Carli-Art photography

Holga Holga Holga....

Okay so only 3 images came out of the whole roll of film (12 frames.....disgraceful!) however I am chuffed with the results. These ladies and Gentleman are my first set of images from my much loved Holga, the medium format camera made out of quite possibly the cheapest materials possible. I heard these were a cult obsession, I can see why. Now where is that other roll of film.....

Factory311 Opening....

I went along to photograph the opening of the new studio in East London for Factory 311 - the night was excellent with some awesome art works and lots of guests, it had a really good buzz about it. Of course the night was stolen by the appearance of the ever popular Twiglet as a snack!

Some pics for your perusal....

Sweet things....

If you don't already know I am a great fan of anything sweet....cakes, candy, pastilles, more cake...I just love the sweetness!! Therefore as a special treat for all my lovely fans on Twitter, Blogspot and Facebook I am now giving you sweets....yes free as a bird jellybeans and rock candy!!

Just post a comment on the Carli-Art fan-page wall with your favorite image from my portfolio and I will do the rest. (Contact you and get your address for postage basically!) So don't miss out....there are a limited number of treat packs to go around!

At a Level.....Foto Tip, ok Sunday....

My quite obvious failings at actually posting the Foto Tip Friday on a Friday are clear, again I apologize and hope that this wonderful tip may recover something!

So i realized that although most of the tips I post are pretty simple stuff I haven't really touched on the core areas of Photoshop, so looking at tools and adjustments such as curves, levels and saturation. These tools have been used within previous posts but not actually gone into great detail about the use of each so I thought it time to get some of that out there as its likely there are some of you out there who would like to know more about what they do.

Lets start with Levels. This tool is essentially used to set the highlights and shadows within the image and to make sure that your picture has a generally nice tonal range and contrast.

You can find the Levels tool in the Adjustments menu and it will show you a histogram of the shadows and highlights within the image. You are essentially aiming to make the lightest point of the image white without burning the highlights out and then keep the dark bits of the image dark and solid, not dull. You do this by dragging the 3 pointers within the histogram left or right accordingly, the far right pointer effecting the highlights, the far left the shadows and the centre pointer the mid-tones of the image.

One way of identifying where the greatest shadows/ highlights are without just looking at the histogram is to switch to the threshold display mode, this then helps you to discern more easily where the greatest areas of dark and light are within the image. If you want to adjust different areas of the image at a time, then use the Levels tool in different adjustment layers. (For more info about adjustments layers see this post)

There are further things to do with Levels and above is a general overview, for a more in depth approach then there are a few books you can look at (Martin Evening is good) or some websites here and here.)

Bzzzzzz....

A few photographer friends of mine sell their prints online, I have considered this but never really thought my work was anything that people may like to purchase due to it not really being of that nature. However after receiving a few comments (ok they were in the pub!) I have decided to take that step and started a profile on Arty Buzz. This is a site dedicated to visual artists where you can browse and buy great artwork but also get involved yourself. The prints and canvas's are high quality, they offer sculpture (nice!) and they even offer advise every step of the way if needed.

Right, time to get fully updating my profile!

Bright Ideas...

With the edition of the Ideas tab on my website I thought it about time that this was introduced as a downloadable, printable, e-mailable (is that even a word?!) document, therefore I proudly introduce you to Bright Ideas! A quick guide to tackling photography yourself or a point in the right direction when commissioning a professional or writing a brief, this essential guide will offer you and your clients some tips.

If you wish to view it online, please visit BRIGHT IDEAS.

If you wish to receive this fab edition stratight to your inbox...click here.

Create a Boom....

I am sitting here surrounded by paper, files started two years ago now adorning an attractive jacket of dust and various items of my wardrobe that didn't quite make it on to a hanger. I am having a sort, a big one. Its my start to my now full time self employment status.

A good start however with a feature in the Reading edition of Creative Boom, an online magazine dedicated to showcasing the creative industries in Reading and surrounding areas, I was very proud to have been asked....check out the feature here.

I have pictures to follow over the next couple of weeks of the Bagatelles Look Book and also the opening of the new Factory 311. Held last night at their new Mowlem Street location the party was kicked off with a live DJ set and images from the best of their represented talent displayed proudly throughout the space, which is light, modern and fits snugly into the surrounding culture rich patchwork that makes up East London.

Behind the scenes....

One shot only: behind the scenes of a lookbook

Client/Handbag Designer: Bagatelles & Co

Model: Lula

Nails: Jo Webb

Make Up: Justina

Photographic Assistant: Maria Monfort-Plana

Creative Boom...

Creative Boom Reading are a regional online magazine about the creative industries in Reading and the surrounding areas. They cover everything from fashion, film, gaming, photography and art and design, animation and marketing. The site is managed by Creative Boom - its parent and national magazine, designed to celebrate, inspire and support the creative industries. In partnership with jammmedia (a quite awesome design studio - great site) who are a young, energetic creative studio based in Reading.

