and Platinum:

Blonde:

Very Red:

Very Very Red:

Blue (Okay, this one's a wig!):

Pinkness:

Orangeness:

Yes Sir, I do love some brightly coloured hair!

Oh and Jenn, I have a suspicion that Milla Jovovich might be solely responsible for all of this!

8 Reasons Why It's Good To Be An Amateur

2009-02-22T14:14:00.004Z

8 Reasons Why It's Good To Be An Amateur

We should all know that the quality of photographic imagery has absolutely nothing to do with someone's professional status. Easily, some of the best photographers in the world are full blown amateurs and the fact that they're not making their living off of their craft has no effect on the quality of their images. In fact, I think most everyone should agree, that being a successful professional photographer has absolutely nothing to do with how good a photographer one is. It's all about the business skills. Need proof? Google professional photography studios in your area, you should find the number of sub-par portrait studios to be mind-blowing. But these guys and girls make their money. Not because of their artistic merit, but because they know how to flog themselves.

Let's get back to the amateurs though. Yes, there are a lot of people for whom photography is a passing hobby. They make a few pictures when the whim strikes and never really care for technical excellence. More power to them. Then we have the guys (and girls) who obsessively pore over every technical and artistic detail. They eat, sleep and breathe their passion, never allowing the slightest flaw or discrepancy. They constantly and consistently churn out quality work at a standard many professionals still strive for.

This may sound a bit counteractive to the purpose of this blog (my struggle to become a professional photographer); however, it always serves one well to keep your feet firmly planted in the present whilst looking ahead to the future. It's about balance.

So here are 8 reasons why it's great to be an amateur photographer:

1) You can shoot what you want.

Picture this: Here you are, you just spent a weekend on the coast passionately photographing sunsets and what not. You went on the trip for no other reason to please yourself. You got some great photos and you're diligently working through the editing and retouching process. After a while, you take a short break and have a browse of Flickr. There you see a wonderful flower macro that just suddenly lights a previously unknown fire in your gut. You've never shot flowers before, but this one is just phenomenal and you have to give it a go. You stop what you're doing and head to a florist.

You're free to do that, because you have no responsibility to anyone but yourself. One week you shoot landscapes, the next portraits, the next insects. Your not bound to promoting a single speciality. You're free to embrace all aspects of the craft without having to tailor yourself to meet a client's needs.

2) The only deadlines are those you set for yourself.

The contact sheets need to be on the Art Director's desk by close of business tomorrow. The client wants to see the proof's the moment they come out of the camera. The test shots need to be on the agency's website ASAP.

Let's face it. A photo can never be perfect. There's always something else that can be or could be done to make it better. As photographers, we're always the most critical of our work and we strive to do everything we can to present our images the very best we can. However, when someone is beating down your door asking for the images "now," it's virtually impossible to get things to your standard. As an amateur or enthusiast, you're not bound to these time lines. It's done when you say it's done, whether it takes five minutes or two weeks.

3) You're free to experiment until you turn blue in face.

"What happens if I just move the light a bit this way and throw the lens out of focus a little bit? Oh, that's nice!" Before you know it, you've lost several hours tweaking and fine tuning, on a whim, something that nobody will probably like. But who cares, you've not used anyone's time or money but your own and you've had a blast doing it and you've probably learned a lot along the way.

4) When someone asks you to shoot their wedding, you can say "No"!

Okay, this goes for some professionals too, but in this economic client, someone trying to pay the bills with their camera would struggle to actually turn down work. I know several people who don't shoot weddings that have actually had to reconsider their stance when asked if they shoot weddings. Of course, it doesn't just apply to weddings, it goes for anything you don't want to shoot. As an enthusiast; if you don't like it, then you don't have to do it. No second thoughts.

5) You're free from the expectation's of others.

This ties into experimenting and shooting what you want, but it has it's own intricacies as well. It's only human to imagine something far greater than is actually possible. Flights of fancy spring wild with our imaginations as we wonder what something can or will be like in the end. Often times, the result is disappointment. So, when a client starts seeing visions of Vogue quality portraits at a school portrait session, they will ultimately be let down. This is through no fault of your own, but to them, it reflects on you. They didn't get what they expected, so it must be the photographer's fault. Guess what: when you're shooting for only yourself, the only delusions of grandeur that you have to deal with are your own!

