DANI RIOT: BLOG

Hasselblad and Adobe... A Match Made In Heaven...

2012-03-01T15:10:00.000Z

Some things just fit together perfectly.

They were meant to be. They just click.

Hasselblad is creating new opportunities for all lovers of medium format photography as well as for aspirational 35mm professionals, advanced amateurs and enthusiasts to perfect, search and process and organise their images in a single solution.   Now you have the superior image quality of a Hasselblad camera complimented by the functionality and ease of use of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom®.

more info...

It's what the photo-world has been waiting for.

Adobe, Lightroom, and Photoshop are either registered trademark or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

Pinterest... Too Good To Be True?...

2012-02-29T18:02:00.000Z

The world has gone Pinterest Crazy. Even I jumped at the chance to have a public mood board I could collect inspirational images on and share them with models and make-up artists… what could more convenient, right?…

OK, let me backtrack just for a second. What exactly is Pinterest?

Pinterest is built by a small team in sunny Palo Alto, California. But although the team behind it might be small, the speed at which people are joining the site is vast. Day in and day out I get notification emails than someone new has just started following my boards. They have produced what can only be described as an online pin board you can share with your friends.

Sounds like a great idea! I have already thought about creating boards of makeup I like, or particular studio lighting techniques, or poses and compositions that I would love to incorporate into my own work, as after all, Pinterest invites you to pin ANYTHING you want. They even give you a handy pin button to put on your tool bar, that when pressed, it pulls all the images from a page, for you to click which one you want.

But…

Now this is a big but…

A word popped into my head that I think about on a daily basis as a photographer, and a word that has been subject to many of my blog ramblings.

Want to guess the word?… OK, its…

COPYRIGHT

Like I have said in so many of my posts, you cant just go round taking peoples images off the internet and using them for free. Hell, even companies as big as Facebook have been through lawsuit after lawsuit due to an image being 'borrowed' and used for their own gain.

So how exactly have Pinterest got around that? What makes it OK for Pinterest to be able to display other peoples images, but Facebook can't?

The answer is easy… They are not allowed to do it either, and Pinterest know that. They know it so well, they have included a copyright section on their website.

Oh and guess what, want to know the cherry on the cake?… They are passing the blame onto you.

Thats right, if you pin someones work without asking, and they feel like they want to do something about it. Pinterest isn't liable, YOU ARE!!!

Pinterest includes this notice on their website for copyright holders:

Pinterest ("Pinterest") respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects its users to do the same. It is Pinterest’s policy, in appropriate circumstances and at its discretion, to disable and/or terminate the accounts of users who repeatedly infringe or are repeatedly charged with infringing the copyrights or other intellectual property rights of others.

In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, the text of which may be found on the U.S. Copyright Office website at http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf, Pinterest will respond expeditiously to claims of copyright infringement committed using the Pinterest website (the "Site") that are reported to Pinterest’s Designated Copyright Agent, identified in the sample notice below.

If you are a copyright owner, or are authorized to act on behalf of one, or authorized to act under any exclusive right under copyright, please report alleged copyright infringements taking place on or through the Site by completing the following DMCA Notice of Alleged Infringement and delivering it to Pinterest’s Designated Copyright Agent. Upon receipt of the Notice as described below, Pinterest will take whatever action, in its sole discretion, it deems appropriate, including removal of the challenged material from the Site. DMCA Notice of Alleged Infringement ("Notice")

Thats right, Pinterest's developers and employees know they have opened their doors and email boxes to a mass of people furious that their work has been taken and used for free without permission. They know that they are doing wrong. So how are they protecting themselves? Pass the blame of course.

Pinterest also includes in their terms and conditions (which I am sure most of you chose not to read before pressing 'I ACCEPT')

“YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SITE, APPLICATION, SERVICES AND SITE CONTENT REMAINS WITH YOU.”

I should add, the ALL CAPITALS option for that text is Pinterests idea, not mine. They know from the outset, they need to be clear on this sentence. It continues...

"You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold Cold Brew Labs, its officers, directors, employees and agents, harmless from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees, arising out of or in any way connected with (i) your access to or use of the Site, Application, Services or Site Content, (ii) your Member Content, or (iii) your violation of these Terms.”

So what does all the legal jargon mean? It means if a photographer or creator of any image you choose to pin decides to take legal action (which I am sure some of them will) and sue Pinterest, they will pass it on to you. YOU will be sued, not Pinterest. And to rub salt in the wound, you wouldn't just pay the copyright holders lawyers, but also Pinterest's lawyers, along with all of both parties legal charges.

It does seem a bit of a shame really. As on the surface Pinterest seems like a fresh new platform, that is obviously popular… But I suppose they do say things can seem "too good to be true".

Well Ladies and Gentlemen… I believe PINTEREST is too good to be true.

Just be careful what you have signed up for...

The Art of Light and Pose... Village Studios... Andrew Appleton...

2012-02-28T17:22:00.002Z

Photo by Village Studios

One of most recurring statement I hear from new photographers, both those coming out of college and those who are self taught, is as much as schools, colleges, education and books will tell you how to set up your camera and the differences between exposure and aperture, there isn't much emphasis given to the art of lighting and posing your subject.

I am a pure believer that learning how to light is more important that learning your cameras dials (although they are also REALLY important). My background before I was a photographer was working in theatre as lighting and set designer, so even before I entered this profession, I was already thinking in angles, colours modifiers and light speeds.

But most new photographers are not that lucky, as buying lighting gear or hiring studios just to practice in can be an expensive route. The best way to learn light and pose, is to attend a workshop with a photography master, and absorb their years of talent and success. There are thousands of lighting workshops happening each month all over the country, some will be good, but some will be thrown together just to make a bit of cash, so it is very important to choose the best to attend.

One of the best photography masters I have met, and more importantly in this case, one of the best teachers and mentors in photographic technique is Andrew Appleton.

Andrew Appleton through his eponymous brand Applephoto offers professional photography specialising in model and performance. Andrew is widely published worldwide in books, magazines and on-line.

Andrew currently runs monthly workshops at The Village Studios in Bexley, (just outside of London). Village studios is both a professional and relaxed workspace, offering a vast collection of lighting. The studio is headed by photographers, Jon Cook and Lisa Bridge.

So together comes the perfect recipe in order to offer some of the best learning opportunities to enhance your photography skills.

