Andrew Newson

Sussex Photographs

2010-03-11T10:43:00.002Z

In 2009 I was asked to participate in a photographic project documenting England. Stuart Pilkington had the idea to create 'What is England?' , a project comprising of 48 photographers around England each individually photographing a particular county in their photographic style. The task was made up of 6 themes to photograph throughout the year: Person, Group, Work, Play, Urban & Rural.

Whilst thinking about the project, I decided I wanted to elaborate on the theme and started to plan a much larger personal project.

Having lived in Sussex all my life and now reaching an age where I am really starting to appreciate the countryside, much more than I had before. I thought it would be good to make it my mission to discover or re-discover this beautiful county that I live in.

I decided to focus most of my attentions on open spaces within Sussex, places such as parks, areas of recreation or rest, nature reserves, areas of outstanding natural beauty, national parks, sites of special scientific interest, open green spaces and beaches.

I will be looking at the landscapes, the people that enjoy these spaces and those that help maintain them, looking at some of the issues they face and the positive work they do on the land.

I started this project in the latter part of 2009 and aim to photograph right through 2010, leading to an exhibition in 2011.

The story so far...

Slideshow

Goodbye House

2010-03-10T11:17:00.001Z

I have been wanting to create some better slideshows, so decided to put this collection of photographs in to a movie with some music. The whole idea behind these shoots was driven by music really, a lot of my photographs are influenced by music - in this case I've gone with Morrissey 'Last Night On Maudlin Street'.

Goodbye House from Andrew Newson on Vimeo.

Haiti Charity Print Auctions

2010-02-14T21:35:00.003Z

All of the auctions at Charity Print Auctions finish tonight, at midnight GMT.

The auctions have been incredibly successful, raising in excess of £15,000. The final total will be worked out tomorrow.

I still have an auction open, which is for any shot (excluding portraits) from my new SUSSEX project.

Here is the auction: Sussex.

Thanks for all your support with the group.

Andy

Haiti Appeal - Photographic Auction

2010-01-17T18:37:00.004Z

On Friday 15th January 2010 I decided to start a group on the photo sharing website, Flickr. The group is called 'Charity Print Auctions' and I will use it to help raise money for disasters. By creating such a group and encouraging photographers to join and donate a print for auction, we can help raise some money. Bidders are encouraged to leave their bid in the comments field of each auction, but if you don't have a Flickr account, don't worry as most photographers are accepting bids by email.

The auctions close at midnight on Sunday 17th January 2010 unless stated otherwise on the individual auction. Some people have decided to open the auction for longer.

The first charity auction to be held is for the Haiti Earthquake Appeal.
Charity Print Auctions
I have decided, along with others, that I will be happy to let people bid and the winning bidder can choose any image from within my Flickr stream (within reason). I've put together a small collection of images here...

Currently the highest bid stands at £30 and is for the image of the lady with the donkey. If you wish to up the bid for that image or any other, please head over and do that in the comments or comment here or email me.

Many thanks for your support.
Andy

The Year Ahead (2010)

2010-01-02T11:32:00.003Z

I hope that 2010 will be an exciting year for me, it has lots of promise. Myla is growing up fast and I think the next year will really see her come in to her own, I'm really looking forward to that time with her.

Simon and I have big plans for Nova Gallery, which should hopefully start to come together in the new year.

I'm also working on a reasonably big personal photo project. It started when I was asked by the creator of The 50 States Project, Stuart Pilkington if I would participate in his new project entitled What is England? It's 48 photographers representing a county around England, photographing their environment in their style. I'm amongst some really great company, I'm thrilled to be listed with them.

This is something I'm very excited about and have decided to expand on. So I will be contributing to the project (6 themes throughout 2010) but also working on photographing East Sussex in more detail for a larger body of work, which I hope to show sometime in 2011.

Only the 6 What is England? images will appear online, the larger body of work will hopefully be shown in 2011. I just feel it's better for the images to have their first airing in an exhibition space. Which I hope you guys, or at least some of you, will come to.

The project will take more shape as it develops, but it will definitely have heavy focus on open spaces within East Sussex, especially Nature Reserves, National Parks (of which we now have one!), Areas of Outstanding Nature Beauty, Special Sites of Scientific Interest and other areas of recreation. The project will also delve in to what challenges these areas create for the people involved in their upkeep and the enjoyment they bring to others.

I'm not yet sure whether this particular image will make it in to the final edit, but we'll see. However, I have uploaded a big version which is suitable for printing at 12x8 size, if you want, just download it and get yourself a print. Photo Rag would be best, but if not then a matte finish c-type should look quite nice.

Happy New Year to you all. I hope the year ahead brings you a great deal of happiness and creativity.

Click the image for a large version suitable for a 12x8 inch print.

Colour Palettes

2009-11-29T17:39:00.004Z

I've been experimenting with different colour palettes of late.

I'm curious to know which you prefer and why?

A)

B)

Both of these images were processed in Adobe Lightroom. Let me know which you prefer...

One-To-One Basic Photography Tuition in Kent & Sussex

2009-11-16T17:48:00.007Z

I have recently been doing some photography tuition, which I really enjoy doing.

It started by just meeting people at exhibitions that I've had. A lot of people have fairly advanced digital cameras these days and a growing number of people are opting for a Digital SLR (DSLR). The people I meet that are new to photography or perhaps new to their camera, ask where can they get some training to learn about their camera and learn how to take the pictures that they have in their head.

So I decided to offer one-to-one tuition for people wanting to learn the basics of photography and master their camera settings. So far the people that have taken the course have said that they got a lot out of the session and are already taking better pictures.

The one-to-one basic photography course is a 2 hour session and costs just £100. It takes place in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. It's really simple, we meet for coffee and discuss your camera settings and get you comfortable with your camera. Once we are happy, we head out and put what you've learned to test by actually taking photographs (a novel idea!).

I specifically help you take the pictures that you want to take, so if it's landscapes you want to take, we'll discuss the best way to approach this in a practical way. If you like, I'll also offer advice on what equipment you could put on your shopping list to push your photography forward even further.

