FireFox Cosplay

It seems like it's been ages since I've posted anything, but between starting the second year of my degree, Halloween cosplay shoots, helping redecorate several rooms in my house and a growing addiction to the Witcher 3; it's completely slipped my mind.

So as it's about time I did something about that, I thought I'd posted some of my favourite images from one of my latest, strangest and best cosplay shoots. 

Here is Little Rascal (check out her Facebook page) as Firefox (the web browse logo). This was taken in a hidden hollow in Jesmond Dene, that we reached by clambering down a muddy set of stone steps, a few days before Halloween. These photos are from the start of the shoot when I was using a Nikon D3200 with a 50mm lens and a speedlight (reflected on a convenient cliff wall). In the later 2 shots I had to climb up a moss covered cliff to get the shot. I later switched to a studio light and battery pack for some dramatic flash shadow shots but I wasn't as happy with those shots.

At the end of the shoot I was generously splattered with mud as well as cold and tired. Although due to her outfit I think Little Rascal would've been a bit colder than me so I can't really complain but I'm really pleased with the photos so I think we'd both say it was worth it.

I'm now planning a Harley Quinn (Arkham Asylum version) cosplay shoot with this beautiful lady so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Katy in the Studio

These are two of my favourite photos from any Group Shoot at Harbour Studio, featuring the gorgeous Katy Baker. I went to this shoot primarily to meet and shoot Katy as I had been following her work for a while and loved her cheeky smile and curvy figure and I've got to say she was an utter delight to shoot and I really need to do an one-on-one shoot with her.

She's done some amazing work and I really don't think I've done her justice with the pictures I've got, but I've just got to use that as motivation to do something even better next time. Fingers crossed I'll be shooting her in some custom Batgirl latex and I've got a ton of other ideas for her.

I hope you like the pictures and keep your eyes peeled for more.

Meeting Lizzie

I met Lizzie Faith the other day and we had a drink and a lovely chat about planning some shoots before we had a wonder around the town and I took a few snaps of her. It was lovely meeting her and I'm really looking forward to planning some of the shoots we discussed. Fingers crossed we'll get them all sorted soon.

Arran at the Scrapyard

Afternoon everyone. I've been having a bit of a quiet week lately so thought I'd post a few photos from my latest shoot with Arran in a scrapyard in a train museum in Gateshead. This was quite a quick shoot just to get a feel of the location with a model and we had to cut it a bit short due to the weather. I really liked the colours and textures of the rusty machinery there and was quite proud of some of the photos we took there so I thought I'd post a few of my favourites here. Enjoy.

Latex and Airplanes

Now this is rather a big post but because it's for one of my biggest, most nerve racking and arguably one of my best shoots to date.

Mademoiselle Boo asked me to shoot her in some of Ivy Stream's products; a plum and cream harness with tassels and matching thong. I'd shot Boo the previous year modelling some lingerie and a feather head-dress in the middle of a forest so modelling some purple latex was a small step up. We were also very lucky to get permission to shoot in an aircraft museum. The outside of one of the hangers became our rusty blue background, the inside of the hanger door became our darker background and the wing of a 50's fighter jet was leaned, stood and sat on by Boo towards the end of the shoot.

I was only using a Nikon D7200 with a 50mm lens and a studio light fitted with a softbox triggered by synced remotes but it seemed to do the trick and I'd like to use the setup more frequently when I get access to the kit again. 

I'm now wondering about what to shoot next; more of Boo in interesting locations and even more interesting outfits or to borrow some more of Ivy's latex? Suppose I'll have to try a bit of both and see what happens. 

But in the mean time, check out Boo's new website: www.mademoiselleboo.co.uk

Coffee with Macara

 I've known Macara for a few years now and most of the time we've known each other has been consisted of me taking photos of her whenever I got the chance. But since she left college and has now moved to Durham we haven't seen as much of each other as we used to. So when we met for a coffee the other week I was determined to take advantage of the opportunity and take a few snaps of her over a latte. Enjoy.

Behind the Scenes- Mccolie and Ursula

Just thought I'd post two of my favourite photos from yet another Behind the Scenes shoot with Mccolie, this time shooting Kerry as Ursula from The Little Mermaid on the HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool. This was a really fun experience partly because the costume was so interesting and unusual and because we were shooting on an actual 18th century Royal Navy frigate (which I will definitely be returning too). Hope you enjoy.

North East Motor Show

 A couple of weeks ago I was working at the North East Motor Show which was based right in the middle of Newcastle. Obviously I brought my camera along and before the show started on the Sunday I managed to sneak away and get a few photos and I thought I'd just post a few of my favourites. Enjoy.

Minchella's Enviromental Portraits

This is a bit of an old shoot but one I am really proud of. This was for one of my College projects called Environmental Portraits in which I do to shoot someone in their working environment .so I phoned Joe who owns an ice cream parlour with it's own factory in the back of the shop and since Joe is such a handsome young lad, I asked him to model some images for me in the parlour and factory. This was a really fun and enjoyable shoot and I've posted 2 of my favourite photos from the shoot here. 