The lovely Lucy from Creative Boom wrote to me last week and asked if she could do a quick feature on her site about some of my images. Of course I obliged and having no clue about which images are being chosen or what has been said I await nervously until Monday morning (around midday) when the feature goes live.

To check out the site (which is fab I must say!) then poke the page here.

I'm Late, I'm Late........

With the goal in mind to refocus this weekend I am trying my darnedest to keep reminding myself that my marketing ideas, plan, practice, action and results cannot be put into place and produce results within a month. Sounds silly but I am impatient (at times only of course) and seem to believe I am capable of such mean feats, I know I am not but it doesn't stop me wanting to achieve them.

With only 2 weeks left until I take | Carli-Art photography | full time I am getting what I can in place and leaving the rest until I actually have enough hours in the day to produce something of substance. Jeremy Kyle and Loose Women may be featuring heavily in my first few days in order to aid the mind and prevent a soon to be burn out for a few days, something I understand many small business owners / freelancers suffer from. (I read somewhere it actually has a name now but cannot find it again anywhere - if I do I will post or if you know, feel free to comment!) I have heard however that small business owners work twice as much as employees with 54% feeling they are overwhelmed with things to do)

My post therefore brings you an update on the impending full time status and your chance to take two minutes out, ooo go on have that cuppa and cheery bakewell, treat yourself.

'SpeakiSeek' Carli-Art introduces an image stock search service...

There is no doubt that the Creative industries have come under strain in the last couple of years.

Even though now more than ever, marketing is a more thoughtful structured and necessary process imagery is readily available online at stock prices which makes finding work for freelance photographers like myself even more challenging. Stock images can be great, they can be good and they can be ugly. In my experience and having spoken to Advertising and Marketing Agencies, it often works out cheaper commissioning a shoot by the time you find the image and the usage rights you want and need. This is not always right though and time, ease and speed are where purchasing stock imagery plays its part. I appreciate the vital place it now holds in the market and that is why I introduce you to the 'SpeakiSeek' service.

With an extensive range of imagery suitable for marketing or PR purposes I now offer a stock imagery style service. You Speak, I Seek. This will in time develop into a user friendly online site where you can do your own searching but until then I have access to many images from events, food, medical or general lifestyle and would be happy to do the digging and see if there is something suitable for you or our clients. All of my images are Royalty Free and as standard come with a License to Use Agreement of 1 year.

So go ahead, challenge me to find the right image for you or your client.

"Chillax and look forward to the Roller Coaster...."

Frantically finding time to work and relax is not the easiest of things however after having a weekend away in Wales to 'chillax' as a friend put it really has put me in better stead. There I was refusing to believe relaxation and getting away from work was feasible or even necessary and here I stand before you a converted woman!

I am gathering info and working hard at the moment to really hit the ground running come April. A new luxury booklet to go out to clients showcasing some work, a potential redesign of the logo, an actual real business plan and yes some hard cash from the bank (or someone willing to lend!) to follow. I have a lot of plans that are going to need some capital and having funded the business solely for the past couple of years I felt the full time move deserved to be treated with respect & enthusiasm.

I have quite a few networking events in the diary so if you are looking for some yourself then visit Berkshire Networking, they have a full diary from various groups.

Other tit bits of news involve confirmation of me photographing the well renowned and highly respected English Music Festival held in Dorchester Abbey in May. (Sneak previews of corporate portraits to follow as a start) The Look Book shoot for fashion designer Bagatelles is coming up next week and hopefully we will see those Limited Ink images soon as well. I am also excited to be taking part in something very local to me, the Burghfield May Fayre. Not only will I be photographing the event but I have been asked to judge a new addition to their schedule this year, the photography competition. More details to follow of course but I feel pleased that my goal to get to know more local business's and the local community as a whole has started well.

Keep those eyes peeled for the Sneak Previews plus a whole heap of behind the scenes stuff. (Oh plus the newsletter in April features a free 'Light Up Ideas' download.....oooo!)

3 minutes of satisfaction...Networking....

Somewhat behind with the blogging this week so apologies. Honestly, where is time going? The last few months have been madness...yesterday I was waking up and waiting anxiously for Father Christmas to eat my homemade mince pies. I am not a fan of this whirlwind in which time travels.

I attended a speed networking event today at Donnington Country Club with the lovely people from Berkshire Speed Networks, Catherine and John. Having been to a few events I feel I have a good overview of what they are all about now & can honestly say that not only are these events enjoyable but they offer a great opportunity to get to know other local business's, get out from behind that desk and quite possibly, create future leads. If your intending on going, dropping a hard sell and walking out with confirmed deal then think again. This isn't about force feeding your business to someone or expecting a sale after talking for 3 minutes across a table in a crowded room. This is about creating a positive first impression, starting a relationship that could lead to future opportunities and just learning about other companies and people around you.