Basic Practical Photographic Skills (2 hour session)
One to one training for people wanting to learn the basics of DSLR or advanced compact camera photography.
£100.

Also...

Basic Photographic Processing Skills (2 hour session)
One to one training for people wanting to learn the basics of digital photography processing. I visit you at your home and spend two hours with showing how best to organise your files on your computer, show you the benefits of RAW processing, how to prepare your images for prints and how to get the best results from your files.
£100.

If you are interested in taking a course, please telephone:
Andy Newson
01892 662191

The Stranger

2009-10-11T09:26:00.002+01:00

Photographing strangers has become somewhat 'old hat', but I don't really mind. I enjoy photographing strangers so will continue to do so.

The reason I like this approach to portraiture is simple, the brief encounter with people who are generally really nice people is a wholesome experience. I also find that because the subjects are not as relaxed having their photograph taken, as they might be if the photographer were their best friend, it makes the portrait more about them than the image they wish people to see of them. In other words people aren't comfortable enough to put on a facade, the portrait shows them for who they really are, insecurities and all.

A Guide To Photoblogging

2009-09-28T10:45:00.002+01:00

I wonder why photobloggers have a thing for the abandoned shopping trolley. Maybe it's the neglect and loneliness they convey!?

Here are a few facts about shopping trolleys from http://www.shoppingtrolley.net

1) In America they are called "Shopping Carts"
2) Novelty shopping trolleys are sometimes available for children - they can either be miniature versions of a full size trolley (popular in Belgium) or shaped like cars or motorbikes.
3) Shopping trolleys new cost about £100.
4) Don't let your baby chew on a shopping trolley handle - a recent study showed that over 20% of shopping trolley handles were contaminated with some kind of bodily fluid (eg urine, saliva, blood, mucus or faeces) and over 50% failed a basic hygiene test (ie they were just plain dirty!).

Carnival Street

2009-09-13T17:06:00.009+01:00

If we're around, we try and get along to the annual carnival in Crowborough. We watch it with friends and it's a pleasant evening, especially since we now all have kids.

I always have my camera with me and usually take a few very ordinary photographs. I thought I would try a slightly different approach to photograph the event this year, an approach that pushes me well outside of my comfort zone. I tried the Bruce Gilden approach, flash in one hand and camera in the other. I'm quite pleased with how the images turned out actually, but also I found it good experience to push myself in this way. Here are the images I took...

The Lantern Award

2009-09-07T21:10:00.000+01:00

Last night I won the Lantern Award in the photography section of The Lantern Film & Media Festival. Held at The Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells, it was the second annual festival and it was a really great event, one that I was proud to be involved in and even more proud to have gained recognition in my section.

The above are the four framed prints I had on display.

I think there will be a presentation in a couple of weeks time so I'll probably bore you about that as well.

Becky & Andy's Wedding at The High Rocks

2009-09-06T10:22:00.009+01:00

Saturday 5th September saw the marriage of Rebbeca Pierce and Andy Nickolson at The High Rocks in Royal Tunbridge Wells. The venue has some wonderful views and a special feature of a platform for the steam train run by Spa Valley Railway.

I was lucky enough to start proceedings at the family home of the Bride to document the preparations for the day. I really enjoy this part and it's a good place to break the ice with the bride, bridesmaids and anybody else who is there! Thinking about it, I really do believe it's a big help to have spent that time with them, considering it could be 18 months ago that the photographer last met the bride, so for that first meeting since to be the moment she steps out of the car, perhaps can be a little daunting for her.

The whole wedding party were a fun-loving gang and the day was great. As always, I post a few images up here as by way of a sneak preview for the bride and groom. Andy & Becky, I hope you had a lovely evening and I hope you enjoy the photographs.

Notes:

Click the images for a larger view.

All images © copyright of Andrew Newson.

If you wish to use these official photographs on Facebook or any other website, you are welcome to with permission from Andy & Becky but you must use the photographer credit line with the images:

Photographs by Andrew Newson - http://www.newsonweddings.com

Is That A Compact In Your Pocket?

2009-09-06T09:41:00.007+01:00

I've had the LX2 for some time now, it doesn't get used as much as it should do really, it certainly has it's purposes.

Sometimes when I'm walking to the shops with the dogs, I just can't be bothered with my SLR, so just stick a compact in my pocket. It's either the LX2 or Ricoh GR1 (film).

We also had a Fuji F31fd, Samantha's camera really. While I liked it and it had fairly good high iso capability. We decided we would just keep the Lumix and sell the Fuji, so that's what we did.

Of course compact cameras have come on even further now, with the Sigma DP2, Lumix LX3, Ricoh GRD III, Canon G11 and then the likes of the Olympus PEN and Lumix G1.

I'm told that the Sigma is the best compact camera you can buy. As a professional photographer, I can't afford to spend that sort of cash on a compact camera really and perhaps this goes back to the fact that serious amateurs tend to have better gear than pros, because they can afford it. I won't be buying in to any of the latest compact camera models any time soon, but was wondering if any of you guys have used or have thoughts on them, or compact digital cameras in general?

Friends often ask me, what camera should I buy for my holiday? They usually have a budget of up to £200 maximum. I never really know what to say, other than I always seem to hear positive things about Lumix. Anyone have any suggestions?

I used to have a Canon A95 and I reckon that was one of the best compacts I've had. I'd seriously like to take a look at the new Canon G11, purely because I was always so impressed with the A95. I realise that the G11 as a hefty price tag but it seems they might have gone the right route with this camera, staying (relatively) low on megapixels (10MP) and concentrating on high ISO capability and quality. I'd like to see some results from this camera for sure.

Anyway, here's my few pics from the DMC-LX2.

The Lantern Film and Media Festival

2009-09-02T23:27:00.005+01:00

Photo © Andrew Newson

The second Lantern Film & Media Festival takes place on Friday 4th, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September at The Trinity in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

"The Lantern Film and Media Festival is an event for Tunbridge Wells and the South East that caters for the best in local and international creative talent. Spanning film, photography, art and music. Lantern is an exciting venture aiming to bring together those of you out there with a creative spark."