6) You can freely offend people with your work.

I can see the confuzzled faces now. "Why on Earth would I want to offend someone?" The purpose of art is to make a statement. Whether it's a statement of joy, or peace, or politics or what not, art is designed to invoke a response. A wholly valid intention is to shock people into seeing the intended message. Think Robert Mapplethorpe or Joel Peter Witkin. Or maybe none of that. Maybe you're just a huge fan of B horror films and that whole subculture and you just want to create images that reflect your interests. It's hard to do that kind of thing, as a portrait photographer for example, when you're supposed to be marketing your work to the masses. No mother wants to take her newborn baby to a photographer who's portfolio is full of bullet-ridden zombies, or blood drenched vampires, no matter how stunning your normal portraiture is. Fortuantely, you lovely amateur you, have none of those concerns. You can break out all the chainsaws and severed limbs you want and still know the mortgage payment is being paid next week.

7) When you're in a slump, the bills still get paid.

Demotivated? Nothing to shoot? Tired of your style? Need a change? The rest of life too stressful? No worries. Put the camera down for a bit. the urge will come back. It always does and you don't run the risk of ruining your passion, your obsession for yourself. Take a week. Take two. Take six months. Rest yourself. You can. You can take all the time you need to revitalise yourself because your not forced to plough through hundreds of mundane portraits and product shots that you detest simply because you want to have electricity next week.

8) You're actually relieving stress!

Amateurs do this because they like it. It brings them joy. It's how they unwind after a long day. It clears your head of the drudgery of everday life in today's broken societies. It relieves stress. Now picture this: You have to shoot a new line of lingerie for a the website of a boutique. The client is tight with their cash and refuses to pay for more than a single full day rate for the shoot itself. Ten models, four outfit changes each, three photos of each outfit, two make-up-artists, one overbearing art director and eight hours. Stress free?

Of course, this is certainly not any sort of dig at the people who have successfully turned photography into a career, rather an introspection, of sorts, for all the amateurs who dream of changing their careers as quickly as possible. Slow down. If you really want it and work for it, it will come. Yes, life can be great as a Professional Photographer but it can be just as great as an amateur as well!

Photo: Classic Headshot

2009-02-21T21:51:00.002Z

From one of my most recent shoots and easily my strangest shoot to date, though I won't go into that here.

It Looks Like I Have To Start Over

2009-02-18T23:39:00.003Z

Just yesterday, I was sat down on one of my breaks at work and I was contemplating what kind of content to write for this here weblog thingamajig. {Wait, spellcheck says thingamajig is a word! Awesome!} One of my ideas for a post was to write about how, as an aspiring photographer, I've fairly successfully used Myspace to passively market myself and actively network with like-minded individuals.

Then I got home and checked my e-mail.

A photographer friend of mine, kindly pointed out to me that all of the links I had posted to this here blog, we're automatically being disabled as spam.

Wait, what? I'm not selling anything here. I'm talking and posting photos. I mean, I'm sure noone really wants to read what I have to say, but spam, that's ludicrous and isn't talking and posting photos most of Myspace's purpose in life?

Gutted, I started thinking about it.

Though, over the past few months, I haven't been nearly as active on Myspace as I have in the past, I have still noticed that their "anti-spam" measures have increased dramatically. I hadn't realised that they have actually completely and effectively cut the site off from the rest of the internet.

For example, when I went to reply to that friend and give him the link that Myspace had denied him, I was promptly informed that my account had been phished and it was shut down. I had to reactivate my account twice. Just because I tried to send my friend a link to something personal, this blog. Wait, isn't that the point of Myspace? To network?

Now, it seems, you can network on Myspace, so long as you stay within the confines of Myspace. It's like they've turned themselves into the isolationist internet equivalent of North Korea.

Or rather, as I tweeted last night: Myspace = Stalin.

So, now, I have to think. Will I stop using Myspace altogether. No. I have built up a good network of like-minded individuals and made some good friendships over the past four or so years and I'm not prepared to let that go yet.

