..::Russell Squires::.. Photographic-{esque} Adventures

My Dad, a spontaneous portrait session...

2012-01-18T07:27:00.004Z

Over the festive break I was just about to head out when I noticed Dad was tinkering about in the garden doing some woodwork. The scene just seemed right, he had just fashioned up a Heath Robinson style jig to guide a router to make some dovetail joints and was pondering the next stage. So I swiftly fetched the Rolleiflex and went about and shot a roll in about five minutes. I'm very pleased with the results and although it's not exactly photographic portrait convention I quit like the shot where I have deliberately cropped his head out of the frame.

SC&P #05: Rollei 35...

2012-01-16T11:44:00.005Z

Another camera down, just a few more to go in my collection which includes a sub-miniature, more Polaroids and LF. Anyhow behold the Shoot, Contact & Print of the classic Rollei 35. It's a great little camera to use although the focusing is sometimes overlooked...

SC&P #04: Hasselblad 503CX...

2011-12-13T19:54:00.004Z

Yay! a post that fulfills my aim completely. A totally random 'Shoot' with no specific aim nor focus, a traditionally printed colour darkroom 'Contact' print and a few selected 'Prints' from the film {SC&P}. Shot on the trusted 503CX with a 80mm standard lens.

SC&P #03: Polaroid Super Colour Swinger...

2011-12-07T07:23:00.005Z

Another camera, another post this is the last Polaroid camera I will use for a while as I need to actually start producing some contact sheets and posting them along with the images chosen from that particular random shoot. But for now please enjoy the slightly fuzzy and shifted colours from the 'Super Colour Swinger...

SC&P #02: Polaroid 340 Land...

2011-11-29T07:26:00.008Z

Camera - Polaroid 340 Land
Film - Fuji FP100c

This is part of my ongoing project titled 'Shoot, Contact & Print' in which I am going through my camera collection and just purely shooting either 1 roll, 1 pack or a set amount of sheets to just reconnect with the joys of photography. The first camera and post was the Polaroid CU-9 Oscilloscope which was interesting to use. Here is the second volley which is my Polaroid 340 Land camera. I did a post ages ago titled the 'The last dance of the 340' in which my aim was to celebrate my last pack of Polaroid film. This is because now the images have been shot on Fuji's peel apart film, so technically they are not Polaroids. But hey they do have a beautiful honeycomb structure to the emulsion.

Alas though I did have battery problems, mainly due to the nature of the 3v CR123 battery being masking tapped to the wires inside the camera. This caused a few misfires so I only got shot 4 viable frames. They were taken in a lovely tearoom in Southsea, Portsmouth called 'Like a teatray in the sky'... I mainly photographed the various creatives work that forms part of this fabulous place. Also the tea and bakewell slice is worth a mention...

SC&P #01: Polaroid CR-9 Land 'Oscilloscope'...

2011-11-23T10:15:00.013Z

Camera - Polaroid CU-9 Land
Film - Fuji FP100c

OMG a post... It has been a while but rest assured more will follow.

This is the first post of what will be a project to reconnect with photography through just using various cameras. 'Shoot, Contact & Print' (SC&P) was how I approached each film whilst studying. I enjoyed the process of making contacts and studying the frames to see what you wanted to print. Although this first camera bypasses the contact stage as it is shot on Polaroid/Fuji instant film, it is still in keeping with the projects underlying theme which is there is no theme just the act of using a multitude of different camera formats. I started with this Polaroid camera as I have been longing to use it for years.

Well this camera was purchased about 5 years ago on ebay, just one of those 'ooh must have that' moments. Its a very basic design with a fixed focus distance which is set by simply placing the hood over an oscilloscope screen. It has a 70mm lens with a self cocking Prontor shutter, these cameras were initially made in 1972 for the UK.

So after years of it just acting as a dust collector I finally got around to using it, with the help of my Dad and his Hameg oscilloscope and waveform generator I got of 8 shots that I am quite pleased with. Due to the exposure being 8 seconds at f5.6 the more interesting frequencies could not be recorded.

New business cards have landed...MK II

2011-09-06T16:33:00.004+01:00

A new batch of business cards from JamJar Print Ltd. Same front design as the previous cards just a change of back, the originals had a variation of my logo done with an clear spot UV varnish. This time I have chosen to go with a QR code for my website and a piece of text to the side, again done in a clear spot UV varnish. You can only read and see the varnish when the light hits the cards at just the right angle. A nice little design...

Photo Levallois entires crop...

2011-07-11T09:25:00.002+01:00

Here are a selected few images of the fifteen that I will be submitting to the Photo Levallois competition very soon as the deadline is the 22nd of July. These are an extension of my MA work that explored the process of burial as an tool for augmenting the images through another element, in this case the ground itself. Fingers crossed I might get somewhere with this competitive endeavor, although another photographic acquaintance commented on my handicap of being a British entry in a French competition! Who knows... Just hope the work speaks for itself.

The Trolley Odyssey the final edit on Blurb

2011-07-02T09:14:00.009+01:00

The Trolley Odyssey by Russell Squires | Make Your Own Book

Passport Photos...

2011-06-26T20:55:00.002+01:00

An approximate 12 year passport photo set, albeit not the standard pose in a few. The time between them are not exactly a year but the first (Top Left) was taken a year before I started uni and the last (Bottom Right) is my current passport photo from this year...

Polaroid 10x8

2011-06-17T16:47:00.003+01:00

As an avid collector (scrounger) of all things photographic I acquired some out of date 10"x8" B&W Polaroid film many years ago and had just shelved it, shameful I know. However, It was not until last year that whilst doing some studio tests I thought I would give it an impromptu sendoff... The subject matter is sketchy at best but hey it works!

