Rob Lamb Photography

November 26, 2013

The Most Valuable Thing You Own

Eighty-one years ago today this little girl sat in The Waltur Studios, 141a High Street, Walthamstow, London E17 for a portrait. It was a few days after her First Birthday.

She doesn’t look much like she enjoyed the experience.

I’ve no idea what The Waltur Studios charged my gandparents for this sitting or the couple of prints that survive but I’m sure that to them it wasn’t insignificant. Given what I know of their circumstances, it wouldn’t surprise me if they went without something else to pay for these.

It was a gift to my generation that it’s now impossible to put a value on.

They obviously thought it was important to get a photographic record of their only daughter on her First Birthday. In fact, considering the times they were pretty good at taking (and keeping photos). My Dad have me a whole tin of pics from my Mum’s younger days. If there was a fire (and everyone else was safe)- this is one of the first things I’d want to save (along with my own pics of my own family).

What makes this one truely unique is that The Waltur Studios printed their details on the back of the print and stamped the date ’26 Nov 1932′.

It’s been our policy to sign, date and identify each of our prints. They are printed with professional ink and paper which is certified by the manufacturers for over 100 years (assuming you look after them). I want you and your kids to enjoy these prints just as much as I enjoy having this picture of my Mum

November 14, 2013November 14, 2013

Great Chefs and Good Coffee

I came across this really nice behind the scenes video on F-Stoppers today. The main set-up shots are a bit conceptual for me but I like the ideal of taking what you know (and can discover) about an individual and creating a portrait that uses that in both setting, lighting, styling and the emotion of the subject.

But at the end Schoeller does a more simple thing with the chefs and a coffee cup – well who’d have thought of that?

I’ve worked with Brendan Cashman since Augustines moved to the Clarion. About the time that that relationship was ending he came to me for a set of profile images. Unusually he specifically wanted them shot in Studio rather than the more environmental portraits we’d done as part of the publicity for Augustines.

So we shot a range of images and had a lot of fun. Apart from a truely gifted chef, what’s struck me about Brendan is that he understands how he wants to use images to promote himself and his work. He’s also very comfortable in front of the camera.

Whenever we’ve worked together before there’s always been coffee and a cigar involved during the ‘briefing’ (we drink, he smokes) so I wanted to include those two elements in some of the shots: they were an essential part of the I considered the Brendan Cashman experience.

For me, Portraiture is about capturing a glimpse of someone character in an image way more than it’s about capturing someone’s physical likeness. Getting that to appear for you, knowing it when you see it and getting it into the shot are the skills of a good Portrait Photographer.

November 11, 2013

Halloween Dress Up: Thank You

Thanks to everyone who came in for the Halloween Dress up this year.

So far we’ve raised over €700 for our Children’s Charities.

If anyone still needs to collect prints then just contact me and arrange to call in sometime soon.

We’re also giving prints to anyone photographed at the Ballinlough Spook Parade

October 15, 2013

Halloween Dress Up 2013

10-4pm Friday 25th October

Halloween Dress Up is on again this year. This is our third year running the event and we’re hoping for an even bigger turn out this year.

The idea is simple: bring your kids along to the Gallery in Fancy Dress and they get a Free Picture taken in our Halloween Den. All we ask in return is a donation to one of our Children’s Charities.

Many of the local schools and preschools will be having parties that day as it’s the day before mid-term so why not call in on your way home and get your photo taken?

We’ve had great fun with it in the last few years since we moved into Ardfallen Estate and we’ve raised €100’s for Crumlin and the Ronald McDonald House.

So put the date in your diaries for next week and call in and give us a scare!!!

Childrens Pics at Halloween — Halloweeen Dress Up for Crumlin 2013

October 9, 2013

Maybe Summer is Back?

Photographer in Cork — Just like being Under the Dome

As we did the return leg along the road back to the Car Park in Currabinny on Saturday, I suddenly became aware of being surrounded by these remarkable butterflies.

Hang on, it’s October.

But there are loads of them flitting across the road.

Then I got home and the same butterflies were crowding around the little daisy-bush-thing that flowers in late summer (they could be Michealmas Daisies). Loads of them, all visiting the flowers and drinking nectar. So me and The Boy watched them and I managed to take a few snaps (no macro lens at home, no opportunity to do anything with the lighting, just full sun and the closest, longest setting of the ‘chasing kids around the woods’ lens).

This would be unusual enough if I hadn’t seen the latest episode of Under the Dome which also features butterflies appearing en-mass at an unusual time of year. So if the Dome coming to Cork?

October 7, 2013October 7, 2013

Autumn Family Portrait Special Offer

€50 Session Fee + 10% Discount on Prints and Storyboards

It’s a perfect time to get out and have a Family Photo Session: autumn is here and the woods look fantastic; it’s bright and still warm outside.

This October we’re offering special discounted rates on all session booked from now until the end of the mid-term break.

For €50 you get a full Family Session anywhere in the Cork. We’re also offering a 10% Discount on the Gallery Price list for print orders placed at your viewing after your session.

