Free Resources & 2016 Portrait Project
I've had a bit of re-jig over at MichaelRammell.com and I have some great news and updates I wanted to share with you all.
There hasn't been a major overhaul or anything like that, but I have made it far, far easier to get to all of the great FREE resources that I offer, such as FREE hi-res wallpapers, tutorial videos and even access to older blog posts that you may find useful. I'll also be re-launching my portrait project and putting dates in the diary for 2016!
Read on to find out more:
The Portrait Project (Let's try that again!)
I launched my portrait project back in 2013 with the aim of photographing 50 portraits of fellow photographers and friends that I've met through Social Media and the Internet. I received well over 30 applications from people wanting to take part and come to meet me to have their portrait made, but I couldn't get the project off the ground with other commitments limiting the time I had available for the project (moving house again, second child on the way and changing jobs) but now life is somewhat settled again I'm keen to finally kick this off and start making photographs of those people that applied and also to fill the final 20 or so remaining spaces!
If you applied the first time round I will be reaching out to you via email in the coming days and weeks to get things moving again and hopefully to arrange a date with you to make this happen. Of course there is no obligation at all to take part if you have previously applied.
If this is news to you and you weren't aware of the portrait project from the first time round then you can head on over to the portrait project page and apply now. Your name will go into my portrait project mailing list and I'll get in touch to arrange a date with you that suits us both.
Please note that if you're local I'll meet you halfway, however those slightly further afield from Virginia Water in Surrey where I live will likely have to travel to me. But I promise tea and good fun! (and of course, I hope, a great photograph or two!). I'll be at lots of events in 2016, including The Photography Show as well. If you're going to be there, or if you're coming along to one of my Photo Walks, we could even arrange to make your portrait then.
All of the details as to why I am doing this project, what I'll do with the photographs and more are included over on the launch page for the project along with details for who to apply.
Wallpapers
As a subscriber to this blog (If you're not already a subscriber you can sign up here!) you may have seen me release a series of photographs for download as desktop wallpapers throughout 2015. It's something I plan on doing much more, especially as I travel more around the world and the UK. It's my way of saying thanks to all those who subscribe, visit the website and interact with me online (and at photo walks as well!).
You can now find all of the wallpapers I make available in one place over on the wallpapers page. I've set this page to update itself automatically, so whenever I publish a new blog post with new wallpapers they will appear over on the wallpaper page. Available wallpapers include some breathtaking photographs from the Scottish Highlands, memories from Venice and also some photographs I shot recently during quite possibly the most amazing golden hour at Richmond Park (UK).
Tutorial & How To Videos
Not many people know this - mostly because I haven't promoted or advertised that I actually produce them - I have a small but growing series of videos available for you to view for FREE online. The videos mostly refer to how to do certain things in Light Room, such as using the adjustment brush to full effect, creating effective smart collections and generally the way I edit and post-process my own photographs to create my look.
What's more if you have a question about Light Room or my post processing that you want to ask you can complete the form over on the Tutorial Videos page and I'll produce a video showing you exactly how I do it.
Access to the Blog Archives
On a regular basis I get asked questions about photography, my approach and Olympus cameras. Often, I'll write a full reply (like I have done previously for Gavin Hall) but on occassion it may be that I have already written an article on a subject or given my thoughts on a topic and so I'll link to that instead. To make older blog posts easier to find I have created a page that shows older blog posts all in one place. You can take a look at the Blog Archive right here, or of course you can scroll to the bottom of any page on my website and click the 'Blog Archive' link.
I hope that these changes and adjustments will make the content and resources I put together easier to find and easier to access.
Project Portrait
I'm incredibly excited to announce the start of my Portrait Project.
I said back in early 2013 that I would start a Project this year with the aim of photographing just 50 people. If I'd have announced this back in January like I planned then perhaps 50 people would be an easier target, but we're already in May so it will be a push to make 50 portraits by the end of 2014!
I've included all of the details below in a Q&A format, so read on if you have questions.
If you're already interested and want to register your place in the final 50 just drop me a line and let me know or visit the Take Part appliction page
What's the deal?
I'm looking for volunteers - people who want their photographs made (or even people who are unsure about it)! If you're interested just register your interest right here: Here's a quick Q&A style list of facts about the project:
Q: Why are you doing it?
