tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69540390550849124612024-02-07T05:10:13.066+00:00Timon time againPaul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-83442003965827175022021-05-05T19:36:00.000+01:002021-05-05T19:36:18.286+01:00Is FATE giving me a hint?<p> Today hasn't been a good day.</p><p>I started out by travelling to Blackrock Cove which is close to Dundalk. I had intended using my drone to get photos of the mudflats there. The bad day started when I had a couple of drivers with gay cars poking their noses up my arse but that's kind of par for the course. Finding somewhere to park that wasn't going to get me killed was a little more difficult. Got the drone up and took one photo. I was quite excited by the view I was getting and tried to take more photos when my drone informed me there was a problem with the card and subsequent photos would be saved to cache.</p><p>Landed the drone and made it back to the car where I searched my phone for the cached photos only to find none! Grrr.</p><p>Then my stomach started rumbling so I cancelled my other plan which was to take some long exposures on Mornington beach, and instead, I went home. Sorted out the rumbling - you don't want to know and I checked the card and found the one photo from this morning.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzxpPKb2ghzgfbmEhrhkbIPh1-Z6zIXeiPffstO-JxDkonmt_ebwMj3cQZsEhl5e8QL9NdMnlPuwNodLm12eZJMcbFTQ2dsEy6GB4rCeUYaivC1QB9e28-Sp2Odga7W4Kk07woBqUl0Kh/s2048/DJI_0012a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzxpPKb2ghzgfbmEhrhkbIPh1-Z6zIXeiPffstO-JxDkonmt_ebwMj3cQZsEhl5e8QL9NdMnlPuwNodLm12eZJMcbFTQ2dsEy6GB4rCeUYaivC1QB9e28-Sp2Odga7W4Kk07woBqUl0Kh/w423-h317/DJI_0012a.jpg" width="423" /></a></div><br /><p>And the card seems to be all right but I'm of the opinion that if a card or a drive or disk or whatever gives you a problem, it's probably time to bin it.</p><p>Anyways .......... While I was there in Blackrock, I saw a 'construction' on the horizon and since I have been in 'sunrise-behind-stuff-photo' mode for the last few months, I thought this might be a good one to check out.<br />There's a person I know lives close to where I was this morning. I hesitate to call him a friend - that would be presumptuous of me I think - but he has been more than helpful in the past so I asked if I could park on his property next time I'm there and mentioned the drone.</p><p>Wow! I suddenly found out that I had broken the law by flying where I did. Another person had been prosecuted for a variety of reasons and the phrase "threw the book at him" was used.<br />I mentioned that I had flown the drone straight up to 120 metres and intentionally had not flown at a low level because of birds but that didn't matter. The whole bay is a sensitive area. It is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a National Heritage Area (NHA) and designated as a Special Protected Area (SPA). I'm guessing now, but I think I might be right, that asking to be allowed to fly anywhere near this place at any time of the day or year would get a large "NO!" response from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). But I might try anyway.</p><p>Something else I was told ..... I said that I thought it was a little unfair to assume I would know about this and that a sign or ten in the area would be proactive otherwise it felt like entrapment. I am responsible for educating my self about the Wildlife Act 1976 and ECU Birds and Natural Habitats Regulations 2011. I cannot claim ignorance! But I must thank my man in Blackrock for not only warning me but also for providing me with so much information.</p><p>So, I had a quick look at the website and it reminded me of a boss I used to have. He would see an approaching problem/date/situation/deadline and be aware that the person responsible was not on top of it. So he would write memos. The funny thing was that when the shit hit the fan and we would look to this guy with the question "why didn't you say anything?" written on our foreheads, he would respond "I copied them on the memo". This website is a civil servant's wet dream. You transgress, they probably have it covered. You want to find out if you might transgress and you might spend the rest of you life trying to find it.</p><p>Also, too as well ...... Since the NPWS are a bit short on the ground, the Gardai have sections who are up to speed on the regulations and will get you!</p><p>Having absorbed a lot of this, I then started to think about where I had used the drone recently. Since the lockdown I've used it from Mornington beach along the strand to as far away as Skerries. I wasn't aware of any many bird flocks but ignorance doesn't count so now I have to go through all the regulations. I see they have an interactive map which is helpful. It took a while to find it. If it's of use to you here is a link:<br />https://dahg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8f7060450de3485fa1c1085536d477ba</p><p>So Covid, lockdowns, no travel, cancelled photo trips, loss of money (for cancelled trips), no studio shoots and a few other negatives and I'm beginning to think the Gods or Fate is sending me hints.</p><p>Now, sssshhh. I have to study or maybe think about selling all my camera gear.</p>Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-47840787618517535902016-05-08T17:12:00.000+01:002016-05-08T17:12:38.779+01:00From a while ago .....A long time ago a <a href="http://timontime.blogspot.ie/2013/01/uncertainty.html" target="_blank">post here</a> sounded like I was having a gripe at a judge giving me bad scores for my photos but I think I made my point badly. I was hoping to show that a judge's scoring and remarks can significantly affect the persons he or she is judging. I have sat through numerous judgings and have been a judge myself. Most times I am not a mile away from the scores handed out and the comments made. We are all biased one way or the other. Most judges will be known for the type of photography they specialise in like portraits, landscapes, art nude or architecture, etc. Some club members will even check out a judge's web pages to see what type of photography they do and will submit photos in that genre to enhance their chances of success. My reaction to that? Fair play to them!<br />
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Where I had some difficulty was I had submitted two photos that I thought might do well - I was taking a bit of a chance with them - and one photo that I put in more for a laugh than anything else. The two 'serious' photos didn't do so well but the humorous photo did better than the other two! Maybe I should go into a new photographic niche - humour?<br />
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The following week was the judging of the colour prints. I had submitted two photos from the same shoot and was not sure how they would fare. The judge was a guy I had seen judging before and, in my opinion, was not only good, but sensible and entertaining as well as constructive in his remarks. He did not disappoint.<br />
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The picture above scored me 45 marks (out of 50) and a 4th place. He liked the matching colours of the corset and the background. He liked the pose but was a little uncomfortable about her left arm hanging straight down. He described the insulating tape as a useless waste until it was pointed out to him that they made the photo Facebook friendly.</div>
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He liked the shot above because it was different. I have to say that if there hadn't been a plethora of landscapes then this mightn't have done as well but I'm not going to object to a 2nd place with 47 marks.</div>
<br />Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-25262174585492802422015-07-28T14:04:00.000+01:002015-08-08T17:47:22.253+01:00Why Cosplay? 'Cos!Recently I had my second cosplay photoshoot with a girl called Ellie Jayden. For those of you who haven't heard about cosplay here's a brief introduction: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosplay" target="_blank">Cosplay 101</a><br />
In short it's people dressing up as superheroes (or villains) from comics. Like The Joker from Batman or Harley Quinn who, up to now, has been confined to comic books but is now a film character as well.<br />
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Our first shoot was over two years ago where Ellie wanted to submit photographs of her alter ego to an online competition. Ellie traveled to Dublin and I photographed her in Dublin Camera Club. The intention was to put her in a background similar to that of the comics so I also photographed the IFSC at night and used those.<br />
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A shot of Ellie from the studio is cut out and then added to the background. A little bit of cloning and tweaking and the final image:<br />
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And a few variations ...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">And just to prove she's legitimate ....</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"> And what did she think of my efforts?</span></td></tr>
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So this time we were spurred on by the new movie Suicide Squad and the new look <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidAyerMovies/status/595000883420749824/photo/1" target="_blank">Harley Quinn</a>.<br />
The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI3hecGO_04" target="_blank">traile</a>r looks really good and very, very dark. It's got so much hype that there now some (great) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIMH-6VHl_k" target="_blank">parodies</a> to be seen as well. If you need a little <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CBO4WfMaPk" target="_blank">background information</a> it's also available.<br />
Since I don't belong to Dublin Camera Club (or any club) anymore, I hired a studio for the shoot. We had had quite a few discussions online about what we were going to do and what we needed to prepare for it. My contribution on the props department was two (almost) identical hand guns that would make an impression even if they're probably not strictly accurate. We also talked about making a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot so Ellie brought a camcorder and I brought a GoPro that I set up to make a timelapse video later. Since Ellie has uploaded to her YouTube channel ahead of me I might as well <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR64sJc0_9w" target="_blank">link</a> to her video rather than upload it here.</div>
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Ellie had, by far, the greatest contribution. Apart for the costume, she also had to 'create' the wig, make an arrest card (prisoner's name and number) and do her own makeup. She also did a great job on a baseball bat that she lugged all the way to Dublin and then we never used it!<br />
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We had decided that there would be two sections to the shoot. First would be a light and comical Harley and then the darker side.<br />
For the lighter side I used a white background and two Bowens units - a 750 with a very large softbox and a 500 ( I think) with a beauty dish with a white diffuser over the front. I placed the 750 pretty much in front and above Ellie which gives, more or less, butterfly lighting and then placed the 500 to the left, about the same height, to give a little shadow to her face. With all that soft light and the ceiling being white, I had enough spill to light up the background as much as I wanted without blasting out her hair from behind.<br />
Since she was/is a comic character I decided to shoot several similar poses together letting Ellie freeform and giving her minor direction. I think it worked very well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3dQKvO2pqMeQoI0AnXHZNIgkYK-CWnrJ_xpKzMTBQeU08OYqjj5a6wtGwTH3BE9VwzR-h4JievDB06f4spIL8i9mXwMIpUT0fj8G9NsoKAEAnfQWqql2bhBun9TS3_4eBdb1lszi2UDUU/s1600/Strip2%25C2%25A9RS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3dQKvO2pqMeQoI0AnXHZNIgkYK-CWnrJ_xpKzMTBQeU08OYqjj5a6wtGwTH3BE9VwzR-h4JievDB06f4spIL8i9mXwMIpUT0fj8G9NsoKAEAnfQWqql2bhBun9TS3_4eBdb1lszi2UDUU/s640/Strip2%25C2%25A9RS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWijWS9ZvVMd9FSiEPjEsGxLQjUnYUGLZaed7QDbiNTdDKI9XsXN0Uh4WqGqs8LtMR5eXxxnFQbGgHN9wqWVGbM4YyqXNlCQMAXgLDYyE1-rppt2bcGInwmuYxn9eL0HQkyLiCz_CyciM/s1600/Strip1%25C2%25A9RS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWijWS9ZvVMd9FSiEPjEsGxLQjUnYUGLZaed7QDbiNTdDKI9XsXN0Uh4WqGqs8LtMR5eXxxnFQbGgHN9wqWVGbM4YyqXNlCQMAXgLDYyE1-rppt2bcGInwmuYxn9eL0HQkyLiCz_CyciM/s640/Strip1%25C2%25A9RS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There were more shots but I'm just going to show two.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzLcNA72vy76uGrwaB1FOdvfDYGeiNfYGZpDgq23Pd5y7dbQVb56dMfnBjhShB_jAszZYM2qu7e4w9ASO4Nj1LzH3d6mgcWSpXpCToKHa-nCET-sfZdZjgFIRMxeYy_LGJxe6debYNvvh/s1600/_MG_4392a%25C2%25A9LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzLcNA72vy76uGrwaB1FOdvfDYGeiNfYGZpDgq23Pd5y7dbQVb56dMfnBjhShB_jAszZYM2qu7e4w9ASO4Nj1LzH3d6mgcWSpXpCToKHa-nCET-sfZdZjgFIRMxeYy_LGJxe6debYNvvh/s320/_MG_4392a%25C2%25A9LoRes.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq02duAK_PSgfxXDza9ZxVJNIXOD3YprIUTBjTPom6vwOcThLj7ar-D3JTQqMLZtPPbLS5HWsyHYnuhi1fRHgxzsM2kEkmlt3bXAnb3GGpsp9aFqIcJVkccPGOkY6GeXXjU-cHXja3SP0A/s1600/_MG_4353a%25C2%25A9LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq02duAK_PSgfxXDza9ZxVJNIXOD3YprIUTBjTPom6vwOcThLj7ar-D3JTQqMLZtPPbLS5HWsyHYnuhi1fRHgxzsM2kEkmlt3bXAnb3GGpsp9aFqIcJVkccPGOkY6GeXXjU-cHXja3SP0A/s320/_MG_4353a%25C2%25A9LoRes.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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And then we went to the dark side ....<br />
I have to say that Ellie was very quick with her new makeup look. She had practised it the week before and sent me some photos to review.<br />
