House of Vanitas

15/02/2026

This page (and my website) is going through some rebranding as I change the direction of my photography. More details to follow but there will be no further content for a couple of months, at which point all will be explained. Thanks.

07/02/2026

From Flash to Continuous: Rethinking My Photography Studio

For several years, I’ve had a small photography studio dedicated to product photography and still life work. It started out well equipped: three Neewer Eagle 250W strobes, a forest of light stands, and a growing collection of modifiers. Everything was housed in an outbuilding—until reality set in. In summer it became unbearably hot, and in winter it was freezing. It’s remarkable how quickly creativity disappears when you’re either sweating or shivering....

For several years, I’ve had a small photography studio dedicated to product photography and still life work. It started out well equipped: three Neewer Eagle 250W strobes, a forest of light stands,…

18/01/2026

Under construction

The virtual scaffolding has arrived and the Ironbridge Images website is being prepared for a makeover. It reminds me of the time in the 1990's, as the internet started to take off, when 'under construction' signs were put as placeholders on domain names by people savvy enough to realise that they needed a website, but not so much so that they knew how to build one....

The virtual scaffolding has arrived and the Ironbridge Images website is being prepared for a makeover. It reminds me of the time in the 1990’s, as the internet started to take off, when & #82…

14/01/2026

Red sky at night

Although this look like an over-saturated photograph, it is a true representation of the sky last night, as seen from my office window. It was taken with my camera phone and although I took a number of shots, I prefer this particular one because the border of the red sky follows the contour of the trees and factory building, creating a series of layers.

Although this look like an over-saturated photograph, it is a true representation of the sky last night, as seen from my office window. It was taken with my camera phone and although I took a numbe…

04/01/2026

It’s all about ‘seeing’

I make no excuses in that the featured image on this post was not taken by me. It was actually taken by my wife on her way to work, using her iPhone. I posted in on social media, and it has accumulated more 'likes' and 'comments' than my last 10 social media posts when added together....

© Tracey Hallett | iPhone I make no excuses in that the featured image on this post was not taken by me. It was actually taken by my wife on her way to work, using her iPhone. I posted in on social…

01/12/2025

At the flicks

The Northwick cinema in Worcester was opened in 1938. A privately-owned cinema, it had 800 seats in the stalls and a further 300 in the upper circle, and it has classic art-deco styling throughout. Sadly it closed as a cinema in 1966 and, like many others, became bingo hall until 1982. It had a brief resurgence as a live music venue, and is now an antique furniture shop, although its future is uncertain as they are currently trying to find smaller premises....

The Northwick cinema in Worcester was opened in 1938. A privately-owned cinema, it had 800 seats in the stalls and a further 300 in the upper circle, and it has classic art-deco styling throughout.…

29/11/2025

More work required

Yesterday we spent the morning in the city of Worcester and I made a considered effort to take some photographs with my phone camera, on the basis that my mission for the New Year is to (a) use it more often, and (b) learn how to use its various functions. There is clearly much to be done. Apart from the fact that I was clumsily touching the screen and randomly turning the camera off whilst I was trying to use it, I was also struggling to come to grips with the new 'camera control' button, that I didn't have on my previous iPhone, which, apart from activating the shutter, also has various functions that I didn't know about and (again) my stubby fingers were changing settings without me realising....

Yesterday we spent the morning in the city of Worcester and I made a considered effort to take some photographs with my phone camera, on the basis that my mission for the New Year is to (a) use it …

22/11/2025

From the rooftop

Yesterday I was viewing the factory roof at TCL Packaging from a rather large scissor-lift, some 15 metres in the air, whilst contractors explained some work they are going to be doing next week. I took some record shots with my iPhone 17 Pro Max and, when viewing them later, couldn't help noticing the superb image quality, particularly of the distant Shropshire countryside....

Yesterday I was viewing the factory roof at TCL Packaging from a rather large scissor-lift, some 15 metres in the air, whilst contractors explained some work they are going to be doing next week. I…

29/09/2025

Black bryony is a poisonous, climbing perennial plant with heart-shaped, glossy leaves and red berries in autumn. It can be found in British woodlands and hedgerows, and all parts of the plant, especially the berries and tubers, are toxic and can cause severe skin irritation, so consumption and contact should be avoided. In English folklore, Black Bryony was seen as a plant of entanglement and deceit....

Black bryony is a poisonous, climbing perennial plant with heart-shaped, glossy leaves and red berries in autumn. It can be found in British woodlands and hedgerows, and all parts of the plant…

21/09/2025

Another studio lighting trial, this time with a simple cross light from a soft box, together with a back-lit projection. In hindsight, maybe the projected image is a bit too much - perhaps I should have toned it down a bit (or omitted it altogether). So here is another version, this time with just a red backlight from a snoot: Which one do you prefer?

Another studio lighting trial, this time with a simple cross light from a soft box, together with a back-lit projection. In hindsight, maybe the projected image is a bit too much – perhaps I …

18/09/2025

I make no excuses when I state that this is a heavily-edited image of the Merrythought teddy-bear factory in Dale End, Ironbridge - now more commonly known as the Co-Op. Taking a memorable photograph of this building now is virtually impossible due to the multitude of signs and road markings that adorn the exterior. I started my post-processing by removing some of the signage and people, but as I progressed, it seemed that the final image was going to work far better if it became more of a re-creation of the building in its heyday....

I make no excuses when I state that this is a heavily-edited image of the Merrythought teddy-bear factory in Dale End, Ironbridge – now more commonly known as the Co-Op. Taking a memorable ph…

14/09/2025

With a new studio and and an additional projector lens for one of my strobe lights, I have changed direction back to still life photography, which should keep me occupied throughout the winter months. Here is one of my initial trial shots using the afore-mentioned projector lens, which I think will provide a multitude of ideas moving forward. Hanging grass

With a new studio and and an additional projector lens for one of my strobe lights, I have changed direction back to still life photography, which should keep me occupied throughout the winter mont…