NEILOLIVERPHOTO

rumoursofficial: We are Rumours, a new band currently recording...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:21:24 +0100

We are Rumours, a new band currently recording our debut E.P. and preparing to tour extensively throughout the summer.

Please check out our teaser video below and come and talk to us on twitter (http://twitter.com/rumoursofficial) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/officialrumours).

AIR Studios

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 21:22:48 +0100

What an incredible day. I can even begin to describe it. Genuinely my mind hasn’t really began to process it and I’m not sure it ever will be able to process it, it was heartbreaking really.

When I went to university to do study music technology I knew it was a gamble, not only because I knew the jobs were hard to find but I thought that regardless of how much I enjoyed it at A level, I would get bored doing it full time at university. I was so wrong. I loved every second of it and not being able to find a job at the end of the course was one of the hardest things I have been through. Knowing I had tried my best and that I was good at it, but still unable to get a job was horrible. luckily I fell on my feet with my teaching job and I enjoy my work a lot, and I am extremely lucky that my school supported me in wanting to have a music technology a level running. I came to terms with the idea that studio jobs are non existent without knowing someone in a big studio, as they are the only places that can afford to have entry level positions such as runners. Those studios are few and far between too, with only a couple in the country, and typically some of the best studios in the world. They are that far out of reach that even with experience, getting to even step inside would be a dream.

In my head this picture had been painted of studios such as AIR and Abbey Road. Somewhere that even the smallest mistake would get you fire, Iron clad doors on entry and engineers that wouldn’t speak a word all day. I don’t know why I thought like that, it’s just their godly status, knowing any one who loves music or music technology would love to even peek inside. I never even allowed myself to dream of going to one of these studios, it was just written off as ‘never going to happen’.

Then one day, an engineer came to work who usually worked at AIR and Abbey Road. I couldn’t believe it, someone of that prestige, at my work! To make it even better, he was friendly and allowed me to watch him work. He even offered me a day to come and see him up at AIR! His name was Nick Wollage, and I have a lot to thank him for. although the trip never happened, it was just due to poor timings, and nothing that Nick did wrong.

What Nick showed me was that the engineers at these prestigious studios were nice human beings, that can remember starting out and could see the genuine excitement in other people. When he visited, he has a work experience student with him, I didn’t think that existed in Abbey Road! I guess it showed me that although these studios were the best of the best, they weren’t the totally out of reach place I put them as in my mind.

The visit got me buzzing about music technology once again and I can remember following AIR on twitter and and one of their engineers that they retweeted called Jake Jackson. Reading his tweets was amazing, getting these small insights into the professional world.

One day, I tweeted him, kind of out of the blue, saying how much I would love to sit in on a session with him. To my surprise he tweeted back asking for a few details about me. I really didn’t think anything would come of my tweet but here I was now talking via email with Jake about my education and my job. It turned out he wanted some up to date photos taken and he said he would try and find an appropriate session for me to visit.

Much like the situation with Nick, finding a session that is suitable for visitors is a hard thing to do, and time passed and no sessions came up. That was about 6 months ago.

A few weeks back I tweeted Jake again and it seemed like a well timed tweet as he had a session that would suit both of our needs.

So that brings me to today. I spent the day at AIR, and as I said earlier, I can’t really explain any more of the day. I feel sad that its over and that longing for a job in the music industry is back punching me in the chest harder than ever, but I am still so happy that I at least got to step inside the doors. So many other people would die to do that.

What I really want to say is how grateful I am to Jake and the rest of the people involved in today session. Jakes main aim was seriously for me to have a great experience. He could have found 1000 photographers and he took a chance on me, someone that he didn’t know just to help me out. There was really very little incentive for him and he went out of his way to make my day. I really hope I didn’t get in his way and that he might invite someone else in the future. It’s people like Jake and Nick that bridge that gap and remind me that there are amazing people in the world. That combined with the indescribable amount of talent they have, made the day one of the best days I can remember in a long time. It wax great to know that nice guys don’t always finish last and that in times of money being so problematic all around the world, some studios, if only a few that now remain, are able to pay people to work to the highest level, with the best equipment all in the name of art. Watching Jake today was simply watching an artist in his own right. His work combined with the musicians, the composer Maurizio and the orchestrator Jehan Stefan gave me a new found love for music for film and television.

