ABOUT
Hello, I’m Ralph Hardwick, keen motorcyclist, Blood Biker and Commercial Photographer, and CAPTURELIGHT is my Brand name. So, you may well ask, why capturelight? Well, simply the fact that www.ralphhardwickphotography.co.uk is a heck of a long web address to keep typing on forms.
Born and raised in Norfolk, I still live less than 3 miles from where I was born. Went to school, left school and have forgotten most of what happened in between.
I Bought my first SLR camera at same time as my first Motorbike (Honda CJ250T) when I joined the Merchant Navy, as a Marine Engineer, sailed around the world and took pictures of sunsets wherever I went. Arranged to marry my childhood girlfriend by letter and left the sea when our first daughter was born.
Two more daughters and 7 grandchildren later, life is more precious than it’s ever been.
Following 30 years working in the on, and offshore, oil & gas industry, I eventually turned a dream into reality; built a studio, created high quality images for clients locally and nationally.
In 2019 I decided to retire (hah, some hope) and sold the studio. But, clients kept coming back and I couldn’t shake the photography bug.
I passed my bike test years before getting my car licence and have been riding, on and off, ever since. I took my Advanced Car and Bike Test in 2001 and recently retook and passed it again on my bike allowing me to ride for Norfolk Blood Bikes.
It just made sense to combine two of my favourite things and so, motorcycle portraits became a thing.
We spend our holidays touring in our car, many of our weekends visiting our grandkids and still searching for the perfect sunset.
ABOUT
Hello, I’m Ralph Hardwick, Commercial Photographer, and CAPTURELIGHT is my company. So, you may well ask, why capturelight? Well, simply the fact that www.ralphhardwickphotography.co.uk is a heck of a long web address to keep typing on forms!
Born and raised in Norfolk, I still live less than 3 miles from where I was born. Went to school, left school and have forgotten most of what happened in between. Spent many teenage hours, lit by red light, in the makeshift darkroom under the stairs.
I Bought my first SLR camera when I joined the Merchant Navy, as a Marine Engineer, sailed around the world and took pictures of sunsets wherever I went. Arranged to marry my childhood girlfriend by letter and left the sea when our first daughter was born.
Two more daughters and 6 grandchildren later, life is more precious than it’s ever been.
Following 30 years working in the on, and offshore, oil & gas industry, I eventually turned a dream into reality; built a studio, created a portfolio and now shoot high quality images for clients locally and nationally.
We spend our holidays driving our 4X4 to far away exotic locations, many of our weekends visiting our grandkids and still searching for the perfect sunset.
ABOUT
Hello, I’m Ralph Hardwick, Commercial Photographer, and CAPTURELIGHT is my trading name. So, you may well ask, why not just use my name? Well, simply the fact that www.ralphhardwickphotography.co.uk doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it?
Born and raised in Norfolk, I still live less than 3 miles from where I was born. Went to school, left school and have forgotten most of what happened in between. Spent many teenage hours, lit by red light, in the makeshift darkroom under the stairs.
I Bought my first SLR camera when I joined the Merchant Navy, as a Marine Engineer, sailed around the world and took pictures of sunsets wherever I went. Arranged to marry my childhood girlfriend by letter and left the sea when our first daughter was born.
Two more daughters and 6 grandchildren later, life is more precious than it’s ever been.
Following 30 years working in the on, and offshore, oil & gas industry, I eventually turned a dream into reality; built a studio, created a portfolio and now shoot high quality images for clients locally and nationally.
We spend our holidays driving our 4X4 to far away exotic locations, many of our weekends visiting our grandkids and still searching for the perfect sunset.
CAPTURELIGHT
Capturelight was established in 2013 to offer high quality commercial, product and advertising photography to commercial customers.
In 2019 we sold our studio and I scaled back my Commercial Photography and in 2023 I decided to concentrate on Motorcycles and their owners providing a top quality, flexible photography service.
We can offer radio controlled lighting, lightweight backdrops , high resolution cameras and latest editing technology.
I am based in Bradwell, Norfolk, the equipment we use is totally portable and can be used independent of mains power. I cover Most of Norfolk and North Suffolk. Anywhere within 1 hours ride. I can set up a shoot at a clients home or other location of their choosing.
Please contact us with your requirements. A chat doesn’t cost anything and you may be pleasantly surprised with what we can offer.
CAPTURELIGHT
A BIT MORE ABOUT US
Hi, we are Belinda & Ralph and we literally take our photography business home with us. We have invested our future in adding a purpose designed 430 ft2 (40 m2) studio to our house in Bradwell, Norfolk. We have both had long careers and held responsible senior positions in high stress industries, but we have left that behind and want to focus (excuse the pun) on providing a top quality, flexible photography service.
Together we want to offer a high quality product and advertising photography service. Living on the same premises as our studio allows us absolute flexibility and enables us to react quickly and at any time to meet our clients needs.
Ralph
Principle Photographer
Ralph began his career as a marine engineer and then went on to hold several senior management positions and act as a consultant in the offshore, and onshore, high risk oil & gas industry. In 2013 he attained a diploma in portrait photography which became the foundation for an intensive, self-driven period of training and practice to achieve the highest standards of photography. This desire to improve continues with personal projects to improve skills and increase his portfolio.
Belinda
Generally does everything else
Belinda spent many years, pursuing her desire to care for people, rising to be a Nurse Manager in the large local NHS University Hospital. She has now retired from the hectic bustle to support this new stage in their lives. Belinda keeps the books straight, ensures everything runs smoothly and keeps Ralph in check.
Our studio
- Floor area: 430 ft2 (40 m2)
- Flooring: AC5 rated grey wood effect laminate reenforced to support heavy wheight objects.
- Ceiling height: 11½ ft (3.4m) Steel I beam supports allow suspension of many objects
- Backdrops: Three 2.7m seamless paper (White, Mid-grey & Black) on rear wall.
- Sidedrops: One 2.7m seamless paper can be located 90° to left or right of rear backdrop
- Doors: Two insulated roller shutter doors, two personnel doors
- Fixed lighting: 11 Daylight balanced LED uplighters
- Kitchen: large sink, laminate worktop, multiple cupboards, small breakfast bar with stools
- Appliances: Integrated fridge/freezer, kettle, jug filter coffee maker, Tassimo pod machine
- Bathroom: Large sink, low level WC, shower, baby changing facilities, large illuminated mirror, outside window and extractor
- Small client reception/meeting area with bucket chairs
Equipment
- Cameras: Pentax 645z (50Mp, Medium format), Pentax K1 (36.4 Mp, full-frame), Pentax K3 (24.3 Mp APSC) all weather sealed. Lumix LX100 (4k video)
- Lenses: All focal ranges covered from 18mm – 250mm (35mm eq.) including macro and tilt/shift.
- Portable lighting: Six 600W battery radio controlled studio strobes, 4 connected speedlights on same system. Two P-TTL speedlights. Two battery LED variable video lights.
- Supports: Cambo UST studio stand, tripods, monopods, Century stands, lighting stands (up to 3.4m). Portable backdrop
- Modifiers: Strip, square and octagonal softboxes up to 170mm. Beauty dish, reflectors, barn doors, snoot and grids. Shoot through and reflective umbrellas up to 7 ft (2.1m)
- Reflectors: Multiple collapsible silver, gold, white reflectors and scrims
- Editing: Dual screen 27 inch iMac running Adobe Creative Cloud Lightroom and photoshop. 15 inch MacBook pro used for tethering
- All sorts of other bits, bobs and stuff to fix, prop, adjust, hold, stick and general help out.
If you are a Photographer and interested in using the studio contact me to see if I can help.