Archive for the ‘Portrait photography’ Category

24-hour photography which lasts a lifetime …

Friday, August 27th, 2010


Today is a very special anniversary today. It’s 60 years to the day that Robert Mynott (1925-2005) – my  all-time sporting hero – set a new British record for non-stop  24-hour  cycling on the road: 460.5 miles.

The one-day classic star in question was my dad – who not only moulded my passion for cycling. He also (along with my mum) got me curious about photography.

As my current youthful good looks confirm,  I was not around in 1950 and so am very grateful to the uncredited photographer who took the shots of him on his way to making a new endurance record. I took the portrait of him, which is posted here. Both of these photos demonstrate how our photographs become more valuable – priceless in fact – as time moves on.  One of my mantras I can never repeat enough is the fact that you can never have too many photos of the people you love. Digital  photography has made it a breeze to take and archive images on a regular basis – it also ensures we can back up our images to ensure we always have a copy in safe hands. I also have digital copies of the various magazines and newspapers which covered my dad’s epic ride. A few months after his ride, he was invited to meet the then King at a presentation evening in the Royal Albert Hall. The black and white portrait of my dad was taken using XP2 film up-rated to 800ASA. The version posted here is a digital copy of the original, which I hand-printed.

Posted in Cambridge, Cycling, Philip Mynott Photographer, Photography, Portrait photography, Sport Photography | No Comments »

Every picture tells a story …

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Being able to portray  a person’s personality is the key to any good portrait photograph. Candid photography – by which we mean unposed – is a very useful technique to employ when attempting such a portrait – it is a style of photography I tend to use on a regular basis. Producing a candid photograph does not mean that you don’t share any conversation with the subject – only that you do not interfere with their actions nor give any direction. The photographer needs to be patient and just observe what the subject is doing as they go about their daily task. You need to be ready to catch facial expressions and other ever-changing details which will help you create an interesting study. Photographing skilled people at work is a great time to produce a candid photo. Always look for ways to introduce points of interest in the photo – such as the bicycle in the photo here – without taking away from the main subject. I tend to use depth of field as a way to isolate my subject – but that’s just my preference when doing candid shots, My photo here shows professional storyteller and poet John Row, who was at work in Cherry Hinton Hall today as part of  ’Big Wednesday’.

Posted in Cambridge, Candid Photography, Environmental Photography, Nikon, Nikon D3, Philip Mynott Photographer, Photo Lesson, Photography, Portrait photography, Press | No Comments »

Landscapes and Grandscapes …

Monday, August 9th, 2010

Five-year-old Joseph is pictured with his grandfather Robert at the opening of the new Cambridge to Wandlebury ring cycle path. The idea of any photograph is to convey to the viewer the experience of being in a particular place at a set time. My photograph here, for which I used a 400mm lens, can be labelled “landscape, Press photo, also a record of the opening and a family portrait. It works on all fronts as most people who know Cambridge can recognise the hospital in the background and as such can locate the location where the picture was taken from. In the world of art, landscape is a term which tends to suggest a natural view – however, I suspect there is no view that has not been altered by man. With the cycle path in the foreground, it works as a Press photo as it enables any sub-editor to write a picture caption story using the human angle of grandson and grandfather attending a cycle path opening – the fact that they are pushing their cycles also highlights the location – as there are not many hills around this city! Perhaps, most important of all, it may in time hold fond memories for the subjects in the photo.

Posted in Cambridge, Camera Equipment, Environment, Landscape Photography, Nikon D3, Philip Mynott Photographer, Photo Lesson, Photography, Portrait photography, Press | No Comments »

Happy families …

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Portrait photography can be very rewarding for a photographer. Throughout my career, I’ve done my fair share of studio work, but my preference is to work away from a studio setting. Using natural light inside or outdoors is far more satisfying. Once you have found the correct location and waited for your preferred lighting conditions – overcast or sunshine  shouldn’t pose too much of a problem – my first choice is to work with rather than against whatever lighting conditions prevail on the day. During the session in which I created the above posted photo of the Fell family siblings, there was a very heavy rain cloud floating overhead which is why the photo benefits from a superb soft light. Once you have selected the environmental conditions to work in, just as important is to make your subjects feel relaxed. I find one of the best ways to do this is to engage in some gentle humour  -  during the Fell family  portrait session the banter was plenty!

Posted in Cambridge, Environment, Nikon D3, Photo Lesson, Photography, Portrait photography | No Comments »