Everyone sees things differently and sees different things.

I believe, and would therefore often say to others, that everyone sees things differently and sees different things too, when they look at my work or anyone else’s pictures.

And so it’s what you see or what other people see, rather than what I see, that I have spent most of my life trying to figure-out – as photography is what I do in an attempt to make a living – as I try to create the type of images that they and possibly others too, would want to use, using light to tell the story.

So for me, as a photographer, lighting is often the first thing that I will see or will look at.
(Because obviously, one needs light to take a picture – because without it, the camera or recording device that you are using, would not record anything – so all that you would get in the end is a black picture or image)

So light is obviously very important – and being able to control that, has therefore been one of the many things I have spent my time over the past 30 years trying to master.

However, I know that light is just one of the many things that could make a big difference, so it’s by no means the only thing – and so that leads me to what I’m about to show and talk about here today.

When I am shooting a home, which I’m hoping that an Editor from a National magazine will want to feature, the goal would normally be to produce about 15 images as I know they will at least want to use 10 images – and so, I would usually put a full day aside to take those pictures.

“A full day to take 15 pictures”, I hear you say – “flip me, I could shoot the entire house in less than 30 minutes, as shooting a few rooms isn’t very hard to do.”

And you would be right – because taking some pictures is easy and I too could easily shoot an entire house in less 30 minutes.
However, producing or creating the type of images that someone like an Editor from a National magazine will actually want to use – and would, therefore, be willing to pay me some money for the use of them – is very different to just taking some picture that others could use if they wanted to, as almost any type of image would good enough in that case, if that was really all that I had to do.

Which basically means that I know that I may have to do a lot more than just take some pictures of whatever happens to be there – because what the camera often records, doesn’t always look as good as what my eyes see or what my brain records when I look around a room.

To help illustrate what I mean – which should also help explain why it would take me so long to shoot a home, as well as why I’d possibly charge a lot more for the use of my work than many others would – I’m simply going to let you see the set of captures that lead up to this one image…

.. of this sitting room in Jillian’s former Fisherman’s Cottage, which we shot last week in the County Down village of Groomsport.

To my eye, I can assure you it looked great – however, as you can see from this first picture that was taken…

.. it appeared very dark on screen – which was mainly due to the weather outside, as it was raining at the time.

Plus the windows – which were very much in keeping with this type house – were relatively small and deeply set in the 2 feet thick walls so not a lot of natural light would pour in, even at the best of times I reckon.

Anyway, that was my starting point – and so as I knew that this would probably be the lead shot or the one that an Editor would want to go big with at the start of the feature – then it was pretty obvious that I and my team were going to need to do a lot here, should we want to achieve our goal. Which was of course, not just to see if I could take a picture, but was to see if I could produce an image (or set of images in this case) that an Editor from a National magazine would want to use… and naturally want to use badly enough, that she would be willing to pay me something for the use of them too

Because at the end of the day, as far as I’m concerned, photography is all about trying to make some money – as this is what I do for a living – rather than for a hobby or for the fun of it.
So if you don’t see me smiling or looking like I’m having a load of fun, that’s because I’m totally focused on my goal – which I know I need to be, if I’m to succeed – because no one has ever paid me for excuses, only for results

So this is why I’d ask Marie to help me – and often someone else too, like Claudio here, in this case, to help both of us – because people only pay me for what they want to use, not for me to do the actual work for them.
Which means I know I need to produce some images that they will actually want to use, if I’m expecting them to pay me anything afterward​, for the use of our work.

The chicken or the egg, which comes first… type of thing.

Anyway, they say a picture is worth a thousand words – so since I’m obviously rambling on here about all sorts of different things and I know, as I said at the start, “that everyone sees things differently and sees different things too”, when they look at my work – and many of you who are reading this, will be looking at it for very different reasons too, then I’m now just going to let the pictures speak for themselves, to let you see what all we did here.

And for those of you who would often ask me questions about what all I do, because you would like to do this type of work too – I would suggest as you look at each ccaptured​ frame below, you ask your self what would you have done next, if that was the image that appeared on your screen, after you had taken the picture – because it’s what you would have done next (rather than what we did here) that would result in your image looking different – be it a lot different or just a little bit different in the end… because everyone sees things differently and sees different things too

Anyway, I have said enough, so I’ll let you enjoy putting the words to the pictures – as I’m quite sure what you will see here is not what I see…












.. which just leaves me to say a big thanks to Jillian here…

.. for not only inviting us in but also for putting up with us, as we turned her beautiful house upside down

All of which should also let you see why ​it takes us a full day to shoot a home – and why the amount that I would charge for the use of our work, would therefore naturally be reflexed in all of this too.

