black and white

Project – 'Noir et Blanc' Update

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In a town called Rushden, there is a great shopping complex called 'Rushden Lakes.' I love going there as there is this shop called magazine heaven or something like that and its the only one in the whole of the UK. Its packed to the gunnels with magazines of all types. I normally buy a few fashion pieces (of which there is a lot the choose from) for future shoot inspiration. Needless to say, it great there. They also have a little cafe on the first floor that serves up teas and coffees as well as food. The cafe has an ambiance and charm all of its own that I tried to capture here in this section, from the counter to the lighting and tea pots.

So another thanks to my parents for introducing us to the shop. X


November Flowers Update

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I am really pleased with this months flower gallery, the Brambles Florist staff came up with an even greater selection of flowers this month. A dried thorn plant that photographed wonderfully and a deep red gerbera. Now I know I have done gerberas before on many occasions but this was a double gerbera and a beautiful deep red. Amy placed it against a deep green background and it worked out with the opposite colour theory. Have a look at this months selection and see. So thanks as always to Chris at Flowers To Yours and his staff at the Brambles Florist for their help. Not forgetting a mention to Amy for all of her assistance.

See you all next month for a festive season offering. X

Project – 'Landscapes' Update

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We took a visit to Newstead Abby a weekend or so ago to have a look over the grounds as I would like to do a location shoot there sometime soon with Monalisa Moyo. It was a nice day and busy. The bulrushes were not out this early in the year, so it might not yet be suitable to do a dramatic shoot in, but that will change as the seasons progress. While we were there I did manage to grab a few shots of the waters they have and what seemed like a huge sky above. So all in all a productive visit.

Still Life / Fine Art Gallery – Update

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A bit of a mixed bag of goodies this month. So let me start with the black and white pictures. These images were actually taken a very long time ago when I was experimenting with light and long exposures. The originals were in colour, but I felt they were a bit too bright and at the time I did not know how to get around the problem in Photoshop. So I left them … Only to find them again earlier this month and have a look gain. I cooled the brightness down and turned them black and white. Problem solved.

The second set of pictures feature a collection of nine shots of a yellow spotted vase I purchased from a charity shop for a few pennies, and liked the look of it. The spots on the vase are painted daisies and as there are no daisies this time of the year, I purchase some from Etsy.

They are fake and made of paper, but look the part and were very dainty. Great thing is I can put them away in the box and use again another day..

I hope you all enjoy this months Still Life gallery?

Project – 'Noir et blanc' Update

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There has not been an update for this project for a while, so I thought to grab a few snaps of the Penthouse Suite we booked for the 'Good Times' Fashion Shoot at the splendid St. James Hotel in Nottingham. Chairs, lampshade, mirrors and cups of tea make this update with a backdrop of some expensive wallpaper. I should have also shot the bedroom as that was great, but by that time I was too tired.

Maybe next time ?


Project – 'Architectural Metaphor' Update

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Amy and I took a day trip so she could visit the Chinese Supermarket. So while there we took advantage of the local architecture, snapping away and seeing if we could get anything worth showing. It was a bit hit or miss, but I think we got some good photos in general. My particular favourites being of the side view of the Theatre Royal. It has an Art Deco feel and look about it.


September Flower Updates

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Due to the two fashion shoots I had this month, I had to photograph the flowers a good week before I normally would have. Thankfully Chris at Flowers To Yours was very understanding and allowed me to have a few of his finest a couple of weeks ago. The emphasis this month is more on shape and form rather than straight forward flowers. So slightly different, but still worth a look. Thanks then to Chris and Wendy at Flowers To Yours and Brambles Florist for their brilliant help. And a thank you also to Amy for assisting me photograph them.

Project - 'Architectural Metaphor' Update

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Just a few images this month that I nearly did not bring you.