The major change I made to the shoot setup was to change the background from white to black. We had talked about creating composite shots like before but after a few shots of her in her new persona I left that thought behind and concentrated on getting poses and lighting right. I may still have a shot at doing some composite pics but for the moment I'm happy with what I've produced. And it appears others are happy too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsA3fQdsnmDFBL_KvB3XXEv34IWpz2hIoROMEbEBdMDozWcPVuINQBFCVrRuakRXseARkSnQDlEYMCkV9GGe61JH7sUyD_Qn2BfdshV6K30nc6Ql5OypL4hBFkUrf7u8N2K12IBzRPIx-w/s1600/Shona001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsA3fQdsnmDFBL_KvB3XXEv34IWpz2hIoROMEbEBdMDozWcPVuINQBFCVrRuakRXseARkSnQDlEYMCkV9GGe61JH7sUyD_Qn2BfdshV6K30nc6Ql5OypL4hBFkUrf7u8N2K12IBzRPIx-w/s320/Shona001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rAaCy5zuL0TZ14Bu3rQUqMFkn-Fav0GFq-9GiD8UeBjBEkovBzpFB0HjVp85U-KB5mHEP5W7CQfVjHxp7PQlQ8ZiVJrXrQi4uguVbBPuptV1HvwTDjcLSzoWhhExxpj-0_C8izkD-gJ7/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rAaCy5zuL0TZ14Bu3rQUqMFkn-Fav0GFq-9GiD8UeBjBEkovBzpFB0HjVp85U-KB5mHEP5W7CQfVjHxp7PQlQ8ZiVJrXrQi4uguVbBPuptV1HvwTDjcLSzoWhhExxpj-0_C8izkD-gJ7/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Here are some of the shots<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVe3rSeJOcC7_pf7ma3SHERVdMEyC8W0rtWjuVkQmXGtVpruwZwVaHaVifbmZExz4DbiMnvXt_ztWuIrozDJrp9blejZyfAL75I7W2btzMF8zC_fBnBPhRLuWrXh0KrTu8nqGOAo8L0IHC/s1600/_MG_4444b2%25C2%25A9LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVe3rSeJOcC7_pf7ma3SHERVdMEyC8W0rtWjuVkQmXGtVpruwZwVaHaVifbmZExz4DbiMnvXt_ztWuIrozDJrp9blejZyfAL75I7W2btzMF8zC_fBnBPhRLuWrXh0KrTu8nqGOAo8L0IHC/s400/_MG_4444b2%25C2%25A9LoRes.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUb8U_ICT33iNLH5yM8XSnIYhM_v1E_GL1LmCqFs_mloeC3BlGy39M4OjSqgPpZN5Xn01AkBT2aCKlXj_jZwj3abvsUOIit8981cMcDPoh-2cbrFyAlIxzO1OWo9M6Jwncc4ExQrZSGLj/s1600/_MG_4466a%25C2%25A9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUb8U_ICT33iNLH5yM8XSnIYhM_v1E_GL1LmCqFs_mloeC3BlGy39M4OjSqgPpZN5Xn01AkBT2aCKlXj_jZwj3abvsUOIit8981cMcDPoh-2cbrFyAlIxzO1OWo9M6Jwncc4ExQrZSGLj/s400/_MG_4466a%25C2%25A9.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2zHPyMZbPPOMAKiqivaWsmrjV1VdP3L700srMGA0xKpQSTd5AUQ2LFqSoasC6ISKEbDvkyTvZd-WTXW2PheE1cOi3lQo-ydai9QO4fSO8ic0D-gdJjIBqsM4OXhErg4dnnAphyphenhyphenZeIYEM/s1600/_MG_4474a%25C2%25A9RS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2zHPyMZbPPOMAKiqivaWsmrjV1VdP3L700srMGA0xKpQSTd5AUQ2LFqSoasC6ISKEbDvkyTvZd-WTXW2PheE1cOi3lQo-ydai9QO4fSO8ic0D-gdJjIBqsM4OXhErg4dnnAphyphenhyphenZeIYEM/s400/_MG_4474a%25C2%25A9RS.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRyyGVKgRZX2GdWFfqGqe2q9JiP8_DEIn9H_kfl4D3E_za9tnabSLXvLwjEeHYD6BtDSwBaJy_4T7_rkK22M8GVY6EsaU9yDfpBeSW72bgJf1dgNuxboRUTQYDVh4d0m4-gxI4ZyhS9ux/s1600/_MG_4529a%25C2%25A9RS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRyyGVKgRZX2GdWFfqGqe2q9JiP8_DEIn9H_kfl4D3E_za9tnabSLXvLwjEeHYD6BtDSwBaJy_4T7_rkK22M8GVY6EsaU9yDfpBeSW72bgJf1dgNuxboRUTQYDVh4d0m4-gxI4ZyhS9ux/s320/_MG_4529a%25C2%25A9RS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h2OXJoCpJPWEZDSVDKJdgi1DRZHu31CLGdVZ2MfayQePMyLMBJgU2fC9MnW1vgcf_J32HqUMJvOYfcApGUgoprtv02encxJTl4urOC07rEpLe9-Lk140XKu2q3pKxslAmwwLFPrQQYzO/s1600/_MG_4448b2%25C2%25A9HiRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h2OXJoCpJPWEZDSVDKJdgi1DRZHu31CLGdVZ2MfayQePMyLMBJgU2fC9MnW1vgcf_J32HqUMJvOYfcApGUgoprtv02encxJTl4urOC07rEpLe9-Lk140XKu2q3pKxslAmwwLFPrQQYzO/s320/_MG_4448b2%25C2%25A9HiRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And this one I used for my Facebook profile pic below with a little crop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JaQX8BEybtGN97eEcG7RveZ_DhXXdwvM6MfemXpaCpX5zfTZpQ-QVV3V4negiaJZsVd3nMleyTqZOPEZOMUrxjDDu1m026phbI8A00raYbFkJHCsHjMMwlZsxE-B0M54YAU7akKXSyAi/s1600/11755722_841769422597336_2445842592348355890_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JaQX8BEybtGN97eEcG7RveZ_DhXXdwvM6MfemXpaCpX5zfTZpQ-QVV3V4negiaJZsVd3nMleyTqZOPEZOMUrxjDDu1m026phbI8A00raYbFkJHCsHjMMwlZsxE-B0M54YAU7akKXSyAi/s320/11755722_841769422597336_2445842592348355890_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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.All in all it was a fun shoot just like it should be with the bonus of having a few pics.</div>
Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-87269112718860192382015-04-20T08:40:00.001+01:002015-04-20T08:40:16.665+01:00Annual Exhibition Time AgainAs some of you know, I am a member of the Dublin Camera Club. Tradition has it that they have an Annual Exhibition to show off the members' skills. It also doubles as a competition and quite a serious one from a logistical point of view. Each member is entitled to enter 8 (different) images in colour and mono prints and digital images. Multiply that by the hardcore of regulars who enter competitions and it adds up to a weighty (literally) number.<br />
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The fact that it comes after the Winter League competition that runs from October to February with the finals taking place in March, means that the entries that have done well for them will be an automatic pool to select from for the Annual Exhibition. The logistics are a nightmare! The sheer weight of prints probably mean the organisers have to go into training for the event. Then there is the judging. Usually three people from outside the club are the ones who judge the entries. In the past it has been a day long event. Personally, I think I would go into a meltdown after staring at images and scoring them for that length of time!<br />
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This year the studio will be closed on 4 separate occasions to accommodate the competition and exhibition. One will be for sorting (5 hours). Another for photo recording (5 hours). The judging will take place on a Saturday (8 hours) and a final session to select prints for the exhibition (5 hours). So, you can see it is <i>not</i> trivial.<br />
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There are always more prints than there are spaces to hang them in the exhibition. Because of this, the club promises that each entrant will have at least one print selected for the exhibition regardless. All of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners along with 'highly commended' prints will also be selected. After that, a group of selected members will select the balance of prints for the exhibition taking regard that there is a balance between the advanced, intermediate and novices sections. Not an easy job.<br />
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This year, for personal reasons, I am entering only digital images. They are a selection from shots taken recently. Enjoy?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1m1SWyshL9jwkOCbfPMfIXFbhRGJ06l_R7dD6bcTP8GhIRM2w5hxh7yIIDpZ1SWMXES3vspUwgjEPrTcrvGticzBD9aOxofXpO2ePJzErhv8_jMOAa2MzM14xbhGi0Gmhyr6cLfkfar7/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_01_Practice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1m1SWyshL9jwkOCbfPMfIXFbhRGJ06l_R7dD6bcTP8GhIRM2w5hxh7yIIDpZ1SWMXES3vspUwgjEPrTcrvGticzBD9aOxofXpO2ePJzErhv8_jMOAa2MzM14xbhGi0Gmhyr6cLfkfar7/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_01_Practice.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Practice</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQT9oPE36DFvhK9WTxgHMj_x2MSKjlW2YASeeF9Gvu1iOw-Sd4wk_NWeE1nQZpDtaeDL175xKc99xm4N2IJH48FrRPt6ewLZHyq4WhYPDjhQ0RQ0U0O7k7ggCldrcIPywmx3gl70SAvB9Y/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_02_Ghosts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQT9oPE36DFvhK9WTxgHMj_x2MSKjlW2YASeeF9Gvu1iOw-Sd4wk_NWeE1nQZpDtaeDL175xKc99xm4N2IJH48FrRPt6ewLZHyq4WhYPDjhQ0RQ0U0O7k7ggCldrcIPywmx3gl70SAvB9Y/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_02_Ghosts.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ghosts</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seeing Red</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time and Tide</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3SH3SSRWrAmnVG3-xDEx3f-BpJnwvotBmmrmhwdklqUAai7WvAlk1Mm_9qxcgb2p8CeKmzTiuA0w9QScojxzobuthqADC_UbVaOhw7LEF9xUDglZ1kXIPhjhSc1GEhsCbSNGImDnjmaf/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_05_Posts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3SH3SSRWrAmnVG3-xDEx3f-BpJnwvotBmmrmhwdklqUAai7WvAlk1Mm_9qxcgb2p8CeKmzTiuA0w9QScojxzobuthqADC_UbVaOhw7LEF9xUDglZ1kXIPhjhSc1GEhsCbSNGImDnjmaf/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_05_Posts.jpg" height="294" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDdUdZaJmThSJECAphgg4B8mKZGp45ki-wR7hCMo2JDKhbvVmONc7Z9Uz92RoEyuxhMHeYZtdQb_54Qi_9CRtngVjl9-oSBX38p1ITLHrvedw4j8n0rQNf5CxyTPWtiAR6Utfg8q1oWEq/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_06_Calm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDdUdZaJmThSJECAphgg4B8mKZGp45ki-wR7hCMo2JDKhbvVmONc7Z9Uz92RoEyuxhMHeYZtdQb_54Qi_9CRtngVjl9-oSBX38p1ITLHrvedw4j8n0rQNf5CxyTPWtiAR6Utfg8q1oWEq/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_06_Calm.jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeiVuaVtGkBoGafQcSn-wNj6G19xfCBf8v-9IHamkyCGwuelroKoLkBZp2WiRATnRpIu4Y9taeWP6rbCDmx4J2qG5Wkiy9npblQHJpzVRpT1xCdYVbjregk5yYuLH-vt6k6jmgV8IYvYV/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_07_Christ+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeiVuaVtGkBoGafQcSn-wNj6G19xfCBf8v-9IHamkyCGwuelroKoLkBZp2WiRATnRpIu4Y9taeWP6rbCDmx4J2qG5Wkiy9npblQHJpzVRpT1xCdYVbjregk5yYuLH-vt6k6jmgV8IYvYV/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_07_Christ+Church.jpg" height="320" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdKhgtwxUfzOiNOLaIvt1LHeVD9u4NoMsheWPqJuAiAWObrgbCh4JG39V8aiCawuk5yX-avgHjmaPlfKCZdBfHrdmU0GZML_Wd_gxi8HuKy0iaQXJeQRR1n8mXHBg88lMMgfgi8zID2T7/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_08_ISS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdKhgtwxUfzOiNOLaIvt1LHeVD9u4NoMsheWPqJuAiAWObrgbCh4JG39V8aiCawuk5yX-avgHjmaPlfKCZdBfHrdmU0GZML_Wd_gxi8HuKy0iaQXJeQRR1n8mXHBg88lMMgfgi8zID2T7/s1600/AE_JUL15_A_PHAT_08_ISS.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ISS</td></tr>
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<br />Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-46387964432461739812015-01-28T20:18:00.000+00:002015-01-28T20:18:38.187+00:00Send in the clownsYes, it's been a while. Again!<br />
I'm not going to bore you with the minutiae of life that causes a pause in my activities. Now I get up in the morning, check the obituaries and if I'm not in the listings I keep going.<br /><br />I've been trying a few new things lately. I've been trying my hand at sescapes after a great workshop with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/draiochtnamara?pnref=story" target="_blank">Draoicht na Mara</a> (The magic of the sea) - run by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/brian.hopper.14?fref=ts" target="_blank">Brian Hopper</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/eimhear.collins?fref=ts" target="_blank">Eimhear Collins</a> - but more of that another day. I've been playing around with speedlite trickery. But more of that another day too!<br />
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I've not been photographed too many times in my 67 years. I prefer to be behind the camera rather than in front of it. I did make an <a href="http://timontime.blogspot.ie/2011/02/from-shiny-side-of-lens.html" target="_blank">exception</a> a while ago for a friend who is a photographer (and an artist) and it was an interesting experience for a photographer (me) to watch a photogapher (her) watch me watching her ..... you know what I mean.<br />
So, I made friends with another photographer a while ago called Inge Borga who has her own photography Facebook page - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IngeBorgaPhotography?pnref=lhc" target="_blank">Inge Borga Photoart</a>. We met through the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/smenaireland/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Smena Photographic Society</a>. Recently she asked me if I would be a subject for a photoshoot. I am more inclined now to say yes and give something a shot than play safe so I said "yes". I wasn't quite sure what I was letting myself in for especially as the words "white makeup" were used. I don't know about most guys but the word "makeup" on its own would normally be enough to scare me off. But Inge is a nice person so I thought I would trust her.<br />
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So, today I had a new experience. Makeup. I didn't really want to know too much in case I started to have second thought so I was facing away from the mirror. I have to say the process is very pleasant and relaxing. Not something I would have expected. When the process was finished I looked in the mirror and was surprised at my surprise! I was completely different and almost started to assume a new character. I was behind a mask.<br /><br />Inge, although she is a very competent and creative photographer, had little experience using studio flash units. So after a brief introduction and a question and answer session we had a setup that she wanted consisitng of two units with snoots. All shot against a black background. Very simple. Concentrating all the attention on my face and expressions.<br />
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Inge gave good direction and before long I had stopped analysing what was going on and just got into the spirit of the shoot. Time goes quickly when you're having fun and we spent close to 5 hours in the studio all told. If the squeals of delight that came from Inge are anything to go ny there should be a few satisfactory shots. Since it was her shoot I don't have any photos to show (yet) but I do have 2 'snaps' that were taken. One from my phone and one from hers. I'll let you judge if fun was had.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYCrTDMZeEKMoQ4VIiHejj1MDHCx2avr7xzlbe3QYEG47G0dkV2mxVwdbbvXqXKRDuLSSCf5LkhrpoP8Vvti0qic2dzni9NVMhvvVLds-Vx2LI-xiDoXKcWTvAZ58MEWWyDlvnENS_GK_/s1600/10941381_523490257791318_3239532437180441827_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYCrTDMZeEKMoQ4VIiHejj1MDHCx2avr7xzlbe3QYEG47G0dkV2mxVwdbbvXqXKRDuLSSCf5LkhrpoP8Vvti0qic2dzni9NVMhvvVLds-Vx2LI-xiDoXKcWTvAZ58MEWWyDlvnENS_GK_/s1600/10941381_523490257791318_3239532437180441827_n.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNjmfiryRDep5bm1uX5GE_ynLj3kbnuEek6LRTbyeJOkLtuCq9FE6ZNkIq1c3fYmB1ERuv3SNvwwxvela3GQj3KRU1ypJ18I7RHfdeDk-7ARWB8B2z2g1OAtLLVOzG0GXsMoOHE-jvw2M/s1600/10931358_632133010226117_5781627123339968748_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNjmfiryRDep5bm1uX5GE_ynLj3kbnuEek6LRTbyeJOkLtuCq9FE6ZNkIq1c3fYmB1ERuv3SNvwwxvela3GQj3KRU1ypJ18I7RHfdeDk-7ARWB8B2z2g1OAtLLVOzG0GXsMoOHE-jvw2M/s1600/10931358_632133010226117_5781627123339968748_n.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<br /><br />I might give this a go again sometime in the near future ....<br />Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-30674504243592455432014-10-04T11:12:00.000+01:002014-10-04T11:12:44.630+01:00A tale of two piccies...... with sincerest apologies to Charles Dickens!<br />
