Flat White, originally uploaded by Ben Grubb.

Here’s a random shot from today. I’ve been spending a lot of time in Starbucks’s (sorry, I don’t know what the correct pluralisation for Starbucks is), particularly the big one on New Oxford Street near Tottenham Court Road tube station. I found that going up there with my MacBook helps me focus, and get more work done, especially review writing and the like, than I would at home. There’s less distractions, and it feels more like you have a proper “office” to go to.

I know it’s probably not the done thing to like big, corporate machines like Starbucks, but I do. Ok, so their business practices might not be totally squeaky clean, but I enjoy spending time in their cafes. They have a relaxed atmosphere which I find good for concentrating on work. Largely I agree that the global take over of chains isn’t the best, but I’m yet to find somewhere in central London which is easy for my to get to (i.e.: one tube), has plenty of space to work, a nice ambience and free, reliable Wi-Fi. Perhaps I’m not looking hard enough. I’ll happy take suggestions.

Another plus side to Starbucks: I really like their branding and general style. Most outlets have really nice artwork and photography on the walls etc, and I really like the simplicity of their mugs and other paraphernalia. They recently started offering Flat White coffees on their menus which made me more excited than it should have done as I really like the new cups that they’re served in (see above).

Anyway, I didn’t intend this post to become a homage to corporate branding; I just wanted to share a new shot which I’m really happy with, and my mind seemed to get carried away. Maybe I should lay off the coffee…

I’m shooting another wedding in May. My friends Phil and Stacey are getting hitched in a place called Fforest in Pembrokeshire, Wales. I’m excited and nervous about it in equal measure; although not as nervous as I am about the weather (what with the whole thing taking place on a camp site. And a campsite in Wales no less. Gulp.) I’m sure it’ll go fine, but the various equipment malfunction/user malfunction etc nightmares have started already. It’s par for the course though I think.

Anyway, before any of that happens tradition dictates that, in order for me to have something to actually shoot, people need to know about and be invited to the thing. Which is where I come in again. I was asked by the happy couple in I would design their invites for them. Naturally, I said yes (or “I will” perhaps, in order to tie in with the wedding analogy). I met up with them one rainy lunchtime, and Stacey provided me with a highly detailed mock up showing exactly what she wanted, which is always good. The mock up of the invitation package consisted of four postcards, one main invite, one detailing directions, one listing local accommodation (for those not camping on the site) and an RSVP card. These then go inside an outer, folded card which can be stamped and addressed on the back. Then the whole thing is tied up with ribbon. Stacey, like me, shares a love for postcards and things in sets. We had a quick discussion about colours, the general look and finish of the cards, and printing. It was one of those rare, beautiful moments where you realise that you and your client are totally reading from the same page. It’s an exciting feeling. So, I set about designing a rough draft of the first couple of cards. Phil and Stacey had both mentioned about using a collection of vector shapes and styles to give their invites a contemporary feel, so my first port of call was to source a few different things. Dryicons was an especially useful site for this. Adobe Illustrator isn’t really my strongest programme in the Creative Suite, so I thought it would be quicker and easier to to find some existing vectors and hopefully pick and choose various elements to form my own design. Thankfully, this approach worked really well. A floral design was the underlying theme of the cards, and I managed to find a large selection of different flowers, stalks and vines vector shapes which seemed to fit in with what I had in mind. The pair of little birds are my handy work though! Nothing spectacular I grant you, but I was pleased with ‘em! I drafted up the first two cards, sent them over to Phil and Stacey. They both seemed happy enough with where I was headed so I carried on. It probably only really took me about a day or so to get all five designs done, plus a little extra to-ing and fro-ing with slight amendments and text changes etc. After that it was just a case of getting them printed. I used a place called Azo Graphics, who are based on Grays Inn Road. I used them a couple of times when I was at my old job, and they were always quick, friendly and helpful. This time was no different and they managed to turn around 200+ cards in under 24 hours, which I thought was great. They look really cracking too…

We received our invite(s) in the post the other week, so I took some shots of the finished packs together (the photo above is missing the accommodation card though). It sounds like they’re getting a good response, in regards to both attendance and about the invites themselves which is good. Now all that’s left is to wait for the big day. Oh, and to check, charge and recheck all my camera gear…

Blue, originally uploaded by Ben Grubb.

