Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Bathgate Academy Prom 2015

I would like to say a huge "Thank You" to the staff and pupils at Bathgate Academy for commissioning me for their Prom.



It was, to say the least, a fun and frantic one and a half hours of shooting!

Fortunately, I had the luxury of lots of space to set up my mobile studio.



The end results:







Technical details:

For this shoot, I set up a standard white paper background and lit on either side with strobes in egg crates to keep the light spill to  minimum and focus the light on the background.

The background was set 2.5 stops higher than the main light to give a nice high key effect.

The main light was mounted on a large octabox on a boom arm and set slightly to the left of center to give nice even light but create some interesting shadows.

I used a Canon 5D MkII with a 70mm-200mm F2.8 II and triggered the flash heads using a Pocket Wizard Flex system.  Camera settings were ISO 200, F8 and 1/200.   All files were RAW format.

These settings gave me great flexibility in relation to depth of field - this was especially important when large groups were being shot at the same time to ensure everything was sharp.

This lens allowed me to quickly transition from full length to tight crop without having to change my camera position.

Total images shot: 387

Editing:
Lightroom for basic cropping and global adjustments to all images.
Lightroom for black and white conversions.
Lightroom for cataloging.
Photoshop to fine detail editing and cloning
All images backed up / archived to 2 independent drives

Please contact Elske Photography for your next project - elske@elske-photography.co.uk






Monday, April 13, 2015

Actor Shoot – Elske™ Photography Studio

I had the great pleasure recently of meeting and photographing Martin, Issy and Kier to update their actor portfolio images.

It was a busy day in the Elske™ Photography studio #elskephoto, as I wanted to get a diverse range of images for their agency and to fit in a few family shots at the end.

The studio lighting was initially set up for high key images – pure white background / flat front lighting / hair light on a snoot directly behind the subject to deliver the standard shots required by most agencies. 

In my studio, I always shoot tethered.  This provides a direct link between the camera and the computer to provide instant images on a large screen.  This is a great way for me to see in large format if I have captured the perfect image.  It is also a great way of giving feedback to the client on facial expressions and body position.

Once we had these standard images in the camera, I started to angle the main light to provide more drama by introducing shadow onto the face.  The introduction of shadow certainly added more character to the images and created a much stronger look for the client.

To finish the shoot, I changed to a black background to provide much more dramatic images.  The dark clothing worn by Martin further accentuated the drama.  These were by far my favourite images of the day.

The key to this (and all shoots) is engaging with your clients, being sympathetic to their needs and continually providing direction and encouragement throughout the shoot.  That way, your clients relax and you get to the real person and character underneath – this is what differentiates Elske™ Photography from the rest. 




Look out for Martin, Issy and Kier in the coming months – you will no doubt see them soon on stage or TV!

ELSKE™ has a simple philosophy

to deliver an exclusive photographic experience and create luxurious photographic wall art
#elskephoto

Monday, March 30, 2015

New Elske™ Branding Launched

New Elske™ Branding


ELSKE™ has a simple philosophy
to deliver an exclusive photographic experience and create luxurious photographic wall art

The creation of a new brand may seem like a simple task – create a logo and off you go…

Branding is MUCH more than the logo, it is the essence of the entire business.  We have created a consistent look and message throughout our digital and print media.

Why change?

The simple answer is that my schedule is very busy and I want my clients to get the very best service and products.

I therefore decided to do less commissions and deliver more to each client

Elske™ photography is here to deliver EXCLUSIVITY

·       Exclusive service – Elske™ Photography is 100% dedicated to you to ensure you are 100% happy with the images we make.  When you commission Elske™, you get my services for as long as you need me – 1 hour or 24 hours – you are the client.

·       Exclusive products – Elske™ Photography only use the very best photographic labs around the world to create luxurious photographic wall art.  All the products I offer to my clients are truly outstanding.

The main focus of Elske™ Photography is to deliver outstanding large format wall art to my clients.  I can also provide the images in other print formats as required by the client – let me know what you need.

Please check the new website at www.elske-photography.co.uk or

contact me directly at elske@elske-photography.co.uk


I would like to say a huge “Thank You” to Frank and Paul at The Wee Creative Company in Glasgow, Scotland 
www.weecreative.co.uk for all their help and creative assistance with the new Elske™ Photography branding.  They are an outstanding agency that I highly recommend to all.



