Happy Friday - Smiles

Happy Friday wedding smiles everyone. If your getting married over the next few days, good luck and enjoy your big day.


#brides #FF #FollowFriday #FridaySmiles #weddingphoto #Professional #Tasty #to #BrideandGroom #EnglishWeddings  #Offers #UK #London #Weddings #SouthernWeddings #Discount #DontMissOut #engagment #UK #2016 #Brides #England #WeddingPhotography #Portraits #Family  #Love #portrait

Photograph by Neil Graham  

Photograph by Neil Graham  

Beautiful Flowers

Great catching with Conway and Laura yesterday in preparation for their 2017 wedding.

If you would like check availability, get in touch as 2017 dates are going fast.


Mobile : 07584 900938

Email : neil.graham0071@gmail.com

#WW #WeddingWednesday #Poems #Professional #WeddingCake #Bouquet #BrideandGroom #EnglishWeddings #Christmas #Offers #UK #London #Weddings #SouthernWeddings #Discount #DontMissOut #London #engagment #UK #2016 #Brides #England #WeddingPhotography (Pictured, Kirsty's beautiful bouquet)

Photograph by Neil Graham

Photograph by Neil Graham

All Smiles - Client meeting

Fabulous client meeting last night with Chris & Katherine. I'll be assisting Michael Rammell - Weddings & Portraits next September from the bridal preparation until late.


You can check availability for 2017 & 2018 now by calling or emailing.

Mobile : 07584 900938

Email : neil.graham0071@gmail.com 


#FF #WeddingFriday #Poems #Professional  #WeddingCake #bride #BrideandGroom #EnglishWeddings #Christmas #Offers #UK #London #Weddings #SouthernWeddings #Discount #DontMissOut #London #engagment #UK #2016 #Brides #England #WeddingPhotography


(Pictured, John)

Photograph by Neil Graham

Photograph by Neil Graham

Summer Wedding Bells

After yesterdays fabulous wedding of Chris and Lou at Easthampstead Park Conference Centre , this Friday will see Andy & Liz tying knot, once again the wonderful Michael Rammell - Weddings & Portraits will be assisting me.


(Andy & Liz Pictured)


To check availability for 2017 & 2018, call now.

Mobile : 07584 900938

Email : neil.graham0071@gmail.com 


#WeddingMonday #Poems #Professional #Tasty #WeddingCake #BrideandGroom #EnglishWeddings  #Offers #UK #London #Weddings #SouthernWeddings #Discount #DontMissOut #London #engagment #UK #2016 #Brides #WW #England #WeddingPhotography #LondonPhotography

Photograph by Neil Graham 

Photograph by Neil Graham 

John & Kirsty Preview Collection

After John & Kirsty's fabulous wedding day, the preview collection is now available to view. Click on the link below or visit their page,  please comment and share.

The full collection will be available next week!!

http://www.neilgrahamphotography.com/john-kirsty-preview/

 

#weddings #Collections #Preview #brides #London #WeddingPhotography #Professional #Tasty #WeddingCake #BrideandGroom #EnglishWeddings #Christmas #Offers #UK #London #Weddings #SouthernWeddings #Discount #DontMissOut #London #engagment #UK #2016 #Brides #England #Photo

Photo By Neil Graham  

Photo By Neil Graham

 

 

Engagement Shoot

It was my absolute pleasure to photograph Andy & Liz's engagement shoot in preparation for their wedding with @rammellphoto Rammell - Weddings & Portraits We also enjoyed quiet coffee


2016 is fully booked, you can now check availability for 2017 & 2018.


Mobile : 07584 900938

Email : neil.graham0071@gmail.com 


http://www.neilgrahamphotography.com/


#WW #Wednesday  #RoyalBerkshire #WeddingWednesday #RoyalWindsor #Engagement #Professional #Tasty #WeddingCake #BrideandGroom #EnglishWeddings #Christmas #Offers #UK #London #Weddings #SouthernWeddings #Discount #DontMissOut #Windsor #engagment #UK #2016 #Brides #England #WeddingPhotography #Tips #Photography #Oxford

Photo by Neil Graham  

Photo by Neil Graham  

Special Moments - Weddings

A very special moment captured on your big day through the lens

To check wedding availability for 2017


Tel: 07584900938

Email: neil.graham0071@gmail.com

Website: www.neilgrahamphotography.com


#SpecialMoments #Father  #FunWeddings #NewYear #Offers #UK #London #Weddings #Valentines #SouthernWeddings #Discount #DontMissOut #engagment #UK #2016 #Brides #England #WeddingPhotography #Portraits #Family #Valentines #Love #portrait  #WeddingRings

Photo by Neil Graham  

Photo by Neil Graham  

2016 Valentines Offer

With only a few days left in January, it's time to embrace Valentines Day and propose to you're fiancee with a FREE romantic engagement shoot.