Crystallisation...

2011-06-08T16:23:00.003+01:00

A random post that is slightly photographic in nature. These were formed from a solution of Potassium Ferricyanide that was stored incorrectly in a stainless steel tank. The solution is Part II of what is needed to make cyanotype solution in the production of blueprints...

Random Test Shot...

2011-05-11T21:05:00.001+01:00

This was shot last year as a test for a portrait series that I never started. Good old Mum posing in the cold for me...

Agfa Scala negative process...

2011-04-24T21:29:00.004+01:00

Agfa Scala is a gem, well it was until it was discontinued as Agfa Photo ceased the processing of this Black & White slide film. To simplify, the process involved a chemical fog causing standard B & W negative to inverse creating a positive. You can actually use a few standard B & W negative films and process them using a kit Foma produce to give a positive.

As I had five rolls of this film stored in the freezer since my undergraduate days I thought I might as well use them for the trip to beaches of Normady. At first I was going to get the films processed as slides, there is only one UK based company providing a Black & White reversal process costing £15 per roll...!!! Hhmmm I think not. I decided to go with processing the rolls as standard negatives. After hours of reading through various forums on the multitude of possible chemical combinations and options and I do mean multitude; ID-11, Rodinal, Studinol, a mixture of the Rollei devs, mixing up parodinal (a paracetamol based Rodinol mix) and many others I decided to go with plain old Rodinol. The dev times were a bit hit and miss, even the Massive dev chart was a bit ... well misleading.

So I just plucked some numbers out of my head... 13mins @ 18ºC with 20 second inversions every minute.

The results were lovely, wonderful tonal range with a pleasing grain structure. The shadows are just spot on for my liking...

100% Crop...

D-Day Landings...

2011-04-12T22:09:00.002+01:00

Recently along with another photographer I travelled to Normandy on a photographic trip to visit the beaches of the D-Day Landings. I have never visited these sites before, as so this proved very interesting as it gave me a fresh viewpoint in which to follow an investigation. Visually I had no pre-conceived styles nor compositions I wanted to explore; this gave me a slight quandary over equipment to take. In the end I settled with my Gaoersi 6x12 and a Hasselblad 503CX and packed both Colour and Black & White negative, well not quite as the B&W was Scala Slide film but it was processed as negative, see post on Scala.

I would say the main methodology and style was formed after the first film was shot on the Utah site; I had with me 5 rolls of Kodak 400VC and 5 rolls of the Scala. In a sense the film and cameras dictated the style, I decided to go with producing a series of diptychs; keep it simple 1 roll of colour shot with the panoramic and 1 roll of mono shot with the square shooter per beach/landing area.

I have no clear reasoning for documenting these sites, only that I felt it important to visit them in an attempt to reflect on what terrible atrocities and great sacrifices have taken place so future generations could live peacefully.

Southmere Lake Misfitadventure...

2011-03-21T21:32:00.003Z

Some recent personal work shot mainly at Southmere Lake and the surrounding area in Abbey Wood SE2. I have wanted to visit this site for years as some of the area was used in the filming of 'A Clockwork Orange' and recently the TV series 'Misfits'. Not to everyones taste but I enjoy working with the tilt/shift technique or anti Scheimpflug rule whereby you distort the cameras plane of focus to create an almost elliptical point within the image that is deemed the 'sweet spot'. This technique seemed to be applied to the principle photography in 'Misfits' so I loved it... One of the images has a very characteristic mistake of over using this technique which is the obvious vignetting in the corner caused by cutting into the image circle of the lens. Oops, oh well it serves a purpose to remind me to always check the corners...

Trolley Odyssey Final Edit...

2011-03-17T10:27:00.006Z

Well at last, after an exhausting edit and laborious dust/hair removal sessions here is the final edit of the shopping trolley series. The project began in 2001/2002 whilst I was studying at the University Of Portsmouth, the project which it originated from was titled 'City Spaces'. All the trollies have been photographed how they had been found with no involvement by myself in their arrangement, certain mechanisms' were put in place like only photographing on approximately 70-80% overcast days and allocating only three frames of film per trolley.

I had no clear intentions as to a final resolve for the series nor any strong reasoning behind the trollies capture only that I found them quite interesting subjects. I was influenced slightly by the Becher's to start cataloguing the shopping trollies in a banal and straight documentary way, however as I continued I found them in more interesting compositions and scenarios which almost humanised them, this called for a more adaptive approach with regards to camera angle and positions. I did start to formulate a basic classification system of the trollies taking into account distance from point of origin, locality to public footpaths, level of decay/destruction and generally their overall appearance, a 'Trolly Taxonomy' you could say. One main point I investigated was if the Trolley would be collected within 24 hours or if it would remain and adapt to its new environment. Initially this involved going back to the site the next day to make observations if any and/or to search in the immediate vicinity for clues. After a while these basic observations would lead me to conclude if the Trolley was a mere 'Passer Through' or a 'Resident' for an undetermined amount of time.

-End Waffle:

Below is the final edit of 123 shopping trollies, my next step is the arrangement and formation of a book... Woo Hoo!!!

Buried Polaroids

2011-01-19T16:42:00.004Z

Having an early spring clean of my hard drive and whilst perusing through my MA work saw these little gems. They were created during my MA study as a possible final resolution. They were made by first shooting the scenes with a LF field camera onto Polaroid Type 79, processing the images on location and then burying them in the surrounding ground. The methodology behind this was to explore the notion on how the environment, more particularly the land itself could change and alter the images over time. The prints remained in the ground for typically 1 week but a couple of them about a month. Once I had unearthed them and allowed them to dry out I photographed them digitally on a rostrum camera. These images have been aesthetically appealing due to the rich texture and the process in which they were created.

