ThE GateKeepeR

I've not been out taking photographs much recently, a mixture of exams and crap weather has stopped the fun but tonight i decided to wing it and see if there was anything about.  The Porthleven Photography site hadn't been updated for a while so i checked the tide and it was nearly high so the conditions were decent but would the sunset be?

I had geared myself up for getting up for sunrise as well but on hearing the dreaded alarm and looking out of the window i couldn't see the back garden wall so decided on staying in bed for a deserved extra snooze before getting up for work.

Porthleven Torchlight

Porthleven Torchlight was back this week after a couple of years being absent.  Even though the weather was not the best and in my opinion it started a bit early i got one decent photo out of it.  The following is a combination of 9 photos collated together to form one single picture.

Si & Mel

Another quick session with my mate Si and his new Girlfriend.  Sunset was taking ages but we persevered.

Dave & Jo

Well it was the final wedding of the season and what a day it was.  The ceremony was due to start at 1300 and at 1100 the weather was perfect - nice and overcast.  By 1230 the sky was bright blue, the sun was directly overhead and i could be heard to be grumbling as i arrived at the registry office.  The nightmare that is a clear blue sky day for shooting a wedding that ultimately also occurs when the sun is it's highest is something that all wedding photographers experience.  The shadows are harsh, the people are squinting if you face them anywhere near the direction of the sun and if you put the sun behind them you tend to go through a lot of batteries as the flash fires at max power to compensate.  It's a lottery when you get to the reception venue especially if it's a hotel and depending on how many summer guests they have staying.  As it happens i had scoped the reception venue out a couple of days before and anticipated any issues that might arise.  The day went well, there were only 28 guests for the ceremony and all of them were very accommodating as i tried to get them all sorted.

Porth Nanven

Another fight club at Porth Nanven tonight, although this time i decided to shoot from a place that i haven't before and  managed to miss more of the tripod moving.  Watching the other photographers on the shore i had to laugh as one by one they started to move their tripod further and further forward, a move that would prompt the others around to do the same!  Eventually some gave up but a few were persistent and finally got to the waters edge.  Sunset was a bit disappointing considering there wasn't any cloud but i took the first shot quite early and the second right before sunset.

Poros, Greece

Last week i went to Poros in Greece for the wedding of two good friends, deciding to make it into a holiday as well.  Poros is a beautiful island and a bit of a millionaires playground by the amount and size of the yachts / cruisers in the marina!  Due to the topography of the island it was difficult to use the golden hours to create photos but not to be outdone i had to adapt.

A visit to the neighbouring island of Hydra one day gave me the opportunity that i had been waiting for.  There was a storm brewing over Poros and it allowed me to create the moody look that i had been hoping for.  The following set of pictures were taken as we sat and watched the lightning occur over Poros.

It wasn't long before the inevitable happened just as we were waiting to get the hydra-foil back but unlike the UK, it rained for an hour then buggered off, being replaced once again with sunshine.

The sun in Greece is harsh and i had to pick my time to do some long exposure shots that i had scouted  a few days before.

Matt & Sophie

After a wedding a  few weeks previously we had another to do and once again it was stressful but satisfying. I'm still not convinced that i enjoy doing them but the look on the bride and grooms faces when you present them with the final images is still priceless.