“Burn it down till the embers smoke on the ground
And start new when your heart is an empty room
With walls of the deepest blue…”

The sun was out today in London, and we went for a nice walk along the river. It was still freezing cold though! I can’t wait for summer…

I have to say, last Wednesday was definitely a very productive day; photographically speaking. Not only did I have a very successful night out with Phil, but I also managed to get some great results at the other end of the shutter speed spectrum. The image to the left is the most successful of a series of attempts I had to capture a nice, clean “cookie splash”. I came across the idea while searching around on Flickr a while back, but it wasn’t until recently that I decided to give it a try myself. I’ve done a fair amount of long exposure/slow shutter speed in my time, but this was something pretty new. As you can see, the idea is to freeze the action of a cookie falling into a mug of coffee, and capture the resulting splash in mid air – a pretty simple concept, yet still quite tricky to execute.

The shot(s) were taken in the kitchen of our flat. My camera was mounted in a tripod, with a remote shutter cable attached. I was using my 50mm prime lens set to an aperture of f2. I had the shutter speed set to 1/2500th to freeze the splash and the camera was set on ISO 1000 (it can get quite dark in our flat in the afternoons, so the high ISO was a necessity to expose the shots correctly). Even with those settings, things were still coming out a little dark. I set up a couple of angle poise lamps on either side of the mug, which helped brighten the shots up, without causing any really harsh shadows.

Once the set up was in place, it was time to begin the fun! I really had no idea how this was going to work out, so went for it and hoped for the best! The process did become quite time consuming, as after every attempt I had to clean up the mess, get rid of the of cookie filled coffee, wash the mug and make a new brew. Also, my aim wasn’t always the best, so there were a few lame splashes, or even times when I totally missed the mug altogether. There was also some tweaking around to be done after each sequence, to get the best composition and to adjust the lighting to get it in the right place. The final photo (posted here) was part of the last sequence of shots I took. By the end I had ironed out many of the kinks, but more critically, I was running out of cookies! As I was shooting in rapid fire, I was left with a really interesting triptych of shots which shows the action of what I was doing rather nicely:

Cookie Splash Sequence: Click for a larger view…

So, there you have it. It was all a pretty simple set up, but it was a lot of fun to do, and I was really pleased with the results. Like I said, it was pretty messy though, and I’m glad I made the most of it as when my girlfriend reads this I’ll be banned from doing anything like it again! I’d definitely be keen to try more fast shutter experimentation in the future though (although it may have to be outside), particularly as the summer will (hopefully) be rolling around soon – The sun being the best angle poise lamp of them all. Or something.

If anyone reads this and is inspired to give it a go themselves; please let me know! I’d love to see how you got on.

Heart, originally uploaded by Ben Grubb.

You gotta spend some time, Love.
You gotta spend some time with me.
And I know that you’ll find, love
I will possess your heart…

Happy belated Valentines day. Here’s a random shot from Borough Market. I was really happy with this shot – I really like the mix of colours, tones and textures. It’s always cool to find a random little detail which can make a really interesting photo.

Hello all. Sorry it’s been a while. A lot’s been going on with me recently which is good! Also, I was computer-less for a while. My PC picked up a rather nasty virus which it is still recovering from, and had to undergo some particularly nerve wracking open hard drive surgery! Luckily, we found a suitable 1TB donor and the operation seemed to be a success. There’s still some way to go until full recovery though. Huge thanks to master surgeon Dr. Ben Sales for all the help. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do it without him and would be a jibbering wreck on the floor by now. More than normal I mean, obviously.

Also, my MacBook had to go in to the Apple Store to have it’s fan and top case replaced (which they did for free, bless ‘em) and is now back to it’s full glory and looks all cleaned up and handsome again. Wonderful. It’s good to be able to actually do work and things again.

