059:265 Steaming Again

Today was another press job for UNS, this time a trip to Edinburgh Waverley for the arrival of Tornado, the first steam locomotive to be built in Scotland for over 50 years.

This was Tornado's first trip to Scotland, arriving at Edinburgh from York,

Lots of other shots but i liked this one personally.

The place was manic - i really couldn't be a train spotter though.

058:365 An Old Strip

Bit of an odd image today...

We've had a bit of a clear-out recently and have popped a lot of the old football programmes up for sale along with some of the signed and special football shirts that we have.

This one in particular is a Livingston FC match worn goalie strip signed by Alan Main and i've been made an interesting offer on it.

The money will likely go towards the cost of repairing the car, had some issues today that the wee man from the RAC helped out with to begin with. The car is now in the garage awaiting the parts coming in with a bill of £220 or so waiting for me next week.

057:365 The Mugshot

Today has been filled with photographic opportunities, with lots of photos being taken.

First thing this morning i did a run about and picked up Scott (Walker), Ross and Scott (McKillop) and we went off into Edinburgh.

The guys wanted to do some architecture stuff, but i already had mine so i pretty much just mucked about whilst they shot some stuff at the museum.

We thenm all went to a few different pubs and cafes, including meeting up with Alex for a while too.

When we got back Scott (Walker) came back to the college to help me out with some work for Mel, one of the Hairdressing students, who recently did really well in a competition and is goign to Blackpool for the UK finals soon, by photographing Jade, her model.

Scott stood in whilst i was testing the lights so it really had to be this shot today.

056:365 A Right Kiwi

Today has been a pain in the bum in trying to find a shot to do, and i really wasn't sure what to try.

I was going to pick up my camera equipment and happened to pass the bowl of kiwi fruit in the kitchen.

I decided to have a go at this by slicing a bit from it, then placing it on a white lid from a tupperware box and using off camera flash on the floor flashed it from underneath.

I'm really happy with the way this looks and the colours in it.

I think some more fruit type photography like this, is something i may well try more of.

055:365 Pancakes

Nice topical image for today, being Pancake Tuesday.

Lynn spent a wee while earlier making some lovely jubbly pancakes for us all.

Had a bundle plastered with Nutella which is absolutely brilliant.

I loved them and looking forward to having some more.

054:365 A Touch of Glamour

Today I, once again, had the pleasure of shooting the stunning Miss Charlie McInally who is just such a fantastic model.

I wanted to go for a more 'glamour' look and we completed a number of different looks.

Charlies Sis Natasha, Keith and Alex all joined us at the shoot and Duncan popped back for a while after dealing with some business.

I'm really happy with the results and will be posting a range of the shots on my main blog later this evening, or tomorrow, depending on how i get on.

Thanks Charlie and we need to do it again soon.

053:365 Through the Glass

Today is a shot that i have taken to use for a college project.

As part of our portraiture block we have to do a number of portaits (including high key, low key, school portrait, group and corporate portraits). This one is one where we were asked to produce a portrait of a family member of group and as such i have used my daughter Caron as the model.

I really didn't want to do a typical high or low key style portrait for this and found a picture of this style in a book about photographing children.

It's a bit of a strange one and is shot with a wide aperture and a long focal length through glass (which is the light reflection).

I deliberately used our back door with me in the garden and Caron in the house as the light was best there and the window is a bit dirty at the moment due to the dog jumping at it :)

I really like this and think it has a bundle of emotion and grit in it and really makes people think.

052:365 Sheets of ...

Today has been a bit of a real bore for me so i've waited a while before deciding on what to shoot today.

I've been thinking for a while about shooting some of the film that's stored in the fridge and finally got round to it today.

From bottom up - pack of 10 Fuji Velvia 50 (out of date), pack of 10 Fuji provia 100, pack with 2 left - Fuji Provia 100 (also has 4 exposed shots in the box also), pack with 13 left, ilford Delta 100.

also got a couple of dark slides one with 2 Ilford Delta 100's and one with 2 Ilford FP4's all ready loaded int he fridge along with all the MF and 35mm film.

051:365 The Photographer

I've got a good few shots from today to play with and decide from but have plumped for this one as I just felt it rocked.

This happy young fellow is Duncan Bennett, my friend and fellow photographer.

Duncan happily agreed to helping me out with this portrait which i'm hoping to be shooting similar for my Graded Unit.