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On the 7th of September 2008 I took a photograph that was to become my 'Bête Noire'.<br />I was delighted at the time with the photo and all the others I had taken on that day. The model was a girl called Michelle and I had a professional makeup artist as well.<br />Michelle had done a stint singing Cole Porter songs in <a href="https://www.google.ie/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#safe=off&q=cobalt+cafe+dublin" target="_blank">The Cobalt Cafe & Gallery</a> and had looked every bit the part (to me) of a 1920s beauty. This was in total contrast to her normal bubbly blonde self.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuTE_yqRZymg_lkSVAiaOVO4N7SB6WqGjzPYrRd8i0ip2EY5Vu9G0JkF2NIAtHSrER7D-u52hasiu1-GywNt4reEdjPwEjExOtlcRpBxM1tZlytLb-HxFmpqlk7SJxR_LJ78sjBsb9N_E/s1600/Michelle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuTE_yqRZymg_lkSVAiaOVO4N7SB6WqGjzPYrRd8i0ip2EY5Vu9G0JkF2NIAtHSrER7D-u52hasiu1-GywNt4reEdjPwEjExOtlcRpBxM1tZlytLb-HxFmpqlk7SJxR_LJ78sjBsb9N_E/s1600/Michelle.jpg" height="259" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">The 'normal' Michelle is on the left. The 1920s photo I took is on the right<br /></span></td></tr>
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That photo got me noticed. It was a studio shot and not too many people were doing studio shots especially in Dublin Camera Club. So it was a littloe different to what was seen normally in club competitions.<br />
Not too many people were using studios mainly (I think) because it was a scary place. Flash has always been one of those areas where a lot of photographers fail to get to get to grips with the workings of it and basically point and fire it and cross their fingers. The studio had larger units with switches and dials and things called 'light modifiers' - even scarier!<br />
The photo did well in competitions and I used it in studio workshops to illustrate what could be done. What I didn't point out was that I had used 6 studio flash units in the making of it.<br />
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Most photos I took after that in the studio or in a pseudo-studio setup were often compared to that photo. "That photo of Michelle was what prompted me to find you (and pick your brain)" was a common sentence I heard. So .... after a while the photo became a challenge! I have tried to better it and I'm still trying. For a long time I said that I must see if I could recreate the photo again. I always seemed to find a reason not to!<br />
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From about July last year I ran into a few difficulties with my health and a severe bout of depression. I withdrew from a lot of activities and one of them was my photography. It wasn't that I didn't take photographs but more that my creative streak had disappeared and was replaced with apathy.<br />
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Luckily my friend Lily who often collaborates with me on shoot ideas stuck with me during this period and then in July this year we met for a cup coffee and decided a shoot was in order but that we would try something different. I was more than up for this and probably tempting fate a little I made one request and that was we try to recreate the "Michelle" shot. Lily very often will tell me in the middle of a shoot to "try starting with ONE light!" She is right of course. It's just I have already worked out in my mind why *one* won't do and how many I will need to acjieve what I want. This time I wanted to see if I could achieve the same look with less lights.<br />
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So the original had 6. The key light was a large softbox camera right above her head height to give the classic butterfly shadow beneath her nose. A second unit with a beauty dish was place in front of that about two stops lower in power just to make her shoulders and collar bones pop. A third unit with a softbox was placed low down of front of the camera to reduce shadow under the chin. A fourth unit with a softbox was placed camera left to fill in the body. A fifth was placed behind her and to camera left to rim light her shoulder. A sixth with a snoot was used to light the background.<br />
Whew!<br />
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This time I produced these shots .....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoqSIXMCgXSszySj64cvGL-XQlcQek_ff3RY52sf0cYhSI06BJBFB2Fn_sH5dBQRdDMNBWJU0TCHiF8K0PI_W_pS6gOgIOZXROqoexRo-6AmkFQGtXofhrOyxq01K2QcoSRmSXYGaVhGJ/s1600/_MG_0855-03b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoqSIXMCgXSszySj64cvGL-XQlcQek_ff3RY52sf0cYhSI06BJBFB2Fn_sH5dBQRdDMNBWJU0TCHiF8K0PI_W_pS6gOgIOZXROqoexRo-6AmkFQGtXofhrOyxq01K2QcoSRmSXYGaVhGJ/s1600/_MG_0855-03b.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijT56ZegLxYa-F-wv3gArYe5oXFGZMW9tQt8rgPydDrCNoKkd08-mSnw2PlwF7FBram6ZToZk3KkFMkU-6c-zd3HDy_hZIcZBUOvjz_HhjeA4PpKUD52hkXvoldfEk4dU3Maw1yr0CSg7L/s1600/_MG_0854-04b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijT56ZegLxYa-F-wv3gArYe5oXFGZMW9tQt8rgPydDrCNoKkd08-mSnw2PlwF7FBram6ZToZk3KkFMkU-6c-zd3HDy_hZIcZBUOvjz_HhjeA4PpKUD52hkXvoldfEk4dU3Maw1yr0CSg7L/s1600/_MG_0854-04b.jpg" height="320" width="193" /></a></div>
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A little more low key and I used 4 lights and a reflector. My lighting setup (rough shot) is below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlCGLTxzBFev31Y4X6urSM5ccwsygvxPoZHKfqiRSs4eC4Gg8TkOkse_JGrrCyod7HJhD4gvF5Ia0dFi_ISAMBCRcDEShyphenhyphen4OFf0_Qb6AofTp2rZ4LeF_ZlbsKItS5DGywLwwjfhSxNRVk/s1600/_MG_0840-00RS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlCGLTxzBFev31Y4X6urSM5ccwsygvxPoZHKfqiRSs4eC4Gg8TkOkse_JGrrCyod7HJhD4gvF5Ia0dFi_ISAMBCRcDEShyphenhyphen4OFf0_Qb6AofTp2rZ4LeF_ZlbsKItS5DGywLwwjfhSxNRVk/s1600/_MG_0840-00RS.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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So .....<br />On the right you can see the large softbox which is the key light. Behind it lighting the background is another softbox. To the left is is a strip softbox to give rim lighting. What you can't see in the picture is another softbox almost at floor level to fill in shadows under her chin and a reflector camera left that redirected light from the key light softbox to lift the light level on her chest.and face.<br />
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I'm quite pleased with the result and curious to see if judges feel the same. But my mild OCD won't let me rest and I'll probably have another go to see if I can do even better.<br />
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Other shots from the shoot:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaBl63eWHydiS8Je8HwhXWsy7cpHaWpnQKbGAOQKQaEMKXny7IsJXM-kd11mGUEIiI94pPMhRbPjfnHqixf1V4qi1RGFoFFyDsjJkTucCgJHlc4H1rA6l2s8K9GJMu6_-ggfAtGJ7C495/s1600/_MG_0763-02bLoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaBl63eWHydiS8Je8HwhXWsy7cpHaWpnQKbGAOQKQaEMKXny7IsJXM-kd11mGUEIiI94pPMhRbPjfnHqixf1V4qi1RGFoFFyDsjJkTucCgJHlc4H1rA6l2s8K9GJMu6_-ggfAtGJ7C495/s1600/_MG_0763-02bLoRes.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTDod9GCF6qmIPAq4NGIT1ZeQUzBsA6OxArZMTfGxM60B2VRIeL9msD3E64kSrDkXdP5MgloK5KL1yAvp83ryy0tLYPQ9pPAXCLENy2iGcDJlF0flU3xIgIAV9TYiTEW49f_vlu8JBGNO/s1600/_MG_0787-02bRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTDod9GCF6qmIPAq4NGIT1ZeQUzBsA6OxArZMTfGxM60B2VRIeL9msD3E64kSrDkXdP5MgloK5KL1yAvp83ryy0tLYPQ9pPAXCLENy2iGcDJlF0flU3xIgIAV9TYiTEW49f_vlu8JBGNO/s1600/_MG_0787-02bRS.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HGtZ8exPugylhAQcMHtgRN9oD0io9BfxbYqojaqPQY4zODY0d8nNezv6sqjNfT75M3oQGvHwVAwEq6BDLeCFPdTekXP3mYs2FfdWTcSONVTGIHb1B3Yvw30TyKHsGWJapO-gAMNyv7RV/s1600/_MG_0852-03bRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HGtZ8exPugylhAQcMHtgRN9oD0io9BfxbYqojaqPQY4zODY0d8nNezv6sqjNfT75M3oQGvHwVAwEq6BDLeCFPdTekXP3mYs2FfdWTcSONVTGIHb1B3Yvw30TyKHsGWJapO-gAMNyv7RV/s1600/_MG_0852-03bRS.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></div>
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To set the scene and put it into perspective, I don't have dozens of copyright infringements on my pictures at any time. In fact I can't remember one. Then again my memory banks are full and I suspect there is an overworked little being in my skull busily dumping seldom-accessed bits of information into a bin in a somewhat similar fashion that Microsoft does when it identifies 'unused icons' on my desktop etc.<br />
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My infringements fall into the "thoughtless, rude, insensitive or arrogant" people category who I have made an agreement with to supply finished images without watermarks 'free, gratis and for nothing' in return for a credit usually on Facebook. This in some cases is after they have asked to pay for the pictures and I have, for logical reasons, declined and just asked for a credit where they are used.<br />
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I can't be certain where the attitude originates but I hold a theory that it is because of the proliferation of digital cameras. I mentioned in a previous <a href="http://timontime.blogspot.ie/2014/05/are-you-moving-house.html" target="_blank">post</a> how even photographers who have been taking photographs for years will question why *I* need to bring additional equipment with me into a studio. Yet some of these will be the ones who don't understand how I can get pictures they can't. Hmmmmm.<br /><br />
So ...... recently I was asked by another photographer to assist him taking photos at an event which was essentially a non-profit organisation to promote women. I agreed to help on the understanding that we would get credit for our pictures. There was to be a fashion show. I knew three of the girls so - bonus!<br />
I drove down to the venue, a round trip of 120km, to see the layout of the place to see any pitfalls and plan what needed to be done to provide successful pictures. The following week I drove down again and set up two speedlites to light the fashion show in combination with a third speedlite on my camera. This was in addition to taking photographs of speakers, MUAs at work and stall holders. I brought two cameras and three lenses. The other photographer brought almost as much equipment and took as many photographs around the venue as I did.<br />
<br />
So, between us we had reasonably quality photographs because of our equipment and experience. We were asked by a number of the people there if they could buy photos from us. We said that since we were donating our services free to the organisation we couldn't in all faith charge others so we asked that any photographs they used would be credited. Exuberant affirmations that they would do that combined with equally exuberant "Thank you so much. You're very kind." were the responses. Cool? Yes? No?<br />
<br />
We followed up on a few of the people and we had to remind them about they agreement they had made. We were almost made to feel as though we were being unreasonable. I suppose if your friends pop along with a digital camera, take a shot and post it on Facebook without any fuss then it is probably expected of us too.<br />
<br />
I used to do quite a bit of theatre photography. Mostly opera and musicals. At the time I was a newbie to Facebook and used to get a huge influx of friend requests from the casts after I posted some of the photos on Facebook. I was flattered. I thought it was because my photographs had merit. It was more like the cast saw the opportunity for free photographs that couldn't be sourced anywhere else. Some saw the work that I had put into producing those photographs but they were few. After a while I became selective about whose friend requests I accepted. Later I created my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TimonPictures" target="_blank">Facebook photography page</a> and kept my private Facebook private and for people that I have some sort of relationship with be it social or otherwise. I even put a big warning notice on the front page that read:<br /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"If you know me, you know me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
If you don't then chances are you</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
want www.Facebook.com/TimonPictures</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Otherwise send me a message</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Paul.Timon1@Facebook.com"</div>
<br />
Do they read it? Do they heck! I still get lots of friend requests with no explanation as to why.<br />
<br />
I've also had requests from 'friends' for photos from old performances to use as promotional material. I supply them. The photographs appear on Facebook. I see them and the comments about how wonderful the dress is, the lighting, the words "stunning" and "awesome" may be used and who gets the credit? The MUA.<br />
<br />
Moving on ....<br />
Since this is more about copyright and less about my unfortunate encounters with unappreciative people...<br />
A photographer I met recently told me a story of copyright abuse. Now I may not have the facts absolutely correct but the gist of the story was that he had taken photos years ago of a certain girl who had subsequently come more into the public eye. One of the newspapers had written up an article and used his photographs of her to accompany it. The article was the first he knew of it so he wrote to them advising a breach of copyright since they had neither asked him for permission nor paid him.<br />"We'll give you €20."<br />"How about €20,000?" he asked.<br />
"Sue us!"<br />
End of conversation.<br />
<br />
Next story involves a friend of mine who is herself a photographer. She attended a commercial event for kids. Like all the proud parents who were there she took photos of her kids along with other kids and later posted them in a private - note that word "private" - folder on Facebook. She was surprised, therefore, to find out that one of photographs was being used on the company's website to promote future events. She wrote to them and explained that since she had not given permission for the photos to be used and that the photo being used on their website had not been linked to but had been downloaded and stolen; she wanted the photograph removed.<br />
<br />
That's not an unreasonable request I would have thought. Obviously, someone, who was probably a Facebook 'friend', had either tagged someone in the photo that might have given them access or downloaded it themselves and re-posted it. It might have been then that an over-enthusiastic employee had used the photo on the website without considering the copyright implications. But no. They responded very aggressively. They told her all the photographs taken on the day by <i>anyone</i> were copyrighted by them. I won't go into details of the rest of the very aggressive correspondence between them but it was not pleasant.<br />
<br />
I offered to help resolve this situation. I thought I could be of use. I was pretty sure that a copyright infringement had taken place and that the photographer was in the right. I also knew another photographer who had contacted a solicitor regarding the unlawful use of his photographs so I thought I would ask him who he had dealt with. And also, I contacted a solicitor who had visited <a href="http://www.dublincameraclub.ie/" target="_blank">Dublin Camera Club</a> and given a presentation on photography and our rights.<br />