For now, it’s back to my day job. As much as that kills me, I can never look on this day as a negative. I just hope that one day Jake might need some photos doing again, and thinks of me.

yeah.. apparently Alexa is the lucky one for working for...

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:28:00 +0100

yeah.. apparently Alexa is the lucky one for working for me… right… that makes sense!

haha

Seriously incredible shooting with her.

alexaphotographs:

I was assistant photographer at my first wedding this weekend and here is a quick shot from it. I took this whilst Tom was surprising Georgie with a slide show of photos of them throughout their relationship on the screens in the reception. I had a really nice time, trying to be a photo ninja, and it all pays off when you capture little moments like this. Only 1049 photos left to edit now!

Big thank you to Georgie and Tom for not only having us, but including us in their big day as well. And to Neil for having enough faith to employ me as assistant :)

The Alternative Vision 2012 Hevy Music Festival video mashup is...

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 13:04:00 +0100

The Alternative Vision 2012 Hevy Music Festival video mashup is finally here! Features loads of amazing bands from across the weekend and some of the site and antics from around the site.

Check out www.alternativevision.co.uk in the next few days for more interviews, photos and a written review of the weekend. Please share and leave us a comment on facebook or youtube.

It took a little longer than i hoped, but i can now show you...

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:25:00 +0100

It took a little longer than i hoped, but i can now show you guys what i have been working on for the past few weeks. Here is my summary video of the 2012 Relentless NASS festival featuring Lower Than Atlantis, The Computers, Don Broco, While She Sleeps and Sum 41.

I hope you like it, and please leave your comments are share it about.

A written review and pictures can be found on the Alternative Vision website @ http://www.alternativevision.co.uk/gigreview506.html

All American Rejects @ Cardiff Motorpoint Arena supporting Blink...

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:11:00 +0100

All American Rejects @ Cardiff Motorpoint Arena supporting Blink 182.

Please check out http://www.alternativevision.co.uk for a review of the gig within the next few days.

I would love to here your comments on my photos so please comment, like and share.

Please check out www.neiloliverphoto.co.uk and my flickr www.flickr.com/neiloliverphoto

All American Rejects @ Cardiff Motorpoint Arena supporting Blink...

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:07:00 +0100

All American Rejects @ Cardiff Motorpoint Arena supporting Blink 182.

Please check out http://www.alternativevision.co.uk for a review of the gig within the next few days.

I would love to here your comments on my photos so please comment, like and share.

Please check out www.neiloliverphoto.co.uk and my flickr www.flickr.com/neiloliverphoto

Seems like an appropriate number of notes. Original Post here:...

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 15:58:00 +0100

Seems like an appropriate number of notes.

Original Post here: http://neiloliverphoto.tumblr.com/post/27325996179/here-are-a-selection-of-photos-from-blink-182

Here are a selection of photos from Blink 182 @ Cardiff...

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:21:00 +0100

Here are a selection of photos from Blink 182 @ Cardiff Motorpoint Arena. I will do a separate post with some photos of the acoustic set, but all of the photos can be found on my flickr (link to the set below).

Please check out http://www.alternativevision.co.uk for a review of the gig within the next few days.

I would love to here your comments on my photos so please comment, like and share.

Over 100 photos of the show can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neiloliverphoto/sets/72157630542495778/show/

A lunch time teaser for all of you. Tom Delong does his best...

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 11:34:00 +0100

A lunch time teaser for all of you. Tom Delong does his best Michael Jackson impression @ Cardiff Motorpoint Arena.

A final preview (for tonight) of the Blink 182 set from last...

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:30:00 +0100

A final preview (for tonight) of the Blink 182 set from last nights Cardiff Motorpoint Arena Show.