A: Portraits are the thing I enjoy photographing most. I enjoy interaction with people and making photographs that people like! The lighting and the technical side of things are pretty simple when it comes to making a portrait - the challenge can often be having the right conversation to get the right expression. This is the part I enjoy most.
Q: How much will it cost me if I volunteer?
A: It's free! Chances are if you come to me for the portrait I'll even buy you a drink.
Q: How do I apply?
A: Just fill out the form at the top of this page or head on over to the 'Take Part' page
Q: Why is it free, Won't it cost you money?
A: It may cost me a little something, but mostly it will be my time. I'm hoping to meet with you somewhere local, somewhere half-way or on a photo walk or meetup. This is a project that I really want to do for fun so I'm happy to spend a little something to do it and to invest my own time. I will be offering fine art prints for sale too: hopefully a few sales will cover any fuel costs I may incur and keep Mrs Rammell from telling me off for spending our money to make photographs of other people. I doubt that but it's worth a try ;)
Q: Where are the portraits going to be made?
A: We'll make arrangements on an individual basis: Some people can come to my place where they'll be offered endless amounts of tea and home made cakes. If you'd prefer however, or it's not convenient I could always meet you halfway depending on the distance. Or, as mentioned above if our diaries align and we're going to be meeting at a photo walk or meetup of some kind, then perhaps I could make your portrait then?
Q: Where are you based?
A: I live in Berkshire. Surrounding towns for me include Maidenhead, Bracknell, Windsor, Ascot, Slough, Wokingham and Reading. If you're local to me then perhaps we can put a date in the diary to make this happen. Check out my location on Google Maps
Q: Will the portraits be done in a Studio?
A: Some, yes. Others, no. I've got a studio I often set up at home and I'd like to use it for a good number of the portraits. However if the weather permits I'd quite like to do some of the portraits outside too (or even in doors, but just not with the studio set up). This project will be running until December so during the summer I'd like to get some Vitamin D if I can - we don't see enough sun in the UK - let's make the most of it!
Q: After the Portraits are made and edited, where will the be shown online?
A: They'll go right here on this website into the Portrait Project Gallery.
Q: Can I use the photographs?
A: Yes you can! As photographer I shall remain the copyright holder but I will grant all volunteers use of the photographs online for Facebook Profile Pictures and that sort of thing. I would appreciate it if you could use the photographs with my tiny little watermark in the corner to share the love, but that is optional. I will provide you with files large enough for 8x10 prints. If you would like larger prints then I can provide you with those
A: How will you use the photographs?
Q: The photographs will primarily be used right here on the website on the Portrait Project Gallery for the foreseeable future. I don't plan on selling any of the photographs at all and I shan't pass any copyright or usage rights onto a third party unless otherwise stated. If anything ever comes up I will always get in touch with you first and check with you. It's what I would expect so It's the way I'd like to work it for this project.
Q: Who can volunteer?
A: Absolutely anyone who is 18 or over. This project is open to anyone who would like to come and have their photograph made. You don't need to be a model or a photographer - You just need to have a face (any kind will do!)
Q: I know someone who might like to take part.
A: Excellent! Tell them about the project and link them to this page. If they're interested they can register their interest too. You can tweet them a link to this post. Or you can email them a link or even share it on Facebook:
Q: Can I take part with a friend?
A: You certainly can! I'd happily meet you both (or all of you) on the same day. However, the portraits I make will be of individual people. This project won't include portraits of groups or couples.
Q: Will you give me a print of my portrait?
A: Yes! Of course! Prints won't be free however. I send all my prints out to a OneVision imaging. Prices start from £25 for a single 8x10 fine art print.
Q: What are you getting out of all of this?
A: To meet interesting people. To make portraits that people are (hopefully) happy with. Satisfaction. Practise. A portfolio of Portrait photographs.
Q: What's unique about this project? People have done portrait projects before you.
A: I'm aware that I'm not the first to run a project like this and nor shall I be the last, I'm sure. For me this isn't about creating something that no one else has done before. It's about the interaction I'll get with you and it's about practise. It will be a great chance to meet a lot of wonderful people and hopefully make a photograph you can really enjoy. Of course, no two photographs are the same so the photographs themselves will be unique
Apply Now
The first 50 people to apply will feature in this project for free. To take part register your interest right here on the Take Part page.
I look forward to meeting you and making your photograph!
