LeBeau’s World

Taken from the fourth What’s Your Tone meet up, this set remains one of my favourites. Everythin’ from the model, the settin’, the attire, the posin’ ‘n’ the edit choices. I love it all. Since my initial edits, in an attempt to build a ‘signature’ tone, I’ve opted to use a similar pre that’s tweaked slightly dependent on the factors mentioned above.

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Insta: Demz Visuals

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#OperationIdris – October – December*19

It’s been a while since I’ve sat down ‘n’ written one of these. Four months in fact – give or take a week. My excuse? I’m the king of being ‘consistently inconsistent’. Way back in January ’19, I had high hopes of attending the gym on a consistent basis every week in an attempt to achieve ‘n’ maintain a year round lean physique. For those that have followed the journey so far, you’ve seen the…

Yet another collab courtesy of the MM FB group, (I seem to start a lot of these entries with that sentence), Danieka was the first of four scheduled shoots that day. Arrivin’ slightly behind schedule (credit to her: she did give me a heads up), once she touched down, we were ready to go. 

Now, here’s what I liked about this one in particular: her drip! When we arranged the day ‘n’ time to shoot (due to personal reasons we had to reschedule a few times), she did mention the drip would be ‘Black Panther’ inspired. Intrigued, I simply told her to go for it. Whatever made her feel comfortable: do it. That’s an essential component to a dope shoot. With Marvel’s cinematic dominance, admittedly, when she mentioned the ‘Black Panther’ theme, I automatically assumed she meant somethin’ from the recent box office hit! But I was wrong.

When she arrived ‘n’ I saw the drip, it made sense. Internally I was thinkin’: “ohhh – you mean Black Panther“ – I was with it – It made sense. If memory serves correct, about ten mins into the shoot, I realised somethin’ was missin’. “Have you got any shades with you?”, I enquired. When she replied in the positive, I was beamin’. Shades are my favourite accessory. There’s just somethin’ about them that takes the visuals to the next level!

Even though I was happy with the images in camera and had an idea how I wanted them to look in post, even I didn’t envisage them comin’ out this way! As I’m yet to ascertain that distinct ‘Demz Visuals’ look, if I’m keepin’ it one hunna, each collection is what I’d deem a ‘controlled’ roll of the dice. What I mean by that is, I stick within the parameters of the presets I’ve been developin’ over the last couple months. That bein’ said, I’d be lyin’ if I didn’t state here my images are yet to have a cohesive/distinct style. If I go on the Gram, a lot of the photographers I follow have that distinction down pat. You know it’s them. But I’m not disheartened. I’m enterin’ my third month in this game. Those legends are years deep. My time will come.

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Insta: Demz Visuals

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Yet another unplanned shoot that ended up bein’ dope content, Baxter provided a nice change to the usual subjects I tend to feature on my page. If I remember correctly (which is a rarity in itself), I think I had 3 shoots on this day. Whilst I finished up the first, or was it the second? Anyhow, I had around 45 mins to kill before the final shoot of the day whilst waitin’ the homie Ju (I’ve never referred to her as Ju until now) to come through with Baxter. Quick side note, she actually drove to where I was settin’ off from ‘n’ was gonna jump in the Uber with Young Bax, but the driver said no… hater!

Seein’ as it was a relatively nice autumn day, not deterred ‘n’ optin’ to stretch hers ‘n’ Baxter’s legs, she opted to walk to where I was based – it didn’t take too long. Anyhow, once they pulled up ‘n’ I spotted that ginger coat through the wall-length window panes, I gathered up my gear (I had placed them on the side to clean the lenses whilst sippin’ on some lemonade) ‘n’ headed out to greet to mad ginge!

