Derelict buildings in Texas

I went to a greyhound farm just outside of Houston last Friday and, apart from having a lot of fun trying to photograph 5 month old grey hounds moving at speed on a grey, cloudy day, managed to capture a few images of some interesting features of the landscape on the way back to town.

The landscape is peppered with wooden houses and other buildings all along the freeways in Texas.  There is an incredible variety of types of buildings from simple static mobile homes close to the road, permanent homesteads and farms set back and behind rail or wire fences, small businesses and larger industrial units, gas stations, restaurants and motels.  Time has taken it’s toll on many of these structures along with fortune over the years and it was intriguing to see newer houses and industries next to dilapidated and abandoned buildings.  Sometimes it was difficult to tell which buildings were abandoned as many of them looked in poor condition but still exhibited signs of being inhabited; cars, toys and other belongings lying on the porches and verandahs.

So, at the risk of being chased off by irate owners I jumped out of the car every now and then and took a few pictures of buildings that I thought were interesting and captured a side of Texas that I hadn’t expected (Yes, I could be considered naive!).

To see all the photos taken so far in Texas and Louisiana please go to my  Imagefile  site.  The latest photos are right at the end and there is quite a contrast when compared with those of Downtown Houston which are at the start of the gallery.  Have a look and let me know what you think!

john

USA Photo Project – Suggestions wanted!

Canal Street, New Orleans

I would like to do a photographic project over several months in the USA in the near future with a view to producing an on-line publication and possibly a book, but I am undecided about what theme to choose.
I would like to capture some great images of the varied culture and landscape to illustrate an informative text for the non-American (and I guess, American) audience.
I need to find something different and engaging, to ensure I don’t produce something that has been done before (unless it has been a long time since it was last done!); so ideas would be most welcome to help me narrow down the possibilities.
What ideas have come to me so far? Well, loads really but I tend to get confused and dismiss them before I have really thought about them in depth!
I think there is scope for something to do with travel and tourism across a number of the United States but how specific should I be? I have thought about a Motorcycle diary/informative directory and touring in an RV (Caravan or mobile home to Brits). Other ideas I have had are related to sports tours in the USA, either running, triathlons or other expedition type holidays (cycle touring, hiking) as I have some experience of crewing endurance athletes during several days/weeks whilst they ran through foreign lands. It would have been so much easier if there was an idiots guide to “Running through Bavaria” or ” Running from London to Rome in 30 days made easy!”, that’s for sure.

So, any ideas regarding a theme or subject would be greatly appreciated, as would any contacts for publishers who might be interested in being part of such a project.

Thanks

John

Abstract light photos

After two minutes of photographing some Christmas lights I thought, “Wow, these pictures look boring!” So……..
I slowed down the shutter speed and had a bit of fun zooming out and zooming in during the long exposures. The images produced were bursting with energy and motion with some lovely radial patterns similar to fireworks images.
I cropped the images I liked in Lightroom and tweeked the exposure, brightness, contrast and vibrancy to make them stand out against the dark background produced by photographing at night.
I was pleased with the results and seem to have produced some stunning abstract photo art which would look good printed onto large canvasses and hung on a wall.
Have a look at the results at my Creative Light Images gallery and tell me what you think!

Christmas and New Year in Houston, Texas

Am currently in Houston, Texas, USA until the end of February 2012. Enjoying the warmer climate and sunshine and looking forward to any photography employment opportunities that may be available!

Photos from the USA

Canal Street, New Orleans

New portfolio of images taken in Houston, Austin (Texas) and New Orleans (Louisiana) is available at my ImageFile website.

They were taken during a ten day visit at the end of August/early September 2011 and I have tried to capture a variety of travel type photographs and experimented with styles,angles and composition.

Go to USA images to see the images and tell me what you think as I appreciate constructive criticism that can help me take even better photos in the future!

I have also put some of the images up on to iStock, Dreamstime, Fotolia, Deposit Photos and Pixmac for interested designers and publishers to purchase Royalty free as they wish.

John

JS Photography Newsletter October 2011

JS Photography Newsletter October 2011.

JS Photography Newsletter October 2011

JS Photography Newsletter October 2011

Deca Iron Italy 2011 – 10 Ironman Triathlons in 10 days!

I went to Pergusa in Sicily, Italy to photograph the Deca Iron Italy competition from 30th September to 10th October 2011 and had an amazing time capturing the exploits of some incredible ultra-athletes. They swam 2.4 miles, cycled 112 miles and then ran a full marathon every day for 10 days! The weather was mixed to say the least, with some warm sunny days but with some cold, wet and windy ones especially towards the end of the competition. Kim Greisen (Denmark) was the winner, followed by Thierry Delhaye (France) and Dave Clamp (GB) in third place.
Dave started with a cold and did incredibly well to continue after day one and pulled himself up the leader board to secure third place by only three minutes ahead of Hermann Steinacher of Austria. To read about Dave’s version of the Deca go to http://daveclamp.com
Kim Greisen also managed to bring his total of Ironman Triathlons to 35 for the past year which is the most achieved by any athlete to date.
I would like to say a big thank you to the organisers of the Deca Iron Italy 2011 for their hospitality and warm welcome to a wonderful region of Sicily! Click the link to g to their homepage which has the full results and images/videos of the competition.
Photographs from the competition are available at Deca Iron Italy 2011 Photos from where prints or digital images can be ordered by individuals or interested publications.

