Rupert Barker Photogapher

People and Places Photographer – Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England, Great Britain.

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A Portrait Project #56 – Lizzie Rayner

When you find out there is a Professional Long Course Triathlete in you home town, my mind straight away started putting images together, and plucking up courage to reach out via Social Media. It still feels a bit odd, even after all these years, to reach out to a stranger and ask if they be interested in you taking some photographs of them. Thankfully more often than not I get a positive response, and I’m super grateful Lizzie said ‘Yes’ too.

For those of you not fully up to speed on Triathlon, it’s a single race event, first swimming, then a bike race and finally a run. It’s simple to type but the distances involved still stagger me! Lizzie races Half Ironman or ‘70.3’ thats the number of miles, or 113km in metric!

Starting with 1.2 miles or 1.9km of swimming, often in open water…….

then 56 miles or 90km on the bike…..

And to finish off 13.1 miles or 21.1 km, also know as a half marathon, to finish! Just staggering, and almost incomprehensible that Lizzie does this in around (hopefully under this year) 4 and a half hours. Mind blowing!

The day of the shoot was planned around Lizzie’s training schedule and turned out to be freezing cold (about 2 degrees) and foggy, it is January in England I suppose! This didn’t make a difference at the rapid 20 minute shoot between swim sessions at The Activity Zone, thanks for accommodating us.

Then up onto the The Common which was spectacular in its bleakness in the fog

Then round the corner to The Fosseway, a feature of so may bike rides for anyone in North Wiltshire.

Thanks again to Lizzie for listening to my waffling for a couple of hours, hopefully coffee and cake made up for it! Were hoping to do some more when the weather is warmer, possibly with some blue skies… in the meantime I’d encourage you to follow Lizzie on her socials, Facebook and Instagram, its a journey I’m going to be keeping an eye on.

I am so fortunate to live in the beautiful town that I do, but even more fortunate to spend time with those that make it so special. I am aways on the look out for new subjects for this portrait project, so if you are or know someone who you’d like to see me photograph, please get in touch.

Everyone is a story, it just needs a picture…

I’d love to hear what you think of the images, as always the easiest way is to comment the post on my page…..RupertBarker Photographer

Thanks, Rupert.

January 31, 2023
A Portrait Project #55 – Nicola Hope

I first photographed Nicola all the way back in January 2016, the fourth shoot in this project.

And to be honest I should have shared these months ago, I shot them back in July…….. but as with so many creatives I know, post covid, post lockdowns, it’s been a real struggle…

Work has changed, or disappeared, routines have had to be broken, revisions and adjustments made, what was once normal is now alien.

I’ve been taking some down time through the summer, some of it enforced, some it planned but I think I’m starting to understand a route forward, but please bare with me, its seems to be a slow, non-linear process.

Back to Nicola, she no longer works at “The Big House”, so the shoot was in her garden right here in Malmesbury, a wonderful and tranquil space, well at 1930 in the evening when there isn’t 1500 children over the other side of the fence!

Nicola is now not just working with plants in a mud under the fingernails way but also designing and consulting on gardens for her clients, https://www.facebook.com/NicolaHopeGardene r

But the most animated conversation was definatly the one on growing tomatoes, a shared passion we have, and I left with Greenhouse envy.

And in answer to you Instagram question, you looked something like this when you photographed me….

I am so fortunate to live in the beautiful town that I do, but even more fortunate to spend time with those that make it so special. I am aways on the look out for new subjects for this portrait project, so if you are or know someone who you’d like to see me photograph, please get in touch.

Everyone is a story, it just needs a picture…

I’d love to hear what you think of the images, as always the easiest way is to comment the post on my page…..RupertBarker Photographer

Thanks, Rupert.

January 31, 2023
A Portrait Project #54 – Theo May

Do people make a place or does a place make its people?….

I first moved to Malmesbury in 2005, I had been working here for about 6 months and wanted to put down some roots after moving about since finishing ‘Art School’ in London. It was amazing how quickly Malmesbury become home. Yes it has a fantastic location, a wonderfully weird layout and some awesome history but its the people that make this place, or perhaps this place that creates and attracts these people?

Theo is one such person, fantastically and wonderfully left field, creatively and intellectually questioning, interesting and interested, brave, brazen and bonkers….. a perfect subject and one who only just fits into one blog post, and it’ll be longer than normal!

It would be impossible to place Theo into any one musical box, not just genre spanning but flipping from virtuoso classical violinist, to improvised jazz songwriter, to instrument maker and modifier, to folk story teller…

Theo is currently recording and preparing to release his first album with Theo May and The Odd Unit, they hope to be release it in the spring of 2023, I for one, and I’ve heard a few bits, cant wait to hear it all….

Theo modifies his own instruments, carving and scrapping away parts and adding more material to specific areas to manipulate the ordinary into the unique.

I’d like to say there was a massive pre-production meeting for the afternoon of shooting, but there was none, except “Something with a load of violins in it” the shoot was made up of, “can I try this” or, “what if you did that” and talking, uninhibited talking, drinking coffee and mucking about, to coin a phrase!

We finished in the river, well Theo was in the river I was on the bank, and why? Well because it was there, at the bottom of the garden was the river and Theo fancied getting in it! As an avid fossil hunter, Theo spends quite a lot of time in rivers, these are his fossil hunting wellingtons with an inbuilt water drainage facility.

I am so fortunate to live in the beautiful town that I do, but even more fortunate to spend time with those that make it so special. I am aways on the look out for new subjects for this portrait project, so if you are or know someone who you’d like to see me photograph, please get in touch.

Everyone is a story, it just needs a picture…

I’d love to hear what you think of the images, as always the easiest way is to comment the post on my page…..RupertBarker Photographer

Thanks, Rupert.

July 18, 2022
A Portrait Project #53 – Andy Pointer

I am still here… but like so many of us, its been a bit tough!

So you haven’t heard from me for a while, small fry issues really considering what so many people have had to go though in the last couple of years. Simply put, my self confidence has taken a kicking, motivation has abandoned me and questions with no answers start spiralling in your head and feeding the ‘Dark Dog’…..

So I parked my personal work, tried to let my head breath, worked in the garden and cycled in my spare time, tried my best to stay away from social media…. rested.

And after a while I couldn’t ignore the camera bag in the corner of my studio any longer, a few tentative messages got sent and I have shot some more portraits for this project.

Seems only yesterday that I put a social media shout out to see if anyone wanted to participate in a re-boot, re-launch, re-start of my Portrait Project that I started back in January 2016, and yet here I am re-typing for the eighth time the blog post for the first shoot in mid-July!

Andy was one of the first people to reply to my ‘Casting Call’ and fortunately lives opposite, so was an easy one to grab. It also helps he has a fantastically character filled face and we share the same sense of humour!

I actually shot these images back in February but without an ongoing plan I didn’t share them and the longer I didn’t share them the sillier it felt to do so… The human mind does very weird things to itself!

I’ve a small (and I mean small) studio at home now after we extended the house, for those that have even been to Barker Towers, I no longer work in a shed, for the first time since 2005 I have a workspace with central heating – its also right next to the kitchen so my tea consumption has gone up!

Its a small space but I can just about shoot full length portraits I here, I just have to shuffle the furniture a bit first, but the next 2 shoots I’ll share are back in the great outdoors, largely.

I’ll be getting in touch with those people who kindly volunteered back at the beginning of the year to see what we can do together but I am also on the look out for new subjects for this portrait project, so if you are or know someone who you’d like to see me photograph, please get in touch.

Everyone is a story, it just needs a picture…

I’d love to hear what you think of the images, as always the easiest way is to comment the post on my page…..RupertBarker Photographer

Thanks, Rupert.

July 13, 2022
A Portrait Project #52 – Kian Pollard (again!)

If you saw my last post – https://rupertbarker.com/a-portrait-project-51-kian-pollard/ – you would have seen Kian’s magnificent bead, well as you can see the beard is gone and we needed some updated headshots.

And fair play to Kian he had no reservations when I asked if he’d fancy popping into the river at Abbey House to shoot something different.

Again, even without the facial hair Kian was able to switch his expression as quickly as I could shoot them.

We had so much fun with this shoot, and as quite possibly my last shoot at Abbey House it was a good one to have memories of.

I’m now hunting for new subjects for this portrait project, so if you are or know someone who you’d like to see me photograph, please get in touch. Everyone is a story, it just needs a picture…

I’d love to hear what you think of the images, as always the easiest way is to comment the post on my page…..RupertBarker Photographer

Thanks, Rupert.

December 31, 2021
A Portrait Project #51 – Kian Pollard

‘A Portrait Project’ is back…. it’s been a while…. too long but I don’t need to go into what we’ve all experienced and struggled through this last year.

Kian dropped me a line looking for some updated headshots for his portfolio, he has grown an impressive beard in the last year, which is also proving perfect for his role as King Duncan and Macduff.

It’s always great to work with actors, by the nature of their trade they always have a great command of how they look, they are usually confident in front of the camera, and tend to be open to a collaborative subject/photographer relationship.

If you want to catch Kian check out https://www.beyondthehorizontheatre.co.uk dates from 1st September to 15th October in Bath, Maidstone, Margate, Wellingborough, Worcester, Stroud and Camberley.

We shot these in The Belevedere at http://www.abbeyhousegardens.co.uk, get there before they close at the end of October, there is going to be a change of ownership so this might be your last chance for a while…. and certainly whist still in the stewardship of The Pollards.

I’ve been mulling the idea over of a ‘Lockdown/Covid’ beard/hair project, it does seem that a lot more of us are sporting more or different amounts of hair, would any of you be up for featuring in this? Just wondering……

I’m now hunting for new subjects for this portrait project, so if you are or know someone who you’d like to see me photograph, please get in touch. Everyone is a story, it just needs a picture…

I’d love to hear what you think of the images, as always the easiest way is to comment the post on my page…..RupertBarker Photographer

Thanks, Rupert.

August 22, 2021
A Portrait Project #50 – Louis Harvey – 2020 British Champion

I actually shot these images in late September…but never posted them, I seem to be suffering a crisis of creative confidence right now.

I guess its not surprising considering the year we’ve all had and how hard everyone in the creative industries have been hit, and I might have another blog post exploring this more…..

But back to the here and now and I wanted to put together a post to say a huge Congratulations to Louis Harvey on his achievement in becoming the Junior TKM 2020 British Kart Champion…….

We shot these at M4 Karting just outside Malmesbury, thanks for letting us borrow a corner of your carpark!