<br />
Feeling buoyed up with my plan of action I gave hope to my friend but it was short-lived. I wrote to the solicitor who had given the presentation outlining what had happened and supplied her with copies of the email correspondence. I also contacted the photographer who had sorted out his own copyright issues. After an initial agreement to provide me with the name and details of his solicitor he did not follow up despite a 'gentle reminder'. So one down.<br />
<br />
The solicitor I had written to came back with a resounding reply that was very comprehensive. She quoted chapter and verse about copyright. She included links so I could check for myself. She also provided a solicitor's name and email address who she said specialises in copyright infringements. Buoyed up once more I wrote to the company who had contested my friend's claim of copyright infringement, explaining who I was and I outlined the law as it was related to me and asked for the photo to be removed, an apology be given to my friend and a goodwill gesture of €150 remuneration. I gave them two weeks to respond and they didn't.<br />
<br />
So I contacted the 'copyright solicitor' who came back to me with a disturbing reply. Firstly he showed concern and doubt about the case because it involved Facebook and he suggested we look at the implications of <i>their</i> copyright agreement with users. I thought that was very strange since the issue wasn't with Facebook but with a company that had stolen and used a photograph to promote their commercial events. But I was annoyed that a so-called copyright expert was suggesting I would need to check out how Facebook's copyright policy related to this situation. Then he gave his charges which were €300 an hour. It took me a while to get over the shock. Then the realism of the situation started to make itself apparent to me.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>This was a trivial case for them so they didn't really want it.</li>
<li>I was being diverted away from the real case with the red herring of Facebook's copyright policy</li>
<li>The upfront mention of hourly rates for both him (an associate) and others was probably to scare me.</li>
<li>He didn't once mention that he thought we had a case.</li>
</ul>
<div>
So what did I come away with after all this? You can be correct in the eyes of the law but unless you have the money to hire a legal team who will fight your corner you have nothing. I think most people faced with the prospect of €300 an hour legal fees without any idea of how many hours will be involved to win a case over a pithy amount like €100 would never take the risk. So there can be no justice - only law and money.</div>
<div>
That means the people who infringe copyright are laughing at us. That gets my back up!!! I can be very stubborn. :-)</div>
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By the way....... As far as the free photos are concerned, I have issued notice that there will be no more freebies. Most times I do a shoot, the value of the equipment I have in the car is worth several times the value of the car. So next time they want a freebie I'll ask for a loan of their BMW or Land Rover or whatever for the weekend. That's not unreasonable is it?</div>
Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-46435474282492326002014-05-22T13:15:00.001+01:002014-05-22T13:15:40.670+01:00June is bustin' out all over!Around about March/April each year since 2008 I get a phone call from <a href="http://about.junerodgers.net/" target="_blank">June Rodgers</a>.<br />
<br />
"Hi June"<br />
"How's it cuttin' Fanny?" (Her nickname for me).<br />
There follows a bit of banter and a chat. It doesn't matter whether we spoke last week or last year, we just pick up where we left off. Then we get down to business. It means her preparations for her Christmas show in the Red Cow Moran (or "Moron" as one of her characters refers to it) Hotel is under way.<br />
The process is a three-way between June, me and the management in the hotel. That process is best left unveiled as it is way too complicated but the first stage for me is the photo shoot. Sometimes we have a definite theme. Other times we don't. Usually we have a chat and also involve her creative director and choreographer <a href="http://womenofireland.com/?page_id=163" target="_blank">Ciaran Connolly</a>.<br />
<br />
Typically the shoot is in the conference room in the Red Cow Moran Hotel. I mark out an area on the floor, set up studio flash units while June and the cast get ready - makeup and costumes. It's a big deal to organise everybody to be there at the same time. Most of the cast have either their own dance schools or jobs or sometimes are on cruise ships. So I'm always appreciative that the shoot is regarded with the same importance as rehearsals etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwTYG1zPL_DJzggx2KaWlDYgTKkfWaBPHO5x2R_QRueo2p4HtjCu13vZoqmm7KBL6MCaBdQ70QmpBteAHC1GlL_punzUMDNavTwXDB0P5mtx7NHebRKdH959HWWyRftb-y2mAId9MAbft/s1600/Blog+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwTYG1zPL_DJzggx2KaWlDYgTKkfWaBPHO5x2R_QRueo2p4HtjCu13vZoqmm7KBL6MCaBdQ70QmpBteAHC1GlL_punzUMDNavTwXDB0P5mtx7NHebRKdH959HWWyRftb-y2mAId9MAbft/s1600/Blog+shot.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
This is how a typical finished shot looks for posters, newspaper ads, Internet, etc. However, it is very seldom that a shot like is taken in one go.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1t-De01xmzkZO3PLPKgsFxaXjb2ymGBDnnk69MIWObzaDAsqfPuxiLWstIppXKAva_h2G92hqlwGLwGhtwu25eCG9V3W1uH_ifYvK3VhHxhK5tcaUcNa-RxbOfQc2aG9UoVko0f6v4cK/s1600/Blog+shot2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1t-De01xmzkZO3PLPKgsFxaXjb2ymGBDnnk69MIWObzaDAsqfPuxiLWstIppXKAva_h2G92hqlwGLwGhtwu25eCG9V3W1uH_ifYvK3VhHxhK5tcaUcNa-RxbOfQc2aG9UoVko0f6v4cK/s1600/Blog+shot2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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For a start off the 'studio' is not exactly set up for photography so everybody has to be 'cut' from the background which is a long a tedious process. If you look closely at the photo above you may notice that the girl - third from the left - doesn't appear in the final photo and isn't even dressed for the shot! She's a stand-in for the 'real' girl who is working in another country. I use stand-ins so that the other members of the cast get used to someone being there and allow space for her when they are posing. What we did was shoot the 'real' girl a couple of weeks later mimicking the poses we wanted and I used those in the final picture.<br />
Closer look again and you might see that the guy 4th from the right is not the same guy in the finished shot. Again he's a stand-in but this time I had the 'real' guy who was on a cruise ship get his on-board photographer to duplicate the shots we had chosen and send me the files. Then I took his head and transposed it onto the stand-in.<br />
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These are another set of examples of the finished shot:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZs0W5XMvYpG7bX9FR1dlxuSOHuXS5lrcc6j4s7xAbE6jgTvtMoH9oQ2DjXpGtGx_A99tdw4W4Ni4w549EY3T9Oh2tXwEXTyusvX6rm6DBU5N9Ybq3cVt6bWx_FOJKOMNA6Pl3axBRbMjB/s1600/Blog+shot3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZs0W5XMvYpG7bX9FR1dlxuSOHuXS5lrcc6j4s7xAbE6jgTvtMoH9oQ2DjXpGtGx_A99tdw4W4Ni4w549EY3T9Oh2tXwEXTyusvX6rm6DBU5N9Ybq3cVt6bWx_FOJKOMNA6Pl3axBRbMjB/s1600/Blog+shot3.jpg" height="376" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKkidlbZaZ5OA-2dxNIVdbLQ7BmulSzZdG3br6f7fyvvheQWZgAYFv6wk-ELPDaRC7RHblBf7rngSc3hQj2jAneJZWLcP7nSjSlU_5DGdy_MQk-6KXzkA66XuHVTclcLZzTMuCQ6uBMN1/s1600/Blog+shot4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKkidlbZaZ5OA-2dxNIVdbLQ7BmulSzZdG3br6f7fyvvheQWZgAYFv6wk-ELPDaRC7RHblBf7rngSc3hQj2jAneJZWLcP7nSjSlU_5DGdy_MQk-6KXzkA66XuHVTclcLZzTMuCQ6uBMN1/s1600/Blog+shot4.jpg" height="384" width="640" /></a></div>
And here's the original (for the most part) with notes ....<br /><br />
But there's more!<br />
<br />
Very seldom do you get all the cast perfectly posed. Nor June for that matter. There's an unfortunate costume shape, somebody making an less-than- flattering facial expression, or blinking, awkward pose, out of synch step or a myriad of other reasons. So that means choosing the poses of each individual or pair and cutting them out of their original picture and making a collage. This sometimes involves reconstruction surgery. Yes, at times I fell like a plastic surgeon.<br />
<br />
In 2012 I took on an extra project. We had the shoot done with all the cast and I was shooting various characters that June does in her show. It's quite amazing how her face and voice change with the characters she portrays. The only other person I can think of that did the same was Ronnie Barker. Just look at him presenting the 'Two Ronnies' and then look at him in 'Porridge'. June wanted to have some shots done as a hurling and rugby player. I suggested we do the straight shots but then try for a shot showing interaction between the two.<br />
This was one of the finished shots:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JbNgiUP8ltbuCTaVoM7PJZWY0vi85hws667SwRhrJAICtCOY14MevZ0hziR8Uz7G4AxssgkWwiDieaCekZPb4qL_PGnzHBHVfq726EdMWuMsFLwduoUiFRcIZnbmGREIkyQpo98D08LE/s1600/Blog+shot5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JbNgiUP8ltbuCTaVoM7PJZWY0vi85hws667SwRhrJAICtCOY14MevZ0hziR8Uz7G4AxssgkWwiDieaCekZPb4qL_PGnzHBHVfq726EdMWuMsFLwduoUiFRcIZnbmGREIkyQpo98D08LE/s1600/Blog+shot5.jpg" height="229" width="320" /></a></div>
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In order to get the hurley in more or less the right spot I used one of the cast to stand in for the 'alternate' June.<br />
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This is a rough collage I put together to help make our final choice:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnv1sIv_pHYj4co3aXo_Bpp6cCLeDDwRTWKT4m59vDRzEX05_BdQrawphBhX9fx8xTc7MKWx7HfOrtI1eBr4GK-E_YW6pABNSTj3qcY04nyypNMtbSlDFE-pq3nVouFGi0WLrEFHcar9f/s1600/Blog+shot7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnv1sIv_pHYj4co3aXo_Bpp6cCLeDDwRTWKT4m59vDRzEX05_BdQrawphBhX9fx8xTc7MKWx7HfOrtI1eBr4GK-E_YW6pABNSTj3qcY04nyypNMtbSlDFE-pq3nVouFGi0WLrEFHcar9f/s1600/Blog+shot7.jpg" height="261" width="320" /></a></div>
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So ..... this year I got a call from June a little earlier than expected and she told me that she was going on tour! She had her cast, all the usual gang were on board and she'd like to discuss the ideas for photographs for the poster they were going to get designed. June said she wanted to portray a few of her characters in the poster so I suggested a shot where three of them could interact with each other. The setup for these requires the subject to understand the concept and the difficulties in getting it right. It's a bit like the green screen they use in CGI sections of movies where the actors have no idea what they are supposed to interacting with or what kind of scenery is around them.<br />
<br />
June picked her characters and here is the finished picture:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusxryGEbizzzKn3yUoQGHZeKAivvp29sU_iBup1ebycdLhpIfQOPjT3Ty_cvoxnCJTPfQeTPske0hfF8ilSiqPKzxUugKuWKt4JjKSDOIh1vTr6SuTgiVcDyZiO5LTozcWxrPrC3BJ_vQ/s1600/Blog+shot8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusxryGEbizzzKn3yUoQGHZeKAivvp29sU_iBup1ebycdLhpIfQOPjT3Ty_cvoxnCJTPfQeTPske0hfF8ilSiqPKzxUugKuWKt4JjKSDOIh1vTr6SuTgiVcDyZiO5LTozcWxrPrC3BJ_vQ/s1600/Blog+shot8.jpg" height="536" width="640" /></a></div>
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The shot was made up from three individual shots (obviously) but the only one I was concerned about was Elvis and SwineAir (hostess) because I wanted Elvis to have his arm around the hostess and the hostess to react accordingly so we got a <strike>victim</strike> volunteer to stand in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvxqFwiggRrXrK23tz1v_fcEGdHqTEmLjJ78RTqbD4i8Uyh_7ZOU9WTt_JUgDCXsdaaJSX470sfI-QJoX55Ts6kzwPT7LGL2hdAvJx8dmstRyY-m8c0DCYYzOVXbUUprHA8JuBcacYUt-/s1600/Blog+shot9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvxqFwiggRrXrK23tz1v_fcEGdHqTEmLjJ78RTqbD4i8Uyh_7ZOU9WTt_JUgDCXsdaaJSX470sfI-QJoX55Ts6kzwPT7LGL2hdAvJx8dmstRyY-m8c0DCYYzOVXbUUprHA8JuBcacYUt-/s1600/Blog+shot9.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
Yes, he was a little tall so we had to get him to stoop a little. Not sure why his hands are in the defensive position .....<br />
Then I cut Elvis out of the shot ....<br />
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.... and blended ho with the others.<br />
At the moment I only have a camera phone shot of the finished poster. June has one kept safe for me. It's kind of cool seeing it on walls around Dublin city.<br />
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<br />Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-38036202661868961822014-05-18T22:28:00.001+01:002014-05-18T22:28:26.285+01:00"Are you moving house?"A while ago, I did a shoot with the absolutely lovely Valentina with Lily doing makeup for me. It was a Tuesday. Tuesday night is club night for the Dublin Camera Club. I finished the shoot, left the studio as it was and dropped the two girls off where they needed to be and then went back for the club business. When that finished I went back to the studio, tidied everything up and started bringing them down from the 3rd floor to the hallway on the ground floor.<br />
That's when the remarks started. "Are you moving house?" "I only need a camera. I'm glad I don't use the studio." "Do you need all that?" Etc., etc.<br />
<br />
Well I do bring a lot of stuff into the studio. But it depends on the shoot. The situation with the people who make these remarks is that it is very similar to those who say "These are great photos. You must have a really expensive camera!" Some people have admired my studio photos but they don't look beyond the image and see the work that went on behind it. So what did I bring? Did I need it all? Probably not.<br />
<br />
I brought my camera - the one I used was the Canon 5D MkII. I usually bring two lenses - Canon 24-70mm L f2.8 and Canon 100-400 L f3.5 but sometimes I also want to bring my Sigma<br />
These will go in my camera bag which is quite big. Why? Because I photograph outside of the studio and I need to bring a range of equipment to cope with what I might be asked to do. That will be an extra camera body (Canon 6D), two speedlights, flash meter, extra batteries, an intervalometer, etc., etc. So when I go to the studio, there is an anxiety creeps in that if I remove gear, that I will remove something I might need. Worse, if I'm doing a gig somewhere else I might grab the camera bag forgetting that I took some of the gear out. So ..... I just take the camera bag as it is.<br />