Apply now
To take part and register to participate simply get in touch via the Take Part Page
London Street Photography With The Guild Of Photographers
This is a post long, long overdue, but now during the Christmas and New Year Period I've been doing a lot of work behind the scenes to catch up with it all. I've had weddings to shoot & edit, we've got a baby on the way (now overdue at the time of writing this) and in between that I've had a house full with people staying for Christmas. So, suffice to say I've been a little quiet on the Social Media and blogging side of things. But, I'm back now and today I want to share with you some photographs I made back in October in London...
On Sunday 20th October I led a photo walk in London with some extremely talented and very fun photographers from the Guild of Photographers.
In what initially was just a small idea that was batted around - we ended up running a full photo walk in London for the day. It was a huge success. With 11 of us in attendance we set about photographing the sights, scenes and people of London.
So, today, right here in this post I want to share a few of my photographs from this trip with you. I'll talk a little about each one and how it came to be:
So this first photograph (above) was one of the very first photographs I made on the day. Some of the photographers that joined us on the walk were a little apprehensive about photographing strangers and weren't keen on asking for their permission. Well, if you don't ask you don't get. So to demonstrate that all you have to do is be confident and polite you'll find you're more than likely to get complete strangers agreeing to have their photographs taken. I found this chap to be really interesting and like most of my work from this day I felt a contrasty black and white was in order.
This particular character was sitting on a bicycle/taxi thing in Covent Garden (our arranged meeting place). He was reading a book as I approached him, waiting for his next fare I can only assume. When I asked "Excuse me, would you mind at all If I made your photograph?"
"Sure" he replied. So, I made two frames as he continued to read and then I asked him to look directly into the camera, and that's how this shot came to be. I thanked him for his time, wished him a pleasant day and moved on.
See, not so hard.
So, I walked aimlessly and didn't really give thought to where I was heading. As you do, I stumbled upon St. Paul's Cathedral and spotted this rather intense looking guy on the steps. I took a seat, waited for my opportunity to photograph him and then left. I was sure to make use of leading lines here. On this occasion I felt making his portrait and disturbing him wouldn't only annoy him (as he seemed to be enjoying what he was reading) but it would also be a moment lost. Reading a booking on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral.
As I mentioned back in the very first photograph the meeting place for our group on this Sunday was Covent Garden, just outside the Apple Store. It's public and obvious and everyone knows where it is! Before setting off and making our way for South Bank we stayed for a short while to photograph the always-excellent street performers.
Jugglers, actors, stuntmen and musicians all gather here to show off their talents and make a little money in the process. It's one of the beautiful things about London, there are people everywhere willing to entertain you. Strangely though most of them are amazingly talented and I'm sure should be doing far better to the point where they have record deals or are at least gracing our Radio Stations. They're certainly far more talented than the acts you see on the reality TV programs. (I digress). Alas, it's not always to be. It just means we get to listen and enjoy when we're out in London.
Acoustic musicians singing a mix of their own original work and re-works of popular current music are a mainstay of the performances you can usually find in Covent Garden. This young lady was singing her heart out to the crowd that had gathered around her. This was another instance where the group began to photograph her from 'behind the lines' as it were, standing with the other onlookers. I opted instead to get in close: I threw a few pounds into her Guitar case, she nodded in appreciation. I help up the camera as if to gesture "Is it okay for me to make your photograph?" and she nodded again and continued her performance. I made a fair few frames from a low angle, being sure not to get in the way for the other people who had gathered to enjoy her performance. I moved back after getting my shots and let the other members of the group do the same.
So, in true British style, it rained on this day. It rained a lot! The heavens opened and by gosh it got wet, fast. Just before the downpour though we had some fun at Somerset House whilst en-route to South Bank (thanks Liz for being tour guide / navigator). I asked my fellow Guild members to stand in various places in between the fountains using the rule of odds. Poor Marta there on the right is hidden behind a fountain, but the concept was good, in my mind at least :)
Shortly after this shot it started to rain too much for us to stay outside for much longer. We made our way inside to wait for the shower to pass. In the UK the rain can really start and then top quite suddenly. Other times it can be relentless and rain non-stop all day. Fortunately for us the rain lasted only a short while. So we headed inside to chat about our experience of the day so far and to see how people felt about approaching strangers, now that we'd been doing it all morning.