I shot this using a Nikon D7000 with a 50mm lens and remote flash triggers linked to a portable studio light fitted with a softbox, which worked very well in close-quarters especially since most of the walls and surfaces were bright and reflective. This has also inspired me to try some more Environmental Portraits with my friends and family, I'm also looking forward to a similar college project called Incident Room. So keep your eyes peeled for that.

Behind the Scenes- Yuno Shoot

I thought I'd post some of my latest photos from Behind the Scenes on Mccolie's latest cosplay shoot with Kalila as Yuno in an abandoned bus depot. 

This was a really interesting experience for me as I've worked with both of these guys before but never together and it was quite interesting to take a step back and watch how they worked together to get the shots they were after. Mccolie and Kalila are two of my favourite people to work with and when you throw in an abandoned buildings and lots of fake blood, it just makes the whole shoot far more interesting and unusual. I can't wait to work with these two again, hopefully on a Catwoman shoot with Kalila and possibly photographing Mccolie's modelling debut so stay tuned for that.

Amazing Grace

I've realised I haven't posed in ages so I thought I would take a bit of time to have a look through what I've been doing lately and look for some cool to post.

This is probably my favourite photo from my 2nd shoot with the gorgeous Grace. This was quite a hasty last minute shoot which was planned in a lot of detail but sometimes relaxed and friendly shoots like this work. For me, this shoot was quite rushed and I wish I'd planned it out a bit more but on the other hand; it was a lot of fun and it was lovely working with Grace again and I got a handful of brilliant photos like this one (on top of Armstrong Bridge) that made it all worth while.

I'd love to work with Grace again, as I think she's got a beautiful face and a gorgeous figure and she's generally lovely to work with. I also want to try and work on both sides of this spectrum; doing really casual shoots with new models to get to know them a little and see if we can do anything interesting but on more professional and thought-out shoots I've been trying to plan them out as much as possible.

But anyway, what do you guys think? Please let me know and keep your eyes peeled for more posts coming soon. 

Michael Omerod Award

I thought I'd quickly post my entries to this year's Michael Omerod Award which this year has the theme; Movement.

The Michael Omerod Award is a Travel Photography Award for students at Newcastle College and is run and funded by the family of Michael Omerod who was a dedicated travel photographer and a tutor at the college until he was tragically killed in a car accident while travelling in America. In his honor, his family run the award to encourage students to take up Travel Photography but funding a trip for the winner to travel somewhere and shoot a series of images for a show the following year.

As the entry theme was Movement, I decided to try something I had been thinking about for a while now. I mounted my tripod and camera in the backseat of my car and set the shutter to remote and the exposure to Aperture Priority so as I drove along I could trigger the camera while driving and it would expose itself relatively well as long as the view didn't change too much as it was open. I am rather pleased with the results although getting the camera to focus on the dashboard didn't work terribly well and there was a slight issue of movement. 

Overall though I think this worked very well and I can't wait to try it again.

Caitlin's First Studio Shoot

Here's my favourite photo from my quick impromptu studio shoot with Caitlin. This was a quick little shoot for me to test the lighting setup I was planning on using for a college project. I'd set up some lights and a backdrop and since I knew Caitlin was free I gave her a call and we took a few photos so she could get some studio experience. After I had shot the headshots I needed I stepped back and took a few Behind the Scenes/Studio Revealed photos where Caitlin is still properly exposed but the surrounding studio is revealed. I find this really interested and would like to take some more photos of this style and try to make them as dramatic and interesting as possible.

Melissa's New Look

Melissa is one of my favourite models and one of the first I had ever worked with. We've worked together for over 3 years now and have done some really fun and interesting shoots from flash-shadows outside a football stadium to wondering around a closed fairground. I sometimes wonder why Melissa has shot with me some many times as she often ends up cold and tired but with some lovely photos. 

Unfortunately Melissa has been quite ill lately and when she felt better she shaved her head for charity and as we hadn't shot together for several months, I leapt at the chance to be the first photographer to shoot her with her new look. I think it really suits her and her alternative beauty look. Although we only managed to shoot for about 3/4 of an hour, we really enjoyed catching up with each other and we got some really interesting images from the shoot.

Densetsu

I forgot to post these early but the other week I was helping out at a friend's event called Densetsu in Gateshead. Since I was helping out, I didn't have a lot of time to take photos but I managed to get a few snaps of two of my favourite cosplayers Kovie Kixx and Kalila, which I thought I would post here. I usually prefer to meet people at conventions and arrange to shot them on location at a later date and I manage to make a few connections and I have a few cosplay shoots coming up that I am really looking forward too. Keep your eyes peeled.

A Pint with Megan

Megan is a friend that I worked with at Audi but she's also a psychology student and the secretary of the Real Ale Society at Northumbria University. 

She asked me to take some photos for her at a pub for her dissertation on why more women are drinking ales. This was rather short notice but I thought it was a really interesting idea and I don't like to say no to people asking for my help unless I can't help it. After college, I borrowed some equipment, met up with Megan and we headed to the pub together. 