It seems, thanks to this Draconian idiocy on Mypspace's part, I will just have to be careful and limit Myspace to Myspace and then find a new, friendlier hub for my social networking activities. Which means I will probably have to start strengthening my Facebook presence, the thought of which sends shivers down my spine.

I abhor Facebook and I will never ever upload my photos there, other than a few self-portraits. This has absolutely nothing to do with the recent idiotic furore over their terms of service. I have my own reasons and they're good reasons I promise, but that's an issue for a different post!

In the meantime:

Dear Myspace FAO: Rupert Murdoch,

Please consider a revision of the official Myspace logo in order for it to more accurately convey the execution of your company's business. I whole-heartedly recommend the implementation of an Iron Cross or the SS insignia. Another possibility would be to layer the current layer overtop some fancy lettering of the words Hitler, Franco, Mussolini, Stalin, and Pol Pot. This will give your consumer base a concise message of where you garner the inspiration for your business models.

Thank you for you transparency.
xoxo

/endrant

Why Fashion?

2009-02-17T20:39:00.002Z

Why do I shoot fashion?

Several years ago, after several more years of passing interest in taking up photography, I got a camera. With that camera, I took photographs. Amazing how that works eh? I took photographs of just about everything I could see through a viewfinder. Plants, street lights, toys, windscreens, landscapes etc, etc.

One thing I never pointed that camera at was another person. I couldn't bear the thought of what someone else might think of me as I pointed a hulking piece of plastic and metal, firing away, frame by frame of film.

As I said in another post: I am socially inept.. I avoid interaction with people at all costs.

"But wait," I hear you say, "Don't you primarily shoot fashion and beauty now? I'm totally confuzzled!"

Well, something happened in those early days with my trusty film SLR. I would hungrily eat up the information in every magazine, book, or internet article I could get my hands on. I would scrounge everywhere just to look at photographs that might inspire me. Of course, National Geographic was an obvious choice to look for sensational photography. But then I found something else.

Vogue.

Four different editions to be precise. Vogue: UK, Vogue: Paris, Vogue: Italia and to a lesser extent Vogue: USA.

The imagery in these magazines is enough to make anyone stop in their tracks. Just like any good n00b photographer, I started looking at these images to see how they were made. Imade accounts on websites related to the this particular industry. I gorged myself on the various magazines. I started talking to individuals who made that type of photograph.

Through all of that, I learned something.

With the exception of some high-end commercial still-life, the amount of creative energy that goes into a fashion shoot is virtually unrivalled. Not only do you have the photographer and usually the assitants, but then you have the Make-up Artists, the hair stylists, the Wardrobe Stylists, possibly some set builders, an Art Director, the model and in some cases the list can go on.

Your standard commercial or editorial fashion shoot relies on the hard work and creative ingenuity of a whole team of people and a lot of the time, it is really hard work and a whole lot of ingenuity.

I decided very early on, that I wanted to be a part of that process. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. To create something as a team that could not be created on my own.

These images inspired me early on and still do. It is that inspiration and my desire to create that forces me to break through my social limitations.

That is the reason why, at least for me, that such an introverted individual would drop all of fears and social concerns in order to work in photographic niches that heavily rely on social competence: fashion and beauty.

What you looking at?

2009-02-17T13:25:00.002Z

Social Networking For the Socially Inept

2009-02-17T07:00:00.001Z

I hereby proclaim to the whole of the interverse:

I am socially inept.

I cannot cope in social environments. I get anxious and I completely shut down. Put me in a large group of people and I'll pretty much panic. Put me at a table at a restaurant with even a small group and I will only speak when directly spoken to and even then all you will get is one word answers.

It used to be, about 14 years or so ago, that I thrived on the internet. Good old chat rooms and forums and mIRC were somewhere that I could get involved socially without worrying about all the shortcomings of my social incompetence.

The internet has changed. Of course, I'm sure everyone and their dog is aware of this, but it has changed a lot. Everyone is on the internet. The internet is now wholly a mainstream social platform and a legitimate one at that. Find me someone who is regularly online and doesn't have or hasn't had a profile on a site such as Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc, etc. Being social on the internet is identical to be social in the real life with the exception of the different rules of etiquette.

Well, you ask, what does any of this have to do with photography or social networking?

