James Russell Photography

Holga Photos

2011-11-04T09:16:00.010Z

We photographers spend a small fortune on the latest digital cameras to get the ultimate quality possible – yet I love a simple £10 toy camera called a Holga! It has quite a cult following. Its cheap plastic lens creates a very soft image, low in contrast and distorting the colours. Somehow this gives the images instant appeal. And it's just wonderful using film in this digital age.

This is Prague station and I love the maze of the criss-crossing rail tracks. Look closely and there is a splash of orange from a railway worker helping to draw the eye to the centre of the image.

The camera is prone to light leaks, hence the slight magenta discolouration at the edges of this shot of the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn in Prague. I love this unpredictability that can bring an extra dimension to a photo. You don’t know quite what you’ve caught until the film is developed. The treatment perfectly suits the muted colours of this scene.

Here’s another, of the Municipal House building, that I took on the same trip to Prague. Again the image is soft with muted colours and the light leaks onto the film have added some interesting border effects. I framed the shot with the curved part of a bus stop in the top corner, to give the image an additional element and mirror the building's wonderful arch. The Municipal House also has a superb art deco interior and is well worth a visit.

And another taken at Canary Wharf. The camera gives a square format on 120 roll film - I love square images, sadly something we see less and less of with digital capture.

Astronomical Clock, Prague

2011-10-29T11:53:00.002+01:00

Remember to put your clocks back this weekend.

I'm fascinated by clocks and Prague has one of the best. The Old Town Hall’s Astronomical Clock isn’t something to tell you the time in a hurry; it’s a medieval marvel to linger over. It even shows the position of the stars in the sky. The three circles on the upper dial display Old Czech Time (Italian Time), Central European Time and, should you need it, Babylonian Time. As the hour chimes, the Twelve Apostles pass by and the cockerel at the top crows and quivers its wings. Isn’t it wonderful?

Industrial sky at night

2011-10-28T10:16:00.001+01:00

Industrial plants can come alive at night: the trick is to take the shot when there’s still colour in the sky before it turns inky black. This separates the subject well against the sky and creates a far more visually appealing image. I used a long exposure to record the steam as blurred streaks and I got it in time for the fading sun to add its hue, which I then enhanced in post production for added drama.

Infrared

2011-08-25T16:33:00.010+01:00

I've been experimenting with infrared techniques, something I used to do the old fashioned way when you even needed to load your camera in the dark as the film was so sensitive. Fortunately there's a digital equivalent and no obnoxious chemicals. It suits images with lots of foliage, as it lightens greens. I like including a grand old building or two as well. Here's the before and after effects.

And you get some interesting effects with skin tones too:

Blues go black too. All very surreal!

Cheers!

2011-08-07T14:34:00.020+01:00

When The Bollington Brewery Co won a bronze ‘Best Bitter’ award at last week’s Great British Beer Festival, there was only one place to shoot their PR photos – at local landmark White Nancy, which features in their logo. I love distorting reality in a photograph and wanted a dramatic look with a stormy sky, despite it being a bright evening. By a mixture of deliberate under-exposure and careful use of flash I achieved the effect I was after.

All this was created in camera and some post production to the RAW file to further boost the contrast was all the computer work that was necessary.

Congratulations to Lee and Kirsten who own the brewery and the Vale Inn in Bollington where you can sample these marvellous ales. And of course to Kim, the master brewer.

Thanks too to the fell runners who helped out with carrying all the props up and down, just a bit of extra training for them.

I enjoyed the celebratory beer at the end of the shoot.

And here's me behind the scenes, it was quite a bright evening as you can see. Who says the camera never lies!

Boneshaker

2011-07-24T21:50:00.002+01:00

The world’s greatest bike race finished in Paris today and I reckon the cobbles of the Champs Elysées would have finished off this abandoned old boneshaker. I thoroughly enjoyed taking its picture after stumbling across it in a building due for demolition on a site I was photographing. I accentuated the size and shape of the front wheel by getting down low and close. Then I cropped the picture square to draw the eye around the image. Finally, I gave this old-fashioned bike an old-fashioned darkroom treatment.