Here are some courses that are available in the next 6 months.

Speedlights 1

This is a one day course aimed at those who wish to learn how to use small camera flashes in a creative way. The course is suitable for owners of any make of DSLR although a small amount of time is spent looking at how the Canon and Nikon systems work. Looking at using camera manufactures own units as well as third party, how to trigger the units, different modifiers and the effects they can give. How to control the mix of flash and ambient light to give both natural and surreal effects.

The next session for Speedlights 2 will be on June 2nd.
Price: GBP 125.00

Speedlights 2

This is the second of two workshops concentrating on the use of small flash units. It is a one day course aimed at those who wish to learn how to use small camera flashes in a creative way. The course is suitable for owners of any make of DSLR although a small amount of time is spent looking at how the Canon and Nikon systems work. This session covers the use of multiple flash units together with a host of more advanced techniques.

The next session for Speedlights 2 will be on March 24th and then on June 3rd.
Price: GBP 125.00

Studio 1

The first of a 3 part course on how to photograph people in the studio. As well as covering the technical aspects of studio photography we also explore how to interact with your model to get the best images. In part one we start with studio flash, looking at shutter sync speeds, the best method of triggering flash units, the effects that different modifiers have, how light to subject distance affects the light quality and some classic lighting set-ups. We also cover how to choose the right lens and the best angle and height for different shots and how to use reflectors and flags to both add and remove light. The majority of what we study during the day only requires one light meaning that you can go away and practice with very limited equipment. After this one day workshop you should be able to confidently work with both inexperienced and experienced models in a photographic studio and achieve a variety of different moods and effects.

Studio 2

The second of a 3 part course on how to photograph people in the studio. In part two we build on what is learnt in part one by adding working with multiple studio flash heads and with “hot” lamps. In addition to more studio flash work you will work with both constant fresnel and focussing spots to create a number of different lighting set-ups. We study the use of kickers and rim lighting to give a more three dimensional effect to images. Finally we will look at a number of ways to create the popular white seamless style, including using a Lastolite HiLite, that is so popular in family portraits.

The next session for Studio 2 will be on April 6th.
Price: GBP 125.00

Studio 3

The third of a 3 part course on how to photograph people in the studio. We cover beauty lighting, using a ring flash and how to use coloured gels and reflectors and manipulate white balance to create drama and interest plus depending on time 2 to 3 different fashion lighting set-ups. During the classroom sessions we work on de-constructing lighting from a number of images to learn how to replicate certain styles.

The next session of Studio 3 will be on April 9th.
Price: GBP 125.00

Building upon the universal lighting techniques, Andrew and Village Studios also offer some more specialist areas depending on your chosen genres.

Art Nude

An intensive one day workshop aimed at those who have had experience in a studio but are relatively new to the Art Nude genre. During the day we will shoot three different styles, classic low key art nude including sitting, standing and lying poses. Set two is high key and how to use cloth to introduce contrast and movement. In the last set we add some props and move towards a more erotic style. As well as camera and lighting skills we will spend time studying how to work with the model and run the shoot. The models used for these workshops are all very experienced in this genre and will spend time answering any relevant questions that students may have.

The next session of Art Nude will be on March 25th and then May 6th
Price: GBP 150.00

Boudoir

Boudoir has become one of the most popular styles in the last few years with women of all ages purchasing prints and albums both for themselves and as gifts to their loved ones. During this one day workshop you will learn how to use some classic poses that work with different body shapes. How to direct your subject and create the right mood, using cloth to cover up unwanted “bits” and the use of props to help with poses.We will have three separate lighting setups that include low key and high key and both natural and studio lights.

The next session of Boudoir will be on May 7th
Price: GBP 150.00

Dance

Dance photography is one of the most challenging genres to get right. To take a moving 3 dimensional subject and replicated in a still 2 dimensional image takes knowledge and skill. With the help of experienced dancer Raine Cera I will show you how to freeze movement or blur movement, how to light for drama and how to anticipate the best moment to capture a move. We will look at both classical and modern styles and what a dancer will need in their portfolio. We will have three separate lighting setups that include low key and high key and both natural and studio lights.

The next session of Dance will be on May 5th
Price: GBP 150.00

Cinematic

For two days you will be emerged in the fantastic world of the big screen and how we can recreate some iconic images using a DSLR and Photoshop. We go back to the 30s and 40s of Hollywood when glamour was glamorous and photographers like Georg Hurrell battled with massive 10,000 watt studio lights and temperamental stars. We'll recreate some classic Hollywood glamour with the help of a top stylist and make-up artist and a professional model. and also use two outdoor sets that capture the feel of 60s art-house movies and then come right up to date with a look at the style of Jean Pierre Jeunet. We'll be using a mixture of studio flash, small speed-lights and constant lighting. From the 30s and 40s we go to Film Noir made famous by films like The Third Man and The Big Sleep. Our models, MUA and stylist together with smoke machine and some dramatic lighting will help you get the real Film Noir look. After the shoots we'll get stuck into workflow and processing to put the finishing touches to the images.

The next session of Cinematic will be on April 7th and 8th, and then repeated again on June 4th and 5th
Price:GBP 400.00

For more details and to book your places, you can visit Andrews website HERE.

Love It Or Hate It?

2012-02-25T21:26:00.002Z

There are a lot of controversial subject matters you can photograph, but it all comes down to a matter of personal taste....

Sorry... I really couldn't help but throw in some puns.

I am a big fan of Marmite, but an even bigger fan of well conceived product design. So when buying this wonderful jar of the tasty brown stuff, my first thought wasn't to eat it, but to photograph it.

But as is the way with most products, it isn't as easy as switching the camera on and pressing the shutter button. Glass is notoriously complicated to get right, and with the black on black using too many light sources creates a lot of spill problems.

But we have a saviour these days with computers and software like Photoshop.

The way I have created the finished image above is to only use one light source and capturing separate frames for each edge of the Marmite jar. There are 4 in total, and once each edge has been lit it is over to photoshop.

I start with my front facing image (first image on right) and then one shot at a time, place another frame behind and using the eraser tool, reveal the section of the image below that I wish to add, then merge and repeat until you have added each light source.

When you have a completed image, you just then need to clean up your edges to make it perfect.