I’m delighted to have been able to shoot Louis twice in, very different styles and I would love to use this moment of celebration to say I want, in fact I need, to be shooting more portraits for this project and to put it out to you all to connect and lets see what we can make, not too much thought just a wish to return to the original plan for this body of work…..

I’m now hunting for new subjects for this portrait project, so if you are or know someone who you’d like to see me photograph, please get in touch. Everyone is a story, it just needs a picture…

I’d love to hear what you think of the images, as always the easiest way is to comment the post on my page…..RupertBarker Photographer

Thanks, Rupert.

October 27, 2020
‘Clubs’#3 – Malmesbury Community Choir
Part 2 of my Clubs project….

…I’ve had good feedback on this new layout, let me know what you think.

Click on the image below and scroll down through the story, you can click on the images to see them larger.

….. until I get used to it I’ll also post the images below!
July 3, 2019
A Portrait Project #49 – The Pollards.

I’m really excited to be able to bring you this set of images from my ‘A Portrait Project’, The Pollards, The New Guardians of The Gardens.

Abbey House Gardens needs no introduction for any of us from Malmesbury, but for those who haven’t heard of or visited hears a quick summary.

Nestled at the centre of our little town lies Abbey House, a Tudor Manor House with parts dating back to the the Abbots residence from the 12th Century. The Gardens are 5 areas of peace, serenity and spirituality with parts in the location of the original footprint of Malmesbury Abbey. King Athelstan (the first King of all England) is buried somewhere in the garden, he was exhumed from his tomb and reburied to avoid the attention of grave robbers. It is also said that no less than 2 saints came to their end after being thrown down the well.

But now the house and gardens are tended by Rufus, his wife Kristen and Kian Pollard after the sad death of their father Ian earlier this year. And this shoot is to celebrate just that, the passing of the stewardship the new Guardian of The Gardens.

It goes without saying that this is somewhere everyone should spend some time, seasoned garden visitors or not. A walk through the formal gardens, an adventure down to the river and monastic ponds and a coffee or tea with the Koi carp in the Stew Pond. You can now even stay in The Abbey House as an Air b&b, quite unique accommodation I think you’ll agree.

I’d love to hear what you think of the images, as always the easiest way is to comment the post on my page…..RupertBarker Photographer

I’m always on the look out for new subjects for this portrait project, so if you are or know someone who you’d like to see me photograph, please get in touch.

Thanks, Rupert.

May 20, 2019
A Portrait Project #48 – Louis.
A Portrait Project #48 – Louis.

As soon as I heard about Malmesbury’s own British Championship Karter, Louis Harvey, I’ve been trying to set up a shoot for my ‘A Portrait Project’ but it seemed like we were destined to be ships passing in the night…..for some reason we just couldn’t get our diaries to match up.

But all that was put right on Tuesday and I can happily say it was a good one. Keep up with Louis on his Facebook Page on Instagram Feed, I feel this young man is one to keep eye on.

Thanks to Chris and Charlene for suitably embarrassing him during the shoot, but more importantly getting him and the Kart to me.

I’d love to hear what you think of the images, as always the easiest way is to comment the post on my page…..RupertBarker Photographer
I’m always on the look out for new subjects for this portrait project, so if you are or know someone who you’d like to see me photograph, please get in touch.

Thanks, Rupert.
May 16, 2019
‘Clubs’#2 – The Long Players
Part 2 of my Clubs project….

…I’ve had good feedback on this new layout, let me know what you think.

Click on the image below and scroll down through the story, you can click on the images to see them larger.

….. until I get used to it I’ll also post the images below!
April 27, 2019
‘Clubs’#1 – Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club
New year, new project, new presentation….

…let me know what you think. Click on the image below and scroll down through the story, you can click on the images to see them larger.

For now until I get used to it I’ll also post the images below!
January 24, 2019
Heroes – John Holder & The Dead Cowboys

My Uncle John, illustrator extraordinaire, is also a damn good musician. Playing Bluegrass since the late ’50’s in Suffolk. He’s put out a new CD, a collection of his favourite pieces of Americana, his musical heroes. I was honoured to shoot a selection of portraits of him and most of his current band members, “The Dead Cowboys”, lots of fun was had by all…….them good ol’ boys!

December 12, 2018
Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club – 24.11.18.

I’ve never photographed boxing before……..so when I got a message asking if I could take some images at Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club‘s show, I couldn’t say no! It was a lot of fun, a really well put on night. Can’t wait to shoot some more!!

Please leave any comments on my Facebook Page, thanks.

December 5, 2018
The Long Players – Purple Rain

If you happened to be walking past The Kings Arms in Malmesbury on 18th November and wondered what the flashing lights and coloured smoke was all about……..well here it is. Now the gig is over I can happily share the ‘Album’ cover recreation that I was honoured to be able to shoot for Malmesbury’s Premier Musical Collective, formally known as The Longplayers! (nod to Mr Sturdy for that one!)

The Longplayers’ now legendary gigs take the form of choosing a seminal album, then rehearsing and performing within a couple of weeks, with a cast of a couple of dozen to a packed venue in Malmesbury, complete with decoration, costumes, badges, stickers and a recreation of the album artwork. Much as the performances are not those of a tribute band the album artwork is inspired by the original but not a copy of…… thankfully as we had no hope of finding a purple custom Honda motorcycle in the 3 week production schedule was slim!!! However, Dan, a good friend who I’ve photographed for this blog more than once, has an awesome purple lowrider.

The shoot itself was fairly straight forward, as far as these things ever are and a very special mention to Jon and Lucy for playing our protagonist and his love interest. Smoke Grenades, expensive studio strobes and buckets of water, plenty to worry about…..everything went smoothly and with a little bit of post-production we ended up with something we all are really proud of.

Special thanks in no particular order to: The Kings Arms Hotel, Dan Payne, Jon Stamp, Lucy Sturdy, Jon Sneddon, Dave Sturdy and Jodie from Acacia Floristry.

December 3, 2018
A Portrait Project #47 – Jodie.

A Portrait Project #47 – Jodie.

Refresh, reboot, reinvent……after some navel gazing I’ve decided to remove the “Weekly” part of my portrait project. I’m not doing this as a challenge, its not a how long can I do this for…..when I ‘missed’ a week I chastised myself and it was doubly hard to shoot the following week. I have removed that………I shoot portraits because I’m a Portrait Photographer and one lucky enough to get paid to do it on occasion so welcome to A Portrait Project (so far unfinished!)

Thanks Jodie for volunteering to help me reboot this project (and possibly being the start of a new one, but more about that another time). Jodie runs Acacia Floristry here in Malmesbury, a wonderful place and a wonderful person. Pop buy and have a chat and browse its just off the Market Cross if you didn’t know!

September 5, 2018
Weekly Portrait #46 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Megan.

Weekly Portrait #46 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Megan.

Megan lives on the same street as me, she featured in my 40:40:40 project last year with her son Tobias when he was just 4 days old, that’s commitment. Now with hair that red there really was no choice but to match it up with a shoot in some super yellow oil-seed rape. Lots of fun.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week (or so!) ……. You can find the rest of them here My Diary.

It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to continuing the journey, still unaware of the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

May 11, 2018
Weekly Portrait #45 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Jo.

Weekly Portrait #45 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Jo.

So I might need to change this to the Monthly Portrait Project if commissions keep getting in the way……..only joking of course, I’m a freelance photographer and glad I can pay my bills with my cameras! But boy has it been crazy busy since spring suddenly appeared, and has now disappeared again!

Jo invited me to Newport Velodrome a couple of weeks ago (yes its taken me that long to have time to edit them!) to shoot some images of her on and off the boards. I’ve never been to a velodrome before, they’re great spaces but really quite tricky places to shoot as there isn’t that much light and what there is, isn’t everywhere on the track! I enjoyed myself enormously and it didn’t take long for me to get back into panning at slow shutters, all that time spent at Brands Hatch, Silverstone and in the forests following the World Rally Championship, the muscle memory snapped back in!

I then shot some portraits of Jo in between sessions, and boy they looked hard, I’m not sure I’d have been standing let alone holding my composure in front of the camera, thank you Jo! And a big thanks to Jason from PDQ Cycle Coaching for letting me hang out during his coaching session.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week of 2016, and as its the 3rd week of 2018 I thought I’d better get on with it……. You can find the rest of them hereÂ My Diary.

It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to continuing the journey, still unaware of the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

May 1, 2018
Weekly Portrait #44 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Sarah.

Weekly Portrait #44 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Sarah.

I first photographed Sarah in October 2015, after revealing to everyone on Facebook that she was suffering with Alopecia we tackled it head on with some striking portraits – I’ll post one below but take a look here for the rest – rupertbarker.com/alopecia-a-portrait-to-help , a Weekly Portrait before I started this project I guess you could say. Fast forward 2 years and Sarah also sat for my 40:40:40 project (more of that in the very near future) and today we made some portraits with Sarah and her first wig.

The wig for Sarah is quite simply about choice, she can wear it one day, her familiar headscarf the next and perhaps soon, when the weather warms up, she can wear nothing at all. And so confident is Sarah, wig on or wig off, her personality radiates through……thank you Sarah, until the next time!!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week of 2016, and as its the 3rd week of 2018 I thought I’d better get on with it……. You can find the rest of them here My Diary.

It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to continuing the journey, still unaware of the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

March 16, 2018
Weekly Portrait #43 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Phillip.

Weekly Portrait #43 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Phillip.

One week of a crazy work deadline and a second interrupted by snow and I’ve managed to miss 2 weeks of my WPP, so back to it and with a fun shoot with my very good friend Phillip. A couple of hours of tea, lino printing and talk of projects, books and parenthood!

The prints you see in the images are from a nursery rhyme book Phillip is working on, checkout The Wooden Spoon Press for updates.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week of 2016, and as its the 3rd week of 2018 I thought I’d better get on with it……. You can find the rest of them here My Diary.

It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to continuing the journey, still unaware of the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

March 8, 2018
Weekly Portrait #43 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Esther.

Weekly Portrait #43 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Esther.

Once a month as part of my Weekly Portrait Project, I will photograph someone who is ‘Making Malmesbury Better’ in collaboration with the unofficial Malmesbury Facebook Page – Make Malmesbury “Even” Better – and to start things off here’s Esther……

“This makes me appreciate living in such a beautiful and safe place even more than before.”

Esther came to Malmesbury 28 years ago from Germany via London, a chance passing through the town and a moment of ‘this is the right place for me’. Esther raised her family here and works at Abbey House Gardens during the season, you’ll see her in her booth as you first arrive. But what Esther does to make ‘Malmesbury Better’ is actually making the world better. Esther gave up normal life to live in The Jungle – the refugee and migrant camp – outside of Calais for 7 months, when she had only planned to visit and deliver some craft kits for the children. Through her selflessness Esther gave this hugely controversial news story a human face and a human voice right back her in Malmesbury and spurred on action from our small, cosy but caring town. Esther’s energy has now moved onto the Choose Love campaign, the World’s first store that sells real products for refugees, and outreach based individual support.

