Constant Photography Influences Stifle Creativity

Constantly bombarding myself with photography, whether by constantly taking photos or constantly consuming photography, can indeed mask my own creativity. Focusing solely on what others have created can make it challenging for me to think outside the box and come up with my own unique ideas.

However, a few years ago, I realised the importance of intentionally making time in my life to explore other creative areas. By studying disciplines such as painting, observing the way light falls throughout the day, appreciating calligraphy and scetching, admiring sculptures, listening to the sounds of birds, and being inspired by people, I have found that surrounding myself with everything other than photography actually fuels my own photography.

Dedicating time to immerse myself in various artistic influences has allowed me to break free from the constraints of imitation and develop my own distinct artistic voice. By broadening my creative horizons beyond photography, I have been able to draw inspiration from diverse sources and incorporate those influences into my work.

This exploration has enriched my own photographic style, as I have discovered new perspectives, techniques, and approaches. By nourishing my mind with a range of artistic influences, I am able to tap into my inherent creativity and produce truly unique and authentic work.

Therefore, I encourage myself and others to seek inspiration beyond the realm of photography. Engaging with other art forms, exploring nature, connecting with people, and immersing ourselves in diverse experiences can ignite the spark of creativity and enable us to unleash our full artistic potential. Let us embrace the beauty of the world around us, draw inspiration from various sources, and let our own creative vision shine.

Ray

Why I went mirrorless - what some photographers won’t tell you!

Earlier this year, I made a change from digital single lens reflex (DSLR) to mirrorless. My 6d’s and 5ds were a few years old and I was realising they had a few flaws which I didn’t like!

I like to shoot my portraits, most often business portraits, at my lenses widest aperture, sometimes at f1.2. I like the look of a portraits taken at f1.2 and I like the natural vignette at this aperture.

However, I was realising that some of my portraits, after bringing them into my software, Lightroom, that some portraits were soft when I zoomed in 100%. To compensate for this, I would take several shots of my subject and with a safer aperture of say f2 or above.

Even though I used to send my lenses away to be calibrated, that wasn’t enough!

Eye Focus

This is where eye focus came in handy with my new mirrorless cameras. AI (artificial intelligence) enables me to select a subject to track and my camera tracks it, particularly when I’m up close to them, their eyes and their nearest eye are locked on to. It’s really cool.

My workflow’s changed dramatically. I take less photographs, saving space on my computer, and I now zoom in 100% and have amazing accuracy.

Video

I do quite a few videos for business where a lot of my clients are talking direct to camera, eye focus is really useful here. I also film myself quite often and eye focus has enabled me not to worry about focus, so I can concentrate on other technical details!

Professional Product Photography

We create powerful professional product photography.  We can create clean, clear product photography that is essential for e-commerce sites including Amazon, Ebay, websites, etc.

If you’re looking for professional product photography, please call Ray on 07837788874 or email rrjj@btinternet.com

Now is the time for your business and product to be visible online with quality, crisp, professional images. Our aim is to be affordable. Whether you want simple white background, image psds or styled photography, we can help you with our award winning commercial photography.

SEND ME YOUR PRODUCTS BY POST

Covid-19 and it’s second lockdown is here so we are again offering you the chance to send us your products by post. Just pop your medium to small sized products in the post to us. We suggest using a local currier, Parcelforce or your own choice but if you’re local (we’re on the Welsh border, Chirk) we will collect and drop off!

We work with you on your product images before the planned shoot creating storyboards, etc via Zoom and on the day of the shoot, we’ll send you screenshots of the shoot as it’s happening and connect with you via Zoom.

Please complete the below form with your requirements and we’ll get back to you asap including a Free no obligation quotation.

When chaos in my life lead to calm in my life!

Chaos

It was the end of April 2020 when things were beginning to change for me and not in a good way. When I say change, I’m talking about my body and my mind. Whenever I eat, my stomach would let me know painfully. I dreaded eating and was getting scared to eat. Mentally, it was stressing me.

My head wasn’t in the right place. That inner negative, that we all have, was fighting against me in a big way and taking over my world. After isolation was soon over, our friend David visited for dinner but I struggled to eat even basic foods like lamb and vegetables. The pain was like something I’d never experienced before. I was so concerned and didn’t know what was happening. I felt helpless.

Me meditating

Say yes to new adventures

Diet, Stress & Gastritis

When my dad was diagnosed with cancer about seven years ago, I developed gastritis which is a condition when the stomach lining becomes inflamed because of a bad diet and stress. I tend to neglect my diet and eat what can only be described as crap food, sugary foods.

Sleeping was difficult. Everyday, exhausted and stress with loosing lots of business with Covid 19 and with little government support, I sometimes think “how the hell did I get through it all?”

I knew, from experience, that I had to change my diet and approach new ways with dealing with my anxieties.

Jess, Lesley and Bobs

Working with Brockley Bean Cafe

It’s been over a year now that I started photographing and working for Brockley, a unique cafe and catering business down one of Wrexham’s quaint streets, Charles Street. It’s run by my friend and business owner, Jess Wills, a trained Chef and assisted by my other lovely friend, Lesley Wills (Jess’s mum) who is a trained nutritionalist. Some of my food images taken at the cafe have been shortlisted for Pink Lady Food.

