Update at Cooper Towers

I have been a little quiet on here I know - but have been very busy diversifying and setting up the new venture ready for 2014.

I now offer a wedding photography service. Devoted Wedding Photography. A Bride-to-be looks for photographers in a different way to my commercial SME business clients so I have set up a new name, a new website and a new blog that will appeal to them. 

I still shoot people, products, events and specialise in time-lapse photography - but now I also capture weddings.

 

I like being Joanne Cooper whether I am Joanne Cooper Photography or Devoted Wedding Photography - it's me and it's photography.

Clever lighting removes wrinkles!

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Time-Lapse Madness

Well I did it. Two cameras set up to capture the happiness and joy, fun and frivolity of the Jubilee Street Party in Market Street, Ashby.

One camera was safely locked away in an office, clicking and capturing a narrow view of about 9 tables from a first floor window; the second at street level near the pelican crossing at the Town Hall Market. The other cameras were used for various stills and mini time-lapses. I had enjoyed capturing one with the Fuji point and shoot, so I mounted it onto my new tiny tripod and got some candid shoots of peoples feet, rubbish, balloons and children having fun.

My favourite image of the day

It's hard work being a photographer!

There were occasional drizzling moments so I sent my sister off to get me a plastic bag. As long as the parts of the camera containing all the electronics were covered I didn't mind. The lens was well protected and it didn't matter if a few spots got onto the glass.

It was a lovely day. We were all putting on and taking off our coats as the sun came and went. There was a brass band, a choir, a horse and a fun fair.

Home to undertake a mammoth downloading session - approx 2800 images. The time-lapse was set to capture one image every 15 seconds and I stayed for 5 hours. Phew!

The office window view

Market Street before everyone arrived

The street level set up

The next 5 days will see me creating a movie out of these images and when I'm happy with it I'll post something here to show you.

Thanks go to Ashby Town Council who gave me permission to do this and found ways for it to work for me - Karen Edwards. Thanks to the new town mayor Geriant Jones - for his generous offers of hospitality. Thanks to Prescient Power (Karl) who let me set up a camera in his offices in amongst the Ashby Art Festival.

And of course the day would have been a lot more difficult without the help and entertainment provided by my two assistants: Marie Mayes and Bruce Crawford.

My sister trying her best to create a red, white and blue tongue!

My plan for this work is to hand it over to Ashby Town Council for their use and to the Ashby Museum. My take on a tiny piece of a lovely day.

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Day off?

I found I had a couple of days with no appointments so instead of settling down to do some admin I decided to give myself a couple of days R&R.

What to do, what to do.

I phoned a friend and invited myself round. I packed up Justin. Many of you will have met Justin - Justin Case!

Couldn't resist popping my Fuji point and shoot into my case. Living in an apartment overlooking the canal offers photographic opportunities, even on a grey overcast day. Decided to capture a mini time-lapse (inspired by Amos Poe) of the activity in the Wharf.

Sherborne Wharf with sunken narrow boat

Time-lapse with a point and shoot is a painful operation. Holding and operating the camera involves sitting perfectly still in the same position. This is why it is a mini time-lapse. Pins and needles stopped the shoot!

I will process this later today and post a link. I need a small time-lapse project to undertake to get my eye back in as I need to create three or four big movies ready for the exhibition showreel.

A year ago I had a black eye received from my iPad falling onto my face! My two days R&R has also resulted in bruises but this time for all the right reasons.

Right I need to go and do some admin!

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Two Shoots - One Day

The sun was up, the day was hot, but I had so much fun. Started by capturing a class of 45 4 year olds. What a delight. I really enjoyed that and it was lovely to see Ashley again - who now refers to me as Play-doh Jo!

Home to download the images and create an image where each child was looking up, had their eyes open and not pulling a silly face. Didn't take as long as I thought. I really enjoyed doing this and am hoping it will lead to future work. Delightful.

Prepared for my WIBN meeting tomorrow. Tidied up a time-lapse movie to show, wrote my monthly minute, put together items to show off and wrapped a present for my special friend in case I don't see her on her birthday. Oh and organised a lift.