Esther Hamill-Strerath – Making Malmesbury even Better.

Big ‘Thank You’ to Rufus for letting us use Abbey House Gardens for the shoot and if your wondering about the wig…….Esther has shaved off her hair in solidarity with her sister who is currently fighting cancer, and undergoing treatment that means she doesn’t have this choice.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week of 2016, and have relaunched it for 2018……. You can find the rest of them here My Diary.

It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to continuing the journey, still unaware of the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

February 19, 2018
Weekly Portrait #42 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Clare.

Weekly Portrait #42 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Clare.

I didn’t shoot a weekly portrait last week I was completely engrossed in post production of the book for my 40:40:40 project – more info here if you’ve not seen it.

So this week I managed to squeeze in a super short but super stylish portrait shoot with Clare from Tetbury Pilates in her awesome oak framed studio. I want a studio like that, just perhaps with a few less mirrors, I had to hide myself in every shot as every wall is a mirror!

Thank you Clare for the last minute availability……

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week of 2016, and as its the 3rd week of 2018 I thought I’d better get on with it……. You can find the rest of them here My Diary.

It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to continuing the journey, still unaware of the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

February 9, 2018
Weekly Portrait #41 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Ceri.

Weekly Portrait #41 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Ceri.

Yesterday I got to spend a fantastic couple of hours at Brinkworth Dairy with Ceri Cryer and her team. A mixed shoot of part Weekly Portrait Project and part complementary commercial shoot that I promised before the end of 2017, well that slipped a bit I don’t think anyone noticed!! So there will be another post in the next few days about the Dairy, this post is about Ceri…….dress, wellies, cow muck and all…….

895 deciding to have a snot and dribble shake!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week of 2016, and as its the 3rd week of 2018 I thought I’d better get on with it……. You can find the rest of them here My Diary.

It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to continuing the journey, still unaware of the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

January 26, 2018
Weekly Portrait #40 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Luke or Syd.

Weekly Portrait #40 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Luke or Syd.

It’s back…….

So my Weekly Portrait Project is back, and to kickstart it off a Malmesbury Celebrity…….Syd from The Stencil Shed or Luke as most of us know him. For those of you that don’t know Luke, he’s a spray paint and stencil artist made famous by his appearance on Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces ‘Shed of the Year’ and his persistent decoration of our small North Wiltshire town……we also live on the same road, the best road in Malmesbury!

Shot at the The NEW Stencil Shed……it was a really nice treat to hangout for a couple of hours, put the world to right, and make friends with Holly and Bramble.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week of 2016, and as its the 3rd week of 2018 I thought I’d better get on with it……. You can find the rest of them here My Diary.

It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to continuing the journey, still unaware of the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

January 19, 2018
Wedding Portraits you’d never take on your big day – or ‘Trash the Dress’

I’m not a wedding photographer, but there is something really special about a bride dressed for her Wedding Day. So why do it just once……… this is were ‘Trash the Dress’ shoots come in. Please don’t run away now, you don’t actually have to destroy your expensive and treasured gown, the idea of these shoots is to get images you’d never have the time or location to shoot on your busy wedding day, an excuse to get dressed up again, have a photoshoot in a special place to you and not worry about whether Aunt Maud will like the starter! That being said, water, paint or even a trip to the seaside can really create a long-lasting experience and images that might leave your dress less perfect than it was on the day. But we also have another option, my friend Claire Lawrence can rent or sell to you a ‘stunt’ dress if you really want to go crazy but want to keep your own dress in its box in the loft!!! Drop her a message.

So the other weekend Claire put her money where her mouth is and donned one of her dresses and jumped in the River Avon here in Malmesbury, we had a lot of fun and I think you can tell this from the constant laughing…….

Firstly Claire wadded around in the river before we got 5 children to throw water bombs at her, once soaked there was no going back and massive kudos owed to Claire for splashing around before lying down in the river in a slightly (very!) chilly September….

If your interested in this type of shoot, or have your own ideas of a shoot in your wedding dress (after the honeymoon, all tanned and relaxed….) get in touch for a chat and lets see what we can do.

October 6, 2017
Tipsy Waggon – The Mobile Premium Bar

Here is my second complimentary commercial shoot, part of the 6 shoots I’m offering to businesses, large and small, based around Malmesbury.

Tipsy Waggon is a mobile premium bar available for Weddings, Festivals, Gin Tastings and Bar Hire. Owned and operated by Helen from her converted horse box, named ‘Ginny’ after Helen’s speciality and primary tipple, wonderful artisan Gins. Helen can set up ‘Ginny’ anywhere to provide a fantastic centre piece with the bonus of providing unique and really special Gin and Tonics.

Helen, with Kirsty’s help, set up Ginny for our photoshoot and we had lots of fun shooting images for marketing and promotional use, I promise no Gin was drunk whilst working! We wanted to get wide shots of the whole set up, showing how pretty this unique bar is, as well as detail images showing the wonderful attention to detail and effort Helen has put into this venture. Helen had also managed to convince Kirsty to don her Wedding Dress to show prospective clients how Tipsy Wagon will look as a part of their special day.

I hope you enjoy the images, and I hope you can see what professional photography can bring to your company or brand to show your clients who and what you are.

I’m in the process of sorting the shoots for October but if you are a local business, small or large, based within 10 miles of Malmesbury, I’m offering a half day commercial photoshoot every month for the rest of the year. This includes all post production and the images for you to use as you wish, the only stipulation being that I can share them here on my blog. Get in touch if you have any fantastic ideas, I’d love to hear them……..

September 20, 2017
Buttons – Children’s Clothing

I undertook my first complementary commercial shoots in July (just) but with a super busy family time I haven’t had a chance to put the post together to share the images…..well here they are!

I met up with Jennie Jones from Buttons Children’s Clothing at with a few of her friends and their children to model her fantastic hand made dresses and dungarees. We found a great tree at Westonbirt Arboretum with low branches and stumps for the children to play on and once dressed it was really a case of letting them explore and play and I worked around them. Watching and observing with very little direction, we really wanted to produce natural images of the children, and this certainly suited the clothes.

I hope you enjoy the images, I’ve been photographing children for private commission portraits since 2005 and more recently for commercial use, my approach to both of these is largely the same, you work at the children’s pace and attention span, keep things simple and make it fun!

I’m in the process of sorting the shoots for August and September but if you are a local business, small or large, based within 10 miles of Malmesbury, I’m offering a half day commercial photoshoot every month for the rest of the year. This includes all post production and the images for you to use as you wish, the only stipulation being that I can share them here on my blog. Get in touch if you have any fantastic ideas, I’d love to hear them……..

August 21, 2017
Fujifilm GFX 50S

So I proviso this blog post with the fact that I’m not a photographer chasing the latest and greatest pieces of equipment that photography retailers and manufacturers would like me to be. If a piece of camera or studio gear lets me achieve what I want, whether it’s cutting edge or not, is quite along way down my priorities. Now with that out the way I’m going to talk briefly about a brand new, cutting edge and rather expensive camera that I tried out this week!

I joined a few other photographers at Eastington Park, invited by Clifton Cameras to try out the Fujifilm GFX 50S. Paul Sanders and Damien Lovegrove were there to support and demo some of its features, along with technical support from Fuji able to answer even the most obscure of questions, a credit to their employer. Thank you very much to all of them.

Now there are loads of reviews written by people who have used all manor of cameras from all sorts of manufactures out there on the web, they are in a far better place to educate on all the nuances of this quite frankly awesome camera, its relative strengths and weaknesses, than I am, I shoot what I own and very little else. I have shot with Canon cameras since 1999, I have no real need or wish to move away from them, and I doubt I will, the availability of every conceivable lens and accessory available it allows me the option to photograph many different people and things in a variety of different circumstances, but I see the GFX as a camera I would really love to add to my armoury. It would be first choice for my portrait work, especially the studio work, people and dogs shot in a simple, elegant and timeless fashion, that I am being drawn towards.

Now to the camera, it is a mirror less, digital medium format camera in a body the same size or smaller than my Canon 5dmk3 35mm DSLR. And to all of those who don’t know or who are uninterested in the technical side of cameras, it basically means a bigger sensor – a larger piece of film if you like – without being physically bigger and heavier as a camera. Its dials and buttons are in a different place to my Canon but that was not a huge issue, with a shutter speed dial on top and an aperture ring on the lens, it was a natural setup to adjust to. Once that adjustment was made, it became exactly what I look for in a camera, a simple device to allow you to take photographs rather than something you are worrying about and fiddling with, it allows you to take photographs rather than getting in the way of the process.

However the biggest eye-opener to me was the next day when back in the studio I imported them onto the computer and got to put them through my normal post processing. The way that the camera rendered the skin tones and detail straight out the camera is beautiful, simple and subtle adjustments could be made straight away without having to ‘fix the skin’ first…….I was sold right then!

I’ve started to shoot a project on 50% grey background paper and we did this and Eastington Park, great for a relevant comparison. I love 50% grey for it’s flexibility but am not so keen on the clinical nature of its flatness, so I usually add some texture in Photoshop. I was a bit worried that my nearly 7 year old iMac would struggle to work on these huge files, but that was not the case, ok obviously they take longer to open, but once open there was no discernible difference to the speed I can work with files from my Canon that are one third the size nearly….

I’d love to shoot more with this camera, especially on a location portrait shoot, just once strobe, one camera and an individual or family, but from what I have got from this camera already I’m going to be thinking long and hard about this one…….

So if you were thinking of commissioning me……….do it now please I might need the extra funds!!!

Thank you to Clifton Cameras and Olivia Wike, Fujifilm and Elinchrom, Paul Sanders and Damien Lovegrove.

June 23, 2017
A family photoshoot in the woods – ‘behind the scenes’

As a new feature here on my blog I’m going to start showing a more detailed view of my Private Commission family portrait shoots. Thank you very much to The Platt family for giving me your permission to share these images.

Back in the Autumn of 2016, I met with The Platt family in some woods near to Malmesbury, the main brief of the the shoot was whole family photographs, concentrating on the children but also Mum and Dad. And thats as loose as the brief needed to be, sometimes its just better to get the family in a beautiful place and take photographs of them being themselves. We had a great shoot, working in the woods is really one of my favourite places, and with a stripped down camera bag and my trusty Elinchrom Quadra Rangers I can carry all I need to shoot fun, simple family portraits whilst still having the full creative control ‘studio’ strobes give you.