The top tip when photographing with this technique is making sure your camera doesn't wobble or shake, as even a millimetre of movement will add so much more work in post production.

Anyways... Toaster is on and it's time to break the seal on this jar of pure delight.... ;)

Imagework Presents: David Norton...

2012-02-24T12:52:00.000Z

‘David will divulge much of his knowledge interspersed with demonstrations’

David Noton is an award winning landscape and travel photographer with over 24 years experience as a professional under his belt. During his photographic career David has travelled to just about every corner of the Globe, with the exception of Antarctica - which apparently is on the list.

David's pictures are now published all over the world and writes for a broad range of media including photographic magazines and websites. After a 7 year run with Practical Photography magazine, David is a regular contributor Outdoor Photography, Digital Photo Pro and www.photographyblog.com where he has a monthly online column. David enjoys a loyal following from photographers and travellers alike, old and young, from across the globe, with whom he communicates directly through his monthly email updates many of which are sent from the field.

‘Topics will include field craft, attitude, working practices, editing, workflow, presentation and originality’

David's day long presentation will be aimed at advanced photographers. Areas covered will be field craft, attitude, working practice, editing, workflow, presentation and originality interspersed with demonstrations on capture to finish, travelling with camera kit, tilt and shift lens, use of filters and panoramic shots and stitching. Today it's quality not quantity and anyone aware of David's images will appreciate he follows this methodology.

'I seem to spend my life waiting for the right light and I’m a weather forecast addict. But in 1981 I was working in a glue factory, so I guess it’s going pretty well.’ www.davidnoton.com

Workshop dates: 15.03.12
Time: 10.00 - 17.00
Venue: Westbourne Studios, London
Price: £95.00

Sign Up HERE

CVP... Camera Theft...

2012-02-21T12:18:00.001Z

One of the biggest ever Camera thefts saw CVP, A broadcast camera specialist, lose a value of £1million on Friday 17th February 2012.

A substantial number of cameras, camcorders, and lenses were taken from their warehouse, the full list is as follows.

Canon EOS 60D Body (1)
Canon EOS 7D Body (6)
Canon EOS C300 EF (5)
Canon XF100 (1)
Canon XF105 (32)
Canon XF300 (6)
Canon XF305 (34)
Canon XH-A1S (5)
Panasonic P2 Camera HPX301 (1)
Sennheiser SKM5200BK-D (1)
Sony CBK-VF01 (10)
Sony DTF2GY-8240UWD (1)
Sony HDVF-20A (6)
Sony HKSR-5804 (4)
Sony HVR-Z5E (7)
Sony HVR-Z7E (5)
Sony HXR-NX5E (4)
Sony MATRIX SWITCHER (1)
Sony NEX-FS100E/CEH (5)
Sony NEX-FS100EK (1)
Sony PDW-700//U (2)
Sony PMW-EX1R (6)
Sony PMW-EX3 (2)
Sony PMW-F3L (9)
Sony PVM-740 (2)
Sony PVM-740.A (9)
Sony UVW-1600P (1)
Sony UVW-1800P (1)

Following the theft it has put CVP in a position to create a stolen equipment register where you can input your gears Serial Number. CVP also invites photographers to submit the serial numbers of their own stolen kit.

Luckily CVP can carry on with their business as usual as they are fortunate enough to still have a fair amount of equipment already on hire, and within the company.

For more details, visit www.creativevideo.co.uk

Ji Cheng... London Fashion Week...

2012-02-20T17:47:00.000Z

Tuesday will see Shanghai’s most renowned Chinese designer, Ji Cheng present her 2012 autumn/winter collection, Zen Awakening on the catwalk at Vauxhall Fashion Scout. The first time the Chinese designer is showing her work in London to an audience of international fashion media and buyers, Ji Cheng’s aim is to expose the aesthetic of modern China to the international fashion industry.

The catwalk show commences at 3:30pm at the Freemasons’ Hall in Covent Garden and the Ji Cheng collection can then be viewed following the show next store at the Kingsway Hall Hotel from 4pm – 9pm.

66 Great Queen Street, London WC2B, Byron Suite, Floor 1

For appointments: Rose Ren 078370012545 or roseren@fashionnext.com.cn

Forward PR
jicheng@forwardpr.com
020 7839 5059

Copyright and Usage Licence...

2012-02-18T11:20:00.000Z

More and more these days clients are asking for full copyright of the images produced. But as a photographer you should never give away your copyright. It sounds like a classic catch 22, where the two parties are going to argue their points to death and your not going to get booked.

But the answer to the problem is actually very simple. The reason clients ask for full copyright… is because they don't know what they are asking for.

Copyright.

Copyright is a form of Intellectual Property (IP), Intellectual meaning something created in your mind, and property meaning something you own. To own the copyright means you have the right to copy, reproduce and authorise others to use the image. The Copyright act of 1988 states that a photographer has ownership of an image from the moment it is created, so there is no need to register images with paperwork or courts or registries. The copyright is yours to keep for you're lifetime, and for an additional 70 years after death (which could be a nice present for your family once you kick the bucket).

But even though that copyright is yours, it doesn't stop people asking for it. In todays generation clients think that because they have paid for a photo shoot they should be able to use the images for as long as they want, and freely, without having to ask your permission overtime they wish to copy or publish it. They also wish to protect their images from being used by someone else, and think that they need to own the images in full in order to protect them from others.

Whatever your clients reasons for wanting the copyright, you do not have to, and shouldn't give it to them, You just need to assign them usage. And when a client learns and understands the difference between Copyright and Usage, alined with the price difference that each option will carry, they will soon be on the same hymn sheet as you.

Now a lot of you will be sat back reading this on your screen thinking this is an argument for arguments sake, and surely its easier to give them the copyright, and the client is always right…

OK, yes it can get a little annoying having to explain Copyright and Usage to everyone you pick up the phone to, but there are some really important reasons why you should at all costs, retain the rights to the images produced.

Copyright protects your morals. If you have given your copyright to someone else, they may have a different political and social view. How would you feel if you were anti-war, and found that one of your images was used as a pro-war army recruitment poster, and you were known to have taken the image…

What if a person you have captured in an image gets used in a defamatory manner? You will be liable, and will find yourself surrounded by lawyers and spending a lot of time in a courtroom…

What if your client decides to alter the images? and what if they get done badly? Your professional reputation is in someone else's hands…

Or maybe your client sells the images to someone else and makes a huge profit on them, you wont see a penny… Or maybe you find someone who would like to buy the images, but no longer have the right to sell them…

They are all every day problems, and all sound like problems we want to avoid, which is easily done by retaining Copyright and offering Usage Licences.