Last night i had the pleasure of photographing Blink 182 live @...

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 20:30:00 +0100

Last night i had the pleasure of photographing Blink 182 live @ Cardiff Motorpoint Arena for Alternative Vision. A full set of photos and a review will be up very soon, but for now, here is a quick edit of Travis Barker to get you excited for the rest of the set.

TOMORROW NIGHT I WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHING BLINK 182!

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:49:50 +0100

That is all…

My new website - www.alexagibbens.co.uk

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 19:44:17 +0100

My new website - www.alexagibbens.co.uk:

I really shouldn’t reblog this, as it will put all of my work to shame, but please go and check out my friends incredible work.

alexaphotographs:

Knuckled down today and got it all finished. Working on it this weekend and looking at my work has inspired me to get better and be better in my craft. The aim now is have it all divided into collections and then maybe into published work. It could take months, it could takes years, but I’ll get there if I put my mind to it.

Do check it out and let me know what you think :)

I need to get into this sort of photography.

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:59:56 +0100

I need to get into this sort of photography.

Photography questions

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:22:02 +0100

I had a lovely email from an A level student who is using some of my photography for a focus in her A2 art. I was so flattered that somebody considered me somebody worthy of looking up to, as for me i feel that most A level students know more than i do.

She asked me to complete some questions and i thought i would share them here incase anyone else found it interesting. I doubt it, its pretty standard stuff, but for any beginners or people in a similar situation i hope this helps in some way.

1. When doing an event such as a wedding, is there any special equipment needed for the camera? E.g. extra flashes

I use an external flash with an Omni-bounce reflector attached to disperse the light. I have just purchased a monopod for use indoors to be able to gain sharper shots at lower shutter speeds. I also use a spider holster for carrying the camera between locations.

2. What do you do in order to make sure that you get the right photos that the Client wants? (photo shop etc)

I meet with the client prior to the wedding to make a list of all of the required photos and get a feel for what they are hoping the end result will look like. They communicate between the meeting and the big day via email where they can send me photos they like, ideas they have and ask any questions.

Other than that, keep shooting. Have enough memory cards that you never need to delete a photo on the fly. This only increases the risk of deleting all of your photos. Don’t rush the photos, but check that you have captured what you need to and don’t be afraid to take another shot if its not right. I take a second photographer to all of my weddings to capture the event from different perspectives.

3. How long does it take to edit the photos after the event? (if editing is needed)

A long time. I have spent between 10 and 18 hours editing photos. I import all photos into lightroom 3.0 and edit from there. I first of all go through and sort out any unusable shots, then I colour grade the photos and make any cropping adjustments. If noise is an issue I will deal with that too. Once all of the photos are to a good standard, I send the client a contact sheet with the photos, they can then request any further editing of photos for anything that will be enlarged or used in an album. Different effects and editing styles can be added on request.

4. How many photos do you aim to take in one event?

There is no set limit, I just keep shooting and ask my second photographer to do the same. This makes the editing stage much longer, but at some points you cannot recreate the photo so I would rather make sure. The amount of photos from both photographers has varied between 1000 – 2200 in total.

5. What camera do you use and why?

I am a Canon man, simply because of the fact that when I was younger my granddad gave me his Canon AE1 Program film SLR. I couldn’t use it and I ended up selling it, but I recently bought another to replace it and learn about film. The model I use is a 7D. It was the latest model at the time with good low light performance and full HD video. I wish that I could have purchased a 5D MKII but it was slightly out of my price range. The advantage of the 5D is that it is full frame,which helps a lot with wider shots at weddings. The lens I use is a 24-70mm f2.8. Its an expensive lens but a good focal length for most shots. The low and fixed aperture of f2.8 is very important, as indoor shooting is quite dark and if not you have to compensate with a higher ISO level creating a lower quality picture.

6. Do you ever experience any problems when taking photos at an event? E.g. environment, people etc.

People usually respond very well to me and any other members of our team. We aim to look like we are having fun and not be intrusive when taking photos. We encourage the guests to grab hold of us and request photos. At all of the weddings I have done, the clients have been that impressed on the day that they have asked us to stay as one of the guests.

