The Spirit in the Sky

May 28, 2014 by Phil Kneen Photography

People ask me, all the time, about my lighting technique – what lights do I use? How many? How do I position them? What about soft boxes and reflectors?…well I’ll tell you. I sold all my studio lights about three years ago, and even when I did have a full set of Bowens Gemini lights, I never really used them. I use one light, the big studio light in the sky. As for technique, it’s all quite simple – learn […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: art, black and white, camera, canon eos 5d mark 2, colour, digital, film, film camera, film photography, fuji film, fuji pro 400H, fuji X-pro1, I shoot film, kodak portra 400, music, nikkor 35mm 1.4, nikon D800E, peel, personal project, phil kneen, portrait, VSCO, VSCO FILM

All for one…

November 16, 2013 by Phil Kneen Photography

This week I photographed JC Callister for my upcoming project that will document estranged fathers. I used JC as a bit of an experiment to decide what camera format I’d be shooting the series on, these are the results. I’m very single-minded when it comes to shooting a project, once I’ve started I have to stick to the same camera, the same lens, and where possible, the same film. The shots here were made using (top to bottom) Fuji X-Pro1/35mm, Pentax 67/90mm/Kodak Portra 400 […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: 160nc, 6x7, art, black and white, camera, canon eos 5d mark 2, canon G15, colour, digital, Epson v700, film, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, fuji instax 200, fuji pro 400H, fuji X-pro1, I shoot film, inventive, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 400, negative, pentax 67, personal project, phil kneen, portra 160, portrait, VSCO

Coming to America.

July 10, 2013 by Phil Kneen Photography

If you could go back in time, just for a few days, and photograph something, when and where would it be? Mine would be a pretty cheap ride in the time machine, because I’d like a long weekend in 1970’s West Coast United States of America. I could have done it the first time round, technically, being born in 1969, but I don’t think I had the skills when I was five… I love the whole 70’s California look, the […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: 50mm, 50mm f2, America, canon eos 5d, canon eos 5d mark 2, caravan, colour, digital, Epson v700, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, fuji pro 400H, I shoot film, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 400, leica r6, negative, nude, Peak imaging, personal project, phil kneen, portra 160, portrait, sexy, trailer park, USA

Standard Issue.

July 7, 2013 by Phil Kneen Photography

The humble, and often under-utilised, standard lens – the 50mm (or 35mm, 80mm or 150mm, depending on what format you’re shooting…). Every camera used to come with one, normally a 50mm 1.8, it was the first thing eager snappers wanted to replace, for some reason? A lot of people are very surprised to learn that 90% of my images are made using the standard lens. I love them. I used to shoot a lot of stuff on a 17-40mm, but […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: 50mm, 50mm 1.4, 50mm 1.8, 6x6, 6x7, 80mm, Alien Skin, art, black and white, camera, canon, canon eos 5d, canon eos 5d mark 2, colour, Epson v700, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, fuji pro 400H, fuji X-pro1, holga gcfn, Holga panoramic 6x12cm, I shoot film, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 400, mamiya 7II, negative, nikon, portrait, standard, standard lens

May 30, 2013 by Phil Kneen Photography

“An artist’s career can be segmented by moments when there is the realization of a need for change or the necessity to shake off the rust and webs that develop after reaching that unchallenged place of comfort” – Domenico Foschi, photographer. I discovered this quote a few days ago, as soon as I read it I realised that I’m in that place, that unchallenged place of comfort. But it was a revelation, bordering on an epiphany, I’d go as far […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: art, black and white, camera, canon eos 5d mark 2, colour, Epson v700, film, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, fuji instax 200, fuji pro 400H, fuji X-pro1, holga, I shoot film, inventive, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 400, mamiya 645 pro tl, mamiya 7II, negative, Olympus mju II, Peak imaging, personal project, phil kneen, portrait

Music to my ears.

March 16, 2013 by Phil Kneen Photography

I’ve never been particularly musical, I wish I was, but I just don’t get it. Some people don’t understand apertures and ISO’s, I don’t understand cords and notes. Many people have tried to teach me, all have failed. I do like the music scene though, but how can you get involved if you’re tone-deaf? Take photos! I’ve been involved in music photography for a few years now, I’ve photographed the odd famous musician and a lot of not so famous […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: bo ningen, canon eos 5d mark 2, Epson v700, film camera, fuji film, fuji pro 400H, I shoot film, kodak, kodak portra 400, live music, mamiya 7II, music, Peak imaging, Simon Campbell, tim burgess

Goodbye, 2012

December 23, 2012 by Phil Kneen Photography

…and goodbye, digital. Of all the shots I took in 2012, these are my favourites. Only the first two are digital, the rest are all taken on film – 35mm, medium format and Fuji Instax instant.

Categories: Photography • Tags: 160nc, 50mm 1.4, 6x6, 6x7, 80mm, black and white, camera, canada, canon eos 5d mark 2, colour, digital, film camera, film photography, fine art, france, fuji film, fuji instax 200, fuji pro 400H, holga, I shoot film, instant film, inventive, irish sea, kodak portra 400, mamiya 645 pro tl, mamiya 7II, music, negative, Peak imaging, peel, personal project, phil kneen, Simon Campbell, yellowknife

Home again, home again…

September 27, 2012 by Phil Kneen Photography

I didn’t go to Canada to shoot landscapes, my project is documentary based, but when in Rome… I took a Canon EOS 5D mkII to The North West Territories of Canada with me. I shot the entire project on film, but I took the Canon, filled with good intentions of getting loads of video footage. That never happened, I was just to busy. I did manage to get a few shots of the Aurora Borealis though, 8 shots to be […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: 24-105L, 645cm, 6x7, aurora borealis, canada, canon eos 5d mark 2, film, fuji pro 400H, I shoot film, landscape, long exposure mamiya 7II, northern lights, nwt, project, yellowknife

‘You are my autumn’

May 25, 2012 by Phil Kneen Photography

I’m working as Director of Photography on a short film being shot on the Isle of Man at the moment called ‘You are my autumn’. The short, written and directed by Richard Plumley, is being shot on various locations across the Island and is now into its 5th  month of production…I know, they shot Star Wars in less time than that, but we’re only shooting when we have free time, which in my case is hardly ever. In Richards case it’s […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: 24-105L, canon eos 5d mark 2, isle of man, Janine Lashmar, matt corcoran, Richard Plumley, short film, URMA

The Andy Kershaw ‘incident’

May 14, 2012 by Phil Kneen Photography

On the 17th of September, last year, I photographed BBC radio presenter, Andy Kershaw, outside his home in Peel, on the Isle of Man, easy enough as I live about 10 houses away from him. The shoot was pleasant enough, Andy brought out some excellent fresh coffee, chain-smoked cigarettes and showed us photos of motorbike racing that he’d shot years ago. With me on the shoot were Simon and Angela Campbell, very close friends, Simon also acts as my agent. […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: 50mm 1.4, Andy kershaw, bbc, black and white, camera, canon eos 5d mark 2, film, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, I shoot film, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 400, kodak tmax 400, nikon fm2, peel