Project- 'Architectural Metaphor' Update

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We were taken to a place called 'Rushden Lakes' to visit this really brilliant magazine shops that stocks just about every publication you can think of. Including a lot of fashion photography magazines I enjoy thumbing through. Also there they have this public right of way and overpass from a busy main road that spirals round in a sweeping arch. It caught my eye the previous time I went there, so this time I took my trusted Nikon and captured it with the help of Amy.

Project – 'Sound Of The Suburbs' Update

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Only one this month and like the Architectural Metaphor gallery it is taken at Rushden Lakes shopping centre. Please enjoy

Commercial Update

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Here are a few shots I did for Mother and Daughter Fashion and Accessories sales team Ma & Ma of some of the handbags they have on sale. There are four different looks for each handbag, in various colours. Thank you Karen and Carmen for the product and Amy for her assistance

Still Life / Fine Art Gallery – Update

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Amy often comes across random items that she thinks might be worth photographing as she goes about her day. Point in case this month was a branch from a tree complete with berries that had rotted that blew across the market place. So she picks these things up and brings them home to see what we can do. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but here I think it did. She also came home with a bag of Oranges to eat and photograph.

So we did.

As with Brutal' architecture, if you look you can find beauty in many things. You just have to sometimes perceive things differently.

Projects – 'Landscapes' Update

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I never thought I would be doing any updates for this blog, as getting out and about in the deepest countryside is not easy for me. Yet over the New Year break my parents kindly took me on a magical mystery tour of some of the back lanes where they live, and I am quite happy with the results. We had good weather with us. It was am over cast day, but that is fine because it adds drama to landscape pictures.

So thanks Mum and Dad for your help on the day. They know they do not particularly like black and white images as it is what they grew up with, but I think they would agree It gives the pictures more depth and punch.

January Flower Updates

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It is good to be back photographing flowers again after the Christmas break. It seems like an age since I took up the camera for these snaps. As always I would like to thank my good friends at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours, Chris and Wendy for all their help in choosing this months selection. Also a shout out to Amy for all her help in setting our home studio up.

See you next month

December Updates and a belated seasons greetings.

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I am writing this to you from a few days into the January New Year 2022. So not strictly up to date. I had wanted to complete this before I went away for the holidays with Amy, but got bogged down with other matters. So here it is Decembers blog … completely free to enjoy without Covid and with apologies if a bit late.

Starting the month of I would wish to say a big thanks to our friends Chris and Wendy at Flowers To Yours and Brambles Florist, without their help I could never get the monthly flower images done. They are an invaluable help, so thanks. It is only fair to give a mention also to Amy who is always at my side and joins in the fun of the shoots. We went away to my parents house over the New Year period where they very kindly took us out into the wilds of the countryside to do some landscape photography. As well as a trip to this brilliant magazine shop in Rushden Lakes shopping centre where I managed to capture some shots for next months 'Architectural Metaphor' page. I would like to thank them deeply and say how much Amy and I appreciate and love them both. You can see the results of our trip away later this January.

There was no model shoot in December and will not be one until the end of February, but there is a years review slide show to have a look over for the greatest hits of 2021.

Enjoy the show.

Projects - 'Architectural Metaphor' Updates

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Just to start off with a look over some architecture this month, with some brutal 1970's car park design amongst others As well as an old and faded art deco veneer shop front face which used to once be the Co-op.

Projects – 'Sound Of The Suburbs' Update

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Just a couple to update this project gallery this month as it has not been having much love for a while. These were taken on a trip around town, primarily to snap some clothing on location, but as an opportunity to grab some sound of the suburbs stuff.

December Flower Updates

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A few seasonal plants for cheer thrown in to give it a bit of a Christmas feel about it. All the flowers were ably provided as usual by our friends Chris and Wendy at Flowers To Yours and Brambles Florist. Once again thank you for all their flowers this month and every month before in the year. A shout out to Amy for all her help on these shoots.

See you all alive and well in 2022. xx

November Updates

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Welcome back to the blog and web site of Lujon Rael.

Has everyone had or going to have their booster jab yet? Amy and I had ours last Sunday. All went well until the next day when I felt like a zombie and slept a full twenty four hours.

Amy’s arm just hurt a bit. !!