I wonder who owned it and whether they ever dreamt of Le Tour while they were riding it.

2011-05-27T12:48:00.004+01:00

I photographed BBC broadcaster, musician and general funny man Mark Radcliffe yesterday as he gave a talk at Waterstones, Macclesfield promoting his new book 'Reelin' in the Years'.

Great bloke and humour in every sentence, was hard to stop laughing to get the shots. Must read the book.

Manchester 10K

2011-05-25T13:18:00.021+01:00

Well, James Russell Photography’s marketing director, the missus, Paula Radcliffe’s replacement, or whatever you want to call her, was running in her 4th ever Great Manchester Run on 15 May 2011 for Parkinson’s UK.

As ever, she had last minute nerves when she suggested we veer off to Parrswood Cineworld instead, but I drove on in and deposited her at the start line (along with 37 999,999) other runners.

As for me, I’d opted for the photographic option and was capturing the action for East Cheshire Hospice and Team Arighi.

Lindsey completed the course in 1hr 50secs – she was slightly gutted to be just over the hour, when last year was 58.07 but still a great effort - I’ve told her to try harder next year!!

She looks pretty happy here – it was near the start!

Haile Gebrselassie was slightly in front of her…

Lindsey would like to say a big thank you to all her sponsors for helping her raise over £200 for Parkinson’s UK.

The charity village was a riot of colour, massage tables, bananas, chocolate and other goodies to reward those weary bodies. Samia Smith, who plays Maria in Corrie, was one of the celebrity runners taking part and is one of the East Cheshire Hospice's patrons. It was firmly decided the ECH stand had THE best muffins courtesy of the café at Arighi Bianchi’s!

It’s certainly an amazing sight seeing the city jam-packed full of runners and particularly moving seeing so many different charities represented, all of which have a special significance for those running. I know Lindsey gets an incredible buzz from participating, almost enough to make me want to join her next year…

So if you’re tempted to get your running shoes on, entry has already opened for the BUPA Great Manchester Run 2012 – see you there…(with camera or my trainers!)

2011-04-07T12:43:00.003+01:00

It was a good weekend in Liverpool at the Bluecoat, a great venue for the North West British Institute of Professional Photography Annual Awards. I picked up a silver for my shot of an EPOS system and a bronze for some vodka bottles in the advertising and commercial category. Also merits for press and fine art. Here are the pictures:

Road to London

2011-03-20T17:55:00.003Z

Olympic tickets are now on sale: will you be applying? I recently photographed Great Britain swimmer hopeful Dan Sliwinski being presented with a car as part of a sponsorship deal. My brief was to create an eye-catching image that involved the sponsor’s logo. Appropriately for a swimmer the day was wet, so I accentuated the dark threatening sky to contrast with the white of the car.

Good luck Dan!

Pancake Race

2011-03-08T15:42:00.008Z

The annual Macclesfield Pancake was run today. Held to support the hospital MAST appeal to raise funds for new digital breast scanners. Congrats to Cheshire East Council for the win and runner up the boys from Verve Brands.

Picture of the Week - A Valentine's Day Deception

2011-02-14T14:04:00.000Z

I've used a touch of artifice to create this Valentine's Day picture. I placed the flowers on a highly reflective surface to give the illusion of a full symmetrical bouquet. The vibrant red works perfectly against the black background. But don't buy your beloved half a bunch!