Then to finish off the afternoon I went and spent an hour with Elaine and Winnie. Winnie was very entertaining when charging around the garden and digging. Managed to get a couple of shots of her panting after her exertions.

Love capturing images of people's pets. So much love.

Got some lovely shots of Elaine for her social media profiles too. A very easy subject to work with and I love some of the images I have captured for her.

Home to download images and prepare them ready for tomorrow along with purchase orders and invoices. Am also sorting prints and business cards for a client. Also tomorrow I am looking forward to seeing my new banner. Busy day ahead tomorrow so will take pics and report on that too. A very satisfying day. And an interesting one ahead on Thursday.

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Exhibition Showreel

Have decided to put some of my time-lapse movies onto the Exhibition Showreel along with still images. The Showreel will run the whole week. I have a few I would be happy to show but I think they need a little tweak to make sure the story is understood. There is one that needs finishing off with some original music. I will finalise the Eden Project time-lapse and add some of the interviews captured last year with visitors and staff.

I have cleared 5 days over the next week to complete this. Really looking forward to spending time with After Effects again.

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Piano Restoration time-lapse movie

Successful capture of the piano being serviced and then the keys replaced and put back together. Had something like 2000 images to handle for this movie and the result is a 2 min movie showing just how much hard work Doug puts into looking after these keyboards for his clients.

Yesterday I go the chance to show it to people who would give me constructive criticism. I have taken on board their suggestions and ideas and I will give the movie a final polish before I post it on here - I might also add some originally composed music as well.

In the meantime here is a still from the movie and I need to get back to the software and do those final tweaks - watch this space.

www.klassickeysgb.com
Doug playing to the camera - hmmmmm

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Time-Lapse - Part Two

Tonight I am off to do a second shoot for a time-lapse movie. Yesterday I captured 1500 images of the start of a piano restoration. Tonight the keys should be going on and that will look fabulous. All appearing triumphantly.

The innards of a piano

The plan is that this restoration time-lapse movie will appear on my show-reel for selling this idea to small businesses. Once I have created the movie I will post - but for now it's off to work I go.

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Two Weeks

Is it really two weeks since my last blog. Deary me that is not good.

Well let's have a recap and I will expand on areas that I think have been interesting in a separate entry.

Well the first thing that I was working at the Eden Project near St Austell for 5 days after Easter. This was - once again - a great privilege. The briefs were interesting and challenging. I also had time to achieve some ideas I had in mind.

However I did suffer a couple of catastrophes:

1. I broke the filter on the end of my 24-105mm lens (I say broke - more like shattered to smithereens). If you have read my top tips you will know that it is there to protect the lens and it did - so it did not die in vain! Just need to buy a replacement (£55) think it'll go onto the birthday list! The accident that caused that to break bent the pin/plug on the remote timer but I straightened it and it seems to be working! Fingers crossed. But might see if I can get my hands on spare cables.
2. When I started the first time-lapse the battery in the transmitter had died. Get new batteries then - easy! Ha ha ha not so fast my friendly readers. To get to the battery you need the tiniest screwdriver in the world to remove three screws. So after a trip to a Cornish optician and a shop that sells CR2032 batteries I have now added CR2032s and a tiny screwdriver to my kit bag! The battery failure on that first day meant that I had to do the time-lapse 'old school' - ie pushing the shutter myself at irregular intervals - as a result I can see the camera movement and people are very random as they pass through the scene because I was not as good at consistency as the equipment is. The result at the end of the day was a  very achy arm!

One of the briefs was for some product shots - including some bird feed imaginatively called 'Peck and Mix' I decided to be adventurous, set myself up in the Mediterranean Biome (the lighting was lovely and I had seen quite a few birds in there) opened up the bag of feed and waited. A robin, blackbird and blue tit all obliged - but I loved this one of the blue tit sitting on the packaging.

This week I have - whilst suffering with a rather stinking cold - undertaken three photo shoots. An engineering company, a Health and Safety advisor and a Physiotherapist. more will follow about that work and images to share.

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