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The Camargue is a protected area on the coast of France just south of Montpellier and is a vast expanse of marshes and reeds and is home to a wide range of wildlife, but is particularly famous for flamingoes and the white horses.  The white horses have been here for centuries and are allowed to roam free, although there are a number of ranches which are responsible for the horses and they are all branded with the mark of their ranch.  Access to photograph the horses is restricted and you can only do the types of shoot we did with an organised visit, and also requires a local fixer to arrange the activities. 

The trip was organised by Jonathan Chritchley of Ocean Capture, who is vastly experienced in arranging photographic trips around the world.  We were staying deep in the Camargue on a ranch close to the marshes where we would photograph the horses.  In all there were five sessions organised, a shoot at dawn, requiring a 4.45am wakeup!, a shoot with mares and foals, a shoot on the beach, a sunset shoot, and a shoot of sparring stallions.

The horses are pretty much wild, but they are very calm and inquisitive, so we were able to get right up to them, even the mares with young foals.  For the action shots of the horses running, they are herded by keepers or gardiens, and although they try to direct them a particular way, if the horses decide they are going somewhere else, they will go that way, so it was vital to keep a close eye on what they were doing at all times!  They also like to pick up bags and with camera bags containing expensive equipment the last thing you want is a horse running off into the marshes with it!

The first shoot was at dawn and I was already happy with the whole trip after this shoot as I was really pleased with some of the shots,

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After some shots of the horses in the lagoon at sunrise we then got the chance to shoot them running towards us

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Then it was back to the hotel for breakfast and  a rest before the afternoon shoot with mares and foals.  This proves particularly challenging for Jonathan as the horses are allowed to roam free, and so there is no guarantee where the mares and foals will be.  Fortunately a group of around 9 mares and foals along with a stallion had been spotted earlier in the day, and with permission to go onto a private reserve to visit them granted we got some great shots and were extremely lucky that the storms brewing waited till be were on the way back to the hotel before breaking.

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Next morning it was off to the beach for photos in the sand dunes and horses running in the sea.  After the initial shock of a naturist nearby on arrival we were able to get some fabulous pictures with a stallion in the dunes and galloping along the beach and out of the sea

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The next shoot was a sunset shoot, again in a lagoon but at a different location to the previous day and with different horses.  The weather was again perfect and we all got some great shots and also got to spend time close up with the horses,

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The final shoot on our final morning was the sparring stallions.  This is the most unpredictable of the shoots, as there is no knowing how the two stallions will behave.  Although the sparring looks violent involving biting and kicking, there are rarely injuries and this is normal behaviour in the herd to establish who has the right to mate with the mares. After an initial hiccup when the stallions escaped and ran off into the distance, they were retrieved and once again we all got some fabulous images

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The most surprising thing about these encounters is that between the sparring the stallions were friendly and even came up to investigate us and have a good sniff!

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This was an absolutely amazing trip, one I will remember for a very long time, and would happily do again tomorrow!  I am also delighted that I have recently won a Highly Commended and a Gold award from the National Photographic Society in their monthly competition.  A special thankyou to Jonathan from Ocean Capture, Patrice and all the locals helpers organising the shoots, and to everyone else in the group for being such good company on an amazing adventure.

Finally Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone and I look forward to seeing what 2015 has in store! To finish off, a couple of shots of flamingoes!

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Rugby is an incredibly fast moving, physical game, and although I am used to shooting fast moving subjects photographing dogs, they tend to run in straight lines.  Rugby players, however, do not as they try to avoid being tackled.  This adds an extra challenge and you need to have cameras and lenses that will focus very quickly.  We were fortunate that the weather was bright, sunny and dry and the job was more comfortable due to the fact that Saracens play on an artificial pitch.

I shot the first half from the end of the pitch behind the Saracens end, having expected Saracens to be playing in the opposite direction.  However, I was still able to get some good shots as Worcester scored a try and put Saracens under pressure for much of the half.  For the second half I moved to the side of the pitch midway between the 22 and the goal line, and I think the shots were better from this position, although it was harder work tracking the play as they were running across my field of vision, rather than towards me.