 

When you reserve your wedding with myself during January only, the £250 gift from me will include one free stunning 8x10 print to cherish and admirer.
A wedding quote to warm up January
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” Wuthering Heights
To check availability for 2017Tel: 07584900938 Email: neil.graham0071@gmail.com Website: www.neilgrahamphotography.com
#FunWeddings #NewYear #Offers #UK #London #Weddings #SouthernWeddings #Discount #DontMissOut #engagment #UK #2016 #Brides #England #WeddingPhotography #Portraits #Family #Valentines #Love #portrait  #WeddingRings #Offer #Photography #photographs #JanuaryOffers #Portraits #admirer #romance #Cupid #fiancee #sweethearts #2017

Photo by Neil Graham

Photo by Neil Graham

Treasure your family photographs

Along with my wedding photography, recently I had the pleasure to photograph my friends family so they could produce a large canvas. The photograph was a special surprise Birthday present for their Nan. I can always find time to take that special photograph for you and family to treasury, forever. 

A wedding quote to warm up January

Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own.

- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

 

Throughout January 2016, I'm offering a free engagement shoot when you reserve your wedding with me.

 

The £250 gift from me will include one free stunning 8x10 print of your choice from the selected photographs.

 

To check availability.

Tel: 07584900938

Email: neil.graham0071@gmail.com

Website: www.neilgrahamphotography.com

 

#FunWeddings #NewYear #Offers #UK #London #Weddings #SouthernWeddings #Discount #DontMissOut #engagment #UK #2016 #Brides #England #WeddingPhotography #Portraits #Family #Valentine #Love #portrait  #WeddingRings #Offer #Photography #photographs #JanuaryOffers #Portraits

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Loving Wedding Quotes

A wedding quote to warm up January


"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage".

-Lao Tzu


Only a few dates left in my 2016 calendar, check availability.

Tel: 07584900938

Email: neil.graham0071@gmail.com

Website: www.neilgrahamphotography.com


(Book 2017 now)


#2017 #FunWeddings #NewYear #BookingWeddings #Offers #UK #London #Weddings #Surrey #SouthernWeddings #Discount #DontMissOut #engagment #UK #2016 #Brides #England #WeddingPhotography #Portraits #Family #Valentine #Love #portrait  #WeddingRings #Offer #Photography #photographs #JanuaryOffers #Portraits

About me

Hi, I'm Neil a Berkshire wedding photographer who would love to capture your big day. From the preparation photographs to the first dance, I will cover your entire day providing candid, detail and group images. I pride myself by being at your service and on hand to answer any questions and give advice if required.

I love travelling, so distance is not a problem when it comes to your wedding day. A great testimony from Darren and Mandy , who set out what a fun and professional service you can expect from myself.

 "Just want to say a massive thank you to Neil Graham, who went above and beyond all expectations to give us some amazing memories to keep forever ! We would highly recommend him for any professional photos". Thanks again Neil.

Darren & Mandy

If you're interested and I know you are, feel free to call or email, plus you can connect me via Facebook and Twitter.

Tel : 07584 900938

Email : neil.graham0071@gmail.com

 

Q & A from a Twitter follower

Hi Neil,

Many thanks for your mention on Twitter this morning. Just had a quick look at your web site you have some fantastic photos. I was at the air show in Duxford last year my photos look nothing like yours – such clarity.

keep up the fantastic work.

Thank you Tony a Twitter follower, @tonysalephoto . Below I explain the approach I take with my aviation photographs and refer to a 2013 blog.

Hi Tony.

The Duxford show was the Flying Legends Show on Sat 13th July 2013.

Anytime for the mention on Twitter, it's great to have contact with new aviation photographers.