Cheers
Ashley
www.ampimage.com

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The only constant is change.

After my last blog about A selfie – where I talked about how Ireland’s Homes Interiors & living magazine had opened up doors of opportunity and one of those was when I meet Marie – who I have now been working with over the past 10 years – I thought it would be interesting to show how not only Marie’s style has changed over the years but also how the style of my own photography has changed too.

So looking at this image…

.. which was the last one we created of this bedroom in 2008 – and then going back to the first images we produced of it in 1999, which was this…

..  which was part of a series of images which Marie use to launch her interior design business back then – and Ireland’s Homes Interiors & living magazine use them too in the February 2000 issue…

.. on pages 86 to 96, plus her kitchen made it on the cover too

You can see the framing is actually very similar in both and both have clearly been very well styled too – but what a difference 10 years can make – so is it any wonder I don’t charge for my time anymore

Anyway, to show the transformation over those years, here is the series of images produced in between. This being the second image which we created in 2004…

.. which was around the time when we both started working together – as part of a home feature, which was then used by a number of magazines, including House Beautiful magazine…

.. in their May 2005 issue on pages 32 to 39.

In 2006 we then produced this image…

.. as part of a Christmas home feature – which again was used by a number of magazines – both nationally as well as locally – including 25 Beautiful Homes magazine…

.. as the lead home in their December 2006 issue on pages 12 to 17.

Also in 2006, we produce this image for Ulster Carpets…

.. to show how their Delta Scroll carpet would look in this room – as well as in various other rooms of Marie’s house too – which they then use to help market their Anatolia Range …

.. in their product catalog – as well as on their website, etc, over the past 8 years.

In 2007 we produced this image…

.. as part of a ‘make-over’ editorial feature which Real Homes magazine ran within their November 2008 issue…

.. as well as this image…

.. which was one of my personal favourites – for this similar type of feature, which appeared  in the May 2008 issue of Northern Ireland Homes & Lifestyle magazine…

.. on how to create a ‘Summertime’ look.

And at the end of 2007, we produced this one for a Christmas home feature…

.. which appeared in Country Homes & Interiors magazine…

.. in their January 2009 issue on pages 32 to 38.

So there you have it, the changes in both our styles over the years, as seen in this one room – which no doubt would look totally different again today, as this last image…

.. was taken over 6 years ago – and now, of course, Marie is totally into white and bright…

.. as opposed to ‘Yella’, as she would often call it – which was naturally partly due how I lit it back then too

Over 2000 years ago, Heraclitus of Ephesus, a Greek philosopher known for his doctrine of change being central to the universe, once said:

The only constant is change.

Boy was he right about that – from Marie & me at ampimage.com, who would appear to be constantly changing too

Our needs V’s Their needs.

Was over shooting at Marie’s the other day – and so while she was busy and very focused on doing her thing here…

.. to create a series of lovely banner images like this…

.. to show the new headboard she is selling, as well as cushions and lamps, etc – which I must say all looked very well…

.. as she mixed & matched them…

… to show how simple changes could completely change the look.

I, on the other hand, was busy thinking about a solution, to the new terms agreement which IPC Media has recently introduced.

This being the problem:-

IPC Media has updated its rights agreements to reflect our needs as a multi-platform business. Our previous agreements were written when all content was produced for print, but now our customers expect to be able to access content on whichever platform they chose to experience it – in print, on a tablet, on smartphones, online or through events and other experiences.
The rights we are buying are All Rights, in return for IPC’s agreement to pay the fees agreed for each commission.
All Rights means the assignment to IPC of all of your right, title and interest in, and to, the copyright and all other rights of every kind or description in the material(s) commissioned from you, throughout the World whether those rights are now known or are created in the future and in each case for the full period of existence of those rights.
This assignment to IPC is made with full title guarantee, which means that you guarantee to IPC that you have the right to pass to us the entire ownership of the rights in the material(s) i.e. you have not copied anyone else’s work, and only you have been involved in the preparation of the material(s).

And it is a problem on different levels too – as agreeing to this would not only mean the end of additional usage sale – which I personally do count on to cover the extra cost of hiring people like Marie here, to help me produce the type of images that these people would want to use – but it would also remover any & all incentives to do anything more than the bare minimum anymore.