I entered them into the Terry O'Neill Award in 2008 and got shortlisted, not for the prize but along with another eight photographers whom entered resulted in a group exhibition at the IPG in battle.

A few photos from a little walk

2011-01-19T11:50:00.007Z

Well here they are, the few photos I managed to take before my little trek turned into an annoying hobble. As the Lands End hotel was closed for refurbishment I had to stay the night before in a beautiful place called Sennen Cove. On the first day of the walk, once I had actually got to the official Lands End start point I popped into to the hotel to get my verification form stamped. Hhmmm a tad problem, they had lost it!! (The stamp that is) Oh well they managed to at least sign and date it. I wandered about the tourist area for a bit purchased some post cards and took this photo...

It seemed to sum up the place.

In a blink of an eye my first day was over, I had taken no more pictures yet still admired the beauty of the area throughout the day. The finches in the hedgerows, the horses in the fields and landscape itself was wonderful, but alas I just overlooked the fact I had my camera as I was focused on the walk. The first night I stayed in YHA in Penzance, a nice Georgina Manor house that had great facilities and friendly staff. My night was not that great as I was nursing a few aches and pains and my sleep was a bit sparse. However the following morning I felt really happy and could not wait to start the walk, I had a shower, got breakfast, said my thanks to the staff and farewells to a fellow guest called Brian who was a pleasure to chat with and set off.

My route on the second day was to take the beach path to Marazion and then to Helston. The weather on that morning was not great but acceptable, a slight drizzle you could say. I took the following two photos at the start of the beach walk to Marazion, I was keeping my options open on my style and approach to the imagery, so I photographed the scene ahead and then I took a shot at 180° behind me...

Ideally these images work as a diptych to convey narrative and the composition looks great...

At this point I was quite pleased, I continued and could not believe my eyes 'A Trolley' I thought what an excellent addition to the Trolley Odyssey series, a Cornish Trolley...

Well after this I was elated, I continued to Marazion looked at Saint Michael's Mount had a cuppa and plodded along. Went up through the town and joined the A394, and just kept walking and it was about a few miles shy of Helston where lack of friction and gravity got the better of me, not forgetting that cursed manhole cover. I did not think much of the fall at first just that my ankle was hurting a bit, I got just the other side of Helston and thought no more, the pain got the better of me. I hobbled back into town and got the bus back into Penznace. Well that is about all concerning my photographs on my Little Trek. All I say is thank you to all that supported me and gave a little to the Charities. I will just look ahead and plan for another time...

My Toy Story

2010-11-15T17:33:00.005Z

It struck me about four years ago how ruthless I had been in discarding all of my childhood toys. Through my late teens I had virtually decimated all evidence of my childhood play things that had brought me so much enjoyment. To me that period of my life had past and I needed no physical reminder, I viewed the toys as mere objects with no inherit emotional value. So about four years ago I scoured Ebay and found replicas of a few of my toys in an attempt to reconnect with them. I decided to place them in the attic and photograph them to preserve an echo of what may have been.

The project itself was an exercise of sorts, to investigate an emotional attachment with objects and to record them. I find it interesting, that recently after watching 'Toy Story 3' the commonalities are quite similar, in that the characters intended environment was the attic. Do we, whom are fortunate enough to have such wondrous toys take these possessions for granted and then without a thought shed them as quickly.

HMS Alliance

2010-10-10T17:56:00.002+01:00

Having gained access to photograph the interior of HMS Alliance which is a Acheron class submarine based at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum I took advantage of the scene to produce some portraits of my Dad. They were shot using a 6x12 cm panoramic format camera, attached was a Nikon Speedlight SB-800 with a ring flash adapter.

Stuart Leech

2010-10-10T17:42:00.003+01:00

Brushing up on my portrait work, this is of London based photographer Stuart Leech which was shot over the summer.

Typographical Shoe...

2010-10-06T11:04:00.004+01:00

Just another creation exploring my interest in typography and its tangibility. This is a variation of literography whilst it still maintains the strong use of type in this case it still remains quite two dimensional with limited depth. The gradient of the reflection does add to the depth but by mere illusion. The border is interesting as it is made up form designers names that have given us some fabulous footwear over the years. This piece has been created for a competition of 'The Shoe Is Art' for Dune.

*Update, I got shortlisted with this piece but did not progress any further. Although the panel did like it quite a lot so I was awarded with a £100 gift card to spend at the main Dune shop in London, win...

Detail of border

QR Code...

2010-09-28T10:45:00.003+01:00

Just an alternative yet quite interesting marketing idea of utilising a Matrix based barcoding system called QR which stands for 'Quick Response' to advertise my web address and blog address. Contained within the matrix can be a web URL, a 250 character based text or other similar data. I thought that this would prove an interesting avenue of exploration to integrate alternative marketing tools with the capability of todays smart phones, an app for the iPhone called 'Optiscan' can read these codes using the camera then depending what is encoded can automatically navigate the phones browser to a web address. Generally the application of this tool is limited as it requires the recipient to have a smart phone and the necessary software yet it is still a path to follow and perhaps develop it later into a AR map to display a virtual website.

Camera Bombers...