I love the Autumn colours but there are so many opportunities in the woods whatever the time of year.

There is always time for some silly faces…….

Sometimes simple is best.

Even with all the colour in the woods, I still process images to Black and White, it still has that fantastic way of making us look at the image differently, concentrating on those expressions here for example.

Billingham Bags – still the best – this one is nearly 10 years old and still has no wear or faults, and my Elinchrom Quadra Ranger and a Portalite Octo Softbox, allow me to single handedly take the studio anywhere we can walk.

……and here is the shot.

And just before we got back to the cars, there is always time to get one more shot, I never shoot with any time limits except those that the client has…….I just hate thinking I might have to leave when I have to often be more worried about the weather or failing light……..

Thanks for reading this far……I’d love to hear you comments on both the images and this type of blog post……

If you’d like to know any more or to book your own family photoshoot (woodland is optional!) post me a comment on FB or get in touch by all the normal means, there are links to them all over this page!!!

Thanks, Rupert.

June 7, 2017
Paddling-Pool-28.05.17

Second day in the paddling pool, time to activate the sprinkler……..

May 29, 2017
Paddling-Pool-27.05.1017

So you can blame me for the change in the weather, I was the one who ordered a new paddling pool in the middle of the heatwave….. anyways Tallulah and Scarlett would not be put off, so wetsuits on and in they went…….

May 27, 2017
Happily Ever After Dog Rescue – March 2017

It’s been a while since I photographed any dogs for Happily Ever After but on Sunday, Cerian drove up from Bristol with 10 dogs that are ready to find their forever homes. Please share this as far and wide as you can to give these guys the break in life they really need.
If you want more details about any dog in particular please get in touch with Cerian via either their Facebook Page – Happily Ever After – or via the website – headogrescue.webs.com , or message me and I’ll pass on your details. And make sure you let anyone you know who is looking to get a dog, that they not only can make a real difference to these guys but also they will love you in such an unconditional way, you won’t believe it until you’ve experienced it. As a special gift from me, anyone who adopts or fosters any one of these dogs with get a signed 20″x16″ print of their choice.

For those interested these are the first public releases of a new classical portrait style that I’ve been playing with for a while, looking to roll this out to my portrait commissions this year, if you like it I’d love to hear your comments back on the Facebook Page – RupertBarker Photographer

Thank you.

Princess Bea

Berry

Briefcase

Hans

Dolly Oliver and Daisy May

Suki

Katie

Inky and Pinky

March 14, 2017
Sooty 1995 – 2017

13 years ago in February my Granny had to move into sheltered accommodation that did not allow her to have pets. I had just bought my first house here in Malmesbury and Sooty came to live with me. Today I had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life and let her go. At the grand old age of 21 and blind, her back legs had finally given up on her. She was a grumpy, mad and wonderful cat that I’ll miss so much, I have cried today the most I can remember in my adult life.

She was not a lap cat, she would sit next to you on the sofa at the most, but she did like to sleep on Kylie’s hair, pinning her to the pillow when she woke. She would wake us up in the middle of the night, soaking wet almost to tell us it was raining, once towel dried, she would disappear and we’d here the familiar sound of the cat flap as she went back outside. She tolerated Thor but took pleasure in sitting on her food cupboard and playfully ‘batting’ him on the nose when he tried to say hello. She tolerated the children when they arrived, I remember a frozen Tallulah calling out to me when, as a 1 year old, she was held to the spot by the same cupboard with a single claw in the scalp, Sooty nonchalantly looking the other way, “Well I warned her”, you could imagine her saying.

She loved to chase a wine cork on a string, ‘Sooty Fishing’ we used to call it. She loved her Cat Mint pot in the garden and would fiercely defend it from anyone. She loved to have her tail pulled and tickles behind the ears. She was quiet mad, climbed into every box, especially open jigsaws, drank milk every day and slept on a plastic bag, especially if it was in a box!

I’m not a religious person, I don’t know what happens next, but if the reading I gave for my Uncle at my Granny’s funeral is correct, she is crossing that rainbow bridge now, back with Granny.

I’m going to miss you Mad Cat – Miaow Miaow.

January 3, 2017
Weekly Portrait #39 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Robin.

Weekly Portrait #39 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Robin.

Corrective Farrier and partner at Willow Equine. Horses hooves smell like burning hair, obvious really but still truly stinky!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

December 13, 2016
Weekly Portrait #38 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Martin.

Weekly Portrait #38 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Martin.

Tree surgeon and purveyor of sound advice. Thanks Martin

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

December 9, 2016
Happily Ever After Dog Rescue – Image #8 – Sean.

Eighth instalment of showing you the calendar images I shot for Happily Ever After Dog Rescue, please go to their FB page and send them a message to order one. If you’ve missed the previous images, look back through My Diary

The Calendars are A3 in size and just £10+p&p – BUY ONE NOW! In fact order them as Christmas gifts for your friends and family too – Happily Ever After Facebook Page

December 8, 2016
Weekly Portrait #37 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Julian.

Weekly Portrait #37 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Julian.

This weeks Weekly Portrait comes to you with the aid of auto focus!

Julian volunteered for a sitting at The Old Bell – Englands Oldest Hotel, here in Malmesbury. We shot some portraits before his monthly wine tasting event, Eclipse Wine Tasting, and he very kindly invited me to stay for the tasting. If you like wine this really is an awesome way to try some that, quite frankly, are beyond the financial reach of most of us. Julian’s knowledge and hosting is brilliant, and the regulars of the group welcomed me into the fold whole heartedly, no pretension at all, just good wines and good company. If you get even the smallest enjoyment for drinking wine I would throughly recommend getting a ticket and trying it out for yourself.

Thank you Julian, ‘Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon’ is on my birthday list now, its next month if anyone was wondering……

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

November 23, 2016
Happily Ever After Dog Rescue – Image #7 – Rebekah.

Seventh instalment of showing you the calendar images I shot for Happily Ever After Dog Rescue, please go to their FB page and send them a message to order one. If you’ve missed the previous images, look back through My Diary

The Calendars are A3 in size and just £10+p&p – BUY ONE NOW! In fact order them as Christmas gifts for your friends and family too – Happily Ever After Facebook Page

November 17, 2016
Happily Ever After Dog Rescue – Image #6 – Chay.

Sixth instalment of showing you the calendar images I shot for Happily Ever After Dog Rescue, please go to their FB page and send them a message to order one. If you’ve missed the previous images, look back through My Diary

The Calendars are A3 in size and just £10+p&p – BUY ONE NOW! In fact order them as Christmas gifts for your friends and family too – Happily Ever After Facebook Page

November 15, 2016
Happily Ever After Dog Rescue – Image #5 – Tom.

On this tumultuous day, how about an image of a naked vet with a rescue dog to cheer you all up? Fifth instalment of showing you the calendar images I shot for Happily Ever After Dog Rescue, please go to their FB page and send them a message to order one. If you’ve missed the previous images, look back through My Diary

The Calendars are A3 in size and just £10+p&p – BUY ONE NOW! In fact order them as Christmas gifts for your friends and family too – Happily Ever After Facebook Page

November 9, 2016
Happily Ever After Dog Rescue – Image #4 – Alex.

Fourth instalment of showing you the calendar images I shot for Happily Ever After Dog Rescue, please go to their FB page and send them a message to order one. If you’ve missed the previous images, look back through My Diary

The Calendars are A3 in size and just £10+p&p – BUY ONE NOW! In fact order them as Christmas gifts for your friends and family too – Happily Ever After Facebook Page

November 7, 2016
Weekly Portrait #36 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Uncle John.

Weekly Portrait #36 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Uncle John.

This weeks Weekly Portrait Project is a deeply personal one, please meet John, or Uncle John as he is to me. Illustrator, Artist, Musician, Veteran Cyclist, Woodsman, Series 1 Landrover Owner and so much more to me as a virtual surrogate father. I have posted before about Queen Anne Lodge in the village of Milton, just outside Cambridge, being a sanctuary for me, here is the man along with my Auntie Gaye who makes it such a place.

My visit last weekend was arranged a long time ago as Uncle John had a book launch I wished to attend, more of that another time, but certain demons have been rearing their heads again recently and this visit could not have been better timed. Self-understanding, self-doubt and soul searching are frequent bedfellows that are almost a cliche within the creative mind, but when that spills over the consequences can often be the exact opposite of that creativity, sometimes even destructive. Something I have kept to myself until now is the healing and cathartic aims of this project, yes I set out to challenge myself to produce a body of work throughout the year, yes it was to give me something to blog about and share on social media, yes it has made me put myself out of my comfort zone at times, yes it has been generally lighthearted, but it is also a form of self-medication. It has forced me to reevaluate who I am as a photographer, as an artist, too easy is it to sit in my studio and wonder why, thanks to this project I have had to make contact with sitters, figure out locations, try to tell a story. It’s just about working, but without the help, support and counsel of people such as my Uncle I’m not sure I’d still be in this game at all!

I’ll stop that train of thought there before it goes too deep into my psyche, scroll down an enjoy the portraits I shot with my Uncle John this weekend, using his 62 year old Landrover like it was intended to be used and visiting his latest commission on the nose of a Yakovlev Yak-52, he is a hugely successful and international renowned illustrator but took up a new challenge for Ian to create a truly unique piece in on a material he’d never painted on with sign-writter paints he’d never used before…..

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

November 2, 2016
Happily Ever After Dog Rescue – Image #3 – Andrew.

Third instalment of showing you the calendar images I shot for Happily Ever After Dog Rescue, please go to their FB page and send them a message to order one. If you’ve missed the previous images, look back through My Diary

The Calendars are A3 in size and just £10+p&p – BUY ONE NOW! In fact order them as Christmas gifts for your friends and family too – Happily Ever After Facebook Page

October 21, 2016
Weekly Portrait #35 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Natalie.

Weekly Portrait #35 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Natalie.

I first met Natalie when I photographed her family to celebrate her eldest daughters 18th Birthday, a quick message of interest in my Weekly Portrait and a shoot was set up. Here is Natalie the baker and creator of wonderful celebration cakes, Weddings, Christenings, Birthdays in fact any celebration that you want a beautiful and more importantly delicious cake for, get in touch with Natalie at Centerpiece Cake Design. Natalie even uses eggs from her own bantams to make the cakes!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

October 20, 2016
Happily Ever After Dog Rescue – Image #2 – Thomas.

