My View 52 The Catch up

Please excuse the long pause between week 8 and now but real life has go in the way with holidays and things going on at home that needed sorting out.

Week 9 was a rushed shot before I went away and week 11 was a rushed shot when I got back so I will not upload those as technically they suck lol.

So here is my week 10.

This is an image I selected from my recent Skiing holiday to Bansko in Bulgaria which is at the bottom of Pirin Mountain. It was filled with stunning photographic opportunities some of which I took up but some that got ignored as I was too busy enjoying myself. Here are some panoramic shots I took up the mountains.

And that now brings me up to date to my week 12. After all the rushing and time away I decided to get my mojo working again to return to my smoke shots. But when I started to shoot the smoke I remembered when I did the October challenge last year where I set Ice on Fire (yes real ice made of water on fire). So I decided what a way of showing how hot (some of us) find chilli’s so I decided to spark it up.

My View 52 Week 8

Week 8 View 52

Well bit of a dilemma this week had an idea for a rose shot however a fantastic version from another member had already been uploaded this weekend so decided to shoot it anyhow however during the shoot I had another idea.

My little boy was sat by my side as he always is when I shoot even when I am doing smoke bless him. So I came up with a plan well not so much a plan but an idea so I bent down and picked him up which he wasn’t too impressed with especially as mum tells him off if he jumps on the table. I put him on my kitchen table but he wouldn’t stay there unless he knew the rewards were hanging around. Sadly he was a little camera shy every shot he seemed to move his head to the side keeping one eye on me at all times not the shot I wanted so I kept going and this was the only shot I got him face on. He didn’t seem to like having a doggie portrait but I will try this again they say collies are intelligent well he is a collie cross but he is a disgrace to his race he is a dumb dog you put a light on the wall and he will stare at if for hours if you didn’t turn it off.

I did shoot the rose too which I will attach underneath but this is my shot for this week as it’s a nice fun shot and hopefully I will get to try this out again with a little more eye contact with me and the camera.

And here is the Rose shot from today

Thank You For Reading

James

My View 52 Week 7

Week 7 View 52

Those that know me know that my other guilty pleasure other than smoke is water droplets.

Today I decided to do a water drop shot simply as I have hit a creativity block.

I am after a certain water drop shot at the moment hence the amount of drops in the air. I am trying to create a mid air collision which I am finding difficult as either the drops are too slow or too fast but I will keep at it there must be a way without owning fancy drip kits.

Week 6 View 52

Week 6 View 52

Well I have two days this week for view 52 but decided to do my shot today so I can try other things tomorrow. I think for now you will be pleased to know I have come to an end of my smoke the ideas are still plentiful but my mojo is suffering for it so for now I will give it a rest until later on in the year.

I had a few ideas on the go today simply to try and ignite my mojo but it just wasn’t meant to be life’s stresses have got the better of me and it was hard to focus my attentions on what I was doing but rather on what was going on inside my head.

I took images of two different subjects today a Teapot and a Pomegranate. I decided to go with the Pomegranate (even though I prefer the Teapot) because I felt it held a little more interest. This particular shot of the Pomegranate has been mirrored but this time I only mirrored the smoke as I liked the comp of the Pomegranate (by the way this took some playing around with to get it right).

As usual say what you see ;0) I see a farmer/fisherman.

Interesting fact about the Pomegranate....

 The myth of Persephone, the goddess of the Underworld, also prominently features the pomegranate. In one version of Greek mythology, Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and taken off to live in the underworld as his wife. Her mother, Demeter (goddess of the Harvest), went into mourning for her lost daughter and thus all green things ceased to grow. Zeus, the highest ranking of the Greek gods, could not allow the Earth to die, so he commanded Hades to return Persephone. It was the rule of the Fates that anyone who consumed food or drink in the Underworld was doomed to spend eternity there. Persephone had no food, but Hades tricked her into eating six pomegranate seeds while she was still his prisoner and so, because of this, she was condemned to spend six months in the Underworld every year. During these six months, when Persephone is sitting on the throne of the Underworld next to her husband Hades, her mother Demeter mourns and no longer gives fertility to the earth.

More images from today's set here

Thanks For Reading
James

Week 5 View 52

Week 5 View 52

Ok I am back burns have healed and my pride has been restored from last week’s disasters.

