blast from the past - London Eye

Back in the summer of 2007 I took a gamble and entered a major photographic competition by the then sponsors of the London Eye British Airways, the competition was in celebration of hitting it's 25 millionth customer to take a ride on the Eye - Tracey Emin was the guest judge. Before this competition I had only entered local competitions which I was lucky enough to win also. My point is that entering competitions is a great way to measure the level you are at and to get your name out there. Recently on a workshop I had a couple of images critiqued it was such a great learning tool because it has made me more aware of the fine details of the image which I honestly had never noticed before, you should never be scared to have your work critiqued as you'll learn a great deal.

The reason I am writing this is because I am a definately going to enter work into the SWPP and WPPI print competitions next year, I am going to push myself this year to improve and development my skills and will use these competitions to gage how my progress is going heading into 2012.....

I've attached below my London Eye shot which won me regional winner, it was on display outside the London Eye for around two months, I did at the time visit the Eye loads to watch people looking at my image, it was such a buzz ...lol...

January = An educational month for me.....

So it's February already, this year has started off at a wirlwind pace, it's crazy how fast these years are going....

I dedicated January to learning and improving my skills, I attended two location seminars and the trade show run by the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers) as well attending the awesome Adam Alex Workshop last week.  I met so many wicked people on the workshop and learnt so much in the three days, I've come away with a massive to do list, a more focused approach to lighting and posing which I can't wait to implement in future shoots.  The way Adam works with light is stunning and anyone who has an interest in portrait photography should study his work and if you want to take your photography to the next level then book yourself a place on his next workshop.

The two seminars I mentioned were run by John Denton (see images below) and Damian McGillicuddy, two outstanding photographers and great teachers in their own right, this was another great investment and I learnt so much just by watching how they work. 

The closed London Underground station - Aldwych, was the location for the John Denton seminar, the location really intrigued me as it was like you were stepping back in time.  The station closed in 1994 due to lack of passengers and at the time they needed to replace the lifts so it was deemed to expensive in relation to the income generated by the station therefore the decision was made to close it.  The station is now a popular filming location and has been used in such films as Atonement, 28 Weeks Later, The Krays, Patriot Games, The Good Shepherd, and Creep.

I would love to do more shoots in the station, as a location you really couldn't ask for more it just oozes creativity - a photographers paradise....

I hope you enjoy the images I personally love all the old posters on display....

logo redesign for gavin conlan photography 2011

New Year = fresh new approach for gavin conlan photography....

You'll see from my new logo that I want to give my branding a more boutique kind of feel.  I've been working on few different ideas but I kept coming back to this one, I feel it's a natural progression from my previous logo abeit my brand colours have changed slightly.  I've tested the logo on all types of media and it looks really cool....

Over the next few weeks my website will be having a well deserved make over because I've so much imagery for you all to see, I can't wait to show you...!!!!

In the meantime please bear with me as I implement the changes & I truely hope you love what you see.

Aside from the redesign, this year has started really well for me I feel my photography will be pushed to the next level in my journey to achive excellence, the investment I make in myself is vital for this to happen. During the annual SWPP (Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers) Convention I attended two superb seminars, one was by John Denton (www.dentonphotography.co.uk) & the other by the master himself Damian McGillicuddy (www.damianmcgillicuddy.com) I will post about these shortly especially as the John Denton one took place in the disused Aldwych underground station in London.

Next week I'm attending the awesome Adam Alex 3 day workshop this guy is out of this world his work will blow your mind - you can check out his work here (www.adamalexphotography.com/blog) I can't wait to put into practise the knowledge I'll be learning, this is all part of my quest to achieve my goal & that's exceed both myself and my clients expectations.

I wish you all the best for 2011, let our journeys begin....

Jodi & Jon's Wedding Reception at Langdon Hills Golf and Country Club, Essex

9 days after their amazing wedding at Cameron House (click here to view) Jodi & Jon had their wedding reception for all their friends and family at the Langdon Hills Golf Club.  It was a great idea because it meant the excitement of the wedding was extended that little bit further, all the ladies were rocking their outfits the gents were looking really cool and the party was a great night I even joined in late in the evening all thanks to Geoff who shot the last few images :)

This has been an amazing journey for me and it's been such an honour that they chose me as their photographer, I gave you both my absolute all and I believe we have created such a beautiful keepsake that you'll cherish forever.

Please spend some time viewing the images and slideshow below, if your reading this via facebook then please go to /journal/2010/9/19/jodi-jons-wedding-reception-at-langdon-hills-golf-and-countr.html to access their slideshow.

The Wedding of Jodi & Jon at Cameron House, Loch Lomond, Scotland

I had the absolute pleasure at the start of the year to photograph Jodi and Jon and their gorgeous little girl Tilly, their portrait session kicked started the new era of my journal (you can click here to view that amazing first post) and now my latest installment is from their perfect wedding day.

Their wedding took place at the amazing Cameron House on Loch Lomond, this was my first visit to Scotland and I don't think I was actually prepared for the natural beauty of this part of the world but you know as soon as my eyes grasp these amazing views I was in awe of the surroundings.  Sitting, relaxing and watching over the Loch was one of the most tranquil moments of my life..... 

The journey started for me with a flight to Glasgow from Stansted the day before the wedding, after overcoming the first hurdle (my clothes arriving on the same flight as me) I made my way to my hotel with two of Jodi's friends, girls you were great.

My photography began with capturing images from the meals in the evening, both Jodi and Jon separated with their families and friends and had their food, talking of food the steak that I had was amazing it makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  If anyone is interested I have a photograph.... :)

The Wedding day, oh my god the weather was perfect, great comfortable temperature, blue skies and the Loch looking as stunning as ever, needless to say I was a little warm, you know I think it's the concentration that makes me hot either that or it's due the fact I'm carry a few extra pounds... :)  The Wedding was such an amazing day and due to the intimacy of it the schedule allowed me as much time as I needed to capture their photography, I really couldn't have asked for more.  If I had to choose a highlight of the day for me then as difficult a question it is there are two, the first being the images I captured of Tilly sitting in the aisle as her mummy and daddy were declaring their love and commitment to each other and the second was the raw emotion felt during all the speeches.  Every word spoken was so heart felt, you know for me the whole satisfaction of being a wedding photographer is when you surround yourself with the most amazing couples, their family and friends and capture these memories that will live a lifetime with them.

Cameron House has this saying "The perfect place to create new memories with old friends" and you know what I couldn't agree more....

Please take time to view their sideshow and images and rejoice in their magical and emotional day, their reception at the Langdon Hills Golf and Country Club is to follow shortly...