My photos are taken with a borrowed Canon 7d and my EF 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6L IS USM  All of the photos were hand held and taken in a Raw format. That day was around 34c and the light was hard and unforgiving. I find it always hard to obtain a good exposer in aviation photography coupled with a low shutter speed, but in the 34c heat plus the lighting was something else this year.

Other than a small crop,adjusting the exposer, highlights, shadows,vibrancy, clarity and sometimes adding a vignette in Lightroom 4 it's straight out of the camera. Having an L lens from Canon helps, but over 300mm the 100-400m does go soft.

Have a look the rest of my photos, over on YouTube in a slideshow format. Part 1 & 2 Duxford and Dunsfold park part 1 & 2.

http://youtu.be/jrXvEgmsQ9g Duxford Part 1
http://youtu.be/-zB-tWuD_Jg Duxford Part 2

Also, you can head over to my website blog and read an article I wrote last year. It has all my camera settings from the Duxford Airshow and post processing in adjustments in Lightroom 4.

http://www.neil-graham.squarespace.com/blog/2013/8/23/duxford-dc-53d-dakota-airshow-photograph-review

I am attending, “The Flying Legends” Show this year on the Saturday and hoping to meet up with a few other photographers.

Thanks for the feedback and if you have any tips I can use, I would be happy to chat on the phone.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Regards
Neil

Again, thank you Tony for the feedback . If you have any feedback or questions, you can contact me on

neil@neilgrahamphotography.com

Mobile +44 (0) 7584 900938

Inspired? Show Me - MBP 400th Birthday show

Saturday 14th December 22.30 WET, I took part in Martin Bailey's google plus Hangout. It was Martin's MBP 400th Birthday show and followers were invited to take part. The idea behind the live broadcast was to see if Martin has inspired you and perhaps changed your approach to photography? We all sent a photograph to Martin and while he was displaying the pictures we talked our way through them.

Along with myself , Darlene Hildebrandt, Valerie Jardin, Michael Rammell, Mike Whitten, Paul GriffithsEric Vogt, Andrzej Wiśniewski and Thysje Arthur all participated. My photograph was of a Bald Eagle below which I took at the Hawk Conservancy Trust in the UK. The Trust houses and rehabilitates birds of prey from around the World. If your click on the photo you can view the rest of my Hawk photo collection.

 

The Eagle was standing in his wooden hut, tethered to the ground and around 2 metres away. I had my Canon 60D with my Canon EF 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6L IS USM , in bright midday sun I had over exposed the background and bird to bring out the detail in the shadows without producing noise. The photograph has been cropped a little and it's only had the normal adjustments in Lightroom 4.

Martin has inspired me by shooting to the right of the histogram, which he explains on his podcast #381 shooting to the right over on itunes. Coupled with a low monitor brightness this has changed the quality of my raw files and the prints. I was honoured to be invited and play a part in this #400 MBP 400th Birthday Show. Can I say a huge thank you to Martin for all of the content he provided via his podcast and I hope to repay him one day by attending a workshop.

All of the photographs featured can be viewed over on www.martinbaileyphotography.com and if you click on iTunes or YouTube you can download and listen to the broadcast.

Again, thank you Martin..

If you have any questions or would like me to take part in your podcast/vidcast please contact me :

Mobile +44 (0)7584 900938 or email neil@neilgrahamphotography.com 

Audi photo review - Panning

A couple of followers on Google plus ask me how I obtained a crisp photo of the winning Audi LMP 1 car at the 2013 Le Mans, I thought I'd put together a quick check list of what I do for my night time panning shot.

My Gear- Canon 60d and Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8 IS USM Mk 1. Click for technical data.

1. Try to find a length of straight with flood lights or perhaps an entrances or between corners, the main reason for this is it provides you with a consent light source and at corners you have cars bunching up which provides light from behind. In a way the flood lights becomes your key and car headlamps become your fill light at ground level.

2. I always shoot to the right of the histogram in Raw which seems to allow more information to be captured by my APC crop sensor in my Canon 60d.  By coincidence, +Martin Bailey of Martin Bailey Photography recently produced a podcast #381 about shooting to the right and Martin explains it in more technical detail and much better than I could so it's worth heading over to Martin's website or iTunes and have a listen.

3. Test shots, to set up your camera and don't rush because they will come past again and again. You also can test your panning technic, I stand with feet firmly planted to the ground and rotate my hips as smooth as I can, plus I tuck in my elbows tight to reduce my own nature shake.

