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Find out the latest news and opinion from Focussing On Photography
SCCI AGM 2026
A busy afternoon at a very well attended Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry AGM at the Memorial Hall, Sheffield City Hall, last Thursday.
Photography Basics 10 – Neutral Density Graduated (ND Grad) Filters
When you’re photographing landscapes or cityscapes where the sky is much brighter than the foreground you’ll either have an overexposed sky or an underexposed foreground (unless you take two images, one exposed for the sky, the other exposed for the foreground and blend them together in software).
Official Recommended Supplier at OEC Sheffield
I’m an Official Recommended Supplier at OEC Sheffield.
Photography Basics 9 – Why use a polarising filter?
These two pictures are identical except that the first was taken without a filter and the second was taken with a polarising filter.
Photography Basics 8 – Balancing Ambient Light With Flash
When you’re using flash indoors with the lights on the chances are that the available (or ambient) light will be warm. Most houses, restaurants etc tend to use this type of lighting because it’s more inviting than lighting which balanced for daylight (which is cooler).
Photography Basics 7 – White Balance
When we are in different lighting situations (outdoors in the day or indoors with the lights on for example) we are generally able to distinguish colours (and white) fairly accurately.
Understanding white balance is important because camera sensors can’t do this and need to be set accordingly.
Photography Basics 6 – Exposure Compensation
The exposure meters used in cameras measure the amount of light reflected off the subject towards the camera. Most of the time the metering is pretty accurate but…
Photography Basics 5 – The Exposure Triangle
Aperture, shutter speed and ISO (covered in the previous three posts in the series) between them determine the exposure.
Photography Basics 4 – ISO
ISO refers to the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor (or of the film if you’re using a film camera).
Photography Basics 3 – Depth of Field
Depth of field (DoF) refers to how much of a picture is in sharp focus in front of, and beyond, the part of the picture you’ve focussed on by changing the aperture setting of the lens. You can use it to guide your viewers eye to where you want them to look.
Photography Basics 2 – Shutter Speed
Shutter speed refers to the amount of time that the sensor (or film) is exposed to light.
New Range of Greetings Cards
I’ve added to my range of greetings cards. There are now forty in total.
Sheffield Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting
I recently had the pleasure of photographing the AGM of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce at Sheffield City Hall.
Collaboration with Sable Creative Graphic Design
When Tracey Stead of Sable Creative and I started our collaboration in March we did so partly because photography and graphic design complement each other but it was much more than that.
The Yorkshire Chocolate Festival
A few shots from the recent Yorkshire Chocolate Festival, a fundraising event organised by Roundabout, a local charity supporting young people who are homeless or about to become so.
Introducing a new and exciting collaboration…
…between Focussing On Photography and Sable Creative Graphic Design.
South Yorkshire International Trade Conference
Some pictures from the South Yorkshire International Trade Conference recently.
Do you have an event coming up?
If so would you like a photographer to showcase your business or capture your social occasion?
New greetings cards available
I’ve revamped the range of greetings cards on my website. The old favourites are still there but I’ve trawled the archives and changed things round a bit.
need images for your website and social media?
Would you like more time to be able to concentrate on the areas of your business that you really enjoy?
Roundabout charity dinner and auction
I photographed the Bangers and Cash Dinner and Auction of Roundabout, the local charity helping young people who are homeless or at risk of becoming so, on Friday evening.
Some cute pictures for a Friday afternoon
We’ve recently returned from a holiday in Boat of Garten, a great base for walking and photography. This was the first time that I’d had the chance to catch a red squirrel on camera mainly because there was enough light (for a change) and the squirrel kept relatively still for a bit now and again (also for a change).
Do you have an event planned and need a photographer?
Here are a few pictures that I took recently of a 60th wedding anniversary celebration at the fabulous OEC.
A spot of bird photography
Photographing house martins feeding chicks is a tad tricky as the whole process from flying in to feeding to flying out takes little more than a second.
Do you have an event that’s coming up?
If so would you like a photographer to showcase your business event or social occasion?
The story behind the shot – St Davids Cathedral
I took this picture in June last year. I thought I’d share it for a couple of reasons (three if you include the fact that I like it anyway).
Website Design, Photo, Video and Drone Packages
Every business needs a website, and every website needs professional content to help it stand out as your window to the world.
Blackrock Cottage
Blackrock Cottage in Glencoe is probably the most photographed cottage in Scotland. It belongs to the Ladies Scottish Climbing Club and it’s available to hire. Buachaille Etive Mor is in the background.
Some pictures for promotions
I had the pleasure recently of visiting the Prevention Service of Roundabout to take some pictures for promotional purposes.
Need images for your website and social media?
Would you like more time to be able to concentrate on the areas of your business that you really enjoy?
Photography Basics… what’s depth of field?
