life thru photography

My Top 10 favourite 80’s movies

Ian Read — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 15:00:14 +0000

[vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column][vc_column_text]So, just for fun, I thought it would be a great idea to try and show you what I consider to be my favourite 80’s movies of all time. These movies are the ones that I grew up with, and although I might have been too young to watch them at the time, it didn’t stop me (or my parents) in viewing them. This list was really hard to narrow down, and to be honest, I’ve probably missed out some movies that I totally forgot about (no doubt this list will be changed in the future!).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column]

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10 Howard the Duck

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This will probably be one of the more controversial movies to have on my list, as it was panned by critics and movie goers alike. However, Howard The Duck brought a nice mix of comedy, animatronics and stop motion video bringing a fun movie to the home screen. At the time of seeing the movie for the first time, I was around 6 years old. Although some of the adult content whizzed straight over my head (the naked female duck in the bath and the condoms), it became a cult classic to me leaving a nice fuzzy feeling after watching it. The music score wasn’t that memorable (other than the opening title sequence), but the special effects were something that left it’s imprint. Most memorable scene: When the Dark Overlord’s are being beamed over to earth.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column]

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9 Big Trouble in Little China

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This was one of the first John Carpenter movies I watched, and loved. Jack Burton is probably one of the most recognised characters from Mr C’s movies, as well as his one liners. I was always fascinated by the martial arts, the weird spiritual lore, and the old fashioned ‘get the girl and be the hero’ storyline. The music, for me, is memorable from the opening titles, to the little ident’s to remind you that this isn’t a traditional American movie, but a Chinese folk lore story, coupled with western elements. Most memorable scene: The ending where the monster’s hand jumps out and it starts to push it’s way out of hiding in Jack’s truck.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column]

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8 The Thing

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This is the second of the two John Carpenter movies on this list. This one freaked me out. The first time I saw this movie, I must have been around 12 years old. I’d recorded it onto VHS when it was on telly one time (remember having to set the recorder) and I sat to watch it in my bedroom one night. I can tell you I didn’t sleep well at all after that! After viewing it recently the special effects are still brilliant. I’ve watched the behind the scenes, and this has somehow broke the magic of it all, but still brilliant. Music is dark and eerie, and still sends shivers when watching it. Most memorable scene: Two specific scenes for me, the first where the dog’s face splits open and spews out tendrils to eat the other huskies. The second scene has got to be where the stomach rips off the medic’s arms. Gory![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column]

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7 Ghostbusters

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis are geniuses. This piece of comedy horror was one of the best and most identifiable movies of the 80’s, spawning a sequel and a popular kids tv show. Ghostbusters, for me, showcased how special effects define a movies success, even with a good storyline. The recent reboot of the movie highlights that CGI is overdone, and doesn’t portray the horror style of the original. Comedy wise, the funniest moments in the movie are when the characters are actually being serious. For example, Dan Ackroyd’s character saying the line “Listen! Do you smell something” is hilarious, but is acted in such a way that the character is deadly serious. The opening sequence to the movie, as a kid, gave me the shivers, as faces changing in the library with ghost was something I wasn’t expecting. Other than this, it’s an exceptional movie for it’s time, and hasn’t aged a bit. Most memorable scene: Sigourney Weaver being dragged from the living room in her chair by Zuul.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column]

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6 Labyrinth

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]”You remind me of the babe”, “What babe?”, “The Babe with the power!” – Just utter these three sentences, and those who have watched Labrinyth will go into a full rendition of David Bowie’s lyrics of the song, Dance Magic Dance. This magically wonderful story takes you into your imagination, giving you puzzles and creatures galore. Characters like Sir Diddymus, King Jareth and Hoggle make for a fantasy story like no other, creating friendships and an adventure to rescue Sarah’s little brother. The inspiration for some of the scenes are from the mind of M C Esher which lure you into a world where directions don’t really exist. Jareth, the Goblin King, is by far the most alluring character of the movie, with his singing, comedic elements and juggling of crystal clear glass balls. The movie leaves you wanting more though, and a sequel would have been welcoming to all who enjoyed this movie. The music is by far one of the greatest soundtracks, with David Bowie’s rhythm and lyrics having the popular effect of staying with you after watching it, even for the first time. Most memorable scene: Sarah trying to enter the Labyrinth and meeting the book worm in the wall.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column]