It's the idea of Sam Marlow and Anthony Jarman and was conceived out of frustration that the South East didn't really have a single body or festival that caters for all creative disciplines (art, photography, film and music).

Tickets are available from their website from just £5.

I'll be showing 4 large framed prints and there will also be great photographs from Chris Marwood, Bruce Hemming and Paul Turner...

Photo © Bruce Hemming

Photo © Paul Turner

Photo © Chris Marwood

I'll be attending on the Sunday. If anyone fancies a pint, let me know.

Tonbridge

2009-08-25T12:30:00.002+01:00

On Sunday I found myself in Tonbridge and I took a couple of photographs.

Some Photography Related Songs/Bands/Videos

2009-08-22T11:19:00.011+01:00

So I thought I'd have a look around for some photography relates songs, bands and vids.
I love Camera Obscura anyway, so it's a perfect excuse to slip a couple from them in. I love their cover of Super Trouper!

Please feel free to suggest/add more!

Camera Obscura - Super Truper:

Camera Obscura - French Navy:

The Cure - Pictures Of You:

The Kinks - People Take Pictures Of Each Other:

Paul Simon - Kodachrome:

Duran Duran - Girls On Film:

Depeche Mode - A Photograph Of You:

Manic Street Preachers - Kevin Carter:

Thanks to @tranklements (Twitter) for the following:

The Vapors - Turning Japanese:

Blondie - Picture This:

Flock Of Seaguls - Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You:

Bucks Fizz - My Camera Never Lies:

The Who - Pictures Of Lily:

Thanks to the first commenter here for the following:

Wilco - Kamera:

Thanks to JeroenJeroen (Twitter) for the following:

Spoon - I Turn My Camera On:

Thanks to Jayna (Twitter) for the following:

Stereophonics - Local Boy In The Photograph:

Death Cab For Cutie - Photobooth:

Thanks to Martin (Comment here) for the following:

Editors - Camera:

Jonny & Lisa's wedding at Chilston Park Hotel

2009-08-21T10:47:00.010+01:00

Jonny & Lisa Collins pictured at Chilston Park Hotel, Kent.

Sunday 16th August saw the wedding of Jonny Collins to Lisa Brooks at Chilston Park Hotel near Lenham in Kent. This is what the venue say...

'Set back from the tree-lined lanes of Kent, the manor house at Chilston Park is a unique Grade 1 listed property. Over the years, it has been a home to emminent politicians, writers, Lords and Viscounts. Today it is a luxury hotel, just as you would imagine, set within 22 acres of rural parkland in the heart of the Garden of England'.

It is a really wonderful setting, with a beautiful lake and gardens.

I hope you enjoy the preview photos guys, speak to you soon.

Images copyright of © Andrew Newson 2009.

James & Jasmine's wedding in Crowborough

2009-08-21T07:28:00.010+01:00

James & Jasmine pictured at The Middle House, Mayfield.

Tuesday 18th August 2009 saw the marriage of James Andrews and Jasmine McVoy at Crowborough Registry Office. The staff at the registration office were superb and it was a lovely wedding.

The wedding celebrations then headed to Mayfield, to the Middle House. The Middle House has a fantastic reputation for the restaurant/pub, but I didn't realise they catered for weddings too. I believe they only cater for small weddings, but if that's your requirement then you should definitely check it out, because it's a really nice venue.

Here are a few photos from the wedding.

James and Jasmine, I hope the evening was as much of a success as the day was. All the best for the future.

Above photos at Crowborough Registry Office.

Dan & Nat's Wedding at Herstmonceux Castle

2009-08-15T09:24:00.006+01:00

On Friday 14th August 2009 I photographed the wedding of Dan Roberts and Natalie Foord. They got married at Herstmonceux Castle in Hailsham, East Sussex. Although I had attended weddings there before, I had never actually photographed one, so I was really looking forward to it. The castle itself is a wonderful backdrop and the grounds within are perfect for portraits.

Both Dan and Natalie were incredibly relaxed, or at least it seemed that way. It makes my job much more enjoyable when everyone seems to be so laid back.

The reception was held at The Wok Inn in Shortgate, near Lewes. Some might think that a Chinese restaurant is a little unusual for a wedding reception, but I thought it was terrific. The setting is beautiful and Chinese food is good, so what's not to like!? They even had a lovely cake from Choccywoccydoodah!

Dan & Natalie Roberts at Herstmonceux Castle.

Dan and the boys at the Wok Inn, Shortgate.

Cake by Choccywoccydoodah.

Thanks guys for making me feel so welcome.

08/09 Photography Book

2009-08-13T15:07:00.013+01:00

So I did it, I made a book!

I wanted to put together a book of what I considered to be my best work over the last year. It's exactly one year since I've owned the Nikon D700 and I haven't looked back since. This book is made up of some 220 photographs, all but 2 taken with the D700.

I wanted a visual reference of the last year, it's kind of an annual I suppose. All images are in chronological order, pretty much.

I have offered it up for general sale, it's not cheap I'm afraid, due to the sheer number of images and pages. Prices look like this:

10x8 Landscape Book
Soft cover: £39.95
Hard cover/Dust jacket: £49.95

I have only ordered 1 copy with the hard cover/dust jacket option. I am really pleased with the quality, it's pretty damn good for my subject matter. I can't say what the soft cover version will be like, the print should be the same of course, but maybe the book will not be quite as easy to view as the spread probably won't lay as flat due to the binding.

Here is a link to the store to purchase, if you so wish. Below that are a few glimpses of the book itself.

Andrew Newson ...

By Andrew Newson

Book Preview

Floral Tributes

2009-08-02T13:56:00.005+01:00

I sometimes use Google Earth to find places that look interesting to photograph. I did that on this occasion, finding a place by the river in Gillingham that looked like waste land. But when I turned up, it was actually a country park. A place obviously popular with a lot of people, because I saw a lot of floral tributes, plaques on benches and even flowers tapped to trees.

