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There are many different photography magazines on the market. Walk into any major WHSmith store and pace down the magazine aisle, you will find a plethora of publications offering (All You Need To Know) headlines across their front covers. Bold type bulletins like, ‘Master Macro’, ‘Pro Shots without a Pro Camera’, Landscape Photography without a Tripod’, ‘Improve Your Composition’ and so on… There are a couple of publications however that don’t feel the need to

Here are a few photos from a recent shoot with actor Glenn Lamont. His roles include appearances in Doctors, Holby City, Mile High, Spooks: Code 9 to name but a few, and a three-year stint in Emmerdale as Richie Carter. After a period of pursuing other ventures and concentrating on family life, Glenn is returning to the arena of acting. He approached me and asked if I would produce an up to date set of headshots for

I photographed this lovely bunch recently. Some good friends of ours. I have known Richard and his family for a while now and have seen his kids grow from little children into the fine young adults they are today. It was nice to spend some time with them all and capture these series of portrait shots. I spent an afternoon with them and took a load of images with various light settings. It was a

This gorgeous pair of urchins are my sister’s kids. I’ve not seen them for about three years. I don’t get to see them that often at all to be honest, as they live so far away. That coupled with the crazy epidemic that we have all been living through, it has made it all the more difficult to get together. Anyway, recently they all sprung a massive surprise on me and turned up quite out

The Location On a recent trip to the east coast of Yorkshire with a tog friend of mine, we took a walk south from Bridlington along the beach front to find the numerous pillbox guard posts and various other structures scattered along the landscape. Where we ended up was a place called Fraisthorpe Beach. It is about a 3-4 mile walk from Bridlington harbour along the beach front. These salt water battered and barnicled concrete

I know, I can hear it now… “Out shooting water again Baz? It’s not like you!” Yes indeed, I just can’t help myself. When shooting water in woodland you usually get a gap in the tree canopy where the light floods in and brightens up the water course. Obviously this depends on how wide the river or stream is. In the case of these shots, in each instance, the canopy was still rather closed as

Spring is such a wonderful time of year. The earth starts to wake from its winter slumber and everything is revived, fresh, anew and bursting into life. Colour sharpens as buds open and blossoms begin to paint hues on the landscape. Fresh greens drench the vista as shrubs, trees and other foliage start pushing out shoots and the skeletal forms of winter begin to disappear under a shroud of foliage. A chlorophyll cloak of blades,

I’ve only just got around to writing about this day back in January. It wasn’t snowing when we headed out to Haworth Moor. It was somewhat grey and and there was a stiff breeze, but altogether it had been a fairly pleasant day. My wife, daughter and I had headed out for a walk to blow away the cobwebs of the last year of lockdowns. To be honest, after the previous 9 months it was

My father brought me this photo the last time he came up to visit. It is a photograph of his father Victor, my grandad, (left). The young lad with the pipe (right) is Alan, my grandma’s brother and Victor’s best friend. As you can see the image is quite damaged and rather small, measuring only 85mm / 60mm. There is also a small tear across the image from left to right.   My dad has

The Old Lighthouse of Twr Mawr – Llanddwyn Island Anglesey, Gwynedd North Wales. Don’t let this serene vista fool you. We were being blown off our feet and literally soaked to the bone with the torrential rain that was relentless battering the island. Buffeted from pillar to post and absolutely soaked to the bone! The place was stunning though. Wild and beautiful. While we were there I posted this image to my social media outlets.

I was recently up at Brimham Rocks, situated on Brimham Moor in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in North Yorkshire. It is an (SSSI), a heather moorland and 454 acre biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, and Geological Conservation Review (GCR). It also happens to be part of the National Trust’s portfolio of properties and is visited by thousands of people every year. With it’s unusual rock formations and wild landscapes it is

I have been messing around with my old Canon A-1 SLR camera recently with a 50mm 1.8 portrait lens. I chucked a roll of Ilford HP5 400 film in it and have been taking it around with me on my travels. These five shots below are all from the first roll of film that I have reeled off for many a year. I absolutely love the grain in these images. Indicative of the film I

It was a pleasure to be asked to photograph this wedding. It was a small and private affair but full of fun and a lot of laughter along the way. Shot in the beautiful autumn sunshine in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Photographing weddings is a privileged. The photographer gets unique access to the bride and groom and therefore an exclusive perspective of the whole day, capturing everything from morning nerves and excitement, tears