I had an idea of doing a fruit face this week but for some reason the banana would not play ball however now I have the shots I don’t think the banana was needed. This was just a simple fun shot I was not looking for any reason behind it other than the fact I love shooting smoke. But as always I have to look into the photo to try and come up with a name because I love to give the shot a name to help the viewers see what I see and this shot reminded me of the old fairytale story of Snow White. The central part of the smoke reminded me of the mirror from that fairytale and the witches famous saying “Mirror, Mirror On The Wall Who’s The Fairest Of Them All” and as you can see my fruit face is hardly the most attractive, look how big the nostrils appear in the cherry ;0).

As I say this was just for fun this week as I have more pressing issues to focus my attention on as I have my first interview in 16 years tomorrow and have got to look the company history up. I hope you are still as interested in looking at these creations as I am of taking them.

This weeks submission above "Mirror, Mirror On The Wall" 

Thanks For Reading

James

Week 4 View 52

Well what can I say about this no faces, no meaning and no reason. Just an idea I had to try and keep it all about the smoke and what can be done with it.

I knew it was to be a bad day!

I woke up and my first words were not morning dear but shit I forgot to charge my batteries which is never good when married. My wife returned from walking the dog who was due his shower time as he was getting a bit stinky. So decided I would wash him before I set up for the day shooting everything was going fine dog washed time to dry him off and away I go but in the meantime I managed to break the shower which I am going to be in trouble about when the wife comes home as she is lost without a shower where as I am more of a bath kind of guy.

Putting all that aside I set up ready for this shot. On paper this sounds like an easy shot to take but today for some reason it didn’t want to play ball at all. My luck just kept getting worse I have burns all over my hands I set a small area of my backdrop alight and to top it all off I have smashed a total of four wine glasses. I knew the broken glasses would push the missus over the edge so I went out and brought her a new set and as a way of an apology I didn’t replace the glasses with the same glasses I decided to treat her to a nice set mainly to avoid the slap I was about to get lol so this shot cost me a nice bottle of rose (which I never got to taste) and £15 for new glasses plus the electrician I have to get out to repair the shower.

Ok to the paper it’s this easy hang a glass upside down with a wine bottle underneath fire up josh sticks and away you go............. that’s how easy it should of been but common sense was somewhere lost what happens to flame/fire inside a bottle? You got it, it goes out when the oxygen is replaced by carbon dioxide!!! So first attempt failed........... then I blu tacked the josh stick inside the top of the bottle what happens when the hot ash falls off the stick that’s right it drops off right onto my backdrop hence the mini fire (again lost my common sense mental note always put a plate underneath) ok second attempt failed!!!!...... third attempt I forget about the law of gravity what goes up must come down and once I had settled into my third attempt this is when my shoot somehow turned into a Greek wedding (but without the plates) my glasses started flying around the kitchen at this point as the suction cup I was using to suspend the glass lost suction (mental note keep checking the suction on the cup) and eventually I managed to get a hell of a lot of images but only a few came out ok as by this point I was surrounded by glass and very blistery hands so had give up the will to live by this point lol. Even the dog was looking at me with disgrace at this point.

I did have another idea as backup if this didn’t work. But I thought no I will not let the beat me I only want one shot granted it’s not what I had in my head but with the story I thought what the hell its a bit of fun. The image I wanted I think without pro lighting was almost impossible unless I merged two images together but as I don’t have the PS skills for that I will have to return to it again but I will return prepared LMAO.

Now I am off to lick my wounds and heal my pride lol

Pour Me Another this weeks image for View 52

Here is another shot from today Neon Cocktail

Thanks For Reading 

James

Week 3 View 52

Ok here is my submission for week 3 View 52 take one shot per week for a year

I am trying my hardest to keep to one subject for View 52, I know at some stage I will come unstuck and have to change direction. But for me I find I learn more if I keep to a subject. The old saying comes to mind "Jack Of All Trades, But Master Of Nothing" so for this year I have decided maybe not to become a master but more competent with my camera by shooting things I enjoy.

Today I took a series of shots of an apple with smoke but after viewing and viewing all my shots I decided this was the one I was most happy with, and the one I could relate too. After viewing and viewing I found something close to my heart and I am sure other parents will relate. I found that unconditional love we have for our children and if you look at the image you will see the heart (the apple) and if you look up you will see what looks like the back of a child's head emerging from the apple with its arms spread wide looking for the comfort/protection only a parent could offer its a simple reminder how precious life is.

