Hey!

The handsome Mr Cranwell

I wonder how transient such stylised photography is? It's so temping when looking at a straight rendition of a portrait shot next to something stylised like this, tweaked for high-contrast and de-saturated colour, to be drawn to the ‘sheer f**k off-ness’^* of the latter. Looking back in a year or two though, will this image scream 2008 styling and the handsome Mr Cranwell take second place? In funky 1970’s magazines I have found in charity shops, it almost looked like soft focus and star-effect filters were fashionable. Probably best to stop thinking about it and go take some pictures.

*Apologies for implying swear-words on a photography blog, in my defense though, it’s a quote from the rather good film Sexy Beast.

Click image to view larger

I thought this candid shot of a girl removing her make-up was quite sweet. Click image to enlarge.

WoolFest Cumbria

These images are compiled from shots taken at [WoolFest] in Cumbria this weekend. The festival was a series of lots, alternating between rare breed sheep, textile artists and old ladies knitting hats. Great fun. Click images to enlarge.

Cheeky bugger.

I would like to do a lot more portrait shots, they are fun to do, and the results are probably more engaging to look at than pictures of old trees. I am a quite shy though, and asking strangers or indeed friends if I can photograph them, I find hard. So, if anyone wants to just walk on up and volunteer for a portrait session, feel free! Click images to enlarge.

21st June 2008

Mountain bikers often times take themselves pretty seriously. There's the expensive bikes, the tight leggings stretched over rippling thighs, the layers of technical performance fabrics, the hard-won fitness, the sizing-up of other riders, the unwritten competition. Occasionally though, someone comes along and laughs in the face of all that. Here’s to that man!

There is a word for it in Welsh; Hiraeth.

It means 'a longing for home'. I don't miss my old cottage in Bollington so much anymore, times move on. That is until I return there. There is magic in that valley. Martin and Rachel have had baby Guy since I left. He is nine months old now, going on thirteen.

Hiraeth - the link with past, the language from the soul, the call from the inner self. Half forgotten - fraction remembered. It speaks from the stone, from the earth, from the trees and in the people. It's always there.

WoodFestWales has been going for a few years now. It’s a chance to meet makers from all over Snowdonia and North Wales, watch axes being throwing, and buy some beautiful craft works at a fraction of gallery costs. This year it was a lot bigger. It’s such up-scale that it has you looking for the camping field and the live music tents. The crafts people looked a little bewildered at the volume of people passing by. The fairground ride owners looked overjoyed.

24th May 2008

I really wanted to find that magical relaxed beach weekend that Fat Face, Toast, Howies, Whitestuff and the other lifestyle brands would have you believe you will begin to experience as soon as you slip inside their clothing; sunny walks on the coast, surfing, fishing, wave swimming with friends, barbequing fish on the beach. We headed for Aberdovey in Wales to seek out the endless summer dream, and even booked on a sea fishing boat in anticipation of cooking fresh mackerel around the beach fire. The bank holiday forecast didn’t look good though, with 50mph winds and heavy rain lined up. The forecast came good, the fishing boats stayed firmly moored up for the weekend. We did manage the outdoor fish cooking experience though, and found a great little campsite just inland of Aberdovey. Nearly there...

18th April 2008

Hamish, on squirrel patrol.

This photo uses post-processing software called [DxO filmPack], which emulates the characteristics of specific print and slide film. Digital photographs can sometimes be too literal in their representation of a scene and therefore lack any romance as a result. The real reason I have a posted a doggy picture - I am going away without him for two weeks, and now have a photo of him to look at while I am away.

17th April 2008

Carving on fallen tree, [Eastham Country Park], Wirral


The watcher in the woods, [Eastham Country Park], Wirral

It's lovely to discover nearby places that have been overlooked in the constant quest for wilderness and adventure. Eastham Country Park on the wirral, although not a natural wilderness by any means, used to be a ferry journey away from Liverpool for well-to-do Victorians in search of bird song and a cup of Earl Grey. Signs of this heritage are nicely mixed with modern day interest, such as these chainsaw carvings dotted along the woodland trails.

16th April 2008

Lukas


Lukas's new tattoo, 'The Birds'

This is the first completely posed portrait shot I have done on this blog. It's shot outdoors in bright sunlight, modified (diffused) manually. I had ideas for juxtaposing these images together into a ‘double-page spread’ magazine style type shot, but really, they work better separately. Thanks Lucas.

6th April 2008

Canadian Cove Stiffee Bike & Goodbye lens

The guts of my 'pub' lens were sprawled alarmingly over the bottom a bag this morning - it didn't survive the party the night before. I thought perhaps that a good whack back in place might have sorted it, but if you click on the larger version of this image, the lens may not be quite right? Time for a new pub lens. Canon make [these] light-weight plastic, almost disposable, 50mm pub lenses with really good optics and a street price a fraction of the cost of a proper lens. That's why they are safe to take in the pub.

6th April 2008

Tom and the talented Mr Owen

I remember reading somewhere that little dudes, like the talented Mr Owen here, have very dark doughy eyes when photographed. Lightening the 'catch-light', or reflection, in his eyes during post-processing just lifts that otherwise black hole feel to his eyes.

5th April 2008

Day of the outdoor clothing catalogue shots

We were the lucky ones today. With a hill forecast of heavy snow looming, we enjoyed sunny sledging sessions on survival bags, map cases, friend's heads.

4th April 2008

Oak Smoked Garlic, hand-fired pots.

This smoked garlic smells like those carefree days from childhood, where a box of matches borrowed from the kitchen draw led to secret bonfires in the woods, sheepishly returning home trying to hide the smell of smokey clothing from prying noses. I have no idea how to cook with garlic that smells like post-bonfire clothing.

3rd April 2008

Sue's new haircut, moody lighting

30th March

Poor man's crème brûlée.

An ever changing combination of raspberries, blackberries, vanilla pod, crème fraîche, natural yogurt, maple syrup and sugar. This was the best one yet and only took about 5 minutes to put together. I won’t be trying to hold a blowtorch in one hand with a camera in the other again though.

All of these shots following the contemporary style for in-progress, close-up food photography. The informal presentation of the food is enhanced with the very shallow depth of field, perhaps slightly too shallow in some cases here. This style seems to be a good shortcut to the desired result of making the food look good enough to eat. I think it is probably much more challenging to get satisfactory results shooting product type food shots where everything in the shot needs to be perfectly presented and in sharp focus.

29th March

Dough balls and herb baked tomatos, pretty much straight from the oven.

These shots both using natural light, diffused with cloud, worked fine without any additional diffusion.