2010-09-10T17:26:00.003+01:00

Perhaps not the most adequate description but still apt in some ways. In the Western World today, almost all people own or have access to a digital camera, albeit a Smart Phone or a high end DSLR we are in the most photographed period in history.
In wedding photography this sometimes proves frustrating to the the appointed photographer; as amongst the couples wondering eyes and stray flash the hoards of guests can get in the way. I say 'let them' as it can prove a rich source of material to work with, with such a happy day there is no need to bark at the guests.
Below ares some of my favorite images that have incorporated the guests photographic endeavors.

Last Dance Of The '340'

2010-09-04T13:35:00.004+01:00

A little project to keep my mind ticking, which will go onto the new site. My fascination of the Polaroid medium has been great, I simply love the process, the feeling and the imperfections of the prints, not forgetting the unpredictability of what you may or may not get. Armed with my very last packet of Type 669 film and my Polaroid 340 Land Camera I produced some images around Brighton.

Mad Dad + Ring Flash = funny photos

2010-08-31T17:49:00.002+01:00

As the title suggests really just having a moment of madness with my Dad, he appears in the first photograph to have a smidgen of sanity then its all down hill. Also a good excuse to use the really funky looking ring flash adapter...

Poster design...

2010-08-29T08:49:00.002+01:00

Just a quick poster design that was intended for an electronic mail out. The initial design incorporated three Wedding images and one Civil Partnership, this was just not acceptable so I did a design for each sector. Keeping it simple with a strong layout and subtle emphasis on the typographical influence of my design work.

A pair of musical origami cranes...

2010-08-16T11:59:00.003+01:00

A commission of sorts to produce a musical crane incorporating sheet music of The Polonaise by Chopin or Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky. I got carried away so I made both...

Rolleiflex case...

2010-08-16T11:48:00.004+01:00

The long awaited repair job on the Rollieflex case; having purchased the camera in London back in 2002 the case had gradually deteriorated, well more specifically the stitching had literally just disintegrated. The camera has been dated as being made in 1969, as for the case who knows but most camera cases from this era can suffer the same fate in that the weakest part is the stitching. Eventually, with an abundance of patience I finally got around to re-stitching the case with a lovely red heavy weight cotton...

Sheila Hancock...

2010-07-31T22:05:00.003+01:00

Two weeks ago I got an opportunity to photograph Sheila Hancock during her busy schedule as the University Of Portsmouth chancellor which her duties that week involved the hectic graduation ceremonies. The time slot was short and sweet but I could not miss the chance to meet her. I have to admit I was quite nervous yet got some pleasing results, in about ten minuets I got to shot 8 frames on the Hassy and four frames on the 6x12, alas the latter was out of focus. Out of the eight I found the image below to be just right.

Cyanotype Workshop...

2010-07-31T17:25:00.015+01:00

This was a Cyanotype printing workshop I taught to school leavers which was organised with Learning Links and The Purple Door. The day was ideal for exposure, in some ways too ideal as the exposure times were only a few minuets as opposed to about 20-30; this could be partly due to the recipe I have perfected over the years which allows for better absorbency, coverage and exposure time. Anyway as this was only a four hour session the paper was pre-coated but the students were still informed about the chemistry involved in the process and its significance throughout history both within science and the arts.

The class room...

Exposing the paper with acetate negatives, note the lovely brush strokes...

The students also soaking up the rays...

Got them to sit still for a few minuets...!

An exposed print ready for washing/developing...

The students washing/developing their prints...

Some of the finished articles drying...

Overall it was a good day with some pleasing and creative results produced.

New business cards have landed...

2010-07-31T17:12:00.003+01:00

Following on from the previous post that depicted a JPEG of my new design, here is the finished article. Note the subtle yet striking finish of the UV Spot Varnish, face on you can not see the detail but catch the light and all is illuminated. As mentioned the design has been done with a typographical influence so when the time is right it can be converted to .8 Gauge magnesium plates and then letter-pressed on some lush 100% cotton card.

Mollie getting Speedlighted...

2010-07-31T16:54:00.003+01:00

Just a totally random shot of my dog that I love with a SB-800 fired with Calumets radio trigger system.

Sauna Commission...

2010-07-31T16:36:00.004+01:00

After producing some images for a series documenting the 'Gay Sauna' houses (see blog post) I was commissioned to produce some interior shots for advertisement use. Previously I had approached the establishment with a slightly voyeuristic angle in an attempt to view areas from a patrons perspective. This time I had to take a step back and produce a series that best highlighted the facilities without too much speculation as to what goes on behind closed doors. Due to the mixed lighting the end result is quite refreshing, typically from my research images produced for these establishments usually contain men sprawled out all over the place. If you have any imagination you do not need to see men in situations hinting towards the activities carried out!

My role as an educator...

2010-07-31T15:49:00.002+01:00

As my blog title does mention education I thought I had better review my status. My role as an educator over the years, although tenuous has been very, very rewarding. I started working within a HE environment about four months after graduating from the BA (Hons) Photography course at the University Of Portsmouth back in 2004. I gained a great position as a photographic technician working along side my old tutors and support staff that taught me so much. After a couple of years various part time teaching hours arose which I conducted along side my various technician duties.

During this time a I self financed and undertook a part time MA Photography course at the University Of Brighton which fed into my teaching methodologies and thought processes. Apart from my MA study and work at Portsmouth University I have also worked within a FE framework at Portsmouth College and Highbury college teaching a variety of courses form AS level to Adult Education.

With all of the various posts I have had the good fortune of working alongside like minded creatives that have truly added towards this enriching environment, not to mention the reciprocal nature of teaching students that are passionate about their craft.

The only downside with my passion towards education, more so my dedication and commitment has been my neglect towards my own practice and research over the years. Perhaps some may quote the old adage of 'Those who can't teach' but I do like to think that throwing myself into the practice of sharing knowledge and enriching minds has been worth while.