<br />
I also bring triggers for the Bowens units. I find I can't depend on the sensors to detect a flash and trigger. I don't like using the cable to trigger one Bowens unit either - I had a nasty (and expensive) experience involving cables so I use triggers. I have a nice aluminium case that stores the triggers and their cables. But this case also contains 4 speedlites and holders to attach them to stands. I use these outside the studio. There's no point in removing what I won't use so I bring the box 'as is'.<br />
<br />
Next up are softboxes. Yes, the studio has four Bowens units and two of them have softboxes - one large and one small. The main softboxes I bring in are two 'Strip lights'. These are narrow and long softboxes that also have a grid you can place on the front that gives a narrow soft light. Because they are so long they will also light a standing person from head to foot. I usually use them to rim light people from behind. Sometimes I bring an Octobox but not this time.<br />
<br />
Since I was going to do some relatively high key shots I brought my own Bowens 750 unit because it has a bit more power than the club's Bowens 500s. I use it in a particular way to achieve nice white background and floor. I <a href="http://timontime.blogspot.ie/2011/04/day-in-studio.html" target="_blank">wrote up how</a> I did it a while ago and it can't be done with regular stands. I have to use a boom and the boom needs to counterweighted so ...... I bring in my own stand. So that's a Bowens unit, power cable, stand and weight.<br />
<br />
What else? I like to use fill in reflectors. I try to avoid using fill flash and prefer to bounce the main light off a white surface. The only white surface in the club's studio is a couple of sheets of polystyrene and they have to be either held or propped up against ..... something. So I bought one of my own. It's not the fanciest piece of equipment or is the best made but it works AND the reverse side is black so I can use it to blank off other lights/flash that would otherwise cause lens flare.<br />
<br />
Occasionally I like to play with slow, or even long, shutter speeds or try some shots that are the equivalent of double or triple exposures. These require a tripod so I bring that just in case. The list is growing.<br />
<br />
That more or less takes care of the photo gear. What else? Props - that's what! In the studio I have left a swivel chair, a 4' x 6' mirror and dock for iPhones and MP3 players. I also had a fan there but somebody broke it. No point in bringing that stuff home. It's just too big.<br />
I also dress my models. Yep, I have a collection of dresses, tops, shoes, coats, capes, corsets, body stockings and a range of materials that I buy to drape the models with. I bring some of these in bags and large plastic boxes. And then I have accessories. Spectacles, sun glasses, bracelets, rings, necklaces, wigs, blah, blah, blah. The majority of these go in a large makeup kit I bought.<br />
<br />
So that was everything. Sometimes I don't get to use much of it because the shoot takes an unexpected turn. Other times I'm wishing I brought something that I left at home.<br />
<br />
So I guess the guys who make the remarks would probably have built the pyramids with a shovel and a bucket.Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-3292388201364603212014-05-17T12:01:00.002+01:002014-05-18T22:23:33.460+01:00Impressed - oh yeah!For various reasons which I'm not going to go into, it's been a year since I posted here so this is as good a reason to start back on a positive note. God knows most people regard me as a cynic. Maybe I am or maybe it's a mixture of cynicism and "saying it like it is". Either way there's something postive to be said for being a cynic - your day can only get better. :-)<br />
<br />
When you've been doing the same thing for a long time like your job, you can get to a point where all you can see are the negative aspects. As an American friend of mine used to say: "One 'gotcha' is worth 40 'attaboys'" - please forgive the spellings. And it's true. News media wait for the bad stuff to happen and report it in a big way and gloss over all the good stuff. Politicians and high profile executives are forced to resign over single faults while we ignore the years of good.<br />
<br />
Anyway ..... I think my view of the camera club I'm in is tainted with that very cynicism and I thought maybe it was time to look around and see what else was available that might freshen up my tired brain and at the same time put my negative thoughts about my club in perspective.<br />
I noticed the name <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Radical.Tiara?fref=ts" target="_blank">Tiara Rad</a> popping up quite frequently on my Facebook newsfeed. The photographs looked amazing. There are styles of photography that I will (probably) never duplicate but that I can admire. This was one. Then I started to notice the name "The Photography Mill" appearing on a frequent basis. The name at first stuck in my mind because it didn't quite make sense. Pepper mill - yes. Photography mill -??? Then one day it hit me - Paper mill / Photography mill. Hmmmm.<br />
Then I noticed a post from them that proposed to start a camera club. This definitely intrigued me! A commercial venture starting a camera club? The cynic inside of me was banging on the door.<br />
<br />
However cautious I may be and I also like to analyse and plan ahead I don't like to be considered a 'stick-in-the-mud' so I thought I'd poke my nose in the door and see what it was all about. Nothing to lose - right?<br />
So ..... Thursday 15th May 2014 I headed up to Harold's Cross and walked in the door of The Photography Mill (on the 3rd floor) and was met by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/modelmelissahayward?fref=ts" target="_blank">Melissa Hayward</a> who shrieked and hugged me within an inch of my life. Melissa and I have had a 'relationship' for a few years but always online and never in person. That's a good start eh?<br />
<br />
Then I met <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Radical.Tiara?fref=ts" target="_blank">Tiara Rad</a> otherwise known as Shellly. A very personable lady. She showed me around the 3rd floor and it is impressive. Two large studios with bags of space, lights and accessories. There was even a little set in one corner, a place to have coffee and chat, a makeup room, etc., etc. She sat me down at her computer and went through some of the shoots that have been done there and outlined the camera club's ethos. Meanwhile, in the background there were three models getting ready for the club's introduction to low key photography by Gavin Monaghan. No lightweights either - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ScarlettFro?ref=ts&fref=ts" target="_blank">Scarlet Fro</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/maggiepaigemodel1?fref=ts" target="_blank">Maggie Paige</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BlackSwanPersonaModel?fref=ts" target="_blank">Black Swan Persona</a> all having their makeup done by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/louise.mcmahonkaiser" target="_blank">Louise McMahon Kaiser</a> who is also the manager.<br />
<br />
So I asked the inevitable questions. "How much is it going to cost me to join "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/641372105928443/?fref=ts" target="_blank">The Next Generation Camera Club</a>"? €150 for the year. Okay ..... And in addition I get a quite large discount if I hire either of the two studios. I started my photographic life eons ago. For those of you less knowledgeable an "eon" is even further in the past than a "yonk". It was in the days of film and colour photography was mostly done on slide film (or transparencies as the posh folk called them) and most photographers did their own processing in black and white. One advantage I had over others was that I joined the ESB Photographic Society and their meeting room doubled as a studio. Very basic lighting but it worked. One of my first serious shoots there produced this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY0088CfpxNIjcWbYnA2rjOQMmY_GsULSBzfcTJmNXXiekrX-omLUqEI5UAdHBILYLgBTfDPnu1kwun8F1EqRI-upshjBTPnrjh-8Rxz43ErjuLBFMEfUIS_7Iswd70hUY6mYpqaqK3op/s1600/Cabaret0A1bLoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY0088CfpxNIjcWbYnA2rjOQMmY_GsULSBzfcTJmNXXiekrX-omLUqEI5UAdHBILYLgBTfDPnu1kwun8F1EqRI-upshjBTPnrjh-8Rxz43ErjuLBFMEfUIS_7Iswd70hUY6mYpqaqK3op/s1600/Cabaret0A1bLoRes.jpg" height="320" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
By today's standards it wouldn't rate very well but the use of the studio allowed me to learn by mistakes and read, and read and read ...<br />
Following that I found a studio for hire at the bottom of Grafton Street that became a very regular place to be with people queueing up to have their picture 'done'.<br />
Since then I have been looking for the (almost) ideal studio in Dublin. I need a bit of space to get the lighting just right - inverse square law and all that - as well as to give some of my models a bit of space to leap around a bit. Oh yes they are out there but they cost a bleedin' fortune!!! So it came as a pleasant surprise to find that being a member of The Next Generation Camera Club comes with favourable rates on The Photography Milll's studios.<br />
<br />
So back to my introduction to the club's agenda for the night.<br />
Let me say at the outset that I am not a great fan of group photographer shoots. Having given rein to my cynical side and got that out in the open I don't want to give the impression that they are a bad thing. They're just not my thing. Gavin Monaghan was our guide and mentor and worked tirelessly throughout the evening making sure we had all we needed in the way of equipment and advice. The models were patient and friendly and also worked hard. The rule is that you tip on the night. You put your contribution for the models in a 'tip jar'.<br />
<br />
I didn't get the low key shot I wanted - no matter. I made mistakes - but I learned from them. I made contacts - am I networking now? There were 8 photographers, 3 models and 3 sets so not overcrowded.<br />
Next week is high key with Melissa Hayward as the model. Hmmmm (smacks lips).<br />
My three shots from the night were:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-6PKx5GB28gGCLWxq49d7F6HDQCtQnyAnkImE7fIUQCS8OwZY1nOX8KrLxsUtNdwqvGglFVT4SG0bTc0MSkGZdKsTUbGaXiqE18SR3FyGXi0A_oB0kZrON_VbHTdJNJtWj73lsDlq_F9/s1600/_MG_9528-00LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-6PKx5GB28gGCLWxq49d7F6HDQCtQnyAnkImE7fIUQCS8OwZY1nOX8KrLxsUtNdwqvGglFVT4SG0bTc0MSkGZdKsTUbGaXiqE18SR3FyGXi0A_oB0kZrON_VbHTdJNJtWj73lsDlq_F9/s1600/_MG_9528-00LoRes.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></div>
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Maggie Paige</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RlzXFsqhxdk8jvw-mNugVJRWdsagInA6F_ds5-f479pOPZGWVQ_mLDo_8zrqhr2woaxGiNj14Y9wVkD4Q-KpkeGtK9rDsijuETzUYEy39qX9L43JzO8F2t3GkIA5xe0o9c5AzmnePJrT/s1600/_MG_9530-00LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RlzXFsqhxdk8jvw-mNugVJRWdsagInA6F_ds5-f479pOPZGWVQ_mLDo_8zrqhr2woaxGiNj14Y9wVkD4Q-KpkeGtK9rDsijuETzUYEy39qX9L43JzO8F2t3GkIA5xe0o9c5AzmnePJrT/s1600/_MG_9530-00LoRes.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Maggie Paige again in a lovely little set with Gavin giving a helping hand.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxP12fpBc8vAlYuOULbXEchC1y86Ofe4yUcp21PCmrnAGl26LYvNh_u6P8OgxG3MQ-VspwSCQmDfC_oSxuKbFyWVamVv8jUXZjeCjahDbV4VtSAke5CS39RM5l8z98rmVSQBodBkgAfn6/s1600/_MG_9542-00LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxP12fpBc8vAlYuOULbXEchC1y86Ofe4yUcp21PCmrnAGl26LYvNh_u6P8OgxG3MQ-VspwSCQmDfC_oSxuKbFyWVamVv8jUXZjeCjahDbV4VtSAke5CS39RM5l8z98rmVSQBodBkgAfn6/s1600/_MG_9542-00LoRes.jpg" height="320" width="229" /></a></div>
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Another from that set with Scarlet Fro</div>
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<br /></div>
Nope, they won't win medals but that wasn't the purpose. I learned from the experience and met new people.<br />
<br />
Worth a shot -<br />
<a href="http://www.photographymill.ie/" target="_blank">Photography Mill</a><br />
<table class="_5e7- profileInfoTable _3stn" role="presentation" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 13.963635444641113px; margin: 0px 10px 5px; table-layout: fixed; width: 376px; word-wrap: break-word;"><tbody>
<tr><th class="label" style="color: #999999; line-height: 15px; padding-right: 8px; vertical-align: top; width: 81px; word-wrap: break-word;"><br /></th><td class="data" style="line-height: 15px; max-width: 310px; width: 284.375px; word-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&pc=FACEBK&mid=8100&where1=Greenmount+Ave%2C+Harold%27s+Cross%2C+Dublin+12%2C%2C+Harold%27s+Cross+Dublin+12&FORM=FBKPL0&name=Photography+Mill&mkt=en-GB" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Greenmount Ave, Harold's Cross, Dublin 12,</a></td></tr>
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Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-28944928873675038002013-05-07T00:57:00.002+01:002013-05-07T00:57:49.714+01:00Another life lesson learned .....<br />
A while ago, I went looking for a model with either a bald or shaved head. I had a picture in mind and the bald head was key to it. I also had visions of a special headpiece and that the makeup would be done using an airbrush rather than the expected way using brushes and sponges.<br /><br />I put out the feelers on Facebook but got virtually no response. I put up a note on Model Mayhem - zilch, nada, nothing. Then a friend of mine mentioned a friend of hers (I know - a friend of a friend) who was going to shave her (very) long hair to raise money for cancer treatment for a young girl here in Ireland. I contacted her and met her so that we could size each other up and see if we fitted together, I explained the shot, explained she would basically painted, the shoot would take about 4 hours, the photos would be used in competitions and might be in salons and could be on public view in exhibitions.<br />
We had our coffees, chatted some more and then went our different ways.<br />
<br />
I had a MUA friend of mine who uses a person who makes headpieces that are incredible. I got in touch and asked her if she could make one especially for me. We met, discussed the shape and concept, materials that would be used, the cost and when I needed it. While I was there I also saw some other pieces that I agreed to hire for the day. All was going well.<br />
<br />
