iconphotomedia

The need for speed.....!

2015-07-07T10:32:00.000+01:00

by Vicky Matthers

Matt and I were really lucky to be able to work together last month (it doesn't happen very often) on a shoot for Mercedes in Weybridge, Surrey.

We were commissioned to photograph one of their drivers, Elliott Cole, at the race track at Mercedes Benz World. What an amazing place, full of memorabilia, the coffee wasn't bad either!

We were lucky with the weather, it was the only decent day in May, really atmospheric clouds which made for some dramatic skies behind the subject. Elliott took us for a spin round the track, luckily that was at the end of the shoot as I have to be honest I did feel rather sick after!

The great thing about working with someone else is that you can use each other as portable lighting stands! In this case it was Matt who was holding the beauty dish directed at the subject camera left and a light in the background to give more detail to the car, as you can see from my free hand diagram....I know, I can't draw...!!!

April overview...

2015-04-27T15:25:00.002+01:00

by Vicky Matthers

Here's a little taster of what we've been up to the last couple of months:

Some really lovely jobs that our clients have given us, from photographing the Leeds Rhinos to a dance performance at Queen Margarets School in York.

We can't wait to see what May and June bring, keep an eye on the blog for more updates :)

Varsity

2015-04-17T14:37:00.002+01:00

by Vicky Matthers

Forget Oxford and Cambridge, there is only one rivalry that matters up here in Yorkshire and thats betweeen Leeds University and Leeds Beckett University...!!!

I got a call from the Leeds Beckett University sports department wanting some strong, dynamic pictures to represent the up coming varsity clash between the two Universities for all their various different sports. We decided to concentrate on Rugby League and Cricket, two very different sports.

Luckily there were no shortage of volunteers from both sides to pose, as you can see from the results below I think they did a great job! The venue was supplied by Leeds Rhinos Rugby League club, it's good to have friends in high places :)

We got just to the edge of the cricket field to finish off with a shot outside as the weather was improving by the minute:

Happy New Year!

2015-01-29T10:17:00.003+00:00

by Vicky Matthers

Happy New Year to all our wonderful clients and friends. All of us at Icon wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015.

As we usher in the new year it's always good to reflect on the year that has past, here's what we've been up to in 2014:

As you can see we were both really busy taking photos all over the country in 2014 for a wide variety of clients. From the legend that is Leeds United's Eddie Gray receiving his honorary award from Leeds Beckett University to golf coaching at the BMW event.

With the new year of course comes a few new resolutions....more blogging to be precise....so watch this space for updates on our latest work...

see you soon!

Happy Birthday Icon!

2014-08-27T18:37:00.002+01:00

By Matt Gore owner and founder iconphotomedia

There we were 10 years ago in The Tramshead pub just outside Saltaire (the Victorian model village near Bradford http://www.saltairevillage.info/), Guzelian photographers Matt Gore and Robin Hammond were hatching a plan to launch a photographer's agency that was to become iconphotomedia.

If memory serves me rightly (we were in the pub) some of the company names being banded around included:

Photo Republic
Untitled (we just got a kick out of visualising this in print as a byline)
M6 Pictures
Magenta

Eventually, we agreed on iconphotomedia and have been lucky to be so well supported by a core of great clients for the last decade.

Our very first job - by Matt Gore for the Times Educational Supplement, who went on to become one of our biggest clients - was shot in Harrogate as Matt packed up his rental flat to move to London to start icon with Robin.

Picture by Matt Gore/iconphotomedia

Graham Hoyle, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) published in the Times Educational Supplement

Even on the drive down to London, Matt stopped off in Leeds to shoot a commission for Leeds Metropolitan University..

Picture by Matt Gore/iconphotomedia
University students dress up WW2 style to entertain a local school visiting for a history lesson

Of course, we had no idea then that icon would go on to become such an outstanding success. In the early years we applied a very simple principle - to provide eye catching broadsheet style photography for a wide range of editorial and commercial clients.

Here are some interesting numbers....

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped icon survive and thrive over the past decade; our lovely clients and suppliers, a lot of which have become good friends, and also to our friends and family who have put up with the sometimes crazy lifestyle choice that is Professional Photography.

