Colour is the new Black and White!

The weekend has drawn to a close without the sound of the shutters closing; however, all is not lost! With my procrastinating at an all time low, I've managed to put the weekend to good use by spending some time practicing the dark arts of Photoshop. As I mentioned in my last post, I've been enjoying the wonders of cross processing and am well and truly hooked.

I've revisited some of my older shots and am amazed by the new life the technique brings to them. I don't think it works for every picture, and I doubt it will ever exceed my love for black and white pictures. Maybe Colour is the new Black and White! :-)

I need to get it out of my system and let it take its place as another tool on the belt. A few more pics to help with the exorcism (or perhaps add more fuel to the fire!). Your thoughts are welcome as always :-)

Cross Processing

So another weekend arrives, the gloom of the corporate world is temporarily lifted . . . and all too quickly replaced by crazy interchangeable weather.

But every challenge brings opportunity (an expression I can only abide outside of work, inside I normally want physical harm to befall its speaker). I've decided today's opportunity was a bit of Photoshop practice and a quick go at Cross Processing.

This is an interesting effect born in the film era and now replicated in the digital world. Its origins are from people (intentionally or otherwise) processing film with chemicals appropriate for a different type of film. If you've seen the film Domino, you'll remember the funky contrast and green/yellow hue.

Below is my eternal source of inspiration and the catalyst for many a sleepless night. My cross processed son Cullan :-)

Macro World

Went exploring today with my macro lens and happened across this little wonder. The door handle was resting in the soil just a few feet from the path. I must have had my macro eyes on and managed to spot it.

I've probably watched Guillermo Del Toro films too much but my thoughts were immediately of fairytales, trolls and magic doors to other worlds. Perhaps I should make up a story about it, to tell my little monster when he's older.

It's made me wonder what Del Toro's take on Alice in Wonderland would be? That's a film I would love to see made, Guillermo through the looking glass.

Think I need to buy Pan's Labyrinth and take a walk in his world again! :-)

Arrrrrgh!

So in the last couple of weeks I've learned a LOT . . . . the hard way!

Still very much in the early stages of setting up my business, I was offered the chance to take some photographs at a wedding. Without the responsibility of being the main photographer and having a Bride and Groom that were patient and not at all demanding, it should have been relatively stress free. But let's not forget that we create our own stress ;-)

I'd had very little notice of the event so no time to practice, but plenty to get my gear sorted. I'd loaded, recharged, formatted, packed and done pretty much everything I could do the night before. Things seemed to be going well on the day apart from my flashgun playing up. I knew the batteries had plenty of juice, I had put new ones in the night before, but I hadn't tested it :-(

After about an hour (and thankfully the ceremony), a loud popping sound made the guests turn to face me and signalled the end of my flashgun. Luckily whatever had decided to explode did so within the flash and there were no injuries. Having been forced to think and act fast I've learned so much from the experience and am very grateful. When I left my head was swimming with ideas of what I would do differently (or better) next time.

I had intended to upgrade my flash so while this wasn't the end of the world the timing wasn't great. I would have also liked it to remain as a back-up (although now it has been exposed as an unreliable one!). With the delivery of a new flash and lens this week, not only was I back in the world of lighting, I was now entering the magical world of Macro.

I had decided to purchase a 100mm Macro lens for portraiture and product shots. It also coincided with my evening class looking at macro photography so I was really excited. I mounted the lens on my 400D, formatted a card and charged my spare battery. Though I'm now using a Canon 5D mkII, I prefer to learn with 400D because it's familiar and has been good to me. I also don't want to look like I'm being flashy when I role up to class.

The camera and lens were a bit of a snug fit in my smaller bag and, not wanting to damage my new piece of equipment, I made a last second decision to put it in my larger bag and left the house. That is to say my larger bag that didn't contain a formatted memory card and a charged battery. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! I screamed in my head as not to disturb the other students photographing interesting flowers, delicate pieces of jewellery and electronic boards.

Some of the other guys in the class were kind enough to let me take some photos with their cameras and stay involved in the class. I have definitely learned some important lessons in the last couple of weeks and the plans for my business are getting stronger. I'm taking more time to practice my skills and preparing for the unexpected. In recognition of my frustrations my first macro shot is the green skinned symbol of rage that is the Hulk.

