Tim Pilling Photography

Weather comparison

2011-12-31T17:40:00.003Z

I know this photo is a bit late but the weather is a far cry from last year around this time. The image is dated 19th Dec 2010 but the contrast in conditions between this year and last year is quite remarkable by North West UK standards. I measured the temperature at the end of this walk and it was -8 deg C just as the sun was setting.

Northumberland

2011-12-31T16:43:00.007Z

I haven't posted for some time but as it's approaching 2012, I thought it a good idea to post something for 2011. Earlier this year we spent a week at a campsite near Budle Bay,
Northumberland, which gave me an opportunity to photograph the east coast and different
lighting conditions. I have selected a few favourites from the collection.

Ravenglass

2010-07-30T19:42:00.004+01:00

A recent camping trip to the western edge of the Lakes allowed me to grab a few shots of the coastline. Not the greatest light but the small weather window was the only opportunity we had. Just two to show at the moment.

Animals in captivity at Chester zoo

2010-06-28T20:26:00.007+01:00

I couldn't resist taking my camera to Chester zoo last weekend to capture some images of things you don't normally see out and about around the UK. Not quite the same as going on a wildlife safari but I can't think of any other way to photograph these creatures in an afternoon.

Ullswater

2010-06-28T20:08:00.006+01:00

A recent camping trip to north east lakes, just after the late May bank holiday, allowed me to grab a few shots of Ullswater whilst out on a boat trip. The shots were taken mid afternoon on one of the hottest days of the break.

Emma and Mike's wedding

2010-01-31T22:04:00.007Z

Emma and Mike were the perfect couple to work with in this small but intimate wedding. It took place at the end of 2009 and was the last service of the year at the church. Slightly unconventional but that's what makes it great to photograph. I've included a few from the collection, the remainder can be viewed on my website.

Winter photography

2010-01-10T12:09:00.008Z

I think that most people who own a camera whether it be a phone camera, point n shoot or DSLR, will have been out this week to capture a winter wonderland scene. Around the north west, it's not that common to have a prolonged period of cold like this unless you live at a high altitude. Anyhow, I took my camera with me on a local walk and grabbed a few images. Perhaps if there is a fresh fall of snow on Sunday, there might be one more chance to get some wintery pics before spring arrives. The photos above were taken around Orrell and Upholland - Dean wood, Lafford Lane and surrounding footpaths.

National Trust Lyme Park

2009-11-01T15:50:00.007Z

Although photography is not permitted inside the NT properties, I took the opportunity to gather a few images whilst wondering around the grounds. I tried to steer clear of the most obvious views and in any case, there were far too many people in the shot to make it worthwhile. It was a bit late in the season to capture the garden at its floral peak but at least there was some colour in the autumn leaves and one or two late flowering plants. I'm no expert on plants and only photographed what caught my eye. The property is well worth another visit at a different time of the year. Photographers can apply in writing to take images outside opening times but I'm not sure of the legalities of using the photos for commercial purposes.

Another look at Grange over sands

2009-11-01T15:12:00.003Z

I had another look at the photo set taken at Grange over Sands and decided to re-edit one of the beach shots. Very little except beach and sky but I think the split down the middle works?

Grange over Sands

2009-08-26T20:03:00.002+01:00

The other weekend whilst staying near Grange over Sands, I managed to get out with the 5D mkII and capture a few seascapes.

Laura and Ben's wedding

2009-08-15T09:51:00.005+01:00

The ceremony took place at St. Agatha in Llanymynech, followed by the reception at Rowton Castle in Shropshire.

2009-07-14T17:14:00.004+01:00

I attended the Haigh Hall music festival the other Sunday as I've been photographing this event for the last three years. The setup this time, from a photographers point of view, was much improved with stage lighting and haze machines. Although it might seem like a waste during the day, it makes a huge difference to the shots.

As usual, there were twelve bands selected:
Elias T.Hoth, Eight Wave, Mr Fist, This Devastated Fan, Before Autumn Falls, The Klang, Prose, The Broken Door, Snakes Hate Fire, The Adjusters, The V.C.s and Smudge.

Unfortunately, I missed the first band but have documented the remaining eleven. The photo set can be viewed on my main website in the music section.

I've selected a few favourites from the set.

Family portraits

2009-07-14T12:55:00.004+01:00

I photographed Emma, Mike and the kids in a park close to their home last month. Just some simple portraits of the family interacting, prior to their wedding in December.

Local walks

2009-05-26T09:45:00.006+01:00

Sometimes, your local walks can turn up a surprising number of views. Here are just a few taken whilst out on a long walk passing through Dalton and Orrell. You just have to be there at the right time.