My direction at the moment is still a little fluid with no clear path but I believe it is still in the right direction. I am still creating, teaching, sharing, looking, listening, finding and the most important aspect; I am still learning, even with a 'bit of paper' no one has yet mastered anything.

New business card...

2010-07-20T06:56:00.003+01:00

The front of my new business card design that compliments my soon to be new web site that has a typographical influence to it, the red parts on the card will have a spot uv stroke to them also my logo on the back will be printed with just the spot uv. Still toying with idea of interpuncting my first name... rus•sell

Quick Test

2010-07-12T17:35:00.000+01:00

Re⋅nas⋅cence Pt IV

2010-07-06T21:26:00.002+01:00

Back in 2005 I was commissioned to produce some studio portraits of two Aikido masters sparring, it was quite an interesting shoot as I had to learn fast where they would be next in the frame!

"I'll quit when I get cancer..."

2010-06-22T10:56:00.005+01:00

This series was shot 6 years ago when my dad was diagnosed with cancer, originally it was intended to be displayed as one triptych to show the last day before the operation, one shot shortly after the surgery and the final one shot when he was back at home recuperating. Upon reviewing them again I thought a triptych of diptychs were more appropriate. The series title is based on what my dad kept saying time after time when confronted about his habit.

Re⋅nas⋅cence Pt III

2010-06-22T08:23:00.001+01:00

Some more archived work that was shot about 4 years ago...

Randomness...

2010-06-15T06:54:00.002+01:00

Just trying out the Sigma 15-30mm on a Nikon D700 and got this shot of my Dad...

Sophie & Jacqueline

2010-06-14T09:43:00.003+01:00

A few shots from the wonderful Civil Partnership of Sophie & Jacqueline which took place at the picturesque Sopley Mill, Christchurch on 10th June 2010.

'Rosy Lee' Silk Screen...

2010-05-31T19:42:00.003+01:00

More endeavors into the world of print making. This time experimenting with my love of 'Tea' through this medium, this is about my fifth session with silk screen printing and I thoroughly love it. I have done this as an edition of 5 if interested make me an offer.... oh go on go on don't be shy.

A concerned goat...

2010-05-31T19:23:00.003+01:00

Whilst down at Sopley Mill's in Christchurch scoping out the land in preparation for a Civil Partnership, this goat reared itself up over its gate wondering what I was doing and probably hoping I had some food, alas I only had smarties and they were mine.

Tim...

2010-05-31T19:06:00.002+01:00

A spur of the moment portrait of photographer Tim Bowditch shot through a glass sphere of Tillman Kaiser's piece 'Happy Survivor, 2008' at the 176 Gallery London.

Silk Screen Adventures...

2010-05-24T21:55:00.003+01:00

My second endeavor in silk screen printing in eight years, this was for a 'new baby' card for a great friend's new arrival, a wee little girl named 'Elowyn'. Hopefully more silk screen prints to follow...

Lina Castellanza & Herbert du Plessis

2010-05-21T17:39:00.002+01:00

A portrait of the soprano Lina Castellanza and pianist Herbert du Plessis taken in the Église Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre Paris whom had just performed some beautiful music.

The Body...

2010-05-19T22:26:00.004+01:00

Continuing my exploration into my archived work; here are some more shots from my undergraduate study project 'The Body.

Re⋅nas⋅cence Pt II

2010-05-17T07:17:00.003+01:00

Some more images from a giganamous scanning session, this time some roof top scenes shoot two years back.

Re⋅nas⋅cence

2010-05-13T22:06:00.004+01:00

Revisiting old work with a fresh eye is something of a delight; it is like viewing completely new work, with a sense of excitement. As I thumb through hoards of contact sheets I start to remember the particulars about the various projects and snapshots and wonder why I did not use nor print the assortment of gems. Well this image was taken in 2002 as part of my research into a university project that the Portsmouth BA students will know all too well, that being the level 2 Body Project.

Pinhole Portrait Test...

2010-05-05T22:33:00.002+01:00

As the title suggests a test of the viability of conducting a portrait series using a pinhole camera, the two exposure were f180 at 15 seconds & 30 seconds. I thought it is still interesting to post initial experimentations, eventually the series will be in colour with a more constructed scene. Any thoughts are welcome....

The Sauna...

2010-04-01T09:11:00.004+01:00

An exploration into the unbeknown world of Gay Saunas. This short series is just an initial exploration into this 'steamy world' that has primarily evolved from the Victorian bath houses. I am mainly interested in the environment of these establishments as opposed to activities of the patrons.

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Entry...

2010-03-16T21:59:00.005Z

I have entered the 'Portrait Prize' twice now, the first in 2004 when it was known as the 'Schweppes Photographic Portrait Prize' and the second (see portrait below) was last year, currently known as the 'Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize'. Alas both entries were unsuccessful; I do not consider loosing only gaining greater insight and perception into my craft. Part of this is the classification and the understanding of my identity, in some ways I do not consider myself a photographer but an image maker.

I am currently interested in portraiture but do not consider nor define myself as a 'Portrait Photographer', in some ways the person can almost become secondary to my viewpoint. Second to what, I do not know, only once I find the entire scene pleasing do I feel I am ready to take a picture. Sometimes this process is quite fleeting other times I almost agonise over the slightest detail.

Through an interest in all forms of art both classical and modern I have always had a love for the French Neoclassical period, partly with architecture but more so with the paintings of Jacques-Louis David. I was first drawn to his work via the painting 'The Death Of Marat, 1793' this then lead me to 'Patroclus,1780', I have always coveted this work for its sheer beauty and appeal.