Website Upgrade

I looked into upgrading my website by using a professional service but on previewing what they sent me I decided to not go ahead quite simply because I didn’t think it was worth it! I would rather pass on the savings to customers and continue to use the present website which essentially provides all the information potential customers might need when looking for a quality photographer. Any suggestions on how to improve the layout and composition/content are still most welcome though!

Portrait Photography News

I am pleased to see that I have had several commissions for family and group portraits for clients who have wanted to produce a memorable record of their extended families or as a special present to mark an occasion or anniversary. All too often time passes by and then we regret not recording something which provides great memories later in life. A set of quality portrait images is probably the best way I know of preserving memories and creating a historical record of family or individual history. Get in touch to discuss your requirements and find out about autumn discounts now available!

Getting married? Want to test out a photographer for free and get free images? Give me a call!

If you are planning to get married I am pleased to announce that I can offer a completely free pre-wedding shoot – yes, I said free!
It will give you the perfect opportunity to get some great images (which you could use when sending out your invitations) as well as
discover out what you should expect from a professional photographer and receive advice at no obligation.

The only condition for these offers is that travel costs, if you want me to come to you, are applicable if you live over 25 miles from Lechlade.

Winter discounts for wedding photography bookings are available so give me a call on 01367 250222 to find out more.

Need an event photographer?

If you are arranging an event locally and want a photographer to record the occasion and produce top quality images/prints for you or your guests then
give me a call.
I am happy to attend, usually free of charge, take photos and print them off for guests to purchase at a reasonable price.
An agreed percentage of the sales can be donated to the charity or cause of your choice and it is a great way of raising extra funds!
I can even put the photos up on a web gallery free of charge for viewing and purchasing of prints and digital copies after the event!

John

JS Photography Newsletter July 2011

Trans Europe Challenge 2011 – Alex Flynn’s challenge to run from London to Rome in aid of Cure Parkinson’s Trust – June 9th to July 10th.
I have just returned from an exhausting trip supporting and photographing Alex Flynn and Dave Clamp, who set out from London on 9th June with the
intention of running all the way to Rome in order to raise awareness for the need to find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.
Alex is a 39 year old Parkinson’s sufferer and has set himself the goal of raising £1 million to help research a cure for Parkinson’s by running, walking,
cycling or even crawling 10 million metres over the next few years. Please visit 10 Million Metres website to find out how the boys got on with the challenge
and make a donation to this very worthwhile cause!

It’s time to upgrade my website!

In the next few weeks I will be setting up a completely new website designed by professionals. Hopefully it will mean a much more meaningful experience for visitors and raise the profile of JS Photography now that we are expanding successfully in terms of amount of commissions and variety of work both within the UK and overseas.

Schools Photography Service

We completed our first assignment with Highcombe Edge School in Surrey in the Spring term, portraits of 120 individual pupils, 13 class shots, 37 assorted sibling groups and a whole school photo – all captured in the space of one morning! Feedback from the parents (and the pupils) was incredibly positive and the system is now set up to promote the service to other schools during the next few months. Examples of the photos taken will be posted on the website soon.

Getting married? Want to test out a photographer for free and get free images? Give me a call!

If you are planning to get married I am pleased to announce that I can offer a completely free pre-wedding shoot – yes, I said free!
It will give you the perfect opportunity to get some great images (which you could use when sending out your invitations) as well as
discover out what you should expect from a professional photographer and receive advice at no obligation.

The only condition for these offers is that travel costs, if you want me to come to you, are applicable if you live over 25 miles from Lechlade.

Summer discounts for wedding photography bookings are available so give me a call on 01367 250222 to find out more.

Need an event photographer?

If you are arranging an event locally and want a photographer to record the occasion and produce top quality images/prints for you or your guests then
give me a call.
I am happy to attend, usually free of charge, take photos and print them off for guests to purchase at a reasonable price.
An agreed percentage of the sales can be donated to the charity or cause of your choice and it is a great way of raising extra funds!
I can even put the photos up on a web gallery free of charge for viewing and purchasing of prints and digital copies after the event!

Have a great summer!

John

Trans Europe Challenge 2011

I have just got back from accompanying Alex Flynn and Dave Clamp on their month long epic attempt to run from London to Rome!
They set out to run over 1800 miles in only 30 days in order to raise awareness of, and promote, the Cure Parkinson’s Trust charity which funds research into finding a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.
Full details of the challenge will emerge via Alex Flynn’s website, 10 Million Metres, along with photos of their progress in due course – when Alex and Dave have fully recovered from the ordeal!

School Photography Service

JS Photography launches it’s Schools Photography Service!

A NEW tailor made photography service offering a bespoke photographic service of the highest quality to schools.

• JS Photography provides a high quality portrait and group photography service with a personal touch, guaranteeing to capture the true spirit and character of the children in your school.
• We come to you free of charge with all lighting equipment and backdrops.
• Photographs are presented for parents to select and purchase via proof packs and via password protected website.
• Variety of proof pack options – Photo sizes available: 13 x 10, 10 x 7, 7 x 5, and 5 x 3.5, larger group photos up to 20 x 8 in a tube, card mount or fully framed.
• Prices – highly competitive and negotiable depending on the amount of commission the school wishes to earn.
• We provide a free CD of images for the school to use on their computer information database as well as on their website.
• Qualified, experienced photographer – Enhanced CRB checked and fully insured.

CALL 01367 250222 or 07740 120536 for an informal discussion about this service!

If you would like me to visit your school and have a chat about our service then please email: john@jsphotography.info

Visit the JS Photography Website: http://jsphotography.info