I have just got back from the Lake District where the autumn colours were in full effect. Being in such a beautiful place at this time of year warms the soul, even if the weather strips what’s left of your body heat out of your very being. The Lake District is one of the most phenomenally beautiful places I have ever been. Every time I go there I fall in love with the place just

Peak District Grit v’s ISO/ASA Grain, and a splash of Grunge. I have been working on some Lightroom Presets which will be on sale soon. Look out for them in the coming weeks. I created one called ‘Here Comes The Grain Again’. A monochrome preset that mimics a high ASA (American Standards Association) film. You might be more familiar with the abbreviation ISO (International Organization of Standardization), more commonly used in Digital Cameras. A high

These photos are from a recent photography walk that was organised through a company that I run with a friend of mine. All the images are from in and around the Mirfield area in West Yorkshire. We were there to offer our expertise, tuition, hints and tips, paying attention to composition, camera setup, subject matter, looking for leading lines, framing, thirds and other techniques etc. There was a good turn out and it was a

I have a special love for being by the coast. It’s definitely a yearning. I stood at the ocean’s edge last week while up on the east coast of Scotland, closed my eyes and let my senses take over. I let the whole experience wash over me. The sound of the crashing waves ebbing and flowing, the chorus of shrill calls from the gulls as they danced on the sea air, the spray hitting my

I recently captured six different aspects of the sunrise over the course of a few different mornings at a little fishing village called Johnshaven on the east coast of Scotland. The compositions were fairly similar, taken from more or less the same vantage point. It’s always exhilarating watching the sunrise on a beautiful coastline. It’s something I will never tire of. There is a quote I once heard that goes as follows… “God created the

I got a shout from a fellow TOG the other evening (Douglas) who said he was heading out for a bit of stomp and a shoot. I joined him at a place we had previously identified as a good spot to shoot some long exposures of passing trains. After a good chat where we put the photographic world to rights, we got on with the task of capturing some long exposures in daylight conditions. Setting

I took these photographs back in December 2017. The models are Larissa Bellamy and Danny Hayhurst. This ‘Movement in Dance’ shoot offered some fine and strong pose holds. Larissa and Danny were consummate professionals and I enjoyed the small amount of time that I got to work with them on this particular cold December evening back in 2017. For one reason or another I didn’t get to edit them at the time and only came

I recently visited Ilkley Moor. It is somewhere that I have been on numerous occasions over the years. A magnificent natural place of beauty. Visited by many people for it’s incredible panoramic views, fantastic trails for walking and for the fact that it is a site of special scientific interest due to its beautiful upland habitat for ground-nesting birds. Known also for the famous Yorkshire folk song “On Ilkley Moor baht ‘at”, (on Ilkley Moor

This image conjures up all sorts of emotions in me. That is the beauty of a single photograph. It can transport you to many places, evoke countless memories and trigger a depth of emotion that may not otherwise have surfaced before feasting your eyes upon it. This image brings to mind warm, sunny days, the sound of distant child’s laughter playing in a meadow, the drone of light aircraft cutting through the sky, the whiff

Spring is such a fabulous time of the year in Great Britain. From a photographic perspective it certainly presents new opportunities. Renewed and vibrantly coloured backdrops are established and frame the remnants of winter, like these Teasel heads that have been bent and crippled by the harsh cold, set against a fresh spring hue. New life sprouts up from just about every corner, every nook and every cranny. Colour begins to be splashed across the

My father and I were out ‘Fertle Barging’ recently, which is a great Barrett tradition. What is Fertle Barging I hear you ask?! It is a phrase that my father coined some years ago that pretty much covers a multitude of mischiefs. In essence it means being out in the countryside or urban spaces looking for and collecting things of interest that people and/or nature have left behind. For instance, last week, while out Fertle

I love this time of year. Spring is my favourite season without a shadow of a doubt. I love the vibrancy of colours, the fresh new smells, the new energy and renewed activity in nature. The intensity of sound, colour, smells and rejuvenated growth is beguiling and lifts the soul. It’s a season of hope, prosperity and new life. Here is a shot of new life springing into action. A new Sycamore Tree shooting up against