There are many spots around Cork for great Outdoor Family Photo Sessions. We’ve worked in Currabinny, Rostellan, Fota Gardens and even more suburban locations like Fitzgerald’s Park and the Japanese Gardens. All we need is somewhere you can be free to relax and play and we can capture your family at their best.

You might also consider some of our great local beaches at this time of year: Myrtleville, Rocky Bay, Garretstown or the Dock Beach have all worked well for us in the past.

But if you have your own favourite spot that your family know well then why not get photos taken there.

Weekend sessions are available but with limited availability. The promotion runs through to the end of the October Mid-term break so you can also schedule a session while the kids are off school (3rd November).

Terms and Conditions Apply:

You have to be prepared to go out there and have fun
The Session Rate of €50 applies to family sessions booked between 4th October 2013 and 3rd November 2013
The 10% Discount applies to the normal Gallery Price List and is only applied to products ordered at your viewing session (subsequent orders will be priced at our normal rates)
In the unlikely event that the weather isn’t great the day of your session then we’ll re-schedule (I don’t mind getting a bit wet but there are some days when it’s just not going to happen). The offer will still apply to rescheduled sessions even if they have to get taken after 3rd November.
All work is covered by our normal terms and conditions of business

October 3, 2013

Bring on the Autumn

Family Photographs Outdoors — Don’t let the weather stop you

OK so the weather has taken a turn after one of the best summers we’ve had for years. But don’t let that stop you getting out there and enjoying yourselves.

In fact it’s still pretty mild and there’s some dry weather forecast. The woods are looking fab at the moment and there’s nothing kids like better than getting out there and enjoying the fresh air now that schools are back and we spend so much time indoors.

So it’s a great time to organise a Family Photography Session and we’re launching a new promotion to help you make the step and book your session this Autumn. Watch this space for more details.

September 24, 2013

Last Batch

Professional Photographer Cork — Photography Old School

My small stock of film finally lost its space in the Freezer at the weekend. In fairness it’s been there a few years at this stage and we have a glut of frozen blackberries that had higher priority.

I think I have a couple of rolls of standard colour neg film in the fridge but this was the ‘special’ collection of film which I’ll never be able to get again. In particular I remember when I bought that last batch of HIE it was very hard to find any that was still fresh. I’m not sure if you can still get the Velvia but certainly it’s very hard to get processed last time I tried (and that’s years ago).

I came to digital photography at an ideal time – the D3 generation of sensors was the tipping point where digital overtook film in pretty much all practical applications at 35mm or smaller. While there was still an advantage to studio medium format at the time that’s pretty much gone at this stage.

So I never had to struggle with a film / digital mix. I didn’t have to deal with lots of compromises in final image quality for the convienience and flexibility of digital.

But I still love film and would love to find more excuses (and time) so shoot some.

There is something in buying film that filled me with expectation and excitment about what you might create. It’s like buying an artist’s pad of fine paper and a new pencil.

There’s a thrill of endless possibility and potential.

The world has moved on and digital has changed the way we take photographs forever – and mostly for the better. We do tend to over-shoot and under-think, we don’t get to enjoy your images in the physical way we used to with printed film but we have the opportunity to experiment, learn, develop, create and share more than ever before.

The essence of good photography doesn’t change with the medium. The proliferation of photographs in the world just highlights the difference between good and bad (because there’s a lot more bad) but the value of the good is under threat.

I’ll find a new home for my antique film and hope that when I finally find a worthy project for it it’ll still be capable of rendering images in its unique way.

For the record, Kodak HIE is an infra-red (IR) sensitive film what, when used with a suitable filter, was capable of recording reflected light in the IR spectrum. So you get these wonderfully eiree landscapes with black skies and bright folliage (and ghostly portraits). I love IR in the Irish Landscape but a couple years ago I converted a D70 to only record IR and moved to digital for that too. IR photography is very experimental and it’s a lot easier with digital – although no way as much fun. Fuji Velvia is a high quality slide film which renders strong, bright colour with very little grain.

August 28, 2013August 28, 2013

Back to School

It’s been a busy Summer and although things have been quiet on the blog, it’s been quite the reverse in the office. I’ve been planning a lot of things to post up here so I’ll start rolling them out over the next few weeks and months (and it’s not all shameless publicity).

In the meantime with the schools back tomorrow we’ll be returning to normal office hours. So I’ll be here 9-10 and 2-3pm every day so that anyone can drop in without an appointment.

Outside those hours I’ll be here unless I need to be somewhere else. So it’s likely I will be in the office but it’s generally best to call and make an appointment to make sure.

That said I have a wedding booking this Friday (30th) so won’t be here at any stage that day.

June 26, 2013

Summer at Last

I’ll be in Limerick all weekend from Friday with the swim team so anyone looking for prints before the end of the school hols needs to give me a buzz tomorrow. I’ll be back next week (once I get the chlorine out of my system!).

Also from next week I’ll be moving to summer hours which means office hours will move to 10-12am and I’ll be arranging appointments around those times where possible. As usual, if I’m not out at an appointment I’ll probably be in the gallery at other times during the day but it’s best to phone or text to check first – 087 683 8511.