Today I am writing about something other than my portfolio. The problem is that I have work to do, and other stuff too, so the Portfolio has to sit in the background. What I do not want to do is rush it, so it is sat there waiting for some care and attention from me.

Back to my architectural photography work of recently completed construction projects. I have just completed one exciting shoot, and have three more next week.

I have wanted for some time to be able to take high views of construction projects, and have been using a Manfrotto magic Arm clamped on to the top of a pair of step-ladders. That worked fine but did not really give me what I wanted. I am not talking aerial photography here, just a different view from the norm. Something to make you think.

We all view things from eye level, so a different perspective has to be good?

So finally, after a lot of research, I have some new kit. The Manfrotto Magic Arm has gone back into my toolbox for now, but will be used for certain situations I have no doubt. And the stepladders are now thankfully out of my car – very inconvenient it was having them in there.

I have been trialling this kit on non-commercial work, getting used to it.

I need something stable enough for me to be able to take high level bracketed HDR shots. This is what I want to. And this is what I am going to do.

So over the next few days I will post some of the images created using this “specialist” kit, and I will then reveal the full set of equipment, and what I have learnt. The pros and cons of the set-up, and how I can make it better. It ended up being a collection of things that together give me a great new viewpoint.

Tomorrow I will post image number one, taken on a road.

It also proves the “work the scene” saying – I started off looking at one thing, which I have driven past a few times and thought about stopping to photograph – finally I had a reason to with this new kit – and once I had done that I started looking around at normal scenes in a different way.

So please come back to my blog tomorrow at

www.rickmcevoyphotogrpahy.co.uk/blog for the first of the trial images with the kit.

These are not photographic masterpieces I have to say – composition could be much better, but that is not the point. It is the view that I am interested in here, and fine tuning my technique to get technically accurate and well composed images I am after. I want to be able to add this additional viewpoint into my commercial photography workflow seamlessly and efficiently.

This addition to my photographic toolbox will I have no doubt be used on all my architectural photography and industrial photography assignments in the future.

Finally. About drones.

I wanted a drone for my property photography, but there is an issue with time and speed. Oh and of course the nightmare that is operating a drone commercially, as well as proximity to other peoples houses.

So I decided against the drone for now. I want one. But I do not need one. Prices for the DJI Phantom 3 have dropped now to the point where it really is not about the money, it is about the best tools for the job.

Like I say speed and efficiency are paramount.