Now all I needed was the airbrush artist .....<br /><br />I was talking to a friend of mine in Dublin Camera Club and he mentioned that "one of his guys" did airbrushing. Maybe he could provide what I wanted so I described to him what I was looking for. The colours would be subtle. If I said gold I meant a gold tint and not gold-gold. Head and chest would be a gold tint. The face would have an oval of silver tint as though someone was shining a spotlight on her. I wanted a soft jagged band of black across her eyes and hard black stripes coming from the forehead converging at the crown of her head. I also said that money was scarce so it would be a deciding factor in whether I went ahead with the airbrushing or not. If not then I would modify my approach and probably use the 'normal' methods. I mentioned €50 as a starting negotiating price.<br />
<br />
The following week my friend came back to me, told me he had discussed it and €50 would be okay. I got the guy's contact details and<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
26-Feb 14:46</div>
<div>
<i>Paul: </i>Hi,</div>
<div>
I'm the friend of YYY that's looking for the airbrush job on a
woman with a shaved head! Any chance we could meet and have a chat?</div>
<div>
Paul Timon.</div>
<br />
<div>
27-Feb 21:21</div>
<div>
<i>Paul: </i>Have you changed your mind about the job?</div>
<div>
Paul Timon.</div>
<br /><div>
<i>Christian: </i>Sorry man,just been really busy we can meet up in the academy on Friday at
1 if that suits ?</div>
<br /><div>
<i>Paul: </i>No problem. Yes, that suits me fine. See you then. Thanks.</div>
<br />
<div>
1-Mar 12:12</div>
<div>
<i>Paul: </i>Might be 5 mins late.</div>
<br /><div>
<i>Christian: </i>Sure no worries </div>
<br />
<i>We had our meeting. I described what I wanted to Christian and I could see from his reaction that €50 was not going to be enough and suggested €100 to which he agreed. He started doing a sketch of my description in Photoshop and said he would finish it another time and send me a copy for discussion in "the next few days". One of the things I repeated over and over was that all the colours were to blend with each other - no hard lines - except for the lines on her head.</i><br />
<i>Christian had a problem with the date we had arranged for the shoot - the 22nd so I spoke to Louise and changed it to the 23rd to suit him.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
1-Mar 17:27</div>
<div>
<i>Paul: </i>23rd is fine. 12:00 - 16:00</div>
<div>
Paul T</div>
<br /><div>
<i>Christian: </i>Cool </div>
<br />
<i>Nearly two weeks had gone by without any sketch.</i><br />
<br />
<div>
13-Mar 17:56</div>
<div>
<i>Paul: </i>Anything to show me yet?</div>
<br /><div>
<i>Christian: </i>Not yet ill get a look at it this evening </div>
<br />
<div>
<img align="absMiddle" alt=":-)" eudora="emoticon" src="file:///C:/Program%20Files/Emoticons/!3a-)%20Happy.png" /></div>
<i>Another week has gone by with no sketch. I have given up expecting one. I now decided I would just send him details of the shoot just to confirm them.</i><br />
<br />
<div>
21-Mar 13:03</div>
<div>
<i>Paul: </i>Saturday, 12:00 at Dublin Camera Club.</div>
<div>
10 Lr Camden St.</div>
<div>
Text me when you're outside.</div>
<br />
<i>I got a phone call from him telling me that he couldn't make it for 12:00 but would be there at 1:00 pm. I called Louise and changed the time to 1:00.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>22 Mar I see an email timestamped 21-Mar 23:55 where he says:</i>find attached sketch for look on saturday in gold and silver there will be
alterations depending on the size of the models head etc.. let me know if there
you want to make any changes<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5YeZI8J-0Xsd_aYlQ8eR3H9olzwRWbMoYlYFrJbspvCPHte1JZqtXOWy10yMVikhd9bOgAIiR338PpDPENxoKOikS-yzg3cpeypQo9BuIJz9wHjXlpMuCaHpG_XRlczca8AhoAnda7_U/s1600/makeuplook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5YeZI8J-0Xsd_aYlQ8eR3H9olzwRWbMoYlYFrJbspvCPHte1JZqtXOWy10yMVikhd9bOgAIiR338PpDPENxoKOikS-yzg3cpeypQo9BuIJz9wHjXlpMuCaHpG_XRlczca8AhoAnda7_U/s320/makeuplook.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is the sketch I received the day before the shoot.</div>
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</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The day before the shoot at 6:22 pm I get the following text. No phone call,just a text.</i><br />
<div>
22-Mar 18:22</div>
<div>
<i>Christian: </i>Hy Paul I won't be able to do tomorrow for you but I've given all the
materials and equipment to an excellent make up artist called XXX she is more than capable of creating the look your after and will be at the
camera club at 12 her number is XXX</div>
<br />
<i>The replacement was not the same standard as Christian. However I went with what she was doing and did my shoot. I checked if she had been paid and she told me she hadn't so I gave her the €100 - the full amount. But I had already paid Christian €50 so asked for it back.</i><br />
<br />
<div>
26-Mar 17:52</div>
<div>
<i>Paul: </i>I gave XXX the full €100 since you didn't give her the €50 deposit.</div>
<div>
Please give YYY the €50 to return to me.</div>
<div>
Thanks.</div>
<br /><div>
<i>Christian: </i>The deposit was 50 for materials which I gave to XXX the price for the
job was 100 total price was 150 </div>
<br /><div>
<i>Paul: </i>The number €150 was never mentioned at our meeting. It went from €50 to
€100. Are you refusing to return the €50?</div>
<div>
?</div>
<br /><div>
<i>Christian: </i>At the meeting I said 50 for materials and 100 for the day no make up
artist would work for less than 100 for a make over especially with the airbrush
</div>
<br /><div>
<i>Paul: </i>Considering all that has happened since I started this project, this is the
last straw.</div>
<br /><div>
<i>Christian: </i>My going rate for a day is 350 I reduced the rate since you were a friend
if YYY , you can check with him at the end of the day you got the job done for
practically half the price </div>
<br /><div>
<i>Paul: </i>This is not over.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>So.... I was told by his 'boss' (?) €50 would be okay. But the discussion quoted €100. No mention of an addition of €100.</li>
<li>I was promised a sketch of what we discussed in the following days after our discussion on 1-Mar.</li>
<li>After no sketch and no communication I had to ask about the sketch again on the 13-Mar and was told "Not yet ill get a look at it this evening"</li>
<li>On Thursday 21-Mar (shoot on Saturday) I send him confirmation details of the shoot only to be told he can't make it for 12:00. What if I hadn't contacted him?</li>
<li>On Thursday night at 11:55pm he sends me the sketch I had expected weeks before and it is NOT what we discussed. I don't see it until Friday 22nd. I decide I'll try and steer the work on the Saturday.</li>
<li>6:22 pm on Friday 22-Mar I get a text telling me he isn't going to be there but has assigned a replacement.</li>
<li>He also estimated it was two hours work. His rate (now I find out) is €350 for the day. Assuming an 8 hour day then 2 hours would be < €90?</li>
</ul>
I didn't get the person I had a contract with.</div>
<div>
I didn't get a sketch in time despite asking for it twice and it was wrong.</div>
<div>
I was overcharged.<br />I was given virtually no notice of replacement or asked if it was okay.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Would you use Christian Kotey?</div>
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Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-33088875294720493852013-05-06T22:58:00.002+01:002013-05-06T22:58:46.447+01:003 into 1 can goA friend of mine, Glynis Casson, calls on me from time to time to help out with stage performances that she puts on in various places. She has a bit of a pedigree! Her grandmother was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dame_Sybil_Thorndike" target="_blank">Dame Sybil Thorndike</a> who won't mean too much to most of you but she would have been the Judy Dench of her day. Her father was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Casson" target="_blank">Christopher Casson</a> who came to Ireland in 1946 and worked on stage initially but was probably more well known for his part as Canon Browne in an Irish soap called "<a href="http://the%20riordans/" target="_blank">The Riordans</a>".<br />
Down through the years she has played various parts in various musicals and other performances and now has put together a number of productions in which she plays the solo part or as part of a collaboration with other singers or musicians.<br />
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A recent creation was with a friend of hers (and mine), Irene Gaffney, who is no stranger to the stage herself and whose father was well known around the country for his lead roles in musicals as well as performances on radio and television.<br />
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Glynis and Irene, with some critical direction from another involved in stage - Tom Singleton - put together a collection of words and songs designed to entertain and illicit a laugh or two. Think Victoria Wood but twice.<br />
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I went to see a preliminary performance (a sort of dress rehearsal) and enjoyed it immensely. I felt it needed to be advertised a little better than by word of mouth and suggested that maybe a poster with the right design could do this. That initial suggestion became a goal and I volunteered to come up with an idea.<br />
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So ......<br />
Their production is called "Ladies who Lunch". Some of the witticisms and humorous songs portray "Ladies who Lunch" all too well. I saw wealthy women of indeterminate marital status who would regularly meet to 'do lunch' and wear clothes and jewellery to show off their status and vie with each other to be the most stylish and well-to-do. All this and just missing the mark. I envisioned them with cocktails and also wanted to suggest that they were in a posh restaurant - probably a hotel. I described the idea to Glynis and Irene and they were very enthusiastic. We enlisted Tom as the waiter advising him that his face wasn't really needed - just the body as a prop! Before I go into any more detail, this is the finished photograph that will be used by the graphics designer to create the final poster.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BgXzm6IWuDzVb3DPmrUvB5idH2mw8Uu_HqXJYZQNYft6EaEOXJMiyKZEaaK7pzXS_PgbiH7_0fmEyCaoCUxmqGEmcvWpki426TqY2n0-W-s_JLNUW0gDay6m4Ggvq7vqBY-yGyXLlGtc/s1600/1950-00Aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BgXzm6IWuDzVb3DPmrUvB5idH2mw8Uu_HqXJYZQNYft6EaEOXJMiyKZEaaK7pzXS_PgbiH7_0fmEyCaoCUxmqGEmcvWpki426TqY2n0-W-s_JLNUW0gDay6m4Ggvq7vqBY-yGyXLlGtc/s400/1950-00Aa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I wanted to photo to have a mono feel to it without actually being mono.The only real colour I saw in it was their lipstick and the waiter's waistcoat. Their outfits are black and white. Glynis (on the right) is wearing a hat that has blue in it but that's almost mono.The jewellery is a little over the top as are their outfits. The waiter suggests posh with the white gloves and the silver tray. I deliberately chose the back view so that his face didn't distract the viewer's attention from the two ladies. I did a series of poses with mobile phones, having 'gossip' conversations and 'pointing' out the not-so-stylish people who might also be in the restaurant.</div>
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My original intention was to shoot all three together and then we'd review them and pick the best one and maybe tweak it by shooting slight variations of it. As is usual with the best laid plans of mice and men, things didn't go quite to plan. First of all, Tom had to leave early for a rehearsal so while the MUA was working on the two ladies I shot Tom on his own.</div>
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The lighting setup was fairly basic. I was lighting everybody the same way - two long strip boxes, one on either side of the background to light it. A large and smaller softbox to the front to give butterfly lighting. So Tom's shots were ....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKInudfRzk3g34et5mUZVS2Wmy5tJMmiKxJWKYppeQj4FeAtusrAb1aOxyGRri-pKzytZYnE4Srk0D1izfUAckqHPOx8fHyxT0p3E6Zr0OZoshHP8UbhUlQFBlOGvN270CcaAzU-a7uFL/s1600/Tom+Composite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKInudfRzk3g34et5mUZVS2Wmy5tJMmiKxJWKYppeQj4FeAtusrAb1aOxyGRri-pKzytZYnE4Srk0D1izfUAckqHPOx8fHyxT0p3E6Zr0OZoshHP8UbhUlQFBlOGvN270CcaAzU-a7uFL/s320/Tom+Composite.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I did a few different shots just in case. I had told Tom that he was just a prop and not a person in the photo so he wouldn't be too put out. I finally chose a shot of To that was close to what I wanted but it needed a bit of fixing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhNUJOw9OPG1xVHM0Hm6_BZ1UMF6CnMkymd537zEyXiWt4ptpnCnBEMb53mOnMFlfoI1yS8VFbHX-oYrVZtk1USZAt0dXTP3yym2AZCVwzDQEZWqnrJd1FH_NlPG1bsAju37o-zL8AXP1/s1600/Tom+Composite2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhNUJOw9OPG1xVHM0Hm6_BZ1UMF6CnMkymd537zEyXiWt4ptpnCnBEMb53mOnMFlfoI1yS8VFbHX-oYrVZtk1USZAt0dXTP3yym2AZCVwzDQEZWqnrJd1FH_NlPG1bsAju37o-zL8AXP1/s320/Tom+Composite2+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The shot on the left is the original. The one on the right is the one I used. Besides the creases that needed a bit of 'ironing' (not too much) the two biggest problems were the apparent curve in Tom's back created more by the lighting than Tom, and the gaping sleeve on the right. I fixed those and now had my starter picture.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYn1CLwr05Fd9GM3znjZDk7kL_nkI6ApYTWZY0BmhDCvu3OXqrjg08YnRVXE2PWYtw6yJbve8trHuFkTH6weyU9YyDW8B7DrqvTbh-3atMxlHAjniGSxJIHrPI6gWGbgmKUXixkwLmclR/s1600/TheBuild+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYn1CLwr05Fd9GM3znjZDk7kL_nkI6ApYTWZY0BmhDCvu3OXqrjg08YnRVXE2PWYtw6yJbve8trHuFkTH6weyU9YyDW8B7DrqvTbh-3atMxlHAjniGSxJIHrPI6gWGbgmKUXixkwLmclR/s320/TheBuild+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then it was the ladies' turn. I was hoping that I could use a single shot of the two of them since they were acting off each other. I gave them a couple of ideas like talking on their phones, people watching and judging, etc. The collection is below. I'm not sure whose idea it was to pinch Tom's bottom (probably Irene) but it seemed like a good idea and it was the one we all agreed to go for. That is the shot bottom left in the group of photos below. However, they agreed that a different shot of Glynis should be used and that was the picture top left.