Darryl Brooks Photography

Branding portraits photography session for author Osas at the Hull studio Osadolor "Osas" Osayande is an author and had a new book called "Forked Accents" to promote so he got in touch with me with lots of strong ideas of the kinds of images he wanted.  In the run-up to the photoshoot we pushed these idea back and forth around what we could do inside the studio and on location.  When it came to the shoot day, the weather was dreadful but we decided we could still meet his vision indoors! As well as a few standard portraits with the book, he wanted more unusual and quirky photos - something with a bit more personality - I had him almost dancing at one point - he is not a stuffy author!

Male model photoshoot with Atif Male model Aatif in stripy shirt Aatif got in touch to arrange a photoshoot as he wanted to get more photos for his modelling portfolio.  He has done lots of modelling back home in Pakistan but wanted some UK shots while he was here studying. He brought plenty of different outfits so we had lots to choose from.  A sharp suit was one of my suggestions, as I had an image in my head with plenty of contrast in the lighting. We worked through so many looks including casual and sportswear, with dark and light backgrounds and different lighting, but these with a dressier, darker and moody theme were my favourites!   If you want to get some modelling photos done, please get in touch through the website contact page.

Wedding ceremony in the Blue Hall at The Merchant Taylors Hall York I had to share some more photos from the wedding I did a few weeks ago at The Merchant Taylors' Hall in York! Daniela made her bridal preparations at the nearby Doubletree hotel in York.  My wedding photography packages start at just a few hours, but they wanted the full works from getting ready to their evening celebrations. The wedding dress Bride getting ready at Doubletree Hilton York Daniela the bride The Merchant Taylors' Hall is a remarkable medieval guildhall with a rich history dating back to 1415, the same year as the Battle of Agincourt! Originally built by the Fraternity of St. John the Baptist, which was associated with the Taylors' Guild, the hall has served various purposes over the centuries. The Blue Hall, York The Great Hall, with its impressive timber-framed roof, showcases medieval craftsmanship, while the Blue Hall, added in the late 15th century, has been used as a council house, coun...

Property photography - Short term lets in Hull  I photographed a lovely modern-looking two-bedroom apartment in Bishop's Lane Hull.  One of  several apartments within Middleton Chambers, which dates back to 1908, when it was used as a legal office, like many of the old buildings around High Street, or "Old Town" as it is known. I used a new technique of bracketed shots with "lights on and lights off", with some Photoshop magic once back home.  It does take more time shooting and processing afterwards, to avoid that yellow light colour cast that a lot of electric lights give off, but I thought this property deserved it. It had an open-plan layout for the living room kitchen but it had the space, with enough room for a separate dining area. Get in touch if you have properties to let or for sale and need professional photos, using the  contact page

Business portraits for Jo at Aspen Morgan This job took me over the Humber Bridge to Barton, North Lincolnshire do some business portraits for Jo of Aspen Morgan Counselling & Wellbeing. She's an old school friend, who I hadn't spoken to in real life in many years, and was still just as lovely as I remember. She has her website built but needed some better images for content. She sent me some ideas that she has seen for inspiration, with quite a casual, friendly and warm look, and while we could have done something in the studio, I felt it would be better to do something in a more homely environment, with a natural look to the lighting. I tasked her with finding some places that were "spacious and airy" to get that same kind of look, and she found some spaces in her own home, and her dad's nearby, despite her own house being a "work in progress". I arrived on an overcast day, unloaded the car and got set up.  We started at what appeared to be th...

Medieval-themed photoshoot with Carly As Carly was approaching a significant birthday, her mum wanted to get her something a bit special.  She got in touch and we were discussing Carly's love of all things medieval! She did some research on buying a suitable outfit, and decided on the kind of looks she wanted for her hair, and I had a nearby location in mind, so we set the date, booked in hair and makeup to be done by the fabulous Louise Shepherd at their house, and the photoshoot plan was made! After many months of waiting, the day finally came.  An outdoor shoot in January! We had terrible winds the day before, and rain the day after, but all the stars aligned for her, and the day was a little chilly, but clear and dry!  We met at the Riverside Cafe, Ferriby and took a walk along the path that runs by the Humber Estuary between Ferriby and Hessle. We started in some woods, before moving out by the Humber, and finished back along the path, where I'd seen some interesting...

I had previously worked with Jade when she was modelling on a shoot we did for fashion brand Heiress Studios, who make handmade crocheted pieces for beach and clubwear, and while she hadn't done a lot of modeling before, she had a great look.  She has had a change of hair colour since the first shoot, going from blonde to radiant redhead, so I wanted to shoot to suit the colour. Jade - redhead model with blue/green background I'm no expert on colour theory, but my basic knowledge about the colour wheel told me that her vibrant red/orange is somewhere opposite green/blue, so my dark green backdrop made a great complementary colour. The original plan was based on a black and white photo that I'd seen.  It was a simple one-light setup, with a beauty dish (+diffuser) directly in front and above Jade, with a white reflector underneath.  As it was supposed to be a monochrome image, I almost just went with a mid-grey background then saw the hair colour change! Black and white sh...

I have photographed a number of apartments in this beautiful historic building in the heart of Hull's Old Town, on High Street.  It has been made into several 1 or 2 bedroom apartments, available to rent as short stays - perfect for a weekend trip or longer stays.   The Old Dutch Embassy was built in 1664 and is now a Grade II listed building.  You can feel the history as you walk down the cobbled pathway to the entrance doors.   Thankfully the interior  has been updated for 21st century living, with clean lines and modern kitchens and bathrooms. The open-plan kitchen/diner/lounge in this 2 bedroom apartment is very spacious and has lots of natural light, and was a dream to photograph! It also boasts a fully-equipped kitchen  The main bedroom also had lots of space and light, with wardrobe storage and a work desk Even the smaller 2nd bedroom has a double bed and wardrobe. Being so close to the local nightlife, museums, cinemas, bars and restaurant...