Blog | 47 - Essential Kit

February 08, 2018

bokeh photographic (Alistair Grant): Food & Drink Photographer; Commercial Photographer, Product Photographer & Packshot Photographer; Event Photographer; Portrait Photographer; Corporate Photographer & PR Photographer; Engagement Photographer & Wedding Photographer and Photography Training Courses in Cambridge, Huntingdon, Peterborough, Bedford, St Neots, St Ives and London. Freelance Photographer & Freelance Photography Services in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire and across the UK.
			Alistair Grant Freelance Photographer Cambridge & London


bokeh photographic: Blog No: 47 → TIP: Click any image to view in LightBox




Essential Kit Although this topic might appear somewhat ‘off-piste’ for a photography blog bear with me. It supports my firmly held belief that a photography blog should help decide whether to commission the photographer that has written the blog by telling you something about that photographer as opposed to the ‘sneak-peek’ type blog that only feature shots from a photographer’s most recent shoot. I have recently had a lot of conversations about exercise at various networking events. Therefore, now is as good a time as ever to blog about one of my most important bits of kit – my running shoes! Of course my trainers don’t literally make it into the photography kit bag. Nevertheless, in many ways they define me both as a photographer and as a person. I have always been a runner although my days of competing in races are long gone. One clear memory from childhood is racing the school bus. Although I took a shorter route than the bus I regularly beat my friends home. A good number of people I meet regard running as difficult as they find it boring. I have never considered it a chore. I’m also extremely lucky in that, whilst I don’t purposefully set out to do so, I generally find myself ‘problem-solving’ whilst out on a run. I should say that I’m not distracted by a stopwatch (I ditched timing my runs several years ago) and although I am often deep in thought I still fully take in the surroundings. One of my favourite summer runs is along the river and around the nature reserves out the back where I regularly see foxes, marsh harriers, barn owls and kingfishers. All this comes naturally and I seem to be able to problem solve without deliberately thinking about it if that makes sense? Over the duration of a run I might mull over: how to approach a particularly tricky shoot; what to include in a Photography Training session; things that need updating on the bokeh photographic website; or I might plan a Blog post. I can’t think of a better way of achieving the fabled ‘work-life balance’ that HR departments continually bang on about without, incidentally, fully understanding the concept from the employee’s perspective. As I regularly run ten to twelve miles two or three times a week my running shoes get a lot of use. These pair of trainers are coming to the end of their life and that’s not just because of the mud splats from winter running. Running shoes are a good investment and I’ve already bought a new pair. As well as problem-solving there are other perceptible benefits of running. The best photography captures the action. Keeping fit through running allows me to keep up with the action no matter whether this is moving quickly from one stage to another whilst shooting Event Photography or running about with kids on bikes etc. whilst on an Active Portraiture session. Of course, there are intangible benefits also. For example, not feeling (too) guilty about tasting delicious produce when on a Food & Drink Photography shoot!

Call Alistair Grant on 07775 365507, Email [email protected] or click Booking Enquiries if you have any questions or would like to make a booking.

bokeh: "the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens" Freelance Photographer offering Food & Drink Photography Cambridge; Commercial Photography Cambridge, Product Photography Cambridge & Packshot Photography Cambridge; Event Photography Cambridge; Portrait Photography Cambridge; Corporate Photography Cambridge & PR Photography Cambridge; Engagement Photography Cambridge & Wedding Photography Cambridge and Photography Training Courses in Cambridge. Also covering: Huntingdon, St. Ives, Ramsey, St. Neots, Peterborough, Bedford, Stamford, Newmarket, Sawtry, Alconbury Weston, Brampton, Hartford, Warboys, Houghton, Wyton, Godmanchester, Hilton, Hemingford Grey, Hemingford Abbots, Fenstanton, Whittesley, Yaxley, Needingworth, Somersham, Chatteris, Ely, Bar Hill, Grafham and Buckden.
bokeh photographic - Alistair Grant \| Freelance Photographer \| Cambridge, London, UK Food & Drink Photography \| Commercial Photography & Product Photography \| Corporate Photography & PR Photography \| Portrait Photography (inc. 'Active Portraiture', 'Naturally You' & 'Poptraits') \| Event Photography \| Engagement & Wedding Photography \| Photography Training Courses & Camera Tuition \| Videography & Film Production Tel: 07775 365507 \| Email: [email protected]

Keywords: active portraiture, commissioning a photographer, event photography, food & drink photography, networking, photography blogs, photography training courses, problem solving, running shoes, tangible & intangible benefits, trainers