No here’s the thing. I like dogs. They’re some of the dopest muhfunkers on the planet. But I tend to prefer larger dogs. I won’t even pretend to list breeds etc. I’m not that well versed in these matters. I know a lil somethin’ about a lil somethin’. As of late, I’ve made mention that when the time comes to get a pet pooch, I’d probably go Retriever or Lab -but ‘r’ Bax threw a curve-ball ‘n’ made me re-consider. In truth, I had to ask Ju his breed (Cocker Spaniel to the observant). When she confirmed he was only 6 months, but he wouldn’t grow to be considerably bigger, whilst playin’ with him, I thought to myself: “I’d have a Spanners if they’re anythin’ like Bax.”

He was just a happy little trooper who wanted to play. I made the ‘mistake’ of sittin’ on the concrete invitin’ him over. That was the green light he needed to get ACTIVE! He basically ‘mauled’ me! But all in good jest. Ju needs to dog-sit again asap.

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Insta: Demz Visuals

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Before we jump in, there are some who may be thinkin: “Part 2? – where’s part one?” In response, I have that for you right here. I tried to be all artsy with the title of the first upload but we stripped it right back ‘n’ kept it simple this time. No need to over-complicate matters if it isn’t essential. Anyhow. Let’s jump into this collection ‘n’ why (again, at the time of writin’), I give it the top 2 spot.

To clarify, this was an impromptu shoot. Finishin’ the Danieka ‘n’ Chanice shoot (back to back same location – but different sides of said location), I headed back to kick for a an hour before my 3rd n 4th shoots of the day (both scheduled in NQ). The 3rd was runnin’ half hour late ‘n’ as per my policy, we agreed to rearrange as not doin’ so would have not only made my 4th shoot late, but cut into my personal time as well. So, with the free time, I suggested to Maria we may as well use the car pack at the back to shoot in the interim period. What a good idea that turned out to be!

As soon as we headed out back, I spotted the piece of shrubbery that screamed: “HEY, OVER HERE… OVER HEEERE!”. Hearin’ it loud ‘n’ clear, we headed to the quiet little corner ‘n’ got to work. Takin’ less than 30 seconds to ascertain the cam settin’s we started shootin’. Thinkin back, the whole day was a success as I managed to capture some awesome autumnal tones. From the yellow ‘n’ orange hues of Danieka ‘n’ Chanice’s shoots, we caught some rich greens ‘n’ fuchsia-esque tones which complimented Maria’s skin.

But here’s the main reason this ranks in the top two collections thus far: I went a step further in post. From the actual cam settin’s used, to the composition of the shots, to the placement of the models, I’m always seekin’ to improve. Recently, I found a dope YouTube channel with who I deem one of the best teachers (in any capacity) I have ever been ‘acquainted’ with. Unmesh was sent by the Editin’ gods. Whatever your photography skill-set, I honestly believe you will learn somethin’ from this guy. He’s that d*mn good. 

Since I began my journey, I’ve been usin’ LR for all my edits. However, in the back of my mind, from the second month, I’ve been tellin’ my self: “you need to progress – you need to learn Photoshop”. But I’ve been puttin’ it off. That changed with this collection. Usin’ some of the techniques found on Unmesh’s channel, I made this set that much better than the previous. With each collection, I’m depositin’ somethin’ new in my bank of knowledge. As I’m still in the office ‘n’ not classed as a full-time photographer, the PS tekkers is certainly somethin’ I won’t be doin’ on each collection – it takes time! That bein’ said, I’m happy to create these as I can use them for marketin’ purposes. If subjects want the PS shine, it can be done… At an extra 😉

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Insta: Demz Visuals

Yet another shoot courtesy of the Manchester Modellin’ FB group, Chan’s mum (‘r’ Debs) responded to what I think was my first post in the group. Side-note – at the point of writin’ this I’ve made 3 posts in there. Anyhow, Debs got in touch to state her daughter was up ‘n’ comin’ in the modellin’ ‘n’ actin’ scene so they would need some shots. Needin’ the practice, I was only too happy to oblige. However, due to the bad weather ‘n’ increasin’ schedule on my end, we didn’t actually shoot until some time after the initial chat. But we got it done!