Because producing better images is clearly now not going to make us any more money – and so the last thing one would want to do, is give them some images that they would want to use that much – as the more they would use those images, the less they would need to use us.

So it’s all very counterproductive in a way, as it’s like just about good enough will now become the norm – as the incentive to do more than that, has just been removed.
Because a quick snap-shot, which may be of little use to them or anyone – is now worth exactly the same to the photographer, as an amazing image which may be worth thousands to them or possibly other people – as they are now talking about a fixed fee for ‘All Rights’.

Which basically means it doesn’t really matter what the images look like anymore – as it’s not going to make any difference to what they are worth.
At least not as far as we (the photographers) will be concerned.

But it doesn’t just stop there – as agreeing to this would also mean we are no longer just talking about ‘Editorial use’ – and so we would now need to let the homeowners know that – as these images which we are about to take in their home, could now be used in almost any media for almost anything, including advertising.
And we would have no say in that – as IPC Media would own the Rights – to do as they please with the images.

And in case you’re thinking “No, surely not” – I can assure you it can and most likely will, as I’ve been down this road before and that’s exactly what started to happen.

So take this image that we produce in Marie’s house the other day…

.. if we agreed to IPC Media’s terms here – then they would own All Rights to it – which means neither Marie (the homeowner in this case as well as being the stylist) or I would have any say in either how IPC Media used it or even who else they sold it to, for them to use.

So she could easily see pictures like this of her home, being used by not only other magazines in different parts of the world over the next few years, but also being used for advertising by others too – on Billboards, Posters, Ambient; Brochures, Direct Mail, Magazine ads, Newspaper ads, Point of sale, Television as well as on the Worldwide web – as we are no longer talking about just a one time only editorial feature anymore, in one magazine, in one country.

Because “All Rights means the assignment to IPC of all of your right, title and interest in, and to, the copyright and all other rights of every kind or description in the material(s) commissioned from you, throughout the World whether those rights are now known or are created in the future and in each case for the full period of existence of those rights.”

So that’s the problem – now what’s the solutions ??

Henry Ford once said:

If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.

So would love to hear from others, especially those who may also be directly affected by this new agreement – not to dwell on the problem, but to hear what you feel would be a good solution here – as that is what we need find, before this all ends in tears.

As that is exactly what is going to happen here, if we don’t – as this could very well be the end of ‘editorial work’ as we know it – for everyone… including them.

Cheers
Ashley
www.ampimage.com

Back in action.

Well, it’s been a while – mainly due to me not being well, which is another story – but anyway, we were back in action this week…

.. shooting a room which Donna, a good friend of Marie & Stuart, had been working on above her garage.

So it was just like old times – ‘Deep in thought’ as Stuart said here when he sent this image through…

.. of the girls studying the image on the laptop screen, while I’m trying to figure out how to work the camera by the looks of things

Anyway, both Stuart & Marie worked their magic….

.. and so before long the first image of Donna, sitting so as not to disturb the cushions…

.. was in the bag.

Then it was detailed shots…

.. which Stuart once again titled ‘Many hands’…

.. which they did indeed make light work here…

.. and so before long we were almost done.

Still, there was the return angle to shoot – so Marie took a quick picture with her iPad here…

.. to show us all that she felt should be the shot.

So while I set-up the camera to see what it would look like…

.. Marie explained her vision of how she saw it:

“Bathroom door closed – grey sofas just cutting in each side – cushions on white day bed framing the shot 🙂
Graphic/Classy.”

Right – so how about this…

.. was my thinking – which by the look on Marie’s face here…

.. wasn’t quite what she was thinking

Anyway, it was good to be back – and finish with my personal favorite image…

.. which I’m hoping the editors will like too.

So this is just a wee note from me to say thank you to all of you guys – and especially to Donna for inviting us in – an amazing job, so thank you.

From Marie, Stuart & me @ ampimage.com

Victorian Vintage.

Is the title of our latest published work in the September 2014 issue of Ireland’s Homes Interiors & Living magazine…

.. on pages 82 to 95 – featuring Keith and Amanda Cunningham’s renovated double fronted mid terrace house in Belfast.

“Amanda and Keith used vintage inspiration and shabby chic furniture to transform dingy workplace offices into a stunning forever family home in Belfast.”

Which we talked about here: Never work with children or animals – when we shot it.

