New 85mm f1.4 lens...

Total geek out!  I got my brand new 85mm lens yesterday - and it's gorgeous!  The best thing is it is made by a lesser known Korean manufacturer called Samyang, who make third party lenses for big manufacturers, and I heard a lot of good things about this lens - especially via a big review in the BJP.  Which made me want it.  A lot.  What made me want it even more is that it's a fraction of the price of the Nikon equivalent - only £200!  Ok it's only manual focus - but this hardly matters when you are doing portraits.

So, I ordered direct from their distributors in Poland and it arrived a few days later...half expecting it to be plastic and not as good as they said, but, it's heavy, well made, and stunning.  The bokeh is amazing.  And I am going to stop before I look like a total nerd.

Enjoy...

New studio test shoot, going back to the 80's...

Last week I went back to the studio with some friends..........and some wine.... and this is what came out (there will be more to come as I get through the edit).  We had so much fun, except for when we realised we are subconsciously stuck in the late 80's / early 90's...

Hola my beautiful friends and thank you for being such great and willing models!

New studio test...

It's been a while since I've updated anything, it's time I picked up the slack and got on with everything....that's not to say that January was a total write off, but, it was pretty quite as it traditionally always is!  Anyway, apart from a few gigs (including Elton John - what a scramble that was) and small jobs, there has been one main thing I have been working on - opening up and running a new studio!

It's very exciting, and I am still in the process of getting it all together for launch this month, but needless to say I can't wait - not only to get clients in through the doors but to get on with a complete portfolio revamp which I need to.  I want to move in a different direction this year and there are a lot of plans in the making.

For now though, here's a couple of shots from a tiny test I did today to demonstrate lighting to some good photographer friends - one of whom, Paul Toeman (seen here doing his best Godfather 2 impression), is the man in charge of this whole operation and who has put all the funding forward to get this project off the ground, and has entrusted me with the consultation, launching and running of the studio as well as project management and general good stuff that's all studio based.  More information on this soon...

On the road with Smatka...

As promised here are some shots from last month when I went up to Manchester for In The City with Smatka, what a great day!