This was shot using the Cambo SC-2 Basic, Rodenstock 210mm Lens and Ilford FP4, processed in Ilfosol HC and Scanned using an Epson V700 scanner.

050:365 Large Format

Todays image is the lens and lens panel on the front of the large format 5x4 camera.

This is a Rodenstock 210mm f5.6 lens on a Cambo SC-2 Basic.

I'll be out using it tomorrow morning for some shots with Duncan and then hoping to nip into college to process and scan them before Scott and I do our School Portrait shoot.

Really looking forward to blasting with the 5x4 again :)

049:365 Big Cook Little Cook

I'm sure most of you looking at todays image will be going "nom nom" and rightly so.

since coming home from college ive nipped in to the school to speak to the headteacher about helping me with some work for college. Then after getting the kids and Lynn we nipped to the shops and picked up some food.

Whilst there i couldn't help but wander down the cake isle and pick up some stuff for cakes.

Just waiting on the larger sponges coming out the oven and cooling before attacking them with the icing.

NOM NOM :)

048:365 School Holidays

Todays shot comes from Beecraigs where Scott and I had a wander around and he shot off a couple of frames on the 5x4.

I had planned to do a lot of bird shots when here as the last time we visited there was a little Robin running about at our feet.

I tried lying on the ground (on my plastic backed matt) but didn't really get much but as i walked across to get Scott i seen this parent and child out on their holidays on one of the bridge walls and snapped away

these were taken at around 200mm

047:365 The Final Prints

Today I'm still feeling a little bit ropey so not going out of the house to take any shots.

Todays image is of some prints that i had done for my college portraiture block.

Left to right it's the Corporate Portrait of Mhairi Laughlin, the college principal, then the high key image of Charlie, then the low key one of Keith.

They were printed via http://www.dscolourlabs.co.uk/ on Fuji Pearl (Metallic) paper and are a most wonderful 16x12 in size.

For £3 a print they are most definately well recommended.

046:365 Feeling Unwell

Sorry about the crap quality of todays picture, i've spent most of today, since getting up this morning, in this room so it seemed appropriate.

I also thought that a picture of the WC pan, or the sink wouldn't be as appreciated.

Hoping to feel a lot better tomorrow and get out tomorrow or Tuesday with the LF.

045:365 Valentines Takes the Biscuit

Beiung Valentines Day i thought i should do something at least kinda related to the day.

These are little shortbread biscuits with cherries in it and shaped like hearts.

They are sitting on a little box and lit from above with a tungsten lightbulb.

Hope everyone has a nice day.

044:365 Chrissie Red

Today i went for a little trek up to Perth and had the pleasure of a photoshoot with Chrissie Red.

She really is a fantastic model and we went for a look around a couple of old cottages before deciding on one of them.

We then shot a bit of fashion before doing a little nude work.

I'm really happy with the shots and will happily recommend Chrissie to anyone looking for a good model.

More images on my main blog soon.

043:365 Shy

Been telling myself i wanted a portrait of one of the kids for todays picture.

Caron has been in one recently and Darren was asleep so Kyle got volunteeered, but he wasn't for it and was playing shy, so i ended up with a picture of the back of his head as he sat in his room watching tv.

Tomorrow will hopefully be another press style image.

042:365 Human Resources

Todays image is one from a selection that i shot for my college project.

My original intention was to shoot all the portraits in a low key style, but I have since realised that the low key style really isn't flattering to the ladies that i've shot and the more even lighting that i used for the digital shots, and to ensure i had a good image from the shoot, is much more flattering.

I'm contemplating the future for my project, but it's looking likely that i will shoot the ladies in one style and the gents in another as it's much more suited to that.

I also need to do some playing about with the settings as the DOF on the Large Format means that i'm losing too much detail in these close up shots.

This image is of the lovely Joanne, one of the volunteers from a group of HR staff who kindly offered to help me out and sit for my project.

041-365 Pink Nessie

Had a few ideas for shots today and none of them really worked out so i ended up with this little cutey.

When in Tyndrum i picked up this little pink Nessie for my daughter as a wee gift and it was sitting in the kitchen so i decided to shoot it for todays image.

Lit with tungsten light from the kitchen light and resting on my tripod head this little beastie is really cute.

Tomorrow should be some scanned B&W portraits - so i'm looking forward to that.

040:365 The Snowman

Today i was bringing back my wife from college when i passed this fine fellow, so I went back later and snapped a few different shots of him.

I think he's a really jolly fellow so liked it a lot.