Usage Licences.

As much as Usage licence seems like something extra to think about, in reality we are all thinking about it everyday. When pricing a photography job one of the things we take into consideration is how an image is going to be used, and how long the image is going to be used for, and adjust how much we want to charge respectively. All usage does is get all that down on paper.

Usage can can cover a variety of specifications, from length of use, type of use and whether the client has a set exclusivity period where no one else can use the image but them… Does this sound familiar? Yes, they are the reasons why your client asked for FULL COPYRIGHT in the first place.

Usage isn't there to restrict your client, only to legally and officially get it all down on paper. Most fashion clients will only have a collection on sale for a year, then the images get discarded. Most magazines will only run an image in an editorial once, and then discard it.

Additionally, don't forget you are running a business, and you need to make money to survive. One of the ways every business in the service sector, from your gym membership to your phone contract works on the principal of getting you to re buy something when it has expired. Think of the jar of coffee you spoon from in the morning, when you buy the jar, you don't enter into a lifetime supply of coffee, when the jar runs out, you have to buy a new one.

The same goes for photography. In the old days of film and print they used to have usage down to an art. The client would pay for a print, and if they wanted another print, they would pay again… and again… and again… We still do the same amount of work now we are in the digital age, so why should we work for less?

Further Reading
The ABCD of UK Photographic Copyright is a document you can download from www.epuk.org
A PDF called Copyright 4 Clients can be found at www.the-aop.org

SHOOTDHS MODELS: VALESCA / DANI RIOT / PAPERSELF

2012-02-11T17:56:00.000Z

SHOOTDHS MODELS: VALESCA / DANI RIOT / PAPERSELF: CREDITS Model: Valesca / SHOOTDHS Models Photographer: Dani Riot Hair, Make Up and Styling: Geogina Revell and Francesca Jordan ...

Snow is Falling...

2012-02-10T11:21:00.000Z

(Originally Published December 2011)

As soon as December arrives one thing sticks in my mind… time to plan some snow shoots. Sadly though, even after being a photographer for the last 5 years. It is still something I am yet to do. Although, this year I have a game plan to make it happen.

Photograph: Carolyne Jackson

The two biggest influences when thinking of a snow shoot is planning.. and luck. Both words do seem to be on the opposite sides of the spectrum, but bear with me. Snowfall is a very unexpected event that creeps up on us over night, but snow on the ground will only look pretty and attractive at the most for 2 days… so that is where the luck comes into it. Trying to guess when the next 2 day shooting window will be has less or a success rate than choosing this weekends 6 lottery numbers.

So, even though it is virtually impossible to know when snow will fall in your area, you can be ready for it, by planning correctly and then playing the waiting game.

Here are some tips:

Construct Your Team
Firstly, you need a flexible team of models, stylists and makeup artists (and photographers if you are not one, but still reading this) that you have on a schedule so on any given day between now and April (yes there may be snow in April) that you know who will be available and ready for the phone call when the white stuff arrives.

Choose your Locations
City Street, Rural Fields, Dark Forests… everywhere snow will land the scene will transform into a wintery glittering bliss, so get out there and use your imagination to work out what the area will look like when covered in white. Also, if you would rather stay cuddled up in the warm rather than location scouting in this weather, remember that every location will transform in the snow, so don't forget to look back through your portfolio and revisiting locations you have already scouted in the past.

Be Shoot Ready
There is a term they use in the FBI when they find they need to travel at short notice, its called a "Go-Bag" (I am stealing that term here). You need to have your Go-Bag ready and waiting for you. Cameras ready, Batteries charged, Cards Empty… but don't forget to have ready and waiting for you essentials like: Your warmest clothes, Gloves, Hat, Umbrella etc. etc. The worst thing when greeted with snow is to find your thermals are rolling around in the washing machine and you don't want to leave the house without them.

Manual and RAW
Cameras tend to freak out when presented with snow. There are not many other situations where you are presented with extreme whites and extreme blacks at the same time, And your cameras automatic selections will fail. RAW format gives you much more latitude with exposure than shooting straight to jpeg. Although it is still much better to get the exposure right in the camera, processing a RAW file can bail you out even when you get it slightly wrong. White Balance is also rather important to get right, as you don't want to end up with the blue snow many other will end up with.

Choose Colours Carefully
There are only a select batch of colours I believe work in the snow, which are greens, reds, greys and browns. Although these are only my personal preferences, I would always suggest to stay clear of yellows, oranges and blue. Yellows and oranges have to much of a warm feel to me, And blue will make your pictures look too cold (especially if you ended up with blue snow too)

SHOOTDHS MODELS: JENNA & ELLIE / HATASTIC / DANI RIOT

2012-02-09T21:10:00.000Z

SHOOTDHS MODELS: JENNA & ELLIE / HATASTIC / DANI RIOT: CREDITS Models: Jenna and Ellie / SHOOTDHS Models Photographer: Dani Riot Make Up Artist & Hair Stylist: Georgina Revell Fasc...

Paperself... The Art of Preparation...

2012-01-30T11:31:00.000Z

I was recently asked about how much preparation, and ultimately how much work goes into a image. There is no one answer, some people just decide to put everyone in a room, and hope it all fits together, others will make sure everything is in order before they press the shutter button. As a freelance photographer I bounce between both of these methods depending on what the client wants.

But I do know which one I prefer…

If you were to ask me which of my images are my favourites, the ones I would pick will always come from the shoots that had pin point precision. I wouldn't choose them just for that reason, but I do think that an image will have the biggest impact if you had already planned what it was you were trying to achieve.

I suppose you could say I don't spend my time looking for the 'happy accidents'. As nice a feeling you get when something just works, I find it to be a very hit and miss approach. I much prefer to have a mood board and direction on the table, sometimes even weeks before elements such as location and model have even been thought of.

Think about an image like you would a design, say a car, or the computer you are sat in front of. Think about anything you find beautiful, elegant and well designed… none of them were created on the spur of the moment at the last minute. They are the result of months and months of research and development.

