Southdown Studio Blog

Brand new portraits slideshow

Jon Silver — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:46:05 +0000

It was about time we showed some new portrait photos instead of the old ones we had on our portraits page, so here it is – a brand new shiny slideshow, showing just what we can do. Pop along and have your portrait photos done sometime soon!

Mothers Day Gifts

Jon Silver — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:21:12 +0000

If you’re stuck for something special to give your mum for mothers day, we can help. How about a Gift Voucher for a makeover or family portrait shoot? Or you can choose your budget & leave it to mum to decide how she’d like to use it.
Give us a call on 01273 358283 for full details. We can take all major cards & dispatch vouchers for next day delivery or collection.

Georgina’s Test Shoot

Jon Silver — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:59:25 +0000

Well, since we’re relaunching our studio model register, it was time to start interviewing and taking on new models. It’s essential to have a test shoot for each model, to see how they are to work with as well as what they look like. After all, as I’ve said elsewhere, a good model is a lot more than just looks – there are skills to learn, such as a large repertoire of poses.

Enter Georgina – she got in touch after a casting call just yesterday, and here she was this morning, bravely turning up for a test shoot, which was her first shoot since her return to modelling after a five year break. She’s a lovely, fun, bubbly girl with great looks and a natural ability to pose. So it’s welcome to the new, improved Southdown Studio model register, Georgina, and let’s hope there are many more as good as her.

Georgina is now available to book for shoots at Southdown Studio. She may also be appearing at our new group shoots & tutorial workshops – of which more later!

[[Show as slideshow]]

Studio Model Register – time for a rebuild

Jon Silver — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:45:57 +0000

Southdown Studio has been in existence for five years now. We’ve worked with loads of people in that time, on loads of different kinds of jobs. One strand of the business is photographic studio hire. When we hire the studio to amateur or professional photographers, fashion houses or public relations/marketing/advertising agencies, sometimes they need models and so we’ve always tried to maintain a model book or model register. The trouble is, models have a tendency to drift in and out of modelling, and an even greater tendency to not bother keeping in contact. So, with time and erosion, our model register got down to just four active models and was no longer much of an attraction.

Time for a rebuild then. We have model test shoots happening in the next few weeks, and a new, improved model register should be born as a result. If you’re hiring our studio, do take a look!

Red Buses – Alison’s Work Experience

workexp — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 12:00:27 +0000

My name’s Alison, I go to school in Wadhurst which is quite a way away from Brighton, but I think the bus journeys there where worth it, just to have my work experience week with Jon Silver at Southdown Studio. One of the youth centre people at our school sorts out the work experience placements, and I knew that I would like to work with a photographer and I’m very interested in it and I am considering it as a career when I leave school.

This is one of the most amazing opportunities I‘ve had. Most of my friends were placed in schools, care homes and other places that had nothing to do with their career choices and they generally found this extremely boring.

I love photography so this was an ideal placement for me. Jon was a really good teacher and I learnt so much in a space of 5 days. I find in subjects at school such as art and tech you learn things but you never get to put them into practice, all week I was snapping away. At the end of each day I really didn’t want to leave. I was shown this really cool program called lightroom, I especially liked the ‘spot’ removing tool and the saturation tool which I used a lot, getting rid of all the colour except the red on the buses.

I took photos in the studios and around the estate and I also brought one of my friends in for a photo shoot which I think she enjoyed. Jon also did a photo shoot of me which was really fun. He taught me how to use the lighting and using the camera on auto and manual which I think I’ve kind of got the hang of now.

Jon is a really easy character to get on with and knows so many wise sayings! I was really upset when the work experience ended as I had a really good time; I think sometimes my friends want me to hush because I babble on about it a lot.

My Work Experience

workexp — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:43:40 +0000

My name is Kate and I’ve been doing work experience at Southdown Studio. When I was first told by my teacher at school that we had to go out and find work experience, I got quite worried because I had a slight idea in my head what I wanted to do as a career in the future but there was more than one idea and none of them were really that clear, so I didnt really know where to look for work experience.