Second instalment of showing you the calendar images I shot for Happily Ever After Dog Rescue, please go to their FB page and send them a message to order one. If you’ve missed the previous image, look back through My Diary

The Calendars are A3 in size and just £10+p&p – BUY ONE NOW! In fact order them as Christmas gifts for your friends and family too – Happily Ever After Facebook Page

October 14, 2016
Happily Ever After Dog Rescue – Image #1 – Gareth

Some of you will have read or seen posts I’ve liked about the Calendar project I worked on for Happily Ever After Dog Rescue – well the calendars are out and available – I’m going o be sharing the images here on my blog over the next few weeks with the same message PLESE BUY ONE!

The Calendars are A3 in size and just £10 – message the team at their Facebook Page and order yours, in fact order them as Christmas gifts for your friends and family too – Happily Ever After Facebook Page

October 12, 2016
Weekly Portrait #34 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Niki.

Weekly Portrait #34 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Niki.

Niki and her partner Robin run Willow Equine just outside Malmesbury – an equine rehab and training centre. It was a beautiful morning yesterday, perfect to spend at the farm with Niki, we got some photographs for her new website, made plans for some super exciting (and glamorous) future photoshoots and we managed to squeeze in a Weekly Portrait at the end too! Niki’s horse Roo is recovering from an injury just at the moment so he wasn’t ridden, and for the same reason was a little (too) excited to be out and about, once he’s fully fit we’ll be getting another shoot done! Niki is also the UK distributor for Scharf bespoke and customisable riding hats, something you may see more of round these parts soon, in the mean time if you want to know more get in touch…..

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

October 11, 2016
Weekly Portrait #33 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Dave.

Weekly Portrait #33 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Dave.

Meet Dave, creative director by day, musician and producer by night! Dave has his own Creative Agency in Bristol – Different Kettle – and when not working on the latest campaigns for the likes of Macmillan or Amnesty he is playing, recording and producing music, in particular he’s the driving force behind Malmesbury’s very own ‘Albumcentric Scratch Band’, The Long Players – there next gig is at The Kings Arms, Malmesbury High Street performing Blur’s Parklife on November 19th, keep an eye on their FB page for ticket details – The Long Players.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

October 7, 2016
Lesser Spotted Tri-Horned Scarlett.-‘From my old blog’

Originally posted December 17th 2014.

I was looking for something and happened across a post from my old blog that requires sharing………….

Lesser Spotted Tri-Horned Scarlett.

This morning Scarlett asked for 3 bunches – Mummy obliged – this was shot at 5pm, still 3 bunches and even if I say so myself, that girls got style! #doityourownway

October 4, 2016
Weekly Portrait #32 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Janey.

Weekly Portrait #32 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Janey.

I met and photographed Janey in June, I always felt ther was going to be another shoot, her dedication to collecting tatoos is an ongoing story and after I read a piece about Alan Powdrill’s Project – ‘Covered’ check out his work here – I dropped Janey a message to see if she had heard of his work and indeed she had, and using that as a starting point we had another hugely enjoyable shoot.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

September 22, 2016
Meet Anneliese Bushnell: Making a bald statement – ‘From my old blog’

So this blog post was originally written in November 2014 – Anneliese is fighting a different battle with cancer now and unfortunately having to leave Malmesbury to be nearer her family in Essex, so that they can be of support to her and Mia. This was originally on my old blog that is no longer publicly available unless you are super web savvy, I’m not and have found some other posts I may share as time goes by. We are organising a special Malmesbury Portrait shoot for them both before they leave to go to give them both something to remember this special little town by.

Meet Anneliese Bushnell

November 12, 2014

Rather than let chemotherapy take her hair whilst fighting breast cancer she decided to shave it off – doing it on her terms.

This included a brief hiatus halfway through to ‘try out a pink mohawk’.

Anneliese has done this for her own empowerment but also to raise money for The Royal United Hospital’s Forever Friends Appeal. They are currently trying to raise the money to build a dedicated cancer unit at the RUH, something I was surprised to know did not exist.

For more on Anneliese and if you can to make a donation, please follow this link: https://www.justgiving.com/Anneliese-Bushnell/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=Anneliese-Bushnell&utm_campaign=pfp-share

September 20, 2016
Sisters – First Frame

Today is Scarlett’s first day at school and I know your Facebook feeds will have been full of the little darlings in their uniforms – guilty as charged – but whilst I was taking a photograph of Scarlett this morning, Tallulah asked to have one with both of them. This is the first frame, all the rest were silly faces and pushing and jumping, look out anyone who crosses them, these girls have got each others backs!!

September 7, 2016
Weekly Portrait #31 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Bev.

Weekly Portrait #31 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Bev.

Owner of a new and truly fantastic addition to Malmesbury’s independent shopping collective Belle & Bear I’d like to introduce Bev. We are working on a little project we hope to launch soon which will be really exciting, especially for those of you who enjoy dressing up!

Pop by the shop on Gloucester Street, opposite Malmesbury Abbey, The Old Kit Box for locals, it’s a wonderful boutique of clothing, curiosities and antiques, and who knows you might have time for a ‘tea cup cocktail’ in the boudoir…….

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

September 2, 2016
Weekly Portrait #30 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Dave.

Weekly Portrait #30 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Dave.

Another introduction through Facebook led me to Dave’s fantastic and magical world, a craftsman builder of ‘Teardrop Campers’. I photographed him with his Steampunk camper, this one is constructed almost completely from salvaged materials. Still staggers me that people say yes when I cold call them to ask to make a portrait with them!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

August 24, 2016
Weekly Portrait #29 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Andy.

Weekly Portrait #29 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Andy.

Chairman of Malmesbury Marlins swimming club, Andy will be swimming the English Channel in late August/early September. Along with Helen Braid, Andy will swim tandem all the way to France raising money for British Heart Foundation, Heals of Malmesbury and Combat Stress, all awesome causes. Please visit their page – justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Braid-Pointer – and donate whatever you can, in the mucky and dark waters of The Channel they will appreciate every penny! I proudly call Andy a friend.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

August 14, 2016
Weekly Portrait #28 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Ami.

Weekly Portrait #28 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Ami.

Musician, artist, gardener and all round creative soul, also one of my oldest friends in Malmesbury. Thank you Ami.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

July 29, 2016
Weekly Portrait #27 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Alex.

Weekly Portrait #27 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Alex.

Running her ‘Shisha Tent’ at Boondocks Festival last weekend, truly bringing the spirit and magic of another land to this little corner of North Wiltshire, apple is delicious!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

July 13, 2016
Boondocks 2016

The best thing about Boondocks, Malmesbury’s own home-grown festival, is………………………………………………..

July 10, 2016
School Sports Day…

July 8, 2016
Weekly Portrait #26 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Kathy.

Weekly Portrait #26 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Kathy.

Kathy – Writer, Interior Designer, Property Developer and Mum to 3, multitasker hey? Thank you for sitting for me in your fantastic home, can’t wait to see the garden!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

July 7, 2016
Weekly Portrait #25 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Jodie.

Weekly Portrait #25 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Jodie.

So yesterday I was up near Blackpool to photograph Jodie Prenger for a different project I’m working on, (you’ll find out soon as I’ll be shouting about it lots!) and after that shoot Jodie very kindly agreed to feature in my Weekly Portrait Project. It was a short but special shoot, Jodie provided lunch with an audience of chickens and still had time for my personal project, she really is one of the good ones, thank you Jodie!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

June 22, 2016
Weekly Portrait #24 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Catherine.

Weekly Portrait #24 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Catherine.

Multi-Instrumentalist Catherine, singer, songwriter and festival organiser. Folk and Bluegrass, Folk on the Quay and Purbeck Valley Folk Festival. Oh and I nearly forgot always ready with a smile, laugh and a joke!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

June 17, 2016
Weekly Portrait #23 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Jane

Weekly Portrait #23 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Jane.

Another connection made via mutual friends on Facebook led me to a great hour or so in the company of Jane, in her words a “collector of tattoos”, its was great to listen and discuss her influences and reasons for individual pieces, wider thoughts on self-image and turns out the same things drew us to and keep us here in Malmesbury, great town.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

June 9, 2016
04.06.16 – Crantock

Day 7 – Before we headed home (and the reason I’m posting today, a day late!) we had a final few hours at Crantock Beach, we had a leg stretch and dog walk here on the journey down, so seemed appropriate to visit on the way home. The Beach has the River Gannel running through it which makes for a different play area for the children, even if all the signs tell you not to, everyone uses the river for the children to paddle in. I guess at extremes of the tides there must be some hairy currents taking you out to sea. No swimming today but plenty of cart wheels from Talulah and sand jumping of the banks.

Brilliant holiday, weather couldn’t be faulted and loved out cottage in Goonhavern, drop me a message if you want contact details for the owner, one of Kylie’s clients and it comes with a massive recommendation from all of us.

June 5, 2016
03.06.16 – Trevaunance Cove – St Agnes

Day 6 – Last full day in Cornwall and glorious blue skies again. Today we headed back to St Agnes and Trevaunance Cove, this time we arrived at low tide so spent a while clambering on the rocks and searching the rock pools. Scarlett and I were the only ones to don wetsuits for a swim today, Scarlett lasted about 3 minutes being carried then asked to get out, so a solo swim for me today, no one wanted to ‘belly board’! Obligatory castle was made and substantial hole next to it, how no one fell in I don’t know, lucky as it was an emergency wee spot!

The tide came in and was a high one so the beach all but disappeared, we headed up the road to Genki Cafe for delicious cream tea, ice cream and lolly, I’d thoroughly recommend the short walk up from the beach and carparks, especially if a nice day as the garden is wonderfully calm, even with our lot playing hide-and-seek!

June 3, 2016
02.06.16 -Newquay

Day 5 – The girls asked for a day away from the beach today so we agreed but told them we had to walk the dog before we could go to the shops, so we walked Thor across the golf course and along Fistral Beach, none of them seemed to notice that we had gone to the beach again!!

After a week of picnics we had lunch out and discovered the awesome ‘Beached Lamb Cafe’ loads of Veggie and Vegan food and milkshakes for the girls, and some of the brightest painted walls I’ve seen in some time, and dog friendly!

Beautiful sunshine all day again, overcast weather went back to Somerset with Grandma and Auntie Katie last night. Normal service to resume tomorrow, beach, belly boarding and castle construction!

June 2, 2016
01.06.16 – Perranporth – Weekly Portrait #22 – “People I now know” Kylie.

Day 4 Today is a joint blog post, Weekly Portrait Project and Happy Birthday to Kylie. Auntie Katie and Grandma came down to visit and we had our first overcast day, clearly their fault! ‘Belly boarding’ resumed and I squeezed myself into a wetsuit and had a go myself, no waterproof housing so no photographs! We still found time for a bit of sand jumping. All cousins together!