Let me explain, I took the liberty of photographing my local general hospital, because it has an interesting design. Little did I know that you have to have permission to do that until some man mountain range ape of a security guard informed me rudely and with thuggish glee. So I tossed him a few lines of well placed expletives back, just for his troubles. It then fell to him and three of his thug mates to escort us both to the front of the hospital . From there the gang of four stood loitering around giving my wife and I the stinky eye stare as we waited to catch a taxi home. They obviously had nothing better to do with their time than to harass a disabled man innocently taking a few shots of NHS property? Apparently not, so it would seem.

Maybe they thought Amy and I were a major criminal threat, planning the down fall civilisation … or the Health Service at any rate, using only my walking stick and digital camera? . Who knows. Still, the results I did manage to get I am reasonably happy with, so please enjoy them.

August Flower Updates

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Its the August flower updates time, with a great collection provided by my friends Chris and Wendy at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours. So a big warm thanks to them. Look out for the alternative image of a single clematis petal in purple that is a favourite of mine. And talking of purple I have thrown in a couple of extra pictures of Lavender taken around the corner from my house. Just a little extra so to speak. Thanks also to Amy for here help and assistance.

*NEW* Projects - 'X00 Multiplies'

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This is a new gallery project all about buildings and architecture that have a symmetry about them. In point Art Deco design, which sadly they do not have in my town. But they do have some great modern buildings that a designed with thought. It is all in black and white for effect, thank you to Amy for her support.

Projects - 'Noir et Blanc' Gallery Update.

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Here is a one of Project image for the ‘Noir et Blanc’ Gallery. I was taken in my front room with me on my couch looking up at the ceiling. The light you see highlights the picture of Amy just below to the bottom right.

December Flower Update

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Still Life / Fine Art Gallery - Update

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This month we managed to do some more Fine Art trying bits and bobs out from rotting leaves and bondaged Sunflowers to Apples, string and plastic flowers. Thanks to Amy for her patience and much needed help with the picture creations and to everyone at Brambles Florist for their plants.

November Flowers Update

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As I mentioned before, its a good job my flowers providers have not closed down during the covid-19/0.2 lockdown we have just been through. They gave me an amazing choice of flowers to choose from, and to which I hope I have done my best. So another shout out to Chris and Wendy at both Brambles Florist and Flowers to yours A thanks also to my wife for the couple of Dahlias she throw in for good measures. x

October Updates

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October is the start of what I call the silly season leading all the way up to new years eve and the big belly flop that comes after it on January 2nd. Our government has put us all into a Covid-19 lockdown again, so there will be no photoshoots in November or flower shoots either I would imagine.

Bummer !!

On a more happy note the Lens Culture, Black and White Photography Awards that I entered has now closed, but before they did they sent out this advert below to get more people to enter and kindly used my picture in the top left hand corner. Does this mean anything? Proberbly not, but it does tell me someone, somewhere in summertime likes it enough to use it in an advert. Which is something positive I suppose.

I would just like to take this chance to say a fond farewell to Sir Sean Connery who’s films were a big influence on me as a child and young person growing up.

Please enjoy this months updates..

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Still Life / Fine Art Gallery - Update

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Something different for this months Still Life / Fine Art gallery with beauty in decay being the theme. We photographed these gone over flowers that we had in various vases during the golden hour, I think it worked? Most are in black and white, but a couple in colour. Thanks then to Amy for getting up that hour with me and all her support.

Projects - 'Noir et Blanc' Gallery Update.

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Just a small update this month for this project gallery. All images taken in the golden hour just as the sun came up. Beautiful light that time of the day.

*NEW* Projects - 'Noir et Blanc' Gallery

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In keeping with the truelly brilliant black and white photography I have seen enter the competion at Lens Culture. I thought I would do some more of my own. These were also inspired the the haunting paintings of late American artist Andrew Wyeth. His work is stark and lonely, but interesting. I hope I can achieve just a fraction of that interest with images I took in and around my kitchen. A frying pan, tea, beans, apples in a bucket and fashion magazines on a washing line. Thanks to Amy for her loyal help. xx

This new projects gallery is called ‘Noir et Blanc.’

Portraits

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We kick of this month with some portraits in black and white of my wife. there is no photoshop other than to turn the picture grey and crop it. I love the results. Thank you darling x