A Blessing

I say, and continue to say, that I’ve been blessed because my eating issues and the solution for them was on my own doorstep. The solution was Jess and Lesley and their knowledge and experience with food, healthy food. I have had so much support from both ladies about my diet and what I should and shouldn’t be eating from drinks like slippery elm which coat the oesophagus and linking of the stomach, nature’s natural way without the need for liquid medicines from the local chemist. Foods like lean meats and vegetables like cabbage, carrots, etc which are full of antioxidants and which heal the stomach.

Brockley Bean Story

The story behind Brockley Bean Cafe with Jess:-

“I was born in 1979, raised and brought up in London in a place called Brockley on Coulgate Street opposite Brockley train station. This was where mum started a tiny whole foods shop (below photo) and eventually squatted next door as that was an 1980’s and squatting wasn’t a big deal like now.

When I was aged 5, mum decide to open the first vegan vegetarian cafe in London and the UK. I remember the day when I sat there in the cafe room designing menus for Brockley and I said why don’t we call the cafe Brockley Bean and on the front of the menu was the shape of a drawing of a round green face, a smiley green face rather like the logo they have been using before their recent brand change.

Old Brockley Bean Cafe, Brockley, London

Old logo

Rainbow Wraps

At age 7, I worked in the local Deptford Market and then from age 14 onwards we moved to Anglesey and didn’t do very well at school because of dyslexia and found it hard to fit in with schools that only spoke in Welsh. My passion was always with food and then went to work in catering and then being a chef in Bangor where I qualified to be a chef.

I later moved to Chester but unfortunately there wasn’t much work to do with catering or being a chef so I decided to give retail a try and worked for Next for 11 years and worked my up to Store Manager and then another 11 years at Top Shop as Store Manager.

In 2017 Skinnys opened in Wrexham which is a health food shop. I worked there for a really good guy called Kane and his family. It was like meat, vegetables, chicken, steak, etc and I was lucky enough that Kane gave me a position, after a few months, to run the shop for him. 2017 was a real moment for meal preps for people and cooking for people who haven’t got time but wanted clean healthy food and meal preps are for fitness, bodybuilder people. I later run Skinnys new shop in Chester and help support that shop also.

In October 2017, I wanted to do something else so I went to help mum manage her cafe in Bangor. Her cafe was called Follow Your Bliss. We both enjoyed working with each other and it was a real buzz and we had ideas to take Follow Your Bliss to Chester. However, it wasn’t working. In November 2017, I had calls from old customers asking me to cook for them. Before I knew it, I was cooking for 75 clients and working 7 days a week in a small kitchen. I was at this time exhausted.

Then with luck or maybe universal law, one day I was delivering to a customer, I couldn’t park in my normal place, so I walked down Charles Street and I saw the shop that we’re in at the moment, 20 Charles Street, The Brockley Bean and the rest they say is history.”

Keto Bread

Healthy Mind & Meditation

I remember calling in to the cafe one Thursday morning to visit Jess and Lesley and as my stomach health was starting heal with a new clean diet, my mind still wasn’t where it needed to be. I still had that inner negative voice. After a long chat with them both, they advised I read “The Untethered Soul” by Michael A. Singer.

I can’t remember the last time I read a book! This book changed my life in so many ways. I’ve learned to calm my inner voice with meditation, daily medication. I think of it like cleaning of my mind. I no longer waste energy with worrying but I focus on the now and look forward to my tomorrows.

I’ve also learned to meditate, twice a day and I’ve also found it even more rewarding when I meditate with with others.

Jess meditating

Wind chime

Please, if you are suffering with that negative inner voice, and are serious about it not ruling your life anymore, please read the book and please talk about your thoughts, no matter how crazy they may seem, it’s such a release to open and talk about everything.

A clean diet and a clean mind have released me from many months and probably years without knowing it, from years of chaos and confusion and I’m thankful and lucky to have two key friends who have changed me for the better in my new life journey.

Take care everybody. We are all going through tough times but stay positive, don’t follow the negatives in life. Choose you’re own positive way. It takes more effort to be miserable than to be happy.

Ray xxx

Events Photographer: MOW Gardening, come rain or shine...

It was great fun photographing Mow Gardening recently with Justin Madders and Andrew Pinkham of Amey Construction who gave, up a few hours our their time to clear away a mass of overgrown foliage, debris and leaves at The Beeches Care Home at Sutton Way.

Cheers for asking me along. I must remember to take my brolley for future outdoor shoots.

Here’s some of my favourite images…

Commercial photographer: Almost time to open The Swan, Marbury

I started to photograph The Swan, Marbury almost 2 years ago for Pubs Ltd and Jerry Brunning (Brunning & Price).  Jerry wanted a record of the project from the start to the finish to show customers in an album and on a iPad.  It was such a thrill to be asked to do this for Jerry.  The guy who created the 'gastro pub look'.  

I was in a great position in that I seen the project from start to finish.  A few images from February earlier this year.  I'll be following this blog with another showing the completed Swan at Marbury...

North Wales & Cheshire Wedding Photographer: Howie's Christening...

Sqwarly showers were frequent on the morning of Howie's christening but you can't let the rain stop big occasions.

Fabulous time in Flint with so many special people.  Let the photos do the talking...