Beyond the obvious

Portrait of Christian D, senior Belgian civil servant. Just finished a privately commissioned book of portraits of one of the most senior civil servants in the Belgian government. It's always a great feeling when you complete a project. So if you wondered what happened to me recently, I've been working on the above and a number of other projects. And then of course there's the big distraction of Google + which just sucks up time. It's certainly very lively in the photographic circles, if you'll pardon the pun. Twitter, FB and all the rest are being left to one side as photographers get stuck in sharing their work and discoveries. If you're on Google + you can find me here . Contact me if you'd like an invite. I don't know how anyone has the time to create anything any more with all the social networking that's going on. What do you think? Till soon, Paul www.indigo2photography.co.uk

Framer, Ostend, Belgium , originally uploaded by paul indigo . I saw his wonderful full white beard through the shop window and stopped in the street. The light and the warm coloured walls also caught my attention. I said to Magda, "I really want to make a portrait of him." We headed into the shop and after a chat he agreed. A lovely man. These days we see many portraits that are tightly cropped in but I wanted to let this one breathe with plenty of space. I don't follow trends. Every element here is carefully considered. Look at how lines intersect, where they touch and where the subject breaks through them. The whole composition is used to incorporate all of the visual elements and compliment the subject.

Colourful beach huts Here's a selection of some the articles on my blog that are the most read and a few of the new ones that I think are worth bringing to your attention again. My blog has been going since 2005 (unbelievable) and I've written 361 posts. I only write when I think I've got something worthwhile to say. Hopefully the quality speaks for itself.  It's thanks to your encouragement that I keep going. So please feel free to leave a comment and your emails are always welcome too. Read on... Why use a professional photographer instead of stock photography. Beware of wide-angle distortion in portrait photography Overcoming creative block and self doubt What makes a real photographer? Making remarkable photographs Don't use your camera on manual settings Is professional photography still a viable career?... How much should you charge for a photo-shoot? 14 professional flash tips How much photographic equipment do you need? There are two types...