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5 Predator

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Apart from the typical Arnie Quotes, “Stick around”, this film, for me, doesn’t show it’s age. The music tries to portray an ethereal quality to try and give the viewer that the antagonist is not of this world. The story line is simple, effective and the effects are just as good now as they were back in the 80’s. The vision cut scenes provide the viewer with the feel of the group being hunted, without revealing certain elements of the predator, such as when it picks up the scorpion, all you see is the outline of the predator’s hand. The filming style of this movie is quite epic, with the close up shots of characters, their face’s showing their emotion, and the claustrophobia setting; being hunted in a jungle as long as it is wide, but not being able to hide from that which is tracking you down constantly. Most memorable scene: The true reveal of the Predator, when confronting dutch, removing his mask.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column]

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4 Alien

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This horror gave me such a fright when I was younger (6 or 7 years old), but intrigued me to watch it when I was 13. Again, another movie that I recorded from TV, I remember watching it on a Sunday morning in bed after waking up. By this point, I remember that I had already seen certain bits of the movie, such as the chestbuster scene. But the new points to watch left me with a love of the whole Alien franchise (yes, even the crappy ones that made it stupid). However, the horror elements in this movie came when the alien either jumped out of the darkness, or slyly crept towards it’s unsuspecting victim, before breathing like a growling dog whilst extending it’s inner mandibles. No one can imitate or reproduce the ‘inner heroine’ like Sigourney Weaver did with Ellen Ripley. Ripley was the one true female action hero from the 80’s that can never been copied. The soundtrack from the film replicates the eerie and darkness of the movie. Most memorable scene: Chest Buster disrupting the dinner.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column]

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3 Robocop

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This movie I watched at my Nan’s house when I was 7. The blood, gore and violence wouldn’t be something I let my own child watch, however this obviously didn’t phase my parents at the time! I think that, at the time, I didn’t really understand the storyline to Robocop due to it’s heavily influenced political element of it, but as a young boy, I was far more interested in a man that becomes a robot cop. The visor and computer head’s up display was fascinating, a gun that hides away inside Murphy’s leg, and to top it all off, he fights crime! Of course, that wasn’t the only thing that I loved about this movie; Huge bipedal robots protecting municipal buildings, fights between robots, and toxic waste that melts a man. Ok, that last one’s not really something that I loved when I was younger, but the gory person inside me loves this scene now. The music is very 80’s; the synth emanates throughout giving the futuristic feel to the movie. It also resonates through you when a bad guy is stood there, and the main theme starts to play, you know they are going to get justice served to them! Most memorable scene: Boddicker’s last scene before RoboCop stabs him with his data access spike.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column]

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2 The Terminator

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]I know what you’re thinking – another robot movie. Well yes, yes it is. I think, by now, you’ve realised that this list is mainly a set of movies that have aliens, creatures, robots or space involved. And that certainly wont change for the top spot! The Terminator gave me my first look at a dystopian future of the world, that’s overrun by gun toting robots, who won’t stop until the human race is over, including imitating human skin over their exoskeletons. The music is mainly synth as the movie came out in the early eighties. This gave it it’s bleak future feel, as well as the T800 hunting down Kyle Reese. The sequel gave a more fluid sound to the music, keep the same tune, that fits with the T1000’s hunting down the Connor family. Most memorable scene: the T800 gouging it’s defective eye out of it’s socket.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column]

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1 Empire Strikes Back

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]By now, you should know that I’m a huge Star Wars fan. As this list was for movies that came out in the 80’s, I couldn’t include A New Hope on the list. I could, however include Empire Strikes Back. The first time I watched this was at home. It was Christmas, and it was on the TV (ITV to be precise as I remember the adverts). The exploits of the force kept me hooked into the series and then eventually a Star Wars fan. This would be the first time we encounter Yoda and his funny eccentric old man living on his own persona before showing his true self to Obi Wan Kenobi. Music wise, John Williams has always been a favourite, and can be identified to whichever soundtrack he composes as his style set is so unique. Originally, this would be the first time we hear the Imperial March that is now so iconic, it’s recognised the world over. It gave Darth Vader a further darkness that instilled fear to future young viewers. Most memorable scene: Darth Vader revealing his true link to Luke in Cloud City.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column]

[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_bottom=”60″][vc_column][vc_column_text]These movies made my childhood, and more than likely built my love for things Sci-Fi. There were many more movies, those that are popular with others, and those that appear quirky to some (unwatchable even) tend to be the ones I love most.

I can (and normally do) watch these movies over and over again, and have had these on multiple formats, from VHS over to Blu-Ray and digital. Sometimes, I even find something new in them, a theory or possibly some action in the background that I never noticed. That’s why I love to watch them.

What are your thoughts, is there something on this list that you think trumps one of the other movies? Make a comment below.

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Looking for a Valentine’s present?