Matt Gore

Photoshop guru.....!

2014-06-18T15:36:00.001+01:00

by Vicky Matthers

I had the opportunity recently to photograph some sporting scholars from York University. The brief was to shoot individual portraits against a black background and then in post production to create a group shot of them all together.

There were 18 scholars in total and it was certainly a busy few hours with people turning up every 10 minutes or so, at one point there was a rather large queue down the corridor!!!

Below are a couple of the individual shots, I used a large metre square soft box to the front and slightly camera left and then two strip soft boxes on the left and right coming back towards the camera:

Then the really hard work began...! I had to cut out 18 separate images of the athletes to drop in on a black background. I am not photoshop illiterate but I needed some help from my photoshop guru Lee who showed me the best way to edit them using the wand tool. I don't think that I have ever worked on an image with 18 layers before, certainly interesting trying to move them around on a small screen!

Amazing what you can do on a few cold winter evenings......!!!

Prime lenses

2014-03-06T17:03:00.000+00:00

by Vicky Matthers

I am a fairly recent convert to prime lenses mainly due to the fact that I couldn't afford them but also due to the fact that I thought that all I needed in my bag was my 16-35mm f2.8 and my 70-200mm f2.8! I have spent quite a few years as a press and editorial photographer rushing from one job to the next and those two lenses were my stallwarts.

A while ago I decided that I needed an alternative lens (basically something not quite as heavy as the 70-200mm!). I was doing a few more environmental portraits and wanted something that would give me a bit of variety. Thanks to my friends at the Flash Centre in Leeds I decided to go for the very affordable 50mm f1.4 it didn't break the bank and I certainly haven't been disappointed!

Finally my eyes have been opened to the advantages of shooting wide open, the very shallow depth of field and the fall off that I get in my pictures means that an ordinary looking building or area can become extraordinary. It certainly makes the subject stand out of the picture and is a real help when shooting, as we do at Icon, in really low light situations:

It may not surprise you to learn that I have since sold my 70-200mm, I was finding it too heavy and when you are shooting at speeds of less than 60/second it becomes critical to keep the camera and lens stable! I still have in my bag my 16-35mm as it is a superb lens and one that I couldn't be without, I have just added a few extras:

50mm f1.4
85mm f1.8
135mm f2.0

I think my favourite has to be the 85mm f1.8 and is my most used lens, the one that I put on the camera first and is probably on the camera at the end of the shoot. I already have my eye on the Canon 35mm f2 or the 28mm f1.8....what do you think?

2013 in Pictures!

2014-01-03T16:57:00.000+00:00

by Iconphotomedia

To start our New Year we thought we would throw together a quick gallery slideshow featuring some of our favorite work from 2013...We thank all our clients for their support in 2013 and we are very much looking forward to working with you more in 2014.

If you aren't a client already then we very much hope to be working with you this year!

Our Christmas Card to you...

2013-12-20T21:32:00.000+00:00

Merry Christmas from the team at iconphotomedia

Student Life....

2013-12-05T10:29:00.003+00:00

by Vicky Matthers

Well it's almost the end of term and Christmas is nearly here. Soon all the students on campus will be heading off home to celebrate with family and friends and have a well earned break.....us included!

We have been busy this term getting shots of students going about their business, trying to capture natural portraits around the campus, especially as autumn approached and the leaves started to turn a glorious golden colour! By 'we' I mean Linda (Design Officer at Leeds Metropolitan University) and myself!

Here are a few selected images from our travels around the University campus and a huge thanks not only to Linda but also to all the students that we have been photographing this year!

Guess my lighting!

2013-11-06T11:19:00.002+00:00

by Vicky Matthers

Once again it's time to 'Guess my Lighting'! A couple of images that were taken last month, a particularly challenging job because of the location. There was not a lot of room at the location and it took us a while to clear a space for the subject to sit! A great job though with one of our favourite clients.....

Answers on a post card please...actually the answers are below via a link...no cheating!!!!!