Today is also Kylie’s Birthday so when better to have he feature in my Weekly Portrait Project –

My lover,

My girls mother,

Glue that holds us together. x

June 1, 2016
31.05.16 – Holywell

Day 3 – Sun still shining, but a pretty strong onshore wind kept us out the surf today, ‘belly boarding’ to resume tomorrow, after I’ve got myself a wetsuit I think!! The wind did mean it was great for kite flying, rubbish for ‘boom ball’ and excellent for sand jumping and dune running!

May 31, 2016
30.05.2016 – Trevaunance Cove – St Agnes

Day 2 lots more ‘belly boarding’, building of giant sandcastles reinforced by Scarlett with boulders (which Thor thought she was collecting for him), rock pooling and scrambling up outcrops. Mummy even had 5 minutes to sun herself before food, suncream or cuddles were required!

The tiny bit of St Agnes we saw from the car looked so nice, as did the ‘Zen Coffee Shop’ on the road to the beach, I think it may have to be explored further with Ice Cream bribery for the tiddlers (and Molly!)

May 30, 2016
29.05.2016 – Perranporth

Day 1 of a long overdue holiday, Kylie, Tallulah, Scarlett, Thor and I have an addition to our usual clan, Molly our niece is joining us for half term away. We are in Cornwall for the week, Goonhavern to be precise, a name that makes me chuckle each time I say it, I’m probably saying it wrong but it spelt “Goooooonhavern” in my head!

Today was mostly spent at Perranporth Beach, we had glorious sunshine but as we rounded the headland to descend into the town we saw the sea fog below us! I loved it, it wasn’t cold (but not hot) and constantly shifted so one moment you could see back to the cliffs, the next time you looked nothing but you could see the surfers and life guards at the waters edge.

Our day was spent, playing ‘boom ball’, flying a kite, digging a big whole (and jumping into it) and ‘boogie boarding’, renamed ‘belly boarding by T’!

May 29, 2016
Weekly Portrait #21 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Phil

Weekly Portrait #21 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Phil

So this is the first, second appearance of my Weekly Portrait Project, well actually I have photographed Phil more times than either of us can remember. He was first person I met when I moved to Malmesbury, collaborator and confidant on many creative endeavours and Godfather to my youngest daughter Scarlett. Today I went round for a coffee with no plans for the shoot, a bit of banjo picking was followed by a “you draw me as I photograph you” 10 minute game. So refreshing to create for just the sake of creating.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

May 25, 2016
Weekly Portrait #20 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – El & Tig

Weekly Portrait #20 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – El & Tig

A double portrait for our dear friends El and Tig who are getting married later in the summer, can we call this an engagement shoot? It’s my project so I make the rules so I guess it is. Such a lovely couple and spending an hour or so in the buttercups at Daniels Well was a perfect way to spend an early evening.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

May 19, 2016
Weekly Portrait #19 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Neil

Weekly Portrait #19 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Neil

Malmesbury’s live music man and Citizen of the Year 2016 – Guitarist, producer, promoter and sound engineer, creator of The Malmesbury Acoustic Sessions and driving force behind Malmesbury’s home grown festival The Boondocks – get your tickets now they’re selling fast.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

May 11, 2016
Weekly Portrait #18 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Tallulah

Weekly Portrait #18 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Tallulah

Ever since we came home from Auntie Natasha’s 40th Birthday with 2 enormous pink balloons I knew I had to get the children flying round the garden. Here’s Tallulah, my first born, flying under a pink weather balloon! But of course with any such stunt I had to check its safety first! Bank Holiday fun at Barker Towers! If anyone saw the giant pink balloon flying over Malmesbury at around 6pm yesterday, that was the moment the shoot finished!!!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

May 3, 2016
Weekly Portrait #17 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Miranda

Weekly Portrait #17 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Miranda

So I had already planned to photograph Miranda in the oil seed flowers 3 or 4 days before the tragic news of Prince’s death, we decided that we needed to twist the theme just a little in his honour, so in came purple – dress (originally blue!) pashmina, scarf and paisley shirt – and then we found out Dan’s new hotrod has a purple interior! A nod to the little genius. Loads of shout outs on this one, thanks to Xen for the scarf, Kylie for the pashmina, Roy for the shirt (not sure how much he knew), Duncan for making sure my strobes did not take flight and Dan for your awesome ’36 Ford Hotrod. And thank you so much to Miranda who managed to not get hyperthermia even though the rest of us had at least 3 more layers of clothing on!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

Dan not Miranda in the ‘rod!

April 26, 2016
Weekly Portrait #16 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Xenia

Weekly Portrait #16 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Xenia

Xenia – Russian belly-dancing princess, thankfully loves dressing up and was easily convinced to hike into a wood for a photoshoot and short performance! Thanks Xen, and thank you also to Catherine and Philip who helped me carry all my gear into the woods and ensured we could capture some images without destroying all the bluebells in the process!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

April 19, 2016
Happy Birthday Tallulah.

Happy Birthday Tallulah!

Six years ago today I became a Daddy for the first time, thank you to Kylie (my wife) for squeezing this tinker out of your body, even if I did see her first underwater behind you! 6 years of crazy adventures and not sure were the time has gone!

April 16, 2016
Weekly Portrait #15 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Gareth

Weekly Portrait #15 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Gareth

So what do you do when your Weekly Portrait sitter is an experienced diver? Get him in all his gear and splash around in the river by Malmesbury’s famous ‘Town Bridge’ and ‘Silk Mills’ of course! Thank you Gareth it was lots of fun, more 70cm than 70m but still lots of fun!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

April 13, 2016
Weekly Portrait #14 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Sarah

Weekly Portrait #14 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Sarah

Sarah is an artist, a portrait painter of animals domestic, wild and livestock, she draws heavily on the Wiltshire countryside for its peace and beauty, both inspiration and its sanctuary. Check out her work here Sarah Eden Portraits – Facebook

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

April 5, 2016
Happy Anniversary Roy and Xen

Happy Anniversary Roy and Xen

Roy featured in last weeks ‘Weekly Portrait’ see it here if you missed it (Weekly Portrait #13 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Roy ), well he and Xenia have been close friends of ours for most of the time we’ve lived in Malmesbury. They have featured in quiet a bit of my work! Well today is their 1st Wedding Anniversary, congratulations you beautiful people. I was initially really scared when they asked me to take some photographs on their wedding day, “I’m not a wedding photographer” was all I could think, I have tried weddings but they really don’t gel with how I work….. However Roy and Xen just wanted me to make some portraits of them after the ceremony at the fantastic Westonbirt House. Cheer’s to many more guys.

April 4, 2016
Weekly Portrait #13 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Roy

Weekly Portrait #13 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Roy

Roy – Prog, Rock and Blues musician, photographer and design engineer – partial to a spiced rum or 2, but not whilst driving his ex-military Landrover!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

March 29, 2016
Weekly Portrait #12 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Michelle

Weekly Portrait #12 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Michelle

Michelle from Perfection Health and Beauty – County music fan who very bravely withstood 3℃ temperatures in the middle of a wood for theses shots! Thank you!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

March 21, 2016
Weekly Portrait #11 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Mark

Weekly Portrait #11 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Mark

Member of the Tsalagi (Cherokee) Nation – Spiritualist medium and healer.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

March 16, 2016
Weekly Portrait #10 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Joanna

Weekly Portrait #10 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Joanna

Ceramic Artist – Meet Cleaver Mosaics – and self proclaimed ‘Girl Friday’

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

March 8, 2016
Happy MumMum Day from T&S!

T&S wishing ‘MumMum’ a Happy Mothers day.

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March 6, 2016
Weekly Portrait #9 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Scarlett

Weekly Portrait #9 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Scarlett

Time to introduce the first member of the family to my project, or should that be most recent? Here’s Scarlett enjoying making bubbles in the garden and spinning till she’s dizzy!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

March 1, 2016
Nissi is looking for her forever home – Happily Ever After Dog Rescue

Nissi is looking for her forever home – Happily Ever After Dog Rescue

Who can say no to those ears?

Nissi was rescued from Romania last year, she is not yet a year old and hopefully is young enough to not remember the horrors of where she has come from. Today at her photoshoot she was friendly, soft and playful she will make someone very happy and is a real credit to Mandi and Cerian get in touch with Happily Ever After if you could give her a home. Facebook Page here: Happily Ever After Dog Rescue or get in touch with me via all the usual methods and I’ll pass on the details.

Just a quick reminder, I am fund raising for Happily Ever After this month, any Photoshoot or Voucher bought this month, I will donate £25 from the shoot fee (£75) to the Rescue and you’ll have the chance to win a 24″x16″ Framed blockmount – all the details here: February Newsletter. Vouchers last 6 months so if you were wanting a Photoshoot during the summer you can help me help Cerian and her superhuman efforts for these dogs.

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February 24, 2016
Weekly Portrait #8 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Dan

Weekly Portrait #8 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Dan

Painting under the name Paynes Pinstriping: check out his awesome striping, spraying and hand lettering here: Paynes Pinstriping on Facebook

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

February 23, 2016
Indie needs a forever home – Happily Ever After Dog Rescue

Indie needs a forever home – Happily Ever After Dog Rescue

Indie was rescued from Romania after being patched up for a broken leg and shotgun injury, considering what he’s been through you’d never guess, he was a friendly, attentive and desperate to please boy who behaved impeccably for his photoshoot today, a real credit to Happily Ever After Dog Rescue and his foster home. About the size of a pointer and with a beautiful soft coat, get in touch with Happily Ever After if you could give him a home. Facebook Page here: Happily Ever After Dog Rescue or get in touch with me via all the usual methods and I’ll pass on the details.

Just a quick reminder, I am fund raising for Happily Ever After this month, any Photoshoot or Voucher bought this month, I will donate £25 from the shoot fee (£75) to the Rescue and you’ll have the chance to win a 24″x16″ Framed blockmount – all the details here: February Newsletter. Vouchers last 6 months so if you were wanting a Photoshoot during the summer you can help me help Cerian and her superhuman efforts for these dogs.

February 22, 2016
Weekly Portrait #7.5 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – JJ

Weekly Portrait #7.5 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – JJ

Special treat for you – a second Portrait this week. I first met JJ 20 years ago when I was an angry young man, he took me into his Shidokan Dojo and beat that anger out of me – I then found out he was a pretty good bass player! He also became a close friend and regular subject for me – I have a ‘Stranglers Access All Areas’ project from a few years back that has never seen the light of day – maybe it will now!