This one had a little note attached to the bench that read:
IN MEMORY OF A VERY
SPECIAL DAD
ON FATHERS DAY
WITH LOVE
ALL THE FAMILY

1 Hour Photo

2009-07-26T22:09:00.003+01:00

I had the pleasure of popping along to a little gathering in London yesterday. The idea was to take your best photos between 4pm and 5pm, '1 hour photo' if you will.

I had a vague idea of how I would play it, but that soon went in a different direction and I decided to ask random people to write the time on one of my postcards and hold it up for a portrait.

I took 23 portraits all in all and decided that there wouldn't be an edit, it is what it is, so all pictures are shown, whether they work or not.

You won't be able to read the times on some of them online, in a larger print you would though. So for now, you'll have to take my word for it.

4.55

16.30

16.25

You can view all 23 images here.

The others involved had some really great ideas and some have already added their images to the pool on Flickr. Go check it out.

The Colourful Mr Eggleston

2009-07-11T21:05:00.004+01:00

I watched the Rufus Wainright thing last week, or some of it at least. Part of the 'Imagine - Summer 2009' series with Alan Yentob. I find his music and voice really interesting, a bit like a model who some people would say, 'she's not very pretty, I don't get why she's a model' and they don't see further than that, that they have something interesting to offer.

Anyway, the next episode is focused on (yes, pun intended), one of my favourite photographers of all time, William Eggleston. The Colourful Mr Eggleston airs on Tuesday 14 July, BBC 1 at 10.35pm. It will be on iPlayer soon after. Talking of which, you can see the Rufus one here.

I'm so looking forward to this. I hope you enjoy it too.

Photographers

2009-07-08T10:17:00.007+01:00

Your Waitress tweeted that F-Stop Magazine has a group exhibition worth checking out. So I did and she wasn't wrong.

Here's what they say about the mag...

F-STOP MAGAZINE is an online photography magazine featuring contemporary photography from established and emerging photographers from around the world. Each issue has a theme or an idea that the unites the photographs to create a dynamic dialogue among the artists.
Published online, bi-monthly.

One photographer I really liked from the group exhibition was Rebecca Rijsdijk.

The above shot is part of Rebecca's series Stiletto Paradoxes.

Another photographer I noticed and that struck a chord with me, was Leilani Wertens. Her series of images entitled Forget Me Not is great and has some similarities to my Leaving Feet First series, but with a difference. Here is what she says about the series.

Forget Me Not

When we die, what happens to our most prized possessions? In the case of an estate sale, a home and its contents, an entire life, is for sale. Anyone can rifle through what once were private spaces—the bedroom closet, the medicine cabinet; even the underwear drawer—nothing is sacred.

An estate sale is a space in transition—no longer inhabited but not yet disassembled and abandoned. Some of the homes are destined to be sold, gutted and remodeled; while others will be pulled down to make room for condos, removing all evidence of what was once there. The setting for this project ranges from turn-of-the-century brownstones to 1950s bungalows, but they housed a generation that was less transitory. Unlike today, where on average families move at least every 10 years, individuals of this era spent their entire adult lives in one home.

You can read more at her website.

The Benny Andersson Band

2009-07-07T18:45:00.002+01:00

Recently I was lucky enough to be commissioned to shoot the images for the Benny Andersson's new album entitled 'Story Of A Heart'.

The agency approached me after I was recommended through a design forum (Aint the interweb a wonderful thing!?). The brief was to shoot woodlands and trees, especially with the heart motif in mind that would be added on to my image in post-production.

They used my images on the cover and throughout the inlay booklet.

I don't have an actual copy yet, but obviously I've seen the final artwork. When I manage to pick up a copy, I'll post a few more images here.

Although I knew that Benny Andersson was a giant in the music world, I didn't really expect him and the album to be in the public eye quite as much as it has been over the last couple of weeks.

The title track 'Story Of A Heart' was record of the week on Radio 2. I've seen Benny Andersson on various TV shows, including The One Show and Friday Night With Jonathan Ross. A friend of mine just pointed out the CD cover was on the front page of the BBC website, in a review of the album. Silly perhaps, but that makes me feel really good.

Once I receive a copy, I shall approach some design agencies who deal with the music business and see if I can't get some more work like this.

Photographic Exhibition

2009-06-30T15:03:00.003+01:00

I can't believe that it's that time already.

On Friday 3 July I install my second exhibition in to Tunbridge Wells library. They have a free-standing wall in the middle of the library that they hire to artists. I signed up in January and since then it's proved to be quite a popular venue for artists to display their work.

I'll be showing a selection of work, some of which comes from my last show in April. However I will be showing some new images from my Sighthound Portraits set which I have just completed.

The show is open for 4 weeks and is open during normal opening hours.

Sunday: 10am - 4pm
Monday: 9am - 6pm
Tuesday: 9am - 6pm
Wednesday: 9am - 6pm
Thursday: 9am - 8pm
Friday: 9am - 6pm
Saturday: 9am - 5pm

I am having a low-key drinks reception on Thursday 9 July, 6.00pm-7.30pm.
If you would like to come along, please do.

Sunny 16 Photographic Exhibitions

2009-06-19T14:03:00.002+01:00

My first draft for the postcard to promote a group exhibition in Tunbridge Wells.

If anyone else is interested in taking part, let me know.

Nova Gallery

2009-06-16T08:15:00.002+01:00

Dear all, I am delighted to inform you that Nova Gallery is now open for business.

About Us

At Nova Gallery we are passionate about contemporary photography. And we want to share the love, giving everyone the chance to buy and collect great photographs, from great photographers.

We have gone out of our way to track down some wonderful material. Each and every fortnight we will feature a new piece of photographic art. Each photo is exclusive to Nova and will be available in three print sizes. The smallest size will be available for just £19!

All prints will come with a certificate signed and numbered by the photographer.

We also want to utilise the power of photography as a catalyst for positive social change. To this end, the gallery will donate 10% of the sale price of each print to a selected range of charities.