4. Always aim for a correct in-camera exposure, which will give you more room in post processing to recover highlights and open shadows up. I try not to go over ISO 3200 on my Canon 60D but I'd rather have the correct exposure in camera than under expose and recover in Lightroom 4, so I will go above ISO 3200 if required. It's better to smooth the noise in Lightroom 4 with a correct exposure rather than under expose, then increase your exposure in LR4 as this only produces even more noise to deal with as you push it higher.

5. I use the centre focus point on my camera for the best sensitively during focusing and the lenses set on stabiliser 2 for side to side movement.

6. As mentioned before if you find a straight which you can access safely with subjects only moving from left to right, this will help your camera to focus quicker. If the cars are coming at you then away fast, the camera not only has to track the target towards you, then the camera has to move focus, this is one of hardest things for your camera to do, especially in dark conditions.

7. Put your camera in high continuous, Al Servo. I can guarantee that not every photo will not be in focus, as I found in a set 8/9 burst, only number 3 and number 7 would be in focus. I would set up to take 8/9 photos and only expect 2 photos to be useable. For me this is not a bad ratio of return. I also delete the others to save space on my hard drive space. Some photographers say never delete any photos, the choice is yours.

8. Normally all of my photos are hand held because as a normal paying customer at the motor racing there is not enough room for a big set up, but I if remember correctly this time my camera was mounted to a tripod, because I was making a video and this did reduce my up and down movement.

9. Finally, I use Lightroom 4 for my post processing. Generally I only adjust the exposure, highlights,shadows,charity and vibrance,then I sharpen, apply noise reduction and lenses correction and that's it. No photoshop at all. (Mainly because I don't know how to use it)

Below I have all of my camera settings and my post processing setting in Lightroom 4, plus the before and after photo.

Camera Settings 

1/100 sec at F/2.8 ISO 3200 200mm (EF70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM)

This is a 50% Jpegs of the CR2 original before processing in Lightroom 4.

This is a 50% Jpegs of the CR2 original before processing in Lightroom 4.

Lightroom 4 processing settings

Temp 3800 (Fluorescent) Tint +21 , Exposure +30, Contrast 0, Highlights -41, Shadows +62, whites 0, Blacks 0, Clarity +44, Vibrance +20 and Saturation 0.

No Curve, no HSL, no Split toning.
Sharpening- 36, Radius 1.0, Detail 2, Masking 40, Noise Reduction - Luminance 67, Detail 50, Contrast 27, Colour 49, Details 50

Normal Lens Corrections with LR4 Profiles and Colour.

The winning number 2 Audi LMP1 at Le Mans 2013.Click on the image to view more audi photographs. 

The winning number 2 Audi LMP1 at Le Mans 2013.

Click on the image to view more audi photographs. 

I hope this short summary helps you with you're panning shots at night. Again, it does show me using my prosumer camera you can still produce some very good photos.

If you have anymore questions please email neil@neilgrahamphootgraphy.com

Not just freezing the action ?.

With the recent snow fall In the UK I went out and spent an hour taken photos of my son sledging and freezing the action with 60d and Mk1 70-200mm lens. Yes, I was pleased with the outcome, but in some of the photos it looked like he was parked up and not speeding down a hill, as you can see in the first three 3 photos. 1/1000 f5 135mm

It was time for something different, panning?... As I'd used this technic at Silverstone Race Track I thought I would give it a go again . The hill was short and my son was zipping past, so I starting at 1/50 f6.3 70mm high speed continuous in Raw and this produced camera shake and the whole photo was blurred. I moved up through the shutter speeds and settle between 1/80 - 1/160, f5.6-f6.3 70mm and with the stabiliser switched to 2 for side to side movement. Trying to move the camera from side to side whilst going up and down a hill and focusing on a fast moving target was hard and ladies, you know men can't muti-task! It resulted in me losing my balance and ending up in a heap.

I was happy with the results and as you can see from the last seven photos I had fun trying to produce a sharp image with a blurred background to suggest movement. Give it a go and remember 1 photo in your burst should be in focus and just work on that one in Lightroom 4 and bin the rest.

Happy Shooting....

Coming up soon...
Richmond Park 2013 shoot and using the wrong shutter speed and blaming the camera for moving it.....

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