Pictures of Perfection

This week keeps getting busier and busier - we now have three wedding consultations on Thursday alone! Still, cant complain!

I've updated some of our venue guide's on our website with some more recent venues. I've just finished working on some of Alison & Simon's photo's from Pinchinthorpe Hall. Theyve come out quite nicely if I may say so myself. Here's a quick one from the gardens taken using the 85L lens. Tack sharp details and creamy backgrounds are what this lens is all about!



Alison & Simon took out our Crystal package offering service coverage and a little reception, as well as all the usual formals as they just wanted a few pictures to remember their day by, and chose us because of our experience with the reportage style. However just because you take a small package doesnt mean that you will get a "cheap" looking set of pictures from us. You'll get all the same bells and whistles as our high end packages, just with less coverage.

For details of our wedding packages take a look here: http://www.picturesofperfection.co.uk/services.html

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For more information please see our main website: Pictures of Perfection or contact us:

E: info@Picturesofperfection.co.uk
T: 01642 886016
M: 07984 441322

After a lengthy holiday we're back in the UK - returning to a pile of booking forms returned with deposit, answer phone messages, email enquiries - you name it we got it! Luckily our hotel and several restaurants in Malta had free Wifi so I was able to respond to a lot of the enquiries via e-mail, and have tied up a lot of consultations yesterday and today.

I've also spent some time fulfulling some orders we received whilst we were away and updating our accounts with recent purchases. We're making some investments soon in some new cameras and a high end processing system.

We've enabled montage's on our powerful gallery software so for all past and future weddings you can make your own montages with over 40 different templates to choose from.


A quick shot from Anita and David Knight's wedding at Preston Hall a few weeks back.

We're doing a wedding at the Trincomalee on Friday, and one in Stockton on Saturday and have 4 consultations between now and then. Busy, busy, busy - just how we like it :)

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For more information please see our main website: Pictures of Perfection or contact us:

E: info@Picturesofperfection.co.uk
T: 01642 886016
M: 07984 441322

At Pictures of Perfection we use only high end Canon gear as we love the quality that it affords us - as do you! Canon has just released its new Camera which is set to create ripples accross the market. Here's the details....suffice to say - we're getting at least one!

* 21.1 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor gives you vivid, beautifully clear definition and enables you to print at an almost limitless size
* 3.9 fps shooting at 78 JPEG continuous image burst
* Full HD 1080 movie recording including HDMI output
* 9-point AF with 6 extra 'hidden' autofocus assist points
* Huge bright 3" LCD screen with Live View mode and Face Detection Live AF
* DIGIC IV processing for speedy reactions, accurate auto-focus and excellent image quality
* Super sleek, sturdy magnesium alloy body
* 16:9 aspect ratio
* High ISO 6400 - expandable down to 50 and up to 23,600
* Improved weather sealing to keep out the elements
* Optional Wireless Fire Transmitter with External HDD and GPS compatibility

Canon EOS 5D Mark II – Sassy CMOS DIGIC IV Processor
Featuring the same second-generation on-chip noise reduction circuitry used on the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II more than adequately suppresses random noise, and eliminates fixed-pattern noise. This, combined with a CMOS sensor with 21.1 megapixels, means the Canon EOS 5D Mark II delivers crystal clear, high fidelity images.

With many years of in-house CMOS development under their belt, the Canon DIGIC IV processor offers an almost instant, super-quick start-up time, immediate buffer-clearing between frame bursts and superior image quality through advanced rendering algorithms.

The EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR from Canon shoots at 3.9fps, making this camera ideal for studio, wedding and landscape photographers, as well as for demanding action and sports photographers who need a camera that can keep up with the action.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II – Full Frame Finesse
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II features a 21.1 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor, giving you the capability and the freedom to express your creativity without a cropped field of view experienced with smaller sensors (a.k.a focal length multiplication). The full frame, 35mm film size sensor means the viewfinder is bright and open, making composition easier and reducing eye-strain. The sensor's low-pass filter and on-chip circuitry suppresses false colours and noise, allowing faithful reproduction of subtle tonal gradations in shadow, midtone and highlights. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II delivers outstanding image quality, particularly for its price point, and is the ideal upgrade for a 5D user, new 'film to digital' converts, or 450D / 40D owners wishing to experience the 'full frame advantage'.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II – Full HD 1080 Movie Recording
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II can shoot at 30 fps in full HD (High Definition) 1920x1080p video at 16:9 ratio, and at 640x480p, 4:3 ratio in SD (Standard Definition). Movie mode is accessed via Live View and still photos can be taken at any time while shooting videos. Files are recorded with .MOV file extension.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II – Big, bold and bright LCD screen
The EOS 5D Mark II features a large 3" high resolution 920K pixel poly-silicon TFT LCD screen providing you with improved image review functionality as well as improving the ease with which you can access and peruse the menu. The screen retains brightness and visibility throughout 170° in both a vertical and horizontal direction.

One of the biggest advancements of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II is the introduction of Live View. Enabling you to view your composition on the LCD screen before you take the shot, Live View has taken its time to come to most DSLR's, despite being commonplace on digital compact cameras, but the feature is pride of place on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II's extensive list of benefits.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II – Take things into your own hands
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II weighs only 895g, far lighter than the EOS 1Ds Mark III and features a magnesium alloy exterior with rubberised grip surfaces. Another highly anticipated advance is the significantly improved weather sealing of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Whilst not to the same standard of the fantastic seals seen on the Canon EOS 1D series, the EOS 5D Mark II improves on the EOS 5D, featuring a multitude of dust and moisture resistant seals on the exterior, whilst the EOS integrated cleaning system looks after things on the inside. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II body strives to look good and feel durable yet light in your hands.

Like the EOS 5D, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II allows you to store your favourite camera settings and assign them to the C (camera settings) position on the Mode Dial, enabling you to switch quickly between indoor and outdoor shooting, for example. The Exposure mode, ISO speed, AF mode, drive mode, Picture Style, white balance and custom functions are all stored in the custom setting. There are 21 custom functions with 57 user-definable settings to enable photographers to set up the camera to their preference.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II – Complete connectivity
The EOS 5D Mark II includes optional Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E4, so photographers can work free of cables as full-frame image files can be automatically transferred through a wireless LAN to a computer in a matter of seconds.

A Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface allows rapid transfer of images from camera to computer, the ideal solution for shooting straight to hard-drive with the camera tethered to a computer in a studio environment, consequently providing full-screen previews of images as they are shot.

The EOS 5D Mark II is also HDMI compatible, enabling you to connect your digital SLR to HDTV sets, bringing your images to life in all their high definition glory. Compatible with PictBridge, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II supports direct printing to any compatible photo printer without the need for a computer. The EOS 5D Mark II accepts both Compact Flash Type I and Type II cards, including cards of 2GB and larger.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II – Compatability and accessories

* LC-E6E Battery Charger
* CBC-E6 Car Battery Charger
* ACK-E6 AC Adapter Kit for the LP-E6
* BG-E6 New Battery Grip
* WFT-E4 Wireless File Transmitter


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For more information please see our main website: Pictures of Perfection or contact us:

E: info@Picturesofperfection.co.uk
T: 01642 886016
M: 07984 441322

This is a great B&W shot. As mentioned before at PoP we don't just push a button and desaturate your images on photoshop, we hand treat each black and white photo to get the perfect effect. This one was taken with a blue filter at Preston Hall Museum on Friday.



It's almost time for our holiday to Malta so we have been running round like crazy putting equipment in secure storage and getting orders sorted out before we go. If you have any queries after Friday this week, dont worry - we'll still have email access while we're away!

Also don't fret about airlines; we're not going with XL!! Even if we were, as professionals, we are fully covered by Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance.

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For more information please see our main website: Pictures of Perfection or contact us:

E: info@Picturesofperfection.co.uk
T: 01642 886016
M: 07984 441322

We had a wedding consultation this evening where the couple had been less than impressed by the formal (posed) photos they had seen on the website of one of Middlesbrough's more "common" wedding photographer's site. The quote they used was "It's like someone just went round with a camera", which we would agree with, but we won't say who it was! We showed them some of our formal shots as we always ensure we go through all the key formals as well as any ad-hoc ones that spring to mind - theyre so important even in these modern "reportage" times, even if its just for your parents! Properly orchestrated they take no longer than 20 minutes, and then we spend some time with you.