For more information about Nova Gallery you might like to take a look at our FAQs.

For up-to-date news take a look at the blog, or subscribe to our twitter feed.

Or you can always contact us.

Nova is the brainchild of Andy Newson and Simon Courcha.

Hartlepool Magnesia Works

2009-05-19T21:38:00.006+01:00

We recently had a little holiday up north, we stayed just outside Hartlepool. Before going I had a quick look on Google maps to see what the landscape was like. I saw this site, I was intrigued so obviously had to take a closer look.

I was quite amazed, some parts are clearly dangerous (don't worry, Samantha and Myla were safely waiting at the entrance!). But I think this sort of site in the south would have been patrolled by a security firm, not that I'm complaining - it makes having a look around a lot easier.

You can read more about the works here.

Exhibition - Conclusion

2009-04-28T10:33:00.006+01:00

I wanted to publicly say a big thank you to all those who came along to my first solo exhibition in Tunbridge Wells. Whether that be the launch, the VIP night or you managed to make it along any other time.

People ask me, was it a success? Well I guess the short answer is yes.
I'm still working out the exact figures, but I think after commission is paid to the venue and we give a little to a charity that we supported (The Pickering Cancer Drop-in Centre, Tunbridge Wells) - we should break even.

A huge amount of work just to break even you might think! But for me it was always more than making money in the short-term. To raise my profile as a photographer in the local area was a key aim and I managed to get featured in the Courier newspaper on a couple of occasions and also I was interviewed on BBC Radio Kent. If you like, you can listen again here for the time being (Interview), I won't be as I cringe when I hear myself!

I've put down some of my thoughts and conlusions, maybe this might be of some help if you are considering doing your own solo photographic exhibition.

The whole experience of doing an exhibition was a really great one, but when using a location that is not known for exhibitions, marketing is really key to it's success.

Some of the marketing I did, was as follows...

1) Press release - send out emails to all local newspapers and magazines.
You never know who will say yes to featuring you. For me, I was lucky enough to feature in the Courier newspaper on a couple of occasions leading up to the show. It's important to time these right and let the publications know when is best for them to print something, if they are going to.

2) The Launch Party - Invite people to a private view.
A glass of wine and looking at some photographs is something I can rarely resist and it's a nice way to create a buzz about your exhibition.

3) Promotion material
Do as much as you can afford to do.
I had...

2x A0 laminated posters to go outside the venue. Having them laminated meant that they wouldn't smudge or run in the rain. You'll obviously need to check with your venue first to see if they have space for this.

1x 3 metre long vinyl banner. This is a contentious issue, as it's very difficult to find a location to put a banner. If you go the correct route of applying for permission, you will most probably run in to difficulty. More on this later.

1000x A6 postcards. I had printed 1000 A6 generic postcards, an image on the front with my name and on the back, my websites and contact details.
I then purchased sticky inkjet labels to print the exhinbition details abd then put on to the postcards. This way, if you find you only use 500, you have 500 to use as business cards. Generally 1000 is the shortest econimical run for litho printing.

You can use some of the stickers for invitation information. ie. come to the launch etc.
But the majority just have the exhibition details, dates, opening times, what sort of thing to expect and perhaps a map of the location.

You can put these in to shops and some are more okay with this than others. Some will just push you cards to the back of the counter or cover them up with something else, which makes your time, money and effort worthless. I actually found that actually giving them out to people in the street worked best and I know that I had direct sales from doing so. If you have to man your exhibition as I did, it's a really good idea to try and rope in a friend or family member to go and do this for you while you are open. Most people are fine with this, some will look at you with such a glare and say, "photo exhibition? oh NO THANKS!" as if to say, 'oh god, I really hate photos'. Perservere, it's worth it.

We tried a gimmick too. We left envelopes around Tunbridge Wells, written on them was something like 'Open me, you know you want to'. Inside was a postcard with a message, saying bring me to the exhibition and exchange me for a raffle ticket to win a signed art print. We had a few takers on this, but perhaps with a bit more thought, this could have worked better.

Closing/VIP party.
We invited local businesses to come along to a VIP night and donated 10% of the sales for that night to a local charity. The mayor even came along and made a purchase. Remember, if you invite 50 people, you'll be lucky if half come.

A4 inkjet posters.
I produced some A4 posters and some shops were kind enough to display them.

How to print and mount your work
This is another key decision and depends on your style of photography.
If your thing is flowers or nature, then they might lend themselves to canvas prints and framing.
Other styles might not suit this and this is how I felt about my work. I decided to print 18x12 inch prints as digital c-types and 36x24 inch prints as inkjets and mount them on 5mm foamboard. This is a contemporary way of displaying images and relatively inexpensive for temporary display. I also purchased some inexpensive frames and framed a couple of examples. If people wanted the easy option and take their print home framed, they had that option. I also explained to people that I would happily arrange any type of framing at a little more than cost. It's about making sure the client is happy with their print.

One of the limited edition 18x12 inch prints that I sold is being mounted on aliminium and protected with an acrylic seal. People with a keen interest in the larger limited edition prints mentioned aliminium mounting a lot, so I would definiately have that as an option for my next show. But again, this might not suit all styles, so it's up to you to decide what best suits your images.

In addition to the prints on the wall, I offered unlimited edition prints displayed on a table. 12x8 inch prints in a 16x12 thick card mount and supplied in a cellophane sleeve. These sold quite well and are a really affordable way of people taking home one of your prints there and then.

I also had printed 240 postcards and sold these individually or a discounted price for 5. I think I sold well over 100 of these.

Here are just a couple of images from the work in progress. Please feel free to ask any questions.

Fixing struts for reverse of images.

Photographs going up.

4 images from the Nuclear Town set.

Launch Night!

2009-04-17T20:26:00.007+01:00

Well it was a lot of hard work, but we did it! Launch night of my first solo exhibition, we finished installing everything just minutes before it opened! Without Neil's help, I'd probably still be putting up photos now!

Here are a few photos from the launch courtesy of Neil Smith.

