Mercybongo – Third Shoot with Carl Tilson

in

This is Mercybongo's second shoot this year with us and there are still two more to come before the year is out. However, this shoot was based on the video of 'Shock the monkey,' by Peter Gabriel complete with tribal makeup and match suits for both her and her partner Carl. The idea was to make both models look androgynous in white clothing and white background. I have actually used the alternative blue versions here as I think they look better. Thanks then to Mercybongo and Carl for their input and assistance. To Shadrine, at Kavour Beauty for here great makeup. To Phil Lynam at the boardroom studio for his help and of course Amy for being there.

Marie Jean Saxton – Third Shoot

in

Welcoming back the lovely Marie Jean Saxton for this unplanned two hour shoot at the Boardroom Studio in Derby this month. Most of the images were deliberately blurred and for another web site, but there was enough clear (normal ones) to go to print here on my site. It was lovely to work with Marie again in this simple stripped down, no thrills shoot.

Project – Infrared' Update

in

This is a mixture of random grabbed photos taken using the Infrared camera of my Father garden, the Northampton countryside, Rushden lakes walk and the M1 journey home. It would have been nice to use the camera I sent off to be converted in Romania, but alas that was not meant to be. Please enjoy the gallery/

'The Garden' – Update

in

In the day following our shoot with Maryna Sedin, I took the advantage of taking some fresh images of my father’s garden. It was still an overcast day, but the light was good enough for the task. I was aware that only a few years ago I had done similar, so was pushed to try not to photograph the same flowers. I don't think that was achieved, but I did attempt to capture them slightly different from the original garden shoot.

Thank you Dad for making such a great and lovely garden that I can work in. x

July Flowers Update

in

This month flowers comes curtsy of the good people at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours. Who always provide me with some of the best subjects I have ever had the pleasure snapping. So a warm thanks to Chris and the ladies at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours. A special mention also to Amy for all her help when taking the images. I could not do it without all of you.

Thats it for this bumper month,. See you back at the end of August for still more. x

June Updates and a sorry case of Old Mother Hubbard syndrome

in

It has been a very quiet month this June and I feel like Old Mother Hubbard going to her empty cupboard. There has been no model shoot or visits to the studio (I took a break!!). Although I am actually going to be doing a shoot on location on the 30th June, so too late to go into this months blog. Never mind. Julys blog will be a bumper harvest, so hold out till then.

Earlier this month I sent an old camera I had sitting around Romania to have it chipped so it can do Infrared shots and a 24mega pixels. I had my doubts about it but sent it through Parcel Force. Cost me £50. It came back to me, (or at least the box came back to me!) a few weeks later minus the camera. According to the tracking it got to Bucharest and was refused at Custom & Excises. So then between there and my front door, someone helped themselves to the parcels content. I have put in a claim for its cost and postage, but I shall learn a lesson. Never send parcels through Parcel Force and never to Romania. Thieving arseholes !!! The worst bit is that I had a gut feeling this would happen. Like a sixth sense. Should have listened to it. Never mind.

I hope you enjoy this months very short blog and come back for much more next month.

Project – 'Abstract' Update

in

Just one item captured in Abstract this month and see if you can guess what it is?

I shall give you a clue. It is red and green. It is large and very watery. Its got pips in it.

Any guess? Answer below the flower gallery

Project – Lujon Fressonique ' Update

in

This is a project still ongoing if a bit slow. I use the plastic fantastic lens that Amy made for me, like a pinhole lens. Then some manipulation in Capture one and Photoshop. I hope to be using it again on the 12th July in the studio on Marie Jean Saxton model.

June Flower Update

in

Lovely showing of flowers this month from our friends at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours. Amy added to it with a flower or two from the curb side she found on scrub ground. I don’t know if thats legal or not, but its not like cutting council planted daffodiles on a roundabout/

So thanks here must go out to Chris and the ladies at Brambles Florist and Flowers To Yours for their warm assistance. A shout out as well to Amy for her assistance.

That is it for this month, please do come back next month for a more substantial harvest. x.

Answer: Water Melon in and out of a clear plastic bag

May Updates, stuck fingers and a small spring cleaning for the site

in

Welcome back to my little corner of the web.

