Hitchin Lavender - Purple Haze

Every year Hitchin Lavender open up their field to visitors from all around the country. Hitchin, once known for being one of the major Lavender growing areas in the Country grows five varieties of Lavender; Hidcote, Blue Ice, Rosea, Sawyers and Edelweiss. The fragrant shrub provides a mass of vibrant colour in the landscape and is a dream to photograph for anyone.   Although spontaneity and the ability to adapt to your surroundings is crucial in photography, I can often visualise a photograph before I've taken it. It's for this reason that I dragged my better half out of bed to accompany me on this 4:30am sunrise shoot. The thought of a low lying mist through the lavender lit by a golden sun had me excited (much to Hannah's dismay :))

I've mentioned in previous posts that planning is crucial, and numerous checks to the Met Office were carried out to ensure we wouldn't be met by torrential rain (can't leave anything to chance in England). Conditions were looking good with clear skies and 89% humidity forecasted. Mist should begin to form at 90% so I had my fingers crossed for the photograph I wanted to create. The Photographers Ephemeris iPhone app allowed us to pinpoint the exact direction of the sunrise leaving nothing to chance. Now, onto the result....

As you can see, that's alot of mist and not much of a sunrise. Overnight changes in the forecast meant it was now 97% humidity and at 5:19am when the sun should of bathed us in a golden glow we were left with a cold misty scene. Not to be deterred, we carried on photographing the gorgeous view that we were left with. Turns out, the mist produced a stunning landscape shot as the colour of the lavender was reflected in the sky.

Here's a picture of myself in the Lavender Field, picture courtesy of the wonderful Hannah Couzens. We have plans to return shortly and have another go at the sunrise, but for now i'll be catching up on my sleep! If your interested in visiting or reading more about Hitchin Lavender, please feel free to visit their website by clicking this link. We'd both like to say a huge thank you to Hitchin Lavender for their hospitality and giving us the chance to photograph the landscape.

Photoshoot - Longcroft Luxury Cat Hotel

Four poster luxurious beds, locally sourced and freshly prepared ingredients served daily on bone china plates have the critics raving about this luxurious hotel, and it's all for cats. The Longcroft Luxury Cat Hotel located in Welwyn Garden City is one of a kind cattery, bringing the height of luxury to your cat's stay and we were delighted when Abi and Matt Purser asked if we could shoot some promotional photographs of their highly sought-after feline hotel.

Each chalet is individually heated and takes on a different theme with the garden/run area being decorated accordingly. In our short time at the hotel, owners Matt and Abi ran us through a 'day in the life' of their cattery and it's easy to see why the residents are extremely happy being pampered and having their every need attended to regularly.

With such happy residents at Longcroft, it gave us a great opportunity to take some purrfect portraits and here's a humorous one below that's kept me chuckling for days:

If your interested to find out more, please feel free to visit their website and explore the various suites or mouth-watering A La Cat™ Menu! Genius.

Published - BBC News In Pictures: Inside Sherborne Abbey

Commented as one of Dorset's most historic and ornate buildings, the BBC have just published my images of Sherborne Abbey as part of their 'In Pictures' section of the Dorset News website.

After a brief conversation with a BBC Journalist, five images and suitable captions were chosen to publish on their website. If you'd like to take a look, please feel free to click the following link: BBC Dorset News - In Pictures: Inside Sherborne Abbey

New Website - richardpardon.co.uk

Yesterday saw the launch of a new website which is now mobile friendly! Taking a look at recent analytic stats and market trends, the increase in use of mobile devices used to access websites is ever-increasing. With the old website being built using flash it limited who could view the site. In comes the launch of the new site whereby the usability across different platforms has increased dramatically. Almost 50% of yesterdays views were from a mobile devices which previously wouldn't be able to view my work! With some exciting new projects coming soon it couldn't be better timed. It gives me great pleasure to say that the site is now up and running, viewable from almost any device.

This site will see a constant stream of updates over the coming months including some exciting new functionality and personal project coverage. Be sure to check out the new website, located at www.richardpardon.co.uk and keep an eye out for future developments.

