TwoTadpoles Photography

A long overdue update...

2012-02-07T05:44:00.000-08:00

This blog has started to become neglected. The poor thing has become second to tumblr now... (www.2tp.tumblr.com for those interested)

For more examples of my work:

2011-10-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

www.twotadpoles.co.uk

www.2tp.tumblr.com

www.magaz.deviantart.com

www.flickr.com/twotadpoles

Click to see animation...

new old images...

2011-08-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today...

2011-07-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

...Is my birthday... And to celebrate... Here are some photo's... :)

I'll be shooting some more over the next week :) x

A little update...

2011-07-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

I have neglected this blog of late, so here is an update of what i've been up to lately...

Continuing the editorial theme... I shot Megan out by the canal.

And here's the gorgeous Zyra ready for her prom

And the Beautiful Kathy

And one last shot... "A passing glance"

I hope you enjoy... I'll be sure to be shooting more over the next week... So watch this space! x

A new direction...

2011-06-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

...Recently, I have been trying to take my work in a new direction. This doesn't mean I won't be creating work in my normal style, I'm just trying to find a new way to create work. I've done two shoots so far in the "new style"

Catherine full gallery
Sarah full gallery

If you think i'm going in the right direction... let me know! :)

I've also been updating my website...

x

those moments...

2011-05-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

...of truth. When you have worked on an image and finally show it to the client. That moment when you wait with baited breath for their opinion...

She's happy with it... So I can breath again :)

In recent news, I had an interview with a well known company in Manchester yesterday, the vacancy is in their in house studio. The baited breath returns... haha

finally...

2011-05-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

...sorted out a website... Stumbled across a site called "Wix" I'm sure some of you will have heard of it before. It's a flash based website builder, quite simple to use, all drag and drop business. The editor is a little temperamental but with a little persistence and patience I managed to throw something together...

It has taken over the TwoTadpoles domain leaving this blog with the Lee Morante address. This blog can also be found on the websites links page.

There's still a little work I want to do to it to get it to how I'd like it to be, like removing the ads and adding a link to my FB page, amongst other things.

Another bout of OAP shots...

2011-05-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

Another load of Outdoor Action Paintball shots are up on the 2TP facebook page!
This time from the 30/04 go check them out! If you were there on the day get tagging and spread the word!

more OAP shots!

2011-04-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

The images from todays game at Outdoor Action are up at the 2TP facebook page

It was a lovely day, with plenty of sunshine and wind. Green team fought well but were beaten back by the Camo team.

There are nearly 200 images in the album,

here's a direct link to them

I'll be back there tomorrow shooting another group, and then out on Monday shooting something different. Plenty of little projects in the pipeline so watch this space!

on a non photography related side note,

go check out the CBMPC! youtube page. If your interested in airsoft or want to see more videos subscribe!

Outdoor Action Paintball shots

2011-04-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

Images from Monday's game at Outdoor Action Paintball are online at the 2TP facebook page:

Full set HERE

I've also been continuing the "Untitled Portrait Project"

"Untitled portrait project"

2011-04-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Having very little to do today I decided a new project was needed. So I started photographing the people nearest to me...

The images will be added to my facebook page as I take them!

Settees...

2011-04-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

There has been a surge of settee's of late... I guess it's "Sofa season" again, so the Settee project is back on, I'm shooting fellow photographer Sara tomorrow, got a few hours to cover several settee's should be a laugh :D

Drove past one today and shot Cat on it,

.We got rumbled by a posse of little kids, who were more than interested in what we were doing...

Had a fanny about when we got back home too :)

Cat's so lovely to work with, she's very laid back and easy to direct!

Expect more fantastic portraits of her in the future!

Bohemia

2011-03-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

I've recently been shooting at "Bohemia" which was previously known as "The Attic" Documenting the people, events and bands... It's been great fun so far,

Keep your eyes on this space for more in the coming weeks!

Portrait shoot...

2011-03-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

...With Scott and Mampi...

The lovely couple are expecting this week :)

A very swift shoot, shot over an hour on location and in an adhoc studio.

A good days shooting...

