Blue Room Photography

by JONATHAN VAINES

Hi I'm Jonathan.  After purchasing my first camera in 2011 photography soon became my newfound hobby and quickly turned into a significant part of my life.  It’s a part I believe helps maintain a healthy wellbeing and provides a creative release.  I am proud of the numerous successful image acknowledgements I have received but being awarded a London Salon of Photography medal tops the tree and in 2024 I was invited to become a member of The London Salon.
 

I teach Photoshop in both group and one to one sessions via video conferencing, along with face-to-face camera craft sessions. I also run post processing workshops for the Royal Photographic Society, Photographic Groups and Online Clubs in the UK, USA and pretty much everywhere else too.  

I am a circuit Judge and a Permajet Envoy.  I am Affiliated with DxO Labs for Software, Wex Photo Video for all things camera, Cartridge Monkey for Ink etc as well as Jessops and one or two others.

The coast is my passion, but I am happy wandering through a city centre too. The majority of my photographic time is spent thinking about it. Time planning the outcome and visualising the print before pressing the shutter release is time well spent. Recording what the eye sees is not an option in my work. I use the camera to create, paint and even manipulate an image using a number of in camera techniques. I describe my eye as Visual Art and my product Wall Art, often abstracts or a twist on real life. I frequently work with images in groups, sets or panels. With every image produced my aim is to convey the feeling I experienced at the time of taking and offer an opportunity for the viewer to see the subject in a different way. It’s not a quick process and I am far from prolific. Every image is important, and it is my belief that an image only exists when in print, so holding the paper fresh off the printer is a key part of an enjoyable journey I call My Photography.

My approach may differ from many photographers and I am often asked how I go about capturing images, my answer is.....

"Photograph the Light not the Subject"


About  image

Print Talk - M.E., Myself & Eye

Second in a set of three - The follow up talk to The Little Print Show

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Print Talk - The Little Print Show

First in the set of three - An artistic approach to photography.

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Demo - NIK evening

A demonstration of the NIK Collection of photographic filters

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Demo - Photoshop Live

The evening can be tailored for your club.

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Talk - Compose Yourself

An introduction to key elements of Photographic Composition.

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Talk - Critique Evening

An opportunity to gain some feedback before it's judged

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Talk & Demo - Life in the Blender

Multiple Exposure & Blend Modes

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Demo - Monochrome

Demo - Monochrome Conversions

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Demo - Infrared Processing

Infrared - All you need to know from building Profiles to Processing

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Zoom Evenings

Teams or Zoom?

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Judging

East Anglian Federation of Photographic Societies.

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RESIDENTIAL

Are you are looking to spend time in a Creative Environment with other likeminded Photographers? then why not join a residential trip.  Operating in partnership with American photographer Deborah Loeb Bohren of The Travelling Lens, we run two workshops each year where you can explore an alternative approach to photography. 


These are Creative Experiences with groups sizes limited to 7 delegates.  Prices included accommodation, welcome and departure meals as well as 7 days of photography.  We currently have four workshops available for booking with more dates to be released.  For the two London workshops which run in June and October 2025 please contact me directly. Accommodation based on 4* ratings


To see full information and booking details head over to The Travelling Lens website using the links below

The Essence of London - June 8th to 14th 2025

The Essence of London - October 19th to 25th 2025

The Soul of Paris - April 17th to 23rd 2026

Spirit of the North - April 28th to 4th May 2026



To discuss how we can help you get more from photography please contact me at blueroomphoto@outlook.com
........and if you want to know what people thought of the workshops


ONE to ONE Online or In person

Want to get a little more from your photographs?   Need some help with post processing?  Need to learn more about the camera?  How to prepare for print? 

Working one to one greatly improves your chance of absorbing information.  A typical request for one to one:  Help me with post processing !  Spend a half, or full, day learning Photoshop from ground up.  If you are already understand it but just need some tips and techniques to remove those halos or use luminosity masks and blending modes then it can all be accommodated.If its camera knowledge you are looking for then come out for a walk and let us get you off AUTO and turn your camera into something creative.

If you require a skill such as working with blur, textures, manipulating portraits, understand colour and light or have bought the NIK collection and want a better understanding of its power and how to splice it in to your workflow.......then just ask.  

If you are a creative photographer looking to expand your understand of images or processing and are looking to change direction, refresh your creativity then engage in a one year workshop one to one.  We meet monthly, work to your pace and develop your understand of thinking in a creative environment.  


To discuss how we can help you get more from photography please contact me at blueroomphoto@outlook.com
........and if you want to know what people thought of the workshops


GROUP learning by Zoom - 

If you wish to learn Photoshop with others then why not join a zoom group.  I teach through the Photo Club 247 portal running regular sets of sessions throughout the year.  Photoshop for Photographers is a set of six sessions designed to get you from the basics within the RAW converter right through to having an image that is ready to print.  You learn how to work non destructively with clones, colour changes, levels and curves etc.  Advanced Photoshop Techniques then teaches you some of the ways to enhance those images further using techniques such as non destructive sharpening, detail extraction, enhanced manipulations and how to work and apply textures.  