Image 1:

Image 2:

Answers:

Image 1:

http://icon.photoshelter.com/image/I0000D66.aVkhdEY

A flashlight in the background behind the shelving, one model light out of frame image left and ring flash far image right to fill in from the modelling light.

Image 2:

http://icon.photoshelter.com/image/I00002Hy1hMh.dnk

Modelling light which you can see behind to catch the back of her hair, ring flash far right on the lowest setting that the Elinchrom Quadra setting will allow and a flash in the background on the floor to try and light some of the main part of the room.

icon photographers shoot themselves

2013-10-08T14:59:00.003+01:00

Most Photographers should shoot themselves...
It's a great way of learning, trying out kit and technique and also getting together example images.

Here's one from the Archives! Vicky Matthers first job for icon way back in 'nineteen hundred and frozen to death'

Matt on a video shoot for a well known Spanish bank!
He's laughing as he has just recorded a piece of audio 'Gold' ...Vicky Matthers singing a tuneful little song down the radio mic!

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Vicky working at the rugby league challenge cup final, Wembley

"I am not a number"

"Hey Numbnuts he's to your left...no the other left!"
Matt Photographing in Bordeux.

Showing a sitter and example image of exactly what you would like to achieve in the shoot is such a powerful tool. Part of our job is getting people on side and manipulating the situation - to get people to do things they may not necessarily want to do (or think they want to do)

In editorial work we may want to illustrate the story in a certain way - This example involves Lib Dem Politican Ed Davey. He's a big guy and given his role in the Liberal Demorcrats I wanted him to look like a bit of a bouncer guarding the door.

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Challenge the Norm - It's all in the Process

2013-09-25T11:33:00.001+01:00

By Matt Gore/photographer

Day to day jobs for Commercial clients may seem mundane and pedestrian to many Photographers but I have always liked the challenge. In my mind the ability to create striking photography in the most benign conditions is often what separates the average from the professional.

The below job came in via an Agency on behalf of Directline Insurance. The Commission - to Photograph a client of Directline's picking up her newly repaired car from one of their Accident Repair centres. See what I mean?! ....But on reading more of the brief the Project Manager went on to request some images of the people involved in the process....hmmm now that's got potential!

I photographed each of the 5 specialists in the Spray Paint room lit with a Tulip style soft box single fabric skin baffle and a white disc baffle very high slightly camera right. I had a kicker light in the paint room blocked by the subject coming back to light the room and accent the subject.

The Directline Process -

Mechanic - Panel Beater - Spray Painter - Quality Checker - Driver.

Learn with Internationally Acclaimed Photographer, Joe McNally, on KelbyTraining.com

I supplied the images like this in a Negative frame for Publication across a DPS the final image was of the Owner with her car that they used larger on the final page.

All in all a tidy little afternoon job 30mins from my house!

Sweets, glorious sweets!

2013-09-03T17:09:00.001+01:00

by Vicky Matthers

I have a massive sweet tooth, so when I was asked a few weeks ago to photograph 'The Dalesman Cafe and Sweet Emporium' I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

It started off a typical Yorkshire summers day, glorious sunshine on my drive over through the dales only to be replaced by thick cloud and the threat of rain on arrival at the job. The sweet emporium is amazing and full of an assortment of different colours, shapes and sizes.

The brief was to photograph the owner Linda in the cafe and over the counter of the sweet shop. The light was a little sparse but I didn't want to use lots of flash as I felt the place would lose some of it's magic so decided to use my Quadra lights on modelling and use any available light that I could find. Here are the results:

Another year another graduation!

2013-07-30T14:01:00.001+01:00

by Vicky Matthers

Congratulations to all those who graduated at Leeds Metropolitan University this summer. The campus looked amazing as always and thanks to the wonderful weather we are having at the moment nobody got drenched!!!

Below are some of the pictures from this year's crop of graduates, I hope you like them.....here's to next year already!!!

Group shots........!!!

2013-07-02T16:44:00.000+01:00

by Vicky Matthers

def Group: a number of persons or things ranged or considered together as being related in some way.

