Delighted to announce that we will be hosting a Wedding Seminar @ Loxley Colour on Monday the 25th of October. Details to follow. In the meantime places on our LIGHT TO INSPIRE seminars are going very fast so we now only have limited places left so call or email soon!

Good Morning Guys,

All of us here at Ray Lowe Studios just wanted to say a huge thank you for
the very inspiring talk you gave last night. We have attended many seminars,
workshops and courses and haven’t found anything that moved us as much as
yours did last night. We would all love to come and see you again in the
future and share your passion for photography.

Thank you once again and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Warmest regards,

All at Ray Lowe Studios.
Kristy Hester-Lowe FBIPP
Studio Manager

We are delighted to announce that we are the first speakers to host a workshop at the stunning new Loxley Colour lecture theatre. We will be hosting a further 3 exciting and unique workshops at Loxley’s in the coming months which will include Wedding, Marketing & Branding and Boudoir, details and dates for those very soon. This first workshop will take place on Monday the 20th of September 2010 and will be about studio lighting and posing. This workshop will start at 10.00am and run until 12.30pm when we will break for lunch and for those that wish Chris Kay will offer a tour of this wonderful new facility and an opportunity to see all of the new products developed for our industry by Loxley. A buffet lunch will be available for all the delegates. The workshop will recommence at 2.00pm and run until 4.00pm We will have a range of lighting from BOWENS, 3 models, 2 female and 1 male, to demonstrate our lighting and posing techniques and how to be creative with the minimum of kit to provide your clients with unique and highly sell-able images.

The inclusive cost of this workshop is £65.00 + £7.00 for lunch. All delegates will receive a £35.00 voucher from Loxley to be used against any of their product range. Delegates will also receive a £30 discount voucher off any future Yerbury Seminar’s, a 10% discount of KUBOTA DASHBOARD and for 1 lucky delegate a $100 discount voucher from KUBOTA. To reserve your place you can call the studio on 01501 744909 and pay by any major credit card or email trevor@yerburystudio to make payment by BACS or cheque.

Today’s image is from a recent client portrait session and lit with a single light source.

Another couple of our images from Sunday’s workshop. We are now considering a larger SHOOT IN THE CITY workshop for up to 20 delegates. Taking place on a Sunday with transport by mini bus around the city  to several locations throughout the day and an affordable day rate for all. 2 Bridal models and a groom. More soon but email for advanced notice if you are interested.

Sunday saw another SHOOT IN THE CITY workshop in our series. Unique, couture workshops limited to only 4 delegates. A wonderful day, though a bit blustery, with very enthusiastic and hard working delegates. Starting in the Financial District of Edinburgh before moving onto more traditional pillars and steps then down to the Leith area for lunch in a local Italian before starting the afternoon session this time aiming for a more urban feel to the images. Then down to the blue bridge at the harbour before ending the day outside a wonderful boarded-up shop on Leith Walk to capture an image that I had long planned but never got round to so this was our delegates lucky day and I do know that one delegate managed to create a stunning image which I hope to be able to share with you soon together with other images created by our delegates. Steven and Zoi, or bridal couple for the day were outstanding despite the conditions and it was an ideal opportunity to demonstrate what can be done on the wedding day with the weather against you.

We are planning on hosting another SHOOT IN THE CITY workshop on Sunday the 26th of September, again in Edinburgh and limited to 4 delegates and  £295.00 inclusive. To reserve a place please email; trevor@yerburystudio.com

It has been very busy recently with workshops, one to one mentoring and of course our talk yesterday to the London Portrait Group. This was the 3rd time we have had the honour of speaking to the LPG and were delighted to see that we had a sell out with 50 or so professional photographers from in and around the London area. Expertly and efficiently organised by Ivan Finch and assisted by Mr Hoss’s easel the evening went well and I hope what we spoke about and the images that we displayed was enjoyed by all? As promised I have posted a couple of the images that I spoke about from our Victoria’s Summer series. Shot on a Contax G2 with a 90mm lens on Ektachrome 200 push processed 2.5 stops and assisted by the ‘item’ we spoke about from Tesco’s! Tomorrow we will have some of the images we shot on the Boudoir workshop on Sunday.

30th September – 3rd October 2010

We will be working in the stunning Qunita dos Penedos near Sintra on day 1 and at Guinchos Beach on Day 2 with an optional shoot on the morning of Day 3. Limited to 12 delegates who will be working with 3 of our favourite Art Nude models. Images of this wonderful venue below. Cheap return flights can be booked now so don’t delay in reserving your place. We will all be staying at http://www.saboiaestorilhotel.com where excellent room rates have been agreed. Email trevor@yerburystudio.com for full details of this unique workshop organised in association with Wildhighlander Events.

Our Art Nude workshop on Sunday was one of those days where everything came together perfectly. Wonderful delegates, a Professor a Physiatrist an HM Schools Inspector and a Senior Partner in a very large accountancy firm. The weather, apart from a brief shower in the morning, was perfect, our ruined venue was stunningly peaceful and Rebecca our model for the day was excellent and brought high praise from all of our delegates for her input to their images. Faye once again provided a sumptuous picnic lunch for us all as well as styling Rebecca’s hair.

During the day we moved to several locations in and around the ruin and each of our delegates had plenty of opportunities to work one to one posing and directing Rebecca while Faye and myself were on hand to offer guidance and help if required.

Feedback from our new friends:

Dear Trevor and Faye,

Thanks so much for a terrific day at your art nude workshop – it was well organised yet relaxed, great company and was an extremely pleasurable way to learn. Your location was stunning, with way too much inspiration for one day, and Rebecca Amy was a real diamond!

