Sometimes the "magical forces" that control our lives seem to converge and conspire and bring many paths together at once.  The main light in my life at the moment is the fact that Apple have given me RAW support within Aperture for the OM-D... its my preferred tool for "picture fiddling" so I am able to start shifting the back log of images I have...

There's also no racing today, which is good, as it gives me more chance just to catch up on "stuff".  I'm not even sure if I should be mentioning that I'm currently in the Isle of Man pushing the OM-D EM-5 through its paces at the TT... I've got to say I'm more than a little impressed, what's more my friend whom I'm with is a TOP sports photographer and I can see him coveting it already.  Its funny being track side with my "all access" pass and the other pro's trying to catch a look at what the guy in the Olympus hat is shooting with!

Light hearted moment:  Talking about my pass, never allow your friend (if he is called Dave) to sort it for you.  I walked into the press office to pick my bib and pass up only to find that the image he'd sent them for the pass was one he'd taken almost a year to the day at a charity ball I was attending with him... and yes I was larking around so yes I'm walking round hiding my pass as I look like a complete buffoon on it... cheers Dave!  He did say when he took it that "it may not be today, or even tomorrow, but one day I'd regret the fact that he has the picture" well today is that day and this is now WAR!

One of the things that impresses me about the m4/3's system is that the lens mount is "open platform".  I have with me amongst other things ;0) the Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4... it really is a truly beautiful lens the circular aperture blade give it a beautiful creamy rendering.  I really like this system, I didn't want to, its new and I'm a pro... how dare Olympus have the audasity to even think of rocking the establishment boat... but I do, I really, really do ;0)

here's the lens... its beautiful: 

Now I'm well aware that the popular photographc press often refer to me as the "Lighting Wizard" but that does not mean I'm not a fan of using existing ambient light.  I tested the Panny /Leica 25mm f1.4 by shooting an image in the makeup / changing room in my studio with no suplimental lighting just the illumination from the bulbs around the mirror... its the poor use of light I object to!

So now that spare time, Apple, Panasonic Leica and ambient light have conspired so there paths all cross at this point I can post this beautiful image of the stunning Hollie Gee... I do hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed shooting it.

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McGillicuddy

I'm So PROUD to say that Team McGillicuddy MADE this... and I mean made it all... This room isn't even real, it only exists because of the skill of our set builder Eddy. Set dressing is down to both my beautiful model Ms Paula Vickers and my newest, trusty assistant and long suffering PA, Mrs Amanda Turner.  I through the light around and posed the subject within my concept.

THANK YOU guys, its you that make me look so good ;0)

Like I said what lengths are you prepared to go to???  It is all there for the taking if your prepared to put the effort in.  I went to art school to study fine art, I'm a self taught photographer, but things don't have to be as tough for you as they were for me... Team McGillicuddy can help you realise your aims and be better at your chosen medium, existing in my world isn't always easy or straightforward... we can indeed help YOU to "Learn to earn" and guide you through this jungle...  Let me help educate and inspire you, if you want to see what workshops we have available in the near future then simply click "HERE".

Finally... thank you Olympus for having faith in us, you KNOW that there's still so much life left in this old dog... so, so excited about the plans we have and what the future holds... see you next week ;0)

all the best...

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McGillicuddy

Another mega busy week next week then off on my travels for a few days, then a very important meeting with the big "O".

Even though I've been racing at a million miles a minute and not had a none shooting day in the last 64 I'm soooo lucky I love my job... as much as I do I felt a little pang of jealousy as my MMoS members ( that's my ongoing, incremental training program) posted some lovely images from a resent training day.

The selfish artist inside me had to "break out", so I just wanted to share my image from the day... yeh I know, I'm a big kid.  So I need to say thank you to the very sexy and oh so beautiful Hollie Gee for giving me a little of her free time to create my own study... thank you x.

It also gives me the chance to mention two things... not the OM-D this time, even though that's what it was shot on, but the Team McGillicuddy training we offer, I genuinely believe it will make a huge difference to your skill set and enjoyment of the craft.  you can check out what workshops are coming up by clicking "HERE".  There are one or two places left if you're quick!!!

The second thing I want to mention is the lens it was shot on.  I used the Panasonic / Leica 25mm f1.4... its a creamily sublime optic and a lens I think is a m4/3 must... it really is a bit of a stunner.  I've shot some portraits on it resently and I love them as soon as Aperture or indeed light room gives me RAW file compatibility out of the OM-DI'll wade through my image back log and get some samples up here...