The exhibition is now open to the general public. The opening times are as follows...

Exhibition: 17-26 April 2009

Opening times:
Friday 17 April (10am-8pm)
Saturday 18 April (10am-6pm)
Sunday 19 - Wednesday 22 April (10am-4pm)
Thursday 23-Friday 24 April (10am-8pm)
Saturday 25 (10am-6pm)
Sunday 26 April (10am-4pm)

Venue:
Master Transcriptions - Studio On The Common
The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5TE

The launch was so successful in fact, that I'm thinking of doing a VIP night on Thursday 23 April (5pm-8pm). A few people couldn't make the launch and it would be good to invite some local VIPs. Complimentary bar and possibly the chance to win a signed print.

A BIG thank you to everyone who came to launch.

Cristina & Tony

2009-04-12T00:37:00.006+01:00

Phew, I feel totally knackered! Nearly 1am and I have just finished processing a couple of images from today's/yesterday's wedding at the Old Kent Barn in Dover.

Cristina and Tony are pretty laid back and that works well with my style of shooting weddings. They even fed me with some really tasty paella, so you can't say fairer than that!

Another great day, but I'm really looking forward to a day off tomorrow, err, I mean today.

Thanks guys for making me feel very welcome, hope you have a lovely honeymoon.

Andy

Rachel & Stuart

2009-04-10T19:37:00.007+01:00

Another wedding today, in fact a busy weekend with another tomorrow.

This one was in Maidstone, starting at the Archbishops Palace, which is perhaps the nicest registry office I've ever seen! We moved on to Eastwell Manor afterwards - wow! that is a location.

I'm really lucky to get lovely people book me, a wedding is always a hard work, but it's a pleasure when you work for nice people.

Just a few of the shots from today.

Hellingly Psychiatric Hospital

2009-04-05T22:23:00.000+01:00

I was lucky enough to go on a little excursion to Hellingly Hospital today. I had visited some years ago, but this trip was a little more organised and I got to see a lot more of it.

The hospital was designed by architect George Thomas Hine and opened in 1903 and finally closed in 1994.

Apparently the psychiatric hospital housed approximately 2000 patients, it has quite a colourful history and some of the stories are probably just urban myth. But it is true that the hospital was used to deal with some of 'societies problems' not just the mentally ill. Such as women having children out of wedlock, one woman apparently spent most of her life here after having a child when she was 17 years old.

Walking around the place I can't help but make my own stories as I go along. One thing is for sure, it probably was a beautiful place in it's day, but time has taken it's toll along with some mindless vandalism.

In a pitch black room, I found a little kitchen area. Cups, plates, egg cups and this salt pot. I can't help but think of the people used this on a daily basis and what their lives were like.

New Set Of Nudes

2009-04-02T17:34:00.003+01:00

I wanted to show a set of nudes at my exhibition and felt I needed some more images. So I arranged a shoot, but this time opting to shoot in the woods. The model was a delight to work with and we only had a couple of hours, but managed to get some shots that I'm really pleased with.

This one didn't quite make the final edit, but I wanted to keep the best ones back just for the show.

A reminder...

Exhibition:
17-26 April 2009
Master Transcriptions - Studio On The Common
The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent UK

London Meet Up

2009-03-30T08:47:00.005+01:00

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Neil & Tom yesterday to take some pictures and discuss the future of London Photobloggers.

We started off at Woolwich Dockyard and walked along the river to the O2. A few pictures I took along the way...

It was a good day and we arranged to meet up with Nathan. A dancer who wanted some images to start a portfolio. A top bloke and was more than up for doing whatever we wanted - in fact we probably didn't take full advantage of his enthusiasm but I think we probably got some good shots. This one one of my favourites.

Tunbridge Wells Photographic Exhibition

2009-03-19T22:59:00.002Z

Well, like buses, you wait a lifetime and then two opportunities come along at once!

I have been given the opportunity of having a solo show in Tunbridge Wells. This is different to the show I previously advertised in July, that show is till going ahead. But this show is at a dedicated space and will show a lot more of my work.

The exhibition is at:
MT Studios on The Common
The Pantiles
Tunbridge Wells
Kent TN2 5TE

16-26 April 2009
With a private view on Thursday 16 April.

The show will feature work from several bodies of work, including:
Nudes • Tree Studies • Edge Of Industry • Coastal • Goals

If you are interested in coming along to the private view, please just drop me an email.
info@andrewnewson.co.uk

The Digital Black & White

2009-03-14T16:02:00.003Z

Hmmm, I know - but I'm going for it!

The issue of converting your colour digital image to black and white is a well talked about subject. By now, I'm sure we all know that it can be a lot more complicated than just converting to greyscale.

When I first tried shooting b&w with the D700 (review to come, I promise), I was amazed my the in camera settings, they looked so film-like. I also liked you could adjust the contrast, brightness, sharpness and even add a colour filter, red or green usually for me. This is really useful, but...

What is annoying for me is that if you are a Lightroom user, you lose any of these adjustments when you put your RAW files in to Lightoom, unless I'm missing a trick?

So, I started to shoot RAW and JPG, to use the JPG as a benchmark to set up a develop mode in Lightroom that pretty much matched my in camera settings. That's what I have done here.

The D700 also has a TIFF mode, which if you want to shoot b&w with no way of going back, this is good. It's only 8-bit though so for me, the RAW develop setting is the better choice - except I like to make a decision and shoot b&w and not to the have the option to change my mind later.

So in short, I'm pretty happy with this conversion and it's pretty simple. I then take the image to photoshop for a little work on the highlights and shadows (not much though) and then add a little grain and sharpen.

Exhibition Invite

2009-03-12T21:39:00.004Z

I will definitely be having an exhibition later this year and guess what, you're all invited! ;-)

It's a little way off yet, but try to keep the date free if you can.
Reception: Saturday 4th July - 2.30pm-4.30pm

The show will be held in the Tunbridge Wells library. The library has a purpose built 'big white wall' for exhibitions. The wall is a free-standing affair like this...

