Each Month we will try to upload one new image from one of the numerous shoots we carry out each month. You may want to know how we created the shot or find it interesting to read a story behind the subject we chose to photograph – remember to leave a comment if you do!.

NOVEMBER – The Last Supper


I was recently asked by my friend Andy Teare, to help shoot and retouch images he wanted to take for a project entitled “Hidden Gems” for the Variety Club charity, taking place at St.Pancras hotel in London. Whilst Taking shots of the famous artists Gilbert and George, the organiser of the project, Alisatair Morrison, asked If Andy and I would like to help out with another shot for the charity, which was to re-enact an image of Da Vinci’s last supper. The twist was that he had asked some big names of the Movie world to take part – such as Colin Firth, Michael Gambon and Julie Walters. After using the “C” word (Charity) and explaining it would raise thousands of pounds at auction for sick and disabled children, how could I say no?

How We Did It….

Whilst the alliance, Teare and Morrison, discussed what props were needed for the shot I put some thought to how the scene should be lit. Constricted by one of the newly renovated rooms in St.Pancras hotel, I placed my Canon 1Ds MKIII camera into the corner and fixed a 24-70mm Canon F/2.8 lens to it. As we needed to shoot thirteen people at different times throughout a fourteen hour day I set the lens to 35mm to ensure every individual would fit in the shot and around the ready made table Teare and Morrison had beautifully styled with the array of biblical food our assistant Eloise had trudged the hurried streets of London to find. I decided to set the aperture to F/10 @ 125 sec at ISO 100 then I bounced one light off the wall behind the camera for the main fill and directed our assistant to various positions along the table with a small softbox to pick out details of the colourful food on the tables surface. The table wasn’t quite big enough to fit thirteen people around so I took one shot of the propped table first. The team then rearranged the layout, remembering not to move important markers and props, so I could shoot extra table to fit on each end of the frame. Once the initial set and main layer of the image was captured Alistair organised who went where and when, Andy carefully fired the shutter ensuring no movement was created between frames, Eloise held a small softbox very close to each actor as they performed their biblical roles and I directed from the laptop. Just to impress our astonished audience, which included BBC London (watch the News report HERE), I quickly made a composite as the day progressed and each actor arrived. This also gave me confidence that I would be able to place individuals in the correct position in post production back at the office, convincing the viewer that the scene was in fact captured all at the same time.

OCTOBER – Queen of her throne.



Sometimes in life you meet real characters that make an impression on you. Ethel was one such lager than life character that my partner cared for in the last few years of her life. I wanted to capture a shot that documented the person she was and informed the viewer of the fabulous work she had done as a military nurse – something that hadn’t gone unnoticed by Queen Elizabeth II. Ethel proudly sat infront of her letters from the queen of England everyday, in a dark corner of her Shropshire home. I decided on a grungy feel for the shot and lit the scene simply with two lights. By firing one Elichrome Ranger head – with a medium honey attached to a dish – I was able to bring out the texture of her clothing and the character of her face. I then simply bounced another light off a nearby wall for some extra fill light.