For the last 5 years, I’ve had 9 workplacement students working with me for periods of 6-8 months at a time. This is a post written by Camilo who recently finished his time with me to start his own photography business.

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Once you get your head around it, it is actually quite simple. All you have to do is make sure that you don’t fall asleep on the train and end up in Stratford. But I wouldn’t ever really worry about that, because 9 times out of 10 you won’t get a seat until you reach Shepherds Bush, and by then, you have to change at the next stop. Travel has by far been the worst thing I can even think of when it comes to working with Marte. If travel was the worst part of everyone’s job, I think travel would actually be quite fun. “Good Morning” would actually mean good morning, and enough good mornings would be tossed about to throw up a rainbow.

Alas it is but a fraction of the day. When something is worth the hassle of possibly being squashed between a man who’s already been for a morning run and hasn’t had a shower, and a grumpy middle aged lady who doesn’t understand why no one has given her up a seat, it becomes much less of slug, but more of a pilgrimage. The excitement of not knowing what I’ll be working on, whether it be retouching a portrait, interiors, art or food, or assisting a shoot on a building site makes the trek worthwhile.

On Marte, she is passionate about food. When you first walk in to her office you see pictures of food behind her computer screen and a tomato in a bowl on her business card: all photos taken by herself and constant reminders of her personal achievements. She has a keen sense for business, and she knows her markets. When it comes to photo shoots, I have assisted an equal amount of interior, exterior and portrait, with bits and pieces of photo documentation of art on the side, as well as food and some events. There is a lot of variety when assisting Marte. Photo shoots tend to be on location and sometimes can take all day, but editing and retouching are the things that take the most time. If we aren’t on shoot, we are editing, and if we aren’t editing or on a shoot, then there is plenty of office admin to do.

Office admin, however, is not the same for a photographer as it is for any other office. Admin involves checking that batteries have sufficient power, making sure the archive is in order, and cleaning up a computer when there isn’t enough space left on it. Sometimes I will even have to drop a job off at the post office to be sent to a client. This of course is the most important of all the admin that needs to be done in the office, and for Marte, the most satisfying. Once the job is done, the job is done. Unless of course, the job you’d just finished was only one of many for the same client. One such client has been Cranbrook Basements. It has been fascinating working with them, as they design and build basements. Most shoots for them have been on a building site, and in turn, I have learned a lot about the trials of digging a basement, and the best way to light a dark hole for a photograph.

During my time I feel like I have learned an awful lot from Marte about timescale, organisation, and the business side of photography that so many of us lack coming out of University, studies, or just trying to get into the industry. The presence of Studio 1 members Francois and Sylvain have also taught me the importance of partnerships and other things that Marte herself would not have been able to teach me. You can never be around too many professionals. The more opinions you get the better, because once you’ve heard it all, it’s easier to decide for yourself.

The best thing about being in this environment is that there is always something to do. Time doesn’t exist to get bored. Learning is constant, and has not relented since August. I am sad that the time has almost come to depart and move on, but I am confident that Marte has given me all that I need to take on the big wide world.

So watch out… I am coming!

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It’s been great to work with Camilo. Thank you for all your help and good luck with your business!!

Click on this link if you can’t view the video

It all started with this tomato during a lunch in the studio. Everyone seemed to love it, so I put it on the back of my business card, and added it to the front page slideshow on my website. Then my dad said he wanted it printed and framed for his birthday. So I decided to explore it further.

Underneath are some more colours. What next? Maybe a it should become a calendar.

Which one is your favourite colour?

Credits:

Photography: Marte L Rekaa, www.mlrphoto.co.uk

The sardines were practically begging to be photographed, so I thought I’d share a couple with you.

Credits:

Photography: Marte L Rekaa, www.mlrphoto.co.uk
Chef: Jason Cloete & Jason
Park Royal Studios: www.parkroyalstudios.com 

“..og snipp, snapp, snute, så var eventyret ute.”

They are the words you would use to finish off a fairy tale in Norwegian, and which is what the Paralympics 2012 has been!

Last Friday I went to see Karen Darke compete in the handcycling roadrace at Brands Hatch. A team of 4 from Riverside Creatives, who all worked on the Karen Darke project for the Back Up Trust back in November, went to show her our support.

Karen had a good start and kept up with the leading group for the first rounds. The 2 Americans upped their speed, and towards the last laps it was clear that 1st and 2nd place were called for. Karen was competing for bronze, and the only woman close enough to challenge her was her own training partner and team GB member Rachel Morris.

Every time Karen passed us we cheered her on as loud as we could! Urging her on to win another medal. But in the end Karen and Rachel showed us the true spirit of the game. After having raced all 6 laps within an arm’s distance they crossed the finishing line hand in hand, hoping to share the bronze medal. Unfortunately for them, Rachel’s wheel was fractionally ahead of Karen’s and the officials declared Rachel as number 3 and Karen got 4th place.

Thank you for showing us real sportsmanship Rachel & Karen! I don’t care what the officials say. Congratulations on your well deserved bronze – BOTH OF YOU!

Below are some photos from our day at Brands Hatch of both the women’s and the men’s roadrace. The men’s roadrace was won by Mark Rohan from Ireland, who seemed to have the noisiest and most colourful supporters of the day!