Not sure as yet what my plan is for tomorrow but i've got a few days this week planned out already and i'm trying to do around a weeks plan so that i'm much more prepared.

039:365 Rannoch Moor

This weekend has been absolutely brilliant, we've spent the whole weekend photographing lovely parts of Scotland.

With over 350 miles covered between lunchtime Friday and tea-time Sunday it's been an awesome time.

Today Scott and I travelled north from Greenock up to Glencoe, stopping at Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor then for the Buachaille Etive Mòr which Scott has been desperate to shoot again for a while.

This shot is from Rannoch Moor which has totally frozen over.

More shots to come on my main blog over the days to come and some film shots (120 roll film and 5x4) coming also.

038:365 Cowal Penisula

Todays image comes, once again, from sunny Greenock via Mobile Broadband.

Bruce, Scott and I had a great days shooting, getting the 8:20 ferry from Gourock to Dunoon, shooting around the Cowal Penisula, before getting another ferry to Bute for more photographic opportunities. The Last Leg of the journey was from Bute to Wemyss Bay.

During the 100 odd mile journey we stopped numerous times to fire off some shots.

This particular shot features the top end of the Kyle's of Bute, i've also shot this same scene using FP4 and Provia on the 5x4. I will post more pictures on my main blog over the days to come along with some scans of the film shots.

037:365 The Point

Todays image comes from sunny Greenock, where Scott, Bruce and I are about to begin of beer and photography.

Ok so about to begin is a bit of a mistake as Scott and I are in the pub and have been for 3 hours...this is actually being uploaded via mobile broadband from The Point which is a pub/restaurant attached to a Premier Inn hotel.

Todays shot looks out from Greenock accross the Clyde.

036:365 The Principal

My Flickr connection seems to be playing up today so posting the old way.

Todays shot is a little bit different, this is Mhairi, the prinicipal at West Lothian College, who was kind enough to agree to letting me photograph her or my corporate portrait.

This particular shot has been taken using a Cambo SC-2 Basic Large Format 5x4 camera and a Rodenstock 210mm lens, using Ilford Delta 100 film. It was then processed in Ilford Ifotec HC developer and scanned using an Epson Perfection V700 Pro.

The only post work on this is a little mark removal and a slight curves on Mhairi's face to adjust the skin tones.

I'm really quite happy with this shot and absolutely love using the 5x4.

035:365 Swing It

Todays image was an easy one to pick today as i had the pleasure of doing some work for Universal News and Sport today with a wee trip to the Dalmahoy Golf and Country Club.

First Minister, Alex Salmond, and Scottish Golf hero Sam Torrance were promoting the Drive it Home compaign to promote Scotland as a Global home of golf.

I really like this shot, and although it's unlikely to be the style most suitable for printing in newspapers, this is most definately my favourite from the set.

The weather was fantastic for todays shoot, with the sky lovely and clear, with only whispy clouds in the sky. Although very cold, the guys were great sports and really did look to be enjoying themselves.

034:365 Concentration

Today I had a few ideas in the bck of my head that i tried out a little but none of them really worked out very well.

I then decided to do a portrait of one of the kids and Caron was sitting doing some homework so i decided to try some shots of her.

This was shot using a flashgun sat on the bunker with a home-made softbox on it, fired remotely using Ebay PT-04 triggers.

I wanted a low-key look to this and i'm really happy with the resulting image.

033:365 Winter at Last

It's happened at last, we've finally managed to get some winter weather... and in Scotland too.

We did have a wee flutter of snow a month or so back but it was gone as quick as it arrived and there was no chance of getting any images done at the time.

Today was different as we joined pretty much the rest of the UK in getting blasted with snow. I decided today to talk a wee walk out to the local park and have a wander about in the snow.

This image was my own favourite from the set, although probably not to every ones taste I really like the portrait format and lots of empty sky detail, it has, to me anyway, a real feeling of emptiness and solitude, which is how i feel over the winter months anyway.

You can see a couple more from this on my Flickr account.

I was also out with the Mamiya so hopefully get some of them up later in the week also.

032:365 Orange Crush

Todays image is partly the one that I had planned, although it had changed a little from the one i had in mind.

To do this I sliced a clementine in half and froze both halves overnight.

The halves were then taken out and i shot some together before smashing one half using a rolling pin to destroy it.

It was placed on a wooden chopping board to give it an interesting textured background, and shot using off camera flash with a home made softbox.