There's so many really cool and simple to do things with a camera that most people will never know and I'd like to share them with people who are enthusiastic to take better photos.

I'm really pleased to announce that I will be running my "Take Photos Like A Professional" Photography Training Day in Leeds at the Hilton Hotel (situated near Leeds train station) on the 26th May 2012. This is a rare opportunity and I'll be keeping the numbers down. On this practical course I will be sharing my experience and knowledge on cameras, techniques and tricks as well as what to do with the picture after it's taken - photoshopping and image editing. I'll also reveal my professional workflow too!

Coming from London? I've got a number of people further south in London who are interested in attending so I've made the times suitable for those travelling up by train.

See you there!

Everyone will have a different reason for wanting a prenuptial photo session, maybe you want to send images to a relative who can't make the big day or perhaps family and friends overseas. Maybe it's because after all the effort you've put into the wedding dress you want to get some lovely pics of it away from the hussle and crowds on the big day. Or maybe you just want to have fun with your girl friends?

Find out more about a pre-wedding shoot. And if you're more into organic photography and nature then I'm happy to escpae the studio with you and shoot on location, for example: the beach; at a hotel; in the countryside; at a famous location... whatever you can imagine, at night, at sunrise, sunset?...

"Let's just get a quick photo of this property we're renovating, it would be a great promotional image for our website."

"OK" I say and so we get the owners permission and setup the shoot.

Normally I'd have my step ladder on me but this is an impromptu shoot and so I have to think out the box. Luckily there was a pallet of bricks that my clients team had on the drive way... perfect! You see when photographing buildings it helps to get elevation.

The images above were taken by the client who was entertained by my enthusiasm to clamber up the bricks. Well for me it's all about getting the right shot!

I was assisted by the talented photographer, Maria Bow and the shoot was shot on Pro Canon gear with a range of L series lenses - amazing glass! Lighting was by Bowens and shooting was tethered with Capture One which enabled us to work closely with the hair and makeup artists.

Behind the Scenes:

In the image above: Top left: light meter readings. Right: Maria B and myself posing for a test shot. Bottom left: the flashes fire as Maria takes a behind the scenes shot.

Big thank you to Maria Bow, Vincent Starr, the clients (who must remain secret), and the hair and makeup.... a team effort!

Mark

I've heard that there may be a hotel built where I was standing to take this shot which means that we'll loose this view so I'm glad I took the opportunity to grab this shot.

It's always great to see the different ways that my clients get great return on investment for thier images. Just another example of why many professionals choose to work with me to develop their professional promotional image portfolio.

The source of the noise was a baby blackbird, and some other birds all feasting on a malt loaf that I'd thrown out for them a the other day. So it turns out that they like malt loaf! The baby black bird is one of three young that are in my garden and it's fascinating watching them as their parents show them how to eat and do "bird things". When I get up close to them they always remind me of little dinosaurs... the way they move and behave.

So it just goes to show, sometimes you don't have to travel far to see wildlife!

• Magazine Articles in the UK, US and Poland
• DVD album artwork
• DVD and CD disk images
• Flyers
• Postcarts
• Leaflets

What is digital retouching?

Digital retouching is a process where I use professional Adobe Photoshop products to alter an image to make it and the object or people in it look even better. As well as altering the colour, white balance, contrast and other aspects of the image digital retouching, which is also known as "photoshoping a picture" can be used  for removing blemishes, hiding bags under the eyes, loosing acne spots, masking scars, changing the shape of a persons face and body and also to remove people or objects from an image.

Digital Retouching Service

I work very efficiently and clients usually visit me so they can sit and describe exactly what they want on their important images. I use the latest large wacom touchpads with seriously large high quality NEC professional screens to ensure the highest quality. And with 18Gb of RAM and 8 processors I can work extremely quickly to deliver great value for money.

Get in touch today for a friendly chat to find out more about the professional and cost effective digital retouching service I offer.

So last Tuesday I popped along in the afternoon and took some fly on the wall as well as more staged promotional shots. The people that work there are great and it's so nice to be able to creatively contribute to this studios success.

You'll be seeing some of the pictures appear on my galleries and no doubt some will also find their way onto their evolutionskinstudios.com website, along with facebook!

[Edited 2011 - the link above was updated]

So how do you get your free images to use as desktop images? Well you'll see on the left of the site and also when you go to the online download store that there are a number of free images to choose from. Simply choose the photos you want to use as background images and add them to your basket. When you go to the checkout, because they are all free you won't have to pay anything and you'll get a link to download the fullsize versions! easy!. So go ahead and enjoy the pictures. I'll be adding new ones all the time and I'd love to hear feedback from you too!