ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Friday 29 November 2013

MOTIVATION. (29/11/13)

The weather is wild, wet and windy. I need a good prod with a sharp stick. I’ve been looking for inspiration and tomorrow if it’s fine I’ll take a camera, a tilt/shift lens, a load of filters and a tripod out and try for some ICM images. ICM stands for Intentional Camera Movement. It has much in common with unintentional camera movement so shouldn’t cause me too much heartache. I have tried it before but it’s very hit and miss. I am lucky to get one half descent image in fifty. I know you grown up birders accept such things but it is an alien concept to me. I’ll take Miss Bronica out as well. That will be fun. I have lots of ND filters for her but few are marked up. I’ll hold them in front of the Canon and make a wee note of the reflective Canon exposure. That should sort the job….time will tell. I prefer incident readings for film…..Okay I would like a reflective light meter but haven’t got one. Incident is better for flash and portraits. Where am I. I’m confused again. I have a selection brush in camera raw and can set it to virtually anything.

I have always admired the work of the Canadian photographer Michael Orton. Here are a couple of images I’ve reprocessed in his style.

_MG_2137 copyREDCAR.

_V0G7026_7_8_tonemapped copy  GEODHA SMOO.

Some work…some don’t. The second doesn’t for me. I spent over an hour messing with Smoo Inlet . Redcar worked for me, first go.

Whilst messing about……I mean searching for anything to drag me out of lethargy and take my mind away from my back which is still causing serious grief…I came across some stunning imagery by ROB HUDSON.  It may not inspire you but it made my day. I spent an hour or more absorbed in his work. I suspect had Uma Thurman knocked on the van door I'd have suggested she wait. How sad am I?

Have a great weekend.

31 comments:

  1. Good job ADRIAN. They've been great.
    Be careful and take care back pain. Bundle up, it gets very cold.
    Have a good weekend.
    a hug.

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    1. Laura, no son grandes, pero un poco diferente. Creo que la Vespa se envuelve para arriba para el invierno. ¿Significa avispa en italiano Vespa.
      Escribir en español, necesito el español o el tope. Tengo que pensar, pero no es un problema.
      Aprendo mi mal español en Gran Canaria y México por lo que es viejo español. Nata / Crema muchas palabras son diferentes.

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  2. Consider yourself prodded with a very long sharp stick. Have a great weekend too!

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    1. Cheers Carol, it is not easy being an idiot.

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    2. Love your reinterpretation of Orton ~ you are far too critical of your own work Adrian.

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    3. Carol, in the north of England folk know what I have done. I suspect they do in Australia and America; not too sure about the latter. All photographs are white balance shoved towards red, converted to mono, pushed, pulled, dodged and burned. I defy any bugger to get it right in camera. At £2.00p a shot for medium format, I'll try in digital first. Horrendous money is film but it does make one think before clicking.

      I post the one that worked for me and the crap one but both are processed from images I was proud of.

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  3. Well you certainly got inspired with these two images Adrian, that's some striking work there, especially on the first one. I've got one little criticism on both of them though, my annoying pet hate...sloping horizons! I think it comes from being an engineer and being able to 'see' a straight line, or maybe I'm just being picky, just tell me to p*** off!

    I've had a look at Rob Hudson's site, I'm sad to say that his work seemed a bit repetitive and didn't do a lot for me, although a couple of images were interesting.

    Good luck for tomorrow (I've been employing ICM/UCM, or whatever it's called, for years and never knew it was a proper photographic process!!). Have a good weekend and take care of that back! Don't forget to leave a note on the door saying where you are...just in case Uma comes a knocking again...[;o)

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    1. Trevor, we all need an editor. You are perfectly in order. I forgot to straighten up. I must put a post-It on the screen.
      Rob Hudson well I was trying to work out how he did it. He walks around a tree and takes multiple exposures. He must surely follow the light round. Must take all day. I am enamoured by what he has achieved.

      It is a recognised skill. If you get a blurry image then think twice before you ditch it.

      Keith is poorly sick give him a ring, kick his arse and have a good day tomorrow.

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  4. Adrian you're all great plans, but it will happen, I'm sure.

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  5. I liked the second image Adrian especially the clouds/sky, however the first image is stunning. A great image

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  6. I agree with everyone here. The first is stunning, the second a little less so. With a paint brush, I never achieved really soft objects with edges that melt into the adjacent object. I imagine what you are doing is equally or even more difficult.

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    1. David, it isn't hard to do but it is hard to get a pleasing result.

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  7. Hi Adrian, I like the 2nd one more than the first. As far as Rob Hudson goes, I didn't like his work at all, most of his work looks like a blurry mess. Have yourself a great week end.

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    1. Horst, I see what you mean but I find them fascinating. It's good we don't all see things the same.

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  8. Like others I think the first worked well. Almost reminds me of the solarised prints I used to play with years ago.

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  9. Looking at the photos and considering your equipment should really take your mind off the lousy weather and your sore back! where the Uma Thurman comes in I'm not sure!

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    1. Red, my back is getting well beyond a joke. Unfortunately Uma hasn't been in.

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  10. Wow ~ very effective processing on your photos. I like them both. I'm sorry to hear your back is still sore, and hopefully it will right itself soon.

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  11. Adrian, you've made my day with your sloped horizon! I noticed it and looked and looked, than decided you meant it to be like that. As far as I'm concerned it makes no difference to a great shot! Doubt if Uma would care either.

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    1. Pauline, how embarrassing. I thought of you as soon as Trevor pointed my Muppetry out.
      I got carried away and need carrying away. If i don't see you before have a good trip to Brazil or wherever.

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  12. Just learned today that there is a new Peter May book available in a few days... I've pre-ordered it, delivery promised to 5th Dec (on my Kindle). It's not in the same series as the Lewis trilogy but seems to have similarities:
    http://fictionfanblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/entry-island-by-peter-may/

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    1. Monica, I'll keep an eye open for it. I'm currently reading the Century trilogy by Ken Follet.....Excellent it is and I'm only halfway through the first book.

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  13. I like both, but the second one seems more natural. I don't know what you did to the first one, but the sand looks a bit unnatural, or surreal, which is also okay, but I don't know if the highlights are purposefully blown out there or what. How is it going with the costs for developing the film? Is it what you expected? Or more? I suppose they also scan them for you???

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    1. Maria, it is an image of sand blowing over a beach. I let it blow out a little as it seemed more surreal.
      The film costs about £10.00 per fifteen shots to process and scan. I have only had two rolls processed as it isn't good picture taking weather here. At the moment i'm getting ten useable per roll. I would be happy with one or two. The next roll I will bracket shoot. I'm careful.

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  14. Oh dear. Like some of the others I assumed that you meant the horizon to slope for 'artistic' reasons. Apart from seeing the face of a man in the clouds I have to be honest and say that they don't really do it (whatever 'it' is) for (or to) me.

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