Most of the last month or so has been taken up with the launch of our new Alter Ego brand of contemporary boudoir and 1950s pinup style portraits.  If you haven’t done so already why not check out our new web site at www.alteregoportraits.com.

Alter Ego has a Facebook fan page. If you are not already a fan sign up now for the chance to win a free photo shoot and album.  We’ve already had one lucky winner from our first 100 fans.  The next 100 to sign up will also have a chance to win.

As if that’s not enough there’s another chance to win a free shoot by entering a competition we’re running in conjunction with Northampton Image magazine.  Follow this link go to page 81 and follow the instructions on how to enter.  The main prize of a 1950s makeover and pinup shoot and album is worth £600 and there are five runners up prizes of the makeover shoot that’s worth £195.  Too good to miss

That’s it for Alter Ego news on this blog. Normal business will be resumed shortly If you want to keep in touch with Alter Ego news remember to become a fan on Facebook.

First of the four is this shot of baby Mariella with dad, taken when she was six days old. I love this shot for its intimacy, and also the eye contact, which is hard to capture with a newborn baby. Although this looks like a studio shot it was actually taken at the client’s home, using window light only.

Next up is one of my favourite wildlife photographs. It’s not widely known that I lead photo safaris to Africa on behalf of a specialist USA-based photo tour company.  This one was taken on a tour to Tanzania. A few moments later and it was all over. Feel sorry for the frog

The next gold is a powerful and moving picture of a young Masai, also taken in Tanzania. The day before I’d run a ‘photographing people’ workshop for the tour participants, and one of the techniques I taught was shooting in to the sun when the the light is harsh and there is no shade. That technique works well here – I love the way the light rims her face. There’s a soulful look to her expression that really appeals to me too.

The final gold award (for now?) was for this image we took of Richard Ashcroft at a rock festival promoted by one of our clients. Photographing at a rock concert is a real eye-opener. You’re only allowed to be in the ‘pit’ for three songs so it’s a mad scrum with all the other photographers to get the best angles. Because Karen and I were working as a team the pressure was off slightly, so I could take a step back and look at what the lights were doing. Positioned myself carefully in a line with Richard and the backlight and this is the result. The lighting director should really get half this credit

These four pictures now go forward to the annual judging in January. Flushed with initial success I guess we’ll be entering a few more images next year

It seems incredible that the wedding show season is upon us already.  This year we are once again focusing our efforts on the prestigious National Wedding Show at London’s Earls Court.  We had one of the busiest photography stands at last year’s show and incredibly we sold out all the popular dates within weeks of the show.  We’re hoping for similar success this year and will have another tempting show offer to encourage clients to book early.

If you are coming to the show please do come and say hi!  We’re on stand K58.

Evonne’s keen to remind me that she’s had the full set of photo shoots: pre-wedding, wedding, love the dress, bump and now their lovely new baby Kaian.

It’s always a thrill to photograph a new family and yesterday’s trip to their London home was no exception.  The unconditional love between parents and a new born is palpable, and that’s what I try to bring out in my photographs. Not to forget cute little hands and feet and shots to show just how tiny a new born baby looks. Won’t stay that way for long

Here’s a few of my favourite pictures from the day.

I’d welcome any feedback on the new site.

For those with sufficient money to enjoy it, the country is stunning.  We went to Cape Town and then drove the Garden Route (via the wine region), continuing to Addo, just north of Port Elizabeth.  We’re not great city folk, though we enjoyed Cape Town.  The highlight for us in the cape was our two visits to Boulders Beach to photograph the African Penguins:

Cape of Good hope:

Franschoek, in the wine region:

A guided wine tour was great fun and a real eye opener as to the quality of South Africa wine.  The good stuff doesn’t make it to Majestic or the supermarkets!

Knysna forest, on the Garden Route.

Southern SA’s forests were almost logged to destruction, but the Knysna forest remains largely unspoilt.  Its now preserved as National Park though the hardwood is still selectively logged – something I thought a slightly odd concept.

Finally to Addo, which is the home of the Addo Elephant National Park.  This is a fenced reserve (as they all are in SA, including Kruger).  It has been a major conservation success story with the local elephants rescued from extinction.  They are a strange genetic mix – the females are almost all without tusks and the males all have small tusks.  Probably the result of selective hunting in the early 20th century. All these shots taken from the window of our VW Polo rental car

Kudu:

Leopard tortoise:

Lions were introduced to the park in 2003.  This guy had been badly beaten up in a territorial dispute the night before (hence the open wounds on his face):