Now I am not saying you have to spend months creating an image, but I would give it a week of development.

I have just been given one of the briefs in question… Make up artists, Georgina Revell and Francesca Jordan wanted to create beauty shots that incorporated eyelashes by the design company, Paperself, and preparation was the key.

They spend days developing the feel they wanted to achieve, building headpieces, matching make-up colours to the headpieces, testing products and materials to find out which produced the best result… the list does go on… there was ultimate control over every element.

From pre-production right through to the edit, the three of us have over 200 hours in these images, and I believe it is that dedication that makes an image work.

Up In Smoke...

2012-01-26T10:46:00.000Z

On Saturday I shot an editorial shoot for Designer James Kearns. James creates his pieces with a variety of types of leather... and they are awesome.

The brief was to capture the feel and the character of the pieces, like the creases in the leather and the crafted details on the shapes.

So out came the smoke machine, and double that up with strong and hard light... this is what happens.

Imagework - Philip Bloom Interactive Workshop...

2012-01-23T11:38:00.001Z

During the interactive workshop Philip will elaborate on the technical benefits of using the DSLR's in video mode.

Widely considered to be one of the breed of cinematographers, Philip Bloom lives, breathes, eats, sleeps, and dreams filming. Globally, he has become known for his incredible passion for evangelising low budget film making techniques, in particular the Video DSLR cameras. Today, he continues to create independent short films and openly shares his knowledge and passion for independent filmmaking.

"For the past 20 years, Philip Bloom has been making films. Combining his love of cinematography and his passion for travel, he started his filmmaking career travelling the world as a cameraman for Sky covering news events globally, everything from wars to politics to natural disasters, before moving onto documentaries, commercials, short films ad Broadcast TV work.

In more recent years, this London-based independent DoP and Director has worked with all of the major Networks in the UK and many in the US, including Discovery HD, Channel 4, and ITV. Some of his commercial credits include: Greenpeace: "Voices of Change" which was filmed in Delhi, India and shot on the Canon 5D MKII, a commercial for M-Tel in Bulgaria, and a commercial that was shown in movie theatres around the world for the National Theatre in London.

Philip openly shares his knowledge through his own blog declaring "My friends no longer invite me to any social events in fear I will film them and then broadcast it over the internet. However, I am currently receiving counselling so I can walk out of my front door without a camera. So far it isn't working!"

During the interactive workshop Philip will elaborate on the technical benefits of using the DSLR's in video mode. Selecting the camera for you. The issues and how to work around them. Gear and lens selection. The essentials and not essential. The importance of sound recording with DSLR's. Large chip camcorders. Time lapse and post production workflow.
The rest of the day is guided by you! You ask what you want and we cover it. It's a nice free style that encourages participants to get involved and ask. This is not a dry keynote workshop!

Workshop dates: 02.02.12
Time: 10.00 - 17.00
Venue: Westbourne Studios, London
Price: £95.00

For more details click HERE.

An Afternoon With Lara Lockwood...

2012-01-20T19:19:00.000Z

Today I have been busy in the studio shooting beauty photographs for makeup artist and model Lara Lockwood, who filled both roles for the day.

The day was awesome, we got through a few looks, These are my favourites:

Canon 5DmkII, f.11, 1/160 sec, 105mm, ISO 100

This first look uses diamantes and a little fake blood on the cheek to create a fashionable take on horror and vampire. Very simple lighting, just a beauty dish up front, fairly low and straight on, with a reflector to the right to create some highlights.

Canon 5DmkII, f.11, 1/160 sec, 88mm, ISO100

Second up was a very classic look, with minimal but strong colour, and funky long lashes. The lighting for this shot is a beauty dish up front and high, with a sidelight to create contour, and a reflector from underneath to lift the shadows.

Canon 5DmkII, f.11, 1/160 sec, 105mm, ISO 100

This look is much more punchy with colour contouring, the image had be desaturated, but with the pinks and blues pushed back up a little. The soft look of this image is created with a stream of haze from a smoke machine, which I find to have a more interesting effect than creating it in post production. Light is the same as the second image, but with a grid over the beauty dish.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did creating them.

The Power Of The Hashtag...

2012-01-16T09:53:00.000Z

Hashtags are everywhere at the moment, it does seem we are bombarded with them on a daily basis. Think up any activity, and i'm sure there is a hashtag for it.

Hashtags are words or phrases prefixed with the symbol #, They are a form of metadata tag. Short messages on microblogging social networking services such as Twitter, identi.ca or Google+ may be tagged by including one or more tagged words in order to push their message to a wider audience, most of which would be outside of your regular subscribers.

Everyone seems to be getting in on the hashtag game. Channel 4, the major UK broadcaster, has a hashtag for every programme they air, and while this may seem excessive, it is a way they can measure just how many people are watching their programmes, and they get a real time response on what their viewers thought of what they watched, both whether they loved or hated it right there as it is happening… and guess what… they get all this information for FREE!!!

This is the power of social media. TV channels, businesses and brands have millions of people in the world just waiting to tell all their friends and followers how good a product is, what they should be watching and who is worthy to be trending. So love them or loathe them, hashtags are an important marketing tool for any business.

But… before you all go out there and start plastering your feeds with tags. Make sure you are doing it properly. Tags are very trend based with current tags changing often, and you want to make sure your choice of tag is right for your business, and giving you the best return.

Here are a few things to take on board:

Follow the Tag.
This is one of the quickest ways to start using hashtags. There are already millions of tags in circulation on sites ready to be chosen from. Using the general #photography tag means your message will get out to everyone in the world. It is worth noting that there are many people using these popular tags, so to help capture the right audience, use a collection of tags to narrow it down. For example #photography #london.

Invent the Tag.
Inventing and using niche tags is a way of measuring audience response. This is the way Channel 4 use their tags, by inventing the tag, you are pinpointing its usage and reaction. And while a smaller audience will be aware of the tag, it will be the relevant audience to you. For example, if you have a gallery showing you want to advertise, using a niche tag like #DaniRiotExpo2012 will mean your followers will advertise to their friends to grow your footfall, and any comments and reviews about your exhibition can be easily found.

Pair the Tag.
As you probably have guessed, both following and inventing tags have their pro's and con's, and its hard to balance between world exposure and specific response. So thats where pairing comes in. Pairing a popular tag alongside your niche one helps to get your niche tag that all important exposure, #photography #london #DaniRiotExpo2012 almost works like a set of directions, each tag narrowing down your location.

