Digital Excel Photography

FINAL POST

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 19:37 +0000

One of my favourites places to visit and the final post on this blog! ST Annes Pier in Lytham.

Thank you to everyone that took the time to comment and look around the site, it's very much aprpeciated, really.

FINAL WORDS
After picking up the camera and going out shooting for many years and was forced into capuring someone's wedding from work and just loved it, it was a small intimate affair but just the whole occassion grabbed my imagination and felt it was something I wanted to seriously be very good at. I just felt the strong connection to capture moments between people that is something you just do not get from a bridge or a shell on the beach ;)

For sometime now I have been capturing portraits, weddings etc. over at my new blog - http://www.digitalexcel.co.uk/weblog/ It's something I would love to do full time and I hope one day I will succeed. Thanks again for your time and follow your dreams.

Bridal shoot

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:28 +0000

Happy =)

Samantha Gardner

Tue, 25 May 2010 13:57 +0000

Happy!

Hilton Manchester

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:54 +0000

Taken at the Hilton Manchester. The model is alice and the MUA was Natalie, thank you to you both.

Louisa

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:15 +0000

Passion power and strength. One of my favourite images and quite a departure from the normal stuff I create.

Alice - Manchester location shoot #2

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:08 +0000

Another one of my favs from the Manchester location shoot with Alice. Great expression, great background and good framing to create a fine looking image.

Alice - Manchester location shoot

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:03 +0000

I arranged a shoot in Castlefield in Manchester during the sunny season of Jan 2010 ;) Yeah it was a bit nippy! There were many images from the shoot I was very happy with so will be posting over the coming days but for now please enjoy this one.

Thanks agains Alice for the great shoot.

Rowton Castle wedding photography #4

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:55 +0000

Rowton Castle again and a little abstract image I noticed once the sun had come out a little. This is actually the AA *** sign reflected on the oppposite wall :)

Rowton Castle wedding photography #3

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:47 +0000

Stunning bride shot and one of my signature images that I try to bring to every wedding I shoot. In this shot Jemma really took to the idea and gave 100% which is what you need from couples to get the very best imagery. I believe my photography provides couples with something a little different from the norm and why shouldn't you? YOU ARE WORTH IT.

To see more images from this Rowton Castle wedding please visit my dedicated wedding site

Also if you are getting married then please see the web site and get in touch.

Rowton Castle wedding photography #2

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:41 +0000

Another great image from a wedding I shot last year at Rowton Castle in Shropshire. I managed to capture this glancing look as the bride was taking a sneaky peak at herself in the mirror. I love capturing story telling moments like this a small element of what digital excel wedding photography provides. If you are getting married then please get in contact.

To see more images from this Rowton Castle wedding please visit my dedicated wedding site

Also if you are getting married then please see the web site and get in touch.

Rowton Castle wedding photography #1

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:41 +0000

This was taken at Rowton Castle in Shropshire last October. It was beautiful autumn day and the venue was just incredible, so get in contact as I know the vernue very well ;). I spotted this location ealier in the morning and decided to return later on and really create some stunning bridal portraits, the red background really help the image zing!!!!

To see more images from this Rowton Castle wedding please visit my dedicated wedding site

Also if you are getting married then please see the web site and get in touch.

Wedding Photography - Village Hotel Warrington

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:43 +0000

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Love the natural expression in this shot of the bride getting out of the car.

Wedding Photography - Village Hotel Warrington

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:32 +0000

This shot was taken during a real wedding at the Village Hotel in Warrington. I am so happy with this shot which was lit with two flashes off camera and a 15mm fisheye lens.

If you are getting married then please see my dedicated wedding site Digital excel wedding photography

Cross

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:08 +0000

This shot was a detail shot from within the church.

Have a great christmas everyone!!!! Plus sorry for the lack of recent updates, I've had some pixelpost issues which I haven't had time to resolve :/ Things should be better now.

Wedding Photography - Village Hotel Warrington

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:14 +0000

Crewe #2 shoot - Cherry20

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:51 +0000

Using 2 off camera flashes with a pink gel on the back one. I have attempted this a few times with little to no success but today I was determined to get it to work and I am happy with the results.

Laura

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:17 +0000

This was taken at a recent shoot in Crewe and once again I am getting covered in crap to get that shot! :) You'll always remember me as I am the one diving into the oil, dirt and bushes just to try and get a different angle to create a unique shot.