Each set can be book individually; but why not immerse yourself in photoshop for a whole three months and take advantage of the bundle offer when you book both sets of courses back to back.  To view the full course content and book your place on the next set of sessions just click this link 

I also run sessions for techniques such as Working with Blur, Infrared Processing with dedicated camera profiles, Process Planning, Pastel work,  Creative Colour Working, Selective Sharpening,  Levels and Curves, Creating Composites, Monochrome Conversion, Portrait Processing, plus many more, as well as the NIK COLLECTION.  All of these can be booked as 1:1 or with small groups - Just Ask !

BOOK AN ONLINE WORKSHOP BELOW

PERFECT PRINTING -    for full details and to book your place on this two 90 minutes workshop for £35 click here


To discuss how I can help you get more from photography please contact me at blueroomphoto@outlook.com
........and if you want to know what people thought of the workshops then read the testimonials using this link

FACE to FACE learning

Zoom not for you?  I travel throughout the UK to teach people 1:1 or in limited size groups if you want to get together with friends.  These sessions can be for any aspect of photography including Camera Craft or Post Processing.


To discuss how we can help you get more from photography please contact me at blueroomphoto@outlook.com
........and if you want to know what people thought of the workshops

Permajet image
I am a Permajet Envoy bringing print lectures to clubs all around the UK.  

I am able to offer a 20% discount plus free shipping on Permajet Media.  Please use the code JVAINES20 to apply the discount when checking out.

To view the full range of Permajet products and place your order click here

PermaJet is now part of The Imaging Warehouse Group, whose brands cover all aspects of inkjet printing. Our team has a wealth of passionate and knowledgeable individuals who strive to help and inspire customers. Because at PermaJet, we’re all about print.


Sue at Blue Room image
To visit Sues website here







Qimage One is an easy-to-use, cross-platform photo printing application. Qimage One was designed with ONE thing in mind: produce the best quality prints with the least amount of work. Qimage One has a straightforward approach to helping you produce great prints from your photos. Qimage One can print from a variety of applications on Windows and macOS operating systems. Advanced interpolation and sharpening technology can create amazing prints even if your photos are small images or not perfectly in focus.

You can purchase Q-Image for Mac with a 10% discount using this link


Qimage Ultimate is the ultimate photo printing software for both professional photographers and enthusiasts alike. With advanced print processing, color correction, and image editing features, Qimage Ultimate provides the best possible print quality and color accuracy. Qimage Ultimate perfect for anyone who wants to take control of their photo printing. Qimage Ultimate is also more affordable than other professional printing options, making it an excellent value for the money. Whether you're looking to print photos for personal use or for a small business, Qimage Ultimate is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to achieve professional-level.  You can buy this product and receive a 10% discount by using this link



WEX image
Established in 1997, Wex Photo Video (previously called Wex Photographic and Warehouse Express) has helped more than a million photographers and videographers achieve their goals. Wex’s dedication to service, expertise and customer satisfaction is underpinned by competitive prices and the largest range of any UK photo and video retailer, with more than 20,000 products.  I am an Affiliate to the Wex brand and you can explore their website using this link to view the best deals.  











 
I am an affiliate of DxO a leading manufacture of software for photographers.  You can link to the NIK COLLECTION by clicking below on the images below.



For all other DxO software click the image below

To visit The London Salon of Photography website click here


In 1893 a group of Photographers met to discuss their concern that the Royal Photographic Society were more concerned with “Technique” than the content of the images. Acceptances in the Annual Exhibition were those images displaying technical expertise but no credit or appreciation was given to the “Art of photography” . This meeting of photographers, who specialised in Pictorial images formed a Society calling themselves “The Linked Ring”, their aim being to promote Photography as an Art.The group ran for nearly 20 years when in 1910 it was “unlinked”, but a small group of the Members decided to form a London based society to meet regularly and once a year, to hold an Annual Exhibition, to which photographers from all over the world were invited to submit images for consideration to be included in the exhibition. The Invitation to enter images stated that:- “The aim of the London Salon is to exhibit only that class of work in Pictorial Photography in which there is distinct evidence of personal artistic feeling and execution”. This is still is the aim of the London Salon today.The Salon was, and is, an International Exhibition entered by photographers worldwide which is selected by the Members who are all entitled to take part in choosing the images and awarding up to ten Salon Medals to be shown in the Exhibition. The London Salon has been shown almost every year including right through the 1st and 2nd War years since its formation over a hundred years ago.Members including some very famous names from history have been Members including, Yousuf Karsh of Ottawa, Lord Caernarfon,  M.O. Dell, Horace Murch,  Chambre Hardman of Liverpool  to name but a few   Members are elected by invitation and hold their Membership for life pledge they will work for the good of the London Salon and uphold many of the traditions and beliefs which has ensured the success of the London Salon into the 21st Century.


I am a member of Beyond Group.  You can visit our website by clicking here


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