Photoshoot with Jade!

Almost forgot to blog this one. It was an important shoot because for the first time since around November last year - we actually managed to get outdoors and shoot! It was still freezing but we got some great shots and retreated to the studio.

Featured: Daily Star (Take 5) January 09

Remember we braved the cold winter weather at Custard Factory with Jerome, the 50 cent look-a-like?

We'll today the photos were published. But not the recent ones, oh no, The Daily Star thought it'd be better to use the low-res older photos from a fashion shoot this time last year (??!)

Anywho, it's a great feeling to see your photos in print, and knowing that 10,000's/millions (I have no idea how many read The Daily Star or Take 5 Mag) but it's fantastic to know that my photos will trick the eyes of (Alot) of people this morning.

Even better is how the article is headlined on the front cover of the supplement as "I'm the Brummie 50 Cent"

Brummy? Brummie? Anyone?

Our photos grace the page along with Cilla Black (advertising life cover), an interactive cuddly dinosaur and "Weird World" feature that includes information on Japanese workers smashing plates.

Here is the article anyway; (Please try ignore the "Men pay me to stroke my stockings feature") I did explain to Jerome that we would have made the cover of the newspaper and supplement if we had our Fiddy look-a-like wearing some kind of kinky gear but sadly, this idea was rejected.

Shooting "Fiddy"

Oh the fun I've had with this shoot! Let me set the scene first;

I get a call around Xmas and New Year from the Daily Star asking to use photos of the 50 Cent look-a-like I did early last year. Sadly, my earliest work was erased in what I now refer to as "The Great Hardisk Wipeout Disaster of March 2008"

I lost all the high res files of my previous shoot with Fiddy and couldn't provide the high res pics for the Daily Star, gutted. Thankfully - the Daily Star are quite patient people and they were happy to let us re-shoot some new photos of Fiddy.

So I decide to have some fun with it, I let a few people know that THE 50 Cent will be at Custard Factory around 3pm, which sparks off a few "OMGGZZZ IZ DAT FO'RIL?"


I arranged to meet Fiddy at Custard Factory, and within minutes, a small crowed had gathered around our spot. After shooting around Custard Factory, we thought it might be a good idea to get out into Digbeth.

Have you ever seen someones head turn 360 degrees? I personally didn't think it was possible but people driving past in buses and cars seemed to lose all interest in the road and become fixated/bemused by 50 Cent, randomly in the middle of Digbeth.

My favourite parts of the day was watching peoples reactions to him. Stereotypically, mainstream rap wouldn't go down well with people based at Custard Factory, so it was hilarious watching a few awkward "Hellos" from people that clearly dislike 50 Cent.

The thought process (if you transfer words to facial expressions) went something like this;

"Minding my own business >> Eh? Thats 50 cent! >> He's looking at me >> I'm going to have to say hello >> But I don't like 50 Cent"

Anyhow - The main objective was to get some great shots for his 1 and half page feature in a magazine and for the Daily Star, which is exactly what we did - despite the cold and group distractions. I'm really pleased with how they came out.

Chris Barber Media is One Today!

We're officially one year old today!
Obviously we'd been setting up business for months before and after January 1st but today marked an official start as a business according to all important bits of paperwork and what-not.

Thanks for a great year everyone (see previous blog)