Anyway, a massive 14 page spread which looks really stunning – so this is just a quick note to say a big thanks to everyone involved here – and congratulations to Keith and Amanda here…

.. once again, for this time making it into this beautifully printed Irish glossy magazine.

From Marie, Mandi & me @ ampimage.com

Wow, Wow and triple Wow!

Seeing one’s work in print, even after nearly 30 years of seeing it printed, is still the thing I love most about what we do.

It’s like Wow! every time – and the bigger it’s printed or the better it’s printed, then the more Wow it often is – as we would often put a lot into each and every image, which I feel can only really be appreciated, when viewed up close a lot of the time.

So when I walked into the local SPAR supermarket yesterday and quickly looked that the magazine rack, I was totally over the moon – to not only see our work on the cover of the August 2014 issue of Ireland’s Homes Interiors & Living magazine…

.. but also to see it beautifully printed on pages 72 to 83 – featuring Janet and Ken Hamilton’s villa called ‘Jasmin’ near the French Riviera village of St Paul de Vence.

The French Connection – Transforming a pretty but rather dated French villa, Janet and Ken from Northern Ireland have created their dream holiday home in a style that successfully blends old and new.

Which I talked about shooting here: Kicking off – back in 2010 – as this is were we stayed while shooting for Liz Gibney Interiors in the French Riviera near the village…

.. of Saint Paul-de-Vence.

Wow!

However, the Wow didn’t end there, as a home we shot in Italy back in 2006…

.. lead on pages 58 to 71 – featuring Tia and Bruce Weissman’s Italian villa located near Amelia in Umbria.

La Dolce Vita – After a two year search, Bruce and Tia found their dream Italian home, a 300 year old villa complete with stunning gardens.

Which I talked about shooting here the other day: Living la Dolce Vita – while shooting a farmhouse for the BBC near the Italian town of Amelia, which sits on a hill…

.. in the south western corner of Umbria.

So double Wow!

And Wow again when I saw this…

.. on pages 82 to 94 – featuring John O’Callaghan’s villa called ‘Villa Thalia’ at Aphrodite Hills near Paphos in Cyprus.

Mediterranean Charm – After a number of holidays in Cyprus, John from Belfast wanted a little corner of the sunshine island to call his own and found it in a luxury holiday complex.

Which again I talked about shooting the other day here: The story behind the story – which we shot back in 2006 while shooting a few other villas at Aphrodite Hills, which is nestled in the hills…

.. above Paphos in Cyprus.

So that was like triple Wow!

Anyway, stunning repro as always – which is what I love so much about this magazine – so this is just a quick note to say a big thanks to everyone involved here – and especially to Janet, Tia and John once again, for this time making it into this beautifully printed Irish glossy magazine.

From Marie, Mandi & me @ ampimage.com – Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Cream of the crop.

Is the title of the first of 2 home features we have this month in the August 2014 issue of 25 Beautiful Homes magazine…

.. on pages 88 to 91 – featuring Alastair and Pauline Bingham’s chalet bungalow in the County Down town of Bangor.

“Pauline Bingham turned a 1980s chalet bungalow into an elegant home decorated in soft natural tones.”

Which we talked about shooting here: All change.

And the other is titled ‘Taste Test’…

.. on pages 110 to 112 – featuring Kelly Ann and Dominic Preston’s Victorian mid terrace townhouse in Belfast.

“After buying a refurbished property, Kelly and Dominic Perston still managed to put their own stamp on the previous owners’ style.”

Which we talked about shooting here: Industrial Chic & Shabby Chic.

Anyway, when Marie received her copy a few days ago, she emailed me to say:

Woweeeeeee 🙂

You will be thrilled 🙂

And Marie is thrilled too 🙂

Which basically does sum it up – as I am always thrilled to see our work in this beautiful magazine, which each month contains 25 for the best homes in not only the UK but in various other parts of the world too.
So to see two of ours featured in it, really did make my day 🙂

And I can also see why else Marie was extra pleased, as Pauline’s does read like a Natural Calico brochure too

Anyway, great to see – as the repro is superb as well – so I’d just like to say a big thanks to everyone involved and especially to Pauline, Kelly and Dominic for inviting us into their beautiful homes – which were indeed the cream of the crop this month.

From Marie, Mandy & me @ ampimage.com

Living la Dolce Vita.

One of the things both Marie & I love most about the work that we do, is meeting people – who in many cases turn out to be truly amazing.

And Michael, as seen here with Marie talking to the local Polizia…

.. was one of those people who neither of us will ever forget.

