100% Genuine Product!!

Ok, I got to admit that I really am getting addictive to making these Compact Disks of mine. 

For the last month I've been working with Models from Model Mayhem on TFP (NB:  Trade For Prints).  Now when I've posted their CD's to them in the post then it is Compact Disks like the one shown below that the Models have been getting.

What I love most about these CD's of mine is the unique hot foil stamp that I do place on them.  I feel that when the receiver gets a CD of mine with this kind of unique stamp, then I hope that the receiver gets a real a sense of their CD being a complete 100% "GENUINE" product from Gareth Preston Photographic which sets my work a side from the other photographers work that they will be experiencing in the field..

So to finish this posting with, the "Gold Stamp" is just another way that I, my-self as a photographer does get creative in the studio.

Hope you enjoy

Gaz

http://www.strober.tk/

Nikon Creative Lighting System

I hooked up with my latest Model at Stockport Train Station today and then the both of us made our way to the location of our shoot.

To me this shoot was a very special one… the reason being is because I did get to try out my latest bit of kit.  Now this new bit of kit of mine is the SB600.  The special bit is, is that when my SB600 is being controlled by my SB900 (Commander) then I am now……..  Wait for it……. Working with ‘Nikons Creative Lighting System’. 

So yes people, today for the very first time I did then get up, close and personal with Nikons Creative Lighting System.  The first thing I noticed about Nikons CLS (Creative Lighting System) is, wow just how handy is it to have this system about ?   I mean from the very first second of setting up this system, then I was taking instantly Technical Perfect images of my latest model.

Moving on the second thing that I learnt about Nikons CLS is that it does tend to struggle to work effectively in certain situations.  For example, if you don’t use ‘Line Of Sight’ with Nikons Set Up.  Then the CLS System can fail to work.  In my 'broken window' shots below you will see my Model posed in front them broken windows.  Now, these final broken window images were NOT shot with Nikons CLS and instead the final broken window images were shot using the SB900  off cam and triggering them via my trusty Pocket Wizards Plus II Transceivers.

Don’t get me wrong though, I did try the CLS option, but it appeared to NOT be working effectively, if even at all ?  My first thought was that the ‘ambient’ light coming in from the window was ‘overpowering’ the infer read light that’s being fired by my SB900 (Commander) ? 

Hence why I ended switching to using my pocket wizards.  My first impressions of Nikons Creative Lighting System is 50 / 50.  That is to say that if I be totally honest with you.  Then basically I see Nikons CLS as just being another tool that photographers can carry in their bags with them and have access to where and when it is required.   I also feel that it is only with experience that I will learn to master this new way of working with light i.e. Nikons CLS.

But to finish this blog with, then just how cool is my latest Model ?  Wow this girl is cool, Cassie (her name) is a very experienced Model.  As a matter of fact one only needs to talk to her and to listen to her replies in order for one to conclude that this Model does indeed have bags full of experience. 

It must be noted that I really did enjoy working with Cassie today and I hope that in the not so distant future Cassie and my-self will be making more images together with Nikons CLS System.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog posting, many thanks........

Gaz
http://www.strober.tk/

Little Sexy Dress

Well, well, well…. Guess who turned up at my front door this week!!  No it was not the Post Man bringing me that £10,000.00 Cheque.  But instead it was my newest Model... (NB:  To me that’s just as good as that £10,000.00 Cheque ;)

Any way, Rachael and my-self was booked to work on location at Woodbank Park here in Stockport.  However, the weather was not very kind to us that day.  So I invited Rachael up to my Studio aka Spare Bedroom instead.  When Rachael did arrive she quickly did change into what I would describe as this little sexy dress of hers.  

But I still had a problem folk, and that problem was, was that we were still shooting in my Studio aka Spare Bedroom and this is a place I really hate to photograph Models in.  What I mean, is that I can’t be as creative in my Studio with Models as I'd like to be. But when I'm outside on location then it's a different story.  It's just that my Studio does not offer the Photographer enough space for shooting Models.    As a matter of fact I only really shoot in my studio when I’m carrying out  such ‘experiments’ as shooting water droplets etc….

Now, because I felt that my shoot indoors was NOT going that well with Rachael.  I quickly asked her to follow me outside to that little park just down the road from me known as Torkington Park.   As soon as we arrived on location in this park it was then that I felt a BIG sigh of relief, because I now knew that I could just relax and continue to work as that creative Photographer that it is that I  like to be so much.

So here you go folk here is a combination of both my indoor and outdoor work with my newest Model Rachael.  Hope you all enjoy.

Gaz

http://www.strober.tk/

She Got The Look!

O My God !!  Just when I think that it can't get any better it does.  I arrived at Piccadilly Train Station at 12:00 hrs yesterday and meet my newest Model.  Now before we got the shoot underway, I kindly asked my Model if we could get a cup of Coffee first.  My Model agreed and off to Star Bucks it was.   Now the strange thing was, was when we were drinking our Coffee, then we got more and more in depth in converstation with each other.  We were talking about all the things that is with in our industry i.e. Photographers & Models....