Map the Tag.
When you start to use tags more you start to learn what tags fit with certain posts. If you have a few different services or products then its good to start a tag directory, so you have a list of tags that every person within your business knows which ones to use for each occasion. By mapping tags like this you are also giving your followers the ability to look back over the history of a subject.

Track the Tag.
By using websites like Twilert, you can get daily reports of how many people have used your tag, and what they are saying about it. This is useful when using niche tags for particular events and services. You are able to then repost any good reviews, or answer any questions people have. It gives that extra element of customer service.

Stream the Tag.
Streaming is a way to collect new followers and introduce new people to your brand, or even find new job opportunities. Twitter is a semi-closed network, where the only tweets you normally see are from people you have chosen to follow, so using programmes like TweetDeck can open the network up for you. TweekDeck gives you the option of streaming hashtags, so you can view all tweets that include a certain groups of tags. For Example, If you are a model looking for work in London, you could stream all tweets that Include #Model #London, making you aware of all activity within your profession.

Stop the Tag.
Although the rest of this blogpost is telling you to post tags, its important not to over do it. By using hashtags for too many words in a post or on every post will make you look like a spammer or a robot and you will alienate your followers. There are also lots of mundane and silly hashtags in circulation like #ThingsMyDadSays #FML and #WTF. These are all personal tags, and if you are running a business account and using tags for business reasons, its good to keep away from these other tags to keep your posts consistent.

Ibanez Guitar...

2012-01-11T09:42:00.000Z

Just a picture blog today of yesterdays creations.

A little bit different from my usual product photography, but it is the direction I wish to take it in. Sure white background and clean works well for eCommerce... but sometimes its nice to show a products soul, exploit a products beauty and show of its angles.

SLR's Are NOT Permitted...

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000Z

"It's not permitted to film or photograph the show with PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS OF ANY KIND including video cameras. Small instamatics and phones are permitted but you must be considerate of your fellow concert goers and the artists on stage."

Its a statement that is starting to pop up all over the place in recent months, but what exactly does it really say? And what was it that made people start thinking about it?

There are way too many questions to answer here, especially as I don't have the answers to most of them. All I have is my experience and my opinion. Personally... I think the whole thing revolves around MONEY.

I stand in an awkward place on this subject, as on one side I am a professional photographer with lots of what is constituted as 'professional equipment'. But on the other hand, I was trained, studied and worked within the live entertainment sectors, from concerts right through to theatre. So even though I may seem a bit of a fence sitter, I can see both sides of the story, and can understand both sides of the argument.

It all really stems right back to the modern worlds valuation on photography and the price of a photograph. We are all aware of how we live in a generation where everyone with an SLR thinks they are a photographer, and a culture where there is a queue of new photographers offering to do your job for free. There are millions of people in the world who think photographs are cheap or free, and it is easy to produce them.

If you are in the business of selling images, you know how disheartening it is when someone refuses to pay you, or even takes or downloads your work for free. The same can be said for the people who make their money from putting on live events. They put a lot of work, effort and money into their events. They will probably have a merchandise stand in the foyer selling their wares, and amongst their selection I can pretty much guarantee they will be selling official images or programmes. So for every professional image that gets uploaded to the internet, is a potential loss in their sales.

The perfect example and test case for this is the theme park. How many times have you got off the roller coaster you queued two hours for, and was presented with an image you screaming on a screen, which you can purchase for £20? Now HONESTLY, how many of you have looked at the price tag and declared you are not paying so much for a picture? Then take a step back and observe… just watch how many people will hold up their camera or phone and snap an image of the screen… Customer steals an image… Theme park loses £20.

It is on reflection like the theoretical situation of a photographer who spends a bunch of his cash on producing an editorial shoot for a magazine. You pay for the studio, the set, the model, the makeup and the lighting to produce your images to sell. Now imagine for a second you have invited the magazine to watch you at work, and they bring a guy with a camera who shoots over your shoulder, to then find out the magazine decided not to buy your official images because this guy that came took them for free… Got that sick feeling in your gut? Well, thankfully this is only theoretical… as both us and the magazine are aware of the value of the work.

The other major shouting point within the arguments around the statements is the pinpoint of SLR cameras.

YES it is true I would get through the door with with a £5K Leica M9 where the guy stood next to me wouldn't get in with a £400 Canon 1100D.

And YES, it is probably true that a Professional Photographer would be able to take a better and more sellable image with a £800 Fuji X100 that an amateur hobbyist could take on a £6K Canon 1DX.

But we are photographers… and as photographers it is our job to know all about the different camera makes and the merits and pitfalls of each, and what a pixel is and how technology has brought the gap between the camera phone and the SLR to a virtually undetectable quality.

And we are business people… so it is our job to rip every statement and rule apart, find the loopholes in contracts and know how to work around every barrier in order to still capture what we want to.

We cant expect the world to possess all this information, and we cant expect some technology-phobic lawyer to know the difference between camera models. Mr Joe Public, through films, TV and media, over their entire lives, has been fed images of professional photographers… and guess what… they all had SLR's in their hands. So there is no wonder that when they get asked to draft up rules, they put two and two together and just ban SLR's.

But before we all start shouting from the rooftops how it is biased and unfair, and how people are targeting only a small section of people… just remember this… They are just trying to protect their ASSETS. They are only trying to protect their revenue.

And believe me, I promise every one of you would do the same.

oh, and if you still want to go take pictures the next time you visit the circus… then you know what you need to buy…

I'm Reclaiming My Name!!...

2012-01-07T09:00:00.000Z

I was recently published in a major magazine which is read by thousands of potential new customers and clients. And when you get published, you get a credit. Yes thats right, its that name up in lights moment where you sit back, smile, gaze upon your masterwork and your name is shouted out to the world…

But occasionally, you realise that (shock horror) your name has been misspelled. Its a heart sinking feeling. At the best, it makes you a little harder to find, at the worst… the misspelling could point to a competitor.

Now, as you can see from the massive letters above this post, looking at me logo or by typing my website into your browser, my first name is DANI. Even though it is only in the slightest bit unconventional, it gets misspelt, as it is imprinted into our brains since we learnt to speak and spell, that it is spelt DANNY.

