Wednesday 29 April 2009

Flash


Struggling for a shot tonight......

Olympus E-3, ISO 400; f1.8; 1/160s; 24mm. Room light only - tungsten bulb.

Tuesday 28 April 2009

Sticky Toffee Pudding


This was so hot I had to let it cool before I could eat it, so I thought I'd just shoot it for tonight's image.

Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f5.6; 1/160s; 24mm.

Monday 27 April 2009

More Smoke


I said I'd come back to the smoke imagery shots. Incense stick as a source and a red filtered flash.

Olympus E-3, ISO 100; f4; 1/125s; 20mm.

Sunday 26 April 2009

Charlie


This was taken today at Pumpherston Brickworks (disused) in West Lothian. The lighting set-up was a joint effort between Keith (Charlie's fiance) and myself. Thanks to Keith for the use of his flashes and stands and to Tom for triggers.

Olympus E-3; ISO 200; f4; 1/60s. 16mm.

Saturday 25 April 2009

Overton House


Today I visited Overton House near Dumbarton, where I was born nearly forty-four years ago. The house has fallen into a fairly poor state of repair but work is on-going to restore at least some of its former glory. This image probably doesn't really do the house much justice but it gives some idea of its grandeur from days gone by.

Olympus E-3; ISO 400; f6.3; 1/320s; 12mm.

Friday 24 April 2009

Strobist Experiments


This was another experimental shot shot as part of my drive to be more creative with coloured flash outside the studio. This shows that a similar effect can be acheived using inexpensive flash units, improvised gels (Quality Street wrapper) and make-shift snoots. This shot was lit from behind using a flash with a purple gel and from the front using a snooted flash slightly higher than the model's head.

Olympus E-3; ISO 400; f4; 1/125s; 60mm.

Thursday 23 April 2009

Violin or Fiddle?


This instrument has been in the family for over ninety years and may have originated in Shetland (or perhaps Leith). It belonged to and was played by my mother's father. Unfortunately no one in our house can play, although my mother reckons she could have a good go at it given a bit of time and practice as she could get a tune out of it in the past.

Olympus E-3; ISO 200; f4.5; 1/30s; 23mm. Natural daylight from bay window all sides but right.

Wednesday 22 April 2009

Wooden Puzzle 1950's


This little six piece wooden puzzle was made by my mother's father in the first half of the 1950's. He made it on their return from a holiday in Dunoon. There was a puzzle the same in the hotel where they were staying and as my grandfather was so taken by it, he decided to make a copy by drawing the individual detail on each piece - each of the six pieces is different and can only fit together in one way to complete the shape in the image above.

There are other trinkets around the house made by my mother's father, perhaps I will photograph others to share with you. Look out for my favourite - a working wooden propellor.

Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f13; 1/250s; 60mm. Off camera flash at 1/4 power and 40cm away.

Tuesday 21 April 2009

Cloudy Skies


I've been waiting for the right time to get a nice clean, no clouds, red sunsight over Arran but it just ain't happening. I caught this shot while out tonight. It's the sun going down over the north end of Arran with much cloud to hide the rest of the island.

Olympus E-3; f6.3; 1/160s; 29mm.

Monday 20 April 2009

Hmmmm


What to do today? Some very vivid bright blue flowers from the garden.

Olympus E-3; ISO 400; f4; 1/60s; 70mm.

Sunday 19 April 2009

Tree on Friday


Tree silhouette.

Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f11; 1/250s; 48mm.

Sunday's Post


This looks like some kind of strange game played by the folk who work in McDonalds. Can anyone hazard a guess at what's going on here?

olympus E-3; ISO 100; f9; 60mm.

Saturday's Post


I spotted rthis bit of grafitti while at Pumpherston Brickworks (disused) this afternoon. I wonder if the person who wrote it really meant it to be so profound.

Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f7.1; 1/125s; 27mm. Natural light.

Thursday 16 April 2009

Second Equal


I thought I'd like to share this image with you. Although not taken today, it was today named as second equal in a competition on a photography website I frequent. The theme of the competition was "Colour".