It was rather late and dark and the pub was quite busy so I had to rely on my speedlight and shot in the corner but I think we did rather a good job all things considered. I rather liked this photo so thought I would post it here to see what you guys think. 

Supergirl Cosplay Shoot

I am generally quite a geeky guy who loves comics and superheroes and science fiction and medieval fantasy, so you'd probably expect me to do some geeky photography. Cosplay basically means costume play which basically means dressing up like you would for Halloween but in a much more seriously. Except for dressing up as Harry Potter when I was a kid, I've never done this myself but it's frequently sparked my imagination and I've done quite a few cosplay photo-shoots. 

My latest cosplay shoot involved Louise, or as she likes to be called Kalila, dressed as Supergirl from DC comics, posing for some photos outside the Sage in Gateshead. This was a really fun and enjoyable shoot. It may have been a grey and miserable day but I got to work with a lovely friendly model who I had never worked with before and she just happened to be dressed up as a superhero.

This was really a introduction shoot, as we didn't try anything really interesting or challenging but are planning some development shoots to really push the boat out. However, I really like the photos and loved working with Louise and I can't wait to work with her again. Show her some appreciation and check out her page here; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kalila-Cosplay

Night Shoot with Lance

Over 3 years ago, I was halfway through my Extended Diploma in Photography. I had previously met Lance while shooting a fashion show and a few months later we agreed to do a shoot around the High Level Bridge and along the Quayside in Newcastle. That was my first professional portrait shoot and I loved it. It gave me the guts to approach other models and try more portrait shoots and ultimately it gave me the courage to put myself out there and try to become a photographer rather than just a student on a photography course.

Like I said, that was a long time ago; I was on an Extended Diploma course using a D3200 and now I am on a Foundation Degree using a D7000. My portfolio and quality of work has also came a long way and looking back at that first shoot makes me realise how young, immature and inexperienced I was. I know I still have a long way to go but it made me realise how far I have come.

Since then, Lance's modelling has really taken off and he has been signed in London, Spain and Sweden and his work is incredible; I'm particularly a fan of his work with Nike. In retrospect, we have both came a long way but Lance has really sky-rocketed. But when Lance said he was back in Newcastle and was wondering if I'd like to shoot again sometime; I leapt at the chance.

Due to a lack of time, we settled on a night shoot; starting with a multi-story car-park then the Quayside as our location, with Lance modelling some jumpers in the bitter January weather. I used a Nikon D7000 with a SB700 speed-light on a TTL cable to light Lance by bouncing the light off the roof or wall of the carpark, or in the case of the image above; against a window.

This shoot was a lot of fun and I really pleased and proud of the images we produced. It proved to me how much my work has improved over the past couple of years. It was also really interesting to note that my style of shooting and editing has evolved but is still recognisable (or at least to me). It was also really interesting to do a Night Shoot in an indoor environment with some available light and lots of surfaces to use bounce flash lighting, as I could use the windows to create a improvised Low-Key effect. Lance was also a brilliant model and we instantly settled into a working dynamic and he remains to be the same down-to-earth, friendly and open bloke I knew a few years ago.

See the full set of images from this shoot on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NJDunnPhotography

And view Lance's modelling portfolio here: http://purpleport.com/portfolio/lance/

New Start, New Blog

Hello. My name is Nicholas Dunn. I am a Photography Student, currently studying for my Foundation Degree at Newcastle College. I am 20 years old, I'm from Newcastle, I live at home with my parents and two sisters, I am incredibly geeky and I love superheroes.

I have been studying photography for over 4 years now and I have already completed an A-Level and an Extended Diploma in the subject. I originally started studying photography as an alternative to continuing Art from GSCE and I immediately fell in love with it. I quickly decided to focus on Street Photography in Sixth Form and decided to dedicate myself to studying the subject afterwards. 

I focus primarily on Portraiture, mainly on location but due to my course I've shot many different genres of the subject and I am always willing to try anything once. 

I have been inspired by many photographers and influences over the years. My Sixth Form tutors taught me to try anything and learn rather than regret, my college tutors taught me to think about what I am doing and now I am learning why to do something and what kind of photographer I want to be. 

But for me, I will always be learning how to become a better photographer, how to take better pictures and how I would do something rather than how someone else would do it. 

I've found the work of Martin Parr, Alfred Eisensteadt and Richard Avedon particularly inspiring but I've always preferred to do things my way and draw inspiration from other photographers rather than trying to replicate there style. 

As part of my Foundation Degree, I have to start a photography blog. My aim is to make this blog a creative and thoughtful weekly outlet of my work, with posts about the projects I am working on, the images I have taken and the shoots I am planning. Hopefully this will help me become a more developed and thoughtful photographer and I looking forward to sharing my work with you all.

For more of my work take a look at my Facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/NJDunnPhotography or follow me on Twitter; https://twitter.com/NJDPhotography or Instagram; http://instagram.com/njdunnphotographer

Thanks for reading.