2011-03-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

...Had a fantastic sunny day out with Cat.

Shot some stuff for one of her college projects, at a location that I've been meaning to return to for a long time. "Steiner street" Steiner street is part of the towns "regeneration" project. Where everyones bought out of their homes, the places are boarded up for three years and then knocked down. Now, I've shot there a few times whilst the houses have been boarded up, the last week they have started demolition. It felt a bit sad, my aunts old house was nothing more than the front wall, a door frame and a pile of rubble. I spent a lot of my childhood playing in the streets around there, felt a little sentimental about this shoot.

One of the local residents walked passed and asked what I was up to, I explained the project and told him it was my aunts old house. He seemed interested, turns out we are the same age, and remembers the family living there, and we may have played out together as kids! Very small world!

Visited the "What A Fuckin Rotter" Alley too :)

shot a few on the ol' m42 helios lens too :)

After the shoot there We went looking for settee's which there happens to a shortage of at the minute!

As usual there were a few sitting around at Huncoat Power Station :)

Found another on a backalley in another part of town that's eventually going to be torn down...

It was good to get out and shoot something with Cat! I'm sure there'll be plenty more to come ;)

Bruce Gilden...

2011-03-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

...Just got shown a video of Bruce in Derby...

Bruce Gilden "Head On", presented by British Journal of Photography from Olivier Laurent on Vimeo.

He always inspires me :)

Todays inspiration...

2011-03-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

... Sophie Ellen, (www.SophieEllen.co.uk) stumbled across her work on MM, It's fantastic.

There's nothing I can say about her work that does it justice, the locations, the subject, the execution, everything is just right

check out her blog: http://sophieellenlachowycz.blogspot.com

I'll be out shooting a few things on saturday... freshly inspired :)

Finally...

2011-03-01T06:22:00.000-08:00

...pointed my URL to this page... so now you can get here by going to www.leemorante.co.uk go on... click it... It's worth it ;) haha

This week I have been mostly eating... the work of Lydia Hudgens
http://www.lydiahudgens.com/

Her work is great :) love it when it pops up on the front page of flickr and I get to have a look!

Another photographer who stood out to me this week is 6261/teiko
this image really moves me. It's perfect!

And lastly another Flickr member dasha mari

Her work is amazing, makes me wish I hadn't ripped the lens of my lubitel :)

I am going to get out and shoot something over the next two weeks :) had a few ideas in the works for a little while now... :)

update on the LET project...

2011-02-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

The wonderful Cat just informed me that the LOOK project was featured on the BBC's website! here

Cat :)

The final day shooting...

2011-02-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

...The final day shooting for the LOOK at LET project was a little grey and miserable. The weather was very poor, and peoples moods seemed to follow suit. They were a little reluctant to stop and talk in the streets, but we still had quite a few interested in the project! We created another bucket load of fantastic images for the exhibition. And found a tiny spider!

Today's issue of the Lancashire Telegraph features an article on the project.

Featuring myself, Grace and Ben...

It calls us all "Blackburn College students" most of us are all graduated from Blackburn college... :)

Tomorrow see's the start of the transformation of the LET shop from Studio to exhibition space... It's a little sad knowing we won't be shooting in there anymore, but even more exciting to see all the hard work the team has put in, materialised when the images are up on the wall!

The team have all been fantastic and great to work with :)

for more info and images from the LET projects

http://www.lookatlet.wordpress.com

http://www.flickr.com/groups/lookatlet/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/creativity_works/

http://creativityworks.info/let

LOOK at LET conitnues...

2011-02-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

...Another day at the LET shop documenting the people of Blackburn...
A photographer from the Telegraph photographed myself and Grace in a mock shoot, and Ben grabbing someone from the street...

Today started off with a bang, with Cat dragging Jack Straw in before we'd even set up!

The rest of the day was filled with the usual antics, Lot's of dragging people off the streets, lots of sitting and waiting, and lots of photography! The team is fantastic, I hope we get the chance to work together on other projects soon!