Wednesday, February 18, 2015

VIP Corporate Shoot – President Shintaku, TERUMO Corporation, Japan


Elske™ Photography was recently commissioned to work again for the medical device company Vascutek Ltd., a TERUMO Company.  

This was a corporate shoot to commemorate the visit of the parent company’s President Shintaku.  TERUMO Corporation www.terumo.com has headquarters in Tokyo and is one of the biggest medical device companies in the world and it was a great honour for the President to visit.

As usual in Scotland in February, the weather was against us in getting the images for the client.  President Shintaku was on a very tight schedule and I got exactly 1 minute to get the images for the client.  I scoped out the venue to find possible areas for photos and, after consultation with the client, we settled on images outside the main entrance.  This would allow the images to include the company logo.

This is clearly an occasion where prior preparation is key.  All camera settings and flash settings were checked and double-checked to ensure perfect exposure.  Test shots were taken to define the best position for me to stand to capture the clients and the company logo.

Fortunately, the weather was kind to me for 5 minutes and I was ready to shoot when the clients exited the building. 


The client was delighted with the images and has subsequently used these on internal and external communications.

Please contact me for your corporate image requirements
elske@elske-photography.co.uk

VIP - TERUMO Corporation President Shintaku (Center)

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Elske Photography in Boston, USA

I recently had the great pleasure of working with two outstanding models in Boston: Mr. Albert D. A. Trifone, III and Miss Marie Beddard.

The day was cold with the sun occasionally popping out from the clouds creating variable lighting conditions.

I am a great believer in focussing on my subjects and not having them fight with the surroundings for attention.  A glamorous location is not important to me – what is important is the model in front of my camera. 
To this end, I always scout out interesting backdrops that will enhance or contrast with the models.

As you can see, simplicity is key to my shots - brick walls, doorways, shutters, dark tunnels all work well for me.


These first shots were taken just underneath a road bridge to give great contrast between light and dark and focus entirely on the model.  The sun was positioned behind me and a flash with softbox was used as a fill light.


 






Albert and Marie needed very little direction during the shoot and we created a diverse range of outstanding images. 

To me, photography is a creative and collaborative process and I always ask for input from my models so that we can bounce ideas around and see where we end up. 

I would like to thank Albert and Marie for their time and energy during the shoot and I wish them continued success in their modelling careers

ElskePhotography Tip: Always scout out your locations – preferably at the same time of day / night that your shoot will take place.  This will allow you to see how the light will fall and allow you to get your base camera settings sorted prior to the shoot.  You then only have to make minor alterations to your settings on the day and you can concentrate fully on getting the best out of your shoot.


About Jim Veitch, Owner & Photographer at ElskePhotography

Jim is a Scottish photographer with a studio in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

He is a member both the SWPP (Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers) and the SIFGP (Society of International Fashion & Glamour Photographers)

Jim’s photographic work spans both UK and International assignments.

Jim is a highly experienced professional photographer having worked with numerous clients worldwide including Hollywood Actors, professional and aspiring models, professional bodybuilders, International healthcare companies, family photo shoots, and he is a specialist in headshot photography.  

Why choose Elske Photography?
Three words sum up Elske Photography - Quality, Experience & Fun!!!

Quality
We only use professional specification cameras, lenses and lighting equipment
All our work is professionally edited to ensure you receive the very best images
Elske Photography use only the highest quality FujiFilm Crystal Archive photographic paper, which produces prints that are guaranteed fade resistant for 150 years!

Experience
Jim has worked all over the world on photography assignments for Hollywood actors, professional fashion models and professional sportsmen.  Jim has been published in the LA Times and has recently had one of this Hollywood clients portraits published as a book cover. 
This experience is invaluable in creating the best possible images in the least possible time

Fun!
Everyone hates being in front of a camera, so being a professional photographer typically means I am 10% Photographer & 90% Therapist!
To get the best out of my clients, they must feel relaxed and confident in front of my camera.
This is the biggest challenge I face but my years of experience mean I can get my clients to relax quickly to create outstanding images

Please take a look at what my past clients have said about working with me”.


Book today!
Please contact me to determine availability.
e-mail – elske@live.co.uk / Tel: +447810396917

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jim Veitch
Owner & Photographer
Elske Photography


All images copyright Elske Photography