Low Key Portrait

19/12/08 - Today Me Tom and Sian booked Keith in to do some portraiture. Whilst suffering a major hang over i managed to get a part of my current portraiture module done. Using 1 Light to the right hand side of the subject I managed to get the shots i need. I decided to Cross-Process this shot because i feel it really works with the image, I like the mood of the image.

14/12/08 - I went to visit my family at the borders on Sunday. On the way I came across some brilliant (and grey) Scenes. I decided to use my new Photoshop techniques and convert these photographs into black and white using a channel mixer. I cropped the second image because it really suited it. Because of the dull cloudy day I had to push the cameras ISO to around 1000, this means i get a lot of grain but there is nothing wrong with that, especially in a black and white photograph.

Photoshop Techniques

15/12/08 - This evening has been very educational. Whilst browsing the web for tips on cross-processing my digital files in photoshop CS2 I came across a website ( www.thelightsrightstudio.com ) that offer free Photoshop Actions. These actions are very simple to use and allow you to edit photographs using weird and wonderfull techniques. There is a cross-processing action which allows you to replicate a technique used by colour negative/slide photographers who would deliberately process the film in the wrong chemicals to get extreme colours and weird effects. I also downloaded a plugin that allows me to convert colour photographs into black and white using filters to darken/lighten certain colours in the film when converting to black and white, the site even offers an action that replicates orthochromatic film ( thinking of Tom here ).

So i have decided to mess about with a selection of the effects on a portrait of my friend Colette from earlier this year.



The first image is the original, the second has been Cross Processed



The 3rd image has been converted with a Yellow and Green Filter, The 4th image has been converted using Infrared.



The 5th image has been converted to look like Orthochromatic film. The final image is the same as the 3rd image only with Split Toning.

30/11/08 - Today was a very cold frosty day, and with the right light can produce some spectacular conditions. I wasn't really in the mood for traveling far so i went to Howden Park - more for some practice in working with the sun setting. I took a number of photographs but theres only a few that i liked. One being this shot looking up the park with howden house obscured behind trees, and the second photograph is more of a fine art piece, looking at a leave and frosty grass.

Shoot with Charlie

9/11/08 - today was fantastic! Me and Tom went for a shoot with Charlie and the company of colin (monkey) it was chuffin cold but still a good laugh and a very productive session. This was my first experience with a Model and i was very impressed, i didn't actually have to direct charlie, she is full of charisma and poses (along with a suitcase and about 15 outfits) hopefully i will be able to work with her again in the near future.

It was great to see Tom at work and to assist him as well as getting a few snaps in myself. I have selected a handfull of the shots i like and will possibly use a few in my portfolio.

Today we were back at Pumpherston, which used to be a brick factory apparantly.

George Sampson

06/11/08 - Tonight i got special access to photograph 2008 winner of Britains Got Talent - George Sampson. He was performing at the New centre in Livingston and turning on the Christmas lights, followed by a fireworks display. Here are a few of the images i got.

Class Photograph

5/11/08 - This class wanted a group photograph so i was given the fun task of getting it. I had Tom and Ross help me with 2 off camera Metz flash guns. This is the first time i have used this bold technique and i am quite happy with the result.

More Derelict Buildings

5/11/08 - After a boring hour or two at college me and tom went to a new location in Pumpherston and made the most of the bad weather. We were greeted with a fantastic location with a lot of area with awesome photo opportunities. After starting to take these types of photographs for a college project both tom and I want to continue with this theme after the project.

More Building Decay...

02/11/08 - Today was great fun, but cold. Me and Tom went out shooting at various locations in Livingston looking for old worn down buildings. I didn't expect to come across what I did. In a town where any area of park or land is turned into a new shopping centre or some housing scheme it is pretty amazing to find some of these old derelict buildings. here are some of the better shots from today:

Appreciating light

After being ignorant of using nice lighting in a landscape photograph i finally decided to get some shots using a very low light at sunset. As the sun is now setting at about half past 3 i have time to get some photographs before the dreaded work shift. The shots i took are not meant to be great shots or used for anything other than as a practical excercise.

I found it to be very useful especially at this time of year with the orange leaves. The low sun creates fantastic long shadows and a very nice light. I will hopefully get to use it on some slightly more interesting subjects soon.

What have i been up to?

So i have been quite busy recently with doing portrait shoots, college work and personal shoots - i think i will upload some of my personal stuff as its a bit more interesting, to me anyway!

22/10/08 - I Met up with Tom from my college class to go shooting at Bangour Village, wow! what a mess but a very photogenic mess! after a week of horrible weather (which was what we wanted for the shoot) wednesday couldn't have been a sunnier day so we had a lot of trouble with the sun and lighting. I decided to shoot close up sections of the village, thanks to Tom for helping me with some off camera flash. Im really quite chuffed with some of the photographs i got.