As much as I could get mad, complain or demand a formal apology, it isn't going to change the fact that the damage is done, my name is not my name, and it is already in print and circulation.

So it got me thinking, how do I regain anyone who fails to find me by typing in the misspelling on search engines like google or yahoo?

Luckily for me, I am the only DANI RIOT, so when you google my name, the page is filled up with me, and from looking at my blog and website statistics, people who search for Danny Riot do occasionally make it to the right locations.

But, this wasn't good enough. OCCASIONALLY isn't good enough. I needed a solution… I needed a cure.

And I found it!

I need to reclaim the mistakes! Now, anyone with control over their websites and blogs know that once upon a time (if you were sensible) you filled out METADATA.

Metadata on a website includes amongst other things, a list of keywords that helps search engines find you and point to you. Keywords such as your name, your local area, what kind of business you do etc etc… but what else could it include?

If you know your name gets misspelled quite often, or even if you just have a hard to pronounce name, then include the misspellings in your metadata. This way, even if a wrong spelling is used, you stand a much greater chance of still being found.

It reminds me of a story I was recently told by the ex-apprentice contestant, Kimberly Davis. She is the owner of Sarsaparilla Marketing, and upon choosing her twelve lettered identity she instantly knew it was going to be hard to spell. Partly this is a good thing, because you are not going to find many other businesses, especially from within your own sector who will also be using it.

Kimberly's solution was similar to mine, only she took a direct approach and registered every misspelled version of her domain name that she could think of, and pointed each of them to the right website.

So get out there and reclaim your name, make sure that even when others get it wrong, you can still be found.

SWPP Convention 2012...

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000Z

Next week sees the latest instalment of the annual SWPP convention in London, one of the largest events for professional photographers, and it takes place at the Novotel Hammersmith, from the 10th till the 15th January.

The event has a jam packed schedule of seminars, workshops and trade shows giving you lots of information and ideas to boost your workflow and knowledge.

Over 100 Speakers: Covering a multitude of specialties from wedding and portraits, landscape and commercial, Photoshop and digital workflow, business and marketing, lighting and posing and more.

Speakers include Adam Alex, Nick Ghionis, Art Suwansang and Joe Photo, which means there is an unmeasurably high amount of knowledge ready for you to absorb, and lots of new toys to play with and purchase.

Tickets for the Tradeshow, which takes place between Friday 13th and sunday 15th January can be purchased for £6, along with full seminar schedules and further booking details for special events and workshops can be found at the societies website HERE.

Novotel London West
Hammersmith International Centre
1 Shortlands LONDON W6 8DR
Tel: +44 (0) 208 741 1555 - Fax: +44 (0) 208 741 2120

Published... Photo Professional...

2012-01-05T13:01:00.000Z

Last month I was in the honourable position of being invited to catch all the back stage action of a photo shoot that Hannah Elizabeth was shooting for her article in the February issue of Photo Professional. (I promise it is me, even if the credit is spelt as "Danny")

Hannah's article is all about how to work with model agencies, choosing the right model, and how to go about booking them. It really is a good read for photographers who are looking to step up their game from choosing models from social media based sites.

The agency for this article is ShootDHS, which is one of my favourite and most friendliest agencies you are ever likely to find.

I have 8 images in the article, which is rather exciting!

I would tell you more... but that wouldn't give you a reason to pick up the magazine for yourself. ;)

Lost Inspiration? Here Is Your Cure…

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000Z

In general people assume that a creatives mind is constantly flowing with ideas and plan. The statement isn't far from the truth, apart from one word… constantly. No one is ever constantly at the top of their game, without distraction or faced with a wall of creativity.

Unfortunately though, no matter how often we are faced with these barriers, we are expected to push on and keep creating, whether its for our own personal progression or because your client or agent demands it. Sometimes the slightest thing can boost your creativity, but other times you have to fight real hard to gain it.

I read lots of peoples blogs and visit a fair few forums, and very often I am faced with very similar declarations of slumps, creative blocks or lacks of inspiration. But it happens to the best of us, myself included, that we are presented with days where nothing is managing to visualise or manifest in our minds.

There is one thing missing from a creatives mind when deciding to tell the world they have a creative block, and the very same thing that stops me hitting creative walls… DIRECTION.

Knowing what you can do to jumpstart your mind when it stalls is of vast importance in order not to break down and stop. Here are a few of my methods.

Look Back.
I am going to start with the most controversial of methods, looking back at other photographers portfolios and images… and recreating them. Now before you all start screaming at me about intellectual property and what not, hear me out. What I am not saying is COPY, but to look at elements you would like to use. A certain lighting layout, a choice colour or a similar location. Most of us got into our respective professions due to observing our initial inspirations and thinking "I like that… one day I want to be doing it", so why not start doing it? Looking back on your inspirations work will refresh what it was that made you want to be a photographer, model, racing driver (insert any profession here). How many times has Hamilton said he tries to be like Senna? How many musicians have covered The Beatles? There is nothing wrong with emulating your heroes, after all, it is because of your heroes you had started in the first place.

Absorb.
Stories, Movies and Books are prime location to draw on creativity, for the same reasons stories become books and books become stories. People invent and imagine they way worlds and character look within a story and choose to make them real in a visual medium. And therefore its not hard to realise that movies inspire photo shoots. I notice it everywhere, when Avatar was released the internet filled up with photographs of blue models, but you don't have to be that obvious. Taking smaller elements and using them as a focal point rather than a theme, will allow you to keep a high level of your own direction in the finished result.

Visit.
This is one of my all time favourite way of finding inspiration, to visit a press day. Press days are events put on by PR companies to promote their designers, and as well as trying to (successfully) fill you up with champagne and cupcakes, they will have the new collections of their designers right there on show, to look at, touch and visualise. Seeing items in person is much more rewarding and informative that just looking at online look books, plus you get lots of printed look books to take away with you from the event. Another really important element a press day can do for you is the networking potential. PR companies will invite the whole of your industry to visit, so you never know when you are going to bump into the perfect stylist or your next client while there.

Improvise.
Nothing gets the motor running like jumping in at the deep end without a rope. Just grab a team together and start building, use whatever is to hand, decide things on the spot. Sure it could be a hit and miss mission, but you can never be sure when the magic is going to happen, and at the very least you should find an element you want to expand on further in the future.

