Darryl Brooks Photography

The past couple of months has had me visiting the various branches of Forum, an organisation providing support for individuals and communities all around Yorkshire and the Humber area.  I visited Grimsby, Calderdale and finally back home in Hull, taking headshots of all the staff and some in-action shots around the offices.  Here are some from the Hull office. You can check out what they offer at https://northbankforum.org.uk/

Having previously done photography for this client on several of his properties, including a visit to York, I had a good idea what to expect when I arrived for this one.  Lovely period features in this early 1930s terraced, and finished beautifully after a careful refurbishment project.  Ready and online at AirBnB now!  The link to book it is here  and if you have a property project needing photography, get in touch with me at my link here

 I recently returned from a short trip to Barcelona, on the northwest coast of Spain.  We managed to fit in a lot visiting in only a few days!  Staying near the Las Ramblas meant I was in a nice central location, being near the restaurants, shops and many of the sights to see.   A place where the architect Gaudi is well-known, you can see some of his creations such as the Sagrada Familiar, which is still a work in progress.  As well as the typical tourist haunts, just about every building in the area had character and beauty, so I took any opportunity for a wander around with my camera, quite often early in the morning before it got too busy and the light was great.  Even on the last day, I was up and out by 6.30, and caught the sun rising above the Mediterranean! I'm putting some of these and others for sale as reasonably-priced prints on my website, so if you like what you see and have a place on your wall that needs filling, you can buy them here .

Manny the chef at Mancia I photographed a lovely little local restaurant the other week.  It was an evening of Sicilian wine-tasting and delicious food , hosted by the team at Mancia, on Newland Avenue, Hull, and presented by Mark from Sutherlands Wee Bottle shop, based just across the road from them - truly local! It was just a small post on Facebook that a friend tagged me in - they needed a professional photographer based in Hull and I was 5 minutes away! It was great to be part of it all, with other local small businesses who have a passion for what they do, just like me! I wanted to capture the evening as it happened, with no posing for the camera, just letting people get on with it and enjoy their night out. No flash was used, so I could be as unobtrusive as possible (in such a small but buzzing venue!) capturing the guests, staff and food in a natural way. Check them out! Mancia Sicilian restaurant Sutherlands Wee Bottle Shop Mark Sutherland - The Wee Bottle Shop

Philippa is a children's author, and contacted me just a few weeks ago as her agent had suggested she should get some professional headshot-type photographs for use on the web, social media and in print. She came to my studio in Hull and went through a few different setups and looks so she had plenty to choose from.  As well as standard headshots we got some 3/4 shots, having a bit of fun and capturing her youth.  These are some of my favourites. For more information about Philippa, get in touch through her agent Hannah Sheppard Agency - or if you are looking to get a better image for yourself, get in touch with me here

It was good to be out  photographing a house this week.  Selling a house isn't always easy, and making a house look good in winter is even harder.  The key factor is for the vendor to put the effort into preparing the house for photographs (and viewings!).  Declutter, hide unnecessary things, and get that show-home look to make the most of the space you have.  This one had a professional clean and some feverish last-minute moving of "stuff" even as I arrived, but it was worth it.  Here are some of my favourites.