Rowton Castle VW

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:47 +0000

I found a nice way to include the venue of Rowton castle and the brides car. I shot a wedding there this year and the venue was incredible, beautiful light and tremendous potential. If you are reading this and getting married soon please visit my dedicated wedding site or contact me on 0785 246 7686, thanks.

Franka #2

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:32 +0000

I took some material along to try and create some drama to the shot and the end result is I like it.

Franka

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:59 +0000

I bought a piece of material and in tomorrows shot I think it demonstrates it very well.

Crewe group shoot

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:35 +0000

A flick of the hair a splash of colour and we are done.

Natalie

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:38 +0000

Happy!

Laura

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:15 +0000

Taken at a recent group shoot in Crewe.

Janine

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:44 +0000

I attended my second group shoot at Crewe and had a really good time and the weather held off which was great. I'm real happy with this image and in particular the processing which really added something to the final image.

Thornton Manor #3

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:51 +0000

Thornton Manor wedding - I love using mirrors during weddings and if I would have just moved round to my right a little I could have included someone else the shot, but if memory serves me well I think it was the other tog in the room and the reason why I cut the shot off at that point. I am always looking for reflections because that extra dimension really helps to make an image sing!

If you are getting married then please see my dedicated wedding site here

Wedding bands

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:27 +0000

No time to capture the rings as I would have liked so here was a quick capture outside the church before the bride arrived.

Wedding

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:27 +0000

Off camera flash at weddings it really starting to come together and lets me provide couples with something quite unique for them to treasure. If couples give me the time then I have some room to create images such as this. Matt and Jenna were great on the day and I love shooting weddings.

If you are getting married then please see my dedicated wedding site here

Kelly #3

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:03 +0000

Just saw this angle down the street and for me it works I love this shot.

Kate #2

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:59 +0000

For me a bright vibrant colour works well agasint a steel background and really like the strong look and pose Kate has here.

Kelly

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:59 +0000

Lights setup and a gust of wind helped to create this shot.

Kelly

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:50 +0000

Another from a urban shoot in Manchester and I really like the pose Kelly has here with her just looking down the street. Kinda funny as shortly after this some lads came by on bikes and he kept watching the model and proceeded to ride into a lampost which was very funny.

Kandi Girl

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:50 +0000

I managed to get out on Monday for some urban location shooting and this is Kandi Girl. I like the strong pose and the stare just one of my favourites from the day. I will be posting some others as well over the coming days.

Bride

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:58 +0000

When I was in the church I noticed a small pocket of light hitting the altar and thought it would make a really great shot, especially with the stained glass windows behind.

I set the bride up and just shot away asking her to pose in such a way etc. Within 3-5 mins the light was gone and I got my shot and a few others I was very happy with.

The venue was the Imperial hotel Llandudno and if you are getting married please get in contact, more information is available at my dedicated wedding site.

Llandudno wedding

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:39 +0000

Llandudno wedding photography by digitalexcel photography. Just love getting the bride to spin round and capture movement in the dress.

The venue was the Imperial hotel Llandudno and if you are getting married please get in contact, more information is available at my dedicated wedding site.

BMW Z4

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:16 +0000

Had quite a bit of fun doing some 1 + sec exposures with my mates car a BMW Z4. I attracted quite a bit of attention with me lying in the road from both the police and local farmers, mouthy youths and one old fella. Took me some time to get what I wanted and now I have it I want to push it more. This is not the image I submitted for a competition but something about it I like so decided to post :)

Thornton Manor #2

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:15 +0000

I love the contrast between the red bag and the blue dress, love the expression and just a favourite candid shot of mine. This image was taken at Thornton Manor on the Wirral.

Llandudno wedding - The dip

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:56 +0000

Taken around the back of the Imperial Hotel in Llandudno. It was quite funny when an old lady came out asking why the hell we were taking photos along this small street and using green and red doors as backgrounds =).
This image is of the dip where you give some advice how to stand then just go for it and this is the result.

The venue was the Imperial hotel Llandudno and if you are getting married please get in contact, more information is available at my dedicated wedding site.

Wedding reflection - Llandudno Wedding

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:56 +0000

I spotted this in the morning and thought the paddling pool would make a great place to shoot later on and I think I was right. The sun was setting and this was pretty much a the last shot of the day my time with the wedding couple.
The venue was the Imperial hotel Llandudno and if you are getting married please get in contact, more information is available at my dedicated wedding site.