Depth of field (DoF) refers to how much of a picture is in sharp focus in front of, and beyond, the part of the picture you’ve focussed on. You can use it to guide your viewers eye to where you want them to look.
Are you looking for a Christmas gift with a difference?
How about a one to one photography training day with me?
The Presidents Reception
The Presidents Reception of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce took place last Thursday at Sheffield Cathedral.
The Yorkshire Chocolate Festival at Magna, Rotherham
I was at Magna last Saturday for the Yorkshire Chocolate Festival, an event organised by Roundabout, South Yorkshire’s local youth housing charity
Bangers and Cash Launch 2023
Last Wednesday saw the launch of Bangers and Cash 2023 at Heist Brew Co. It’s an event organised by Roundabout, South Yorkshire’s local youth housing charity
Run For All 10k Corporate Challenge
I recently photographed the post-race presentation for the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce Run For All 10k Corporate Challenge.
The story behind the shot – Whitby Sunset
This was one of those ‘put the camera on the tripod and wait’ evenings but that’s one of the great things about landscape photography especially before and after sunrise or sunset, or after a storm; you can set up, relax and watch the light change. It certainly beats getting to a location late and racing around like roadrunner on speed! Planning’s really important!
Premium Partner Networking Event
A really enjoyable evening last Thursday at Mojo, Sheffield for the Premium Partner Networking with Sheffield Chamber of Commerce.
ESP Projects Ltd 20th Anniversary
Really pleased to be asked to photograph the 20th Anniversary celebrations of ESP Projects Ltd. A fun afternoon with AfroMagic.
The story behind the shots – Northern Fulmars
I recently spent a very pleasant day at Bempton Cliffs photographing seabirds. It’s one of a few RSPB reserves where you can take dogs (happily for us and Wilf☺️).
The story behind the (soggy) shot – Waiting for a Train
We’d spent an extremely wet but still brilliant week in Glenfinnan recently and I’d still got a hankering to shoot The Jacobite over the viaduct of Harry Potter fame even though I’ve done it before – it is a great sight even to people like me who aren’t particularly train enthusiasts.
Charity Abseil
A few shots from the abseil last Saturday in aid of Roundabout, Sheffield. A brilliant day raising money for a great cause.
Website, drone/video and photography packages
Every business needs a website, and every website needs professional content to help it stand out as your window to the world.
I’m collaborating with Scott England of Web&Go and Paul Stinson of Hovaloft to provide high quality websites, videos and images that help businesses to promote their brand, products and services.
The story behind the shot – Derwentwater Sunset
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen photographs of the boats at Keswick so I thought I’d give it a go myself. Two long exposures to get movement in the clouds and smooth the water (and eliminate a number of ducks), blended in Photoshop.
Need images for your business?
Would you like more time to be able to concentrate on the areas of your business that you really enjoy?
Do you wish you could take better pictures?
This is a shot of The Couple at Newbiggin by the Sea. I love talking about photography and last Wednesday I had the opportunity at Island Networking of showing this picture and talking through my thought processes regarding why and how I took it as I did.
Bridges on the Tyne
This was a shot I’d been meaning to get for some time. Sunset one January evening and a tad chilly but what a view! As a local I was chatting to rightly said “It’s a grand sight isn’t it bonny lad!”
Headshots – one session, four looks
Headshots shouldn’t look like mug shots off Crimewatch in my book. It’s not that great for business! The object of the exercise is to show potential clients something of the real you. You know; confident, professional, friendly, relaxed, that sort of thing. And to do that you need a variety of images that create the right impressions.
Castlerigg Stone Circle Greetings Cards
I love this place, a stone circle dating back to about 3000 BC, with a backdrop that includes Helvellyn and Blencathra.
Humber Twilight Greetings Cards
The Humber Bridge taken from Barton Upon Humber just after sunset one May. A lovely evening. I’d never been as popular with mosquitoes though…
Are you looking for a Christmas gift with a difference?
How about a one to one photography training day with me?
Yorkshire Chocolate Festival
I was at Kelham Island Museum last Sunday for the Yorkshire Chocolate Festival, an event organised by Roundabout, South Yorkshire’s local youth housing charity providing shelter, support and life skills to young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Strike the Pose
The dog owners among you will know that there are invaluable accessories to getting shots like this…
The Birks of Aberfeldy
There’s something magical about woods after rain as it really brings the colours out. A gorgeous spot and almost deserted too. You know those times when you think that other people don’t know what they’re missing?…
The story behind the shots – Gannets at Bempton Cliffs
Bempton Cliffs is an RSPB reserve with a fabulous seabird colony just south of Filey and because it’s on the coastal path you can take dogs (happily for Wilf).
A photographer, a drone pilot and a great location
A very pleasant late evening at Ladybower recently with Paul Stinson of Hovaloft.
