Landscape Photography Workshop for Hobbyist Photographers

I'm running a Landscape Photography workshop on Saturday 17th October (weather dependent) with Saturday 24th October as a back up.  It will start at 2pm and run til approximately 8 / 9pm and be inclusive of a vintage teas / coffees and a meal.

The workshop will cover:

  • Setting up your camera
  • Using Manual Mode
  • Metering for the light
  • How to see the landscape
  • Composition Techniques
  • Low Light Photography
  • Post Processing with Adobe Lightroom & / or Photoshop

The workshop is for over 18's at this stage and an alternative workshop could be set up in the future for under 18's.

The workshop is £75 and there is only 2 places left, so get in touch by clicking on this link, email me at info@handsonphotography.co.uk or call 07854 956 970





This Is How The Australian's See Us

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I spent the day in Birmingham doing some street photography today and created a small series of imagery based around shadows with the sole intention of flipping them on their heads, literally!

I've always wondered why the water doesn't fall out of their sinks and toilet bowls, when on this side of the planet it stays exactly where we want it.  So I flipped the way in which I feel the Aussies view us Pommies.

Monster Munch and The Perseid Meteor

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I spent most of the night in the dark travelling around Warwickshire searching for a good spot to make some night time landscapes of the Perseid Meteor Shower.  It wasn't all that successful in terms of getting the shot I wanted but I did get some really nice photographs.  I suppose that isn't all truthful, I did get the shot I wanted and it was one in a million but I knocked the aperture ring and sent the photo slightly out of focus.  I landed Chesterton Windmill at night with a perfect exposure at the exact time a meteor flew directly over the windmill and in a small gap in the clouds that is in the shape of a Monster Munch crisp.  Here it is...

Click on each photograph to enlarge.

It wasn't all a failure last night, I did manage to bag myself some beautiful landscapes that were so sharp and in complete focus.  They're very dramatic photographs and I'm quite proud of them.

I also created different compositions of Chesterton Windmill.

I created this photograph at Draycote Water near to Dunchurch in Warwickshire whilst hunting for some good spots for photographing the meteor shower.

I particularly like this frame because I included my good friend Charlie who's recently taken up photography and can be seen making an exposure with his own kit..  Charlie introduced me to this landmark, which I'm very thankful for.

Where's Boudica?

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The legend of Boudica is said to be still laid under the ground somewhere near to Atherstone.  Boudica led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman empire roughly in AD60 / 61.  Boudica was Queen of the British Iceni Tribe and led a supposedly 100,000 strong army.  They defeated the Romans in Londinium which is now St. Albans but eventually lost out to the Roman empire during the battle of Watling Street.  The precise location of the battle remains a mystery amidst speculation that Mancetter next to Atherstone one of the likely battle grounds.  The probability of this area being the battle ground is based on Roman principles of fighting, Watling Street being the main route from South to North and likely place to be met with the empirical forces coming in land from the Welsh borders.

I took a nice stroll along the possible routes Boudica and her army could have moved between British strongholds in the area.  This led me along the canal from Hartshill to Atherstone.  It is a lovely walk and here's some landscape documentary photographs covering the route.

The Clock Tower Tea Room

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with friends at their tea room near to Hartshill.  It's such a beautiful location and right by the canal bridge on Atherstone Road.  They serve the most delicious food, cakes and cream teas in a relaxed vintage setting.  Well they've offered me some space to exhibit my work on their walls, where all framed prints will be for sale.  So I took the opportunity to make some photographs there for that purpose.  I even went back after dark to take advantage of the full moon.  Here's a small selection of just some of the photographs that I created.

There is also a series that I created whilst following Mike around and walking along the canal in Atherstone and at the same time learning about the history of the area, the Sparkenhoe, the times of Bodeca and has sparked a curiosity that could lead to an almighty project.  I'll share those photographs another time but for now, have a look at last nights work.

Click on each photograph to enlarge.

Missing Street Photography

I'm aching.  My bones are twitching!  My eyes are doing somersaults.  I've been researching some of the most amazing street photographs and it's breaking me.  I just want to get out and do some.  It means taking a trip in to the city so I have more subjects, backdrops and people to work with. 

Just take a look at this absolutely perfectly timed street photograph by IIan Burla...

This sort of a shot is sometimes a once in a lifetime opportunity and requires such speed, skill and observation from the photographer.

The one time I managed to get something close to this is this next photograph that I created in Paris, Montematre, Artistes Square...

So, in light of this affliction, I'm going to plan a day or two in the city, perhaps Birmingham.  Yeah I'll go to Brum, I'm sure I'll find something there.  Just need to be carefull carrying around expensive kit.  I've been there many times and know just what it's like!!!  Perhaps I'll take a friend with me, one with a big stick!

Paul Hands Documentary Photographer - Portfolio

I've been working on my portfolio today and have been adding it as a new page to my website.

My portfolio shows a mixture of social documentary photography, commercial photography, landscape photography, street photography and wedding photography, you can click on this link to see my portfolio here.

Here's just a few photographs taken from my portfolio.  Click on each photograph to enlarge.

Commercial Photography For Business

I work with many different types of businesses across the UK to provide commercial photography to aid the promotion of their businesses.  Sometimes a company can need just head shots of their staff for their website or professional images that show their customers how they do do business.  Commercial photography is the face of your business and customers make their decisions on using a company based on image.  Go to any website and if they don't have good photographs, it doesn't sell them well.  They don't look as professional and leaves the potential customer feeling that their service won't be as good as the company with great looking photographs.

I have a very distinctive style that has been hired by the likes of Coventry City Council, Mode Transport, G. Seller & Sons, North Warwickshire & Hinckley College for a Royal visit from HRH Prince Edward.  

My rates are within the industry guidelines but more importantly, prior to becoming a professional photographer, I have worked commercially in business at senior management level. This makes it easy to do business with me.  

Here is a link that takes you directly to the section of my website that shows you examples of my previous work.

Please get in touch with me if you know that your company needs better photography for your website and marketing materials.

The Knitters

I'm creating a photo documentary on the community around Hinckley called 'The Knitters'.  The name was used by the local football team, Hinckley United.  It's coined from the history of the towns main industry, Hosiery.  My project is under scrutiny as it's towards my FMP and contributing a large proportion towards the grading, for my degree in photography.

Here's just a couple of my favourites from the project so far.  There's plenty more shoots coming up for this but here's a midway look at how it's coming along.

Click on each image to enlarge.

The Studio is almost finished and ready for new clients

We've been working really hard on getting the studio ready.  We've just got a small kitchen unit to build and fit and put some prints and canvasses up on the walls, then we're ready to open the doors.  We can still do portraits now as you will see in the photos below.  

I'm also including the very first photo of the studio so you can see how much hard work we've put in to making the studio a place to make fine art.  

We should also have our branding, packages and pricing structure ready this week, so we welcome any enquiries from now.

You can click on these links to see our websites (which open in a new window) for the following specialist areas; 

Fine Art Newborn Photography

Fine Art Pet Pawtraits

Fine Art Adult and Family Portraits

Fine Art Wedding Photography

Commercial and Documentary Photography on my own website.

Here's some photographs of how our studio looks now and one of how dirty and down trodden the space looked before we got our hands on it (click on each image to enlarge).