I'll tell you.

As a person, none of this means anything to me. I could just ignore the social aspects and go on, invisible, behind the scenes a merry little outcast.

As a photographer, whom operates mostly on the internet, this is a very different story. I need social networking. I need to participate in the photographic communities and I need to be able to connect with potential customers. Therefore, I have to have and do have profiles on all the main social media sites as well as my main website and this here blog.

But do I use them effectively? Hardly.

I feel awkward randomly commenting on people's photos, statuses, blog posts, etc, etc. Even though, usually, they want me to. Or maybe that's the issue. They want "people" to, but I then ask myself why would they want "me" to. I know very well, or at least I suspect so, that I'm just being paranoid and that I'm very likely cutting myself out of great networking opportunities and denying other people a comment because my own wiring is a bit loose.

So here's the deal: I know what the problem is. I think I know what I should do to fix it. I need to get over this trepidation of mine and jump whole-heartedly into the social bandwagon. So from now on, I will try and make it a point, everyday, to comment and reply to people on Myspace, Facebook, Flickr, DeviantArt, Twitter and make sure that I comment on the blogs that I read.

I don't really care if I get any response or if I fall on my face at this point. I just need to get over this ridiculous fear I have of interacting with other people, especially those individuals that are like-minded.

So, if you have accounts with any of those sites, get in touch, you may well just be part of the catalyst I need to fix this issue of mine!

Game: Guess the catchlights!

2009-02-15T16:56:00.001Z

Here's a shot from a couple weeks ago. Nothing special, just another macro image of an eyeball, but:

Can you guess what the source of those wonderful catchlights is??

This Blog Is About Photography

2009-02-15T14:43:00.001Z

Yes, this is a blog about photography. So where is the photography?

Let's start with an image from my most recent shoot:

Modestly Operating

2009-02-15T13:28:00.001Z

We all see the PR announcements and subsequently read the reviews of all the latest equipment with all the shiny, new, show stopping features. This is all fine and dandy. It's healthy to lust after new gear, is it not? Well, sometimes no.

I have a tendency to decide that I "need" something in order to carry on and then obsess about it, getting nothing done in the process, until I have it. A short burst of productivity ensues and then I find that I "need" something else. Thus, the vicious cycle repeats itself.

Of course, it would be easy enough to say: "I don't need anything else; just keep on keeping on." But that isn't true either.

That's the catch 22.

I do need the new gear. I do need new lenses. I do need a new camera. I do need more strobes and modifiers. I do, absolutely and desperately, need a new computer.

What I need to learn and beat into my skull, is that whilst I need all of these things, I also do need to carry on with what I have, because if I don't, then there will be no productivity whatsoever.

Fact: I have no disposable income worth mentioning. Thus, it is quite literally impossible for me to make any significant investment in gear or equipment. So the conclusion must and can only be that I have to either make do or give up.

I'm not giving up. I'm not.

So here's what I have to work with to carry on in this journey. Hopefully I will be able to add to it in the future, but for now, this is what I'm taking with me on my quest to become a full-time professional photographer:

Photographic Equipment:

1 x Canon EOS 30D
1 x Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
1 x Canon 50mm f/2.5 Macro
1 x Canon 80-200mm f/4.5-5.6
1 x Canon 430EX
2 x Tripods
1 x Bowens Espirit Gemini 500
1 x Bowens Beauty Dish
1 x 40" Translucent Umbrella
2 x Portaflash 336VM
1 x Portaflash Softbox
1 x Portaflash Silver/White Umbrella
1 x Portaflash Silver/Gold Umbrella
1 x Portaflash 5-In-1 Reflector
1 x Background Stand
3 x Background Paper Rolls (Grey, Black, White)
1 x Dedicated Studio Space in my Loft
1 x PC with broadband access
1 x eeePC with mobile broadband access

This may seem a lot to some people, but please trust me, when your taking your inspiration from the likes of Vogue and you have to regularly produce varying images for model portfolios and what not, the limitations of this set-up are quite abhorrent.

But I will not let a lack of what I think I need to hinder me any further. This is what I have now and will likely be what I have for a while, so we shall see how I carry on in the near future!