Lighting

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:08 +0000

This was taken at a wedding several weeks ago where I just had a little spare time to frame the shot and I'm really happy with the final result. Simple but nice!

Hands

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:01 +0000

Just liked the way the window pattern framed the couple holding hands. Was tricky to shoot the couple at times with the bright backlighting but managed to get outside and shoot the other way which gave a different perspective on things.

Love

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:22 +0000

Real happy with this shot. A tender moment between man and wife.

Thornton Manor

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:10 +0000

I'm really happy with this image using natural light taken at Thornton Manor on the Wirral.

Hannah #6

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:02 +0000

Love the shot in B/W

Hannah #5

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:20 +0000

A real nice pose this one.

Hannah #4

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:32 +0000

Another image of Hannah from my urban shoot in Liverpool.

Lee #2

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:05 +0000

Another from an abandoned place. I think prior to the shoot I very much had the punisher film in my mind and once again I am happy with the mood in this shot.

I almost forgot my site is 4 years old 7 days ago ;) YIPPEEE

Wedding Mottram Hall

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:21 +0000

I shot a wedding over a Mottram hall a few weeks ago and created this image which I am very happy with. Laura the bride took everything in her stride because behind me were about 30-40 people staring on so she did great and was worth the effort. If you are getting married please take a look at my dedicated wedding site - http://www.digitalexcel.co.uk/

Hannah #3

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:45 +0000

Using techniques I read from Damien Lovegrove here is Hannah from a shoot in Liverpool several weeks ago. I also have a B/W version which I prefer.

Disturbed

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:39 +0000

100% commitment from both of us to really get the shot and I think you'll agree that we achieved our goal? Well if I am being honest I just pressed a button and it was on a tripod too so ;pPpPP. I just used natural light which was poking through the ceiling and processed in lightroom. What I love about location shoots is being able to use the surroundings to help the shot, there was plenty of junk lying around and I said what about wrapping this wire around you and this is the final result.

Lifestyle Photography

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:34 +0000

Just love the expression on this little girl who was a pleasure to shoot.

Martin

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 19:01 +0000

We had a spare 30 mins before a lifestyle shoot so I took this opportunity to shoot Martin and this is the result. Processed in lightroom uping the contrast, blue saturation and a gradient slide just to lighten up the image a little.

Lifestyle portrait #2

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:27 +0000

My friend Martin had kindly arranged a lifestyle photoshoot in Manchester and I tagged along. The shoot went really well I do believe that my confidence and ability with the camera and flash etc. has improved quite a lot.
I love this shot.....

Lifestyle portrait

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:32 +0000

I took a trip down to Castlefield with a friend and fellow photographer yesterday and we shot 2 kids who were very well behaved and I had blast. Man I love photography and the whole creative process it just gives me good bumps just thinking about it :ppPPppP. I'm very happy with my work on this shot.
Book your own Lifestyle portraits session here

Hannah #2

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:18 +0000

I really just love the domiant pose and the stare in this shot.

Hannah

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:14 +0000

Gwenstar #2

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:01 +0000

I really love getting in close with my Canon 50mm 1.8. Finally I have a Canon 24-70 2.8 arriving tomorrow which I have waited 4 years for :/ I will still continue to use my 50mm but not as much :).

Gwenstar #1

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:03 +0000

Took another trip to Crewe to shoot some portraits. This is Gwenstar and we really didn't have much time to shoot which was a shame and partly my fault :/ I'm happy with the final result and look forward to returning very soon and really trying to use everything at y disposal.

Jen #1

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:49 +0000

Another urban portrait session in Castlefield Manchester with Jen. She was great fun to shoot and really had a good 3 hours shooting in and around great locations.

Sha #9 - Hair of fire

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:40 +0000

I love this shot! Something I watched on dvd from Zack Arias and thought I would give it a try. I asked the model to look down then flip up trying to keep the face relaxed and then it was up to me to time it right and this is the end result. Sha made it look so effortless and the shoot was imho a great success.

Sha #8

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:28 +0000

A little more relaxed than yesterday and a nice smile :D

Sha #7

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:43 +0000

Nice strong pose.

Sha #6

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:27 +0000

A small variation on yesterday's post. When I set a shot up and do try varisou angles, vantage points poses etc to try and squeeze as much as I can before I move on.

Sha #5

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:58 +0000

Taken around Castlefield in Manchester. All the models idea I just needed to capture it. I believe that creating these images is very much a collaborative effort and I need to allow the model to be themselves and injext their personality into the shoot.