Olympus E-500; ISO 100; f9; 1/125s; 40mm. Blue light from behind; red light facing model. Back light two or three stops above front.

Wednesday 15 April 2009

Oh no - another nautical one!


This rather futuristic vessel passed by today. Couldn't see any name or markings on it so can't tell you anything else about it.

Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f3.4; 1/400s; 158mm.

Tuesday 14 April 2009

A small "Tall Ship"


The tall ships are due back in Greenock in 2011. This isn't quite the calibre of the vessels that'll be there then but it does have one very tall mast.

Olympus SP500UZ; Auto.

Monday 13 April 2009

Another "lighting from below" experiemnt.


A Glayva bottle perched on top of my flash (Olympus FL-50R). Flash set to quarter power with a semi-opaque white diffuser.

Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f9; 1/100s; 46mm.

Sunday 12 April 2009

Easter Sunday: How do you eat yours?


Nothing clever - just a simple creme egg.

Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f9; 1/100s; 60mm.

Saturday's Post


I liked how this sprig of white blossom on a plum tree contrasted with the blue sky. Shot from beneath, I deliberately didn't use an fill-in flash as I wanted to retain the natural appearance of the blossom lit from above by strong sunlight. I think the transluscence in the leaves and blossom petals allows enough light through to give some colour without the harsh back-lighting creating a full silhouette effect.

Olympus E-3

Friday 10 April 2009

An Easter Weekend Shot


While waiting for planes at Glasgow airport, I spotted this little clump of narcissus. OK, so it should be daffodils.....

Olympus E-3

Thursday's Post - "Cabin crew, doors to automatic....."


An archive sourced shot today I'm afraid.

Departing Prestwick Airport on runway 13 in a Boeing 737-800, flaps at thirty degrees, just about to pass the secondary runway (03/21), control tower at the junction of the two strips' taxiways.

Olympus SP500UZ.

Wednesday 8 April 2009

Reflections


This was one of those images you just chance upon, just notice when not looking for anything to shoot. It's the view from my main front window reflected in the glass of a picture frame.

Olympus E-3; ISO 400; f3.1; 1/60s; 17mm. Natural light.

Tuesday 7 April 2009

Bubbles - Physics IS Fun!


A small amount of water in a glass, a generous helping of washing-up liquid and some food-colouring. Then comes the fun bit. Blow into the mixture with a straw to create bubbles. Whatever you do though - don't suck.......

Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f11; 1/125s; 60mm. Off camera flash.

Monday 6 April 2009

Creme Egg McFlurry


With Easter just around the corner, it's great to see the Creme Egg McFlurry back at McDonalds.

Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f4; 1/40s; 49mm. The tub was inverted over a Portaflash flash head set to it's lowest power of 1/4. The image was the rotated 180 degrees in PS.

Sunday - Heather


Just a quick shot of Heather taken using a technique pinched from Tom Thomson - the single bare light bulb technique. I used a colour corrected bulb for this.

Olympus E-3; ISO 1000; f4; 1/40s; 60mm.

Saturday's Post


Possibly one of the most photographed islands in Scotland, if not world-wide - Arran. I was hoping for a nice orange sunset, but it didn't happen.

Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f5.6; 1/800s; 60mm.

Friday 3 April 2009

Candlelight


Aren't flames interesting?


Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f13; 1.0s; 60mm.

Thursday 2 April 2009

Fisheries Protection Vessel


This was a fisheries protection vessel leaving Greenock this evening with the container terminal cranes in the background.

Olympus E-3; ISO 400; f20; 1/125s; 182mm.

Wednesday 1 April 2009

Aerosol


This didn't really work as well as I had hoped. I may try it again sometime, but maybe not! It's been tinted in PS to accentuate the spray.

Olympus E-3; ISO 100; f4; 1/160s; 24mm.

Tuesday - From the Archive


This was taken at Leuchars Airshow in September 2008 - one of the few aircraft that actually performed an air display that day due to the foul weather - don't let the blue sky fool you. It's courtesy of PS..............

By the way, the aircraft is the new Eurofighter - a Typhoon.