September update and a day out at the gallery with Mercybongo

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Welcome back to my little corner of the World wide web.

Can you believe its only two months until Christmas? Where did the year go? I can not believe how things just seem like they are all speeding up. So its been another reasonably quiet month again with no other trip out but to the Art Gallery to do a location shoot with model Mercybongo. We could not shoot in the galleys this time, but they allowed us to shoot in the rest areas and stairwells. This might sound much, but it is still a great locations with colourful posters and concrete slab walls.

Amy and I have had a shoot with Munira Model a few days ago and the results are still being edited. They are too late for this months update, but will be published at the end of October So we are a month behind at the moment.

There is a light hearted poke at a certain toilet paper those of an age would remember. The dreaded Izal loo rolls are no longer in production, but their memory lives still in my mind and always a good source of humour when it gets brought up in conversation.

So please enjoy this months blog update and see you all again next month.

X

Still Life

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So something a bit odd this month for a still life subject. Amy showed me a half dead leek that she had in the kitchen. Some of its leaves were still green the others a cream colour and all withered. The two together created and interesting variety of textures and visual confusion. I photographed it in my light tent, choosing to go close up on many shots with a few in the larger picture of a vase. I think the closer ones work best. Have a look yourself and see what you think? I gave the leaves a red tint in post processing.

A tribute to Izal toilet paper – Digital Art

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Who remembers Izal toilet paper? Who could forget it if you do?

They stopped producing it about twenty years ago, but the memory of it sites heavy in the minds of those that came into contact with it. In the days before Andrex and Cashel you would find this stuff in the grandads bathroom or toilet. I have many a memory of going outside in the howling wind and rain to my grandads outdoor privy. The shit house door banging in the wind. Peeling white paint on the walls and the sound and smell of a paraffin heater. My pants around my ankles, cutting one off and then to top it off the inevitable battle with the Izal Medicated Toilet paper. This stuff took no shit from anyone …. literally ! It was awful stuff that was like a mixture of tracing paper and sand paper.

So here is a little nod to its memory. The paper in this picture I purchased from Ebay as you can not get Izal any more. Its actually a rival paper called Bronco, which I am informed was just as dire. I photographed it on the back of our living room door using a coat hook to hold it up. The writing was added in Photoshop.

So here is to the memory of Izal …. where are you now … and thanks for the memory.

Mercybongo at the Art Gallery

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This months model shoot was with our old friend and regular Mercybongo, but this time on location at the Art Gallery. Mercy wore a fetching orange wig to this shoot and a few woollen costumes that stood out against the bleakness of the grey concrete walls. Sadly someone graffiti the wall outside the building and it was inturn painted over. Yet it stands out as the colours do not match and it looks ugly.

As it was a location shoot and time was against us we did not have Shadrine to do the makeup in this case. So Mercy did her own and it still looks nice. So thank you then to model Mercybongo and to Amy for her help on the day. Thank you to the Art Gallery for the great location.

I hope you all enjoy it.

September Flower Updates

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Thank you as always to the staff at The Bramblesflowers and Flowers to yours for once again getting a great selection of flowers for us to take in our little home studio. This month we had a thistle with several heads on it. While maybe not the prettiest of plants, it does have form and texture that looks good in photos. Get well Chris … being out of action is frustrating I know well. So here wishing you and your leg a speedy repair.

That is it again for this month. Thanks as always to Amy for her help and be sure to drop by at the end of the month for Octobers updates.

Bye

x

August Blog Updates Liver fat and a quiet month

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Welcome back to my little corner of the World wide web.

Its a bit of a quiet one this month, even though we did two shoots this time, Although one of them is not completely edited yet. This is because of the roasting hot weather we have been having every time I go sit in front of the computer I sweat like a pig. Its horrible and even worse when its humid. Thankfully now the worst of Summer is over and I can crack on with the editing. Emily Bajic is the star of this months effort and can be found below.

I had my second CT scan on my liver completed this month and had the results a few weeks back. There is a small build up of fatty deposits on my liver, but the Hospital does not think its worth doing anything about at this point in time. So I am pleased at the results, but wish I had not have to go through the ringer and all the aggro I went through to get this result. Still look at the bright side …. I do not have cancer and my liver is still working.

So that ia about it for this month (like I said, a quiet one), but I would like to thank everyone for their support and kind words recently with the cancer / liver scare. Love you all.


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Projects – Architectural Metaphor

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These Architecture images were taken on a recent visit to Nottingham when I was going to do a location shoot with Mercybomgo. We had some time to kill and got the camera out to snap the tram station, the lace market square and the Nottingham Contemporary Art gallery.

Emily Bajic Fashion Shoot

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This was a shoot that nearly never happened. I had originally booked asian model Supple Suki for this Augusts event, but I screwed up. I failed to confirm it with Suki and so she took another booking elsewhere. I had to scramble around for another model who was size six dress and was lucky to find the lovely Emily Bajic. She was perfect for the job and a delight to work with. We did quiet a bit of the blurred look I like doing, many of which you can see here on this blog. The shoot took place at The Boardroom, and Makeup was provided with grace by Shadrine at Kavour

Thanks then to Phil and Shadrine as well as model Emily and Amy for her help.

