There is a little known phenomena about red and blue colours that effect the way we see things. Things that are close to us generally have stronger colours than things that are further away, in fact in landscapes things in the far distance often look very blue. So when we see two things together and one is coloured red and the other blue we tend to think that the blue item it further away than the red item. So you can give a feeling of distance or depth by putting red things closer to you and blue things further away. Take a look at the next 2 photographs. In the 1st one the 2 people are side by side, but it looks like the girl in red is closer. In the 2nd photograph the girl is actually about 3 paces behind but looks like she is level with the man. The further you are away from the photographs the more pronounced is the effect.

photograph of 2 people girl in red behind the man in blue

photograph of 2 people standing side by side

I photographed a pregnant lady in the nude on Saturday, which was a very different experience to any other photography commission I had done before. It was great fun but very scary as the lady was due to give birth the day before the actual shot (so not the best time to be photographing a pregnant lady), the ideal time is about 7 months as the bump is large and still round rather than low slung like my lady’s is. One of the ones with clothes on is shown below. If any one wants to be photographed naked and is prepared to let me put the shots on the website I would happily do it for free.

photograph of pregnant lady - maternity photography

Upon a visit to London I went to Covent Garden where the street entertainers are varied and interesting. This is a photograph of one of them, he had some very witty lines and made several people jump by barking at them.

photograph of a street entertainer in Covent Garden

When it comes to landscapes generally the best light to take such photographs in is either during the one to 1.5 hours before sunset or during the one to 1.5 hours after sun rise. At this time of day the light turns from being very bright and white to a softer light with a hint of orange or pink and it is not so contrasty. Compare the 2 shots taken below, one was at 3.00pm in July the other was about 8.00am in October. In the midday(ish) photo St Paul’s is very bright and white and the contrast between that and the shadows under the bridge is great. In the photograph taken early in the morning St Paul’s is much less bright and the sun is still low enough to almost be under the bridge so the shadows are not so dark, so the contrast is much less and therefore easier on the eye. The early morning shot is much warmer, the midday shot looks a little cold even though the sun was out.

photograph of the Millennium Bridge about 2 hours after midday

photograph of the Millennium Bridge about 1 hour after sun rise

I was so impressed with the shape and form of a pregnant lady that I just had to put this photograph on the website as well. You don’t have to be recognisable to be photographed in the nude.

photograph of pregnant lady in the nude just showing bottom and bump

St Anne’s Manor Wokingaham is an old building that has been extensively enlarged and so it is hard to see where the original building is. As a modern hotel it is very functional from the outside and very comfortable on the inside. From a photographic point of view it has a nice area out the back of the hotel with a fountain and some very high trees for shade and clean backgrounds. See the photograph below to get an idea of what the property looks like.

photograph of St Anne's Manor Wokingham

At the carnival in Venice the 2 ‘ladies’ below appeared on at least 2 occasions dressed in the most beautiful ball gowns. Each time I saw them they were wearing different dresses. They were both loving the attention and loved being photographed.

photograph of man in drag at Venice carnival

photograph of man in drag at Venice carnival

Tylney Hall is always one of my favourite venues for photographing weddings, there are so many different areas that can give different backdrops and surroundings are beautiful. Not only that the staff are very attentive and the decorations are in keeping with the style of the property. At night it is lit and the water on the fountain at the front glows.

photograph of Tylney Hall front at night

I exhibited at a wedding fair at Donnington Valley Hotel Near Newbury yesterday and for a modern hotel it is very picturesque. The front is not very interesting but round the back are a couple of ponds with a bridge over it, a fountain and it backs onto the golf course so there are lots of shrubs and tress for shade in the event of bright sunshine and the inside is fairly light in the event of rain. Whilst there they kept coming round with canapes which were very nice, so if they are anything to go by the food will be good as well. Below is a shot of the pond area at the rear, it was not a particularly bright day so it is not the best shot in the world but it gives you an idea of the place.

photograph of the rear pond area at Donnington Valley Hotel

I was so impressed with the inside of Windsor Guild Hall that I thought I would put another photograph of it on my website for viewing. It is quite a stunning venue and the registrar was fantstic really made it fun and interesting.

photograph of Windsor Guild Hall inside the main ceremony room