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqiQRJp5MMcU8AZYVmL4kV5CMwXqvIw1vwTlgQOlNstBkSp9OVbC_ZvE6kD-WxEk6QpA_uuOhLasUL0R4GU_4RSMUwojSgAmcm4Im87vYrfDD7B7B0g8aOmUxW3GWQAE5vvPK3872Q30M/s1600/GandI+collection+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqiQRJp5MMcU8AZYVmL4kV5CMwXqvIw1vwTlgQOlNstBkSp9OVbC_ZvE6kD-WxEk6QpA_uuOhLasUL0R4GU_4RSMUwojSgAmcm4Im87vYrfDD7B7B0g8aOmUxW3GWQAE5vvPK3872Q30M/s320/GandI+collection+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhcZVNurpAuoOOu_VCaLX7TDabe0xzEaw6Z5O_E1_Ucbae4xH1A11FEbIAK1PRK3y9LIr7PrRpn6qqHB9YISBjeDHQd9Z8m-3iFc6T2TNYYjzIsOqa9G940WvJFh3qxtA4hHM2JJG1jfx/s1600/TheBuild+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhcZVNurpAuoOOu_VCaLX7TDabe0xzEaw6Z5O_E1_Ucbae4xH1A11FEbIAK1PRK3y9LIr7PrRpn6qqHB9YISBjeDHQd9Z8m-3iFc6T2TNYYjzIsOqa9G940WvJFh3qxtA4hHM2JJG1jfx/s320/TheBuild+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pic of Irene cut from original and pasted into the composite. I felt her hair was a little unbalanced so ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0JLZdaI9Wngf_1Jld9F0IW0Fklc5NIuA2VZEgRuiE9GdzIndi9waTs2jxJ1Y2xjEXD_i-hSLaa9L1AKXuOGwaalY1SVYzSxQPCVkLQ_bcE_ycNPmM6rDoe43uJ13E0ZeKhBVj7s8AT-6/s1600/TheBuild+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0JLZdaI9Wngf_1Jld9F0IW0Fklc5NIuA2VZEgRuiE9GdzIndi9waTs2jxJ1Y2xjEXD_i-hSLaa9L1AKXuOGwaalY1SVYzSxQPCVkLQ_bcE_ycNPmM6rDoe43uJ13E0ZeKhBVj7s8AT-6/s320/TheBuild+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I copied her hair from the right side, flipped it, placed it on the left side, made a few edits.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1z9cxpxVO34E_1Z9M5XfsWi8zAL_fb3ZbeTNEMN1XyEHUnXwvOgwYNf2eW49W9SKPWEPVHBkz4NF75BsLaXdu0FcOoLJb_MBR1XPoyP76HV2epmDw2dlV2oxvR9C6SYnTIQWyLBc_4d_/s1600/TheBuild+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1z9cxpxVO34E_1Z9M5XfsWi8zAL_fb3ZbeTNEMN1XyEHUnXwvOgwYNf2eW49W9SKPWEPVHBkz4NF75BsLaXdu0FcOoLJb_MBR1XPoyP76HV2epmDw2dlV2oxvR9C6SYnTIQWyLBc_4d_/s320/TheBuild+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then added some burning and dodging to her eyes and eyebrows.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iu-WevVGcK8M_hQian24AnMjVFP53fPs43NiCz2GDkOzSoJcOpmGcSZuugbUPAxNiFHOcqkuKmQSGjre3vy6W7cMxxP_lVTH_ssh9Pd9Soj-v_zhaXUhKNqvPG5V42YIZr_BGVaBGMar/s1600/TheBuild+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iu-WevVGcK8M_hQian24AnMjVFP53fPs43NiCz2GDkOzSoJcOpmGcSZuugbUPAxNiFHOcqkuKmQSGjre3vy6W7cMxxP_lVTH_ssh9Pd9Soj-v_zhaXUhKNqvPG5V42YIZr_BGVaBGMar/s320/TheBuild+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Added Glynis .....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieajMoOqxF3m1JpBjvQ5TpgHfbSakU3Nxxf5Qr2aXEKG7lJfvc59CRQGE4Sw78-78o_6V3w7EP37SgBF88Pj0HN_cFzxlx6truRvgq8tMIiBk561g3jxKYMUix1BlaM1K8KJZS-LoIQ1eE/s1600/TheBuild+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieajMoOqxF3m1JpBjvQ5TpgHfbSakU3Nxxf5Qr2aXEKG7lJfvc59CRQGE4Sw78-78o_6V3w7EP37SgBF88Pj0HN_cFzxlx6truRvgq8tMIiBk561g3jxKYMUix1BlaM1K8KJZS-LoIQ1eE/s320/TheBuild+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A little dodging and burning and a finished picture.</div>
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Tada!</div>
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<br />Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-14557972236205119132013-05-06T17:26:00.000+01:002013-05-06T17:26:04.792+01:00Geek Time .....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPDpLV7YHbMKir6OtCONim0m4wnTBfvHJ2ltYeO-0szIPje3FmVitR6ptDccXzdRG_THOX2nTnlPo7ZLOJkWVYQ9LNJ9vyCyEPA63RfNjf410wPDM6bfEv8a2t5ViPCL3I75PGMtrnBiV/s1600/_MG_0367-03LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPDpLV7YHbMKir6OtCONim0m4wnTBfvHJ2ltYeO-0szIPje3FmVitR6ptDccXzdRG_THOX2nTnlPo7ZLOJkWVYQ9LNJ9vyCyEPA63RfNjf410wPDM6bfEv8a2t5ViPCL3I75PGMtrnBiV/s320/_MG_0367-03LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A long time ago I invested in the development of a gadget called Triggertrap. At the time I was using an intervalometer to do some time-lapse photography and I also had bought a remote trigger to operate the camera from a distance such as in a theatre. With these thoughts buzzing in my head I read this investment opportunity where the device could trigger my camera or flash. The trigger source could be sound, light change or laser. It would also boast time-lapse capability, trigger a camera that had infra red remote control capability and the triggering thresholds could be adjusted as could the delay in triggering and retriggering.<br />
Well, time passed. So did the deadlines for delivery. But it did arrive. I had a brief look at it and, being busy, put it away for another time.<br />
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A couple of weeks ago I was passing by a shop and saw that it had air soft pistols for sale. I remember wanting a simpler version of these when I was a boy. The used lead pellets, were a one-shot deal and not very accurate. I know because one or two friends of mine had one. Today, it's a whole new scene. The BB guns are replicas of the real thing. So much so that the Gardai will not concede there is a difference as far as they are concerned. The words "gun", "triggertrap" and "balloons" went through my mind so I bought a gun - a Taurus PT 92. Why that one? 'Cos it had my initials in the name. Yes I am that spontaneous and reasoning at times. The gun will hold 26 <a href="https://www.google.ie/search?q=airsoft+%2B+bb&safe=off&hl=en&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=rrmHUfXkC-KR7Ab7-4DoDw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAA&biw=1440&bih=785" target="_blank">BB</a> projectiles that are 6mm in diameter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMy9MU6voyFbiXzHkgJ0TOxSkdhSmhbSQWBbLErUxYahe8qGVkdWbUKH3l2nKvvZ_3_sCa5j1TL9eentJXm7Xnr0jyfJsxvAYtG2FGsrjPBvcEhsrY8dMV-t1WgV4UEbCcPStidB5Z16M/s1600/BB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMy9MU6voyFbiXzHkgJ0TOxSkdhSmhbSQWBbLErUxYahe8qGVkdWbUKH3l2nKvvZ_3_sCa5j1TL9eentJXm7Xnr0jyfJsxvAYtG2FGsrjPBvcEhsrY8dMV-t1WgV4UEbCcPStidB5Z16M/s200/BB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Two BBs (or not 2 bb)</div>
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Last week I did some homework to see if I could possibly photograph a BB projectile bursting a balloon. There were several variables. Some I hadn't even considered.<br />
The first was the speed of the BB. The box had the figure of "407 fps" written on it. That's very exact so I naturally immediately mistrusted it! Preferring to work in metric I converted it and it came out at 124053 mm/sec.<br />
I figured the only way to freeze that kind of motion was with flash.<br />
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Most people think that flash will freeze any motion but it won't simply because of the way it works. A lot people think that reducing a speedlite's power is the equivalent of reducing its light output but it's not. It's reducing the length of time the speedlite is putting out light. Full power is the same level of light for a longer time. Minimum power is the same light level for a shorter time. So to get the BB to be frozen I needed a real short time.<br />
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Off to the Internet and I found this guy (<a href="http://www.gock.net/2012/01/flash-durations-small-strobes/" target="_blank">Andy Gock</a>) who had measured the flash duration of a number of models at different settings. If I accept his findings as true then there was a surprise to find that the more expensive and well-known brands turned out NOT to be the ones with the shortest duration at minimum power. In fact, the Yongnuo units I bought from China had the shortest times at 1/23041 sec.<br />
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #181818; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); color: #999999; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 192px;"><colgroup style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><col style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="64"></col><col span="2" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="64"></col></colgroup><tbody style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<tr style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="64">Power</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="64">μs</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="64">s</td></tr>
<tr style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">3200.0</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/313</td></tr>
<tr style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">2</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">736.0</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/1359</td></tr>
<tr style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">4</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">356.0</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/2809</td></tr>
<tr style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">8</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">202.0</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/4950</td></tr>
<tr style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">16</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">124.0</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/8065</td></tr>
<tr style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">32</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">79.2</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/12626</td></tr>
<tr style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">64</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">54.8</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/18248</td></tr>
<tr style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">128</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">43.4</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(42, 46, 47); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/23041<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now that I had (probably) the fastest (shortest) flash times, the payoff for that was low light. But I had another gizmo - a bracket that holds three speedlites so that would help.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
So variables ........<br />
I would pull the trigger. There would be a bang and the BB would theoretically be travelling at 124053 mm/sec. The sound from the bang would be travelling at (roughly) 340 m/sec or 340000 mm/sec so the sound would reach my triggertrap much quicker than the BB.<br />Working on the basis that a ballon and the triggertrap would be about 3 metres from the gun I worked out (roughly) that the sound would reach the balloon/triggertrap in about 0.0088 sec or 9 ms. The BB would reach the same area in 0.024 sec or 24 ms.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sound =====================><br />
Gun bang => Balloon / Triggertrap<br />
BB ======><br />
So theoretically I would need to build in a flash trigger delay of 15 ms to allow the BB to reach the balloon when the flash went off.<br />
<br />
Well that was the theory. Practical tests blew that out of the water!<br />
I set up a board with some targets to see if it was close. I used a series of small rectangles made of <a href="https://www.google.ie/search?q=foam+core&safe=off&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=HrmHUZ6qI5OB7QaqpYCwCw&sqi=2&ved=0CD0QsAQ&biw=1440&bih=785" target="_blank">foam core</a> and hinged to a board so that if the BB lost power going through the first or second target it could still knock over the next target. It became clear that the foam core was too strong because the BBs were embedded in some of them and bounced off others so didn't necessarily travel in a straight line. At one stage I just put up a group of 3 targets together and shot them. You can see from the photograph that the flash has gone off after the BB has hit 'cos they're in the air!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78nphj13EYJoNHwBrdoBnGgaJeCfhYcdqV1ODCyp7sHiAh3AFQkXqD3OJr0MrSzUQeUbwnBBIwSZZgUc6CETYsq5GqY0NyMv9Id7L430ofyOpihcyPVVRBU5GQMizgRSUPiTb7L_67_Ga/s1600/_MG_0258-01LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78nphj13EYJoNHwBrdoBnGgaJeCfhYcdqV1ODCyp7sHiAh3AFQkXqD3OJr0MrSzUQeUbwnBBIwSZZgUc6CETYsq5GqY0NyMv9Id7L430ofyOpihcyPVVRBU5GQMizgRSUPiTb7L_67_Ga/s320/_MG_0258-01LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This particular BB has me puzzled. It looks like it has bounced off the first target on the right but there is a 'comet tail' behind it that suggests it is travelling down from left to right.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb16bwH-D4WlyUmiPhxCquNGR47qyDC3jjZqv4f2kOnbc4Z10pgH2xyf_sa0ef7pVXcEqo9eX-4FKTEOAvZend4mOIPYE6sD5ZKjtKASUiYkzPQ_S8NXPbzi17gu5SwsxX5GiFy8hEgLrC/s1600/_MG_0294-01LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb16bwH-D4WlyUmiPhxCquNGR47qyDC3jjZqv4f2kOnbc4Z10pgH2xyf_sa0ef7pVXcEqo9eX-4FKTEOAvZend4mOIPYE6sD5ZKjtKASUiYkzPQ_S8NXPbzi17gu5SwsxX5GiFy8hEgLrC/s320/_MG_0294-01LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The BB is nowhere to be seen but the timing and placement are about right.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvP0WWAmnK_yOqFvw9gnyh66agO4IlhFMQ9v8TXSTnuM-DMUeRa6zYirA0wmH_vyeQVvC5apy2MEkvipIH6NoDT6PlhP5TFUXMFWzFB_uHzcXqi_MN74zYSBr2DnmJUoteJ-Mqc005ZjY/s1600/_MG_0290-01LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvP0WWAmnK_yOqFvw9gnyh66agO4IlhFMQ9v8TXSTnuM-DMUeRa6zYirA0wmH_vyeQVvC5apy2MEkvipIH6NoDT6PlhP5TFUXMFWzFB_uHzcXqi_MN74zYSBr2DnmJUoteJ-Mqc005ZjY/s320/_MG_0290-01LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I spent 3 1/2 hours setting up my test case and the only thing I had to show for it at the end was that the gun at about 3 metres was about right, I had a collection of used BBs and bits of foam core all over the floor. I called it a day.<br />
<br />
Next day I was joined by Javier Leite who was interested in what I was doing and offered to help.<br />We set up a series of targets made from photo paper at roughly where the balloon and triggertrap would be and set about trying to find where the BB would be at a specific delay set on the triggertrap. Once we had established where the BB would be when the flash went off we replaced the targets with the balloon on a stool.<br />
<br />
After a few shots we found out some more. Some balloons were fighting back! I had asked Javier to bring safety glasses for himself and I was wearing glasses with plastic lenses. We needed them. The power of the gun is limited to less than a Joule so it won't break skin but it will hurt and probably could injure one's eyesight. You can see from the picture below that the BB is rebounding from the balloon and heading back towards me! I shot myself a few times and the BBs went in several different directions quite a few times.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKctBgPRdnKh3UaNoKdrsKxYnpo0xpHVkLhkMJv6Nk92oFuEtx-P2GH8TRiph6RnZqn5r9qv5SOYyqLeiGTsWL-xTgZ221t_72e8_84nYxwS31pz_8Z7Y-7ksDHAJOlPpY87fzxmZkUfF/s1600/_MG_0363-02LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKctBgPRdnKh3UaNoKdrsKxYnpo0xpHVkLhkMJv6Nk92oFuEtx-P2GH8TRiph6RnZqn5r9qv5SOYyqLeiGTsWL-xTgZ221t_72e8_84nYxwS31pz_8Z7Y-7ksDHAJOlPpY87fzxmZkUfF/s320/_MG_0363-02LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