Anyway, techno geekery aside, I have some exciting news: I have started to write and photography shows for my friend Matt’s music review site Call Upon The Author. The very same site which I designed a banner for last year. I’m working towards getting together a decent portfolio of concert shots, and Matt’s the man with the contacts, so I thought we could help each other out. So far, so good. I went to my first show as a “reviewer” last week, and to start things off, I was lucky enough to see Paul Murphy’s (of Wintersleep fame) side project Postdata at The Borderline. He (or rather they, as he was joined by fellow Wintersleep band mate Tim D’eon on keyboards) are doing a short European tour opening for David Bazan (of Pedro The Lion). Both were rather enjoyable, and I certainly enjoyed Postdata! The review is done and up on Call Upon The Author now is you want to have a look. There’s also a small selection of photos on Flickr. Definitely check out the album as well – it’s marvelous. I have a few more shows lined up over the next few months which I’m looking forward to, and I hope you’ll check out my post gig ramblings. I’ve got a few other exciting things in the pipeline as well which I’ll no doubt talk about on here in due course. As the weather starts to brighten, so to does my year! Good times.

I got tagged on by Nelly Nero the other day to write some facts about myself. I thought it might be fun, despite me being quite boring. I wrote a list on Flickr, and thought it might be good to post them on here as well, along with a new(ish) self portrait. Anyway, here goes…

1: I have been into Photography literally for my whole life. We used to have a dark room in our loft at home, and I used to help my Dad with printing when I was a kid. I really didn’t utilise it as much as I should have. That’s one of my biggest regrets, but being up there with my Dad is one of my happiest memories.

2: I have a degree in Illustration which I did at Herefordshire College of Art. Best three years of my life – and I constantly miss those days. So much fun. I love Illustration and Graphic Design, and they are both a massive inspiration to me. I still do my own illustration work, and I would love to do some more commissions in the future. Some of my favourite, most inspiring Illustrators include Tim Marrs, Kate Miller and Laura Quick.

3: I am a pretty obsessive music fan as well. I like a whole range of stuff from acts like Tool through to Jurassic 5, but there’s certain bands who I have a maniacal devotion for. My top three would be Manic Street Preachers, The Tragically Hip and Wintersleep. I have gone out of my way to see all three live, which has included travelling into Europe and the US.

4: Other than Photography, Illustration and Music my life and imagination is occupied by climbing. I totally love it, especially bouldering. I love travelling to experience different climbing spots around the world. Last year I went on a two month road trip around America to climb at some classic spots like Yosemite, Bishop, Hueco Tanks and Joe’s Valley. It was incredible, and I really want to go back! I’ve also been to Fontainebleau in France many times – arguably the greatest bouldering spot in the world! I also really hope to get out to Thailand and Rocklands in South Africa in the future. I also run a climbing website/blog with my mate: www.b2climbing.com – We make amateur climbing films of our exploits on the rocks. It’s great fun!

5: I live in South London with my Girlfriend. Her name is Snooky (yes, that is her real name) and she’s great. When I was at Uni I always vowed that I’d never live and/or work in London, until I got a job here. Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I love it here. I am also quite fickle.

6: Incase you haven’t already worked out. I have an incredibly obsessive personality. When something sparks my interest I get totally engrossed in it. Some things last, others don’t, but I feel I have to try and learn as much as possible about the chosen subject. I also think this is why I would never do drugs or smoke. I definitely think it’s a good way to be though. Everyone should have something which they feel totally passionate about.

7: My only “phobia” to speak of, is when potatoes get those horrible sprouts in them! I absolutely hate that!

…That’s pretty much me. I can’t really think of anything else which is even remotely interesting. If you made it this far, well done! Thanks for reading.

Victoria Embankment, originally uploaded by Ben Grubb.