All in all it was a fabulous day, despite the six hours travelling to and from the stadium.  I'm pleased with many of the shots from the day, and here are just a few of the shots from the game.  What amazes me still about rugby is that despite spending 80 minutes knocking ten bells out of each other, at the end of the game there are handshakes, jokes, and they will all meet in the bar for a beer afterwards!

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Winter weddings provide many challenges.  Because of the length of the day, light levels can be low, the weather can be wet, cold, even snowing.  All these provide challenges, not just for the photographer, but also for the venue and the bride.  Gemma and Steve had stayed at the venue the night before (in separate rooms, of course!) so in the worst case scenario, everything could have been done inside.  As it turned out, the rain stayed away, and although it was chilly, Gemma and Steve were still happy to head outside for some shots in the lovely grounds.

For Steve and his groomsmen, the day started with quad biking and archery whilst Gemma and bridesmaids were having hair and makeup done.  A civil ceremony in the Castle was followed by a blessing in the chapel adjacent to the castle, after which everyone headed to the great hall for the wedding breakfast.  This was followed by dancing late into the night.  It was a fabulous day, with plenty of laughs and a few tears.  Here are just a few of the photos from the day

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Unfortunately I was unable to complete the project, I ran out of inspiration about 6 months.  Although I did miss the odd day during the first six months, I was generally very good,but after a run of a few days with constant rain and suffering from a lack of inspiration I stopped the project.  I still continued to take pictures with the camera, but I didn't religiously take one every day.

What has this exercise taught me?  To look at things in a new way.  Because of the need to take a picture every day, but not getting out and about every day, I was forced to look at everyday objects in a new way and find inspiration in the house.  I also learnt to pause, step back and take my time shooting.  Here a just a few of my favourites from the project.  More can be found on my business facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.584441384903119.148521.328329237181003&type=3

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This magnificent aircraft is funded purely by sponsorship and donations and they are always looking for new ways to generate interest and thus more sponsorship to enable them to keep flying.  The latest idea was a photo opportunity from dusk till dark and I was lucky enough to have to opportunity to go along for the inaugural session last week.

After arriving and going through security checks, we were led out onto the airfield where the aircraft was standing waiting.  After a safety briefing we were allowed to take pictures to our hearts content.  As it was late and getting dark, a tripod was essential to avoid camera shake.  It was when setting up for the first shot that I discovered that my remote release cable was not working.  Whilst trying to find out the cause, the cable disintegrated in my hands!  Time for plan B, not ideal, but as the aircraft was not going anywhere I was able to take the shots using the timer function for the shutter release.  It also allowed me to experiment with the zoom on the lens to produce some of the more unusual shots below.

It was really amazing and a true privilege to be able to get up close to this historic aircraft, probably one of the most recognised aircraft in the world.  Here are a few of the shots from the night.  Please visit the Vulcan to the sky website and consider making a donation or purchasing a gift to enable this historic aircraft to continue flying at http://www.vulcantothesky.org/. If you ever get the opportunity to see it in flight it is highly recommended, an awesome sight and sound!

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Well dressings are decorations placed next the the well in villages each year, usually around the time of the village fete in the summer.  They are made entirely from natural materials, usually flowers and leaves, but other things such as rice and lentils are also used.  They are painstakingly hand made by volunteers and some of them are breathtaking in their scale and complexity.

I plan to photograph as many as possible next year, but for this year I visited two of the three well dressings in the village of Dore.  One is made by the local guides troop and is placed by the well near the village centre.  The second is placed by the well on the village green.  There was also a third one this year but I missed it!

Here are a few photos showing the amazing work of these volunteers.  Enjoy!

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Corsac Foxes

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DSC_6879 As you can see the weather was fabulous and sunny, but it meant that the tigers were not too keen on running to fetch their food!