So that's that, enough yapping, have a great evening, heres the image I hope you like it... oh by the way, lit with a Broncolor fresnal!

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McGillicuddy

I just wanted to show you that the new Olympus is simply stunning in more than just my big paws... It also gives me the chance to show the results of my 1-2-1 training.  This stunning image of the beautiful Jenniferever (as I have started to call her) was shot by her Ladyship.  If I'm honest I'm slightly jealous, I sooooo wish I'd have shot this - its a simply stunning image that stops you in your tracks.  Lesley's concept and execution, Jen's beauty and the stunning MUA work of Donna Graham... all combined into this... hats off to you, top, TOP job ladies xxx

PROUD but "well jell" as the cool kids say:

THIS is the future in oh so many ways...

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McGillicuddy

When Olympus asked me to get involved with them and especially the OM-D the purist pro photographer was slightly repelled!...  I just thought it wasn't the right tool for a pro, I didn't want it to work!!!

That was months and months ago know and I've been with this petite beauty nearly every day and I've got to say she has won me over Completely... yes, sadly I'm a smitten kitten!

I'm not interested in shooting test charts and measuring this and that and discussing the other.  I'm interested only in what this camera can do in one place and that's the real world of professional photography.  In all the time I've been using this camera not one client or editor has said the image isn't up to scratch, in point of fact nobody actually asks me "what was that shot on", they just need to be happy with the most important thing... the RESULT!

Now I am convinced that this is the future and that the quality of capture is quite frankly more than good enough. Its amazingly well engineered, slick, cool and capable. The optics I've bee testing, to me, are massively impressive.

In fact I did a few shoots last week a show-business and interior thing.  Now because I didn't have a wide enough lens at the time I had to shoot the commissions on my D3.  Now that is a beautifully capable camera but oh how I missed the OM-D... I'd forgotten how exhausting a day with a D3 and some heavy weight glass could be and the truth is I don't believe that the files would have suffered ANY loss of quality and the client would never have know... but my aching arms would have! ;0)

Why am I so positive to the OM-D... very simply because it delivers files like this:

I think the M4/3's advantage is now more than just mere size.  This is both evolution and revolution!  Would you swap your iphone / smart phone for a late 1980's Motorola "Brick" - no I thought not.  This little beauty has been designed from the ground up to be what it is instead of converting existing 35mm film technology cameras to do a different task.  Now of course that's just my opinion but its something I fervently believe. So much so that I can't find a compelling reasons not to use the OM-D for everything I shoot... it just delivers the goods for what I do, time and time again with the bonus of making the logistics of a shoot a little bit easier... I'm even impressed that I no longer need to carry a card reader, the SD cards just slip into the port of my Mac... BONUS!!!

We are all looking at a more strobist approach, dumping big lights for the small, compact and easily transportable... is the new range of OM-D cameras going to be the perfect strobist tool??? You don't have to be Einstein to know what I think do you - David Hobby check one of these beauties out!  ;0)

I'm sorry to eulogise but its taken me a long time to get my head around the capabilities of this system and each and every time I use it it surprises and impresses me... it really punches well above its own weight... I'd love to hear your opinions on this.

right off to work (with the OM-D)... I feel better for getting those thoughts out of my head and on to paper so to speak.

one more capable image from the OM-D ;0)

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McGillicuddy

These images were shot at an MMoS catch up day.  The model is the stunningly beautiful and very sexy Hollie Gee, this lady is a real delight to work with... what a lucky boy I am ;0)

I know that there are readers of the blog that must wonder if my integrity has been bought... I assure you it hasn't!!!  When you see me advertising cameras for Cadbury's then you know somebody has found my price.

The journey I'm on with Olympus is purely because I want to be on it... the micro 4/3's system is massively  compelling for me and for all the right reasons... I do keep trying to trick it and it does go against the professional grain sometimes but a tool is a tool and surely the results speak for themselves.

I really tried to stack odds against me on this shoot. The camera is the EPL2 so one generation back and, for me, a slow lens the Olympus 45-150mm.  I've got to say though I'm AMAZED to be able to utilise a 300mm equivalent lens that weighs nothing and is les than 6" long.... all I can say is sweeeeet ;0)

Any way I have to fly out the door as I'm off on another adventure, I'll let the images do the rest of my talking... I do hope you enjoy ;0)

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McGillicuddy

Firstly and most importantly to the delegates, I really appreciate your time and know just what a privilege for me it is that you choose to listen to me and allow me to help you develop your craft... thank you x

Then I'd like to thank the Societies for advertising it and making it all possible.  I must also thank the Societies Irish representative Mr Podge Kelly - you couldn't have been any better you have really looked after Team McGillicuddy.

