I recently had the pleasure of making some headshot and indoor portrait photographs for Scottish music producer and copywriter Nicky Skeoch. Nicky had made contact with me through my website and was looking for images to use on  his social media platforms.

I used a simple two-light set up in my home studio, using PiXAPRO PIKA 200PRO portable flash units and PiXAPRO soft boxes - all available from Essential Photo (I am not paid to advertise their products - but they are a great company to deal with). The camera I used was my Nikon D810.

Nicky was great to work with and he was clearly pleased with his photos (check out his review on Yell Business and on this website's front page.

Having represented Scotland at international test level Cricket, Dylan Budge is a professional athlete. He is also an up-and-coming photographer whose work can be seen on Instagram at @dylanbudgephotos. He is now wanting to take on modelling assignments, so I was delighted when he asked me to make some outdoor portraits for his portfolio.

The day we chose to meet in Saltcoats was pretty miserable, grey and windy by fortunately with only the occasional drizzle. However, poor light and weather should never be a barrier to decent outdoor portraiture and I decided to enhance the available light with some off-camera flash. Using my trusty Nikon D810 my chosen lighting equipment was just one PiXAPRO Pika 200 flash, triggered with their ST-IV Trigger N and shot through a PiXAPRO 60cm collapsible portable soft box fitted with a white beauty dish and grid.

The set up was great for the afternoon shoot around the Saltcoats Pier area. However, we hoped for a decent sunset (which we were fortunate enough to get) and planned to follow that follow with an after-dark shoot in Dockhead Street. For this part of the photoshoot, I removed the soft box from the flash and fitted it with a Lastolite grid. I zoomed in the flash to produce the gritty look I was after.

For all set ups I used Manual settings on both the camera and the flash, keeping my ISO low (mostly 160 but 200 in the evenings) and controlled the ambient light with shutter speed. I varied my Aperture setting to get the look I was after. I did not use a light stand - I used a Lastolite extension pole, with my wife acting as my assistant.

I really enjoyed the photoshoot with Dylan, and he was clearly pleased with the results. PiXAPRO lighting systems are the same as GODOX and are simply brilliant to use. PiXAPRO products are available through Essential Photo (I am not paid to advertise on their behalf).

Photographers wishing to collaborate with Dylan may email him on dyl949@live.co.uk
For your outdoor photoshoot contact me through this website.

Being a lover of 35mm film photography, I've been keen to try out the new CineStill range of film stock with either my Nikon FM2 or Nikon F3. So I purchased a roll each of their CineStill 50D, CineStill 800T and CineStill BWXX 135 film from the marvellous Analogue Wonderland.

So far I've only managed to shoot a roll of Cine Still 50D. ​It is adapted from Kodak Film stock by a family-run American business, who have established a way of removing the remjet layer from movie film stock - making it possible to be developed in traditional C41 chemicals and therefore available as 135 film stock.

As the name suggests, this emulsion has a film speed of ISO 50 and is colour balanced for daylight (hence the D). Being balanced slap-bang in the middle of the kelvin colour spectrum, it is clearly designed to be used on bright sunny days, when it will produce the most amazing colours with fine grain and wonderful detail. However, it can be disappointing on overcast days, when it will naturally produce dull images with a green tinge to it.

I shot the film with my Nikon FM2 in a variety of venues, and in different daylight conditions. The image below, demonstrates the green tint you can get under cloudy conditions. In my view, this is a minor problem that can be corrected with either using a filter on your camera or as a last resort in digital processing.

I have been scanning my negatives with a small Kenro scanner, but have recently not been pleased with the results. So to test its quality I sent the roll to Analogue Wonderland for both developing and scanning. I have been blown away not only by the quality of their work, but by their friendly and professional customer service. I will definitely be sending my images to them for scanning in the future. To be fair to Kenro, I think I may have damaged my scanner when I tried to clean it during lockdown!

Overall, CineStill 50D is a brilliant emulsion that I will use again. Indeed it could well become a favourite for bright, sunny days.

I have CineStill BWXX in my Nikon FM2 and will post a blog on how I get on with it. I plan to even give it a go with some off-camera flash portraiture too.

I have a roll of Kodak Portrait 400 in my Nikon F3 but when that's done, I plan to load it with a roll of CineStill 800T and do a some night photography in the city. So watch this space!

Finally, just to say that I highly recommend Analogue Wonderland for both purchasing your film stock and trusting them with your developing and scanning requirements. They are simply great at what they do!

Posted by Clive Larrett Photography on 30 June 2022

Carol arrived early for rehearsals, and whilst the BBC Scotland film crew were setting up, she took the opportunity to meet the locals - especially veteran members of the local Royal British Legion and Councillor Jim Montgomerie.

Below: Having completed his part of the set up, a BBC Scotland cameraman takes a break before rehearsals.

Above: The BBC Scotland Crew ready and waiting for the live feed on national television whilst Carol Kirkwood talks to the school children; and (below) as a background to the interview and lighting ceremony, music was provided by a Scottish Pipe Band and traditional Highland Dancing by Rachel Ferrie.

Above: Councillor Jim Montgomerie being interviewed by Carol Kirkwood and Below: There was a festive vibe to the occasion and the crowd were clearly enjoying themselves. Everyone looked forward to sunset and the lighting of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Beacon.

Below: Councillor Jim Montgomerie lights the beacon

Above: The Tartan worn by Rachel Ferrie is the Saltcoats Tartan - the blue of the sea, the beige of the sand, the black of the coal, the white of the salt and red for the sun combined with a deep and rich purple, the traditional colour of Scotland.  It was registered in 2001 and was produced in conjunction with Baxters Jewellers (Saltcoats).

And an image taken in bright light away from the hide - a Chaffinch.
Manual Mode ISO 200  f/5.6  1/2000sec at 500mm

See more of my photography here

Steve Blake (then a Sergeant and British Army Combat Photographer)
This photograph was taken one morning when we were having fun trying out different lighting techniques in the studio. This photo of Steve was lit with one huge softbox mounted directly above and close to his head. We used fill lights to the left and right at about 45 degrees and, to deal with the shadows around his eyes caused by the overhead light, Steve held a reflector directly in front of him at waist height and angled towards his face.He was not standing but sitting on a chair.
I used my Nikon D800 fitted with my Nikon NIKKOR 70-200mm 1:2.8G II ED lens.