Agreein’ to meet on location, (Hulme Park) at the designated time, we got some sweet autumnal shots which I’m in awe of. Though these were ‘technically’ uploaded in October, I’m gonna make an allowance for the feature image to be featured in November’s top 8 poll. Quick side note, goin’ forward I think I’m gonna make it 8 as it’s an easier number to accommodate ‘n’ bein’ over the course of a month, it adds an air of a finer selection as I’ll be choosin’ from a smaller sample base.

On to the shoot itself. So, on the day, I shot back to back in the same location, but different sides of the same location – ‘n’ also different edits. As it was the first time meetin’ them (I’d converse briefly with Debs here ‘n’ there), Chanice was shy which was understandable. I’m relatively reserved when I meet new people. At the point of writin’ this, we’ve just wrapped our second shoot ‘n’ she was a lot more relaxed. Though she was somewhat reserved on this shoot, I found a way to get her from a small smile to full on laughter. How you ask? Simple. I played Baby Shark!

I’m actually chucklin’ to myself as I type these words. In my journey thus far, like with most social interactions, you get the most from your subject when they are relaxed ‘n’ or in a place of relative comfort. Again, it isn’t uncommon for one to be reserved on an initial meet. The trick is figurin’ out how to get them to relax. An avid fan of music myself, I asked her what her favourite song was to loosen up a tad. Maybe she didn’t want mum knowin’ about her dope playlists to steal her sauce, or maybe she just didn’t wanna say. Either way, I jokingly said if she didn’t have a song in mind, I’ll play the song until she figured it out. Baby Shark brought out the smiles ‘n’ we got cooked up some great content.

She never did let me know her favourite song.

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Insta: Demz Visuals

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All taken on the same day, this was the third of three fits we managed to work into our time-slot for shootin’. I just scrolled up to check the date (the dates in the blog posts indicate the date we shot), ‘n’ realised we shot this nearly two months ago. At the point of writin’ this post, it’s 01.11.19. Two weeks off 2 months but still – that’s flown by!

Thinkin’ back to this shoot, I really enjoyed the energy ‘n’ the atmosphere we created. I’d say it’s one of my favourites to date. Nice ‘n’ relaxed workin’ ‘longside someone who knows how to work the lens. It makes my job ohh that much easier. If I think back to the session, there were three standout images for me. In part one, this wins hands down. To date, I still rank it as one of my best pieces. In part two, I’d have to give it to this. I love the contrast between his orange jumper ‘n’ the dark background. ‘N’ for part three, you’ve guessed it – it’s the feature image. I love the composition, the depth of field, the stare down, the posture. I effs with this pic.

So here’s the thing. Whilst in the office a couple days back, an idea came to mind. Whilst perusin’ my @demzvisuals feed, I thought: “I should do a blog post on my top images each month.” Then, realisin’ the page had two month’s worth of content, I decided to make it a top 10. But there were two images I couldn’t leave out. Decidin’ on the 12, I made a story on my main Insta tellin’ the masses I’ll be runnin’ a poll to ascertain the best image thus far. ‘Viewer’s choice’ if you will, albeit a biased viewers choice as I picked the 12 to vote from.

Next I proceeded to write 1-12 on paper, tore it into pieces ‘n’ picked at random who would face off against who. Quick fyi, I used one a4 piece of a used document due to be shredded before you accuse me of wastin’ paper. Anyhow to wrap this up as I’m wafflin’, after great engagement on the first round, I added an extra 4 as ‘honourary mentions’ to make it an even 16 to whittle it down to 1. When it’s all done, I will make a blog post revealin’ my top 12 plus honorary mentions ‘n’ the viewers choice will have it’s own blog post as well.

As to not show bias, I won’t reveal my top 12 before the poll ends. But I will say this, this feature image may or may not have been in the top *** and according to the viewer’s choice, it fell in the first round. That shocked me. That genuinely shocked me. Till next time.