Photoshoot - Matthew Masters, PGA Golfer

Weather always plays a crucial part in the planning of any location shoot. This week has been a game of chance, checking weather reports online and waking up at the crack of dawn to see what loomed overhead. Earlier on in the week had been poor weather conditions, but at 6am this morning and a brief look out the window with a call to my client means I find myself heading to Porters Park Golf Course in Radlett, Hertfordshire. Despite being open 12 months of the year, this course is maintained to the highest of standards and it's easy to see why that at 7am there were already golfers queing to get out on course.  

Matthew Masters is a PGA Teaching Professional. Given that Porters Park is such an idyllic setting, it was a fantastic opportunity to capture some shots of the pro in action. The above image was shot as part of a series, with 2 shots following to show his technique.

Last August I posted a review of the PocketWizard Flex system and this shoot is an example of where they really came into their own. Given that a pro golfer can swing a club at some serious speed, sync speeds of 1/200th won't cut it for the shots I had in mind. In comes the use of their Hypersync function, allowing faster shutter speeds (without the use of high speed sync) resulting in quicker recharge times and a longer battery life. The ability to use faster shutter speeds in an environment like this can provide some striking results such as where Matthew tried to shower me with sand (ISO 160, F3.5, 1/1600th @ 85mm):

Testimony to a great golfer, as despite me asking if it was possible to kick up more sand for the purpose of a dramatic shot, Matthew still managed to pot the ball in one shot! Matthew offers a personal tuition service and is currently undergoing a website revamp, but rather than use stock shots that so many businesses seem to use these days, Matthew wanted a more personal approach with images of himself at his home course:

The 18-hole, 6,362-yard golf course had us spoilt for choices in where to shoot, but with our noble steed for the day we set about making the most of various locations. The weather was ever changing which made for interesting conditions, but we managed to wrap up the 3 hour shoot just before the heavens decided to open.   

Everything worked out as planned in the end, and it was an absolute pleasure to shoot Matthew for his new website. If you are interested in training with Matthew, please feel free to visit his website or facebook page and get in touch.

What noise does a cow make?

Moo are an online award winning print business, one which print tantalising business cards! I've been in the market for new business cards since making the move to a full time freelancer, and as such when I heard they had launched their new 'Rounded Edge Business Cards' I had to take a look. Now this is no lie, but approximately 20 minutes after loading Moo.com I had successfully placed my order of 200 rounded edge business cards with 12 varying print designs. As a photographer, this prospect is fantastic as not only do I get great quality business cards, I also get an array of my portfolio images to show clients. This allows me to tailor which business card I give to which client, i.e. the 'Tai Chi Swayze' band image can be given to any potential band shoots...Marvellous!

It should also be said that, not only do they sell great products, but their customer service is second to none. Unfortunately I had a slightly error with one of my cards, in the fact it came back too dark. A quick e-mail to Moo customer service and a response within a few short hours meant it was being reprinted and sent out to me as a priority! Highly recommended from me, and I shall definitely be using their service in the very near future.

If your interested in getting some of these gems for yourself, feel free to click this link to receive 10% off your first order.

Events - BTCC Oulton Park and Support Races

2.26 miles of undulating hills, banked corners and 120 mph straights all make Oulton Park one of the most exciting circuits on the BTCC calendar. Add a downpour to this combination and you have what promises to be an action packed day of racing.

This is my first time visiting the Cheshire based circuit and it certainly won't be my last. Circuit barriers are opened between races allowing footfall between the infield and outfield, resulting in nearly every part of the circuit being accessible.  Various parts of the circuit are banked which offer great vantage points to watch the days events unfold.

There's a little story behind this weekends events that I want to share. My best friend is soon to be wed, and as part of his pre-wed celebrations (and him being an absolute touring car nut) it was only right to try and organise something a little special. Using the power of social media I managed to get in touch with the Honda Racing BTCC team who were absolutely amazing in helping me organise a meet and greet with the legends themselves...Flash and Neal! Chris (the groom) and I were over the moon to meet our heroes and we would love to say a huge thank you to Honda Racing for making the whole day unforgettable. Here's a picture of Chris with the two drivers that now lead the BTCC Championship (Congratulations guys, keep it up!)

