Leica Some from my workshop in London

Thanks for looking :) I follow various people of flickr and on Facebook photography groups but I can't actually remember how I found Matthew. Suffice to say that you'll find him popping up here and there:)
I've been a great admirer of his style and you can find his website here

Matthew Osborne Photography (aka MrLeica.com): <meta name="p:domain_verify" content="9ca15dddc91841438823e244f68e34de"/>

He holds a few photography workshops per year and I was quick to pay my deposit when he announced his dates for June. There were to be three of us photographers plus Matt and Katie his model for the day. He told us that she would be great and she was. A real trooper and lots of fun, best of all she actually enjoys having her picture taken! Matt kept in touch over the following weeks, asking us what we were hoping to achieve from the day and if there were specific things that he could help us with. I asked him if he still had his 50mm Zeiss Sonar and if so, could I borrow it..... he kindly brought it for me and it didn't leave my camera all day. Smitten :tongue: We met up in Central London at St. Pauls and we were soon chatting nineteen to the dozen and swapping lenses and cameras. Matt was able to take some time to talk to each of us individually so that we he could help us more with the actual shoot.

The weather wasn't great with grey cloud and rain but we started off outside St. Pauls Cathedral gardens where we took our first few shots. It soon became necessary to give poor Katie an umbrella and Matt showed us how it also helped to control the light around her face. He gave so much information that I'm still digesting it and remembering all kinds of things. He showed me how to expose for the face specifically and encouraged me to keep shooting wide open. When the rain became too wet we moved on by Tube to Covent Garden where there's more shelter. Matt set Katie up by the pillars there and was always hovering around helping each of us to get some good shots. He also brought his Mamiya along and an M9 and took some shots himself so that we could watch and see how he worked with Katie. After half an hour or so, security moved us on so we went off to find some other backgrounds.

We took a couple of coffee breaks when the rain was at it's worst and we used these to discuss all camera related stuff. Katie was able to change her clothes and re do her make up before we moved on to the next stop.

We finished around 6.45 pm and I was even too tired to look at my photos when I got home. The next day I was almost afraid to look because I'd been shooting full manual and wondered if I'd managed to get any decent shots. Of course there were lots of blinked eyes and blurred movement but by and large I got some shots I was really happy with. Matt had shown us how to find light in alley ways and arches and the rain had added to the lovely reflections of light even on a dull day. I'd really recommend the day to anyone who wants to get some confidence and I'm hoping to do it again maybe next year :big grin:

Well you did ask....... !!
 
Yes apparently Covent Garden and it's surround edges come under the control of Westminster something or other and you have to have permission to use it for a shoot..... which we didn't. We got what we wanted by this time anyway so it didn't really matter but interestingly, as we walked out of the area one of the female street performers was having a huge argument with a security guy about her pitch which had garnered quite a crowd...... good on her!
 
hmm. That's probably more about commercial video/movies than a couple of amateur still photographers.

how very jobsworthy of them (though, if they were just "security" they must have been private contractors and probably had no right at all to send you on your way)
 
Back
Top