Wow just as I sit here typing this magpie has flown down into the front garden with 2 monkey nuts in it's mouth. It then placed them on the floor and picked up stones and placed them on top to hide his stash. Jeez that was quite amazing really.

Sha #4

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:56 +0000

I prefer ths one to yesterday's, this was a head swish from side to side and I do have a straight up and down shot which I do prefer to this. Does that make any sense? ;)

Sha #3

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:48 +0000

Taken again on a shoit in Manchester city centre and had some fun with the hair.

Sha #2

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:16 +0000

Lovely profile image, real real happy with this one.

Sha #1

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:43 +0000

Recently took a trip into Manchester for an urban portrait session with Sha. I really enjoyed shooting a professional model and it really was effortless ....... for her anyway :). Over the next few days I will be posting results from this shoot, and this shot was taken with my new 60x60 ezybox and I'm very happy with the final result.

Kyle

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:53 +0000

I managed to get time to rattle of about 30 shots today with my new 60 x 60 Lastolite Ezybox. The camera and flash were set to manual and 1/16 power on flash.

I really wanted a natural smile and finally got it when I said "look up look your pant's have fallen down" he laughed his little socks off so will have to use that again in the future.

Sean portrait - Castlefield

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:29 +0000

Happy with this :D

Tinkerbella

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:42 +0000

This shot was taken on a group shoot in April, this is Tinkerbella who was very elegant with her posing and enjoyed shooting her alot.

Wreck - Heswall #8273635

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:53 +0000

Last one I promise :)

Colette

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:17 +0000

Took the family onto Fleetwood beach and managed to grab some nice shots of the family.

Wreck - Heswall #5

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:52 +0000

One thing I learnt today was always look back on something you have shot from the front, offers a different perspective on things.

Wreck - Heswall #4

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:40 +0000

Wow how many images of the same boat can I post? Well 4 so far and I may have one more .....but I think it may be time to move onto something else or even a diffferent boat. Different angle from the others and shows the other side. Really happy with this one, shame there is enough empty space to create a panoramic.

Wreck - Heswall #3

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:43 +0000

Similar processing to the others posted but added some doging and burning just to squeeze out as much as I could from these shots :). The underside of the boat was pretty dark along with the rope so just wanted to bring back some detail in this shot.

Wreck - Heswall

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:43 +0000

Another image of the the boat converted to HDR from Heswall. I took quite a few shots of this boat but was keen to add come lead up detail and the cracked mud offered some great foreground interest.

Once I created a shot that I was very very happy with but wanted it in portrait format so now when I shoot I make sure for account for both orientations just in case :P

Boat wrecks - Heswall

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:51 +0000

Ryan and I managed to get out for a good session today and firstly we headed to New brighton then onto Heswall to try and locate some boat wrecks we heard about. It didnt take too long to find them and as a personal reference point to myself think "Sheldrake Restaurant" :)

This was my favourite wreck from the 6-7 that were there and this was processed in Lightroom, photomatix and Photoshop from 5 bracketed shots. I am happy with the final image and hopefully soon I will get my wide angle lens and return to really get some foreground and sky in.

Samara

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:14 +0000

I had a meet up with some other photographers recently and managed to crack off about 15 shots with a Lastolite Ezybox, not really long enough for me to get a true idea about what it can do. I think I was impressed but haven't really seen the benefit over bare flash which I use more at the moment.

no9

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 21:14 +0000

This is another detail shot from the wrecks that I posted the other day.

Skipool HDR

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:46 +0000

Went to skipool Creek on the fylde and found some rather interesting boats in various states of repair,. Colour HDR and ramped up the vibrancy just to make the grass really stand out.

Welshgem #5

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:14 +0000

Taken at group shoot, this is welshgem pretending to get on the train, I noticed the reflection so went in for the shot which I am very hapy with.

Kadi #9

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:14 +0000

Taken in castlefield and a very simple portrait that I'm sure mums would appreciate :)

Tinkerbella

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:21 +0000

This was taken at the Crewe shoot held on the 4th April this year. I thought I had posted this already but found I hadn't so here it is. I like the framing in this shot and just the pose is great. I have a few more from thsi shoot to post and I hope to return to this venue on Monday 8th June... fingers crossed.