Here's a quick one from the weekend - it was pouring down, but rain never stops play. We hooked up a quick lighting rig and away we went.



And one from Kerry & Tom's wedding the weekend before.

Here's some of the photos from our recent Middlesbrough Milk Rollers shoot:









They've come out really well and we're really happy with them!

We have consultations Today, Tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday and Monday so its a busy week for meeting customers, and to add to this we are covering weddings tomorrow and Saturday at Preston Hall Museum and Pinchinthorpe Hall. Really looking forward to them both.

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For more information please see our main website: Pictures of Perfection or contact us:

E: info@Picturesofperfection.co.uk
T: 01642 886016
M: 07984 441322

One of the things we often get the most compliments about are our black and white photos. Quite often, at bride's requests, we provide a whole set of B&W images as it's style with a timeless quality.



The above shot, from Kerry & Tom's wedding, is a perfect example. The tonal range in the folds of the dress is fantastic. Some wedding photographers just desaturate an image and increase the contrast in order to to get a Black and White image, however we hand treat every image in order to get the best effect. We won't go into how we do it, but its the fact that we DO do it, that you love.

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For more information please see our main website: Pictures of Perfection or contact us:

E: info@Picturesofperfection.co.uk
T: 01642 886016
M: 07984 441322

Good day today - two confirmed bookings and 3 consultations planned in for this week. Our calendar is really shaping up for next year although one of them is for 2 weeks time. Not the biggest rush we've ever had though as we had one couple come for a consultation the week before their wedding date! However as it was a weekday we had that day free so were able to come to the rescue.

Just putting the finishing touches to Kerry & Tom's graphistudio album now and here's two of our full page images (click for larger versions on FlickR)






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For more information please see our main website: Pictures of Perfection or contact us:

E: info@Picturesofperfection.co.uk
T: 01642 886016
M: 07984 441322

Pictures of Perfection covered the launch of the new Ten Feet Tall comedy night at the Town Hall Crypt last night. It was a really great event and the staff did a great job of doing up the room in a style worthy of the night. Toby Foster, of Phoenix Nights fame, headlined and it was a full house. It's going to be a monthly night so if you like comedy, check it out. Look out for some photos we took in the Gazette soon.

This rounded off a busy day for us as earlier we were shooting in Thorntree for the wedding of Victoria and Scott. We'll post some photos up of this shortly as we havent finished them yet and we usually like to make sure the client has seen them before posting them in Public, and they do not have internet access. Watch this space!

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For more information please see our main website: Pictures of Perfection or contact us:

E: info@Picturesofperfection.co.uk
T: 01642 886016
M: 07984 441322

Wedding enquiries are like waiting for a bus. You don't get one for 3 days and then 4 come along at once! Next year is filling up nicely and so far we have 12 weddings on the book for 2010 which isn't bad going so far. We have a lot of engagement shoots coming up as a result of our recent promotion too.

Been kept busy lately with a lot of PR shots and on the weekend we went to Redcar industrial area to shoot the team photos of the Middlesbrough Milk Rollers rollerderby team. This was a fun shoot in overcast weather, with a 550EX off camera and a 580EXII on camera triggered remotely with pocket wizards. The shots came out great, but I'm not finished editing them yet as the girls want a Sin City makeover.

The diversity of our work is our true strength as it gives us a real depth when it comes to photographing weddings. Just finished working on a B&W album for Graham and Julie and getting it printed on metallic paper for a really glamorous appeal.

We're currently refreshing our sample set which is taking some investment, although we're keeping all our old samples as well - some large format prints in frames, some new album styles (Spicer Hallfield deluxe albums with mats) and some other products to offer as extras after the success of our recently introduced box frames.

It's all good! September is a busy month for us with 7 weddings to cover in 2 & a half weeks before going to Malta on holiday - I think we deserve a rest! :)

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For more information please see our main website: Pictures of Perfection or contact us:

E: info@Picturesofperfection.co.uk
T: 01642 886016
M: 07984 441322