Some candid shots of the LOOK crew :)

Cat

Grace

Ben - the man with the plan

Sara

The studio is closed for the weekend, shooting continues on Tuesday... Expect more images soon! :D x

LOOK at LET

2011-02-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a project with several other photographers called "LOOK" at the LET shop in Blackburn.
(more info on the project here --> http://www.lookatlet.wordpress.com)

It's been great so far photographing the people of Blackburn, it's a challenge convincing people to participate, but more often than not they are willing!

The Gorgeous Cat, who was lovely enough to help round up lots of people!

Sara, another talented photographer who has been working on the project

more images can be seen in the projects flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/lookatlet

The culmination of this project is an exhibition in the LET shop on the 17th of Feb (4-9PM) if anyone is interested in taking part, or just coming along to the exhibition please feel free!

Modesty...

2010-12-05T17:47:00.001-08:00

...I was showing a friend through some of my more recent street shots a couple of nights ago. He was more than impressed. Claiming I am going to be famous one day, and that my shots are beautiful. Even though this was from one of my closest friends, I felt embarassed. I don't like to be big headed, I feel humble in comparison to the many, many photographers out there who are creating amazing work. But at the same time, I know I am capable of creating stunning photographs. But a lot of the time I look at my work and think "It's good, but it's not as special as (insert photographer/photograph here)" I still feel like there's a barrier that's stopping me from saying "My work is amazing. People like it" or that if I do step up to the plate and say "I am a shit hot photographer, people love what I do" someone is going to turn around and say "You big headed twat... Put your ego back in it's box!"

Does anyone else feel like this? Do I have reason to not want to be big headed?

Time to work on some images I think... :) x

The March...

2010-12-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

The snow was falling heavily, temperature was low, but the twons morale was high, thousands turned up to support the troops of The Duke Of Lancaster Regiment on their march through Blackburn. The coahces were held up in traffic on the snowy roads for an hour, so I wandered about, had a hot chocolate in Exchange, (Where I bumped into an amazing girl, would love to photograph her!) The Regiment exited the Cathedral at about 2:15 to thousands of people lining the streets cheering and chanting "Your'e the pride of Lancashire"

With all big public events, there where a few tempers flying, I got threatened by someone for photographing his friend being detained by the police.

Flickr Set

I have found new settee's for the project... Expect new images soon :)

Inspiration comes...

2010-11-30T17:03:00.000-08:00

...Tomorrow is the home coming parade for the Duke Of Lancaster's Regiment. They are marching from Blackburn Cathedral past the town hall and onto King Georges hall, there was talk of expected protest from radical groups, I'll be there showing my support for the troops and documenting the event with James T. Starts at 12:50 if anyones interested more info

I just watched another Bruce Gilden video, might shoot some stuff in a Gilden style tomorrow... He always inspires me :)

Bruce Gilden clip

2TP has a new home on facebook, 2TP "Leemo Rante"
it will be updated a lot more often than the fan page... I'm going to plan some shoots for next week... get some work shot in the snow :)

I'll need to find a new makeup artist now, sadly I don't think myself and Jenny will be working together anymore. Anyone interested in working with her, you can get in touch with her on her MM page here

catch you later!

I spit on your grave...

2010-11-23T15:45:00.000-08:00

...It's been a long time since I last watched that... I forgot how brutal it was...

Well folks, that's my take on it... It was a really funny shoot... Freezing cold November afternoon in the middle of the woods with a half naked Megan, some mud, blood and a massive knife... After the shoot, and the 5 mile round walk we took, we had a play about back at the 2TP studio...

Flickr Gallery

It was a great day, lots of fun Megan was really sporting standing in the freezing cold while I fannied around... Going to start work on a new project... Some thoughts going round my head... More on that later though :)

time...

2010-11-22T08:54:00.000-08:00

I've noticed since finishing my degree that time just pisses away if you let it...
I've had a step back from street shooting of late, mainly because I haven't been anywhere interesting :)

I collaborated with Jenny Smith and Lottibella two days ago, shooting for the Settee project, touched on the old WAFR series and just some quirky folio filling stuff. Had a great day, Lotti is a star to work with! It was great having someone around my age who remembers silly things like Knightmare and Fiendish Feet!