Cuba Revisited

2011-01-24T16:47:00.007Z

I'd love to go back to Cuba, it's a wonderful characterful place teeming with life and old American gas guzzler cars. The next best thing was going through my photos again. I've been updating my commercial website with some personal work. Here's a selection of those which made the cut:

Picture of the Week - Carlisle Cathedral

2011-01-24T14:56:00.001Z

Every so often you work at a venue to die for, which you know will produce a striking image. I was asked to photograph a wedding at Carlisle Cathedral and knew I just had to include its stunning 14th century painted ceiling. I've made this principally an architectural shot, but there are splashes of human colour in the choir's green cassocks and, far away, the bride's white dress. It's critical that this type of photo is symmetrical so I made sure I placed my tripod exactly at the centre axis of this beautiful building.

Picture of the Week - Corkscrew

2011-01-18T18:31:00.004Z

Less is often more in product photography, so sometimes I like to hint at a subject rather than show all of it. I lit the rim of this corkscrew to accentuate its interesting shape and leave the viewer questioning what it is. And I reflected it as well, to give the image an extra dimension.

Who's Got the X Factor?

2010-12-15T17:29:00.001Z

Well, did your favourite win? It's all over for another year, to much regret (or relief). This is Ruth Lorenzo, a 2008 contender, performing at a rather different location from a TV studio - an annual awards dinner of the Institute of Chemical Engineers, which I was asked to photograph last month. I like the colours in this image, particularly in the shafts of light. This type of shot is quite tricky, balancing the light on the set with my flash in order to retain those vibrant colours. I managed to catch Ruth in a pose that makes it clear that she has a powerful voice.

Picture of the Week - Autumn Frost

2010-11-28T18:50:00.003Z

It's a bit on the cold side at the moment and everyone, me included, is complaining about the unseasonal weather. Well we've had it before at this time of year. Driving gingerly down this icy November lane towards Ashford in the Water in the Peak District five years ago, I had to stop to take this scene. The warm autumn colours contrast against the steely blue of the lane and frost laden trees. I like photos that you can travel through: this one invites you to look down the lane towards the centre of the image, then meander up through the trees to the large house and out to the faraway hills. Nevertheless, let’s hope warmer weather returns soon.

A Month of Seconds

2010-11-11T15:24:00.012Z

November has been a good month awards wise. I won second place in the Towergate Fine Art competition, a prestigious international event in the photographic art world, with my Holga picture of Prague. This is actually taken on a toy camera, famed for its soft low contrast images. I love using it and the unpredictability of the results. A trip to London was had and opportunity taken for some more Holga pictures which I still need to get to the lab - the downside of film!

And here's me (on the left) receiving my award from Paul Dyer of Towergate.

The North West region of the British Institute of Professional Photography held its annual print competition where I picked up second place in the commercial section. It's been a month of second places but I'm more than happy. It's an industrial picture this time, on a site where I've been taking demolition progress photos. I saw these twisted and rusted steel beams and instantly knew there was a picture to be had.

Picture of the Week - Abstract Architecture

2010-10-25T10:53:00.003+01:00

Well what is it? You wouldn't think that this was a car park would you? I love unusual architecture and used this Sheffield city centre multi-storey to create a simple abstract image. I enhanced its graphic qualities by converting the photo to black and white. Then I cropped it into a square, to match the square aluminium panels that clad this extraordinary building.

Bake Off!

2010-10-16T12:00:00.002+01:00

Ruth Clemens, finalist and runner up in the highly popular BBC show, The Great British Bake Off was at Macclesfield Waterstones signing the book of the series and doing an effortless icing demonstration. I also got some first hand bread making tips from her - thanks Ruth.

Picture of the Week - Liquid Gold

2010-10-04T11:05:00.002+01:00

Autumn can yield some stunning sunsets, like this one off the Pembrokeshire coast last week. I used a long exposure to create the marble-like patterns of the tide swirling into the rock pools. I love the way the sun makes the rocks glisten with gold. And just look at the colours of the incredible shapes that the clouds are breaking into, as the light dies for another day.