It's large enough for me to show about 15 photographs, some as big as 30x30 inches.

So although it's kind of a solo show, it's really more a toe in the water as opposed to taking over an entire gallery.

The reception is fairly short, just two hours. We will of course be offering some wine and beer and hope some of you might hang around after for something to eat and drink in the town.

Now begins the huge dilemma of which images to show! I have a fairly good idea though.

The show will run for all of July.

East Sussex Studio Syndicate

2009-03-10T23:42:00.003Z

I have some reasonably exciting news. After a successful meeting this evening I can announce that I will be starting a studio syndicate at a photographic studio in East Sussex.

"What the **** is a 'studio syndicate'?" I hear you asking!!

Well basically, it's for people who are at a particular level with their photography and want to try and push it further without a big financial investment. Owning your own studio can be very expensive and even hiring one can be costly too, and to be honest, a lot of them are not all that.

This method is a 'toe in the water' for people wanting to try studio photography on a professional level or even for an amateur wanting to have some fun in the studio at a low cost.

I am looking for people who want to become syndicate members of a studio near Heathfield in East Sussex. The cost would work out at half the price of normal studio rates of even less (cheap!). Members would get discount on additional studio time if they needed it, first refusal on studio events and the possibility of taking part in a group exhibition.

Currently the premises is one studio but with the possibility of being two if this takes off. The second would make a great exhibition space also.

The studio is fully equipped with Bowens flash units, colourama backgrounds, radio triggers and has a toilet, changing room with large illuminated mirror for make-up, small office and kitchen area.

I'm thinking of having a meeting one evening at the studio to discuss this further with people who are interested. We can also treat this as a fun networking event, we can take a look at each others portfolios etc and the decide who wants in.

Please email me or reply below if you are interested.

Thank you.
Andy

The Importance Of Subtlety (For Me!)

2009-03-08T21:44:00.004Z

I know not everyone will agree with this, but for me the processing of images is all about subtlety. It's taken me a long time to get to a point where I can process an image like this and be pretty happy with it. Which is funny and perhaps slightly ironic, because I think some people will look at this (and my images in general) and think they're dull and boring, thinking that if I cranked up the contrast and saturation by about 20% they might be a bit more appealing.

This image has a a bit more work than I normally do, but hopefully that's not too obvious. It's important to get the processing right - I bet there are another 10 images similar to this on Flickr, but they probably won't have been processed exactly how I like them. It's also important not to get blind to the intended method or size of presentation - it's all to easy to see images on the internet and see them for only that, but this image definitely lends itself to a large print, for the detail.

This image was colour balanced in LR2 and some of the highlight and shadow detail brought back. I then moved to PS to bring back a little more of the sky and shadow and highlight detail in general. I also enhanced some contrast in the tower block.

James Ravilious

2009-03-08T08:03:00.006Z

I remember watching this documentary some time ago but whilst searching for something else, I stumbled upon it again and had to watch it.

The stunning black and white images that Ravilious captured of the rural Devon farming community are part of history, a world now past, never to return. Full of charm and character his photos speak volumes of this way of life.

Ravilious would photograph mainly with a Leica M3 and prefer to use older uncoated lenses. He liked the detail these lenses could hold in the shadow and highlights and would often adapt his cameras and equipment, usually with black tape, making unique lens shades etc.

Documentary about James Ravilious, one of the great unknowns of British photography.
You can watch it here on BBC's marvellous iPlayer...

James Ravilious: A World In Photographs

All pictures courtesty of the BBC documentary, James Ravilious: A World In Photographs.

Trees.

2009-03-07T09:12:00.001Z

Another contender for my Trees series and my first test post from Flickr (actually that didn't work out).

I struggle a little with writing about my images, it's not that I don't know why I take these pictures, but struggle to find the words that describe how I feel about them and when I try to hard it just sounds pretentious.

Very simply, trees are awesome in the true sense.

The Independent Photographers Terry O'Neill Award 08

2009-03-04T13:50:00.003Z

I'm popping along to the preview of this show on Saturday and I'm really looking forward to.

The Independent Photographers Gallery is in Battle, East Sussex.
IPG Website

The show runs:
9 March - 18 April 2009

Sophie Lewis & Emma Critchley
Fear Of Falling

I remember seeing 2 large prints of the 'Fear Of Falling' series at The Photographers' Gallery recently and were excellent, especially when you realise they are taken under water!

Antony Crossfield
Foreign Body

Deep Sleep Magazine

2009-03-03T14:00:00.002Z

A new online magazine of art photography which looks really good. I'm looking forward to seeing how things evolve and perhaps even having a go at submitting to one of the upcoming themes -
Theme for issue two: Alien (submission deadline 1st May 2009)
Theme for issue three: Dance (submission deadline 1st August 2009)

Deep Sleep Magazine

Thanks to Simon for posting about this.

PPOTY08 Shortlist Announced

2009-03-03T13:25:00.002Z

The shortlist for the Professional Photographer Of The Year was announced recently via the PP website. I entered myself but wasn't lucky enough to get through.

PPOTY08 Shortlist

And Then Came Globilisation by Tomaz Crnej

The 50 States Project

2009-03-02T10:43:00.003Z

I thought it was worth mentioning Stuart Pilkington's excellent '50 States Project'.

Stuart says...

"On 2nd January 2009 I set all 50 photographers within the project the same task. I asked them to photograph one or more individuals whom they felt represented the State where they live.

I asked them to interpret the assignment using their own unique voice and to photograph something/someone iconic, or emblematic, symbolic, or real to their own lives. They were free to interpret the assignment however they wished.

Each photographer had two months to produce one image in response to this assignment, (namely 'people'), and what you are about to see are the results. As you visit each State, (in alphabetical order), hopefully a picture of the United States will be conjured up for you like a quilt made up of 50 parts.

The people within the photographs are young and old, male and female, rich and poor, black and white, cold and warm, straight and gay, stereotypes and non-stereotypes, able-bodied and disabled, famous and obscure, alive and not so alive...the whole spectrum of life.