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There were flowers from Lockwoods of Tickhill

lockwoods-2 Magnificent limousines from Silver Star wedding cars

silverstar-2 Fabulous cakes from the Cherry Blossom Bakery

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blessed-2 And finally something I have not seen before at a wedding fayre, but a really original idea and also fabulously tasty, pork pies from Chime and Hock Pork Pie Company.  As well as a magnificent pork pie "wedding cake", they had samples of three different varieties, all absolutely delicious!  If you're looking for a real talking point for your evening reception these are well worth a look,

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I will be at the next wedding fayre at Rossington Hall on the 17th of November, so why not come along to this magnificent venue and meet some of the best local wedding suppliers.

The weather was cold, in fact it was colder inside the gym than outside!  Richard started out by explaining how he works and how to use the off camera flash, something I have experience with but don't use very often as I prefer to work with natural light.  He then went through a variety of different shots with Ieva, our model for the day.

After lunch we all had the opportunity to take shots, and as it was a small group we were not rushed.  Then we had the chance to set up shots ourselves which was great as it made us think about what we could do in this environment.  The "trainer" shots with Richard as the trainer were the shots I set up.  The only problem was trying to get shots when Ieva wasn't laughing!  We finished with Richard going through some of his post processing techniques to get his look.

Because this is not my usual style of shoot I had the chance to experiment with a number of different post processing styles.  Let me know which you think work the best.

Huge thanks to Ieva who never complained all day, despite being freezing and having water thrown over her repeatedly by Richard!!  Thanks also to Richard for all his advice, tips and willingness to share his knowledge.  Here are just a few of the photos from the day

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A recent dog shoot though set me a real challenge - FIVE dogs in the same family.  Although I have shot multiple puppies before, they tend to stick together a lot so can be easier to capture, but five adult dogs presents a different challenge, especially when they range in size as these did from a rottweiler to a lancashire heeler!  However, I needn't have worried, Gemma the owner and her partner Steve know the dogs well and the dynamics of the pack and so we were able to get individual shots of all the dogs before chaos ensued with all five dogs on the loose!  Although a very cold afternoon with fading light we were still able to get some great action shots, as well as a shot with all 5 dogs with Gemma and Steve and everyone seemed to have a great time. If you're interested in a session for your pet(s) get in touch and we can discuss the different options available,  Here are just a few of the pictures from the day.  More can be found in the galleries section under pets.  The gallery for this shoot is aptly named "Canine Chaos"!  

Thanks to Gemma and Steve, and particularly the fabulous models, Murphy, Barney, Roxy, Basil and Zuki!

There are several official roles involved in the Hood, The Lord, The Fool, The Chief Boggin and several Boggins.  On the day of the Hood the officials visit each of the pubs, singing traditional songs and of course sampling a drink or two.  The Fool has his face painted in the first pub and they finish at the Duke William in Haxey, the closest to the Hood Field where the game takes place.

From the Duke William they head to a stone outside the church where the Fool makes a speech detailing the rules of the game.  This is made more difficult by a bail of straw being set on fire at the base of the stone and is called the smoking of the fool.  The speech finishes with the traditional chant of "Hoose agen Hoose, Toon agen Toon, if a man meets a man, knock 'im doon, But do 'ant 'ot 'im!"

After the smoking of the fool everyone heads to the Hood Field for the first game with "sack hoods".  This is for the children (who get the day off school!).  Rolled sacks are thrown and the idea is to get off the field without being caught.  The Boggins try to stop the children, but also other children try to stop or steal the hood

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After the sack game comes the main event.  The "Hood" is actually a leather tube (being held by the Fool above) and this must be taken to the door of a pub to be touched by the landlord to end the game.  This must be done by shoving, not running or chasing and the scrum is know as the Sway.  The winning pub gets to display the Hood above the bar for the next year.  This year the winner was the Kings Arms in Haxey, the nearest to my house!  If you're ever in the area on the 6th of January, pop along to see this unique event.  The game can go on well into the night and usually takes at least 2 hours of shoving.  Here are some photos from this year's event.

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DSC_6070 The Hood just before the start of the Sway

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DSC_6124 See more photos from this year's Hood here  http://www.andybramphotography.co.uk/p114811994

On the first day Maria discussed what happens on a shoot and we were able to see her interaction with model, makeup artist and stylist, discussing the looks she was wanting to achieve.  We then went to our first location where Maria explained how she works on a shoot and took some shots, after which we all had 5 minutes each to take our own shots.  These first shots were all done with natural light from a window. 

