Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Well, I have now become Turbary Woods Resident Charity Photographer and am spending loads of time with them to get some ace shots that will be appearing on their posters. I finally picked up my new 300mm ultrasonic lens, meaning that I can get some much better in flight shots...take a look...

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: OH MY GOD, what an awesome day out this was!!! I stumbled upon an amazing little bird of prey sanctuary in Preston, what a phenomenal find, it is wonderful place called Turbary Woods, run by a dedicated bunch of devoted charity workers who are crazy about birds of prey. They have a breathtaking collection of beautiful hawks, buzzards, owls, you name it, it’s amazing. Anyway, I got loads of chances to get close up with my 300mm and get some beautiful portraits...I just need to refine my in flight shots, they are so hard to get spot on. If you are nearby, I highly recommend going down, there’s a daily show too at 2pm where they fly about 5-6 birds! I’ll be going back again as soon as possible!

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: The best thing about working for yourself is the ability to ‘do your own thing’ rather than feel as though someone else is always pulling the strings. As I don’t have to commute to work...a grand saving of about 3-4 hrs a day...it means that I have a choice...and a bloody nice choice at that...to either be a raving capitalist and work those extra three hours, or indulge in doing things that inspire and fulfil me. So taking the time to go for a hike with my lovely wife and our two dogs, is awesome...especially when I have my camera by my side!!! I love where I live ‘up on’t mooooers’ (that will make absolutely no sense to anyone outside the UK, so sorry about that ;) as its always a great canvas to work with, even more so with my wonderful new 10mm wide boy lens.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Ok, yeah I know, you hate BMW's and yeah I know, you hate the Z4 even more, but man oh man, I can't stop taking pictures of this baby. I love her sooooooo much. Well, since we have been having some truly beautiful sunshine for this past few days, followed by simply stunning sunsets, I decided to give her a wash, take her up to the highest point in town and wait with the camera...and SNAP! Caught in all her loveliness. Thank you Mother Nature for your natural beauty and thank you Germany for the shape of this car :)

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Ok, ok, boring I know, another Harrier Jump Jet...but they are sooo cool! This one is propped up like a toy in Manchester's wonderful Imperial War Museum, so I just had to shoot it.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: A bit of a plane thing going on here at the moment, this one is grand old BAC Lightning, what a cool lookin shape! This old bird looks like something out of a comic book, the angular shapes make for a killer image.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Awww, I love this one, its a lovely close up of the heart of a Supermarine Spitfire (yes I'm a saddo)...the Rolls Royce Merlin engine. I saw this sat in the Imperial War Museum in Manchester with some lovely lighting so I thought that there would be a great shot hidden within all the texture and detail...and here it is.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Ahhh, peace and quiet. Whilst enjoying an ‘extreme weekend’ in Anglesey I managed to steal an hour on my own. I found this wonderful outcrop of rocks that just so happened to have what looked like a purpose formed chair in the stone. I sat back and enjoyed the view. I love moments like this, especially when you can capture them on camera. Needles to say, I got ribbed and called ‘old man’ when I returned from my walk ;)

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: What a great evening. I went out straight from work for an evening hike in the woods, the sun was slowly going down as we approached the waters edge. I went to pick up a stone (skimming of course ;) and then spotted this shot, my wife and our two German Shepherds.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: I'm really getting into this movie style photography! First I did the Bolton Abbey shots (Look about 3-4 entries below) and now this one. Its actually one of the office buildings outside Euston Station. I was actually apprehended taking this one and had to ask for permission to continue! The worlds gone crazy.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Plain and simply...I adore this car, I have wanted one for soooo long. So eventually, after years and years of late nights, long hours, I've done it, I bought one! To celebrate I gave her a clean, buff and drive up onto the nearby moors. But most importantly I took the camera, a handful of inspiration from Top Gear and started snapping. I love her ;)

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: It doesn't really get any simpler than this...looked out of the window, saw this, went 'oooooooh', got my camera, walked outside, took the shot, err, that's it :)

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: This is a montage of two photo's at different exposures. One highly underexposed to get the detail in the clouds and one slightly overexposed to pull the detail out of the Abbey. I wanted to achieve a really 'movie' look with this one, kinda 300'ish. I heavily desaturated the final image, toned it a little and burnt the edges in quite dramatically. I think I like the outcome...I think.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Rome, probably the most beautiful and awe inspiring place on the planet (well, that I've actually been to anyway :) It took me 2 days before I could even point my camera anywhere as I was literally dumbstruck by the immensity of the place. Here's the Pantheon and Colosseum by night...I was on my honeymoon here...awwww.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: St. Peters Basilica – As amazing, stunning, inspiring as it was truly disgusting. Never in my life had I witnessed so much wealth in one structure. The immensity of this place cannot be expressed in words. So I wont try. Beautiful.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Taken from the Pagans by the Christians...the Pantheon, this place actually feels like a painting, its surreal. What a wonderful building.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: This shot was a tough one, I took roughly 40 shots from just about ever angle I could find through a hotel window overlooking London. From here it was a case of trying to stitch the images together, not easy even with autostitch it took some time to get right. The end effect though is one of my personal favorites.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: My life long dream from being about 10 was to be an RAF fighter pilot (to those who know me..very funny I know what your laughing at ;) but being cursed with poor vision it has always had to stay a dream. I saw this wonderful harrier parked up outside R.A.F. Wittering down south and just had to shoot it.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Greece. Walked into a hotel on a business trip, saw the staircase and thought..oh...my...god, I gotta take a shot of this one. My greek friends response was 'eh, whats so great about that, all staircases are like this in Greece?' with a rather confused look upon his face..

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: I was on a business trip to Athens and spent a good while trekking about with my camera. This place has some truly wonderful textures just dying to be shot, lovely.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Sun, light, colour and tone, thanks mother nature for giving us the flower. I really liked how the green behind sat so naturally with the vibrant yellows and oranges of this flower.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: A few shots taken and stitched to try and portray the same feeling that you get when you find somewhere new that you've never explored before.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: I caught this by chance, I just happened to have my camera in the car as I was driving through the local forest. Suddenly the sun rays broke through the mist. I promptly slammed my breaks on, hopped out and fired a few shots off, nice one!

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Taken from the window of a plane, I spotted the French Alps cheekily peeking out of the clouds, grabbed the camera and took a couple of shots.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: I decided to have a play with my new 300mm zoom lens when I spotted my neighbour Mr Crow, taking a rest in a tree behind my home. Perfect.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: These pictures were taken of my lovely wife up on the moors one late evening as the sun was dying away, her hair caught the wind...just as quickly my finger caught the button on my camera. Lucky!

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Okay, here's a strange one. These shots were taken in a bathroom in a lovely hotel in Tunbridge Wells while on a business trip. I walked into the bathroom and was rather impressed by the old school décor, I saw the taps, turned them on and started clicking. I really like these, they make me think of old Alfred Hitchcock movies for some reason?!? Psycho maybe?

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: The awe inspiring Castlefield in Manchester. Another lunch break photo trip, I wanted to capture the old iron structures on a canvas of new Manchester...the new Hilton skyscraper, I really like the old and new element to this.

Client: Fully Illustrated - Michael Heald

Overview: Nothing much to write about this one, it was the wall to the side of a clothes shop in Athens, I loved it, so I shot it. That's it :)