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Insta: Demz Visuals

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#OperationIdris – Month 9 – September*19

Oftentimes, the fall is inevitable. That much is fact ‘n’ somewhat inescapable. In my humble opinion anyhow. See when you’ve reached the zenith, dependent on the psyche of individual, it’s either a triumph or a bitter sweet victory. On one hand, you’re the apex, the alpha, the King of kings. You’re the one others look to for advice, tutelage ‘n’ guidance. They’re inspired by your focus ‘n’…

To jump straight in, I really liked how these shots turned out. Since the happy accident that was Jerome, I’ve been  tryin’ to adopt ‘n’ use that preset where possible. As I’m yet to discover a distinct style that’ll make one see ‘n’ image ‘n’ say with confidence: “that’s Demz Visuals“, I wanna have some synergy where possible. That bein’ said, as I’ve mentioned before, The pre-sets aren’t a ‘one size fits all’ kinda thing. But hey, I’m about to enter my 3 consistent month of shootin’. Each shoot comes with a new challenge. Each edit affords me the opportunity to try somethin’ new in the attempt to create that distinct feel. All in due time.

Considerin’ these are archived images, I’ve already improved on shot compositions ‘n’ edits since. That bein’ said, though I feel know the new images are better than these (in the aforementioned regards), I still mess with this collection. With particular attention to the feature image, I intentionally tried a ‘lighter editin’ style which I think turned out decent. Perhaps I could have brought the highlights down in the background a tad to accentuate the subject, but we learn hey? We learn.

One of the funniest moments in this shoot was the second image (see below). When I took a couple ‘n’ shown them to Andra, she exclaimed: “OH MY GOD”, my legs look so long. I love it!” She’s about 5’7/5’8 so I have no idea why she’s surprised! Anyhow, it’s Sunday. Match of the Day starts in 3 minutes. I gotta head down stairs ‘n’ make a bag of popcorn (usually salt, but I do mess with sweet&salt) ‘longside a protein shake ‘n’ watch my team (Man U) finally do somethin’ decent. Sorry Pukki.

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Insta: Demz Visuals

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Once he agreed to the impromptu shoot, I headed to the kitchen to grab my gear. Now, here’s what’s funny. Though I copped the 35 to supplement the 50, I automatically draw for the 50. It’s second nature. When I think on it, I attribute it to the fact the 50 is my first prime lens. After doin’ copious amounts of research for what seemed an eternity, that was the lens which matched my budget. Though the upgrade is pendin’ (body ‘n’ glass), the D5 ‘n’ the 50 will always have a special place.

Anyhow, (I got sidetracked – again!), once I grabbed the 50 ‘n’ rendezvoused out back, we were ready to cook. Though a decent sized garden, there weren’t many spots that afforded us what I’d refer to as a ‘clean shot’. For example, in the seated shots in front of the kitchen, though I love the contrastin’ tones of the brickwork ‘n’ wood versus his attire, the background was busy. But hey, it was impromptu – ‘n’ more importantly, we were at a family function. I can feel the visual daggers of sister’s gaze if I would have requested a shift the items. It’s not wise to cause distress to someone preparin’ the food you’re about to eat!

Considerin’ we were only shootin’ for about 15 mins ish, I like how the majority came out. On review, when we happened across the feature image, we both agreed that was the one! In a previous post, I make mention to the fact I’ve developed a few presets of my own. With this collection, I selected one of my favourites but then decided to have fun with the settings to see what came out. ‘N’ I like em.

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Insta: DemzVisuals

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Similar to Joe, Kiran’s become quite the co-conspirator. If you recall, her second collection (featured here), had a more ‘smart- casual’ tone. For this collection (taken the same day as her second), we opted for a more casual look. Removin the bag ‘n’ blazer ‘n’ then swappin’ the heels for some dope socks ‘n’ vans afforded us the opportunity.