A lot of students in my year found work experience that actually had nothing to do with the career that they were looking into for the future which seems a bit pointless seeing as the whole point in work experience is to experience work that you actually want to do. A lot of my friends did something to do with child care, like being a teachers assistant for a week or working in a playgroup, even though they wanted to do something completely different. They knew what they wanted to do and obviously this whole week was a bit of a waste of time for them.

I knew that I wanted to do something involving photography or fashion, and when I found the Southdown Studio website I knew that I wanted to do my work experience week there. I filled in my placement form at school, after finding out if I could or not, and everything worked out perfectly. Between finding Southdown Studio on the internet and coming here for a week, me and my mum came to meet Jon Silver. So obviously, before coming here I wasnt too nervous because I’d already met who I’d be working with.

Throughout the week, I’ve been taking photos of basically anything- taking something boring and making it look interesting. Also, I have learnt how to actually use a camera to create better photo’s, I’ve learnt different terms that can affect the pictures that I take for example I have learnt about aperture, field of depth and more terms just like those. Jon’s a great teacher, it was really easy to pick up on different things, when usually at school its hard to remember anything my teachers say!

After this week i have a clearer understanding in photography and I have a proper idea of what career I do actually want to do. I’ve really enjoyed spending this week in Southdown Studio and I think that going back to school, I’m going to be one of the only students that has actually learnt something in this week and wanted to persue the work experience to a future career. Its gone so fast and only feels like I’ve been here a couple of days, I don’t Want to go back to school!

Kate Dewdney

More Work Experience

Jon Silver — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:56:42 +0000

So far this year our work experience programme has once again been enjoyed by several students from Sussex schools, some of whom have demonstrated great natural flair for photography, and potential as future professionals. One of them has already taken a paid job, though still in full-time education… she’s Kate from Steyning Grammar, and as she has expressed an interest in writing a blog, perhaps the next post will be hers..! Kate…?

Get in touch if you’re interested in a Brighton/Sussex work experience placement or personal photography tuition in Brighton.

Christmas Portraits

Jon Silver — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:36:37 +0000

Lots of people seem to like to get portrait photographs taken of themselves and their families in the lead-up to Christmas. Some people do it because the only time they manage to get the family all together in one place is around Christmas time. Others like to give their Mum & Dad or grandparents a nice portrait of the kids. Whatever your reason for wanting Christmas Portrait photos, Southdown Studio in Brighton serves the whole of Sussex and can offer a wide variety of portrait photography packages to suit everyone, including photoshoots in the studio or at home, makeover photoshoots, and items such as loose prints, framed prints, canvas prints and photo books. We offer gift vouchers for portrait shoots too, or indeed any of our services, which also make perfect Christmas presents.

Full details at www.southdownstudio.co.uk/portraits.aspx

New Commercial Photography Web Site

Jon Silver — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:37:28 +0000

Southdown Studio offers a great many photographic services, so we tend to break our web site into sections covering broad photography topics. If your business needs photography for advertising, marketing, food, public relations, web site headshots & portraits, product shots, pack shots or catalogue photos, we can provide an economical, cost-effective solution for you. Specialities include food, jewellery, business portraits, product catalogues and corporate brochures. In conjunction with our sister companies we can even provide full-service e-commerce web sites with photography, web design, copy writing and hosting.

Take a proper look at Southdown Studio’s Commercial Photography Web Site, including a variety of photo galleries.

How lucky am i?!

workexp — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:19:37 +0000

My name is Lucia – I’m aged 16 and I live in Brighton. This week I’m doing photography work experience with Jon Silver at Southdown Studio. I get to spend my week here with Jon, asking silly questions, eating left over Chinese and taking a few photos every once in a while!

This place is immense!

I’d definitely recommend this place to everyone, customers and work experience students… I don’t want to leave on friday!

Thanks to Jon & co for everything! I’ve really enjoyed it so far.

Byeee xxxx