We both feel privileged as it was great to be in the garage during the hustle and bustle of a winning team as they set about prepping the race cars:

Qualifying and practice on the day before had been dry, but unpredictable as ever the British heavens decided to open. That meant all of the teams were busy discussing and changing suspension setups ready for race 1. We all already know that the British Touring Car Championship is a fantastic series, and today really enforced that for me. With the weather ever changing, different drivers were electing for different tyre setups making it a game of chances. Those who ran wets all around showed pace in the beginning, but quickly overheated their tyres as a dry line appeared resulting in a lack of grip.

Lea Wood made his debut return to the BTCC in the Honda Integra DC5 and certainly showed that he is a forced to be reckoned with after finishing 7th in the car's first outing. This photograph is shot at Lodge Corner looking down towards Deer Leap which offers a unique perspective thanks to it being elevated.

With the usual support races consisting of the Porsche Carrera Cup, Ginetta Supercup, Ginetta Juniors, Formula Renault and Renault Clio Cup there was never a shortage of action on track. Chris and I walked the entire circuit on the day, taking advantage of all the different locations I could shoot from. This means I've got a great variations in the types of shots captured, and makes Oulton Park one of my favourite circuits to shoot at (now I just need to get my hands on a media pass!). Here's a marmite shot (meaning you'll either love it or hate it) of Championship leader Tom Ingram passing the very wet crowds at Druids:

If you're interested in seeing a full gallery of 153 images from Oulton Park, please feel free to click this link.

Location - Sherborne Abbey, Dorset

The magnificent Sherborne Abbey dates back to 705 when it was originally a Saxon Cathedral. Having grown up in Dorset I really wanted to show Hannah what this beautiful Abbey had to offer. The weekend just gone found us visiting my parents, as James and I were photographing a gorgeous wedding in Somerset (more to come of that on our wedding blog later). Knowing that Han and I had a band shoot to conduct later that Monday evening, we decided we would visit the Abbey before journeying back to Hertfordshire.

Han has recently found her first Pentax K1000 35mm Film SLR, which is fantastic as she is going to put it to the test and relive where her passion all started (can't wait to see the outcome of this, and i'm sure if you keep an eye on her blog you'll see some results soon). With that said, the decor and architecture that Sherborne has to offer is a great subject for any camera, so off we headed.

On a somewhat overcast and windy day the intention was to focus (excuse the pun) on the interior of the Abbey. Over the years of living away I had forgotten just how stunning the inside of the Abbey was, and quite happily stood in awe of it's beauty.

It's all about being in the right place, at the right time and what happens next is testimony to that. The Head Verger of Sherborne Abbey approached us saying we both looked like keen photographers, and after a brief conversation of why we visiting he offered us a fantastic chance to head up the bell tower and onto the roof of Sherborne Abbey. That's an offer no one can refuse, and before he could finish his sentence me and Han had already agreed to do so.

Through the narrow door, up the windiest and tightest (I'm 6ft2 don't you know?!) of staircases we climbed out of the hatch (right picture) on top of Sherborne Abbey to witness the magnificent view across the town. So thrilled to be up there, we spent around 20 minutes being blown back and forth by gusts of winds as the Sherborne Abbey bells rang out.

The above photograph is a panoramic stitch of 7 images just showing you how overcast, but also how great the view was. Shame about the weather, but never the less an unforgettable experience and one that we cannot thank the Head Verger enough for letting us do so. On the way back down from the roof I paused to get a quick shot of the bells:

We never took these photographs with the intention of blogging them, but it was an experience we wanted to share. If your in Dorset or plan on visiting sometime soon, Sherborne Abbey is a must-see. From it's intricate details on the ceiling to the reddened stone under the Tower caused by a fire during a riot in the 15th century, it all adds up to make it breathtaking.

On a photographic note, these images just go to show the capabilities of  handling high ISO on the 5D MarkII. All images used in this blog post (except the panoramic) are taken between ISO2000-6400 using shutter speeds as slow as 1/20th handheld!

The visit to Sherborne Abbey has inspired me to take on a personal project. Seeing as James and I grew up in and around Sherborne, we're going to embark on producing a photographic book of the area. Looking forward to working on this over the year.