It is this piece that has been in my subconscious for years just waiting to emerge in some form, so last year the timing and necessary components were right and I felt it was the ideal moment to create my 'Patroclus'.

At the moment this line of exploration and 'image making' is barely quelling my thirst; in some ways I hope that it is never quenched as I feel it is the exploration and dedication that continues to fuel my passion.

Cyanotype template....

2010-03-16T16:49:00.001Z

One of my typographical inspired templates that I will use as a master for a limited run of cyanotype prints.

Fox...

2010-03-14T21:54:00.004Z

Today whilst brewing some much needed tea and preparing dinner a fox decided to take a run about our garden. It seemed quite tame and friendly or most likely quite hungry and took its chances but it did not seem camera shy and at one point gave my finger a little lick.

Skate Park...cont.

2010-03-05T17:45:00.003Z

Another portrait testing the 6x12 format from the Mile End skate park, London.

Octagon Box...

2010-03-03T10:17:00.003Z

Continuing with my origami endeavors, here is my first attempt at a octagon box...

Gunwharf Pano Globe...

2010-03-01T14:50:00.002Z

Continuing with the panoramic globe series which will be on sale down Gunwharf in April.

Timmy...

2010-02-27T14:00:00.003Z

All the teenage angst lately has become a tad boring. I am a little more interested in my demographic, more specifically the 'Twenty Somethings' I am finding this period in my life quite challenging yet interesting. I do not know exactly the direction of this project but for now I am just going to photograph people that are 'Twenty Something' and see what transpires from there. Continuing from the 6x12 format test here are some shots of London based photographer Tim Bowditch...

Skate Park...

2010-02-26T22:17:00.003Z

Following on from the portraits of Jon and Jonathan using a 5"x4" field camera with a 6x12cm roll film back here are some more trials up at the Mile End Skate Park. The composition is just not quite there with these shots but trying to view in a totally new format is interesting. The people photographed were more than patient with the setup and some quite interested in the camera and as to why I was using it. Overall a good shoot....

Lucy...

2010-02-24T22:47:00.003Z

A rough edit of a wonderful shoot with dear Lucy who was ace. These images follow on from my explorations with origami and portraiture. Just conceiving the next idea that may involve a few thousand 'Post-It' notes....

Photophernalia {thingamabobs}

2010-02-04T21:51:00.004Z

It struck me with a deep sense of 'yikes' am I getting old very quickly or is the understanding and knowledge of past photographic equipment just eluding the digital generation of photographic students? The other week a student was interested in using an SLR camera, as in a 35mm (135) basic/manual traditional single lens reflex; the interesting part was they referred to it as a 'black & white camera'. It is though colour photography did not exist before digital cameras, albeit compacts or DSLR, they purely perceived traditional SLR's as only black & white.

I was interested in what other pieces of photographic equipment are on the verge of becoming relics, lost to a bygone time; it is understandable that due to the nature of photography being born from science that its evolution would be swift. It just seems that in some ways it's very history is being swept away.

Anyway the images below just depict various tools and other bits of photographic paraphernalia that although do get used from time to time are rapidly fading away.

Origami crane shoot final edit...

2010-01-26T20:45:00.003Z

These are the scans from the studio shoot with Jon King. In a way, this shoot is recreating my obsessiveness and tendencies for repetitive actions and giving them structure. The continuing repetitive nature of origami has been the ideal vehicle for expressing such actions and certain obsessive characteristics. I wanted to find the ideal platform and medium where I could present these intertextual actions and the mixture of origami and photography has proved quite suitable.

A Gershwin Crane...

2010-01-23T15:48:00.002Z

I am beginning to think that I am a tad addicted to this origami. Starting to experiment with different papers, here is the title page for George and Ira Gershwins 'Strike up the band for the U.C.L.A'....

Jon King Origami

2010-01-22T21:20:00.003Z

Just a little peak from the studio shoot this Wednesday, it was a smashing day big thanks to Jon (The Model) and Adam (The Assistant) more to follow next week...

Photo ex-{change}

2010-01-22T20:43:00.004Z

The first ten days of the Photo ex-{change} project at the University Of Portsmouth, thank you to all that have participated it has been good even the IOU was a cracker....

Snow...!

2010-01-07T21:18:00.004Z

Just a few images shot whilst on a jolly walk around the North Harbour IBM site...

360 Panoramic and mini globes...

2010-01-05T21:40:00.006Z

Just experimenting with Photomerge and then converting the 360 panoramic into a spherical image, the images are shot from the grounds of Portchester Castle.

New Cyanotypes...

2009-12-17T20:40:00.004Z

After teaching the process for the last few years I thought I would break out some C6H5+4yFexNyO7 and the Pot Ferri and experiment with a more illustrative, typographic form of cyanotype printing. The first two prints, are in a way, a mutation of an already established photo project that has been on the go for years, looking into tea drinking. So the humble teapot seemed a suitable muse. The last one is a rendition of sorts looking into the 'Blueprint' making process...

New Pinhole Snaps...

2009-12-03T12:19:00.005Z

After a period of loneliness in it's bag I thought the pinhole camera could do with a little day out. Some shots of a full english and other cafe paraphernalia, a bowl of nuts, a back door and finally a couple of quick snaps down Gunwharf Quays. Film used was 6 year old out of date Fuji Velvia 50. The results are pleasing but I prefer the saturation and latitude produced with colour negative.

Paris Trip...