Picture of the Week - Scrapyard Fashion

2010-09-27T14:17:00.001+01:00

Juxtaposition always works well in a photograph, so for this fashion shoot I decided to use some scrapyard machinery as a background to the rather more beautiful model and clothing. Some strong lighting helps it along too, but it’s mainly about the pose where I have created shapes with the arms and legs to make a dynamic image. And it won me an award too, in the fashion category of the North West British Institute of Professional Photography Awards earlier this year, so all in all I'm quite pleased with it.

Picture of the Week - Sunset on the Inside Passage

2010-09-12T17:47:00.002+01:00

I travelled a large length of the Alaskan and Canadian coast along the Inside Passage. It sounds like one of the great journeys of the world and all very romantic, but in fact the scenery is basically forest and water for mile after mile. I was rewarded however with some stunning sunsets and this was one of the most spectacular.

Coronation Street Star at East Cheshire Hospice

2010-08-25T16:38:00.014+01:00

I've been working at East Cheshire Hospice again and had the pleasure of meeting Corrie star Samia Smith who plays Maria. She's a patron of the hospice and was also being filmed by Granada TV to help promote the hospice's upcoming Midnight Walk. She spoke openly about her father who was cared for by the hospice in his last days and describes the hospice as a happy place. I couldn't agree more; I enjoy meeting the staff and nurses and there is always a very calm, friendly and relaxed atmosphere about the place. Samia was a joy to photograph, so easy to talk to and really cared about the patients there. Do support the hospice through the walk if you can - take a look at their website. They need to raise a phenomenal £6000 per day to keep running. I've decided to do the Midnight Walk myself, so if you'd like to donate to the hospice please do so by following this link.

Picture of the Week - Lindos

2010-08-08T18:22:00.001+01:00

I love the beautiful deep blue of the sky just before it gets dark. This is Lindos, on the island of Rhodes, switching on for the evening. The eye meanders through the maze of houses, past the lights in the centre and out towards the Acropolis that so dominates that magical Greek skyline.

MAST Appeal

2010-08-08T17:58:00.011+01:00

I have been supporting Macclesfield Hospital's MAST appeal as they aim to raise £150,000 for a new digital breast scanner by December. This is John Jones who supports the appeal by playing his accordion in the hospital corridors - great to have a musical accompaniment whilst I took his photo. Please take a look at the MAST website to learn more about this worthy cause.
And a Fun Day was held at Macclesfield Town F.C. and a great time was had by all.
Life size table footie too and Verve Brands took on the Macc pros and won! Come on you whites...

And Verve Brands blew up my photos life size too, they looked great - thanks guys.

Picture of the Week - Havana

2010-07-25T17:51:00.003+01:00

Havana, Cuba is a wonderful place if, like me, you're drawn to faded architectural glories and old motors. This picture takes your eye through the speeding rickshaw to the iconic black car and grand hotel facade. I had two choices: get the exposure right first time to capture enough movement without losing the rickshaw itself, or wait for the next rickshaw.

Picture of the Week - What about us?

2010-07-18T19:34:00.003+01:00

These two beautiful King Charles spaniels had been excluded from a wedding I was photographing and looked somewhat forlorn as they poked their noses under the gate to see what was going on. Lying on the ground to get to their level, I got the shot which also won me an award in the pets category at the North West British Institute of Professional Photography Awards, an unusual category for a commercial photographer. Worth the trip to the dry cleaners with my suit as well!

Picture of the Week - Jodrell Bank

2010-06-26T15:34:00.002+01:00

I wanted to contrast Jodrell Bank’s space age radio telescope, one of Cheshire’s best known landmarks, with its rural setting. So I framed the huge dish with the trees while the wind enabled me to capture the movement in the long grass in the foreground. And with such a stunning sunset, I reckon all the elements came together perfectly.

World Cup

2010-06-17T23:32:00.013+01:00

Well it's all kicked of and the usual agony of supporting England has begun. East Cheshire Hospice were holding a World Cup party and asked me along to record the evening.

