May Flowers Update

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I got to try out my new Lensbaby Velvet 80 lens on the colour versions of this months flower pictures. I am quite pleased with the results. It gives some of the pictures a very dreamy look to them and fresh from the camera, so very little editing. Also this month Amy purchased some plastic flowers from some charity shops in town. I thought the plastic fantastic flowers would look horrendous, but they too look great. See if you can spot them?

Thanks as always to my friends at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours to Chris, Gail and Nina. As well as a thank you to Amy for all her help,

We will be back next month with some new pictures for 'The Garden' section on the website, so come back for them

Bye x

April Updates

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Hello and welcome back to the Lujon Rael blog spot on the web.

Its been a quiet month really, with very little going on after the hectic of March. I was not going to do a fashion shoot this month, but the urge got the better of me and Monalisa Moyo was looking for something to do. So we did one. I purchased a new camera this month as my old Nikon D3X was getting tired, due to its ten years or more of loyal service. I don't get rid of my old cameras, that to me would be like selling your own granny for a few quid. I just retire them and keep them safe. And I have loads of old cameras to look after.

Anyway, I would like to thank Monalisa, Chris, Gail and Nina at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours … as well as Amy for her loyal support.

Monalisa Moyo – Location Shoot

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We chose around the train / tram line for this photo shoot with Monalisa Moyo, keeping it clean and simple. I also wanted to try out my new camera = a sort of test drive – and it performed brilliantly. As did model Monalisa. We managed to get ourselves thrown off the tram area by some officious arsehole who just liked to play kill joy, tin pot Hitler. Oh well.

Please enjoy the photos.

April Flower Updates

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This month we have a few extras to show, along with the usual excellent selection I get from Brambles Florist. We also have an Amaryllis flower my parents gave me for this last Christmas and a twig full of blossom Amy picked out of the roadside. I have know idea what it is, but it photographs nicely. Thanks as always to my friends at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours, Chris, Gail and Nina for there great help in bringing these images to you. Thanks also to Amy for her help.

March Updates

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Welcome back to the Lujon Rael blog update for March.

Its been a busy month with two fashion shoots and a visit to a local beauty spot to see if there is any good places to shoot. The World is still in a shitty way with Wars and conflict, lies and deceitfulness, yet things still go on and the Sun sets and rises again in the morning. We are never going to put all things right, and this is not the forum to try, but you can only do your bit to make it a slightly better place if you can make someone happy. So I would like to give a shout out to my friend Mark who I know drops by from time to time to see what I am up to on the blog. Thanks my friend.

Then thanks also to all those that help bring these pictures into being. Chris, Wendy and Nina at The Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours. To Phil Lynam at The Boardroom Studio in Derby and Shadrine at Kavour Beauty.

A mention also to Amy for all her love and support.

I hope you enjoy this months updates. x

Nicolie Campbell (with Monalisa Moyo) Fashion Shoot

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It was good to get back into the studio again with athlete and champion boxer Nicolie Campbell again. Its so hard to take a bad picture of this man. And on top of this shoot regular Monalisa Moyo came along as well to lend a helping hand … and arm … literally ! The images were all taken early on a Friday morning at The Boardroom Studio in Derby and I must mention a special thank you to studio owner Phil Lynam for creating some of the amazing lighting you can see on the pictures.

so a big shout out to Phil as well as Nicolie and the lovely Monalisa Moyo for her help.


Moyondafoluwa African Themed Fashion Shoot

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A selection of picture from a model doing her second shoot with me, the first being the Pantone Colour of the year shoot Summer. So welcome back Moyondafoluwa (or Moyolistic as she is often known). A big shout out to her and Shadrine from Kavour Beauty for the hair and makeup, as well as a firm thanks again to Phil Lynam at The Boardroom Studio in Derby for all his help.

Project – 'Landscapes' Update

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We took a visit to Newstead Abby a weekend or so ago to have a look over the grounds as I would like to do a location shoot there sometime soon with Monalisa Moyo. It was a nice day and busy. The bulrushes were not out this early in the year, so it might not yet be suitable to do a dramatic shoot in, but that will change as the seasons progress. While we were there I did manage to grab a few shots of the waters they have and what seemed like a huge sky above. So all in all a productive visit.

Flowers – 'The Garden' Update

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On the visit to Newstead Abby, as well as grabbing the landscape pictures, there were a few flowers out that had not gone over. Only a few … I think it might be worth another visit in the Summer months. Anyway, here they are.