This image was taken while on a recent trip out to Hackfall Woods up in North Yorkshire. The woods are absolutely stunning and well worth exploring. If you like a nice stroll and you enjoy nature, this place ticks all the boxes. Great for kids and family days out. Awesome for exploring in terms of photography. On the day that I was there the sun was beating down relentlessly. It was extremely bright. Not at

I took this shot last summer while climbing Snowdon. I’ve always been drawn to it. Not sure why, but I’ve always just liked it. Some images just sit well with you. A friend once said to me that the small and mundane are as important as the mighty monuments in life. He was absolutely right. Lens EF70-200mm F/4L USM @ 98.00mm, F18, ISO 160, 1/125 Seconds Exposure, AP, Hand Held. © Mike Barrett Photography 2019

I was recently asked to do a photo shoot for the band Twin Town. Sometimes you get to work with people that are just completely on your wavelength. That was very much the case on this occasion. We had a lot of fun doing this photo shoot. It was a fairly overcast day but the conditions were perfect for this type of photography. Ever heard of the band Twin Town? Well you have now! Twin

It’s always fun heading out to get long exposure photographs in urban settings. On this occasion I was running a workshop with MODE VITAL. It was a chilly January night, but conditions were ideal for capturing this type of shot and there was a lot of traffic about. It’s always interesting teaching people new skills. It’s rewarding beyond compare. I love to see those little eureka moments as the realisation occurs that the scope of

Any parent will tell you that child development and child growth happens at a rate of knots. I take a lot of photographs as you can imagine! In fact, between my wife and I we pretty much take multiple gigabytes of imagery every year. It’s an occupational hazard as well as a family passion. We love photographs. Our daughter gets photographed quite a lot and she is well used to being in front of a camera,

Take some time to sit yourself in the landscape, and wait. Wait and watch. Watch and wait. Take a flask. Maybe some food. Eat, drink, wait and watch. Watch and wait. This is when you witness magic. The magic of light. The magic of the land and how it takes on diverse and ever changing forms as it reflects the light. From raven blacks to washed out greys. From majestic, dusty edged, alabaster Cumulonimbus reaching

Landscape photography is it’s own reward, in as much that it gets you out into the big wide world, breathing in fresh air and discovering new and interesting places over and over again. Invariably you’ll find yourself stomping across the countryside, up hill and down dale, or indeed racing along wet beaches in your wellies trying to get to a specific location before the sun starts rising. (Been there, done that)! Other times you’ll be

This was a great find while bimbling around the Lake District. A set of stunning water falls cascading down a small gorge. There were about 20 to 30 different compositions to be had at this location. I spent most of my time focusing on this particular fall just because of the way the water split in different directions as it came over the top of the two major rocks at the top of the frame.

‘Coniston Jetty at Sundown’ Having spent the day in the Lake District in fairly dull, grey weather with not much drama going on at all, I was happy to get these late shots just before calling it a day and heading home. I could hardly see what I was doing setting up. I was lighting up my kit bag using the torch on my iPhone in order to find the kit I needed. Lens, remote

Northumberland for me is a home from home. I am always at peace when I’m in there. Of course it also offers an incredible amount of stunning scenery, so the seasoned photographer will never get bored. With it’s vast coastal areas of beauty and an insane amount of beautiful and rugged countryside to explore, this place is an absolute must for anyone with a love for landscape photography. The skies seem to be bigger as

It’s great to get about the country and to see the stunning landscape that Great Britain has to offer. So much so that I can sometimes forget what I have got on my doorstep. The Peak District is one of the most stunning locations in Great Britain. The beauty in the landscapes that the Peaks has to offer is just breathtaking. It always surprises me when I go back there just how devastatingly beautiful the

Here are a few images from a couple of recent trips out pre fall. These were taken on the brink of the season change between summer and autumn. The leaves had only just started to show a change in colour. The hot temperatures of the summer had started to ebb away and there was a bit of a chill in the air. The two locations were Goit Stock Falls at Hallas Beck, Cullingworth and Janet’s

The Lake District is just one of the most phenomenally beautiful places in England. Come rain of shine, there is always something happening within the landscape that makes photographers like me twitch with anticipation. Recently I took my family over the Hardknott Pass looking for one of my favourite places in the Lakes, Wast Water. As well as being hard on the nerves, the clutch and brakes on your car wont be too happy with