Credits:

Photography: Marte Lundby Rekaa, MLR PHOTO
Riverside Creatives Team: Andy Paterson-Jones, Karen Toms & Jonathan Crane
Karen Darke: http://karendarke.com/bio
Back Up Trust:  http://www.backuptrust.org.uk/

The Olympics was a success and London is still buzzing from the excitement as Paralympics is at the starting block. And even I, with an interest in sports that would match a teetotaller’s interest in a drink, have enjoyed the spectacular ceremonies and checked the odd results…

Last year I went to Paris to photograph Oscar Pistorius, the Blade Runner, who is competing in both the Olympics and the Paralympics this year. The shoot was commissioned by Natalie Holland, a truly talented and inspiring artist. Natalie uses my photography in 2 ways; to explore poses with her live models before she starts painting, and to document the paintings once she has finished her masterpiece. You can read more about the artist and the near life size painting of Oscar Pistorius on Natalie’s website.

Karen Darke is another inspiring person I’m looking forward to watch compete. I’ve got tickets to see Karen on Friday this week in the handcycling roadrace. If you haven’t heard of her before make sure you catch up with her story and check out the photos I captured of her training in the Scottish highlands in November.

But the Games are about so much more than the sports. It’s the atmosphere, the dressing up, and not to mention the partying! I captured the Olympic Torch pass through my street in Southfields. I’ve never seen so many of my neighbours before! The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten commissioned me to photograph the colourful supporters, and not to mention the Olympic drinks served at Chinawhite for a jaw-dropping price of £2012 per cocktail. I’ve posted a selection of the photos for you below.

What are you watching this Paralympics?

Credits:

Photography: Marte Lundby Rekaa, MLR PHOTO
Painting ‘The Blade Runner’: Natalie Holland, www.natalie-holland.com
Karen Darke & the Back Up Trust: http://karendarke.com/ & http://www.backuptrust.org.uk/Home
Aftenposten: http://www.aftenposten.no/
Chinawhite, The Last Lap: http://www.thelastlap.co.uk/

‘What Wine Today?’ is the tagline of one of my favourite wine merchants who also recently became a client. Griffinwell Wine is a fun company supplying Boutique French wine to the UK market. It’s run by Suzanne Griffin and Justin Rudwell – both from the US. Suzanne has lived in Paris for many years and all the wine they sell are handpicked from vineyards they’ve visited in France.

They are based in Fulham and regularly offer wine tasting sessions for anyone who is interested in learning more about wine.  (Highly recommended, I speak from experience…)

I know it’s a bit geeky, but I get excited from lighting bottles and liquid. I think it’s a mix of seeing the reflections in the curved coloured glass and the beautiful tones of the backlit alcohol that floats my boat.

Here are some photos from one of their wine tastings, as well as some of the product shots for their new website designed by 3mil.

So… What wine are you having today?

Credits:

Photography: Marte Lundby Rekaa, MLR PHOTO
Wine by Griffinwell Wines

I’ve had the pleasure of having a work experience student with me this summer. Here is her contribution to my blog:

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Hi! My name is Ellie, I am 15 years old and I go to Woodcote High School in Coulsdon. In the past few weeks, I have been doing work experience with Marte. I chose to do this in photography because it has appealed to me in the past, and I have wanted to learn more about photography and how to use the cameras and software that come along with it. I enjoy taking pictures of outside scenery and nature, but for a long time, I have wanted to have the chance to produce professional-looking pictures of my own.

In the past few weeks, I have had a great insight into what photography is like. I have learnt how to use different techniques on an SLR camera, such as depth of field and panning. I have also gone to a couple of interior shoots, and have seen how lighting has a huge effect on how the pictures turn out, as well as the positioning of some objects or people. I have also been given the chance to go out and take pictures of my own, which is where I got to try out depth of field and panning. Some turned out alright, whereas others did not!

When taking portraits of each other, I was able to learn how to focus the camera properly so some parts of the face would be more in focus than any others, which is how the photograph would look so professional. Following this, I was to edit my own portraits, as well as other photographs, using PhotoShop. I found that this programme has many elements to it, some of which I was taught how to use during different tasks. After having experienced how to set up the lighting from watching at an interior shoot, I was to set it up when preparing for the portraits, and this was another skill I have learnt over this period of time.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Park Royal Studios working with Marte. The tasks I have had to carry out and take part in have taught me a lot about what it takes to photograph professionally, and that sometimes, it just takes practice to get it right. This work experience has definitely been worthwhile, as well as helpful, informative and enjoyable, and I hope to be able to learn more about photography in the future!

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Thank you Ellie! It’s been great to have you here! I look forward to follow your creative progress.

Underneath are some of the portraits Ellie played around with in Photoshop and a photo she took to show narrow depth of field. Last but not least – Ellie’s photos of an extremely difficult model…

You might remember the post I wrote a little while back about the Royalties I’ve photographed over the last couple of years?

Well, not long after I had posted the blog, I was approached by Julia Boggio Studios in Wimbledon to help photograph the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. As the most famous wedding and portrait studio in Merton (or even in the UK!) Merton Council invited Julia to capture the Royal visit to a local school as a part of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. -And I was of course thrilled to be asked to join her.

Julia is not only a very talented photographer, she is also a great writer. Read Julia’s account of the event and see more of our photos on her blog.

Tweeting about the experience on the day someone replied: ‘Photo, or it didn’t happen!’ So here is a big thank you to James Derbyshire who captured me photographing the Queen on his phone.

Credits

Julia Boggio: www.juliaboggiostudios.com