7. Do you do any planning before an event?

Check that all batteries are charged and cards are clear. Pack my bag and double check that I have everything that I need. I do this a few days before in case anything needs replacing or fixing. I will recheck the bag the might before too.

Double check that my staff are aware of the day and time they are required and then put together a list of photos that are required on the day. I have the client list lots of details in a confirmation email such as timings, addresses and contact numbers so this is taken and distributed to my staff.

8. What do you do with your photos after the event, and how do you present them to a client?

All photos are imported into lightroom 3.0 and backed up. All rejected photos are still stored, for a period of time. Photographs are stored on an external HDD. Photographs are presented firstly via contact sheet, the via flickr, DVD, an online store using photobox professional and a set of customised moo cards.

9. How do you draw clients in other then the use of your website?

I do weddings for fun, and to earn money to buy new equipment. All of my clients that I receive for weddings are due to word of mouth, the website acts as a portfolio for my work. The website does generate interest for local bands and other events though.

10. Have you ever enchanted any ethical or copyright issues with your photography?

No ethical considerations so far. I have encountered copyright issues when trying to print live music photos. The printers needed proof that the photos were taken by me and that I owned the rights. I had to sign a disclaimer to confirm this.

11. What is your favorite type of photography to do and why?

I love live music photography. The pressure is high, because you have three songs, with no flash in a darkened place where the lighting constantly changes. The bands are unpredictable and there is no going back if you miss a shot. You have to know your camera well and push it to its limits. You must research the band and take calculated risks so that you not only get a safe shot to use, but also give yourself a chance at getting something that could help promote yourself as a photographer.

12. Do you use any other equipment when taking pictures?

The spider holster that I brought really does change how to handle your camera, its quite expensive for what it is, but very useful. I use a tripod for studio work, along with 2 400w studio flashes with umbrellas. Location shooting for models I use my Speedlight with an off camera sync, on a stand with a shoot through umbrella. For focused light, I have some cheap neoprene that wraps around the Speedlite to focus the light. For really sharp images, I use a 50mm f1.8, its very cheap and unbeatable on quality below about £300. I also have a selection of old Canon FD lenses (designed for film camera bodies) that I have a converter for to fit my 7D. These are manual lenses that give some great effects and are a great way to get a large selection of lenses at a fraction of the cost of new lenses. For long exposure shots, I use the glass from a welding mask, and colour correct the image in camera (as it is dark green). This does a good job without having to spend £120 on a 10 stop ND filter. I have UV filters on all of my lenses, and I use a hand strap instead of a neck strap.

Wow.

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:12:58 +0100

Wow.

Alternative Vision - Slam Dunk Festival 2012

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:33:00 +0100

Alternative Vision - Slam Dunk Festival 2012

Another quick edit from last nights We Are The In Crowd gig. It...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:19:00 +0100

Another quick edit from last nights We Are The In Crowd gig. It was an interesting pit to take photos in and its the first time that i attempted lens changes in the middle of a set. The lights weren’t great, but it is giving me a lot to play around with in Lightroom.

Last night i traveled over to Cardiff to go and see We Are The...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:00:41 +0100

Last night i traveled over to Cardiff to go and see We Are The In Crowd on the third night of their first headlining tour. I wont say too much about the gig, as it will all be covered in the review, but needless to say it was an incredible night. I met Tay before the gig for a quick interview outside their dressing room and it was a lot of fun. She is such a lovely person and i hope that i get to catch up with her again later in the year when they return to the UK. She has recently been complaining about the UK having bland food so i took her some Bens Cookies from Bath and a few Demakes Tees for her and Jordan. I really want to know if she liked them and i am hoping that the Demakes stuff might make it on stage at a later date in the tour.

I am editing some of the photos now, so keep your eyes on my Tumblr, my Flickr and the Alternative Vision website for more stuff coming soon.