2009-11-29T08:44:00.011Z

I have finally edited the images from the University Of Brighton, Paris Photo trip that happened a few years back. Here are all the images shot, a full uncut edit. All the images were shot on a Rollieflex 2.8f with Fuji NPH 400 or PRO400, same film just renamed. Then they were scanned, then adjusted via Aperture. My favorite one is the sunrise that was shot from the steps of the Sacré-Cœur at about 04:00am on my first morning. Enjoy...

All the world's a stage...

2009-11-24T17:33:00.002Z

The title pretty much summarises the objective... just having a play about in the studio.

Cologne light trails

2009-11-14T21:33:00.002Z

Coming back from quite a disappointing Christmas fayre last year from the city of Cologne, well it was not all disappointing just a bit of a rushed affair. Anyway some shots of the city as I remember it, a fleeting blur as the coach driver mad a dash for it.

My origami adventures...

2009-11-13T22:30:00.003Z

I created this for some wonderful friends 1st wedding anniversary, it seemed quite apt being paper. This is my first attempt at lilies and the folds were fairly easy, the start almost resembled a basic bird base. Seven lilies were made in total from square paper measuring approximately 4 & 1/8 of an inch. The stems are supported by floristry wire and an oasis base was used to hold them in place. Then all was placed in a plastic display case turning it into a sort of origami Vivarium. As a little added extra a traditional crane was placed inside for luck.

However we must all thank the sweet battenburg cake...

A cinematic viewpoint...

2009-11-13T20:40:00.002Z

Having a renewed interest in my 5"x4" camera I decided to experiment with a 6x12cm roll film back adapter, (I know imperial and metric all mixed up but hey that is the conundrum of photographic measurements). The aspect ratio is quite close to cinema prints, for example 16:9HD and 1:1.85 so 6x12cm = 1:2 ratio... sweet. The images are basically just quick 'snapshots' of my two friends Jon & Jonathan. Having been a devotee to Hasselblad and Rollie for years my life has been a tad square, so using this widescreen viewpoint was refreshing. Now for the next stage.... watch this space.

Hasselblad Flexbody

2009-11-12T15:13:00.003Z

Picked one of these lovely little beasties up the beginning of the year after years of search, then it just sits doing nothing. Hhmmm, anyway here in all its negative perspective control Homeheights House down Southsea.

Highlights from Kate & Annie's Civil Partnership...

2009-11-11T09:10:00.003Z

The ceremony was held at Brighton & Hove's Town Hall, the reception was at the Hotel Du Vin and the evening's feast was at the Pub Du Vin's wonderful Dome Room. It was a beautiful day with joy all around and with Kate & Annie looking fabulous all day my job was a delight.

Ring Flash Adapter

2009-10-15T23:04:00.004+01:00

I purchased a third party ring flash adapter of a popular auction website we all know, the cost was £23 including delivery from China.... wow and the bonus, no import tax duty. I was skeptical at first after reading some reviews and knowing that good ring flashes are a wee bit pricey. However the design is simple, it just fits over the head of your Speedlight (Nikon) or Speedlite (Canon) and channels the flash power through a system of prisms and mirrors to achieve a simulated ring. Overall it is good but the fitting is a bit slack as it is designed for a universal fit (within reason) via a coupler that utilises a velcro tightening system. The neat thing is that the TTL still works.... although I did notice a little power drop out towards the bottom of the ring.

Anyway the results are sweet.....

Cyanotype shenanigans...

2009-09-27T21:09:00.000+01:00

Experimenting with a new cyanotype mix on some lush paper proved very fruitful this weekend. The mix is not exactly new but the ratio and mixing method is, also the art paper has been internally sized which means the absorption is sweet as it does not seep through. I knocked up some improv contact frames using some fold back clips, clip frames and some gaffer tape....! The weather and UV levels were excellent, exposure times were relatively short with the majority only being about 15 minutes, however some of the flowers needed a tad longer. Generally a productive session, behold the bounty....

Netley Abbey with the G10

2009-09-26T08:40:00.000+01:00

Some shots of Netley Abbey with the G10 just to test its latitude with some tricky highlight scenarios. There are some highlight blow outs but generally there is some great detail in the window scenes considering there is about a 5 stop difference. Two of the shots were converted with Apple's Aperture to mono, which are quite pleasing. The more I use this little compact beastie the more I warm to its deformed cold exterior.

Movie from the G10

2009-09-17T21:08:00.000+01:00

Just experimenting with the movie option of the G10, I mounted the camera on the dashboard with a wee little tripod whilst going from Portsmouth to Southampton. The MOV. file was edited through iMovie HD 06. I compressed approximately 22 minutes of footage down to 4 minutes then cut the background audio to replace it with the Marriage Of Figaro, why because it just seems right.

Shots with the G10

2009-09-14T08:48:00.000+01:00

Well I decided to go with the G10 as a back up and I will have to admit it is a very nice camera, the handing is fair considering it is a compact, menu is quite typical, it does though have some really pointless modes and options on it. Like photo stitch assist !?!? if you are going to do a panoramic do it right by using a panoramic camera. The video mode, although not my cuppa tea I will endeavor to use it at some point. Anyway I went out for a 7 mile walk yesterday which was great and took the little beast for a test drive. The results are below, overall the quality is great then again I have only shot on RAW mode @ ISO 80, apart from the ISO noise test which will follow later, there is some typical chromatic aberration in the distant highlights, see on the tree edges.

Without trying, testing and cataloguing every function and variable on the G10 overall I would give this camera about a 7/10.

Mollie...

2009-09-09T21:01:00.000+01:00

Nothing to really shout about, just out in the garden and Mollie looked so cute.