Roundabouts’ Musical Theatre Drive In on 12 June 2021
I was at the pop up on The Moor recently for Roundabout, the charity helping homeless young people in South Yorkshire.
On Higger Tor with Hovaloft
On Higger Tor last week with Paul Stinson of Hovaloft for some photography/drone/video work.
Extended Range of Greetings Cards Now Available
I’ve added to my range of greetings cards. There are now thirty in total. They’re blank for your own handwritten message and so can be used for any occasion but you can also request that any message, text and/or logo be included.
The story behind the shots – One car, two lights and a sunset
A couple of shots from Friday evening, each with a two light setup. I was a bit like roadrunner on speed to be honest, I’m sure that sun goes down quicker when it knows you’re in a hurry 😉
Website, drone/video and photography packages
Every business needs a website, and every website needs professional content to help it stand out as your window to the world.
I’m collaborating with Scott England of Web&Go and Paul Stinson of Hovaloft to provide high quality websites, videos and images that help businesses to promote their brand, products and services.
The story behind the shot – Bamburgh Castle Sunrise
This is the sunrise that followed the predawn light in my previous post. The trick with landscape photography is to do your research and to get there early.
The story behind the shot – Bamburgh Castle Early Doors
Thought I’d post this for no other reason than to hopefully brighten your day and to reassure you, if you needed it, that Northumberland is still out there😉.
Need Images For Your Business?
Would you like more time to be able to concentrate on the areas of your business that you really enjoy?
Podcast with Veronica Broomes
Thank you to Veronica Broomes of Excel Property Partners for giving me the opportunity to guest on her series of podcasts entitled ‘Sheffield’s Hidden Gems’, talking about me and my business.
Here’s a question… what’s depth of field?
Depth of field (DOF) refers to how much of a picture is in sharp focus in front of, and beyond, the part of the picture you’ve focussed on. You can use it to guide your viewers eye to where you want them to look.
Ask me anything!
Well, when I say ‘anything’, I mean anything about photography. If you asked me to explain the principles of quantum mechanics there’d probably be a long silence followed by “Errr…” and you’d hear the frantic tapping of keys whilst I googled it! 😉
Are you looking for a Christmas gift with a difference?
How about a one to one photography training day with me?
Here’s a question… why use a polarising filter?
I use a polarising filter for a couple of reasons. Find out more by reading my blog.
Website, drone/video and photography packages
I’m collaborating with Scott England of Web&Go https://webandgo.net/ and Paul Stinson of Hovaloft https://hovaloft.co.uk/ to provide high quality websites, videos and images that help businesses to promote their products and services.
Another photography training day
I love doing these. I really enjoy helping people to understand the technical aspects of photography and get creative. It’s all about taking control of the camera and not leaving the result to chance. One of the benefits of this type of training is the instant, two way communication that takes place. It means that I can tailor the training specifically to the needs of the client. If you’re like me and learn best from talking to a real person and doing rather than reading through instruction manuals or looking at Youtube, I’d be happy to help.
Bespoke Greeting Cards
I recently provided three designs for bespoke greetings cards for Stephen Dawson Financial Planning, one of which is below in the order of front of card, inside front and back of card, leaving the inside back of the card blank for handwritten messages.
A Shoot with a Tropic(al) Twist
I recently worked with Deb Leonard on a photoshoot for her business, Deb Leonard Tropic. At the planning session Deb talked me through some ideas and I added my suggestions.
The story behind the shot – A car, a sunset and a couple of lights
I’d been meaning to do this for a while and finally got round to it last week. Shame I left the Ferrari in the garage 😉
The story behind the shot – Gone Fishin’
This is the heron at Rivelin. Well I say the heron, I’ve only ever seen one so have assumed, probably naively, that it’s the same one but who knows!
Greetings Cards Now Available
I’m now offering a variety of greetings cards, all of which are blank for your own message and so can be used for any occasion.
The story behind the shot – A Hare in the Heather
It was a real stroke of luck that the hare was so inquisitive but if you sit quiet and still for long enough the amount of wildlife that comes to you can be remarkable.
The story behind the shot – A lowflying Wilf
There’s a steep field near us on which Wilf loves to do ‘Zoomies’, which is a term for when dogs run at top speed in largish circles because they’re happy, apparently. Wilf does these a lot, so I guess this must be a good thing.
The story behind the shot – The Bloke in the Bubble
Maybe it’s me (actually this is me but you know what I mean) but I think there’s a connection between the lockdown and bubbles since the former effectively put most of us in the latter.
The story behind the shot – Fruit still life…
…although to be honest if it had started moving about under it’s own volition it would have freaked me out a bit!
The story behind the shot – Taking it on the chin
To be honest, I thought I’d blocked the punch but it seems that I was too quick for me. Then again I thought I could hit the target; I just had to avoid giving me any chance to block.