These are a few other image I took of the apple you will find more on my flickr stream

Thanks for viewing

James

Week 2 View 52

Ok here we are on week 2 of My View 52

Of course I had another session with smoke I just keep coming up with new things to try out I just hope I don't burn out too soon (pardon the pun)

The Image above was my main submission for view 52 it is titled Burning Heart and the image below is titled Sweet Heart

Sweet Heart also got voted for picture of the day in the group Creative Tabletop Photography
Burning Heart was on Explore #53 11/01/2011

Thanks For Reading
James

Happy New Year To You All

I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year wherever you are in the world. This year I have decided for me will be one of the most productive years I have had. After losing my business it has given me a great opportunity to restart my life try out new things and look for new jobs I may never have tried if I wasn't given this opportunity. Above all that I would love to improve my photography and to start the year off I have joined a group on flicker called "View 52" which is basically a short version of the 365 project. Basically all you have to do is take one image per week for 52 weeks if anyone would like to join in please feel free to call in at View 52

Thanks Again for Viewing
James

Smoke & Mirrors

I have had a great day today shooting smoke again I know I know but I just cant get enough of it. After weeks of searching and searching watching you tube clips reading articles, checking out Flickr. I have finally not understood but have made progress on turning my smoke into art trying to make an image out of the shapes I have shot. Here is a few examples of today's work

Thanks For Reading
James

I have spent the day smoking again

Sorry people its another smoke series. I cant help it I really enjoy smoking.

I have learnt the smoke images take a lot of trial and error. Previously as mentioned in my previous post about my smoke images I had made my own barn doors however I decided to try out a new method with a home made snoot which directed the light straight onto the smoke trail.

How to make the snoot


If you haven't got one the easiest cheapest way is a piece of black A4 card wrap it around the end of your flash seal it with tape job done you have a snoot the same width and depth as your flash you can trim a little off the end and then when you trigger your camera the light will hit the exact area you want to freeze and keep the light off your background and reduce any chance of lens flare.

The way I got the rainbow effect was to create a new layer in PS set it as overlay and then added a gradient to it.

Thanks for reading

James

A Day Playing With Smoke

This is another past time I enjoy there is something mystical about the way smoke moves. Today for some reason the smoke was not playing ball but I managed to pull a few shots off. For some reason the smoke and my set up just wouldn't play ball.

Do I need studio kit for this?


Honest answer in an ideal world yes but if like me you are on a budget all you need is a plain black background a desk lamp, tripod, off camera flash, barn doors would be ideal but if like me you haven't got them then some plain black card taped to both sides of your flash this helps direct the light onto the smoke and away from your background and a josh stick. And that is it really. You put the lamp one side to put some light onto the smoke and the flash the other side to illuminate the smoke when you push the shutter. Focus in on the top of the josh stick and then shoot away. You can jazz it up a little with coloured gels to add colour to the smoke but you can do this in photoshop via the hue/saturation if like me you haven't the budget for all the top gear.

Here is a few shots from today

Thanks For Reading
James

My Day Shooting Water Drops

Got the shot of was after the infamous shield shot. However not the angle I wanted but I got it so I am happy now I need to work more to make it more frequent

These a a few of the images I took today. If you like the effects of water droplets I really urge you to try it out  it is so much fun

Thanks For Reading
James

Time For A Bit Of Water Art

This is a subject I have really began to enjoy shooting and I am sure you will see many many drop shots from me as I am still yet to get the shield effect drop.

I have been chatting a lot to people on flickr and looking at drop images and have picked up some great tips along the way and the improvement I have seen has been very noticeable.

Here are two images of my first ever attempt and shooting water drops: -

As you can see these are not the best images but that is the whole point at the time I was happy with the fact that I had actually captured the drops I didn't really pay attention to the picture itself. When I did which took a while and to be honest after I kept trying out new methods I noticed picture one was very grainy and the focus was not that great and image 2 even though the form is great the focus was poor.

I have moved on since these original images (well I hope I have) 

Here Is My Most Recent Attempt At Water Drops Taken Only Yesterday

As hopefully you can see the images are far more interesting they have some colour to them that have given them some life the focus is far better and they generally look far better than my first attempt.

Have you ever wanted to try drops but thought I don't have the kit?

Well then take that thought out of your head. Yes it would be great to have a fully kitted out studio with fantastic instruments in which to create the drops and fancy lights. But back here in the real world all you need is a sandwich bag full of water suspended above pierce a small hole with a needle, a paint rolling tray full of water and I used a table matt with pink birthday paper wrapped around it as the background stood it up behind the tray, and then used a flash gun attached with a cable as I don't have a wireless one pointed the flash directly at the background and this then cast the purple look I have in the images above. Also a macro lens would be the best option but you can also do this with your kit lens just turn off the auto focus and then place a pen where the droplets fall and manually focus onto the tip of the pen move the pen away and fire away

I hope this helps you a little I know it did me

Thanks For Reading

James