Gosport Festival

2009-09-04T09:05:00.000+01:00

Just a few highlights from the Gosport Festival that took place on Walpole Park on Sunday 30th August. I was mainly there to photograph Big Brother Soul a fantastic band recreating the Motown, Stax sound of the 60's. The day was good with a real buzz, with a mixture of bands that appeased all that came and there was a few.

Alas, band photography is not my forte, there was the usual seasoned photographers that seemed quite content in the pit but I try to approach it as a documentary piece. Part of my approach is to try and capture the atmosphere of the day and the small details that are ignored, hope that notion has been visualised. Ta ta for now...

Images from the past

2009-09-03T20:50:00.000+01:00

Just going through some images buried in the hard drive and stumbled across these shot on the 31/08/2005. A model portfolio shoot for a gent named Simon Guttridge, it was a fruitful afternoon in the studio. The images were shot on my old Kodak Pro SLR/N on JPEG mode?!?! oh well they still look fab.

Back-up camera thoughts...

2009-08-28T09:25:00.000+01:00

I have always been very aware of the importance of a back-up camera, if for example you are photographing on location a one time only event; for example a wedding and your main kit takes a swan dive onto the pavement it is most likely going to be a bit rattly and you will be.... well, cursing the very heavens. So I need a back-up for my Nikon D300, in an ideal world an identical kit is the most logical back-up system, but without a generous sponsor that will not be a reality. Enter the high end compact cameras.... I have of course done some extensive research both on the web and verbally with other like minded image makers and the camera that seems to pop-up as a good quality all round compact is the Canon Powershot G10.

What's this a Nikon being backed up by a Canon.... Now for all you elitist's that swear by either Canon or Nikon and despise the other, grow up they are tools for a job. You may prefer one over the other through aesthetics or price but it is quite illogical to disregard a camera that meets your requirements because of a name. I love all manner of cameras but some of it especially nowadays is about showmanship and looking the part. If I turned up with a compact camera to a shoot that I knew would produce the desired results it would not give the appearance of professionalism. Part of this line of thinking is that the modern camera is perceived as a status symbol to indicate wealth; specifications and handling are sacrificed for colour and style. I have produced pinhole images that have more clarity and definition than what some of the 'Hot Pink' brushed aluminium little efforts being sold on the high street can even dream of achieving.

So I will be procuring a Canon Powershot G10 and use it as a back up camera and perhaps an everyday camera to put in my bag.. !?! This leads on to my other line of thinking about the definition of a photographer, with the advent of affordable digital compacts almost everyone has a camera or relatively easy access to one and voila a perceived photographer is born. So when I go about my daily activities without my arsenal of cameras people state or ask in a perplexed tone 'I thought you are a photographer' or 'Why have you not got your camera' the best analogy that springs to mind is 'Does a sculptor take their hammer and chisel around with them all the time ?' the answer would most probably be no.

I think I had better end this little post as I fear I am digressing a tad, but please enjoy the image below that was shot with nothing but a box with a hole....
Ta ta for now

The Trolley Odyssey

2009-08-27T22:02:00.000+01:00

For those of you that know me and for those that have not yet had the misfortune I have an obsession with Shopping Trolleys, I use obsession lightly but they have been a visual feast for me for years. Academically they are mocked, commercially they have little value but one day they will reign supreme and have their rightful place in some wonderfully structured book or gallery wall. For a while now the Trolley Odyssey has been on hiatus due to other endeavors but a rekindled interest has prompted me to prevail and push these little blighters further.... watch this space.

For now just enjoy this lone little trolley.

Highlights from Adam & Shelly's wedding...

2009-08-26T22:18:00.000+01:00

Saturday 22nd August was a lovely day, it was a bit hit and miss as to what the weather was going to do but in the end it was grand. The main event was at St.Peters Church in Titchfield and the reception was around the corner at the community centre. The ground's of the church offered some beautiful spots for the newlyweds to have their pictures taken (see below).

My day as the photographer is always enjoyable pottering about capturing all the thrills and goings on before the ceremony then afterwards the groups shots and the reception shenanigans. This time apart from my usual activities I took upon the roll of child entertainer by teaching a couple how to make origami cranes, which was fab. To summarise it was an excellent day...

Business Cards...

2009-08-21T17:22:00.000+01:00

Over the years I have struggled in vain to piece together my photographic identity and guess what I am still trying. However whilst doodling a logo for some order forms I struck gold, this is in part to OCD and the film 'Stranger Than Fiction'. Elaborate you say, well in this film the protagonist has a very precise outlook on his world through his GUI, via this he measures, counts, quantifies, assesses and finds comfort in his viewpoint of the world. I find a certain guilty similarity with how I view the world around and more to the point counting and compartmentalising things in my environment. So I utilised the 'Braces' or 'Curly Brackets' { } to encapsulate my initials to form part of my logo.

After many, many design variations and even more hours spent pondering the difference between certain hex # I thought I quite like that. Now the task was to place it within the parameters of a business card, done... Well, there was a little bit more to it but after deciding what information to divulge like what classification of photographer do I label myself as...?@!#

Now here is the icing on the cake, I will admit I have seen this done on cards many times before even a photographers card but I quite liked it... a hole. I wanted the 'o' cut out of the word photographer but I wanted it to align with the take in lens of a TLR on the back of the card. Let me try to rap this up, the card printers could not undertake this specific part of the job as I was asking for something to precise... ?!? Me precise....

After experimenting with a leather hole punch, an eyelet punch and drilling the cards on a bench drill the later became the victor. So, armed with a 4 mm drill bit and copious amounts of patience I succeeded in making some lovely holes in my cards, which I present to you here. Fin