Back Again

It’s been a while, but here I am again with a little catch up.
Things have become a bit strange in some of my images – here’s a sample of what’s been happening:

The mudmaid became a woodnymph

Whitby Goths moved to Newcastle station

Some became night riders.
I’ve also been doing more portraits:

Aftermath

Undead

Steam

So just to let you know that I’m still around and still playing. I’m still producing the odd image (very odd) and building up my acceptances in exhibitions (now standing at 180)

Maybe I’ll post again in a couple of years! Keep smiling!!

Recent Playing

This is the Mudmaid from Heligan. A touch of HDR and the addition of a real eye.
Excellent gardens by the way.

Four Oaks from Avebury
This was accepted in the PSA International Exhibition this year.

Still here

Another play about with goths and Munch

A few Goths

Just realised that I haven't got many goths here, so it's time to rectify that. Here are some that I've been playing with (images not goths). I really enjoy the Goth Festivals - they're such fun people and very obliging for the camera.

Preach To The Converted

A few friendly Goths in St Mary's Church Graveyard - lots of HDR, effects and blending in this one. Don't you just love the goths?


The Betrothal

The same Preacher but a different place - this one uses the graveyard at St Stephen's Old Church in Robin Hoods Bay - and a few more goths too.

Hungry

This is an image from the early Goth weekend this year. I've played with the effects a little on this one and placed the lovely girls in St Mary's Church graveyard.

About Time Too

So the summer came and went and the winter too - It seems there's not enough time to do the things we want, never mind blog!! So here we are again - what's happened since July?

The best thing has been converting the old D70 to infrared. It's really opened up the possibilities, and you don't have to stick to straight infrared presentations. With the camera converted it's possible to take relatively fast images, where filters demanded long exposures, so tripods and no spontaneity.
I've upgraded to Lightroom 3, CS5, Photomatix 4 and lots of new filters so lots of new tricks.

I've had some success with exhibitions through PSA and it shuldn't be long before I get my first star rating in the Electronic Imaging Division.

I gave another talk at Whitby Photographic, but I left with the impression that most didn't know what I was talking about. Still - it gave me a bit of focus and I enjoyed putting it together.

Here are some of the bits I've played with:

Green Eyed Goth

Infrared image with adjustments and additions in Photoshop. It's entertaining to see the Goths in White!

You Are What You Eat - Vegetarian

This one's the start of a little project to show the results of different diets. Most of the parts were taken in a light tent using telephoto and macro lenses - the fungi were taken in Sneaton forest.

Coda

Another that developed from an infrared image of a path in Sneaton forest, played with and coloured in Photoshop with me installed along with some of my instruments, warped keyboards, ghosts and musical notes for effect. The idea was to walk towards the light and coda is the last passage of a piece of music - it left me with not a happy feeling, but I like the image.

There are lots more bits of playing but no time again. I'll try and get back again soon - really!!

A bit more entertainment

Yesterday was a good day to be out with the camera and today is good for staying indoors to play with the images. This seat at the top of Rosedale Chimney bank is one of my favourite places. The views and the peace of the place are just wonderful.

Chimney Seat

Same day out but a bit further towards the sea. This is taken above Glaisdale dale. Some excellent weather for it. We're so lucky to be surrounded by all this.

Upper Glaisdale

And of course there are sheep up here too - luckily they don't all look this fierce:

Ewe Turned

And this one is a bit of a play around with the kitchen at Lacock Abbey and a goth or two with some interesting effects.

The Sisterhood

Wiltshire and around

We had an excellent break based in Devizes. I had a few days to myself while Viv was at summer school, so be prepared for some strange images over the next few months. Here's the first:

Fishers of Men

Bits of Stonehenge with a dummy from the Bath Museum of Fashion and a salmon netter from Sandsend. And then there's this one:

Moonlighting

Well, not really but it's fun - stairs at Old Wardour Castle, with a bit of jiggerypokery and an added goth.

This one was caused by a mistake:

Unhenged

I used an unplanned blending mode during the processing of the stitched images which resulted in this strange colour balance, but one I'm quite happy with.

Summer's here

It took a while, but it seems that summer's arrived. We're melting and complaining about the heat - isn't that just typical?
The evening primroses are giving a wonderful display and now that the eucalyptus is recovering from its trauma the garden is looking pretty good. The cystus is quite spectacular and the peonies are coming on beautifully. All in all it's been a pretty good year for the garden.

There's been a bit of playing with Photoshop and plug ins to get this image - macro on an alstromera with an added marble bust with flood filter and ripples.

I've just completed the PSA advanced course, which was really good - it's made me work through a history of photography book which I should have done years ago and I've learned a bit along the way. Now I can get back to photography for the sake of the art again.

Life's pretty good just now!!

Spring's arrived

It's been a while coming, but it looks as though it's here at last!!. Here are a few shots I've taken to celebrate:



I've played with these croci just a little, but it's good to see them


These Catkins are a straight shot using a macro lens. Taken in Sneaton forest.


And so are these snowdrops.

We're getting busy in the garden now, so not enough time for playing with cameras - there never is!!, but there's been some fun with old images and new treatments. What do you think of these?:


Redfield Fractalius filtering in Black and White mode, with Eye Candy torn paper edges.

And so's this. We saw him in Kenya in 2002, but he's a good subject.


This has had different blending modes. It's all good fun don't you think? See some more soon!!

Back Again

It's about time I put something more on here. So here are a couple I've been playing with.

Whitby West Pier at Sunset

This one has had some melting and latticework on the gulls. All with some masking and blending to suit. Quite like this effect.

Whitby War of the Worlds

This leaves Dracula standing!! I've played about with all sorts of effects on here - can you tell? The fire was from the heather burning (and some from Eye Candy). The lightning was from Xenofex 2 and the sky had a gradient map applied. The Esk Belle hasn't really sunk (I don't think). Just a bit of fun.

A bit of catch up

It's time for a bit of catchup. It's been yonks (at least one and a half) since I posted anything, so here goes:

I've now collected my bus pass and prescriptions come free, so maybe at last I'm just a Happy Old Fart!!
I completed the PSA Photography course and I'm looking forward to doing the advanced course later this year.
In the meantime, here are some of the images I've used in the PSA Creative Discussion Groups. Hope you find them entertaining:

Rainbow Pier

Playing with grids, selective colour balance, exposure compensation, gradients and variable brightness. An attempt at area definition. Just for the enjoyment.

War of the Wolds

Moors below Goathland with some of my old cameras on the Gorillapod and added moon.
Also a bit of playing with selective colour balance and gradients.

It all happened in Yorkshire - never mind London or Boston!!

Midnight Express

Lots of playing with steam at Grosmont.
Filters and colour balance have changed the image considerably

Musicroom in Lightroom

Obviously a composite of Whitby, plus one of my guitars and silhouettes of me on the bass and another guitar. Lots of filters and warping - All good fun

This month's PSA group pic

Over Baked

It started with a fire on the moors:



The scanned foil mask was added next:


Add the eyes and blend to the fire:

'Half Baked'

Give it some glow:

'Over Baked'