This was a super little shoot where this little fellow got to smash up a big cake for the photo shoot. Everyone involved had an enormous amount of fun and a lot of squashed yummy cake. Awesome. © Mike Barrett Photography 2018 – All Rights Reserved

A stomp with the family up Snowdon and some beautiful surrounding scenery. We were recently in Snowdonia National Park on a short camping holiday. We always try to get there at least once a year as a family. My wife and I have been going ever since we got together so it is a little bit of a homage trip and we always end up staying in the same place. There is a little campsite

I went back to Sheffield recently with fellow TOG and good friend of mine, Graham Binns. It was a hot, hot day and we wanted to spend a our time doing something photographically creative. Due to the burning hot weather we thought that street photography was going to fit the bill. It was a little too bright for landscape photography and we had limited time also. So what better than to get out into the

Images that I took on a recent trip to the National Trust property, Nostell Priory. It was the end of winter and I went on the hunt to find some interesting compositions and something beautiful in the grey murky conditions that I was faced with. Check out the YouTube video here… Beauty is Everywhere © Mike Barrett Photography 2018 – All Rights Reserved

I have recently had a photograph published in the NSEAD AD Magazine after working along side the Arts Council Collection with children from Gomersal Primary School. You can see all the photo’s that I took on the day in this blog post here: Arts Council Collection and Gomersal Primary School’s own Arts Council Fabulous to have worked along side the Arts Council Collection and a great experience to have seen some of the treasures that they

It’s difficult to manage those emotions and choices when you are 5 years old. Take pizza for instance. What topping to have? What drink to go with it? To wear the free hat or not wear the free hat? To order a side of garlic bread or not! Etc. Still, the best thing about being 5 and going out for pizza is that it can turn out to be a lot of fun too. Click

I recently went to spend a little time with an old and very good friend of mine Matt who resides over in Sheffield in South Yorkshire. Not too long ago he set up his own company making bespoke, hand made skateboards under the name Manifest Skateboards. About a year ago I did a small amount of work for him concerning some graphics for his decks. As a gesture in kind, Matt agreed to make a

It was a cold, cold night. Freezing actually. Snow and sleet showers were sporadic and yet my friend, fellow tog Graham Binns and I decided it was a good time to go out and take some photos. We wanted to get some images based on traffic movement at night. Light tracers derived from long exposures against a cold, black night sky. This turned out to be somewhat difficult as there was hardly any traffic on

My wife was recently lecturing at Sheffield Hallam University, so I went down with her for the day to do some street photography. I have visited Sheffield quite a lot over the years when visiting one of my good friends, but I have seldom got out into the city centre. So I took this opportunity to do just that. It was a good day for it. Not too bright, not too dull. A semi cloudy

I have just got back from a week long break in Northumberland with my family. We tend to go up there a lot. It’s a stunningly beautiful place where we go to unwind and breathe in the fresh sea air and generally chill out and recharge the batteries. What is so wonderful about the place is that it offers an unreal amount of incredible scenery, which for a photographer like myself, is just too hard

Out on a recce mission with my mate and fellow TOG, Graham Binns. This beautiful viaduct looked like it would be an amazing place to go and capture some interesting landscape photography. Having done a little research online about where exactly it was and how one might go about photographing this amazing structure, it quickly became apparent that it was impossible to make any solid plans without first having visited the site. So that’s what

Another lovely family photo shoot on a bright winters afternoon. It was a bit touch and go regarding the weather as a large amount of snow had fallen across the country. The long range forecast had said that it was going to be ideal for photography for the week leading up to the actual shoot date, then at the last minute everything changed and Britain was hit by a boat load of snow. Luckily, everywhere

This was another smashing family shoot with Dom and Gemma and family in some super late evening, autumn sunshine. It was just cracking colour in that golden hour towards the end of the days natural light. We had some fun throwing leaves around and spent some time getting these lovely family shots, before the sunshine disappeared completely. © Mike Barrett Photography 2017 – All Rights Reserved

I took this images with my iPhone. I was walking my little girl to school early one morning recently when there was a heave ground frost. These leaves were just stuck together in a frosty clump begging to be photographed. I didn’t have any of my camera kit on me, but I did have my iPhone which captured the scene beautifully. Autumn offers so much beautiful scenery. Such beautiful colours. © Mike Barrett Photography 2017 – All