Shortly before Christmas, my Dad and Sister came up to London to spend a day with me trekking round taking shots for Hannah’s Uni project. I’m not sure (at time of writing) that her brief has been finalised, but she wanted to base part of it around London based imagery. So, we headed out into a sunny but very cold London to take in some of the sights. I wasn’t born in London, so I guess technically it’s not my “hometown” but I have lived here for about three years now, and it definitely feels like home to me. I have made a real effort to get out and see a lot of the sights around the city, and being a photographer I’m motivated to get out there and capture it! Although I live up here, whenever I’m out with my camera I can’t help but feel like something of a tourist, and that was especially true when Dad and Hannah were with me too. We visited a lot of places that I’ve been to before, either by myself or with Amy or Phil, but I find it good to try and revisit places and try and get a shot which you didn’t notice before, and force yourself to experiment. Anyway, we had a really successful day, and covered a lot of ground! I got a small set of really great shots which was great, and they also gave me more of a chance to experiment with the Photoshop actions which I’ve written about before. I hope there’s a lot more to come!

Happy New Year, originally uploaded by Ben Grubb.

Hello all. Happy New Year and all that! I hope you had a good one, and 2010 has started off well for you. We took a trip to Fontainebleau in France to see in the New Year. Sadly, we pretty much got rained off on all but one of the climbing days, but we still had fun. It’s always risky heading down there at that time of year, but it was worth it.

So, that’s 2009 dispensed with, and I for one am pretty glad really. Obviously, there’s ups and downs in every year, but looking back objectively, there definitely seemed to be more down than up. The big turning point was (fairly obviously) getting made redundant in March. This basically shook up my life hugely, and I’m still feeling the effects from it hugely. I never expected to still be out of (full time) employment by the time 2010 rolled around, but here I am. I had no idea how hard it would be to get in somewhere else, and it’s a lesson I’m learning the hard way. Although my last job wasn’t perfect, I’m incredibly grateful that I got it. I made some fantastic friends, learned a lot and got some valuable professional experience on my CV. I really don’t know where I’m be without all that. I’d be lying if leaving there the way I did was how I expected (or wanted) it to happen, but sometimes you need to have the rug pulled for under you – and rugless was exactly how I ended up.

As shocking as all this was, it did of course mean that I got to go to America for two months, which is something I wouldn’t have changed for the world. That trip for me was the very peak of the year, and maybe it’s because that was so great that the low points felt even lower. I’ve spent many a rainy Wednesday afternoon at home, staring ta rejection emails and wishing I was back in Bishop or Hueco Tanks. All good things have to come to an end I guess, and I’m hugely grateful to Snoo, Ashby and especially Benny for making the trip so great and giving me someone to share it with. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime, but I just hope that it is actually possible to have more than one trip of a life time. I hate to think that I’d never be able to have something like that again…

I have made a decision about where I want to take things though. It’s becoming increasingly apparent to me that I should be doing photography for a living. I shot my first wedding in September, and I loved it! I was really nervous, wasn’t sure how I’d get on with it, but it turned out to be great. Big thanks for Lee & Chloe for taking a chance on me on their big day, and luckily they seem to be as happy with the results as I am. I have a couple more lined up for this year, and I’m really looking forward to them – I’m certainly keen to do more as well. I need to get my act together and become better at the gritty world of self promotion now – something I’ve never been good at, but it’s time to start.

It wasn’t a terrible year by any stretch of the imagination, but in all honesty I am glad to see the back of 2009, and sincerely hope that 2010 is better. Aside from everything I’ve mentioned above, I do have a few resolutions which I’m actually quite excited about. I’m looking to get myself a new fixie bike once we’ve sorted out where in the flat we can store them. This is partly to get around town easier, but also to try and lose some weight and body fat to help with climbing. I’m still trying to finalise a tick list for 2010, but I’m more psyched than ever to really try and push myself with my climbing this year. I’m still unsure of the specifics, but I’d definitely like to get some classic Font 7a’s ticked, as well as some stuff in The Peaks. There’s also routes at Bowles which I can’t wait to get back on when we get some good weather. I’ll keep you posted.

So, there you go. Sorry for the self indulgent post, but it feels good to get something down in writing. It’ll be good to look back on this come this time in 2011. If you read this far, I applaud you! But, enough about me: How was 2009 for everyone else? I’d be interested to know. Have a good one!

Santa, originally uploaded by Ben Grubb.

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful day!