Anyway... I'll let you see a few images from the shoot :)

I've noticed today as I'm writing this the Blogspot platform is a little unstable. I've been thinking lately of migrating onto wordpress... I've heard great things about it as a blogging tool... Might have a look at it!

I've been writing an article for Airsoft International Magazine about SWAT airsoft's "Area 51" site. I'll be there on Sunday shooting with both my camera and subgun :) It'll be nice to have a bit of published work again :)

Tomorrow is another foray into the horror project, with Megan recreating "I spit on your grave"

I'm gonna watch the film in bed tonight and be freshly inspired for the shoot tomorrow :)

Catch you all later!

A nightmare on Elm Street...

2010-11-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

In continuance of my Horror Project I'm recreating the bedroom wall scene from A Nightmare On Elm Street.
For those who haven't seen it,

Fred Kreuger's form lunging through the wall above the sleeping Nancy's bed.

From what I've heard the original scene was shot using a fake wall made of spandex.
Today I had a test run, set up a wall using some Navy Blue Spandex fabric and set about lighting it.
It proved quite difficult using the two flash guns I had to hand. Also not having several people holding the fabric made it quite difficult...

I'm planning on building a frame to staple the fabric onto. which can be held by two assistants.

It's quite a simple concept, but hard to accomplish without help! Watch this space! :)

2010-10-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

Walking around Manchester the other day, having a failed street photography session got me thinking about how good the "setup" was in Perth.

Staying in a hostel 5 minutes from the city center, it was great. Waking up in the morning going down to the shared kitchen and attacking a bowl of "WeetBix" and heading out into the center for early morning hot chocolate and some street shooting.

We'd pass the same guy every morning sitting outside his apartment.

He always seemed jolly, even when the weather was gash. We'd head past this asian cafe that seemed to be busy no matter what time it was!

Then we'd head up past the Red Rooster and the porno shops, that alternative shop and the place with all the shoes...

then we'd head for Merchant coffee...

there were always interesting people and odd moments happening around the place...

then we'd wander the streets all day shooting...

Every morning leaving the hostel there was this feeling that I was going to get at least one great shot. I never got that on the way to Manchester. Maybe it's because I live a half hour drive out of the city and I feel a bit like an outsider wandering around the place? Or maybe it just doesn't have the same feel as a foregin city? I don't know... Either way... I really want to get on a plane land somewhere check into a hostel and start shooting... :) x

Sometimes I think...

2010-10-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

...I might be a little elitist.

How is it, people who go out and buy a DSLR, make a facebook page and call themselves a professional photographer with no training, or concepts of composition, creative lighting or posing. And actually make money? Ok, maybe I'm labelling a whole group of people there, in rare cases some of these folks are ok at what they are doing... But the majority are producing very poor quality work and people are paying good money for it. How annoying is it to a photographer who has been through college, uni and unpaid work placements, spent thousands on gear and equipment and still get shit eyed when they offer to do a family portrait or some other small job for £50. - These jobs are often worth £50 in the photographers time ALONE, never mind the amount of images or output for that price! (True story I have actually been told "no photograph is worth £50" by some "potential" clients) yet these people are getting twice that amount for absolute garbage?

It's at moments like these where those with real talent decide there is no point in carrying on... I'm not like that though. I'm going to take this as inspiration. Without sounding too bigheaded, I am capable of creating far superior work. And I will continue to do so.

haha... Vent over :) I feel happy again now...

Getting sidetracked... again...

2010-10-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

Skyving off what i'm supposed to be doing...
I feel like I don't give my "Lancashire street shots" as much limelight as those shot abroad. So here are a few of my favourites... :)

"Smoke at the market" This was always one of my favourite shots from my days at uni. Taken at Blackburn market one dinner time. Myself and fellow photographer Andreas Andrews were sitting on a stair set next to the "cheezy tater van" eating hot dogs and cheezy taters. The guy in the shot was coming from the bar behind us. He stepped past us and stopped at the bottom of the stairs to light a cigarette. As he exhaled and lowered the cigarette I fired off two frames. (The first was almost identical but without the smoke.) I saw the shot on the back of the camera, in colour completely un processed and knew even then that it would be one of my favourite shots, indefinatley. We headed back to uni and I processed it. And put it on Flickr. It was that moment it hit me, the turnaround time of digital workflow. Very very fast :)

and a little bit of colour (Mamiya RB67 Fuji Velvia)

more of these images can be found here

Some thoughts on my Manhattan work...