The story behind the shot – Lockdown Chess
There was a deep seated, long standing grudge. We knew each other well. It was a hard fought match. I seemed to know every move that my opponent made even before he made it. He seemed to know mine. It was almost as if we could read each other minds – spooky!
The story behind the shot – G and T reflections
This was taken on a black acrylic board with a white one as the background. Since the bottle was blue I lit the shot using a flashgun with blue gel to the left of the camera. I placed a silver reflector opposite the flashgun to lift the shadows on the right hand side.
Portrait Lighting Styles -Bringing It All Together
In seven previous posts I’ve gone through different lighting techniques for portraits. For the final post in this series I thought I’d post the seven images together so that you can more easily see the differences between them. This may seem a good idea but the downside is that they’re all of me. That’s lockdown for you!
Portrait Lighting Styles -Short Lighting
The penultimate in my series of portrait lighting techniques. As usual this shot is straight out of camera and it’s in black and white so you can see the light pattern more clearly.
Portrait lighting styles – Broad Lighting
The latest in my series of portrait lighting techniques. As usual, this shot is straight out of camera and it’s in black and white so you can see the light pattern more clearly.
Portrait Lighting Styles -Split Lighting
The latest in my series of portrait lighting techniques. You’ve got me again (un retouched). This shot is straight out of camera. It’s in black and white so you can see the light pattern more clearly.
Portrait Lighting Styles -Loop Lighting
Another in my series of lighting techniques which may be useful if you need a DIY headshot given that most of us are in lockdown. You’ve got me again (un retouched). This shot is straight out of camera. It’s in black and white so you can see the light pattern more clearly.
The story behind the shot – A bit of fun with flash
Another of my ‘why not try this at home’ posts. You’ll need a darkish room as you’ll be lighting the shot with flash only (oh! And you’ll need an external flashgun so you can control the power output – from about £26 on Amazon if you don’t already have one).
Portrait Lighting Styles -Butterfly Lighting
Another of my ‘why not try this at home’ posts given that most of us are in lockdown. You’ve got me (un retouched) as no-one in our house is keen on being photographed because it’s been weeks since any of us saw a hairdresser. This shot is straight out of camera. It’s in black and white so you can see the light pattern more clearly.
The story behind the shot – the groomers are closed…
… and things can get a bit out of hand. And if I’m honest I know how Wilf feels, although on another level I’m just grateful to have hair!
Portrait Lighting Styles -Lighting Ratios
Another of my ‘why not try this at home’ posts given that most of us are in lockdown. Again you’ve got me (un retouched). This shot is straight out of camera. It’s in black and white so you can see the light pattern more clearly.
Portrait Lighting Styles – Rembrandt Lighting
Another of my ‘why not try this at home’ posts given that most of us are in lockdown. You’ve got me (un retouched – I could make myself look like George Clooney but it would take days of Photoshop work and life’s too short) as no-one in our house is keen on being photographed because it’s been weeks since any of us saw a hairdresser. This shot is straight out of camera. It’s in black and white so you can see the light pattern more clearly.
The story behind the shot – Whisky on wood
After nearly two weeks we’ve recovered from Covid – 19 and I’ve been doing some product photography.
The story behind the shot…
…(actually two shots in this case) – Darth Vader at home in his cheese grater Another in my series of ‘ why not try this at home’ blogs given that we’re in the middle of the Covid – 19 lockdown. I guess most of you know that Darth Vader lived in Fortress Vader on Mustafar …
The story behind the shot – The way it used to be
This is a Voigtländer Vito B compact 35mm viewfinder camera built sometime between 1954 and 1957 and bought by my Dad in 1966 for £13 and 10 shillings (about £250.00 in todays money).
The story behind the shot – One egg, two forks and a lightbox
This is the first in a series of images that I’ll be uploading regularly with the story of each, together with how it was taken, so there’ll be a few photographic hints and tips along the way.
Headshots (and coffee)…
Well it was early in the morning. A few headshots recently taken at the Depot Bakery networking group.
Sheffield Business Awards 2019
I was at the Sheffield Business Awards recently photographing all things front of house for Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and the Sheffield Star.
Another One to One Photography Workshop
I love doing these. It’s great to be able to spend time helping people increase their knowledge of photography.
Duke of Edinburgh Training
I’ve just spent three days working with Bold Adventures Outdoor Learning and Education Providers
Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity Football Match
Great to be part of the charity match a couple of Sundays ago at Hallam FC
Product Shoot for Hallam FC
Pleased to be able to do a product shoot for Hallam FC to help with their sales.
I’m A Member of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce
I’ve finally got round to joining Sheffield Chamber of Commerce
Headshots At Home
A couple of shots from a recent photoshoot for the clients’ professional portfolio at his house.