I'm not sure if you agree with me but group shots are a photographers nightmare, well, certainly mine anyway! I can honestly say that when a client mentions the word group shot I actually cringe and physically wince with pain!

I have always found it difficult to find suitable locations for large numbers of people without it starting to look like a football or rugby team photo! You definitely need a good vantage point, especially with groups of 7 or more, stairs are often a good option if you can find them as long as you don't end up blocking any fire exits. Of course the problem in our job is that you usually can't see the location beforehand and have about 5 minutes to make a decision as to where you are going to put a whole team of people that you have never met before and have no idea what they look like.....winge, winge, winge!!!

Recently I was lucky enough to do some photography for one of our regular clients in London. The brief was to photograph a team of about 9/10 people looking happy and proud, hopefully in an outside location near the office. The logistics of photographing outside in the centre of London are a bit of a nightmare, as you can imagine! Even though we thought we had permission we found out on the morning of the shoot that we needed to get approval from the building management group. Luckily the right person was found and permission granted about 30 minutes before the afternoon shoot!

I like to get to a shoot early to scope out a place, usually in a nice coffee shop nearby. As I was sitting in a Starbucks opposite the offices I was going to I noticed a perfect place for my group shot:

I decided to light the picture very simply as I knew that I wouldn't have much time with the team as taking them away from their office meant there was no-one there so we had to be quick! I used one Quadra light with shoot through brolly slightly left at the front and one Quadra light far left up high to catch the tallest person of the team at the back!

All things considered I think that it was a success, I just wish that I could transport those concrete blocks with me everywhere!!!

Action please!

2013-05-14T09:53:00.000+01:00

by Vicky Matthers

I have had a pretty busy April this year, just starting to warm up and get some better weather, which certainly helps with outdoor shoots!

I was asked by Bishop Burton College in Beverley to do some more sports portraits for them this year to up date their supply, we have been trying to get a date in the diary since late last year so you can imagine how hard that's been waiting for some sunny days!

As you can see below I had the help of Helena, the Communications and Events Co-ordinator, and a very interesting view point made for some lovely pictures...happy to say the rain held off and the wind was subdued for once!

What's in my bag?

2013-05-08T15:50:00.000+01:00

by Vicky Matthers

Ever wondered what us professional photographers carry in our camera bags on a daily basis? Well, here's your chance to find out! I decided to empty the contents of my bag on to the kitchen table and see what I found....I have accumulated some interesting bits of kit over the past few months and years!

The picture below shows all my kit laid out with some arrows:

1. Main camera: Canon EOS 5d mark II
2. spare body, always an essential especially if you are far from home, Canon EOS 5d mark I
3. 2 x Canon 580EX flashguns, not the latest but still do a fantastic job
4. Flash accessories: Sunpak softbox, Honlphoto flash grid and the Honlphoto gobo/bounce card
5. Flash gels
6. Canon 16-35mm lens 2.8
7. Canon 50mm 1.4 lens
8. Canon 100mm macro lens, essential for my wedding photography
9. Canon 135mm 2.0 lens
10. Canon 85mm 1.8 lens
11. spare batteries for flash and skyports
12. mini flash stand
13. off camera flash cables
14. skyport transmitters

This is just the kit that I carry in my camera bag and doesn't include any extra lighting of which there is a lot! Not sure of the exact weight but am sure that it must be several bags of sugar, only those with trained biceps need apply for this job!

All joking aside, there is not a single thing on that table that I would not put back in my bag, it's not just about having the kit but also having spares with you in case of camera, lens or battery failure...in other words....be prepared!!!

Review Fuji X100s

2013-04-15T16:44:00.003+01:00

By Matt Gore/iconphotomedia

FUJI X100s Review and Images - Tested on the Streets of NYC April 2013

All images Matt Gore ©2013 Please do not copy

It was a close call but the Fuji X100s arrived the day before I was due to fly to New York. I have to say a big thank you to Fuji and to London Camera Exchange Southampton for getting it to me in time.

So a 6 hour flight to get my head around the instruction manual...or watch all the 'Die Hard' movies back to back(?) .... I arrived in New York with a very basic grasp of the cameras functionality and faith in what one man can do when the chips are down!

