Richard & Caroline's Blog

What makes a sexy image?

For me it’s a confident model who can express that to the camera. Showing less is said to be more and often a confident model with an implied topless image is one of the sexiest images you can produce.

Strong defining light, some shadow and mystery. Its a theme I return to often.

Leica 24mm lens on a Leica M8 so 35mm field of view.

What do the camera manufacturers have planned for us in 2025. Real cameras are becoming a niche market. Everyone has a smart phone it seems and with computational photography producing an image with software more like what people want then what they actually photographed, real cameras are selling less and less.

Because of this to maintain profitability camera manufacturers are having to move up market. A basic Fuji will set you back £800 without a lens, the little Nikon Z30 £700 at current prices. Add to these a kit zoom your knocking on the door of £1000 to get started. That gets you a pretty good smartphone that can do it all, including editing and posting to social media. For those of us with traditional cameras, let’s not forget, a computer, tablet, storage, editing software is all needed. What we call real photography costs a lot of money. For those of you into good old film photography, the price now of film and developing is eye watering.

Now Canon have released the R1 I expect this tech to trickle down, they don’t want to be seem getting left behind.

Fuji have carved themselves a very successful corner of the market, they own DX format; with fairly lacklustre offerings in the lens departments from Canon and Nikon in this area. I expect this year, Fuji will be spending there efforts trying to fulfil the orders for the new X100. I was tempted myself.

I am waiting for Nikon’s 35mm f/1.2 S lens, though I already own a Nikor 35mm AIS lens, the 35mm f/1.8 S lens and the Leica M 1.4 35mm. It seems I just cannot get enough of fast 35mm lens.

My purchasing is likely to be limited to just one lens this year, and it will be either the 85mm f/1.2 S or the 135mm f/1.8 S Plena.

The question a lot of people are asking is what will Nikon do with the Z7 and the Z9. The Z6III out performs the Z7 but is a lower megapixel count, while the Z8 matches the megapixels and completely outguns the Z7 in every way. It may be worth Nikon dropping this model. Some have said make it a high megapixel slow studio or landscape camera, 70 – 80 MP. That would be an interesting choice but would make it a limited product. At those kind of megapixels defraction sets in at around f/7.6, going much more then 50MP then your likely better off going medium format and Fuji again show there winning strategy of splitting there cameras between DX and Medium format.

Last year I did six major model shoots; for 2025, I will likely keep it to a low number again, likely four or six shoots. I have one in mind already, a location shoot in the Midlands likely in March or April when the daylight starts to get better. I want to improve my natural light location art nude.

My local studio has now closed so will be looking at trying out a few new studios in the area.

Last year I did very little architecture or landscape work so will try and get some more done in these areas.

My year in Pictures started in January with a fashion shoot with Hannah in the studio.

This one made my photo of the month for January.

The weather was not great in February but this shot grabbed while walking the dog has great atmosphere.

March was landscapes, and a continuation of my coffee shop project.

In April I visited a new studio, Kate was my model.

I continued to add shots to my suite project.

I had a fairly quiet summer, mainly just snapshots and getting ready for a shoot in August, a farm and with a lovely farmhouse giving us lots of options.

The barn and the fields gave us so many great pictures.

The following month I met up with Amber for a shoot at a home studio.

October was a shoot with the lovely Ash, lots of low light experimental shots, and art nude which I cannot share on here as I try to keep it family friendly.

November and December were quiet, and Ill share my December picture of the month tomorrow.

So in summary some nice work, and some good additions to my coffee and my suit project.

What was my favourite shot, I think this one below with Hannah.

The Z9 is now three years old and this month sees v5.1 with new video releases such as shutter angle. Customisation of histograms and waveforms and bug fixes.

There have been a few calls recently on social media and YouTube that the Z9 needs an update. I am sure Nikon are working hard at it but currently this camera is still the most proficient all rounder on the market.

Its become a tradition for me to post this each Christmas Eve.

On the Biking Blog “Ride it like you stole it!” which is sadly no more by Dave Dragon, there was a poem “The Biker’s Night Before Christmas”.

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the pad,

There was nada happenin’, now that’s pretty bad.

The woodstove was hung up in that stocking routine,

In hopes that the Fat Boy would soon make the scene.

With our stomachs packed with tacos and beer,

My girl and I crashed on the couch for some cheer.

When out in the yard there arose such a racket,

I ran for the door and pulled on my jacket.

I saw a large bro’ on a ’56 Pan

Wearin’ black leathers, a cap, and boots (cool biker, man).

He hauled up the bars on that bikeful of sacks,

And that Pan hit the roof like it was running on tracks.

I couldn’t help gawking, the old guy had class.

But I had to go in — I was freezing my ass.

Down through the stovepipe he fell with a crash,

And out of the stove he came dragging his stash.

With a smile and some glee he passed out the loot,

A new jacket for her and some parts for my scoot.

He patted her fanny and shook my right hand,

Spun on his heel and up the stovepipe he ran.

From up on the roof came a great deal of thunder,

As that massive V-twin ripped the silence asunder.

With beard in the wind, he roared off in the night,

Shouting, “Have a cool Yule, and to all a good ride!”

Its not something I do often but it can be fun doing a Christmas photoshoot.

The Nikon Z8, a small powerful mirrorless camera with no real compromises. With 45 megapixels it’s quite the all rounder.

So why the question Z8 or the new Z6?

Well the fact is they complement each other quite well. The photograph above was taken a a photography show. Poor light and quite a few shots taken. I took my Leica M for several reasons. Smaller but also at 24 megapixels good low light performance especially when combined with the small fast Leica M lens. Often when shooting events and weddings many photographers including myself prefer 24-36 megapixels to make editing large batches of images quicker.

So if your a Z7,8 or Z9 user and shoot events; especially low light events at higher ISO adding a Z6 to your bag might be a good idea.

Studio work is where high megapixel cameras work best, or landscape work on a tripod. Your not limited by ISO and can maximise image quality.

At events or location photography you may be working fast, not working with a fast f/1.2 or f/1.8 prime but more likely a f/2.8 or f/4 zoom. Light will be lower, may be less space, those ISO settings are going to have to climb. This is where the a camera like the 24 megapixel Nikon Z6 makes more sense.