Hayley #2

Sun, 31 May 2009 14:24 +0000

Taken in Crewe on a group shoot and I can up with using this idea from a Scorpions album cover called Blackout. I always remember as a kid seeing this cover and thinking wow, so I decided to take along a few forks like you do and Hayley was more than happy to keep me a amused by doing as I asked :). I very happy with the final result and also considering making some modifications :/

Welshgem #4

Wed, 27 May 2009 22:42 +0000

Fleetwood Wreck #9

Mon, 25 May 2009 19:40 +0000

Fleetwood Wreck #8

Sun, 24 May 2009 23:11 +0000

The image I posted yesterday is a close up of this boat. In the past I have had several issues getting decent colours using HDR but I think with the help of spring colours etc I have managed to create a shot I am happy with. I have posted this boat in the past

Ship detail

Sat, 23 May 2009 23:26 +0000

Took a trip up to the wrecks today and really looked around for some texture and detail so here it is. :)

Sean #6

Thu, 21 May 2009 21:10 +0000

The sun was going in and out of the clouds which made it difficult to get this shot but once the sun stayed out I could see the shot in my head. This image has a very angelic quality to it and one of my favs, not really fashion I guess but I'm happy :D. When I started shooting models back in October 2008 it was in winter so there was never any sun so I am really enjoying using the sun to add something to my shots, I also hope to get out in the evenings to try some low light stuff if I can.

Sean

Tue, 19 May 2009 14:50 +0000

I tried something a little different and I kinda like it.

Colette

Mon, 18 May 2009 14:50 +0000

As a family we took a trip down to castlefield, Manchester the other week and I used this as an opportunity to take some portraits of the kids and my wife Colette. I used my reflector alot more on this day and I think it shows.
Colette usually does'nt like having her picture taken but since losing over 10 stone she is more than happy now :) Love you xx

Arches

Sun, 17 May 2009 19:15 +0000

I wanted to add a little motion to this shot so went with a twist of the lens to create a zoom burst effect. I did try some abstract stuff while I was at this location in Manchester so hopefully I can see something else I am happy with.

Laura

Sat, 16 May 2009 21:30 +0000

I took a trip over to one of my fav locations with Ryan and his 2 kids the other night. We setup two flashes and generally just experimented with ideas to see what we could come up with. I am really starting to enjoy using flash as it really adds another dimension to the shot. Ryan placed one flash behind laura hanging from a window frame with the help of a Jobby, this provided the back light and the light bursting through was deliberate as I thought that would add to the shot. I had another flash off camera was placed to the right to add some fill flash and to get to those eyes under that fringe :)

Kyle - Lifestyle shoot

Wed, 13 May 2009 15:49 +0000

Did a few second shoot weddings last weekend which is why I haven't posted anything! Despite these being fun there is nothing like being in total control and having the couples undivided attention to really get those killer shots.
This shot which is very much about cropping to really make this standout, I have been chatting to a wedding photography friend of mine and we talked about this and I know of Jerry Ghionis redesigning someone's album just to display the kind of impact just cropping and repositioning an image can have. I did bear this in mind when I looked at this shot and for me it is a much stronger image for the more aggressive crop. Thoughts welcome, suggestions welcome more spam??? NO WELCOME :)

Kyle - Lifestyle shoot

Wed, 06 May 2009 12:48 +0000

I took my little lad up to Lion salt works which is looking a little worse for ware which is a shame :/ building are really starting to fall and the area is pretty dangerous. Despitethis there are some othe rlittle areas to use and this wooden shack behind kyle was one of them.

Evil dead

Fri, 01 May 2009 14:30 +0000

Took a trip out yesterday to try out some flash ideas I wanted to try and this is Ryan looking very evil dead :)

Blue door

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:42 +0000

I spent several hours walking around Manchester with my mate Ryan looking for things to shoot. The bizzarre thing about the trip was many of the results include detail throughout the city, this wasn't intentional but I'm happy with some of the stuff I shot.

Bin

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:42 +0000

I just spotted this and loved it's total simplicity.

Sean 4

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:46 +0000

I really like the composition on this one, the reflection, the metal and Sean's expression really works for me, the reflection just adds another dimension to the shot.
I really hope I managed to get alot out of this little location but now when I analyse this and other shots I have more ideas I would like to try. With these thoughts in my mind I will need to head back there in the very near future.

Kyle

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:03 +0000

This is my little boy Kyle walking around Castlefield feeding the ducks and geese. He is nearly 3 now and like most kids he never keeps still. I always try to avoid shooting down on kids but his expression made me smile.