This was a lovely photo shoot at Bolton Abbey. It was a bright day with lots of dappled light in the shade. We had a picnic and I took a load of lovely shots of this equally lovely family. Lots of laughs and smiles. It was lovely to work with such a happy family unit. These guys have been friend of ours for many years and it was a privilege to be asked to take

On Sunday morning I was up bright and early. At 4.30am to be precise. I was headed to Studley Royal Deer Park, which is a medieval deer park near Ripon in Yorkshire. I was accompanied by my good friend and fellow tog, Graham Binns. We were both hopeful to get some images of the deer at sunrise. The deer park is part of the National Trust’s Fountains Abbey where the ruins of the Cistercian Abbey

Here are some images from the latest studio shoot at the Silkwood Studios with the lovely Sarah Thornton. Again, a little twist on the edits. I like to mix things up a little. Fire and Ice because of the way the edits came together. Hot and cold colours. I love shooting photographs, but sometimes I really enjoy the editing side of things. This was certainly one of those occasions. This studio shoot was in association with Bradford Photographic Society.

On Monday night I had the pleasure of working with model Zoe Margo on a Film Noir shoot at Silkwood Studios. This is the third time I have been over to the studio and it was great to hook up with some fellow togs (who are fast becoming familiar faces) for this stylised photo shoot. The studio is such a great space to work in. A really relaxed, friendly and productive atmosphere with a great

During a  ‘Film Noir’ studio shoot last night photographing the lovely Zoe Margo, we were having a bit of a laugh during the first portrait shots and I joked about turning her into a vampire for Halloween. So, that’s what I did. Just for fun. Happy Halloween everyone, and remember, don’t stray from the path! © Mike Barrett Photography 2017 – All Rights Reserved

© Mike Barrett Photography 2017 – All Rights Reserved

© Mike Barrett Photography 2017 – All Rights Reserved

My two favourites, bathed in the morning sunshine at Embleton beach, Northumberland. © Mike Barrett Photography 2017 – All Rights Reserved

A good friend of ours hired me to photograph her sons birthday bash. No probs I said. This was a brilliant and fun photo shoot. Although I hadn’t quite anticipated just how difficult a shoot it was going to be until I got there. This delightful muddy course is the Fitness Success Obstacle Gym, Wakefield Road, Oulton, Leeds, West Yorkshire. Their motto is ‘Think Outside The Gym’. Well, we were well and truly outside the

Another great studio shoot at Silkwood Studios last night with the lovely model Melissa Alice, who was professional and very patient throughout the evening. Managed to get a nice range of photos exploring different lighting set ups. It turned out to be quite a colourful shoot, especially when the umbrellas came out. A super night with some really nice people/fellow photographers. © Mike Barrett Photography 2017 – All Rights Reserved

Post Party Blues © Mike Barrett Photography 2017 – All Rights Reserved

© Mike Barrett Photography 2017 – All Rights Reserved

I recently linked up with the Bradford Photographic Society for a studio shoot at the Silkwood Studios in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire. The Bradford Photographic Society was formed by a small group of photography enthusiasts way back in November 1860. It has been active in the city ever since. It boasts to be one of the oldest photographic societies in the world. The model for the evening was The Divine Miss Aitch who is a part

I have recently been working with Premier Taekwondo in Huddersfield. Premier Taekwondo is the largest Taekwondo club in the UK with over 600 members and caters for people of all ages. It has been great to work with the team there, looking at aspects of club photography including camera set up, off camera light/flash photography and studio lighting set-ups. The club staff are really friendly as are the club members that I have spent time with.

I recently spent some time up in Northumberland with my family on a summer vacation. Such a stunning part of the world. We try and get up there at least once a year if we can. While I was there I managed to get out and photograph the coast as the sun was rising. Luckily there was plenty of drama on this stunning morning. The light was just magnificent. Most of these shots are taken

Gomersal Primary School’s own Arts Council recently visited the Arts Council Collection at the Longside Gallery at the fabulous Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The visit was devised in order for the young artists of Gomersal Primary School to get an insight into how major artworks are looked after and cared for when in transit, in storage and indeed when on loan in selected galleries or buildings when out on display to the public. The school council