Because not only did he show us around the Italian Umbria town of Amelia, and even got me into their Archaeological Museum to shoot things like the Statue of Germanico here…

.. but he also introduced us to Tia Weissman here…

.. who along with her husband Bruce, owned this fabulous old villa which she called ‘Casa Lara’…

.. which was located just outside the town of Amelia – which one could see on the hill in the distance from her also amazing garden…

.. which Michael helped her look after, etc.

Well needless to say, we asked Tia could we shoot her place – so she kindly showed us around and I took some quick snaps…

.. just to give us a idea for what we may need to do…

.. in both terms of lighting and styling…

… plus as some of the rooms where not really being used, like this guest bedroom…

.. or had just been used, like her own bedroom…

.. which clearly she hadn't got round to tidying yet, as she wasn't expecting us – then all of this was good to see beforehand.

Still, we had seen enough to say 'yes' this will look amazing – and so it did…

.. after we all did our thing…

.. which included lighting the fires…

.. and making up the beds..

.. which really did say this wasn't Ireland…

.. but instead was someone living the dream in Italy.

Yes it was a lot of hard work; however, eight years on and the memories of all that work is long gone.

The memories however of this amazing villa, meeting Michael and Tia, plus the images we produced live on – and so I'm delighted to report that they will be appearing once again, in next months Ireland's Homes Interiors & Living magazine – which should be on the bookshelves next week

When 25 Beautiful Homes magazine featured it some years ago, as seen here…

.. they titled it "Living la Dolce Vita" and so did Property Life magazine too…

.. meaning living the good life – which is sure was for both Marie & me.

So just ahead of it appearing on the bookshelves next week, I'd just like to say a big thank you to both Michael and Tia here, for making our trip to Italy a truly memorable one – as this for us is one we will never forget.
Thank you.

From Marie & me living la Dolce Vita

Before and After.

Updating the Before and After section on our website here…

.. so as to not only let people see what was done, but also to show that there are more than 100 different ways to shoot any subject…

.. and that all images…

.. are not the same…

.. or even close to being the same sometimes – even if they were taken by the same photographer.

Which is something we often need to point out to clients when they ask us for a price to take some pictures.

Because there is a big difference between giving someone a price to turn-up to take some pictures…

.. and being asked to giving someone a price to produce some images…

.. that they would want to use.
As one could just involve turning-up and taking some snap shots of whatever happens to be there, like I do when we recce a place…

.. whereas the other could involve hours of work…

.. and a team of people, etc – especially if they are wanting some images created that they will actually want to use in various media for years to come.

Which is why we would often ask about their usage requirements – and then take that information into account…

.. when quoting a fee for the use of our work…

.. after we have created it.

Because 9 times out of 10, even when it looks to be sitting perfect to the eye…

.. the sort of image that they will want to use…

.. may still need to be lit and styled, etc, etc – and so that is what this section on our website shows, i.e. I can take some pictures or we can create some images.

So which do you want me to give you a price for – to turn-up and take some pictures which you can use if you want to or to produce some images that you will want to use?

If it’s just to turn-up and take some pictures, then that shouldn’t cost very much; however, if it’s to produce some images that you will want to use, then we obviously need to take your usage requirements into account first, as the fee would then be based on that information. Which can be paid for all at once or spread over the years that you want to use our work, in the various media that you need to use it in.

So enjoy this newly updated section by moving your mouse over the original picture taken to see the final image created – which includes images that were produced many years ago, which the clients are still using to this very day – as well as some of our most recent work.

Cheers
From Marie & me at ampimage.com

Natural direction of light.

Back at Marie’s once again to finish off the series of images that we plan to submit to various magazines over the next few years – so while Marie added the finishing touches to the kitchen…

.. I set about lighting it up…

.. which actually didn’t take that long, as those windows are perfectly placed.

As are the windows in her sitting room – which I at first tried lighting from the left…

.. but then decided it would be more natural looking if I lit it from the ones on the right…

.. as that was where the natural direction of light was coming from in the first place.

The master bedroom was for me a doddle to light – but due to some new bedding arriving the day before – it was like a complete make-over job for Marie here…

.. which I must say looked very well when she was all done…

.. and I stopped walking on her little striped rug

About 20 images in the end produced, which should be more than enough for any Editor – so now it time to submit and keep our fingers crossed.

From Marie & me @ ampimage, producing images just for you, as we would say.