Karen and Andrew's wedding

2009-05-22T14:47:00.005+01:00

Just thought I'd share a few images from the latest wedding. It was a documentary style with very few formal shots but that is the way to capture natural moments.

A visit to Another Place and Formby

2009-04-06T22:02:00.006+01:00

Last weekend I thought it was about time to take the camera out and photograph some of the nearby coastline, so I decided to visit Crosby and Formby. Here are a few images shot early afternoon, which is not the best time of day for the light conditions but you can't always be there at the right time.

UK camera retailers

2009-02-14T15:21:00.005Z

I don't know if anyone else has noticed that within the last few weeks, some UK camera equipment retailers have hiked up their prices by considerable amounts. In certain cases by as much as 45%. I fail to see how they can justify such massive increases. If you check sites in the USA and factor in the exchange rate, import duty etc, it still comes in well under the UK prices. I realise the UK pound is weak, making imports more expensive, the economy is not at its best and retail sales are depressed but 45%, they are having a laugh.
For instance. A few weeks ago a Canon 85mm f1.2L USM II was £1248 at one online store. The same item is now £1792, which is unbelievable!
You don't need to be a genius to predict what the impact would be if I suddenly increased my prices significantly.

Landscape photography sites

2009-02-12T20:16:00.003Z

I came across a landscape photographer's site that is well worth a visit. Marc Adamus has some great images of North American locations.

Photography supplier exhibition

2009-02-04T21:41:00.004Z

I have just received this years pass for the NEC focus-on-imaging exhibition that will be held on 22nd to 25 Feb in halls 9-10. Last year I attended on Sunday but I might consider a week day this time. However, one advantage of going on Sunday is the parking is free and likely the morning traffic is reduced. It's the nearest large photography event without having to travel to London.

Pennington Flash wildlife

2009-01-10T17:18:00.007Z

I visited Pennington flash today, just off the East Lancs road near Leigh, to continue with the theme of wildlife photography. It was bitterly cold and virtually all the open water was frozen, so there was a distinct lack of water birds. The only location that provided any action was the bunting hide, which is also a feeder station. Although there were quite a few species feeding, it was late afternoon and the light was dismal.

Blue tit: 1/80s, f4.0, ISO 1250, 280mm (EF 70-200mm +1.4x) heavily cropped as it was too far away to fill the frame.

Robin: 1/125s, f4.0, ISO 1250, 280mm (EF 70-200mm +1.4x) heavily cropped.

The flashes will be worth re-visiting, especially in about 2 months time when spring has arrived and when the light is much better. If I continue to photograph small things from a distance, I will have to fork out for some new fixed focal length lenses. A 300mm f2.8L IS and a 600mm f4L IS would be nice. I'll just check under the mattress to see if I have a spare £8000!

Wildlife Photography

2009-01-04T14:01:00.007Z

I was invited out on Saturday to do a bit of wildlife photography in Northumberland and along with a couple of experts, we headed down the coast from Bamburgh Castle to see what birds had flown in. As this was a first for me in this genre of photography, I did not have the right lenses for the distances we were shooting from and even my f2.8 70-200mm with a 1.4x converter was inadequate for the task. However, I captured a few wider views of some lapwing and golden plover whilst at a hide in Cresswell. A black-headed gull presented itself and I couldn’t resist the shot. It’s not exactly a rare bird but it filled the frame and I now have another photo to add to my stock library. If you want to see a proper UK wildlife photographers website, visit Andy Rouse's site.

Rub Al Khali

2008-12-28T21:32:00.008Z

I was going through some old photos of Saudi and came across a few that I had taken using a Minolta Dimage 7 (5 Mp). Unfortunately, the originals were shot as jpegs, which limited the scope for editing but I have cleaned them up as far as possible without too much degradation.

The area of Saudi concerned is the Rub al Khali, otherwise known as the Empty Quarter, and all of the following images were shot on the way to a very isolated place called Sharurah (close to the Yemen border). A quick search on Google earth just shows how desolate the area is and where the boundaries for off road driving are dictated simply by how much fuel you can carry.

Believe it or not, this garage serves fuel and has a small shop!

The prevailing winds have a marked affect on the orientation of the dunes, the peaks (as above) stretch for miles in virtually straight lines and run parallel to each other. If you travelled along the dune line (NW) for about 700 miles, you might eventually reach Oman.

This area had a very different landscape hundreds of years ago and as a consequence, the entire region is littered with manmade flint objects, ranging from arrow heads to shaping tools. Wind and time have uncovered sites where these artefacts can be plucked from the surface of the sand, the above location being one of them.