As I’ve said before, ‘n’ yes, I will reiterate here, (again), I thoroughly enjoy shootin’ with her. There’s an ease in which we get the job done. Though technically it’s only our second shoot, there’s a buddin’ synergy at display which comes through in the end product. My favourite detail in this collection is hands down the socks. Just look at em. What’s not to like? I’ve always been a fan of quirky things so when she drew for them, I was already imaginin’ the detail shots I’d capture! Usin’ the famous steps on ol’ Albert’s memorial itself provided the perfect backdrop for yet another successful collection. How much more Manc can you get?

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Though we shot around 4 outfits in the time we had (about an hour n half), in my humble opinion, this fit was my favourite. For me, there’s somethin’ dope about vivid colours set against a darker complexion. In this case, orange. I find the contrast between  dark skin and vibrant tones a striking match made in lens. Ha. I had to slip a dad-joke in there somewhere or it wouldn’ truly be a DV blog post.

In all seriousness though, as I mentioned in Sophie’s post, I’ve come to appreciate workin’ ‘longside ‘proactive’ models. Considerin’ he’s signed to Boss Model Management, (I’m sure I mentioned that in his first post), I wasn’t surprised with the ease in which we captured content. Quick. Streamlined. Effortless. Capturin’ images, both indoor ‘n’ out, I’m happy with the end result. And there’s still another fit to feature here ‘n’ on the Insta handle. But for now, considerin’ the autumnal tones are settin’ in, enjoy.

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Insta: DemzVisuals

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When Sophie initially hit me up, I was under the impression she lived in Manchester – a fair assertion to make considerin’ the name of the group which brought us together. But, she doesn’t. Truth be told, I cannot recall where she lives. What I do remember is once we confirmed the day ‘n’ time to link up, she mentioned she would be travelling from L****. But somethin’ irked me. Her travellin’ for the shoot wasn’t the issue. I’m due to travel down south soon for a shoot (cannot waiiit!). It was the fact the weather forecast predicted rain. With my camera not being weather sealed, (I checked online), I didn’t wanna chance it ‘n’ more importantly, I didn’t want her comin’ all this way to not shoot. It wouldn’t have been a good look. However, on speakin’ further, she confirmed she was in Manc that weekend to visit friends anyhow, so the shoot was a bonus. Result.

Here’s where it gets funny. Though the rain was threatenin’, it was kept at bay  – for the most part. Agreein’ the shoot would only go ahead if the clouds held the rain, I headed to Victoria Station to link up. But as the heavens would have it, it decided to open up and let loose in the 7 minutes it took me to arrive (on foot) to my destination. Impressed I was not! After our initial greet ‘n’ conversation under the shelter at the front, I decided to head right towards M.E.N Arena to check out some stairs near the station instead of trudgin’ to the aforementioned Deansgate Tram Station. Turns out it was a brilliant idea.

Why was this one of my favourite shoots? Sophie’s a natural. Realisation the heavens could open again at any minute, we spotted the stairwell, agreed it was a wavy backdrop ‘n’ dove right in. Though the sun was playin’ a lil hide ‘n’ seek, I think we managed to get some dope shots in. As the shutter emits an audible sound each time it’s clicked, Sophie was playin no games. At each sound, she’d hit a different pose with precision makin’ my job sooo much easier. Lendin’ some ideas herself, we managed to get the shoot wrapped in around 20 mins (ish) I’d say. In post, I decided to have fun by attemptin’ a lighter editin’ style in an attempt to complement her skin tone, whilst makin’ her eyes emit a realistic ‘pop’. Lemme know what you think.

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Insta: DemzVisuals

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If I remember correctly, (again, don’t quote me), I think there was around a two week gap between Mamo’s first collection ‘n’ these. In that time, I was actively shootin’ ‘n’ explorin’ new techniques to adopt in post. One of the things I quickly dropped to the bench was my use of grain in the images. Admittedly, I do like a grain effect, but I feel for the level I’m at, it’s currently doin’ more damage than good to my end product. That bein’ said, there are other techniques which have stayed the same (I shan’t divulge).