This is a portrait of my fellow Guild Member Jakub Voza. Jackub was a really interesting guy and I'm so pleased he made it on this day to join us. I found Jakub very creative and very quirky and good fun to shoot with. As the rain came we retreated inside to Somerset House where we settled for a good 30 - 45 minutes with a hot drink (for some; a glass of wine) whilst things dried up. The rain just didn't stop, but neither did the conversation or the banter. We all enjoyed each other's companies and chewed the fat, so to speak.
At some point the rain had to stop, right? Well, it did eventually. We seized the moment and made our way back outside to a refreshed and invigorated London. The air was clean and there was now a different feel and texture to everything as leaves were battered down from the trees and puddles formed everywhere, giving us the chance to play a few games with the reflections. Everything had a silvery metallic look to it now that the rain had been. (again, perhaps this is just the way I saw things?!)
After a short time of playing with reflections and doing a few more group shots outside Somerset House we continued with the original plan and made our way to South Bank. Always an interesting place to be. As we started walking I held back and got this shot of the gang walking off.
So, just over the bridge from Somerset House was our destination: London's South Bank. A riverside setting lined with places to eat, a quirky old book shop under the bridge, more performers and even a Skate Park! If you're in London - South Bank is a great little place to check out. It's on the same side of the river as the London Eye, just a minutes walk away.
In this shot (above), i grabbed this lovely couple as they walked by and convinced them to model for the group. They were more than willing.
Seeing as this one is in Black and White also - what you can't see is the amazingly vibrance and redness of the wood behind this lovely couple. We took a walk over the river and spotted this large, red wooden structure. I think we all had the same thing in mind when we wanted to use it as a backdrop. I gathered up a few South Bank Pedestrian's and guided them towards this back drop for the other photographers to use as models, but I had to save this couple for myself! I asked them to squeeze in nice and close, keep each other warm and forget about the odd set of people with massive camera's behind me. The laugh I was expecting came right out and after a few short moments settled into these lovely natural smiles. What a great couple!
Save South Bank! After moving on from our fun using the big red background we were again on the search for willing passers by to pose and model for us. As we walked by the skate park in South Bank I was summoned over by this gentleman who insisted I signed the petition he and his colleague had going to Save Southbank! "What's happening to Southbank" I asked. "What does it need saving from?"
"They're going to knock down this skate park and small recreational area down to build more shops and retail units in addition to all the shops they already have along this part of the river" he explained
"Your Portrait in exchange for my signature" I offered...
Then this picture was made. Such a great smiler. I only took 1 or 2, but knew that I'd nailed it. What a willing model.
Shortly after this a few of the other photographers from the group asked him for his photograph. I said "Go on, go for it. I'll get you some signatures!". So, as promised I set about getting people walking by to come over and sign the signatures. By the time Andrea from our group had finished making his portrait (Andrea asked him to move over to one side and pose next to the Skate Park) I had gathered a small queue of about 6 or 7 people and had them ready to sign the petition.
Everyone's a winner. I get a photograph and I help his cause for him. Call it an exchange of services!
We'd spent so much time in South Bank, and thanks to the earlier rain we were running behind a little bit. We had a table reserved at an Italian place about 10 minutes walk from where we were. So, as we all slowly started to make our way towards the restaurant we walked back along South Bank. That's when I spotted these guys...
This couple were very, very into one another. I was actually the other side of them, shooting a musician (see next photograph) with the sunset behind her. Keen to keep up with the group I started to speed walk and realised this couple were having a very passionate and public engagement and show of affection. I was at this point on the 70-200mm (your perfect Street Photography Lens...not!) so was able to crop in and frame the loving couple. I had to take this shot a few times in a bid to remove the passers by from the scene.
As I mentioned above most of my shots from today were black and white. I also mentioned a performer with an amazingly dramatic and colourful skyline. This was her. The option was to go for Flash (in the bag in the pouch) or shoot and embrace the silhouette or risk grabbing the flash and missing the quickly fading light. In hindsight I wouldn't change a thing about this one. The silhouette makes this so much more fun. It could be anyone and anywhere.
So, that's it for today. Those are my 10 favourite shots from the Guild of Photographers London Street Photo Walk, arranged and organised by yours truly. We will of course be doing this again, it goes without saying. It was great fun. Not only making the photographs, but just being around other creatives and other photographers; seeing how differently people shoot the same scene and subject.
I hope you've enjoyed these photographs?
If you have any questions or comments, or are interested i attending a future photo walk please drop a comment below, or email me: michael@rammellphotography.com.