This is something I love doing. I love absorbing information about other people's business's, their livelihoods, every day experiences and lets face it, their passions. My brain starts ticking straight away about ways I could help or image ideas that could represent them, or most importantly what biscuit they would have with their tea. You can tell a lot about a person by the biscuit they choose.

Either way, I met some fantastic people today and am looking forward to the next event and the next lot of biscuit guessing!

Who said you can't be satisfied in 3 minutes.....just click here.

(Image courtesy of residents.com)

Foto Tip Friday....Portraits...

At the moment I am trying to improve my portraiture knowledge and execution. Practically everything taken in terms of photography which isn't still life is portraiture so why I didn't think to give it more attention in the past I don't know. Its about capturing an emotion, an expression, a moment, even a brand image all in one persons face or eye, arm, leg or shoulder. Sounds odd but who said portraiture had to be a head and shoulders passport style image and is essentially the 2d version of a very 3d subject matter! Anyway, the tips and tricks this week are some of my own, some given to me and some from the net. There are some amazingly talented portrait photographers out there so research and be inspired!

Minimize a round face by using some back lighting and having the sitter straight onto the camera
Make the person laugh - everyone looks beautiful when they laugh
Capture movement - weather it be a smile, a laugh, get the sitter to relax and move. This 'movement' and energy is reflected in the images
Be a sitter yourself and understand how it feels to be the other side of the camera
Shoot with the head turned slightly to one side, not full profile
Create a stronger, taller image by having the person lift their chin slightly
Cover any scars or areas the sitter may not like by using lighting and having these areas in the shadow
Pull shoulders and arms back
A long narrow face - Get the sitter to look down ever so slightly
Tell a story
If cropping tight, don't concentrate on putting the eyes in the middle of the viewfinder, have them in the top third of the frame
Play with eye contact
Look at other peoples portraits, what do you like and what don't you like? What makes it a strong image? How can you be different?
And of course, last but not least....experiment.

Some Portrait Photographers I admire (various disciplines).....Martin Sholler, Cindy Sherman, Cecil Beaton, Ansel Adams, Herb Ritts, Linus Ricard, Charles Freger, Tina Barney, Mary Ellen Mark, Alistair Guy, David LaChapelle,Annie Leibovitz - the list goes on!

Straight to your door (OK inbox)....

You may have seen the fab new addition to the site...an Ideas page. This like the blog gives you tips and tricks and instead of focussing on photography technique or editing it offers everyone some ideas on getting better pictures to use for Marketing, PR or advertising purposes. Really it gives those clients the option to have a go themselves and be armed with a little bit of information before braving the realms of promotional imagery. Budgets do not always allow for a photographer or you may just fancy giving it a bash, either way these should help you or your clients. They will also give you key things to think about when commissioning a photographer or planning your brief.

Take a look at my site. Visit the 'More' tab and go to Ideas.

Do you have a question? Let me know and have it feature in the Ideas section alongside a link to your site.

Want to receive some light up light bulb ideas via email? Just drop me a 'yes please' to hello@carli-art.co.uk.

(The Light up email is sent on a monthly basis with every 3rd edition accompanying my newsletter)

(Image courtesy of weblogcartoons.com)

Say "Hi"....the Loreal crew...

Lucy, Edie, Julia these are your questions....are you ready...
L - Like or dislike Marmite?
O - Oh really...tell us something you you which you haven't already told someone else, or wish you hadn't!
R - Recommend a product in your profession
E - Early rise and early to bed or late riser and late to bed?
A - Alexander McQueen...comments please?
L - Last words?

Julia - The hair Stylist
L - Dislike big time!
O - I'm often a but blunt, might be my german nature and then I wish I wouldn't have said things the way in which I did!
R - I couldn't live without beach-spray or surf-spray from Trevor Sorbie. Oh or Bumble and Bumble
E - Up early and Late to bed! Life is too short.
A - What a tragedy, a big talent and inspiration for every artist.
L - "Enjoy the beauty of life, whatever!"

Edie - The Model
L - I don't like I LOVE!
O - I have a phobia of things being thrown around me....tip, NEVER tell that to a group of boys as things will get pelted at you!
R - Magnifeyes mascara, the best.
E - Late to bed most nights therefore late awake most mornings
A - Anyone unique, were not ALL sheep!
L - "I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair."

Lucy - The Make Up Artist
L - Neither, I have never tried it...I heard it sucks though!
O - I have never told anyone that I am scared of failure.
R - I recommend Illamasqua Eyebrow cake in 'Thunder' because I can't live without my eyebrows!
E - Late riser and late to bed, my schedule is far too mental to have a normal body clock.
A - A hugh force of inspiration in fashion, he always flew the flag of Britain with his designs and passion.
L - "Frankly me dear I don't give a damn."