Observe.
Why not look at what other people are doing right now? Or maybe keep a weather eye on what seems to be on the way. Fashions change all the time, so there will always be new genres and scenes to look out for. Or maybe its new techniques you want to learn, then why not assist another photographer who is higher up on the food chain and see how they work, and how they put together their photo shoots? Or maybe assist a MUA working for a big brand and get to know their products and techniques too.

Reminisce.
This is always a last resort to me, but it does sometimes produce some interesting results. Look back over your work, what you were shooting two, maybe three years ago, the images that are no longer worthy a place in your portfolio. Maybe there is an element of the edit that you would do differently now and you could spend a few hours giving it a new lease of life? Or maybe there is a shooting element you would do differently now and get out there and re-shoot it better than before? Or maybe there is an element or a style you could expand on? Looking within to draw inspiration is a very rewarding affair. there is nothing like finding the magic from within.

Snapseed... Image Processing for Apple Mobile...

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000Z

The only photo app you'll want to use every day, everywhere.

From the people who brought you Viveza, Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro comes a mobile app for devices running IOS 5.0, packed full of filters and adjustments for your images.

Snapseed makes any photograph extraordinary and is brought to you by Nik Software, the recognized leader in digital photographic products and technologies. Whether you use an iPad, iPhone, or both, you'll always have Snapseed at hand.

Enhance your photos with one tap. Tweak photos to perfection with Tune Image or selectively adjust only a part of your photo with revolutionary Control Points. Add incredible effects with innovative filters like Drama, Vintage, and Grunge. Share photos with your friends and family with social network support, or print your photos directly in Snapseed.

"A photo editor that's deeply intuitive and packed with plenty of options but not buried in them" ~~ Gizmodo

This app is at the cutting edge of functionality, and even has the ability to edit and process RAW files when using a camera connection kit. I suggest it to anyone with an apple in their pocket or bag.

Here are some examples I have played with from old and random images on my phone.

Currently FREE to download on iTunes

Happy New Year... Have a glass of wine...

2012-01-01T09:00:00.000Z

Yesterday, whilst I was attempting to have a day off and celebrate the New Year, I got my new decanter I got for Christmas out of the cupboard, and decided it needed it's picture taken... so I didn't really have a day off...

This is however, not the style of photography I normally attempt. So playing with something new was quite fun, so with it not being work, i'm sure it still counts as a day off (I am trying to sell that idea to my brain).

I must admit it was supposed to start out as a snap shot to post on twitter, so I put the decanter down on the back of my reflector placed on a table top, with a black piece of card behind, and lit it from one side with a soft box attached to a Bowens 500 head, with my Canon 5D mkII up front on a tripod.

The Picture worked, it was a visual representation of the decanter, and I was just about to say "job done" to myself when the creative in me said, "Dani, you need to put some wine in it".

So that is exactly what I did... But on doing so I lost all the detail in the bottom of the decanter now it was filled with a yummy, but also rather dark red wine, and as the decanter was rather wide bottomed, my light failed at penetrating through.

To start with I got my other Bowens 500 and tried a lot of different side angles with varying amounts of failure. There was only one thing for it... It needed to be backlit.

Unfortunately, backlighting showed up so many of the fingerprints and imperfections that even after a massive amounts of flagging with a handy little towel, and the Bowens head was very visible in the shot.

But, it did both illuminate the wine perfectly, and cast a rather nice (and unplanned) light bounce and shadow off the surface of the back of my reflector, and I decided I wanted to keep it in the picture.

So I was now with the conundrum of liking the way the top of the decanter looked when side lit, and the way the wine and shadow looked when back lit... cue photoshop...

After an hour of cutting, pasting, cloning and cleaning in photoshop, I was happy with the result. Happy enough to warrant taking up nearly two hours of what was supposed to be new years eve celebrations, And happy in the fact that I now had lots more glass and liquid ideas I really need to have a go with this year.

All in all, it gave me even more to celebrate!!! (and drinking the wine felt so much better)

Happy New Year To You All.

New Years Eve!! A Blog Post of Reflection...

2011-12-31T09:00:00.000Z

It's the end of 2011, and after a long hard year, I always feel it is a good time to reflect. (don't worry, I am not insane, this post was written last week and posted automatically)

2011 has been a rather good year for me, I have worked with many models from many agencies and have had a few publications under my belt, 2 videos have been produced of me taking pictures and my blog has stepped over the 11,000 views benchmark.

I just wanted to reflect on my favourite 5 images from 2011 with you, here goes:

The first is a shoot I did with the amazing Jeni Chesnut-Tangerman, This girl really needs to model full time, I keep telling her!!! But full time or not, she is a dream to work with. This is my all time favourite image of the year. I wanted to produce something classic, with little DOP and incorporation reflections and shadows... and this is the result!!

Next is this beauty shot of Egle Vaino from the amazing Sapphires Model Management. This year was the first time I had worked with this agency, and I must say they totally rock. Their ethos on models body image is one I really admire. This is another DOP and shadow image, working with multiple layers of focus.

Earlier in the year I was out in a club and after a few drinks was watching the beams of light from a mirrorball bouncing of peoples bodies as they danced. And as soon as I saw the shapes they created I knew I had to incorporate them into a photo shoot... This is what we made! This year I have also had the pleasure of working multiple of times with a MUA called Philippa Louise, she is definitely one to watch, she is going to be huge! (in the success way, I don't mean because of the christmas food).

This choice is more than just about the image, it is about the brand, and more importantly, THE MAN. Jack French launched his first line of handbags this year, sold out the collection in less than an hour on QVC and has found his creations on the arms of many celebrities. Everyone likes a success story, and Jack French is mine. I am honoured to have worked in so much detail with him this year, from the eCommerce images, editorials, and even profile pictures. I am looking forward to following his success though 2012.

This final image is in date order, the first image. I have had my own studio for just over a year and what a difference it has made to my portfolio. And this image was a big turning point for my career, before deciding to take up this career full time I was having to only shoot outdoors, or when I could afford studio spaces. But since building my own space, the quality of my portfolio has increased at such a speed. (I am not trying to say I am the best, just that I am better than before, lol)

So I am raising my glass of champagne to the year 2011. A year many happy occasions, a year of improvement, a year of self analysis.

Roll on 2012!! I cannot wait to see what you have in store for me.