Before I start I want to say - I am no Equipment Reviewer, I am a working Photographer based in London. I have been searching for a long time to find a digital camera that gives me film like performance on the street equal or bettering the Performance of my Voitlander bessa cameras.

This review is based upon my personal experience over the course of a week shooting everyday in NYC with only this Camera and a 'learn as I go attitude' The technical will be very brief to say the least - their are loads of great review sites out there....in this review I will concentrate on the Camera for Street photography and Reportage use...it's made for it!!

Styling and Durability

The look... Awesome! It looks the absolute business, feels it too. Solid well built and elegant. I had heard talk on the net of the welcome return to embossed steel casing, and I whole heartedly agree with the feeling 'why the hell did they stop making em like this'? As testament to this tough little trooper its first day of ownership with me in New York I bounced it straight on the concrete in front of my Hotel. Hadn't walked more than 10 paces!!!
I don't think it was the strap, more likely the fabric of my jacket, the camera slipped straight off my shoulder - I mistook the pull on my arm for trouble (hey I was Upper Westside by the Park, can't be too careful those limos may just be on lease!?!) The Camera bares a tiny nick on the based plate - but none worse for wear!

Score: Styling 9/10 Durability 9/10

Performance and Use

The Camera is so beautifully inconspicuous, it allows you to work quickly and a effectively. It's a shoe in for street photographers and photo journalist the world over! Due to its quality it's also a legitimate 2nd/back up Camera in your Pro kit especially when size and weight are issues. When set up to be, the Camera is totally silent and if you disguise your finger depression I found I could shoot directly looking at people.

I don't know the numbers but their is a shutter lag when compared to my Nikon D3x I was also fooled a few times by the use of the hybrid viewfinder. Again when set, it will preview the scene on the back then as you move the Camera to you eye it turns off the back screen and goes to electronic viewfinder. On taking the image the viewfinder displays the image - which I found useful at times and distracting at others, often confusing reality with the image and vise versa.

My main gripe is a stand out - the battery just doesn't last. Now I am sure you can turn off the electronic viewfinder and turn off the display at the back etc and conserve power but even in the instruction manual it only advertises 330 frames with a fully charged battery and that is most probably under 'preferable conditions' I have purchased a 2nd battery as it's essential Hahnel do them at about £20. My battery ran out every day while I was still shooting and just to warn you it's like a Profoto - One minute you have power the next...dead! I approximate I was getting 150 - 200 raw frames before it gave up the ghost!

Score : Performance 7/10 Use 8/10

The files, Colour Rendition and Image Quality.

This little Camera punches way way way above it's weight. The files are a dream to work with, aside from the rather Pedestrian Raw Converter software supplied, the files look smooth, sharp as a tack and respond well to adjustment and post. Colour rendition under mix lighting is clean and true. I like the pre programed 'Film looks' you can set. They have featured a setting for all the old favourites Velvia, Astia, Provia etc that reproduce that film stocks characteristics and behaviour. They also have included those slightly cheesy 'punch, toy, vintage settings you see in Aperture and Iphoto.
When you view one of the 40mb files at 100% it takes you a minute to just comprehend that you shot it on the little fella and haven't confused it with a DSLR card.

Take a look... 100% first then 200%

And Colour rendition is true and faithful

This quality performance along with the cameras speed, usability and discreet looks is why many reviewers are calling it 'One of the best cameras ever made' I am already starting to see why!

Score: Image Quality 10/10

Pro's and Cons

The Pros...Speed - Handling, Writing and Processing all super fast.
Size and Looks
Fill Flash is mind blowingly good! It just looks right!
Layout and Controls. Proper dial knobs and stuff.
Silent inconspicuous operation
Fast Shutter sync
Legitimate 2nd Camera for a Professional
Affordable (when compared to the finest German manufacturer)
Image Quality and Colour Rendition
Lens Qualilty

The Fill flash as seen here 'Post no Bills' Set to Fire always, camera on Aperture Priority with a 1/2 stop under exposure compensation and the flash knocked down a 1/3 (note I burnt in the edges of the hoarding a touch)

The Cons....