2010-10-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

...The work I produced over my trips (particularly the second) to Manhattan in my opinion where the swinging vote in me passing my degree. Towards the end I'll admit to letting the academic side of things slip. Starting the main chunk of my disteration nearly two weeks before the deadline was a huge mistake, and mearly cost me my degree!

During the third year I had become very fond of the work of Magnum photographer Bruce Gilden

his blog can be found here

Gilden's work is significantly different from traditional street photography. Whereas the average, everyday street photographer will blend in with his surroundings, striving to stay un noticed and capturing moments without interfering in them. Gilden uses a tethered flash gun and gets as close to the action as he can. He doesn't just capture the moment, he is part of it.

I first saw Gilden in WNYC's street shots video on youtube I was instantly inspired and knew straight away what I would be shooting for my FIP. (final integrated project)

I travelled to Manhattan twice with uni, once on the second year and once on the third, (with a trip to Barcelona on the first year - more on that in another post!) the moment I got there I started shooting. I spent 5 days wandering the streets of the city with my camera in one hand and a flashgun in the other. I shot thousands of images. I edited it down to about 100 shots by the end of the fifth day. The final exhibited piece was printed a1 and mounted in a custom built frame. (there's a word for that but I forget it...)

The final image

"The one true eye"

"Why'd you take my photograph asshole?"

Images from both trips to Manhattan can be found here

To accompany the final print I had the rest of the series printed as a book. I'm going to re-do the book sometime soon, if anyone wants a copy of it I'll post a link on here!

Thanks for reading - Lee x

The lack of content is most disconcerting...

2010-10-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

It seems I have neglected this blog most severely. I forget when I created it. I intended to update with at least "some" content. I guess I got sidetracked! It was possibly before my trip to Australia, I think I had the idea of updating it every week with new street shots etc. So I guess to honour that idea...

I'll start with a brief post on street photography.

My trip to Australia, although briefer than planned was very fruitful in the street photography department.
I shot around the streets of Perth WA over a week and came out with some (in my opinion at least ;)) fantastic work. One of my favourites I call "Migrant Mother" after the famous shot of the same name by Dorothea Lange.

Lange's photograph can be seen here:

My image:

This moment was captured "from the hip" whilst looking for a place to grab something to eat. Australia brought a different feel to the game, instead of the usual "In your face with a flash and a lens" technique I was more subtle, to put it as a metaphor, instead of kicking in the door with a shotgun I was laying in the grass with a bolt action. It felt nice to be a distant observer for a change.

The shots from Perth (WA) and Darwin (NT) can be found on Flickr at: Australia: Street

Since returning to England, I've been planning new things. I'm still working on my horror project and I've dug out a lot of my old sketches and plans for photographs. Which I'm in the process of shooting. The first was a collaboration with some of my favourite creatives.

Model: Megan Whitlock

Designer/Stylist: Hailea Crichton

MUA: Jenny Morante

The left is the original diagram drawn in my notebook, the second is an ellaboration drawn while in Perth. I would have scanned these... But I'd have had to go buy a scanner ;)

The location scout shot, the location was a lot bigger than I remembered, as you can see from my first diagram. This brought up problems with the canon wireless flash system. The ST-E2 wasn't performing as well as I'd hoped. The lights were well out of the recomended outdoor range. In the end I had to call it a day and light it differently.

The next shoot I'm planning is another dress shot. One that I came up with whilst at uni. I was going to shoot it there, but I never got around to it. I have the opportunity to use a fantastic space as an adhoc studio very soon. So I will take full advantage and create as much work, (including this shot) as I can!

I will strive to update this as regularly as possible. So please keep checking back!

Lee x