I hope to see you both again soon for another workshop and will forward a few images when I get back to home later in the week.

Thanks again for your wonderful hospitality.

HI Trevor & Faye,

Just a quick note to say thank you so very much for an inspiring day’s workshop yesterday. I had a thoroughly enjoyable time altogether not just learning from your vast knowledge and experience but enjoying meeting you, Faye, Rebecca Amy and my fellow delegates.

Rebecca Amy was indeed hugely patient and very willing to try out our schemes for her. She was just a delight to work with. Faye was superb at directing Rebecca Amy’s poses. You were always offering up suggestions for potential shots and yet never making any of us feel that ours weren’t worth trying out; indeed positively encouraging us to experiment. We were blessed with the ideal weather and light conditions and the venue was just brilliant – everywhere you turned you were greeted with an abundance of backdrops and shooting opportunities. I know I came back with some great shots but equally importantly, with some lovely memories of the day. What an enjoyable way to learn and practise!

Thank you very much indeed for organising such a fantastic experience.

With my best wishes,

Dear Trevor and Faye

Thank you for another wonderful day yesterday.  I learn so much every time I am out with you both and have so much fun whilst doing so.

I’ve attached a few of my images to let you see – can’t wait to see a yours on your blog.

Some of our images from the day. This image was created at the begining of the workshop. I just loved Rebecca’s relaxed pose, the ruines building, distressed door and that massive ivy clad wall.

If I had to come away from the day with only one image then this would be the image for me. I had seen the location on our last visit but we did not have the time to use it so Rebecca was the lucky model to help me interpret what I had visualised. You can read many things into this image as our delegates will attest to however I leave that to the viewer to create his or her own story.

A calm, gentle and serene image of Rebecca. The light was just perfect making her skin appear as soft and creamy as that of an alabaster statue.

Colin set this image up but when I saw how Rebecca looked it reminded me of an image from the 1930’s.

Another image that can tell the viewer many stories, why is she sitting looking outwards from her ruined castle? Is she really there or just a ghost from the past looking for …….

Rebecca crouching in a fireplace, there were many little nooks and crannies for us to use throughout.

Trevor set up this shot from the outside, I stayed inside and took the opportunity to catch the wonderful light shining on the skin.

Terry chose this fabulous corner to shoot in, the top light was amazing, so when he finished I made this image for myself.

Doors always make superb  props and backdrops and this one is no exception as John discovered, the height complimenting Rebecca’s petite frame.

Archways all over the place, the whole building is formed around them, they obviously made beautiful hallways, until the fire destroyed the fabric, leaving the shell of walls standing.

Down in the cellars the small doorways had to be used as a landscape, with Rebecca coming in from the right.

Trevor and Rebecca taking time out.

Susan,s choice of  this shot is very sculptural.

Colin actually putting himself into the pose he wants Rebecca to adopt.

Our picnic in the wonderful sunshine was appreciated by all.

We came across two gorgeous little Kestrels, still with the furry down on their feathers, not yet flying and they allowed us to be up close to them, this one never moved all the time we were taking shots in the area.

Well I am afraid that today just ran away with itself! One minute it was 9.00am and now suddenly its 5.15pm! How did that happen? So more info on the wedding market on Monday in the meantime we are looking forward to our Art Nude workshop this Sunday at our secret location. (see last Art Nude workshop images) This time we have the delightful Rebecca Amy as our model for the day so we are really looking forward to working with her again. Our previous sessions have all be studio based so it will be a new adventure for all of us! Tomorrow we will be assembling the famous Yerbury Picnic for all our delegates to enjoy and the weather seems set fair so I hope you all have a stress free and peaceful weekend.

Today’s images is from a workshop held in Malta a couple of years back. The model is our very own Victoria who we flew out for the week.

One of the subjects we covered in Monday’s workshop were the pre and post wedding shoots. Now I do know that some photographers seem to think that they invented this additional service however I must disappoint and say that many studio have been offering this add on since the early 80’s and possibly before. Its like the wheel, its been done before, will be done again all you have to do is throw a new twist on it and that will reinvent it again.  Pre wedding, or engagement, or E Sessions were originally simple, studio based sessions that produced a nice portrait as gifts for the immediate family in celebration of the engagement. This, over the years, became an opportunity to work with your wedding clients before the wedding giving you time to get to know the couple and to see how they worked in front of the camera. You could give them tips and pointers for the day, show them how to relax and pose etc. In the 90-‘s we used images from the engagement session for our Romantica Signature Mounts which we then took to weddings for guests to sign. Now these pre wedding sessions are becoming an integral part of any wedding photographers service either as an additional service or as a inclusive part of the wedding package. Now, taking this a stage further we can offer the Wedding Book through suppliers like Loxley. 10×10 custom designed books, image of the couple on the cover, date and wedding info on the inside followed by several pages, some lined for signatures and some left blank for drawings, poems etc. In addition why not add additional images of the couple at random staged throughout the book, some full page some half page some even positioned randomly on the page. On the back of the book have your studio name and contact details discretely but obviously positioned. All wedding photographers should take advantage of modern technology to add value to their wedding packages and profit to their business.

Then we have the post wedding session but we will leave that topic until tomorrow.

Delighted to hear that our talk on the 6^th of July for the London Portrait Group is sold out. Faye and I are very much looking forward to our return visit.

Today’s image is a sample cover for The Wedding Book. Taken way back in 1987 on a Hasselblad with a 150mm lens on T Max 100 and used as the cover shot for a magazine.