A Welsh morning view

2008-12-28T12:55:00.003Z

I stayed at a relative's house in Wales over the festive period and as usual took my camera. The morning of the 26th was quite frosty and the view across the fields appeared almost monochromatic, on account of the low hanging mist.

Karina and Robert's wedding

2008-09-30T22:21:00.007+01:00

The event was set in a lovely hotel nestling in a picturesque Welsh hillside, accompanied throughout the day by the very last of the warm summer weather. There were a handful of formal shots to take but for the most part, I was given free reign to capture the spirit of the day.

Claire and Derek's wedding

2008-09-13T11:20:00.003+01:00

The wedding took place at Ashton memorial on the 6th September and considering the deluge around midday, they were very lucky as far as the weather was concerned. The rain stopped during the entire ceremony and we even had a brief window to take some outdoor shots before the clouds rolled in and returned us to the status quo. Despite being quite windy, with hair and loose clothing blowing all over the place, the day went well.

Recent photos

2008-08-09T22:38:00.004+01:00

I have been through some of my archive photos and have updated the black and white and the landscape sections. It's similar to buying a record for the A side and then growing to like the B side! Hopefully, a few trips out into the countryside will yield some new material and you get to view the great outdoors from my perspective.

Wigan WOW festival

2008-08-06T21:35:00.005+01:00

I popped down to Mesnes park in Wigan town centre on Sunday to try and capture some of the atmosphere of the WOW festival. Not quite as good as last year but still plenty of variety to entertain most. I particularly liked the flamenco dancers and with the right background and lighting conditions, they would have produced some stunning photography of dancers in action. At least the weather was well behaved.

Band shoot:- Danny, Mike and Darren

2008-08-06T21:28:00.003+01:00

Just a small selection from the band shoot on Saturday, shot at Salford quays and in Danny's lounge.

Bill and Emma's wedding

2008-07-23T20:21:00.008+01:00

The weather forecast wasn't looking good for Saturday in Kendal where Bill and Emma were getting married but fortunately, the Gods were smiling upon them and the sun beamed for the remainder of the afternoon. It made my job much easier as the light was great and a bit of sunshine makes everyone happy. A selection of the photo set can be viewed in the people section on my main site but I've left out the formal ones.

Haigh Hall music festival 08

2008-07-07T22:51:00.003+01:00

Despite the rain and the omnipresent security, the Haigh Hall music festival was probably enjoyed by the majority of folk. The photo set can be viewed here.

Claire and Derek

2008-06-18T20:51:00.004+01:00

Shot at Birkacre lodges near Chorley last Sunday.

Wigan Jazz Festival Launch

2008-06-18T20:44:00.003+01:00

I was in the vicinity of Trencherfield Mill in Wigan on Sunday 15th and managed to grab a few shots of the opening event. We were treated to some classic swing in the true big band way.

Ashton Memorial Lancaster

2008-05-26T17:14:00.006+01:00

On my way up the M6 this bank holiday Monday, I thought I'd have a quick look round Williamson Park at the Ashton Memorial as it was only a short detour on my way north. It's a truly magnificent monument and worth a visit. More images can be seen at Aston Memorial photo set.

Haigh Hall music festival 08

2008-05-17T16:40:00.002+01:00

The Haigh Hall music festival in Wigan has been given the OK for this year and is scheduled for Sunday the 6th July. The Wigan Music Collective and Wigan Leisure and Culture trust WLCT bring together a selection of local talent in an all day festival. If the bands are as energetic as previous years, it should provide some interesting photography.

Kelly and Tony's wedding

2008-05-01T21:37:00.004+01:00

I had the privilege to photography their wedding at Haigh Hall in Wigan and although I was there to do a job, I was made to feel like one of the guests. A lovely couple and and equally lovely day.

Band:: Silver Medal Massacre

2008-03-30T20:52:00.005+01:00

I covered this band whilst they were gigging in Chorley... great music and great presence. Should be hearing a lot more from them. I have posted the photo set on my main website.

Band:: If all else fails

2008-03-24T19:45:00.005Z

One of the photos from the latest band promo shoot of "If all else fails" who are currently recording their debut album.

Wedding Photojournalism

2008-03-22T09:21:00.004Z

When is comes to wedding photography, once you have viewed a few dozen websites, things start to look quite similar unless the photographer is well known and has a very distinct style. I have listed a few websites below that caught my attention.

Recent photography and favourites

2008-03-21T15:09:00.004Z

This page will show some recent photography work, along with any favourite images from a shoot, a place to dig out and show some archive material and anything else that's worth mentioning.