The thing I like about shootin’ with Mamo is, it’s easy. As easy as an outdoor shoot can be anyhow. When your subject is confident, knows how to pose ‘n’ can not only follow instruction well but improve upon set direction, it makes the shoot run that much smoother. Agreein’ to link up at Picc Gardens McDonalds, we headed to Australasia to capture some dope content outside. A few clicks here, a few glances there ‘n’ we made use of the lightin’ conditions that were afforded to us.

One of the main take-away factors from this shoot was trustin’ the 35. I Initially bought it to supplement the 50 when I wanted to capture more of the backdrop, but alas, the 50 is still the ‘go to lens’. It really is the nifty-fifty as they say. It’s a tad annoyin’ how due to Insta’s crop thingy (whatever it’s called), you have to sacrifice some of your image to fit the format. But hey, that’s how it is now I suppose. Insta is deffo changin’ to a ‘pay to play’ format.

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Insta: DemzVisuals

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This shoot proved to be… challengin’. The sun kept shiftin’ position which meant  a continuous changin’ of manual settin’s, shadows kept appearin’ where they weren’t required, ‘n’ to those who know, I can’t stand the heat. Bein’ in my shootin’ work clothes (black T, black tracksuit bottoms ‘n’ black n white cortez), meant I was a likkle hot still. ‘N’ I don’t like bein’ hot! But powered through we did. At one point, I even asked Mika to brave the heat ‘n’ put her jacket on to capture some cool shots. Though she graciously accepted the challenge, I didn’t keep her in the ‘oven’ for long. That would have been cruel ‘n’ unjust punishment.

To keep it one hunna, in terms of the edits, I’d be lyin’ if I say I was 100% percent happy with the total collection. Due to the sun, my growin’ experience ‘n’ presets at my disposal, they didn’t all come out in what I’d call a ‘cohesive’ collection. I had to change the editin’ choices per image. Slightly. I think I’m yet to produce a collection wherein I’m 100% happy with the whole batch. That accolade still eludes me. But I deem that a positive in some regards. It pushes me to shoot better, edit better, ‘n’ most importantly, be better.

What I love about Photographers is the fact everyone has a different stylistic choice. Though there are… ‘guidelines’ we all should adhere to learn the basics of the trade, once you reach a level of self-confidence in your work, your style isn’t less than or more than the next. We see things differently. Why do I mention this? In conversation with a friend regardin’ the edits, they provided constructive criticism in terms of how they would have edited the shots. Key words: ‘constructive criticism’. When it comes from a good place, we all need to hear it. Tryin’ their method, I found I preferred my style of edits. For this batch due to the compositions. In a future edit, I will try their way as to get better, we have to be willing to try new things. But for this collection, in the shots I liked (featured in this post). I love how the subject is highlighted amidst the dark backdrop.

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Insta: DemzVisuals

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You know what, it’s amazin’ how you can live somewhere for an extended period of time but never truly take in your surroundin’s or appreciate the beauty in the place you reside. Since I’ve picked up my camera, I’m seein’ Manchester from a new perspective – I’m always on the look out for new spots. Bein’ on the look-out for new spots meant I admittedly rolled my eyes when she mentioned one of the locations was ‘the library’. But oh how I was wrong.

My ‘eye-roll’ reaction stemmed from assumin’ she meant St Peter’s Square’s Central Library. That location has been plaaayed out. Hit up Insta ‘n’ you’ll see a plethora of images wherein the photographer’s have framed subjects usin’ the famous arches. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazin’ location, but part of my journey is about discoverin’ new places – tryin’ new things. It’s a dope feelin’ knowin’ you’re either the first or one of the first to stumble upon somethin’ new/inclusive. Oh how I miss last year’s Bando! We cooked up a lot of work in there!