Stuart Pilkington

The next set of images will be published on 1st May 2009, but for the time being go and check out the excellent 'people' images already up on the site.

The 50 States Project.

"Victoria and her dogs, Coldfoot, Alaska" © Ben Huff

Wedding Season!

2009-02-28T20:23:00.005Z

Today I had the great pleasure of photographing Sue and Martin's wedding in Tunbridge Wells. They make a great couple, obviously both fun loving people and that showed at their wedding. Anyone who has 'Shaft' played straight after they get married is okay in my book!

I said I would post a couple of photos here so they could have a sneak preview. I also said that I would post one of the room for the venue, The Royal Wells.

Martin's camper van makes such a great edition to the wedding party and HAD to be included in some of the shots.

Anyway guys, hope you're having a wonderful time.

Andy

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

Photoshop For Fashion

2009-02-27T13:40:00.002Z

The same photograph below, one totally as it was taken, no alterations at all. The other (larger image) is one I have applied heavy post processing to.

I removed all blemishes from the skin.
I removed the necklace and earrings that I decided didn't work with the dress.
I removed stray hairs around her head.
I changed the shoes from peep toe to court shoes.
I removed a lot of saturation from the skin tones. I think it helps give the image a more high fashion feel and of course adds interest to the garment.
I did quite a lot of airbrushing on her face, I strengthened her jaw line and made her chin more rounded, I enhanced her eye make-up.
I removed the bulldog clip from the back of the dress and tidied up this area where you can see the dress doesn't fit correctly.

The purpose, I just wanted to see how far I could go and then reign it back a little. Yes I went even further than this!

The end result is a better image in my opinion, but for a lot of people this will be a step too far.

Bukky

2009-02-25T16:15:00.001Z

I think I probably overlooked this portrait the first time round. But I skipped past them recently and thought it was worth looking at again.

Alex Prager

2009-02-24T23:52:00.002Z

Great work by Alex Prager.

I'm thinking if you're in NYC, you should get along to this show.
The Big Valley
Yancey Richardson Gallery
New York
February 12 - March 28

Image copyright of Alex Prager
http://www.alexprager.com

Shadows/Highlights

2009-02-24T17:47:00.003Z

I'm thinking I might do a D700 review here. I wonder if that would be of interest to anyone?

This camera is the first digital camera that I have been happy with the results. So much so that I haven't shot any film since I've owned the D700 and that was in August of 2008, so I'm out of the 'honeymoon period'.

Apart from being full frame, it's the actually quality and depth to the images. The dynamic range if you like.

Shooting in to the sun is something that would have been a nightmare before. But the depth is there to be able to pull back detail in the shadow and highlights without compromising on final image quality.

As shot.

RAW file edited with Lightroom 2.

My RAW editor of choice is Lightroom 2. I find I can do most things I need to without going to photoshop. Most of my adjustments are subtle, I don't really want them to look like they've been 'processed'.

Let me know if a D700 review is of any interest.

Cheers.

Moo Cards - Just a gimmick?

2009-02-24T14:53:00.002Z

I needed to update my business cards and I thought I'd have a look at the Moo Cards option.

I opted for 50 quantity, for just £10.99. You can even have a different image for every card. I went with 25 images, 2 of each. With postage to the UK you are looking at 15 quid and they took just a few days to come.

As for the quality, well it's not bad. The text is crisp and clean and the images look good on a paper stock that feels nice. My logo appeared a bit smaller than what I remember and would look into that the next time I order. I had one duff card out of the 50, but figured it wasn't worth complaining about. I think I will be going back to order up 200.

The Forest

2009-02-24T14:36:00.001Z

Shotage

Great Photographers Portfolios

2009-02-24T11:12:00.001Z

For a long time I have been following the work of Jose Luis Martinez. Firstly from his excellent photoblog, A Beat Experience, sadly no longer updated but well worth a look at the extensive archive.

Recently I suffered a hard disc crash and lost all of my web bookmarks and I realised just how many of the photographers portfolios that I had been enjoying were found through Jose's photoblog. With Jose's permission, I have decided to publish these links and others here. You will see a real cross section of photographic work, from advertising to fine art, I hope you enjoy them as much as me and perhaps they will be an influence on your images as they are on mine. I will post them a few at a time.

Copyright of Jose Luis Martinez.

Alexandra Carr
Currently being updated. Hopefully something here soon.

Miles Aldridge
Fashion.

Damian Heinisch
Various.

Michal Podobycko
Various.

Kerstin zu Pan
Various.

Frieke Janssens
Various.

Thomas Kruesselmann
Fashion & Beauty.

Joachim Baldauf
Art, portait, fashion & beauty.

Jason Nocito
Portraits, Art & Fashion.

David Byun
Fashion & Beauty.

Andrea Klarin
Fashion, Portrait & Advertising.

Stephen Gill
Art.

Tim Simmons
Art.

James Day
Art, Portraits & Object.

More to follow soon....

New Portfolio Site

2009-02-24T11:04:00.000Z

I have recently re-design and re-launched my photography portfolio website.

My good friend Neil Smith made my designs a reality, with his excellent build skills.

The website does exactly what I want it to, the design is there, but it's understated to give emphasis to the images, it allows me to put my images in to themes and sets and allowing an introduction to be viewed first. We (Neil) are still working on some final behind the scenes tweaks, but it's there to view. Take a look and let me know what you think.

The Magic Of Trees

2009-02-22T11:52:00.000Z

Two images recently taken at some woodlands near where I live.

As Crap As Martin Parr!

2009-02-16T18:39:00.000Z

It is always dangerous to google yourself, but I've been working on a new website of late Andrew Newson Photographer so I wanted to see where my various sites sit in the rankings. I came across my name in a forum and thought I'd check it out. I think it was a nice gesture by the original poster, as I think he was saying that he liked my work. But the following comments made me laugh, hey it's totally fine for people not to like my photographs, I don't have a problem with that, it's all subjective, I'm well aware of that. Anyway, have a look for yourself....

As Crap As Martin Parr