Events - BTCC Thruxton and Support Races

As a spectator, Thruxton is often a daunting thought for any keen photographer. The fastest circuit on the BTCC calendar and one which is always busy with thousands of spectators means finding a prime location to photograph the races is no easy task. Challenged by various heads whilst panning (trying my best not to hit them, honest...) and chainlink fences Thruxton isn't the best circuit to photograph at in my opinion. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Hannah (my better half), James (my brother) and family trecked to Hampshire for the British Touring Car Championship and support races. This photograph below is of Jason Plato storming to victory in the final race after having an unlucky incident in race one with a tyre malfunction and hitting a wall at speeds in excess of 100mph causing a 6G impact! Hats off to the Silverline team getting the car back out for race two!

I think the saying goes that "Rubbing's Racing" and Tom Onslow-Cole certainly showed that during race one where he powered the AmD Miltek Golf to it's highest ever finishing position of 7th, congratulations guys! Great to see this car mixing it up the field of well established names.

The British Touring Cars weren't the only formula to provide close racing all day, with everyone pushing the cars to their limits. This below photograph shows Pierce (Car 24) locking up on the approach to Campbell. I think it's safe to say Thruxton was home to one of the best Porsche Carrera GT3 Cup races in a long time this weekend.

Formula Renault driver Andrew Jarman (Car 28) featured heavily in my Brands Hatch photographs purely because the car looks stunning at speed. This time around it was a different approach to capture him tackling the 'Club' bend at Thruxton. This photograph was taken using my mark II 2x extender, which previously I had been worried about with degrading image quality and focus speeds. However attached to my trusty 70-200 F2.8 IS L it proved fantastic at Thruxton. AI Servo tracking speeds gave me no difficulty, and the images at 100% crop are insanely sharp!

Finally i'll leave you with Tom Ingram crossing the start/finish line at Thruxton whilst being congratulated by his team as he leads the championship in the Ginetta G50 Supercup.

Hannah has also uploaded some fantastic shots onto her blog site, and if you'd like to check them out please click here.

If you are interested in viewing the full set from Thruxton please feel free to click here and visit the gallery.

Events - BTCC Brands Hatch Season Opener

This weekend Brands Hatch marked the start of the 2011 British Touring Car Championship, and with spring finally here is there a better way to start the season off?! This years record breaking line up took on the indy circuit in it's first three rounds, and gave a thrilling day's racing.

The British Touring Car Championship event is always a great day out, as not only do you get all the hype which comes with the BTCC, but the support races provide nail-bitingly close action all day long. Today we had the pleasure of watching the ever manic and crazy Renault Clio Cup, the stunning Ginetta G50's, the fast-paced Formula Renault and not to mention the Porsche 911 Carrera Cup which look and sound phenomenal!

Taking interesting photographs of the fast-paced action from a spectators position is never easy, and is why this year my partner and I wanted to do a slightly different take on the day's racing. Trying to find interesting viewpoints (albeit hard with thousands of visitors, chain link fences and various scaffolding for the TV cameras obscuring your view) all in order to frame the photographs differently, yet still capture the motion proved a challenge.

For a full gallery, please click here, and if you are interested in any of the photographs featured in the gallery (or have requests for specific cars) please do not hesitate to contact me. I am very interested in working with race teams for editorial or commerical work, so if anyone is interested, get in touch! Edit: Hannah's blog is now live and updated with photographs from Brands Hatch so be sure to check it out.

For part of 2011, I want to blog more about behind the scenes and how I work. The photograph below is taken of me at Brands Hatch by my wonderful other half, Hannah Couzens. Being a spectator on the day, it meant alot of walking around the circuit trying to find different vantage points/angles to capture something different from the norm. The Domke Little Bit Bigger bag is my on-location bag of choice for this type of work, allowing me to literally throw lenses in and out of the bag, quickly changing to ensure nothing is missed. It's rugged exterior means I can drop it at an instant, and not worry about my gear.

One thing which is often overlooked is the Domke range of accessories, and although I first turned my nose up at the thought of it, their Shoulder Pad which can be attached to any manufacture shoulder bag (contoured shape to sit comfortably on the shoulder) means it is incredibly comfortable even to lug the heavy bag around all day. Highly recommended!