I am having issue with my fingers especially on my right side of the body getting stuck in an awkward position every morning. I had it so bad recently that I had to talk with the Doctors about it (yes I did manage to talk with one !). Its the onset of creeping arthritis I have in my hands and knees. It does not hurt, its more of an inconvenience trying to snap them back into place or massage them. Holding knives and forks is a problem now as does using a camera. Still it could be worse and I be in terrible pain some people have with arthritis. The joys of getting old I suppose.

So I have had a spring clean on the site and moved a few things around. Notice please the Beauty Shots and fashion/ mode gallery's are now amalgamated under one title. Notice also that there are now two projects folders. The projects folder is for ongoing work that I am still doing where as the Projects Extra folder is for stuff I feel I cannot do any more with. I had to do this as the project file on its own with everything in it was proving difficult to open and show its content.

There was no model shoot this month. Instead we have a gallery of pictures from a shoot with the lovely fashion model Mercybongo taken at The Boardroom Studio on the very last day of April. All hair and makeup was done by Kavour beauty, who did an excellent job as always. And check out the backdrop to the shoot especially made for this project. Awesome – best I have ever seen !!!

Thanks for dropping by and enjoy the show. x

Still Life - Update

in

Carrying on from last month still life subject where I captured some big red tulips from Mercybongos garden, here I captured them again when they had defiantly gone over, but look very much like a butterfly. Also during the shoot Amy suggested I shoot some of the many vases we have kicking around and then turned a sepia colour. Here are the results for this month. I will have to send Amy out again soon to look for more interesting old vases she can find in charity shops,

*NEW* - Infrared

in

I have purchased an old digital camera that has had an Infrared filter added (or subtracted – I can not remember!) cheap digital camera see the full gamete of light including the infrared scale that our eyes do not see. Normally they have a dampener in the camera to ignore this, but here it has been changed to allow it. This then not only gives the old camera a new lease of life, but allows the photographer to take some weird looking stuff. I tried it in the studio to mixed results, but found it works best when shooting landscapes and vegetation. We used a local park to test it out and it turned all the trees and grass to a bright pink. I like it – I think it is interesting - and so will be doing more as and when I can. So here is a new project to show off the results as well as show some very old Infrared images taken decades before digital using the long defunct and sadly missed Kodak HIE 135-36 Hi-Speed Infrared Slide Film. Pictures taken are from locations as far apart as Cornwall and the West Coast of Scotland. I hope you enjoy this new project.

Mercybongo – Second Shoot

I think we have a star here. We invited Mercybongo back for a second themed shoot with us that were actually taken on the last day of April. So too late for last months update. She was great surrounded in maxi dresses and fake flowers. All plastic fantastic!) I had wanted originally to use real flowers but to purchase that many that was needed would have cost hundreds of pounds as well a transport issue and against the clock as they die away.

On this set I must make mention of the sumptuous set that was especially made by Phil Lynam at The Boardroom Studio, just for this shoot. It was so good and fitted the theme exactly using sheets, rugs and other props like cloth mannequin and empty picture frames. A mention also to Shadrine at Kavour Beauty for all her wonderful makeup and direction when putting the flowers in place. A thank you also to Amy and Carl for their assistance on the day swell.

Mercybongo will be back again in July for her third shoot coming soon .

Mercybongo – Second Shoot – Specials

in

Just a handful of special 'one off' pictures featuring Mercybongo model

taken last month at The Boardroom Studio in Derby.

Project – 'Abstract' Update

in

We have been busy this month with the abstract theme taking pictures of everything from Beavis and Butthead, to playing cards and Children's park swings slides and seating/There is no end of stuff to cover if you have an eye to spot it. More coming soon for this project Thanks again to Amy for her valued assistants.….

Project – 'Architectural Metaphor ' Update

in

Sheffield is not somewhere that I visit very often, which is a shame as its centre has some architecture that would not look out of place in New York. Lots of flat roofs. I had cause to visit Zavod Studio in Sheffield and while waiting to gain access I was in awe of the views around me. So I took the opportunity to snap away and put them on the projects page 'Architectural Metaphor.'

There is also a solitary view of Worksop train station and an street lamp added as a random bonus thrown in.

Project – 'Sound Of The Suburbs' Update

in

I have not done any images for this project for a while. So here is a few taken in and out of a train journey I made to Sheffield. Snaps of the vending machine that is card only (no cash allowed !!!!) and the station its at. I have also a picture taken of a scene shot in the early hours one bank holiday Monday of a children playground, before the screaming little brats turn up.