I can happily report that there have been no falls this month and I have been mostly busy watching re-runs of Star Trek 'Deep Space Nine' on the SyFi channel. That said, I did manage to get in a great shoot with new model to me Tasha Lawer. Which was great fun and the usual flower shoot I do with help from Amy and our friends, Chris and Wendy at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours at the end of the month.

We are getting into Christmas season now, or, Mariah Carey Season as I like to think of it. With only one more month to go before we watch 'The Guns of Navarone' and Morecambe and Wise 1973 Christmas Special on the BBC.... again !

So enjoy the blog and lets all stay safe this season.

Still Life / Fine Art Gallery – Update

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A bit of a mixed bag of goodies this month. So let me start with the black and white pictures. These images were actually taken a very long time ago when I was experimenting with light and long exposures. The originals were in colour, but I felt they were a bit too bright and at the time I did not know how to get around the problem in Photoshop. So I left them … Only to find them again earlier this month and have a look gain. I cooled the brightness down and turned them black and white. Problem solved.

The second set of pictures feature a collection of nine shots of a yellow spotted vase I purchased from a charity shop for a few pennies, and liked the look of it. The spots on the vase are painted daisies and as there are no daisies this time of the year, I purchase some from Etsy.

They are fake and made of paper, but look the part and were very dainty. Great thing is I can put them away in the box and use again another day..

I hope you all enjoy this months Still Life gallery?

Tasha Lawer Model Shoot

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A couple of months ago I made contact with a brilliant Derby model, Natasha Lawer who was going to stand in for Monalisa Moyo if she could not make our last shoot in the St. James Hotel. Well in the end she did not have to, but I appreciated her support and promised her a shoot of her own at The Boardroom Studio in Derby. I am pleased to be able to show you the pictures from the shoot and was amazed at this versatile model. Easy to get along and work with, her body moves were amazing and put to full use. So she was awesome and I would like her to do another shoot with me next year if she can. Thanks to Natasha for her poses, to Phil Lynam for his help at the studio and to Amy for making me some props to go in the models hair.

November Flower Updates

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Penultimate flower show of the year with another great palette of colour from our friends at the Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours. Its not full on Christmas feel to it, but the red berries are seasonal with the Alternative version in purple my favourite of the shoot. Thanks then to Chris and Wendy at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours for all their help. With a special mention to my wife, Amy for her assistance. See you all next month

October Updates and Happy Wedding Day to Shadrine ...

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Welcome back to the Lujon Rael Portfolio blog update for October, I do hope you are all well and Covid free.

Before I begin I would like to wish my friend and work colleague Shadrine and her partner Mario, a happy Wedding Day this month from both Amy and I. I hope you are both blessed to have as many happy, loving years together as I have had spent with my wife. People often decry marriage, but I can say in all honesty its the best thing that ever happened to me My wife saved me ... and mostly from myself.

So technically speaking there has not been a fashion photoshoot this calendar month, but we have the results for last months shoot with amazing Monalisa Moyo in the hotel. An eventful shoot, we got the job done and we let out a sigh of relief on its completion before taking to this very comfortable, air conditioned luxury bedroom. I am pleased with the results and honoured to be working with such creatives as Monalisa, Shadrine and Amy.

I had a fall this month. I have had falls before, mostly on carpeted floor but this one was on hard concrete. The fall ripped my knees up a bit, but more than that it shook me up. For a good few days I felt shaky on my feet and found it hard to walk. More than I normally do. It all happened so fast. I got out of a taxi after visiting the florist and my legs went from under me. I tumbled like a bag of potatoes to the floor. But what do you do? You have to pick yourself up and dust yourself down and carry on. I know my weight does not help me. I know the nerve damage and muscle waistage to my right leg affects me also …. but bollocks to all that. I refuse to make excuses, or to feel sorry for myself and will survive … for another day at least !

Enough of that, please enjoy this months blog updates with thanks to all the generous people involved in its creation.

I would also like to put in a special thank you to my father for taking me to see a great concert in Nottingham by Ex Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. I loved every minute of it Dad. x

Project – 'Noir et blanc' Update

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There has not been an update for this project for a while, so I thought to grab a few snaps of the Penthouse Suite we booked for the 'Good Times' Fashion Shoot at the splendid St. James Hotel in Nottingham. Chairs, lampshade, mirrors and cups of tea make this update with a backdrop of some expensive wallpaper. I should have also shot the bedroom as that was great, but by that time I was too tired.

Maybe next time ?