Now before we knew it many hours had now passed due to the fact that we were to busy talking and not working.  However people, I must tell you that this is such a refreshing change to have, I enjoyed every single moment of our talks. 

But moving on, time was running out and we had to get down to doing the business.  So in the end we did manage to get an hour or twos worth of shooting done.  As a result here is a teaser of our final images.

Gaz

http://www.strober.tk/

PS:  Again what a refreshing change meeting this Model was.

BANG!!

Just thought I'd share it with you :)

Barbie Girl

Wow!!  What a shoot this one really was.   So to keep a long story short, I meet this young Model via Model Mayhem.

But again “Wow” !!  It was not that long into this shoot that two little words started popping into my head i.e. “Gemma Ward”.  Over and over again it kept on happening, basically I’d take a shot of this little cutie and then when I looked into my view finder I kept on seeing “Gemma Ward” looking back at me ? 

How can this be I thought ?  How on Gods green earth could an “International Super Model” like Gemma Ward be doing a shoot with me here in Lyme Park?  But after rubbing my eyes a few times then the reality of my shoot was becoming very clear.  It was not the “Barbie Girl” aka “Gemma Ward” that I was shooting, No instead it was another younger “Barbie Girl” that I was in fact shooting.

Omg, this young Model was HOT, I mean for real, I’m really surprised that my lens did not melt whilst it was pointed in her direction.  But what was it with her that was blown me away ? 

I’m not sure, was it her natural ability to strike that pose ?  Or was it that long blonde hair of hers fluttering in the wind ?  Or was it those BIG blue attractive eyes of hers ?  Or was it those lush pink lips of hers ?    Or was it just all of these things combined together ?  

Either way, I’m not to sure, but there is one thing I am 100% sure of… that being that this young Model is just like her “International Sister” that meaning that she is a 100% “BARBIE GIRL”.  Now to finish with, I wonder who the lucky guy is going to be with this one…  Hmmmm…. Let me guess is his name Ken ? ;)

Any way again hope you like the shots.

Gaz

http://www.strober.tk/

An Athletic Shoot

Ok, so I’ve been watching a few videos on You Tube with regards to Strobist’s shooting Athletics’ / Sports.

Now there was one video that really did catch my attention.  Basically it is the one where the 2 Photographers are shooting the 4 Athletes’ on  a Running Track.  After seeing it I thought to my-self, hmmm... I would be interested in doing a shoot like that, in order to see if I could produce images like theirs too?

So it was just the other day that I did sign into my Net-Model account, when all of a sudden a New Male Model to the site had just caught me eye.  I noticed that he was from Manchester and I also noticed that this young man would be an ideal candidate for my Athlete / Runner Project.  So I sent him and e-mail and got a reply and then the next thing is I’m meeting this young man on the day of our shoot at Woodbank Park which is located in Stockport.

Now this is the best bit… whilst I was waiting for my Model to turn up at the location, I had decided to start experimenting with my photographic equipment in order to get my-self ready for the kind of images that it was that I wanted to make from our shoot.  When all of a sudden a man carrying a bag and dropping cones on to the floor from it, informed me that later on (in about an hours time) that 100 + Runners would be running past me.  Because a 5 K Run had been arranged for the park that day.

How ironic!! I said to the man.  Because the strange thing is, is that I’ve got a Male Model meeting me in here any time now and he is going to be a ‘Runner’ for me.  Now, if you guys are doing a 5 k run then it’s obvious that I don’t want my photographic equipment or my Model getting in your guys way.  But before I could say any more the bloke did hush me and told me to use the ‘Athletics Track’ instead.  Are you sure I asked?  Yes, just go and use the Athletics Track, I’m the Chief and I don’t mind. 

For real people I could NOT believe how lucky my day had just got.  For the shoot that I did want to recreate from them other Photographers on You Tube was shot on an ‘Athletics’ Track’ & now here was me on the day of my shoot being handed the opportunity to carry out my photographic experiment on a real ‘Athletic Track’. 

Now just to let you all know my ‘photographic experiment’ was not a complete success as I did ‘fail’ to make some of the images that it was that I did want.  But hey, that saying is so true, we can’t win everything everyday can we?  Not only that but for real, you guys just won’t know / don’t know just how hard my Male Model did work on the day with regards to the following images.   Over and over and over again this guy did run, time and time again with regards to the images. 

One of the biggest problems that I had with this shoot was my ‘Focus’.  What I mean is that my CAF is not that good as it is only a Nikon D40, so I had to pre focus and just guess, that this was the spot that it was that my Male Model would be running in to.

Any way just hope you all like the images.  And may I just also give my many thanks to the “Stockport Harriers” for allowing us to use their Running Track that day for this shoot.  And I 100% mean that guys!!