August Flower Updates

Bumper selection of flowers this month with three from the shop and two Amy picked up in a hedgerow, including a yellow berry display. As always thanks to Chris and thanks the ladies at The Bramblesflowers and Flowers to yours A thanks also to Amy of course for her ever needed help and flower arrangements. Also I would just like to say I hope you mending Chris … take care mate.

That is it for August, see you all again in September.

x

July Blog Updates … In the clear … but its not over yet.

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Welcome back to my little corner of the web.

Let me first have a shout out to my friend Chris, the owner of The Bramblesflowers and Flowers to yours who I found out during my last visit to the shop has broken his leg. Speedy recovery my friend and don't push yourself too hard.

We did not actually have a shoot in July, there was planned to be one on location in my parents back garden, but I cancelled it so as not to be a burden on them. We have however got the results for the last shoot in June that missed lasts months update due to timing. The team and I worked with the lovely Lyra Rose Model on some stuff for this and my other website. The shoot went really well and we got all that we set out to achieve done. So thank you then to all there and helped.

So with regards to Cancer …. well I am in the clear.

I managed to get my CT Scan done at the Hospital eventually. The first time being postponed due to me not being cleaned out enough. I was literally still full of shit even after fasting and drinking a whole bottle of laxative. Second time around I had to fast over three days and guzzle down two bottle of laxative. Great if you like Pernod aniseed liqueur, but for me no amount of sweet apple juice can wash away the foulneess of the taste it left in my mouth. It made my bottom ache and made me sick to my stomach. But the CT Scan got done and I received the good news last Friday. There was no sign of cancer anywhere, but it has opened the door to another complication. Something is still wrong and the scan picked up anomalies in my Liver. So I am waiting to be contacted by the relevant Liver department for further advice. Still positive news where it is found and I don't have the Big C.

July was the month my little sister got married to Colin Willianson, a good man who clearly loves and cares for her. Here is wishing them happiness for the future and thanks for a great day out at your Wedding. I did take some snaps of the day that can be seen in the Random section of this blog.

Thanks goes out to my parents for putting up with Amy and I, as well as taking us to random locations around the countryside to do some landscape and Infrared shots.

We have two fashion shoots this August, more of which I will tell you about next month.

I hope you enjoy this months blog, there is a bit to look at and make sure to come back for more next month.

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Projects – Landscapes

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I wish I could get the chance to do a lot more of this stuff as I really enjoy landscape photography. The lack of transport and ill health keeps me from getting out there. Anyway here are some black and whites of scenes we found recently on a day out and about in the countryside. We were lucky in finding an old barn in dire need of renovation, that photographed well amongst other things like willow trees blowing in the wind.

Projects – Infrared

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Sunshine and plenty of light is needed for Infrared photography. So when we were out doing the landscapes I banged some red and yellow filters on my two converted (unshipped) Nikon D80 cameras and grabbed these shots. For those who don't know Infrared is the spectrum of light that the human eye cannot see, but things like bees and butterfly's as well as unchipped digital sensors can pick up on and see. I have the two cameras as one is for colour and the other for black and white Infrared captures. Please enjoy.

Random Stuff

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This is the bit where I show you snaps from my sisters wedding to Colin, before she jetted off to America for her honeymoon. I did not photograph the usual stuff like wedding dresses and the cutting of the cake, as she had paid some more than capable Wedding photographers to take care of all of that and I could not better them. Nor wished to try. Instead I took pictures of more incidental things like the Sandwichs and layers of small cakes served up for mid afternoon tea. Champagne and beer glasses, and even shadows on the wall of lights from outside the venue as the Sun was setting in the golden hour mode. I hope the lack of Wedding dresses does not disappoint you all?

Still Life

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Outside my local hospital is a fruit and veg store that's there four days a week. What an inspired idea to put that where everyone can have no excuse to buy fresh healthy food? So at this store I found a fruit I had never seen before and decided to surprise Amy with it. She knew exactly what it was … Its called a Dragon fruit and has an interesting if weird look to it. So before eating Settling on these three images as the final cut for the Still Life gallery.

Lyra Rose Fashion Shoot

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Everybody welcome the lovely Lyra Rose Model in her first shoot with the team and I. She was a great model and perfect for the job. Punctual, polite and needed no prompt she got stuck in with the shoot and gave us some great pictures. Especially the ones with the Fab Lolly and the hundreds and thousands all over her lips and hands. I think we shall be getting Lyra Rose back for another session sometime early in the New Year after I have thought of some new ideas she would be good for. So thank you Lyra and thanks also to to Shadrine at Kavour for her hair and makeup and Phil for his wonderful studio The Boardroom, in Derby. It goes without saying a thank you also to Amy for her help and food.

The Garden 4

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Collected here are the edited highlights from a quick walk around my fathers pride and joy, his garden. There is often new things to find each time we go there and at different times of the year. Enjoy.

July Flower Updates

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I have cut the work load down starting from this month with only three flowers from the shop this month rather than the normal four. There is a good feel to the 'Power 3' concept. Best regards and speedy recovery to Chris and thanks the ladies at The Bramblesflowers and Flowers to yours A thanks also to Amy of course for her ever needed help and organisational skills.

That's it for this July. Please come back in August to visit us again.

Thanks

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