Ian Read — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 15:00:32 +0000

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Hey you! Yes you! Have you sorted out your Valentine’s present yet? No? Well, look no further!

Introducing the new Valentine’s Mini Sessions. You will receive a 30 minute session along with 20 edited images on a CD. You will also receive access to your own private digital gallery that’s password protected.

Sessions are available from 4th February through to 9th February, just in time for Valentines.

Interested? Then go to the contact form, fill out your details, and I will be in contact with you.

Looking forward to speaking with you soon!

Ian[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Christmas Snapshot Sessions – Book Now!

Ian Read — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 17:40:49 +0000

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Hi all! It’s that time of the year – Christmas is coming, and I have the perfect gift for you to give out to family as present! The session is 20 minutes on location (location to be identified in another post). There are a select few sessions too using the new mini studio setup (for use in a home with plenty of space to use). Bookings are being taken now. Here’s the time slots available:

Friday 4th November 4:30pm to 6pm

Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th November 10am to 4pm

Sessions are £20 and include a free small framed print. Please contact me via the online contact form:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Your browser can’t show the form here; please visit the forms portal to fill it in.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The Hargreaves, Sheffield – Modern Urban Wedding Photography

Ian Read — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 17:22:40 +0000

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I remember getting excited for this wedding. Mike and Gemma had met in Sheffield University, and loved the place from the start. At the time, doing the Pre-Wedding shoot, ideas came flowing through like the water at the Sheffield Peace gardens. Idea’s on where this stylish little picture would go, and how about a photo near the iconic Lyceum Theatre? Gemma was just as excited as I was after I told her the vision we had for her and Mike’s wedding.

I’ve got to say from the beginning though, this was the best city centre wedding I had attended so far. It differed from the usual venues I’ve been to so far. The reception was held in the Millennium Galleries. At first, I was a bit apprehensive, as I had a slight mental block on how the day would pan out, however, after talking with Gemma and Mike, the creative juices got started again.

Towards the end of the night, Gemma and Mike had a little trick up their sleeves by bringing some frames and jokey wooden face masks. These went down a storm, so much that I bought some myself for future events.

Gemma and Mike wanted to capture the spirit of the city, and so we travelled for 30 mins taking photos at various places in the city centre. Most memorable were the ones near the Lyceum and Peace Gardens.

Finally, their night of celebrations begun with the first dance. This was so mesmerising! Gemma and Mike has invested in some dancing lessons, and arranged for a set dance to do for their first as Mr and Mrs. Wonderful moves were captured with the flash units. Take a look below…

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New Equipment – Flash Ring!

Ian Read — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 17:59:42 +0000

So I’ve been studying some new techniques with portraiture and flash rings. So I order my new flash ring, and it arrived today. On first glance, it doesn’t appear to be much; pop up cloth ring, where your flash unit goes in the top of it, whilst connect to your camera body. So I had to have a test of it to see how it fairs. Here are the results:

Of course, I had to use Libby as my quick test subject

So, over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to organise some Snapshot sessions – Up to 20 mins of portrait shots. Keep a look out for the flyers!

Ian

My life with the Apple Watch

Ian Read — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 17:52:25 +0000

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Hey fellas. Hows it going? Was hoping I could enlighten you on my new Apple Watch.

The delivery

So my Wife, who is beautiful and very considerate, decided to buy me an Apple Watch for my Birthday (and Christmas combined…and the following Birthday and Christmas combined). So how’s it holding up. First impressions was the box it arrive in. Wow, it was chunky. I didn’t expect that from Apple. I assumed that the box would be teeny-tiny and have the watch face and strap in one of those them there boxes like you do when you get a new watch from Argos.

The FitBit

Previously, I had a FitBit Charge HR. This was something I purchased myself, to which wife replied “You’ve spent how much on a watch?!”. Yeah I know. It was a big thing and it took me all of three weeks to decide on getting a FitBit. But it was money well spent. After purchasing the FitBit, I lost nearly a stone and half just because it encouraged me to walk. But will the Apple Watch do the same? First off, it counts steps, heart rate, distance, GPS tracker and everything the FitBit did (apart from track your sleep).

The Design

The Apple Watch is beautifully designed. The sleekness of the watch face, and the lightness of it made me think I no longer wore a watch compared to the FitBit. The FitBit had it’s downfalls with it’s design. First of all, I was on my third Charge HR simply because the banding peeled. For a tracker that cost so much, it was hard to not get angry about it peeling after 6 months of use. The band also irritated my skin. The solution from FitBit? Take it off for a couple of days. But this was a vicious cycle. The Apple Watch doesn’t mean that’s it’s perfect too. The crown dial on the Watch side keeps activating SIRI when I do push ups – the back of my hand pushes the crown when I bend my hand back. So this has been deactivated.