Getting it Together

2009-02-15T12:59:00.001Z

For too long now have I stated to myself that I would take this photographic obsession-cum-passion to the next level. For several years now, I have continually told myself that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I have talked and ranted, incessantly, to those around me to the point that they refuse to listen any more. I have dutifully and miserably drudged my way through several years of soul destroying manufacturing work only to deprive myself of energy and motivation. This has long been my main excuse for not taking myself to the places I want to be in life. No longer.

This is it. It is time for action.

No more excuses, no more procrastination, no more.

This blog is here purely for me to chronicle this journey I am about to set myself on. It is a place for me to, centrally, collect my thoughts, display new work and, most importantly, detail all of my successes and all of my failures and all of my strengths and shortcomings in order to better myself along the way. Ultimately, it will also serve as information to others who would walk the same path. After all, if someone can learn from my many, many mistakes, all the better!

There will be a myriad of content in the various posts here. I will talk about burning issues that I have my own opinions on. Obviously I will regularly post photos. I will discuss my favourite Photoshop techniques and I will also try to feature links to people's work which inspires me. So, hopefully, there will be a great deal of value for time for anyone who decides to stop by!

Let's roll!

John McIntire Photography

When At The Crossroads

My Favourite People On Facebook

Project: Yorkshire Fashion Industry

Replanning and Refocussing Social Media Efforts

Zivity (NSFW)

Breaking The Rules (NSFW)

Back To School

Frolicking About and Playing Around

Follow Friday - Or - Lots Of Twitter Love

Follow Friday Chaos - What to Do?

It Feels Like Starting Again

T-Shirted Merl

Integra Fairbrook And Her Tattoo (NSFW)

Black Lotus (NSFW)

A Small Tearsheet

Shifting Focus

The Portrait

por⋅trait -/ˈpɔrtrɪt, -treɪt, ˈpoʊr-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [pawr-trit, -treyt, pohr-] -–noun-

1) a likeness of a person, esp. of the face, as a painting, drawing, or photograph: a gallery of family portraits. (dictionary.com)

Sub-Styles

Alas, family portraits and fashion are only two of the numerous, numerous subcategories of the photographic portrait. the genre also inludes:

Fashion

Family Portariture

Children's Portraiture

Newborn Portariture

Wedding Portraiture

Beauty Portraiture

Glamour

Boudoir

Art

The list can go on and each subcategory has its own many, many subcategories. Essentially, this just proves that the possibilities for portraiture upon the picking up a camera are limitless.

Quality

Essentially, know how to use your camera, know how your going to achieve the realisation of your concept and know how to put it all together long before you put your lens in the subject's face.

Style

Lighting

Post-Production

I am going to briefly touch on a pet peeve of mine concerning the vernacular commonly used regarding post production. Please, for the sake of my sanity, carefully review the following definitions and commit them to memory.

Editing - The process of going through contact sheets or digital files, weeding out the inferior images and selecting the final images to be retouched.

Retouching - The physical process of correcting, adjusting and removing flaws from images by way of the darkroom or computer software.

Four Months

Corsets, Corsets, Corsets

Pop Quiz: What Do You Do When

The Art Of The Living Canvas

Big Sun Vintage Fair

Here I Go

Bring on The Flashguns

Tattoos and Things

Who Needs Octopus?

Androgyny

Promotional Poster for the Barnsley Civic

A Few Personal Favourites

A Smattering of Randomness

Flickr Friday: Phil Winterbourne

London Calling

Photoshoot: Christine

Flickr Friday: Molly Wassenaar

This Past Week

My Facebook Page

Fun Fun Fun

Flickr Friday: Amanda Recker

Who Do You Take Photos For?

Going Freelance?

Colours and Caution Tape!!!

Flickr Friday: Tara Leigh

Photo: Dreads

Are We In For a Wave Of Viral Copyright Theft?

I Love Dyed Hair

8 Reasons Why It's Good To Be An Amateur

Photo: Classic Headshot

It Looks Like I Have To Start Over

Why Fashion?

What you looking at?

Social Networking For the Socially Inept

Game: Guess the catchlights!

This Blog Is About Photography

Modestly Operating

Getting it Together

por⋅trait -[pawr-trit, -treyt, pohr-] -–noun-