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

February 18, 2016
Weekly Portrait #7 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Nav

Weekly Portrait #7 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Nav

Taking me on a new journey again, this week I got to meet Nav who previously I’d only messaged on Facebook. I love how this project is progressing, I’m having so much fun planning and shooting with no brief to speak of.

Thanks to Neill Archer for letting us have the Abbey here in Malmesbury to ourselves for an hour and also for your fascinating conversation, other meeting and moment I wouldn’t have had with out this project.

Drop me a message if you’d be interested in being a sitter/victim.

For those of you who missed my other instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief started under the working title of “People I know” already renamed “People I now know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

February 17, 2016
Weekly Portrait #6 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Nicki

Weekly Portrait #6 – “People I now know” (Working Title) – Nicki

My open brief portrait project/journey moved on again this week, here is Nicki, an artist I met through Facebook and this project, she is exhibiting at Malmesbury Town Hall until 26th February, get down there and check out her powerful work, perfectly timed for the stormy times we are having right now.

For those of you who missed my first three instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief under the working title of “People I know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

February 10, 2016
Weekly Portrait #5 – “People I know” (Working Title) – Cerian

Weekly Portrait #5 – “People I know” (Working Title) – Cerian

I told you this brief was open – week five and the working title can now be “People I know or I’ve met” – meet Cerian and Tasha, you’re going to hear a lot more about them in the next couple of weeks. Tasha was viciously attacked by her owners in Romania, her tail was hacked off, Cerian has brought her back to her Rescue Sanctuary just outside Bristol. She is now a happy, energetic and loving dog lets find her a home. Here is a link to the Facebook Page Happily Ever After.

For those of you who missed my first three instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief under the working title of “People I know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

February 3, 2016
Weekly Portrait #4 – “People I know” (Working Title) – Nicola

Weekly Portrait #4 – “People I know” (Working Title) – Nicola

For those of you who missed my first three instalments or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. You can find them here My Diary. It’s a deliberately broad brief under the working title of “People I know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

January 27, 2016
1st Tooth Down!

1st_Tooth_Down! – after what seems to have been weeks of wobbling and questions like “Daddy why won’t my tooth fall out?” and “What happens if I swallow my tooth, will the ‘Tooth Fairy’ put money in my tummy?” Tallulah’s first tooth has parted company with its gum (with a little help from Mummy!) – One very happy 5 year old, went to bed possibly the quickest I’ve ever seen! We just hope the one that comes through to replace it does not cause us as many sleepless nights as when the little piece of dentine and enamel under pillow grew through her gum 5 years ago!

January 26, 2016
Weekly Portrait #3 – “People I know” (Working Title)! – Weasel

Weekly Portrait #3 – “People I know” (Working Title) – Weasel

For those of you who missed my first two instalments (where were you!) or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. It a deliberately broad brief under the working title of “People I know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

January 20, 2016
Weekly Portrait #2 – “People I know” (Working Title)!

Weekly Portrait #2 – “People I know” (Working Title) – Ben

For those of you who missed my first instalment or are new to my site, I have set a challenge of shooting a self-initiated portrait every week for this year. It a deliberately broad brief under the working title of “People I know” I’m looking forward to the journey, not knowing the destination.

I’d also like to hear your thoughts, please comment on my Facebook Page here:RupertBarker Photographer on Facebook

January 14, 2016
Weekly Portrait #1 – “People I know” (working title)!

For 2016 I have set myself a little challenge/project – I am going to shoot a self initiated Weekly Portrait. Under its working title of “People I know” this will be the initial source of my portraits but I also hope to step outside of my immediate surroundings for subjects. It’s a very loose brief and I look forward to it developing its own path.

Here is Weekly Portrait #1 – Phillip

January 9, 2016
Bat Girl Smoke Jump

Reworked an image from last summer for some new promotional material. What do you think?

January 6, 2016
Scarlett’s first solo climb of The Tor.

Scarlett, aged 3&1/2, climbed Glastonbury Tor solo today for the first time! Except for a firm handhold to stop her being blown away in the wind she made it all the way up and half way down before ‘Daddy Shoulders’ were asked for! #prouddad

December 21, 2015
Winter Sunshine, and it’s warm!

Westhay Moor, family dogwalk therapy!

December 20, 2015
Portrait Head-swap! Using Photoshop to blend two images.

I think this is probably the first technical post I have made about my work and process. I just wanted to put out a piece that shows a not so uncommon photoshop job I would do on a family portrait.

A quick background to the image, it was a summer evening shoot just outside Malmesbury. The shoot took in various locations along a river walk including this one in the long meadow grass. A mixture of the beautiful available evening light and my trusted Elincrom Quadra’s, I shot about 15 images in this location, my typical method is to fire 3 similar frames before I either re-frame, re-focus, or move around my subjects. This gives me amongst other things the opportunity to make a better image in post production if something does not quite work out – as happened in this instance, the boys were great in one image, Mum and Dad in another.

The final Image is above, but lets start with the original image:

As you can see there is an obvious problem with Mum and Dad in the image, I love the fact they are laughing but for this brief we need to see their eyes, fortunately I have an image from just a few moments later that’ll help me out.

I don’t need all of this image, just Mums head and Dad’s eyes, and thats all I used. The images are similar but not identical so I made two selections so I could them move scale and rotate them individually to get them positioned onto the bodies from the main image.

The selections are very rough as I blend the images with layer masks, as you can see below, only what is needed to make the images fit is left visible, and these are carefully blended with a soft brush along the natural lines of the image.

And here is the final image, subtle enough that with out the break down images between if would be difficult to tell this was not a single shot. I like the result, the client loved the result and has it hanging in their home right now! Happy client, happy photographer!

For those interested, technical information: Canon Eos 5dmk3, EF 24-70 f2.8 @ 50mm, 1/200 sec at f8.0, Elincrom Quadra Ranger single head in Portalite octo box.

November 26, 2015
Richard Burns – World Champion

My first professional photography job was with LAT Photographic, part of Haymarket Publishing, I was an ‘Archivist’ of all the new images (transparancies back then) collating and filing all the images for the picture editors from Motorsport News, Autosport and all the other motoring magazines to be able to find them. I was also allowed to take some spare kit out and shoot some rallies, combining my hobby and my job – I was a bobble hat with a press pass! My first (and unfortunately only) full season shooting the WRC was 2001, Richard Burns became the first and so far only English World Rally Champion that year, sadly exactly 4 years later, 25th November, he lost his battle with brain cancer. Here are a few images from Cyprus, Finland and Wales of Richard Burns – World Champion. RIP Richard this world and rallying is poorer for your absence.

For those interested, all images were shot on Fuji Velvia with a Canon EOS 1n or 1v – sorry no metadata on transparencies but I’m guessing lenses were 35mm f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 and 300mm f2.8!

November 25, 2015
Daddy Daycare!

November 23, 2015
Now that’s a commute!

Every Thursday, and some Tuesdays I drop Scarlett of at pre-school, it was a pretty special kind of light this morning!

Just remember to stop to take the photo or you’ll get told off from the back seat!!!

November 12, 2015
A call for help – Please help the Dogs of Dubrovnik

Please can I ask you all to sign this petition to help Sandra, she is possibly the most dedicated person I have ever met, almost single handedly she is saving the unwanted dogs and cats of Dubrovnik. All she is asking for is what has been promised to her. The petition text explains the back story better, please click below and share as wide as you can.

change.com- save our shelter

Here is a post I wrote last year, its from my old website, but I may start bringing them into my new website – just need to figure out how!! – and some of the photographs I took whilst there. Please any help would be so gratefully received.

“A few years ago I was lucky enough to visit Croatia and meet an incredible lady called Sandra Sambrailo who almost single handedly runs a dog rescue sanctuary outside Dubrovnik. Her sanctuary is an old fort high on a mountain above the UNESCO World Heritage Centre of The Old City of Dubrovnik that was used by the Yugoslav Peoples Army to shell the city during the Croatian War of Independence. Sandra looks after hundreds of dogs and cats and was one of the most inspirational people I have ever met. As we walked up to the fort I heard a whimper from a road side bush and when I crouched down puppy timidly emerged, I carried the dog unto the fort imagining it to be an escapee, but no Sandra informed me people leave unwanted dogs near by, knowing she will look after them and give them a home, no matter how many she is already looking after. ‘Lucky’ as Sandra named him is the little puppy with the kitten.” – 29th May 2014

November 10, 2015
Another Crazy Weekend at Barker Towers!

My Brothers youngest had her 6th birthday on Saturday, T, S and I went down to Fleet for a party with 40+ 6 year olds running and shouting round the hall (I forgot to pack ear defenders!). We raced home for Malmesburys fantastic fireworks display and a chip tea.

Today we went to Whitehall, to take the girls ice-skating for the first time, with Dexter, Martha & Maxine. Scarlett preferred the ‘banana’ to the penguin, Tallulah & Dexter had the basics understood by the end, but all were most excited at Olaf the snowman joining us! I just wish they swapped the direction of travel halfway, constant left turns were a pain in my dodgy right knee. And Scarlett deciding to run off in the packed Christmas shop did nothing for my claustrophobia, thankfully she was found after 5 minutes frantic searching, looking for the toilets.

Home to feed the girls then back out to The Spice Merchant for Roys birthday! Home stuffed and sleepy!

November 8, 2015
Stinky Murphy and Series 1 Landrover

Whilst in Cambridge at the weekend we had to wash stinky Murphy,

he seemed to like all the attention and stood happily in the galvanised bath tub whilst many hands lathered and rinsed him!

Scarlett lost interest after a while in her ‘lead holding’ job and went to drive the 1953 Series 1 Landrover instead.

Girl after my own heart. Told you Queen Anne Lodge was a step away from day to day reality!

November 6, 2015
Alopecia, a portrait to help.

A few weeks back I learned via a Facebook post a previous client and fellow Malmesbury resident – Sarah – suffered from alopecia. For some reason I was touched by her story and was compelled to ask if I could boost her confidence with a portrait shoot, emersion therapy, clatter into the issue with bold portraits hopefully to show how striking Sarah still was without the trappings of the convention of hair styles.

We had a relatively quick shoot down by the river in Malmesbury, and lost the light quicker than I’d initially hoped but a quick move downhill and the setting allowed me to create images I had not initially thought I’d attempt. It is a testament to Sarah’s strength and confidence that she really did let me create some edgy portraits that are about her as a human being right at this moment and the situation she faces.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, please leave comments on Facebook. –Rupert Barker Photographer – Facebook

Thanks Sarah.

