New website and music

Finally finished the design of the new website and I'm really liking it. It will take a couple of days to migrate over to the host and when it does I'm hoping that it will start to become a little more visible. Got to sort out the Google Local Listing tomorrow too. One of the things I like about it is the music. I was really pleased to find some music by a local composer, Dan Phillipson. He's a really talented young composer from Preston and I am delighted to support him by purchasing the music for my website. I can easily see him having a very successful career writing music for film and television. So now you know who wrote the music on the site. Thanks Dan :)

It's Album Time

This week I will be mainly creating albums. I have one of my favourite weddings from last year to create the album for and I have to say I'm actually looking forward to it. It will be a fair bit of work because I need to go through each image from scratch and just make sure it is as good as it can be. The time spent doing all those little details like removing fire exit signs and just taking care of detail is well worth it. Especially when you get to see the final albums. I have two coming back from Graphistudio any day now and that will complete last year's assignments once this week's is designed. I can't wait to see their face when I can deliver it. :) Those are the times I really love doing this. I also need to contact two couples about up and coming weddings and then there is the small matter of ordering £8000 of equipment. I've bought the advanced book on the D700 so I have some work to do to get fully up to speed before I need to use them in anger. I have the Canon 1Ds booked in for a service tomorrow and I'll be keeping the Canon equipment until I have all the Nikon bodies, lenses and flashes I need to do the job properly and I'm familiar with it. So the house really will look like a camera retailers for a few weeks. I also need to get a shoot arranged with the lovely Branka. A great model and I have some really good ideas that involve a very innovative dress designer from Manchester, a quality hotel and a dash of creative lighting. It may have to wait till the dear lady is back next month, but I do need to get started on the organisation for a March shoot. Yes they do take that long to get together but oh so worth it. Want to get shooting again with David once I get the Nikon cameras here. In fact I want to be shooting full stop. One of the things that a lot of people don't realise about doing this is that there is an awful lot to do that does not involve having a camera in your hand, but it's all worth it int he end.

Busy Busy Bee

Wow! What a week! It started on Sunday this week and a Virgin Pendolino to London. Stayed overnight at Euston and out to Hammersmith in the morning. The reason for my visit was a rather handsome Australian gent. Namely one Jerry Ghionis. Oh he's only one of the best photographers I've ever seen so it was well worth the trip too. Funny, touching and truly inspirational. He had me both laughing and crying and that's highly unusual! Came away with lots of ideas and very very inspired.

Got back to Manchester late on Monday night and off to Bath on Tuesday and another overnight. The reason this time was a trip to see the lovely people at the Royal Photographic Society. I had submitted a panel of images to be judged for a Licensateship and I had a very nervous few hours waiting my turn. Thankfully the judges saw fit to award me the qualification and I am delighted to be able to say that I am now Alison Bailey LRPS :)

Finished building the website and I've hit the go live button on it so hopefully in a couple of days I will have a nice shiny new website.

Also been out to test drive a Nikon D700 and I was really impressed so decision made and a huge step to change all my photographic equipment is under way. It's a major step as it means changing to a system that will take a bit of time to learn properly and means changing not just the cameras but lenses and flashes too. Even the way I use flash will have to be changed and it will take a bit of time to start getting creativity into my shooting rather than looking at buttons and menus!

A busy week in all but one that's been well worth it.

Ahhh at last. I've got my new website just about built and this blog is linking into it nicely. It's amazing just how much you can do these days with websites. I've been really lucky putting mine together. Other than one little problem locating exactly the right information to link the email into it, it has been a relatively painless process. :)

Just got another couple of pocket wizards too which will come in very handy especially for interior lighting. Often folks don't realise what goes into lighting an interior but those flashes get hidden everywhere! And pocketwizards are just the thing, I like no cables :)

Currently adding up the costs of upgrading one of my cameras. Either upgrade a 5D to a 5DII or go for two D700's which means changing just about everything aarrghh. I do rather like the feel of the D700 the weight is fine, the controls fall neatly at my fingers and I think for shooting manually it could be just the ticket. Lots of sums to follow and gnashing of teeth especially if the tax man puts a halt to it. Perhaps I should just go and buy the lot before he gets a chance to get hold of any of it? :)