Battery life is terrible, buy a spare in fact get two!

RAW conversion software supplied is quite pedestrian

Fix lens will bother some but not me!

No file support from Aperture, Photo shop etc yet. At time of writing April 2013

Not a great high ISO performer as compared to the unbelievable numbers SLRs are doing.

MY SUMMARY

Buy it!!! or at least one of the others in the range...it's awesome and you won't regret it!

Bravo Fuji!!! This is a Proper good camera and meets the requirements of so many different types of Photographer!!

I think it's a shoe in for any Photographer interested in Street, Documentary or Photojournalism. It's ability to grab a high quality image with manual intuative control makes it great for so many other photographers too. It starts to make me think about my equipment configuration and whether a move to medium format is made a little closer with the addition of this Camera in my bag?

This Camera wants to take great pictures - you feel it as soon as it's in your hand - whoever you are and whatever you need from Photography this Camera warrants your attention.

Priced around £1099 Available now.

Keep an eye here on the blog as it won't be too long before I post job images shot on the x100s
All Images Matt Gore

Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It! Learn Photography and Photoshop Online with Scott Kelby!

Guess my lighting!

2013-03-25T13:52:00.000+00:00

by Vicky Matthers

The weather is still not behaving itself, even the daffodils don't want to open up and at temperatures of -1 who can blame them?!

Time for a bit of fun on Iconphotomedia's blog, a new section called 'Guess my lighting'. Every now and again, time permitting, we will upload some pictures that we have taken recently and you will be able to guess how they have been lit. No prizes I'm afraid, only professional integrity at stake!

Below are four images, not recently taken but I like them, for you to have a stab at. Take a look at them, guess how you think they were lit and then if you want the answers click on the links at the bottom of the page.....no cheating now!

Image number 1:

Image number 2:

Image number 3:

Image number 4:

Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It! Learn Photography and Photoshop Online with Scott Kelby!

Answers below, have a guess first though!

Image 1:

http://icon.photoshelter.com/image/I0000cX3r7caFjUw

Only one light used here, not easy to tell from the diagram but a large octa softbox was placed on a c-stand above their heads. A little bit of work in post production to darken the background.

Image 2:

http://icon.photoshelter.com/image/I0000EN6L6ftLfWI

Two lights, a flashgun that you can see in the backgroud to light the side of the subject and to create some shadow on the ground and a quadra on a stand with a shoot through brolley.

Image 3:

http://icon.photoshelter.com/image/I0000dUM2aOFgnpA

Three lights, one flashgun behind the man in the background and another behind the main subject pointing at the background subject, finally one quadra head with grid camera left pointing at the main subject.

Image 4:

http://icon.photoshelter.com/image/I0000z2zp28F3XDQ

No extra lighting apart from the sun which popped it's head out momentarily a couple of weeks ago behind the subject.

Watch this space for more 'Guess my lighting'!

The Currency of Ideas

2013-03-23T11:03:00.001+00:00

Our 2013 website revamp has just gone live...
by Matt Gore/iconphotomedia

Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It! Learn Photography and Photoshop Online with Scott Kelby!

www.iconphotomedia.com

Yep, I have been busying myself with editing, image selection, photoshop, html code and various vectors, buttons, textures and backgrounds. With a little help from a template and lots of midnight oil we have finished the revamp of our main website as part of our ongoing 2013 strategy.

I'll post lots more visuals with a step by step on how I produced the website and created the visuals at a later date.
It's all part of our idea to evolve iconphotomedia and what we offer our clients in light of new technology and the changes in Visual Communications. Photography has changed along with the huge improvements in communications. As a result Advertising has been flipped on it's head so traditional media outlets are rapidly changing to keep up. Rather than see all this as a negative (fitting pun) we Photographers should embrace the new opportunities. Ideas are our commodity - creativity is the currency of ideas and we are all wonderfully placed to realise this and use technology to expand those ideas. Think big as the World has just got a little smaller...

Here's a taster of some of the new look....

Hope you all like it...

www.iconphotomedia.com

The importance of doing nothing!