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After a lunch break we then went to the second location with a very different look in mind, using flash and an amazing hat/helmet with feather plume.  Again, after Maria had discussed what she was looking for we each had time to shoot on our own with the model.

DSC_5587 DSC_5583 DSC_5573 DSC_5559 DSC_5561 DSC_5567 The second day was spent looking at some of Maria's images from the day before and going through her workflow and post processing.  This gave a great insight into the attention to detail and the meticulous work involved in a fashion shoot.

As you can see I was able to get some amazing images and use the opportunity to experiment with editing techniques to produce some really dramatic effects, but not something you would normally see on your family portrait!

Also present on the workshop was Will Cheung, editor of Advanced Photographer Magazine, and the workshop will be featured in an article in the near future.

Huge thanks to Maria, Rachel and Jenny from Aspire, Lucy, Fran and Erin (our model who braved freezing temperatures with no complaints) for all their hard work which enabled all of us to get some truly amazing images.

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Hannah seemed very calm as she was getting ready at home, perhaps helped by the fact that she had to help the four small bridesmaids getting ready.  Up at the church Chris seemed similarly relaxed, although he did get rather hot during the service.  The church was packed and the weather stayed fine throughout so I was able to get plenty of photographs both at the church and the reception, where they have a beautiful dedicated bridal garden with a lawn and flowers, overlooking a pond complete with water lilies and a fountain, although the wind did mean Hannah and Chris were being sprayed in some of the photos!  Here are a selection of the photographs from the day and wishing Hannah and Chris a long and happy marriage!

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The theme for these two shoots was very much love and friendship.

Firstly we had Megan and Sam, a young couple very much in love and we took shots down the lane at Dalton Hall and also around some of the old outbuildings.  There was a lovely chemistry between them and they were both relaxed in front of the camera and this shows in the images.  As you can see, Sam is quite a bit taller than Megan, but she is a dancer and has amazing balance and can kiss on tiptoes with ease!

megansam-23 megansam-22 megansam-19 megansam-18 megansam-15 megansam-9 We also had an observer from above, a common sight in this area

lornahannah-2 For the second session of this post we had Hannah and Lorna, best friends who habe a fabulous friendship and had a great time, sporting a variety of outfits from vintage to hippy style festival wear, complete with bandana, daisy chains and the obligatory wellies!

lornahannah-24 lornahannah-15 lornahannah-16 lornahannah-13 lornahannah-11 lornahannah-10 lornahannah-6 lornahannah-2 Huge thanks to all the models from these sessions, to Tamara Peel for her endless enthusiams and Rachel Hayton for her brilliant organisation.

Upcoming posts will feature Hannah and Christopher's wedding in June and shots from my recent trip to France.

The first family shoot was with Andrea and her two daughters, Lily and Emma,

Andrea, Lily and Emma-12 Andrea, Lily and Emma-7 Andrea, Lily and Emma-4 Andrea, Lily and Emma-2 Then in the afternoon we photographed the Cross family, Muku, Tom and their two lovely daughters Mae and Yas, assisted by Ruby the dog.  They were great to work with and there was a really wonderful relationship between the two girls,

Cross Family-3 Cross Family-5 Cross Family-21 Cross Family-29 Cross Family-35 Finally we go to shoot the beautiful Kate,

Kate-1 Kate-3 Kate-13 Kate-17 It was a fantastic two days helped by wonderful weather and the endless enthusiasm of Tamara and the models, and the wonderful organisation by Rachel.  More photos to follow in the near future.

This year there are only 7 display planes (although they will use 9 in some flypasts).  This is due to tragic events last year where two pilots lost their lives and also because one of the current pilots requested to leave the team.  Here are some of the shots from today.

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These crossover guys are seriously skilled, they really are as close as they look!DSC_3343 DSC_3370

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Love this next image, not the closest but shows how low they are flying and love the people watching over the fence

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Here is one of the photos of our model for the shoot with Tamara Peel.  She was a delight t work with and so professional, if only all children were this easy to work with!!