Summary

To sum up, the Apple Watch is really nice. However, I’m afraid that I would damage it when brushing up against a wall, or something rough. And although I know it’s interacting with my phone, the additional features don’t feel like it’s worth the additional price tag. Maybe at the moment, I’m not utilising it for all of it’s potential, however it’s been good to cancel a call in another room when my phone was upstairs. So far, I like the Watch, but need to see what else I can do to use it.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Chichley Hall Wedding – Natural Wedding Photographer

Ian Read — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 20:01:33 +0000

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The date was set. The venue was booked and the photographer was excited! Alexa and Anthony has looked around this place once before and fell in love with it (so did I). It had so much character. The building was bright, and airy. The interior was restored to it’s fantastic old fashioned self, along with a couple of new mod cons (loved the chandelier!) and the staircase was to die for.

The place was astounding. Grounds with a private lake, rooms that oozed that fantastic vintage style, and a couple who suited the place. Alexa looked stunning when she was put into her dress, and the bridesmaids had the personality to suit. I managed to captured friends and family having a laugh, sharing a tear, and making new friends after both families came together. The speeches had me in stitches. The best man, the groom and father of the bride had everyone in tears of joy. It was amazing and such a day that was rememberable. Enjoy some of the clips that only show half of the fun of the day…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid element_width=”12″ initial_loading_animation=”fadeIn” grid_id=”vc_gid:1474747116558-830ac14c-4659-7″ include=”1344,1345,1346,1347,1348,1349,1351,1352,1353,1354,1355,1356,1357,1358,1359,1361,1362,1364,1365,1366,1367,1368,1369,1370,1372,1373,1374,1375,1376,1377,1379,1380,1382,1383,1385,1387,1388,1389,1390,1391,1392,1393,1394,1395,1397,1399,1400,1401,1402,1403,1404,1406,1407,1408,1409,1410,1412,1413,1414,1415,1416,1417,1418,1419,1420,1421,1422,1425,1426,1423,1427,1428,1429,1430,1431,1432,1433,1435,1436,1442,1443,1444,1445,1446,1447,1448,1441,1438,1440″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Sheffield City Centre Wedding – Modern Photography

Ian Read — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 18:57:58 +0000

If you’re going to have a traditional style wedding, in an urban setting, then this was definitely the place for Lucy and Nick. Lucy, the stunning bride of the day, and Nick both chose the Upper Chapel church in the centre of Sheffield to host their ceremony.

Nick contacted me just over a year ago after speaking with a previous colleague of mine, who recommended my services, and we found ourselves doing a small pre-wedding shoot in Sheffield only a couple of weeks later.

After out initial visit, I found that Lucy and Nick preferred the natural style of photography rather than some artistic show off with flair :). This seemed to fit their personality really well, so we decided to shoot as and when things are happening, rather than set up the majority of the shots posed, but in the style of reportage.

The final leg of the journey from the church was only 150 yards away, but that was a difficult journey in itself. The heavens opened and the rain poured along with thunder. Out came the umbrellas with the rush of everyone getting to St Pauls hotel as quickly as they could.

All in all, despite the weather, t was a fanatic evening, with some great guests, as you will no doubt see in the photographs below. Enjoy.

Website Maintenance

Ian Read — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 18:12:01 +0000

Hi All!

It’s been some time, but over the Christmas period, I’ve begun to re-design the layout of the website, and how each page works. So at the moment, the media section of the site is down, as I’ll be uploading new content and linking in Facebook and Twitter.

Please let me know if you have encountered any issues with the site so I can iron things out.

Hope you’ve all enjoyed your time over the Christmas period, and had a great new year!

Enjoy!

Ian

New Look Website!

Ian Read — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 11:17:01 +0000

Well, it’s been nearly two weeks since I took the old site down to have it upgraded. It’s taken some time, but the new website is now up and running. There’s a few tweaks to go through, such as re-uploading all the photos from previous shoots, but it shouldn’t take no more than a few weeks to get that done.

In the mean time, feel free to take a look round and see what’s working and what’s broken. If you manage to see something that doesn’t work, then please let me know.

If you need to see where to login to view your photos and you are on your mobile device, then there’s a little arrow right at the very top of the webpage. Simply click on this to show you the option of View My Photos.

Finally, I’m hoping to have some new content with hints, tips and advice for weddings, portraits and other fun stuff. If you have any tips for submitting, please let me know and I will see if I can incorporate them into a blog post. And keep an eye out for special offers and deals throughout the year!

Keep in touch…

Ian