So, it was to my pleasant (‘n’ relieved surprise) when Andra clarified she meant another library. Deansgate’s John Ryland’s to be exact. FYI – I had to google that. To repeat, it’s amazin’ how you can live somewhere for an extended period of time but never truly take in your surroundin’s or appreciate the beauty in the place you reside. I’ve been past this place countless times ‘n’ the thought to venture inside has never occurred to me. ‘N’ I claim to be a logophile. Shame on me.

Once inside, I could see why she made the suggestion. Amazin’ architecture, incredible shadows, unreal settin’s. But I was somewhat out of my depth. It takes someone serious about enhancin’ their skillset to admit that. Workin’ with a mid level camera, I quickly realised it’s shortcomin’s. But I do make that statement with a heavy punch of salt. Yes, I said punch. P. U.N.C.H. Context dependent, experience outranks tech. Context dependent. A professional with yeeears of experience can use my gear to capture the RAW ‘n’ create somethin’ in post I wouldn’t be able to replicate with their advanced gear. Yet.

At the point of writin’ this, I’ve been shootin’ for a month. The photographers I look to for inspo are deeep inna this. They were me once. Realisin’ the shortcomin’s, we headed for the second of three locations which provided us with better natural lightin’. I could work with this. Context dependent, the mark of a true artist is the ability to create somethin’ dope with the tools at their disposal. In the month I’ve been shootin’ I understand the best settin’s for my gear. Indeed, the time will come to upgrade. That’s natural progression. But until then, I shall continue to test my limits. John Rylands 1. Demz  Visuals 0. The second leg will be a whole different game.

Enjoy the icon.

Instagram: DemzVisuals

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Continuin’ the tale of this ‘beautiful accident’, I selected a pre-set in a group aptly named ‘Meh Presets Pack 2′. To give you an idea how far down the peckin’ order this preset is, I have: ‘My Presets’ – choice 1, ‘Presets 1’ – choice 2, ‘Presets 2’ – choice 3, ‘Meh Presets Pack 1’ – choice 4 ‘n’ ‘Meh Presets Pack 2’ – choice 5. Now, here’s where the ‘beautiful accident’ occurred. As per usual with each edit since I started creatin’ my own presets, I went to ‘My Presets’, tried them all, but I didn’t get that instinctive feelin’ of “this is the one”. I didn’t even think to check the others. I picked one closest to havin’ that feeling ‘n’, to keep it one hunna, began editin’ using said preset. Begrudginly. I was gonna knowingly put out product I didn’t like. There, I admitted it. However, as per usual Mon-Thurs, I was editin’ after a day in the office followed by a gym session so I was tired. I called it for the night ‘n’ went to sleep. I had two shoots the next day so I wanted to get up early to do some admin n clean my room before I set out.

Shoots complete, I returned home, sat at my workstation, opened LR, ‘n’ continued. For about half hour, I was switchin’ between images in the batch far from satisfied. That feelin’ was still missin’. Then I said to myself: “what if?”. So, in the aforementioned order in the previous paragraph, I began goin’ through each preset one by one. Nothin’. I only checked ‘MPP2′ out of courtesy. Usin’ the featured image, I found a preset that made me think: “hmm”. But I still wasn’t wowed. Pushin’ the laptop away in frustration, I accidentally lowered the exposure on the image.

I’d found it.

Without hesitation, usin’ the featured image ‘n’ the preset as a base, I made changes to match the aesthetic ‘n’ proceeded to apply it to all the images. To repeat, presets are not a ‘one-size fits all’, but I’m happy with how they turned out. I’ve always been drawn to a darker tone in images. The subject, Jerome, is someone I’ve known for a while through a mutual friend I used to work with back in the corporate era. Similar to Mamo, he’s signed to Boss Model Management. Link up again soon.

We had a dope shoot.

  Enjoy the icon.

Insta: DemzVisuals

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