The first goal:

The one against:

And the general agony:

At least the band The Screaming Beavers were worth a watch!

Corporate Silhouette

2010-05-28T21:16:00.003+01:00

Prism Total IT Solutions in Congleton commissioned a corporate portrait with a difference. Determined to emphasize the company rather than themselves, the partners agreed that a silhouette did this perfectly for what is still a people business. I added an additional element to the already powerful image by copying the photo itself onto the laptops. It’s just won me another award at this year’s North West British Professional Photography Awards. So client and photographer both very happy!

Greek Church

2010-05-17T19:14:00.001+01:00

Sometimes I miss making photographs in the darkroom; using different printing processes to experiment with different effects. I created this image of a Greek church by a process known as lith printing. A special developer produces grainy images and very high contrast, with the lighter areas taking on a soft warm glow.

Ryan Giggs at East Cheshire Hospice

2010-05-17T18:37:00.009+01:00

Manchester United star Ryan Giggs is an avid supporter of East Cheshire Hospice in Macclesfield. The hospice needs to raise a mind boggling £6,000 per day to keep running and somehow with lots of generous support the team there manage to do it. A very worthwhile cause to support.

Ryan was a perfect gent and chatted happily with patients and staff alike, signing loads of autographs.

25th Anniversary

2010-05-17T18:13:00.011+01:00

Congratulations to Greater Manchester Chamber's Breakfast Club on its 25th Anniversary. A good event was had by all with the usual quality networking opportunity. A few photos I took for them - rather an early start though!

Small, Blonde & Prickly

2010-05-13T11:10:00.001+01:00

The RSPCA had been looking after this rare blonde hedgehog and I was asked to photograph it when it was released in to its new habitat at Norton Priory. I lay low in the grass to capture it against the colourful spring flowers as it explored its new surroundings. BBC North West Tonight used the photo on its weather slot. Cute!

North West Professional Photography Awards

2010-05-01T12:50:00.021+01:00

A good night for me at the recent North West Professional Photography Awards; 2 silvers, 3 bronzes and 3 merit awards, so all in all I'm quite chuffed. The North West is a hot bed of photographic talent, so to be recognised amongst the best photographers in the area is a big honour for me. Here are the photos:

An arty shot of some gaskets and car parts, brought to life by coloured gels...

A corporate portrait done as a silhouette:

A couple of King Charles spaniels, who were excluded as guests from a wedding I was photographing - worth the trip to the dry cleaners for my suit...

Blonde hedgehog - just cute...

Some paper shoes...

Fashion shot taken in a scrapyard...

Studio shot of young lad - what a character!..

Photo of Prague station, taken on a Holga toy camera...

Picture of the Week - Speed

2010-04-23T17:34:00.002+01:00

Occasionally circumstances beyond your control come together to help you create a strong image. It was so windy near these chevrons that I could barely stand, so all my photos were blurred, accidentally but perfectly enhancing the effect of speed I wanted to capture. Two cars approaching each other on the road at just the right moment gave the image the extra element which it needed. The slight fog softened the lights and I tilted my camera to exaggerate the cornering effect. It was worth being buffeted by the wind because I sold the picture through my stock library.

Picture of the Week - Prague

2010-04-11T18:03:00.001+01:00

I took this on a toy camera called a Holga. Its cheap plastic lens softens the image and distorts the edges. It uses film (wonderful) and is prone to light leaks, hence the slight magenta discolouration at the edges. I love this unpredictability that can bring an extra dimension to a photo. You don’t know quite what you’ve caught until the film is developed. This is the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn in Prague and the treatment perfectly suits the muted colours of this scene.

Picture of the Week - Evening Glow

2010-04-04T19:16:00.002+01:00

It's a great time to take photos once the sun has set but there is still light in the sky. I took this picture of Thira in Santorini just as it was coming to life for the evening and it’s a mix of natural and artificial light. The stepped buildings lead your eye up to the church with its splash of green. The white walls of the buildings glow with a soft warm magenta that's reflected from the muted colours remaining in the sky.