March Flower Updates

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There is a very pinkish feel to the flower pictures this month. I did not notice it at the time I went to Brambles Florist to get them, and I am certainly not complaining … It just makes a bit of a theme for this months images. It was the Thursday before Mothers Day that I dropped in to make a selection, so the shop was crazily busy that day. Still thanks to Nina and Wendy at the shop for helping me and of course Chris who was out delivering. Check out the two websites that accompany this amazing florist for all your flower needs. Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours – worth a look.

Love and kisses also to Amy for her help.

That's it for this month, see you all at the end of April

February Updates and First Fashion Shoot of 2022

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First off let me apologies for the lateness of the blog this month. I got bogged down with some editing and other stuff, but here it is and we kick off with a fashion shoot featuring new model (to me) Xenia Model and fan favourite Monalisa Moyo with some melanin magic.

I know its hard this month trying to be positive when there is an unnecessary and ugly, brutal war going on in the Ukraine at the present. But life still goes on and the World turns despite having the sword of Democles hanging over it.

A big thanks to all the usual subjects this month Chris and Wendy at Flowers To Yours and Brambles Florist. To Shadrine at Kavour Beauty and Phil Lynam at The Boardroom Studio in Derby. And not forgetting Amy for her help, ;love and support.

Enjoy this months blog


Xenia Model & Monalisa Moyo Fashion Shoot

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I was graced by two lovely models for my first shoot of the New Year in the shape of old favourite Monalisa Moyo and new (to me) Russian model Xenia. Both models shot with me and together over a two day shoot at the Boardroom Studio in Derby. It was quite a big shoot with a lot of concepts and styles and I thought it would have wore me out more than it actually did. Thanks then to Xenia and Monalisa for their modelling and Shadrine from Kavour Beauty for her amazing makeup. Thanks also to Phil Lynam for his studio and help on the day. A special thank you to Amy for her assistance and food. I fully intend to see more of both Xenia and Monalisa again at future shoots and shall give serious thought as to some worthy ideas.

As a matter of interest Xenia Model has her own brilliant studio in sunny Sheffield, where she works as model and owner. Check out her place, its called Zavod Studio.

New 'Squared B/W' Gallery in Flowers Art

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I got all inspired by some pictures I found on Instagram where the photographer had made every image squared and black and white. They were either done using a medium format camera or squared in Photoshop. Either way they looked great and I wanted to do some of my own.

I shall let you into a secret …. some of the pictures here are of fake flowers, so can you guess which ones? The plastic fantastic were from my Mothers front room and taken at the New Year time.

I do hope you like the concept and enjoy the random highlights.

February Flower Updates

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So as well as the new 'Squared B/W/ ' gallery above we also have the regular flower pictures fresh from the shop. Remember those storms we had a few weeks ago, well they clashed with me going to The Brambles Florist and I was worried that the flowers would not stand the short journey to the taxi? Luckily I got around this problem by going a few days later, when it was still blowy but manageable. So here is this February offerings thanks in no small way to our friends Chris and Wendy at Flowers To Yours and Brambles Florist,

See you next month.

January Updates, Happy New Year and an unashamed plug for the 'Brutal' Architecture books and the work of Martin Dust photographer

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Let me first say thank you for coming back to my blog and hope you are all having a great start to the New Year 2022.

There has been no fashion shoot this month, but that will be remedied soon with a double shoot on the 22nd / 23rd February with Monalisa Moyo and Russian model Xenia in the Boardroom Studio in Derby. I can not wait to get going with that but I first need to show some of the left over stuff from last year and new stuff from this month. As I mentioned in last months blog update we were taken to Rushden Lakes shopping complex were I managed to do some photography as well as some landscapes on another day. The results you will find featured here.

Before the end of last year I came across an advert on Instagram for a book of photographic work by a local photographer called Martin Dust. He lives in the Sheffield area and photographs what is known as 'Brutal' architecture. Things that a lot of people would feel hard pressed to love and find beauty in it. Least of all Prince Charles. I had already started my 'Architectural Metaphor' project some months before, so was taken to see his work. I purchased his 'Brutal Sheffield' book and follow up 'Brutal Yorkshire' book which are both excellent editions. The photography is amazing, but I suppose it would be fare to say, it might not be for everyones taste. However, if you have been enjoying my 'Architectural Metaphor' and 'Sound Of The Suburbs' projects you may just like Martin’s brilliant work.

Check out and support his work at the following

So it just leaves me to say a few thank yous to finish off. To Amy for her support. To Chris and Wendy at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours and to Karen and Carmen Ma Not forgetting Mum and Dad, it was just great to see you both again after so very long. x