November 2, 2015
John Holder and Murphy

Fantastic and busy few days! Thursday drive up to Cambridge for the beautiful wedding of Harriet and Ant on Friday (photographs to follow, I took the 5d3 for a change, and I refuse to rush edit away from the studio!)

Saturday was a day of friends and family, fun and laughter. Oli, Tash, Ella and Izzy the Rupert, Clare, Tilly and Belle, and finally time with Auntie Gaye, Uncle John, Louis and Granny. And stinky Murphy!

A weekend spent at Queen Anne Lodge soothes my mind and allows a wonderful ‘checking out’ from the crap that surrounds everyday life and fills it with crap of wonderment and joyous entertainment, truly a sanctuary that I am lucky enough to run away too whenever I have needed it.

John Holder (Uncle John to me!) with his #dogwalktherapy buddy Murphy hanging out at the logging copse. Proper country pursuits, wish I lived closer. Love you all.

November 1, 2015
Glastonbury Tor and Ribbon Tree.

Whenever we visit Kylie’s family in and around Glastonbury, we always make time to climb the Tor, for its personal connections and elemental power. On the way back from Cornwall was no different, but I did discover a ribbon tree I’ve never seen before!







October 29, 2015
North Cornwall Coast

During our holiday near the North Cornwall Coast I seem to have produced Panoramic iPhone images of coastal and fluvial geology. It was rather nice to not have Wifi for the week, it took so long to check Facebook or download emails, that I didn’t, read a book instead! Back to the diary now!

Fantastic break, if not particularly restful, lovely coastline and got to catch up with two sets of great friends who have moved away from Malmesbury, John and Georgie, Dave and Margaret it was so nice to see you all again.

October 27, 2015
Holiday Cottage with no WiFi – quite nice really!

The holiday cottage has no WiFi, quiet nice really! Yesterday we went to Crackington Haven and Widemouth Bay, got stung for coffee and hot chocolate at Crackington! Scarlett calls Widemouth Bay, ‘Bigmouth Beach’ which made us all laugh! Today we’re south of Dartmoor at Ivy Bridge meeting up with Dave and Margaret for a dog walk!

October 21, 2015
Building Bridges, well one!

I spent most of the day building a bridge over the ditch at the top of Granny’s garden today! The best thing was I got to do it with my Uncle John, a bit of hard work, a bit of banter and a good catch-up, surrogate dad and best buddy rolled into one!!

And a photograph of Tallulah on a gargoyle as they are photographically more interesting! This is a gargoyle from Lincoln Cathedral.

October 15, 2015
I love an engagement shoot.

I love an engagement shoot, especially when its my cousin Sarah and her fiancé Olly. Also helps when you have a incredible Cammeringham Manor as a location. Here’s a sneaky peek for you Sarah, I’ll get the rest of them polished and over to you.

October 13, 2015
Mad Week, I’m Back!

Mad Week of work, I’m back! If I had time to sit in front of the computer I wasn’t blogging, loads of shooting and editing going on, all embargoed so can’t even say who for but I need to buy more hard drives!

We had a fantastic weekend in Lincoln, visiting family. A quick visit to Lincoln Cathedral to check out the venue for my cousin Sarah’ wedding next year, and show Scarlett where she’ll be a flower girl! Haven’t been to the Cathedral for probably 20 years, its still as impressive! Squeezed in visits to my Grandparents, Kylie’s brother and family, a quick engagement shoot for Sarah and Oli, visiting cousin George and Suze with baby Ophelia and enjoying the wonderful hospitality of Uncle John and Auntie Judith, all in 2 days with 3 hours drive either end!

Sunday conker collecting!

October 12, 2015
Girls and Treehouse

Strange mix of technologies today. Here are Polaroid photographs of T & S on the steps to their treehouse (I know it’s not in a tree, but ‘playhouse on stilts’ does not have the same romantic ring!). Polaroid prints photographed and posted to here by iPhone, I took the same images with my 5d but tonight I have not the energy to download them into Lightroom, export and upload them, maybe I’ll do that tomorrow for a comparison!

September 30, 2015
Character Portrait

An image from Saturdays Portrait shoot at Roundway Hill. A bit of an outtake/intake. Love it when clients are so involved in what and why we do this!

Techno Fans: Canon 5dMk3 – 1/160sec @ f8.0 – 24-70 2.8l @70mm – elichrom quadra & portalite octo (my default location portrait setup!)

September 29, 2015
Daddy Daycare

Monday’s are Daddy Daycare, when I asked Scarlett what she wanted to do today – ” me go on basket swing at park” – were working on the ‘I’ bit but that’s what we did with our free time this morning. After lunch it is ballet-schoolrun-gymnastics!

Scarlett has a cackle of a laugh that does not fit her 3 year old face, she’s doing it in this photo!

Techno fans: Canon G12 – 1/640 sec at f 3.5 ISO 400

September 28, 2015
Batgirl and Spidergirl

Today Scarlett and Tallulah decided to spend the afternoon as Batgirl and Spidergirl, much posturing and dramatic leaping was required, followed by a ‘super-scooting’ to Uncle Phil’s house for the wrap of his open studio weekend and a little belated birthday gathering!

For those with any technical interest – Canon 5dmk3 24-70 f2.8 and the absolutely awesome Elincrom Quadra’s.

September 27, 2015
Roundway Hill

Its been a long time since I’ve been up Roundway Hill, used to ride mountain bikes and motocross bikes up there ‘in my youth’! Today had a great family portrait shoot, with big blue skies and beautiful Wiltshire countryside below.

September 26, 2015
Business Portraits

I’m shooting more and more business portraits, they don’t have to be tight and dull, there is always space for good lighting!

September 25, 2015
#dogwalktherapy

Green and Blue.

Perfect Dog Walk Country.

September 24, 2015
Magic Light River

This is the first appearance of Magic Light River on my new blog and I’m sure it won’t be the last! I walk past this section of The River Avon every day that I am in town, it is one of my favourite points of my morning walk that I call #dogwalktherapy. A special place.

September 23, 2015
Banana Fritter Tuesday

There are not enough, flour, egg and milk based food day celebrations so today we had ‘Banana Fritter Tuesday’! Perfect when Scarlett needs to eat cooked fruit at the moment.

September 22, 2015
Homework.

Year 1 and Pre-School homework done, special things in Scarlett’s life and I now know more about Mary Anning than I did this morning.

(Fossils and dinosaurs if you were wondering, born in 1799 and dog called Tray!!)

September 20, 2015
Goodnight!

Hot Chocolate and Kraken, warm content, sleepy! Goodnight!

September 19, 2015
#dogwalktherapy

#dogwalktherapy

September 19, 2015
Jelly_Cat

Jelly_Cat!

After a fanfic 10 minute portrait shoot, I waited for the sunshine to shoot Solar Park number 2. Sun came out and gave me about an hour to do half a days work! Location work is never predictable!

Here’s a photograph Scarlett took of her Jelly Cat (inseparable toy) for her pre-school homework, she adjusted exposure and released the shutter herself, we did use a tripod though!

September 17, 2015
Best place to sit!

Scarlett likes to find the best place to sit. Mummy sorting out her work diary, her feet are the perfect place to sit and check your new felt tips!

September 16, 2015
Tired Topknot and RIP Colin McRae

Spent all day chasing the weather – and cursing it! I know it won’t change when you shout at the clouds but photographing a Solar Farm without any of the ‘solar element’ can be frustrating!
Here is Tired Topknot Scarlett
8 years ago today we lost Colin McRae, the term legend is banded around too much, he is the personification of the word. Here is photograph I took as Colin and Nicky Grist won the 2001 Cyprus rally. Fun times.

September 15, 2015
Wet Floor

In case you hadn’t noticed the rain!

September 14, 2015
Fields of Fluff!

Family #dogwalktherapy with Granny and Poppy too. Mid-walk Waitrose stop for coffee and cake.

After noon of sorting, tidying and DIY that seems to have left more to sort and tidy than there was this morning!

#reflection

September 13, 2015
What happened to the rest of him?

DIY day, mainly building shelves!

But did get interrupted by this little fella.

And also found an abandoned beginning of a wasps nest in the shed, kinda glad they decided against it!

September 12, 2015
School Trip to the Museum

Went to Bristol Museum and Art Gallery with Tallulah’s Class today, thankfully 7 other adults too!

The children were there to learn about fossils and dinosaurs and for 31 5 & 6 year olds we did really well to leave the museum in much the same state we found it in, don’t think any priceless treasures were pocketed!

September 11, 2015
Boondocks Festival Malmesbury 2015 – my take in 16:9

Wow that was a busy Summer Holidays, work diary and family life mixed, matched and left very little time for me to start my blog on my new website! I was however shooting almost continually through he summer months, and this is my first of a series of posts to bring me back up to date.

Let me take you back to July and THE event to kick of the summer holidays, the extra-ordinary Boondocks Festival held just outside Malmesbury. Many words have been written by far better ‘wordsmiths’ than me about how good this was and all I can do is echoed those thoughts and send out a huge “Thank You” to Neil, Dave and the awesome crew of people who made this happen. Here is my take on the event, starting with a selection of mast photographs showing this otherwise normal field of the Foxley Road in Malmesbury turned into a fantastic gathering and the second part being a cinema inspired set of 16:9 monochrome images in and amongst the people, music, food, beer and laughter. Relive the Boondocks Festival Malmesbury.

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For a full page gallery click here

September 10, 2015
Splash Girls Photography

Sunny Summer Weekend – except for the thunder storm bit – time to get the paddling pool out, lots of fun had by everyone.

I so love photographing my girls going crazy with water, they always do, and I also love to show them the images afterwards, they so love the water splashes and once they’ve seen one they have to come up with new ideas to make new shapes and bigger splashes.

All thats left for me is to sit back and let 1/4000th of a second record the tiniest moments within the calamity and chaos of our lives.

Then I get to sit and study them once we’ve got the girls to bed and relive the moments, shreaks of excitement still echoing the garden.

Little moments that through my photography I can share with them now and as they grow.

Special Days!

July 5, 2015
Welcome to my little corner of the internet!

Welcome to my new website, the first time that I have had all my photographic work one place. Private commissions, commercial commissions, residential and commercial property photography and personal projects are all to be found here. There will be lots more to come and this blog will be my main communication method with the world.

Rupert Barker Photographer – Home Page Screen Shot

Please come on in and take a look around and let me know what you think, who knows you might find out something you did not know I did or find the photographer you have been looking for to complete your project.

I’ll be updating this blog with some older posts that are no longer available on my old blog and pulling together a few projects that have been Facebook and Instagram only.

Talk soon, Rupert.

July 3, 2015