Picture of the Week - Bottle Stoppers

2010-03-29T16:29:00.003+01:00

I like simple and graphic images and this one is all about shape and colour. The graceful curve of the corkscrew contrasts with the aggressive angular shape of the stoppers. There are just three basic colours in the image, which helps to enhance its graphic nature.

Picture of the Week - Glass Flower

2010-03-21T22:31:00.002Z

This picture keeps it simple. I backlit the flower and vase to leave just a few black lines and the very shallow depth of focus concentrates attention on the purple stamen.

Corporate Dive

2010-03-14T17:47:00.003Z

A recent interesting job was at the Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port. It was a corporate dive and the lucky people got to dive amongst the sharks. Fortunately I was on the dry side taking photos. Quite a challenge photographing through glass and thank goodness for off camera flash controllable by radio slaves. By getting the angle of the flash just right I could avoid nasty reflections and flash bounce back.

Picture of the Week - Tulips

2010-03-14T17:38:00.002Z

I'm sure tulips aren't meant to be displayed like this - they must have wilted in the heat, but I couldn't resist a photograph. To emphasise the soft pastel colours of the flowers I've made everything else black and white.

Picture of the Week - Dome

2010-03-07T18:02:00.000Z

As a photographer I like to look up to see the world from a different viewpoint. I’m glad I did so under this grand dome at the Tate Britain art gallery. I knew immediately there was a picture to be had. I like the mix of angular shapes and areas of light and dark. The blue of the sky holds the image together at its edges and moves your eye to its lighter centre and the wonderful architecture around the arches.

Picture of the Week - Cyclamen

2010-03-03T17:58:00.002Z

I reckoned the best way to take these pink cyclamen was in the studio. The plain black background focuses attention on the fantastic colour, without any distractions. I love the way the unopened bud adds a splash of interest to the otherwise bland area of the stems.

Picture of the Week - Travel Guides

2010-02-20T17:51:00.002Z

Several national newspapers have used this photo of mine in their travel sections. I begged and borrowed some more guide books to add to my own and built them to look like they're tumbling out of the rucksack. I chose a plain white background for simplicity and to concentrate attention on the books themselves.

Time to book a holiday?

Picture of the Week - Vauxhall Bridge

2010-02-14T20:00:00.003Z

The low winter sun and crisp clean air can make for wonderful photographs. I caught the sun shining through Vauxhall Bridge the other week creating this gorgeous golden glow. The Edwardian bridge contrasts with the extraordinary apartments behind, while the gold of the arches and the green of the glass work together well.

Picture of the Week - Cookie Cutters

2010-02-07T18:29:00.002Z

This photograph was taken for a catering client who wanted to show how he was taking on the ‘big boys’ of the industry, hence one small cutter and the rest large. I created a repeating pattern with the cutters to give recession to the image and toned it blue, which fitted well with the metallic nature of the products.

Picture of the Week - Winter Mist

2010-02-02T15:13:00.007Z

Well the snow’s come back, so it seems appropriate to show you this picture taken at Teggs Nose Country Park just outside Macclesfield. Mist and fog can add loads of atmosphere to a photo and I loved the conditions as I was taking this image, with the tops of the trees just making themselves visible. The soft pink in the sky added a touch of warmth and colour to this cold and otherwise monochromatic scene.

Professional Photographer of the Year Awards

2010-02-02T14:31:00.012Z

January ended on a good note when I attended the Professional Photographer of the Year Awards at the Sustain Studio in London. I was delighted to win the Advertising category with my Audi R8 shot. Everyone asks whether that was the prize - sadly not!

Here is me receiving my award from Grant Scott, editor of Professional Photograper magazine. Photo courtesy of Marcus Dawes.

And I like this arty shot taken by fellow photographer and shortlisted finalist, Mark Pugh.