2013-03-21T10:57:00.003+00:00

by Matt Gore/iconphotomedia

Hi All,

Yes bit of an Intriguing title..
For us it's a mantra, I mean it, it refers to our mindset when a few of us get together to goof about.
We do test sessions where we may want to try a certain technique or look, but often is equally productive to just play about, have fun and achieve nothing!

One idea we often use is to take a lens, camera, light whatever and see how many looks/uses we can make from it. It tests your creativity and often results in some interesting discoveries.
The important thing is to try not to be quick to judge and or be too results focused. Go with it, do some goofy stuff be child like, contradict yourself.

Now I could show you all sorts of pictures from these sessions but in reality they don't cut it...but then that's the point!

Here's some shot a week ago that did work though and resulted in a technique I used to illustrate a story idea a magazine had...

and then used live on the client job. The Magazine article was entitled 'Outside looking In' referring to the recruitment policy of this particular company hiring highly skilled experienced staff from outside the sector.

A simple discovery using the Elinchrom Quardra ECO ringflash hand held. Great on some business jobs where the location offers little in the way of interesting backgrounds or details and time is often of the essence...isn't it always these days!?

The additional kicks you see to our faces in the studio pictures are created using a large silver brolly camera right (with CTO gel) and behind and a strip box camera left and behind.
The images shot on the job were ringflash and softbox camera right, then comp'ed as a triplet in Photoshop.

And here are one or two more from the shoot with the good people at The Richmond Housing Partnership in London.

All good fun and looking forward to seeing what the designers do with the layout

Hidden gems.....

2013-02-06T08:41:00.001+00:00

by Vicky Matthers

I have been sorting out our archive on Photoshelter, our online database and gallery. Photoshelter is an amazing product that has transformed our way of working, it enables us to manage our image library as well as keep our clients happy with a secure image delivery system.

Whilst sorting I found an old time lapse video that we did for Leeds Metropolitan University, it gave me an idea to go out and shoot some of the campus buildings on a sunny February afternoon. I have to say that I could only manage to stay outside for an hour as it was absolutely freezing! There is only so much jumping on the spot and flinging your arms about that you can do. Linda (Leeds Met's Design Officer) brought me a cup of tea half way through, I think she thought I was totally mad, even she didn't hand around for long! Luckily for me she had a hot water bottle for my feet when I got back inside.

I did take the time whilst standing on the acre to use the panorama app on my iphone...just to get an idea of the amazing view!

LMU timelapse from iconphotos on Vimeo.

Snow in Letterbox

2013-01-20T17:18:00.002+00:00

by Matt Gore/iconphotomedia

Having had a iphone3s out of contract for 2 years I finally got around to an upgrade (I know!!?) ...I have had the iphone5 for around two weeks now. A few people have spotted it...well they have noticed the all to careful way I'm using it and keeping it nice and shiny (give it a month!) all have commented 'have you used the panorama mode yet?' Finally on a walk in the Snow today I had a blast with it and I'm hooked!! Awesome Awesome bit of kit!

Epsom College - Iphone5 Panorama mode 180º

Up until now I have never bothered shooting on a phone with any serious intent and have never downloaded any post production apps....I am blown away by the ease of use and creative potential of some of the stuff I have found...'wood camera' is my favourite photography app right now.

Icon...making light work for you!

2013-01-10T13:42:00.001+00:00

by Vicky Matthers

Last night I spent a couple of hours in Leeds city centre continuing the project that I started last year with Leeds Metropolitan University capturing the city at night (see my earlier blog from 5th January 2012).

The weather was fine and not too cold so the perfect opportunity to get out and about. Linda and I decided to start down by the canal near the Round Foundry office space and work our way up in to the centre of Leeds. We only made it as far as the railway bridge, part way along the canal! It's such a beautiful part of Leeds especially at night, it seems to come alive.

After watching lots of cyclists whizz by on their way home and seeing the trails of light that they left behind from my ten second exposures, I thought it might be a good idea to try some light trails of our own...check out Linda's handiwork with my iphone torch app below!

What fun we had! Below are some of the other pictures from last night: