This page pulls together all the news items on the site.
Add comment May 17th, 2013 12:36pm damien
Lee Seven Five filter holder on the Fujifilm X100 via the dedicated adapter ring.
I’ve just received my pre production Lee Sev5n dedicated adapter ring for the X100. It replaces the Fuji adapter and allows the Lee filter to sit nice and close to the front of the lens. I recommend using the hard grad ND filters as they have a perfect (more…)
10 comments May 7th, 2013 12:26am damien
I recently ran a workshop/ creative day exclusively for Fujifilm X series camera owners. We shot at the Hilton in Manchester and in the streets nearby on our way back from lunch. Here are 40 of my frames from the day. They are all taken on the X100 with or without the wide angle adapter lens.
1. Shot in the ladies loo in Cloud 23 bar on the X100 with a Nikon SB900 on camera set to 1/8th power. All flash guns with a foot work on the Fuji cameras. We synced the SB900 to 1/500th but could have gone faster if required.
25 comments March 15th, 2013 06:19pm damien
01. Carla Monaco wears a sheer silk chiffon dress designed by Lisa Keating. I lit Carla with an Elinchrom Quadra and a Maxi Spot 40cm 29º Reflector. Fuji X-Pro1 with 18-55mm lens at f/6.4, 1/125th second using ISO 200. I used a three stop ND filter to keep the lens at a sensible aperture.
Model: Carla Monaco
Photography: Damien Lovegrove
Styling: Carla Monaco, Lisa Keating and Damien Lovegrove
Make up: Carla Monaco
NSFW after the jump (more…)
8 comments January 2nd, 2013 03:41pm damien
Here is a collection of my 2012 photographs. The sequence starts with some studio shots taken with Lupolux lights and Elinchrom flash.
After the studio sequence comes the boudoir set lit with Lupolux. The boudoir set includes pictures shot for my video production called Simply Boudoir.
I then share my street and location stills taken throughout Europe before finishing with a few of my couples shots. My couples video is now available.
Have a fabulous 2013. If you are feeling the need for some inspiration in the sun join me in Fuerteventura in March.
13 comments December 3rd, 2012 04:52pm damien
Here are a selection of the pictures taken during the making of the Photographing Couples video. I photographed two couples, one in an urban environment and the other in parkland to create a body of work that shows exactly how I pose, light and shoot my couples pictures. Over 600,000 visits to the posing couples pages on this blog triggered the project that is now finally complete. (more…)
6 comments November 14th, 2012 05:54pm damien
It may not be the prettiest bit of kit you will own but it has the power to change the way you shoot.
The Lovegrove inverters have been extensively tested and are now shipping in quantity. This (more…)
Add comment November 14th, 2012 10:31am damien
On 13th and 14th February 2013 I will be running a two day workshop event at Pipewell Hall near Northampton entitled Film Noir & Black Swan. On day one I’m once again teaming up with the amazing (more…)
Add comment November 8th, 2012 04:50pm damien
Our latest newsletter failed to reach over 1200 of you due to a glitch in our database so rather than resend it we have posted a link here. In it you will find details of our next twelve workshop events. If you do not receive our monthly newsletters you can subscribe here. You can unsubscribe at any time and we do not share your data with any third parties.
26 comments September 15th, 2012 03:37pm damien
01. A simple reveal frame of Victoria lit with a pair of DayLED continuous spotlights by Lupolux. I powered the lights with lithium battery inverters that will run the lights on full power for well over three hours between charges.
The creative process needs feeding with opportunity, effort and reward. I have occasionally experienced my soul being sucked out of me by a repetition of work and a lack of discovery. That’s the nature of teaching I suppose. It can become a process of giving that soon becomes stale if it is not refreshed. That’s one reason my workshop titles and genres are always evolving. I need a constant feeling of journey, regular discovery and creative saw sharpening.
Every now and then I take part in test shoots with my previous Evolve delegates. These sessions have become legendary for the banter and friendship as well as the creative refueling process. We all need to step outside our comfort zone and embrace the scary ‘different’. I am so lucky to have trained and become friends with my Evolvers. Several of them have now developed their photographic style and businesses beyond the boundaries of my initial aspirations. These are exciting times for me and a sence of pride is an inevitable and welcome emotion.
Here are a selection of my pictures from the day… (more…)
Add comment September 1st, 2012 01:18pm damien
I have just selected the models for our upcoming workshops in the ruins near Cartegana in Southern Spain. The trip to Spain in October is a wonderful life experience and will push all of our photography to new levels.
Liv Ward is my latest model. A true English rose, delightfully elegant and eloquent. Fabulous in every way.
Last 2 places available…
The trip will be a fun exciting adventure mixing urbex and portraiture. We will be using simple styling, smoke natural and flash lighting to create fabulous figure in the landscape and editorial grade images of the highest standards. There are two places left with flights/ hotel rooms still available too so if you are sitting on the fence or are in need of an inspiration boost give Blaise a call on +44 (0)1275 853204 for rates and deals etc. There are two days of training with an optional extra day of creative shooting. Martin Hill is also available for a 1:1 mastering flash workshop on day four.
Natalia Warner is my other choice for the trip of the year. I've had the pleasure of photographing Natalia a couple of times some years ago and she is utterly gorgeous.
These are the mood boards I have created for the trip. They are all shots taken by Martin and I at the locations in Spain… (more…)
26 comments August 27th, 2012 05:09pm damien
001. Dusk is always a magical time in Santorini. The temperature barely drops off at night so alfresco dining is the way to do it.
Santorini is an Island of contrasts, a victim of natural disasters and a labyrinth of charm both old and new. Here is a collection of photographs from my 10 day visit to the island. All the pictures were shot on my Fuji X-Pro1 with either the 18mm, 35mm or 60mm Fuji lenses. The Fuji kit is small enough to take everywhere so that’s exactly what I did. (more…)
6 comments August 24th, 2012 11:53pm damien
Hi Prophotonut readers. I’m sorry that you may have felt abandoned for the past month but I’ve been busy. I’ve launched new products in the UK, written a book on the business of wedding photography, I’ve been fortunate to have a family holiday and I’ve done 6 shoots/ workshops. I know it is bad to make excuses but it does make me feel better. The book is now in the design stage and my recent pictures from the shoots, workshops and Santorini all need selecting before adding a splash of Lightroom for good measure.
To ease the wait I thought I’d share a few recent studio lingerie and boudoir shots of the fabulous Iskra Lawrence. These were taken in my studio on a 1:1 training session for a husband and wife team exploring the opportunities for a new boudoir and portrait studio that they are currently building.
01. A simple three light studio shot of Iskra against my grey background.
14 comments July 20th, 2012 11:31am damien
The new LED Fresnel spotlights from Lupolux deliver unrivaled levels of power, quality, efficiency and control in a unique lightweight compact lamp housing.
Fresnel lenses have been at the heart of the best spotlights for decades. The dimpled surface on the back of the lens delivers a delicate soft edge. Other lens systems claim a more accurate beam pattern but none create the beauty of fresnels. Lensed lights are here to stay.
The Lupolux DayLED lights have the same beautiful fresnel lenses with a flood/spot control and high quality build construction as the Lupolux HMI family of Fresnel spotlights. The daylight balanced (5600°K) light produced is from an array of power LEDs. The LEDs have instant restrike capability and are fully dimmable from 0-100%. The high colour rendering index of this latest generation of LEDs makes them perfect for photographers and videographers alike.
Both the new Lupolux DayLED fresnel spotlights side by side. The 1000 on the left is ⅔ of a stop more powerful than the very capable 650 on the right.
These LED spotlights are DMX (remote) controllable making them the ideal choice for video and theatre productions. You will also never have to think about changing the bulbs as they have a life span of 50,000 hrs. This makes these lights much more cost-effective than other continuous lighting options. Here are the vital statistics (more…)
58 comments July 13th, 2012 01:59pm damien
A real world owner user report on the Fujifilm X-Pro1 by Damien Lovegrove.
01. The Fujifilm X-Pro1 with the three lenses available at launch.
I’ve got an open mind when it comes to photography. I’ve been looking to replace my ageing Canon 5Dmk2 for sometime as I never use many of the attributes of SLR shooting like fast focus tracking in sport photography or extreme telephoto work for nature photography so I decided to give the little Fujifilm X-Pro 1 a go. I paid about £3000 for the camera and it’s three lenses and this was a private not business purchase. This is what I discovered.. (more…)
11 comments June 25th, 2012 10:05pm damien
01. Meet Cirila Zorenc. Cirila is the kind and patient model we had booked for our two street portrait sessions. Cirila is tall, very tall, so I held my X-Pro1 above my head and used the rear LCD to frame this shot. Chris and I wanted to be inspired by the great Renaissance painters of Venice so I set my white balance to 6300K and started shooting. We worked with pools of light and where none existed we made them ourselves using a pair of Speedlights on a Lovegrove Gemini bracket.
Nothing quite prepares you for your first visit to Venice. It is like no other place on earth, Venice is simply glorious. The title of this post should include ‘and my mate Chris Hanley’ at the end. Chris and I had a job to do and this is the story of our mini adventure all in the name of work. (more…)
8 comments April 4th, 2012 12:17am damien
1. Amina and Sadia
About once a week at the moment I’m teaching shooting skills on a 1 to 1 basis. This set of shots were taken in my studio last week using basic Elinchrom kit or Dedo lights owned by my client. This journey of evolution for my client is as exciting for me as it is for him. I wanted to share some colour and energy pictures with you as my blog is looking a bit bland with the current mono look. Enjoy (more…)
10 comments March 16th, 2012 11:34pm damien
This is a light hearted look at what is happening with our hardware. (more…)
3 comments March 11th, 2012 11:04am damien
7 comments March 8th, 2012 11:06pm damien
Click on the image to see the file at 100% and in colour.
Whilst at Focus on Imaging I was fortunate enough to have 60 seconds with the new X-pro1. Just enough time to shoot these two frames (more…)
43 comments February 19th, 2012 10:27pm damien
A 15,000 frame user report by Damien Lovegrove
My first seven months with the Fujifilm x100 has been mostly a joy although my love affair with this little marvel has had its ups and downs.
The Fujifilm X100 is undeniably cute.
On the plus side (more…)
4 comments February 19th, 2012 12:11pm damien
A cat woman shot from a recent 1:1 training shoot featuring Anita De Bauch
The waitress on the ship said to me ” you never waste a minute do you? You are always writing or reading” I guess she’s right. I thought I was doing nothing, taking it easy, but inadvertently while on a family cruise around the middle east I’ve managed to (more…)
29 comments February 5th, 2012 07:44pm damien
Various Twitter followers have asked me a question about searching for inspiration this week so I thought I’d respond in a blog post. Here is how I find images and use apps to drive my thought processes.
1. Moodboard Pro is one important app in my creative process.
21 comments December 30th, 2011 12:03am damien
The past 12 months have been a challenge for most photographers eking out a living in a contracting market. It’s been tough on some counts but all this economic turmoil has given us the perfect excuse to explore new markets, change the products we offer and to push forward into uncharted waters. Art and humanity have always made great progress in times of trouble, when they have been forced to take on new directions.
Click on the picture to visit this years gallery. There are 372 pictures and their exif data in easy to browse galleries.
Fashion in wedding and portrait photography has always been (more…)
Add comment December 19th, 2011 04:44pm damien
We have changed the hosting service for this blog. Prophotonut has now been sucessfully migrated to a more robust and faster server with more bandwidth and less down time. We have had over 1 million visitors and with 3000 minutes of visitor time per day things were getting a bit slow. You should all see a marked improvement in the transfer speed for this site from now on.
Over the coming days I will be blogging a series of posts featuring my recent photographs. I’ll also be compiling my best of 2011 collection. Thank you for your patience over the past few weeks while I’ve been launching the Lighting Studio Portraits video production and putting in a stronger IT foundation for our business.
Pictures galore will follow over the next few days.
Kindest regards, Damien.
23 comments December 12th, 2011 01:06pm damien
Here’s one more chapter from the latest DVD production showing the use of one continuous spotlight to create a simple fashion style portrait taken on a Fujifilm X100. Details of the download procedure and the double DVD options are below. (more…)
25 comments December 8th, 2011 03:34pm damien
01.
I’ve been studying the work of a few major European portrait studios on my quest for learning new shooting styles and I’m drawn to a few of the looks that I’ve had a go at recreating here. I used just (more…)
7 comments November 30th, 2011 03:35pm damien
This is a sample chapter using just one Studio Flash head at a distance of one metre from Chloe Jasmine Whichello. (more…)
13 comments November 29th, 2011 08:12pm damien
It’s here, after 18 months of hard work, planning and shooting, my definitive video production sharing everything I know about using studio lights to create portraits both in a studio and on location has arrived. Over three hours of finely shot and edited HD video production reveal all my secrets of effortless picture making. The process is everything, and I share with you how you can make it happen.
This video production is the pinnacle of my career to date. Nothing withheld, I show you how to create award winning images with just one light. I go on to show how to take command of a big rig and produce studio images with life, vitality and soul. Enjoy…
30 comments November 28th, 2011 08:56pm damien
Wow, I’m honoured and excited to receive this top award from the Guild of Photographers.
A press statement that I’ve just received declares that: The Guild of Photographers has given it’s ultimate accolade, that of ‘Master of the Craft’ to Damien Lovegrove in recognition of his skills and commitment to the art of photography and the training thereof. The award has only been given to 5 other photographers throughout the world! After fifteen years of top flight image making, Damien has become one of the foremost trainers of photography and entrepreneurial business strategies in our industry. A published writer and regular columnist, Damien has travelled the globe sharing his knowledge and expertise and clearly has a contagious enthusiasm for photography and the development of others.”
Thank you The Guild of Photographers this award is greatfully received.
7 comments November 25th, 2011 10:27pm damien
23 comments November 20th, 2011 07:22pm damien
01.
It’s been a while since I’ve used just Speedlights with a splash of ambient to light interior portraits. I’ve had several requests for a workshop that specifically covers using Speedlights and balancing them with interior ambient light. So my team decided (more…)
14 comments October 23rd, 2011 10:38pm damien
1. Lit with an Elinchrom Quadra from about 5m to the right of Rebecca.
Most of you will know that I run a photographer development programme that lasts for one year called Evolve. And from time to time throughout the year we get together for a social and a shoot. Here are twenty or so pictures from our last meeting at Hogarths Hotel near Solihull, a few weeks ago. (more…)
13 comments September 15th, 2011 12:13pm damien
Speedlight Mastery Trailer from Damien Lovegrove on Vimeo. This video featured on the excellent Fstoppers blog yesterday and is already getting thousands of views.
All 35 chapters of this feature length HD production can now be downloaded here. The original Speedlight Mastery DVD and BluRay contained just 23 chapters and the 12 chapters are now availiable as an HD download. The DVD format is limited to about 2.5 hours of standard definition video and we had to cut out the extra 12 chapters to squeeze the content onto the disc. Now that we can offer the all the content in a HD format as a download it can be optomised by the end user for their iPad, iPhone and android devices.
Add comment September 13th, 2011 09:44am damien
Some of you with time on your hands might like to watch the Skype video interview I did for the famous [F]ramed blog in the USA hosted by Melissa Niu. I was invited to judge their weekly competition and it went from there. Warning – I can talk. Haha
10 comments July 30th, 2011 06:25pm damien
Here is the 2006 showreel that Julie and I commissioned to help us convert prospects into becoming clients. It is all made up from still photographs. The animation was created painstakenly by hand. This is meant to be mute – see below for the reason.
Here is the showreel that I commissioned using Macromedia Director way back in 2006. It shows pictures that Julie, my wife and I shot at weddings from 2001 – 2005. We included it in our brochure at the time to help convert prospects into clients. The original version was delivered on CD and contained paid for licensed production music. I’ve kept this web version mute to avoid copyright infringement. All the pictures and content belong to Lovegrove Weddings. Please enjoy this HD video. I hope you get plenty of ideas and inspiration from it.
The original production was published on CD as a (more…)
57 comments July 16th, 2011 04:10pm damien
The Fuji X100 my best portrait camera?
Cute doesn't even begin to describe this instrument of image making. The small, retro camera is one of the best portrait cameras I've ever used. The X100 is very intuitive, I don’t fiddle with the settings, I just take pictures. I’ve set it up to suit me so I can just pick it up and shoot.
Every now and then a bit of photographic kit comes along that changes the way I see and capture my world. (more…)
8 comments July 3rd, 2011 01:11pm damien
1.
Here are thirty pictures that I shot whilst giving one of my shooting couples workshops last month. Way back in 1999 Julie and I started to shoot every one of our wedding couples before their wedding. The general term used at that time for this kind of shoot was an engagement shoot but we preferred to use the phrase pre-wedding shoot. Somehow linking the shoot to the wedding gave it more gravitas and implied it was not a try before you buy type shoot. Our biggest obstacle to overcome in the early days was to get clients to buy pictures from the shoot in sufficient quantity to make the whole process worthwhile. We have that bit sorted now through the use of inteligent communication and having the right products delivered with a fabulous customer experience. (more…)
23 comments July 2nd, 2011 11:54pm damien
Two weeks in and I’m totally smitten with my Fuji X100 camera. I took it on a holiday to Cornwall and then I pulled it from my camera bag at today’s portrait shoot just for 1 minite. This is a follow up to my original post about the Fujifilm X100 here.
1. We were moving between locations and this little girl wanted to have a go with my Fuji X100. I had my Canon kit in my Think Tank bag over my shoulder and I took this grab shot on the move. Click on the picture to see the full resolution image. I've only processed these pictures in Lightroom using the auto black and white function and the pictures have not been near Photoshop. The EXIF is intact on the full res image.
I would love to have shot for longer with the X100 but (more…)
17 comments June 16th, 2011 03:55pm damien
I’m feeling inspired by a fabulous after dinner talk by my good friend and fellow photographer Martin Hogeboom in Germany earlier this week. In his talk entitled ‘What’s not in your camera bag’ Martin discussed the essential toolkit needed to become a successful photographer. The talk was from the perspective of a commercial photographer but many of the attributes Martin identified relate to all aspects of freelancing and self employment. Martin inspired me to write this 10 point personal toolkit of a successful photographer. (more…)
20 comments April 17th, 2011 12:49pm damien
Jo is wonderful, I thought I’d just get that off my chest. She has amazing clients because she is an amazing person who can use a camera artistically to capture unique images. Her product is way more than photography. It is a lifestyle capture, with a bit of fantasy, a story laced with art. It gives me great pleasure to share 50 of her recent Child Portrait workshop images with you. The first set of 25 are of Poppy and George…
1 A fusion of colour. A mellay of hues within a limited palette. There's way more to a Jo-de Banzie portrait than is first seen.
12 comments February 25th, 2011 04:44pm damien
Here it is at last. We have just taken delivery of our first 100 Geminis, our latest precision engineered lighting accessory. The design is simple and effective. The finish is first class and the Gemini was designed and made in England.
Gemini ~ The twin Speedlight bracket designed for use with Nikon or Canon Pocket Wizard TTL receivers.
12 comments January 24th, 2011 10:12pm damien
A screen shot from my 2010 collection. Click on the image to visit the gallery.
I have uploaded a selection of my 2010 pictures in a gallery. This has become customary for me now in January of each year. I’ve included my EXIF data to make your journey through my shots more interesting. All the pictures were taken in 2010 between March and December. Choosing is always tough and I never seem to know which images I should select, so please forgive me if I’ve missed out your favourites. I could have just shown shots of the fabulous Chloe Jasmine Whichello and dedicated the year to her such was her impact on my evolving style. There were of course many other wonderful people that I had the pleasure of photographing too. This collection is for everyone.
Enjoy.
47 comments January 23rd, 2011 12:00am damien
Here is the Speedlight and location flash triggering kit I will be starting the 2011 season with. On the left is my Canon kit. In the middle is my Plus 2 trigger kit that I use for my Broncolor flash and on the right is my Nikon kit. It is worth noting that the Plus 2 kit is rarely used now because my Flex TT5 units can perform identical functionality.
I was giving some lighting training out on location all day Thursday and I had a Speedlight issue. I wanted to trigger a Canon 580EX2 on a lighting stand that was rigged just 3m from my camera. I opted for (more…)
13 comments January 2nd, 2011 06:00pm damien
Here are a few insights on my plans for 2011
Picture Styles
My picture style development during the first few months of 2011 will be aimed at creating dramatic fantasy post wedding fashion shoots. An outdoor location version of the ‘Cherish the Dress’ brand so brilliantly established by former Evolver, Chris Hanley. This will incorporate fine lighting using all the tools in the box including big flash and Speedlights. Shooting in dramatic locations like cliffs, castles, lakes and woodland and in all weathers. We will be protecting (not trashing) the dresses and aiming for a more dynamic and fantasy look than my regular style. Expect textures and colour palette tweaking in post production too. (more…)
20 comments December 13th, 2010 10:44pm damien
This is the final part of the journey from concept to market for my first coffee table book.
I shot all the pictures for the book over a four and a half month period in 2010 and they are all of Chloe-Jasmine Whichello. The text is a combination of poems by C-J and some of my stories about the shoots. My November task was to find a company to print our book. Luke Knight, my in-house graphics expert had nearly finished the book design and layouts and I knew the project was likely to be best sourced from a company in the far East so I set about finding a book broker with command of the Korean and Chinese languages. I settled down with a glass of wine and an iPad to do my research.
The cover and the spine complete with the Floppy Chicken logo.
It didn’t take long using Google and following my nose to find (more…)
33 comments October 31st, 2010 12:41pm damien
1. From left to right: Kayt Webster-Brown, Matilda Svensson and Chloe-Jasmine Whichello. The shoot was principally of Kayt and Chloe-Jasmine who had both kindly agreed to 'sit' for me and I invited Matilda to join us. Here is a selection of our pictures.
Not work safe after the jump (more…)
26 comments October 13th, 2010 10:37pm damien
1. Rich autumnal colours on a cold windy day courtesy of a white balance shift on my Canon 5D mk 2. A single Speedlight and the sun made the shot come alive. Natalia is a consummate professional. 1/4000th second at f/2.8 ISO 200
These pictures are from my second Speedlight Mastery workshop in Bristol with Natalia. Wow! what a day. No fires at Costa Coffee this time but I had an opportunity to explore the nuances that make beautiful pictures of beautiful people. The angles of light playing on a divine facial bone structure, laughter lines, the peak of a moment and the subtlety of a look. I felt totally exhausted and fulfilled at the end of the shoot and my delegates shared the same incredible journey. (more…)
5 comments October 5th, 2010 02:28pm damien
1. Wistful design
These pictures of Madam Bink were taken on a recent test shoot by Julie using a Nikon D700 with a 24-70mm lens. They show the development of our style. Makeup was by Vicky Waghorn and the location was Stonwall Manor in Frome. (Not work safe beyond the jump) (more…)
26 comments September 20th, 2010 05:19pm damien
After various bits of speculation and leaks of information (by me) interest in my book project is finally taking off. Here is my account of the first part of the journey.
One of my many detail shots of the fabulous Chloe-Jasmine Whichello. I love just getting in there with my 100mm lens. It always makes Chloe giggle and thats a good thing.
I say my book, but really, this is OUR book. Chloe – Jasmine Whichello and I are (more…)
20 comments September 11th, 2010 12:52am damien
My first picture of the first day taken on my 50mm f/1.2 lens at f/2.8. Make up was by Vicki Waghorn and the model is Chloe Jasmine Whichello.
The task: To re-engage art in my customer’s portrait making and to create pictures on a new higher level.
The goal: To shoot a set of portraits fit for a top fashion magazine editorial and get them published.
The Action: To put together a workshop with like minded professional portrait photographers all driven by the need for quality, integrity and art in their work.
Here is my story… (more…)
72 comments August 29th, 2010 06:35pm damien
My complete camera kit. A Canon 5D mk2 with four prime lenses
Here is the story of my switch from zooms to primes and my findings so far. (more…)
4 comments August 25th, 2010 12:26pm damien
I thought I’d share with you my planning process for my upcoming heART of portraiture event. I am shooting three consecutive workshops with the soon to be supermodel Chloe Jasmine Whichello. Here are my ideas… (more…)
13 comments August 11th, 2010 01:32pm damien
Inspiration for words or pictures comes from many sources but if you want to improve your ability to learn from the masters you must first understand the language they use. There are indeed rules of grammar and rules of picture composition. I don’t want to bang on about the rules, I’ll leave that for (more…)
16 comments July 21st, 2010 10:12pm damien
Here are a few of my pictures of Stina taken on a big flash test shoot with fellow photographer Nick Bunton. We pooled our lighting equipment so we had 2 Mobil A2R kits, 4 Mobil flash heads, a ringflash or 2, and 5 Speedlights at our disposal. We both chose to shoot Nikon and I used my Nikon D700, with 14-24 f/2.8, 24-70 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8 lenses.
1. This frame of Stina was shot in front of a concrete pillar supporting a link road in Bristol. The lighting design is simple but effective. Two 3/4 backlights were provided by a couple of Mobil heads and a Broncolor ringflash on camera completed the look. ISO 200, 1/200th at f/11
8 comments July 14th, 2010 05:46pm damien
1. This simple but punchy twin Speedlight shot told the weather story of the day. Yes we got wet, but it didn't detract from what was a great shoot and learning experience. The white balance was at 3400K by accident but I liked the blue look so I kept it.
Every few weeks or so I put a 1:1 or 1:2 shoot training day into my diary. It’s an opportunity to fine tune a photographers shooting and lighting skills. Sometimes I shoot alongside and other times I just direct and light. The format is flexible and great shoots always result. Here are a few of my frames from yesterdays session…
12 comments June 26th, 2010 11:19am damien
Here are some new product information videos that I’ve put together. The motivation for the project was to use video to answer some of my most asked questions freeing up my time and educating site visitors in the process.
I’m in the process of replacing my existing Flash online video content with Quicktime H.264. All the videos were shot in SD and are iPad or iPhone compatible. If you have any compatability issues with the videos below or you have codec settings that I could use to make the videos better, bigger, and load faster please use the comment facility below. Thanks in advance, Damien.
Here are the links to six of my latest videos:
Which lighting stand is right for the job?
The Orbis ring flash adapter in action
How easy is the EzyBox by Lastolite?
How do Arri Fresnel lights produce such beautiful light?
How can I use the LoveCube on location with a Speedlight?
How do I use the Lovegrove Studio Collection of colour gels?
40 comments June 8th, 2010 11:25pm damien
Here is my iPad picture resizing Photoshop action (right click link and choose to download linked file) I’ve zipped the action for security. The slideshow function within the iPad photos app (more…)
37 comments June 6th, 2010 08:54pm damien
I’ve been getting loads of tweets about how I’m finding my iPad and I’m hearing the pains of indecision from the ‘yet to get’ and ‘not sure if I want to’ togs. So here is my analysis of the mobile world according to Apple.
Background info: I own and use the following on a daily basis: (more…)
19 comments May 30th, 2010 11:58am damien
Here are a few pictures from a test shoot I did with Rosie Pitt last Wednesday. I set the pictures to some royalty free music using Fotomagico slideshow software. (more…)
74 comments May 23rd, 2010 08:36pm damien
Well here is a little something to get your heads around. I’m not sure on the physics or the tech behind this post but I do know the maximum published sync speed for non Speedlight flash kit is a measly 1/200th of a second with the Canon 5D and 5D mk2. Not any more! The techniques used in this post were hinted to me by Martin Hogeboom in a cafe in Amsterdam last week and I vowed to give it a go and see if the rumours are true. All the exif is intact so please learn from it as you wish. (more…)
14 comments May 17th, 2010 08:42pm damien
Every now and then there are days my life that trigger significant chains of events. I don’t believe in consequences. Things happen for a reason. I have spent the past 16 years of my life being guided on a meandering path to happiness and fulfillment. The journey has been tough at times and is by no means over. An underlying drive to make things happen has given me the vision needed to succeed. Where does this energy and drive come from? It’s not Weetabix that’s for sure. I possibly have a condition. Strange word – condition, it somehow implies an unfortunate situation that requires treatment. But I can’t believe how happy I am to have it. To be labeled with the same brush as these remarkable people has me feeling quite blessed. The one constant in my life over the past 16 years has been Julie and wow, what a constant, steady as a rock – my rock.
10 comments April 26th, 2010 07:14pm damien
1 - The Pebble of Manchester and Lisa Marie are lit with a splash of flash from an SB-900 on a stand. I triggered the flash in full sun at a distance of 30m with the pop up flash in my Nikon D700. At no point throughout the day did we have triggering problems with Nikon's fantastic infra red system.
9 comments April 24th, 2010 10:22am damien
Well, there are several devices available for using a Speedlight as a ring flash. I’ve tried most and some are way sleeker and less cumbersome than Orbis but of all the ones I’ve tried Orbis is the only one (more…)
5 comments March 4th, 2010 11:15pm damien
Our team at Focus this year are Blaise Williams, Claire Hanley, Steve Devey, Marko Nurminen and myself. In previous years we have been swamped and unable to connect with as many of you as we had wanted. So this year we comissioned a far bigger stand and as you know it’s not the stand that matters it’s the team so here they are: (more…)
23 comments March 4th, 2010 08:13pm damien
I may have seemed a bit quiet over the past few weeks. but believe me I have been flat out developing new product lines and preparing for our biggest Focus show ever. One of these product lines is the definitive collection of continuous lighting equipment.
The Lowel id-light out on location
Why work with continuous light? Well, all pro DSLRs seem to have HD video shooting capabilities these days and they are being used in many ways. From the basic shooting of promo clips for blogs right up to the production of hybrid wedding multimedia products. When it comes to shooting video alongside stills continuous light is a must. (more…)
16 comments February 24th, 2010 07:39pm damien
I was giving my Evolve delegates their two day closing session on Monday and Tuesday. When it was decided that a mini shoot with Speedlights would whet the creative appetite. So Blaise, my amazing PA rustled up Lauren our model and on Tuesday afternoon we produced these shots at the Matara in the Cotswolds.
Snow was falling, it was nearly dark outside but the light from one Speedlight was all I used for this interesting portrait.
We used the potted plants as dingle and the Honl gobo strapped to the Speedlight as a close coupled reflector. All of us were shooting completely different images from this session. Both the Nikons and Canons were producing extremely varied results. TTL often struggles to produce consistent results when Speedlights are used as backlights. (more…)
13 comments February 4th, 2010 12:12am damien
The LoveCube™ is here at last. No, it is not dodgy but it will brighten up your photographs and look great at home after the shoot too. Details
The LoveCube™ is a studio prop that will look just as cool in the woods, on the beach, up the Eiffel Tower or in your home. It comes complete with a light fitting (removable) so that it can be used as an illuminated coffee table.
Twitter continues to amaze me. I’ve connected with 800 or so photographers now and it seems the tipping point has been reached. (more…)
12 comments December 12th, 2009 02:10am damien
With details of new workshops ~ Focus on imaging ~ SWPP talks ~ Blog updates ~ And a call for ideas. (more…)
6 comments December 5th, 2009 02:00am damien
In this update: Nikon lenses on Canon bodies, Infra Red news, Lens test reports and more. (more…)
23 comments November 29th, 2009 02:47am damien
I recently decided to replace my Canon wide angle zoom lens with a fixed prime lens. I shoot mainly portraits and it’s worth bearing this in mind as you read this out of the box review. My decision to go prime for my super wide shots was an easy one to make.
The Zeiss Distagon 21mm f/2.8 ZE attached to my Canon 5Dmk2
15 comments November 23rd, 2009 06:23pm damien
Below is a clip from the 2.5 hour production. Here is a link to the information page I have created for this new video production. You can view another clip from the movie there too. Please take a look and pop back with any questions you may have. (more…)
29 comments November 21st, 2009 11:15pm damien
UPDATE: Full version 500 of the firmware is now available for all PW TTL units. Download via your Pocket Wizard utility application.
There is an updated firmware available for the Pocket Wizard Mini TT1 and Flex TT5 available for download here. It is Beta firmware but don’t let that put you off because the previous official version was a work in progress. The good news is that additional functionality has been added to the Mini and Flex as well as 7D compatibility. A few bugs have being fixed too especially those that affect 5Dmk2 user.
10 comments November 8th, 2009 02:43pm damien
I’ve had many questions from Nikon users waiting for the new Pocket Wizard TT1 and TT5 units and here is my response to the most common one. Should I buy an SU-800 or wait for the new Pocket Wizard TTL units to come out? (more…)
21 comments September 26th, 2009 11:28pm damien
Drobo sounds good, looks good and might just save your skin. It’s a hard disc array that backs itself up so that if [correction, when] a hard disc fails it can be replaced with a new one without losing any data or experiencing down time. It’s like RAID but better. We’ve had ours now for over a year and (more…)
4 comments September 9th, 2009 01:03pm damien
Getting creative with off camera flash is very rewarding when you are in control. I'll be showing just how to work with colour at this new creative workshop.
Here at last is the first of our creative days for users of Pocket Wizard TTL triggers for Speedlights. Learn how to harness the increased power of high speed flash sync and how to work without line of sight syncing in one of the most striking locations in the world. (more…)
32 comments August 10th, 2009 11:11pm damien
I know this is the dullest of pictures but it shows the 35 metres range of the FlexTT5 with my 580EX11 Speedlite. More exciting pictures will be shot tomorrow when I have my first full photoshoot with the Pocket Wizard kit. I'll be shooting fast moving objects in sunlight at 1/2000th second at f/5.6 
Hi all, We have received our first batch of the Pocket Wizard Mini TT1s and Flex TT5s for Canon. I have been testing a set (1x mini TT1 and 2x flexTT5) for about 4 hours now. I am pleased to say that they have passed all my tests so far and the units are now available here from our site. Here are my initial test findings with an exciting twist in the tail: (more…)
5 comments August 4th, 2009 09:04pm damien
Wow! Just back from a week in the big apple and it was something else. A taster…
Boy did it rain! But that never stopped us creating pictures. I used a coloured gel on the flash units to add some life to this shot. Alex's feet were rather damp to say the least but we still had such a great time in the 28C degree warmth.
I had Alex climbing up the wall for this shot. Concrete blocks painted black and a splash of flash from 2 Speedlights as shown was all I used for this striking set up on the street. We were stopping the traffic and having great fun.
I’m not sure I could have coped with another day, it was so full on. While I was there (more…)
15 comments July 16th, 2009 02:28pm damien
What a great challenge. Warehouse Express asked me to check out the differences between the Nikon rivals and report back. Well I already own a Nikon D700 with the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens so Nikon lent me the D300 and the 17-55mm lens combo to do the evaluating. There were less surprises than I thought but here are some of my findings. (more…)
9 comments July 15th, 2009 07:19pm damien
Following a month of beta testing in the UK Pocket Wizard are set to go into production with CE units of their new TTL system for Canon. It’s an exciting time for us and a scary one too. We all want this project to succeed and a lot of PW reputation for outstanding reliability for radio triggering of flash units hangs on the success of these new TTL products. Here at ProphotoNut we wish Pocket Wizard good luck and a good UK launch. No date is set yet but it is likely to be weeks rather than months 
watch this space.
9 comments June 30th, 2009 11:54pm damien
In a sun locked UK shooting goes on but it is definately harder to work as controlling all that extra light becomes a challenge armed with just a couple of Speedlights. We find ourselves at the limits – f/22, 1/200th second (Canon) and ISO 200 (Nikon). Life on the limit often produces fabulous results. If it was easy everyone would do it;-)
Delegates lining up a shot on the limits. 4 shooters and 4 different shots. We all take it in turns to shoot from different angles and all is very civilised. This was a rare on camera flash moment.
Here is my take on the shot. The boots do it for me
3 comments June 11th, 2009 03:33pm damien
Marko will also be giving talks at our 'Spectacular' event in Hook and on our Italian adventure in Tuscany this October.
After a couple of seminars by Marko and I earlier this year in Munich and Frankfurt, Marko was invited to hold a Lightroom – Photoshop seminar in Rodgau. 25 photographers got together to exchange ideas for the weekend and to experience Marko’s expertise at first hand. (more…)
6 comments June 9th, 2009 02:31pm damien
My strategy to review a camera or lens puts my subjective observations at an equally important level as objective facts and figures. So when a Phase One camera and a couple of backs arrived I had a bit of product familiarity work to do. See how this camera got on in my fairly steady hands. (more…)
29 comments May 25th, 2009 10:14am damien
A lot of noise on the US forums about the mechanical strength and the RF range of these units has led me to publish a few of the links and info here (more…)
8 comments May 21st, 2009 04:19pm damien
Marko and I between takes on the set at the Lovegrove studio.
Quite a few of you were emailing about the video tutorials for Photoshop and Lightroom and asking when are they going to be available. (more…)
21 comments May 18th, 2009 09:13am damien
Update: Over 100 of these brackets have been sold already and the feedback from users is fantastic.
It has been 6 months in the planning and testing but finally I can confirm the long awaited ‘Lovegrove Flash Bracket’ used to mount any Speedlight firmly in any position on a lighting stand is now available here
Take control of your Speedlight and mount it on a stand in any orientation with this nifty stand to flash bracket. Ideal for weding and portrait photographers alike. Click on the picture for more details.
5 comments May 10th, 2009 11:21pm damien
Photographer Martin Hill is already hitting the high notes as he launches into the top flight of social photography. The last ten months have been a full on learning experience for Martin and his team and I am pleased to say they have come through Evolve with flying colours.
This fabulous shot taken in Somerset was lit with a Broncolor Mobil flash and secured Martin his first gold award from his first ever professional competition entry.
6 comments May 8th, 2009 09:22am damien
The Strictly Lovegrove project continues to gather pace. I’ve been scouting my local vicinity for venues and locations that can sustain the project throughout all the seasons. At the moment I reliant on unheated spaces and with minimal clothes on my clients it is restricting me to shooting on good weather days between May and September. Here are a few pictures from a shoot earlier this week.
A field of Rape and a blast of flash set the mood of the first picture of the day. I used two flash heads connected to my Broncolor Mobil power pack to provide visual impact.
8 comments April 22nd, 2009 07:06pm damien
Last weeks camera skills workshop generated some great portraits captured using natural light. Marko made a masterpiece of this frame from my 5D mk2.
Another frame from the same set. The delegates left with all the inside knowledge on perspective, f-stops, exposure factors, lens characteristics and much, much more.
Hi all, I’m back following a recent down time because of a … (more…)
Add comment March 31st, 2009 09:34am damien
A collegue and friend of mine has a plethora of event work all over the UK and is looking for photographers with the Mitsubishi Click system, or experience of using one, to take on commissions. If you are in a position to photograph proms and charity balls please get in touch by email and I will ensure your details are passed on.
5 comments March 23rd, 2009 04:26pm damien
Here is another batch of the pictures we shot at last weeks Street Fashion workshop in Manchester.
A Broncolor ring flash plugged into my Mobil pack made this simple picture sing. I love the sheen of leather when it's lit with ring flash. This is a head back 'Kate Moss' look.
6 comments March 23rd, 2009 11:33am damien
During the Cherish The Dress seminar last week I shot a series of intimate shots and showed the delegates other lighting styles including silhouettes. I thought I’d share some more of these pictures with you here. Chris has kindly sent through a few more of his shots from the day too.
I shot these frames into a window with a smidgen of increased exposure to blow the background to white. Some intimate shots like these fill the Cherish album and add value to the finished product.
20 comments March 20th, 2009 11:38am damien
I knew this was going to be good, but the day exceeded all our expectations. The Hilton hotel in Manchester looked after us extremely well and the dresses supplied by Michelle were spot on for this event.
A splash of flash from a Speedlight was all that was needed to bring this picture to life. Charlotte's dress looks like a liquid metal under this lighting.
Here is a small selection of the days images shot by Chris and Myself. (more…)
8 comments March 15th, 2009 12:25am damien
Now available online here.
Have your name or logo embossed into the grain of these fine leather portfolios to make the best possible first impression. Whatever you shoot these portfolios are an ideal way to showcase your work and they are now available online.
For five years now our portfolios have gained recognition around the globe as a well presented body of work that screams ‘wow’ to our clients. Now it’s your chance to get hold of these lavish, splendid beauties. (more…)
14 comments March 1st, 2009 12:55am damien
Our stand at the Focus show played host to thousands of visitors over the four days. The big pull was the pair of portfolios in the foreground. These folios are now available online from our shop.
Once a year at ‘Focus’ we get the chance to meet many thousands of photographers face to face. We listen to their successes and try to understand their needs. The Focus on Imaging show in Birmingham was smaller this year with some major exhibitors absent. (more…)
7 comments January 24th, 2009 02:52pm damien
I am in the privileged position of being commissioned to write a product review of the Nikon D90 for Warehouse Express. As part of my testing of this new camera, I shot a studio session under arduous conditions to put the camera through it’s paces. My full review will be available on the Warehouse Express site soon but for now here are some pictures for you to enjoy. Click on the pictures to link to the full resolution jpegs if you wish.
A Calumet 'Storm Grey' background roll and three hard lights did all the work here. Nikon D90, ISO 200, f/14, 1/125th, 62mm lens setting.
5 comments January 14th, 2009 10:41pm damien
The SWPP convention in London is about to get underway.
I will be sharing my inspiration and secrets on creating and using light in portraits on Friday 16th between 6pm and 8pm in the Bordeaux suite of the Hamersmith Novotel. You will need masterclass tickets for this event.
The Lovegrove Consulting trade stand is just by the entrance of the Champagne Suite. The trade show is open daily from Friday to Sunday. Please do come and say hello. Marko, Julie and I will be on hand to answer your questions in person.
Damien.
12 comments December 5th, 2008 12:19am damien
The trailers for our new DVDs are online at last. Thank you for being patient, those of you who have asked for a sneak preview are now rewarded.
The trailer for ‘The Big Day the Lovegrove Way’ is here
The trailer for ‘Lighting Winter Weddings’ is here
Please feel free to comment and ask questions about the DVDs here.
24 comments October 8th, 2008 11:14pm damien
Here is a small selection of the pictures I shot in Bristol on Tuesday’s Urban Portrait workshop. My workshops are limited to just 4 delegates so we all have the opportunity to shoot each frame.
After the heavy rain throughout the day the skies broke to reveal a welcome patch of blue. Lit with a zoomed in Speedlight mounted on a stand. Canon 5D, ISO 250, f/22 at 1/160th sec, 45mm focal length, manual exposure.
9 comments October 6th, 2008 11:49pm damien
Here is a small selection of the pictures I shot in Bristol on today’s Urban Portrait workshop. My workshops are limited to just 4 delegates so we all have the opportunity to shoot each frame.
I used a bit of dingle in the foreground of this autumnal naturally lit close up of Jasmine our model. Canon 5D, ISO 400, f/4 at 1/500th sec, 140mm focal length, aperture priority.
2 comments October 5th, 2008 02:23pm martin
Martin writes: Amongst all the Photokina hype this one passed me by until now: Elinchrom has just announced an interesting new 400WS version of their Ranger flash kit. Details here (pdf, opens in new window). (more…)
Take a look at more upcoming photography training courses here. Helpful tutorials, tips and training workshops on Speedlight Photography. Useful resource page covering all aspects of Continuous Lighting Systems.
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A comprehensive guide to posing clients, couples and large groups, by Damien Lovegrove |
Chloe Jasmine Whichello the latest, lavish, hard bound book by Damien Lovegrove is available here for just £25 (signed first edition). It is packed full of inspiration and beauty. "A visual delight."
A jounrey of Take a look at the range of Lovegrove photography training dvds here.
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A comprehensive guide to posing clients, couples and large groups, by Damien Lovegrove |
Chloe Jasmine Whichello the latest, lavish, hard bound book by Damien Lovegrove is available here for just £25 (signed first edition). It is packed full of inspiration and beauty. "A visual delight."
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