Expect more Macro pics to follow :-)

Street Photographer

So far everything I've learned about photography has been self-taught. Every mistake I've made has led me to a better understanding of the camera (or myself). I have countless books and magazines on photography littering the house (or so the other half would say). I pour over these leaving some half-read, awaiting my return.

When I decided to make this a professional pursuit I also made the decision to learn more and keep on learning. Like with this blog, I want to always have a reason to take a photograph and get better at it (lest the procrastinator in me takes control again!).

As I began the blog I also started to attend a weekly photography class. It will lead to a qualification and while that's a wonderful thing, it's not the real reason I signed up. For me it's about taking the time to explore what type of photographer I am and want to be. A reason to get into the techniques that I've so far attempted half-heartedly.

Our first assignment was on the theme 'Street', to be interpreted as we see fit (in the time-old tradition). I've always had a love of street photography, a quick browse on my hard drive revealed the majority of pictures on there were of interesting places, buildings and people. My first thought was of the buskers on Grafton Street in Dublin, the undiscovered artists and musicians that captivate us as we make our way from Molly Malone to the Green. Unfortunately jet-setting for my photography is not yet on the agenda (perhaps one day).

During a trip into Birmingham's city centre, I spied a fellow enthusiast capturing some images of Victoria Square. I quickly took my picture whilst he photographed the beautiful buildings and a statue of 'Ole Queen Vic herself. It was only afterwards I remembered, when I bought my first DSLR I stood in almost the same place and photographed the same things. What first looked like an interesting composition now has a lot of meaning for me. Below is the first photograph I took in 2007 after purchasing a Canon 400D.

Needless Photoblog

The truth is unavoidable. I am a procrastinator. A slacker of olympic proportion (if procrastination was an actual event, I wouldn't even make it to the stadium!). Worse still, when I start to make an effort, it's usually thinking of excuses NOT to do something. I can avoid life like no other. Well at least I used to. I'd thought maybe the last thing the 'interweb' needed was another photoblog, but perhaps it does. Either way, it would be just another excuse.

For quite some time I've had a tingling in the quiet part of my brain (the 'doing' bit), a whisper that has slowly grown into an almighty shout. Heard of the saying "You work to live, not live to work"? I used to think that was the motto of the working class. Punch in, punch out and have fun before the cycle starts again. But the tingling suggested otherwise.

I've always wanted a career that involved being creative, but I've been working solidly since the age of 18 in what have mostly been the 9-5 office environment. Hell with fluorescent lighting, where metaphorical walls are replaced by actual ones (albeit padded cubicles to prevent you from distracting yourself with life). And while it's led me to meeting some amazing people that have enriched my life, it's also led me into soul destroying bureaucracy and the most horrid facet of human nature - 'ego'. I'll move on from that unpleasant talk of management.

When 5pm had passed and my anger subsided I would allow myself to become absorbed in the lovely flashing box I call television, the abyss that is the internet or (where the anger hadn't fully subsided) the nearest violent video game to hand. All the while doing one of these I've longed to be the creator, the Ridley Scott, Akira Kurosawa or Annie Leibovitz. Though to qualify the final aspiration, I'm certain I would make an awful woman and an even worse Jew, I don't have the legs for it and you'd have to pry the bacon sandwich from my cold dead hand.

I love making pictures. I love that an image can capture a memory and emotion as well as create them. As more and more days of my life have passed and shutters closed where I made the time, I have become acutely aware that some, if not a lot of, people actually make a living from photography. The tingle had begun.

You work to live, not live to work. It's a sad thing to see that someone's work has taken over their life. Sad, unless perhaps it's something they love (no we're getting there!). I love making pictures. I'd also love to be my own boss. I think you can hide from the truth, especially if you're a world class procrastinator but at some point you I can't escape it. Now here I am, perhaps for the first time in my life unable to think of reasons to not follow my dreams. I've finally managed to escape the prison of my own making.

I've decided to write this blog to record my entry into the world of professional (i.e. paid) photography, as a way of measuring my successes as I go and also to share the journey with those interested. My hopes are that I might share my thoughts, inspirations and warning signs to those that venture on the same path. I hope that as you are reading these words, you too are following a dream.