I must thank both Olympus and Flaghead Photographic, the company that supplies my Quantum Qflash your light weight kit with heavy weight punch has made this one of the most straightforward and therefore enjoyable trips I can remember.  The new Tamrac kit I'm testing just impresses me the more and more I use it... wonderful!

Of course I must also say thank you to a teriffic model and traveling companion... Loretta, you have been a star... thank you x

So the best way I can show my thanks... an image shot in a meeting room in Antrim... my Mum alwys said I could make something out of nothing!!! ;0)

I hope you all like it as much as I do, shoot with a McGillicuddy 36" multi modifier and the 19" classic McGillicuddy beauty dish... oh and the bare bulb enhancer from the McGillicuddy Portaflex kit...

You can check out the modifiers I've designed by clicking "HERE".

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McGillicuddy

I can't tell you just how liberating my kit is at the moment.  I have my OM-D, three lenses, meter, ipad and my back up camera all in one tiny Tamrac Zuma 4 bag.  Now this bag happily sits on top of the Tamrac Cyber pro flyer which unbelievably is comfortably carrying my lighting kit... not 1, not 2, but 3 Quantum Qflash T5dr's batteries triggers etc... In fact everything I need to produce images with a portable, powerful and comprehensive THREE head kit.  At this rate I may be questioning if I even need an assistant!!! lol ;0)

Bottom line is this,  the swing over to the magnificent OM-D has made things slimmer, trimmer and more maneuverable without compromising quality in the real world.  I'm not interested in test charts I'm interested in how the cameras perform the tasks I give them... I'm genuinely stunned by the results and can't see why I wouldn't use this camera... like I've said before, evolution and revolution!

As soon as I get time too breath and I've fully evaluated the performance of the Tamrac kit I'll right a full report... first impressions... very, very favourable.

As I've said I'm away at the moment and traveling so unfortunately I have not had time to convert today's RAWS so I can blog them but I will try to get something up before I leave Ireland, trouble I'm having is there still two to three hours travelling to do at the end of each working day... and I'm getting old and tired ;0)

I am behind on posting images and keeping you updated so today's image comes from the talk I did a week or so ago for the Societies at their "Mini convention" at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton, England.  This image was shot in a corridor of the stadium and just to camera left about 5 feet from the subject was about 200 people watching what I was up to.

The camera was of course my OM-D fitted with my favourite 45mm f1.8.  Its a two light set up, the "key" light is a T5dr shot through my own 36" multi modifier configured as a strip light.  The second T5dr was fitted with the simple variable snoot from my portaflex kit and used for a little accent to separate.  You can learn a little bit more about the modifiers I designed by clicking "HERE".

If you'd like to be part of one of my workshops and learn first hand how I do what I do then take a quick peek at the up coming workshops we have by clicking "HERE".

So onwards and upwards, I'm in Dublin today, can't wait to edutain!  Here's the picture then, of the beautiful and amazing Jen Brook.

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McGillicuddy 

It did make me think though... what a shame that the whole of photography isn't like this anymore.  When did people stop wanting to better themselves... surely people can see the better their skills the easier to gain not just work but reputation which gains work!!! 

This is an area that Team McGillicuddy can help you in.  We can take you and your photography to where you want to be, you just have to want it - and put the effort in.  There has been no better time to claw your way to the top in this industry than NOW!  All you have to do is put the time effort and education in... it really is that simple!

We have LOTS of new and exciting programs coming up but if you want to see what's available now all you have to do is click "HERE"... but keep checking back because as new ones get introduced they book up QUICK!!!

So as I haven't posted anything from one of our workshops for a while I thought it would be prudent to do so.  These are a sample of some of the images shot on our last "Lighting 101" workshop, it was last Tuesday!  The model is Paula Vickers, quite simply the most professional model you can ever possibly work with... a genuine addition to anybodies portfolio.

NOT the OM-D this time... but the humble PEN EPL2... its NEVER about the size of the dog in the fight but all about the size of the fight in the dog!  The 45mm f1.8 is simply stunning as is the 75mm ;0)

Lets see if I can whet your appetite ;0)

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McGillicuddy