A Brief History (2008)

Wow, in my mind it always seemed like it was a longer period of time, but according to the evidence (net-model work references) all my shoots at this time were between January and June 2008! That sure was a busy few months then!

We had visited New Zealand in 2006, with a view to emigrating there. That was the excuse to get a resonable camera ... it's too big a deal to go there and not have anything to take a photo with! The camera of choice was an entry level Nikon D50 DSLR. I didn't really use it at the time to do much more than 'holiday snaps', and there were some features on my old Minolta that I missed, but it did the job.

Around this time my missus had gone back to University to do her MA in Conservation, and she really needed to use a digital camera for record keeping in the lab. We stretched to a fairly decent lens for her then, a Sigma 17-70 Macro Zoom. Also around this time, my business partner in the website business encouraged us to buy an Interfit EX150 lighting kit. I had an old flash meter from my pre-history days, so we were all set!

I found this to be pretty good for portraits and model photography, and I soon got involved in the net-model and purestorm forums. They proved to be a good way to get some photoshoots in, and get some help learning how to use the equipment effectively.

Khandie Khisses

Memorable times from 2008 include meeting Gestalta on a studio day at Andrew Appleton's Applephoto Studio in Lincolnshire, the very first Vivid Soda Burlesque Review in Northampton organised by James Thorpe Photography, and the Slipland Group Shoot which was at the Guild of Erotic Artists premises near St Albans.

James Rose

Also around this time, Carl Exigent invited Net Model members to his studio in Ruddington near Nottingham. The "Nottingham Club" was born, and the small group of photographers and models would pair off randomly to use the studio. I met James Rose at this time and we are still in touch now. These days he has turned Photographer and is known as Roziekins Photography.

Albums of these shoots can be seen on my website at Henry Wills Photography.

Natasha Danielle

I also took a trip to Steve Robertson's studio near Leeds for a weekend course   run by Simon Young. That was very inspirational and infomrative, and am opportunity to improve my studio techniques.

Unfortunately, moving to Swindon for work curtailed my interests for a while until late 2010 ... but that's another story! :-)