They fight back you know. You can see the depression on the right hand side where the BB has pushed into the balloon and will soon be heading back in my direction.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />With trial and error we built in a delay into the Triggertrap to set off the flash 3 ms after the bang was detected - a long way from the 15 ms I had thought would be needed. We also figured the gun needed to be at full pressure before each shot so charging it became a ritual each time. Even so, even keeping as much as we could as constant as we could we still found some shots were taken after the balloon was burst and others we could see the BB at least a metre away. That could be down to tiny variations in the BB, the firing mechanism, the Triggertrap's reaction time, we have no idea.<br />
But we did get some shots and, on the plus side, it kept me off the streets where I'd only be stealing cars or mugging little old ladies. ;-)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2PQvKAxbLRpRlq8hQsImpSMNGHDN18IqVyGqe5YC7I_v8tt6vPkfAXijX7ykhtrfOIheoELPSoHqQzleYfk1hJWgTQHqnIweSquHHOb3NelygZ9uYSrwApEW0xk7TcLmWOMN8FZWlXOM/s1600/_MG_0323-01LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2PQvKAxbLRpRlq8hQsImpSMNGHDN18IqVyGqe5YC7I_v8tt6vPkfAXijX7ykhtrfOIheoELPSoHqQzleYfk1hJWgTQHqnIweSquHHOb3NelygZ9uYSrwApEW0xk7TcLmWOMN8FZWlXOM/s320/_MG_0323-01LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This was our first success. Sad the things you get excited about ....</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG99xJvYmrOmzBKdG3T3QJlLYjDdPk7RWaGe5plXMkGnjwSBJkZs29w1IJhZCr5jZrMAa3BlxFfE3-7avC6P3fC1OIYEMT38I08ISMf15Nsv49o5ZYjC_qJKUhB3mmUGkttOA8QdjTEpzn/s1600/_MG_0329-01LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG99xJvYmrOmzBKdG3T3QJlLYjDdPk7RWaGe5plXMkGnjwSBJkZs29w1IJhZCr5jZrMAa3BlxFfE3-7avC6P3fC1OIYEMT38I08ISMf15Nsv49o5ZYjC_qJKUhB3mmUGkttOA8QdjTEpzn/s320/_MG_0329-01LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is where I had the ambient light (used to allow me aim the gun) a little too bright and you can see the balloon before and after shooting.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELxd4viX9LOgpMtgXloWTnQ-jMiWybwhB40iBu9T-CU8T_jxhGfmoO803JRKkJHLncDTzncX4DjCIGcxmuz9FYGxHDiwj6TEpXUTOiZ8bCyxzqmOzxlBfeWt1gNxh4-2-y0W8D9sgKW5n/s1600/_MG_0352-02LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELxd4viX9LOgpMtgXloWTnQ-jMiWybwhB40iBu9T-CU8T_jxhGfmoO803JRKkJHLncDTzncX4DjCIGcxmuz9FYGxHDiwj6TEpXUTOiZ8bCyxzqmOzxlBfeWt1gNxh4-2-y0W8D9sgKW5n/s320/_MG_0352-02LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
One of those shots that we couldn't predict. The balloon is burst and the BB is on its way out.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5-BQR4MFezCR0kFGl6TwQdHNugpelf3N0O7hydGOwOMUOWMdx2Jf3dAr9VwN_-eO2sv6J0b27eHmqXEOeRvn1cSZ90u2lpNRQH9zTlEWUghmPRfoqv_1tFen1bbN7rdzf3JRa4qvipMg/s1600/_MG_0367-03LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5-BQR4MFezCR0kFGl6TwQdHNugpelf3N0O7hydGOwOMUOWMdx2Jf3dAr9VwN_-eO2sv6J0b27eHmqXEOeRvn1cSZ90u2lpNRQH9zTlEWUghmPRfoqv_1tFen1bbN7rdzf3JRa4qvipMg/s320/_MG_0367-03LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Another BB exit shot.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnxSKHirYHlFzA57MlgMjV494SEF07xMhSFsQBX8MrKDDNKOgK7PAkh6DSFamahcVSsoHTOuwWSmRXog6J3gdGn5ghYaM0zPs5IHRVcTDZhDJnrYHj8dlDg3Px4yqIAd9Iez-Y7HB2LXT/s1600/_MG_0375-03LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnxSKHirYHlFzA57MlgMjV494SEF07xMhSFsQBX8MrKDDNKOgK7PAkh6DSFamahcVSsoHTOuwWSmRXog6J3gdGn5ghYaM0zPs5IHRVcTDZhDJnrYHj8dlDg3Px4yqIAd9Iez-Y7HB2LXT/s320/_MG_0375-03LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This was interesting. The BB was trapped inside the balloon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkhS7gQj4bHkTbqfO6jlya5aC4czFhVxic-kIYTffJFBrFk8cSxGSKzh8ggHzzddRe4TTfaOmJ7iluisM12sDnH2cIyk-kHf7lxXpmQwYiU6SDN1BeWc7zQaejdQJ6bpi3gtPh-Fb8aFv/s1600/_MG_0383-02LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkhS7gQj4bHkTbqfO6jlya5aC4czFhVxic-kIYTffJFBrFk8cSxGSKzh8ggHzzddRe4TTfaOmJ7iluisM12sDnH2cIyk-kHf7lxXpmQwYiU6SDN1BeWc7zQaejdQJ6bpi3gtPh-Fb8aFv/s320/_MG_0383-02LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The BB has burst the balloon and is on its way through.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5V5YGMAIhFkOiwfaH__JkyWCIP6X3xxChP2Mw382NuCgkoAnFyWtlHYDoTlNbU48rVIY6Gr83GCyYZ-oOpv0OCJDhXIK-i69PTy-QEdu4dpZ-9Cy55f7HuuAWxkRCnokMZAenrRgtFUb/s1600/_MG_0387-02LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5V5YGMAIhFkOiwfaH__JkyWCIP6X3xxChP2Mw382NuCgkoAnFyWtlHYDoTlNbU48rVIY6Gr83GCyYZ-oOpv0OCJDhXIK-i69PTy-QEdu4dpZ-9Cy55f7HuuAWxkRCnokMZAenrRgtFUb/s320/_MG_0387-02LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The setup.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A - shooting position.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
B - 3 speedlites set at 1/128 power</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
C - Triggertrap</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
D - Camera position</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
E - Board to absorb BBs.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqWWm5MuwpImLvnXRP1UWLV_sXQQyM6v2qnf9qHVRQ5FbqeQALke-GnsjzcdO252t4dxh8WUx7Hkrk8lqnblePsHA6psOZeGwA8EBXrO1RW0-wuzprGH3v2v9xLhyphenhyphenZjbnDhvK50YMmzpV/s1600/_MG_0389-01LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqWWm5MuwpImLvnXRP1UWLV_sXQQyM6v2qnf9qHVRQ5FbqeQALke-GnsjzcdO252t4dxh8WUx7Hkrk8lqnblePsHA6psOZeGwA8EBXrO1RW0-wuzprGH3v2v9xLhyphenhyphenZjbnDhvK50YMmzpV/s320/_MG_0389-01LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Casualties.</div>
<br />
<br />
Next time ....<br />
I'm hoping to set up something more spectacular so it's a picture rather than a record of a balloon bursting no matter how fascinating that is to see. And then the Triggertrap has other triggering methods such as the laser sensor which will trigger when sensed or broken. That could need a rig .....<br />
<br />
<br />
References:<br />Andy Gock's <a href="http://www.gock.net/2012/01/flash-durations-small-strobes/" target="_blank">flash duration measurements tables.</a><br />
Speed of sound: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> and <a href="https://www.google.ie/#hl=en&gs_rn=12&gs_ri=psy-ab&tok=Or6pgMLSto01ZqbE_KzFcg&cp=10&gs_id=13&xhr=t&q=speed+of+sound&es_nrs=true&pf=p&safe=off&biw=1440&bih=785&sclient=psy-ab&oq=speed+of+s&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.45960087,d.ZG4&fp=58efe78f0f7ba7f3" target="_blank">Google</a>Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-61935342288469415362013-02-23T11:33:00.001+00:002013-02-23T11:33:45.557+00:00What?! A photo blog post with no photos!Yep, a photo blog and no photos. Bear with me ....<br />
<br />
I went to see movie 'Lincoln'. I have to admit it was on my list of movies to see but not my first (or even second) choice. However the others would have involved me waiting around too long and Abe started in half an hour so ......<br />
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For the impatient among you, the movie is great. In between taking photographs and editing I occasionally like to see a movie and enjoy a little escapism. I know what's involved in making a movie. A screenwriter has to rewrite the story to make it compatible with a movie format and also make it flow. A storyboard has to be created that shows the vision the director has for each second which generates the sets, lighting requirements, costumes, actors, extras, etc., etc. All movies need special effects to some degree or another. Some require Computer Generated Imagery to a huge extent like Avatar or some of the SciFi movies. Others require subtlety like Castaway - did you think Tom Hanks stood on top of his island and surveyed all around him? It was done on a small set in a car park! The point is that the great movies need all the elements to work and the sum of them to be greater than the whole which is probably why there aren't that many memorable ones.<br />
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If a movie can absorb me to the point that I forget all that and just immerse myself in the story then it's great in my book. This movie had that magic. The feel of the movie was 1865. The clothes looked like those you see in museums where they seem to lack that finesse of modern clothing. Their clothes look heavy and slightly badly fitting - a kind of clumsiness. The attention to detail was amazing. The dialogue also felt of the time. Daniel Day Lewis is a method actor and immersed himself in the role three months beforehand and, it may come across as being a prima donna (for a man?), but insisted that the crew refer to him at all times as 'Mr President'. Could be one of the reasons he's nominated for his third oscar.<br />
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But, to me, this was a masterclass in lighting, composition and photography. Right from the outset I was looking at how much the scenes were reminiscent of of the photographs of the era and even more remarkably they moved! Every photographer who has done studio or location work knows that the lighting is usually right for one viewpoint and the subjects as well. Here were scenes where actors walked across what appeared to be dark areas but yet were lit by 'invisible' lighting. The other thing I noticed was that if you looked around the scene there was just enough light to allow you to see details of objects in the shadows. There must have been huge discussions, planning and probably arguments about designing and dressing the sets. Composition was amazing. I kept noticing that the lighting and the framing made me look where the director wanted me to look.<br />
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So being a photographer I was a bit distracted by the technical side of the process somewhat like a musician will analyse a concert's performance and that of the conductor. But, having said that, I think I got more from the movie than most people would have. Trouble is I'll have to go back and watch it again. But that won't be a trial.Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-78462951554053072742013-01-16T00:57:00.000+00:002013-01-16T00:57:57.676+00:00UncertaintyI ask for your forgiveness in advance as it may take some time before I get to a conclusion in this blog. My mind is sort of rambling around a few related subjects.<br />
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On a regular basis - about once a month - I voice a feeling that maybe I should give up photography and do more administration or tutorial work. This comes from the notion that "Them that can, do. Them that can't, teach". This is usually because my creative mojo has deserted me or I've made fundamental mistakes like misjudging depth of field or one of a plethora of other reasons.<br />
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I'm also asked for my 'expert' opinion on various photographs. I maintain I am not an expert but this is usually dismissed as false modesty. The problem is that a photograph (or picture) is judged by people subjectively. Oh yes, there are rules and guidelines that they <i>should</i> conform to and if they don't then they can be seen by viewers as 'off' even though they don't know why. Judges often use this to mark down photographs in competitions where there are photographs of equal worth and it gives them an 'out' or where they are judging photographs from what should be separate categories like a landscape versus a studio portrait.<br />
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A couple of weeks ago I had a long photo session with a friend of mine (Kay Fagan) who also goes under her performance name of PostModern Sleeze. This was my third time to photograph her and we had decided to divide the shoot between us - my shots and hers. Kay has a lot of tattoos and piercings. Her performances and a lot of other photos portray her as 'alternative'. Her image, aggressive and rebellious, belies her real character which is generous, soft and full of common sense. I wanted to show the contrast and so took the following photos of her.<br />
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Kay is not a ballerina but is practising. The pose is not a ballet pose. But I had hoped that the pose, piercings and the tattoos would convey the contrast. The second shot was a straight pose. I take a few shots of poses like this and will try to tweak the pose until I get what I want. However that also can make the pose look wooden and when I ask the model to repeat the pose I don't get the original one. So .... sometimes I have to take the best I can get. I liked this pose but realised that her left side was a little 'bumpy'. Sometimes I would take more shots to solve it. Other times I would use Photoshop to fix it. However this time I decided to leave it. I recently had a few conversations about Photoshop and its controversial use to make 'perfect people' in magazines that gives young people (girls in particular) a false impression of what is normal. I liked the muscular aspect of the pose so I left it as is and wanted to see what reaction it would get.<br />
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I entered these in my camera club's competition. The judge gave the ballerina shot 44 out of 50 marks and the second shot 42 out of 50.<br />
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Before I go any further I'd like to state for the record that I always respect judges' criticisms and listen intently to their comments on other's photos as well as my own. I may not always agree with every single judging but would never challenge a mark. I've judge a few competitions and it is a hard job. I've taken the photos home with me a week beforehand so that I can absorb the photos, see if I have missed something in the first viewing and see if my first choices still hold after a few days. I also like to make notes that I can give the club for the people who have entered the competition.<br />
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His remarks on the ballerina shot was the pose was not the best and the photo did not show off her tattoos to the best and the highlight area on her back was blown out. I was prepared to accept that more or less but was hopeful that the second shot would do better. But it didn't. Two marks less. The main reason for not liking it was the pose that produced the bumpy left side. So, I should have fixed the body.<br />
What was more intriguing was that another photo that I thought would be dismissed as a 'bit of nonsense' scored the highest with 46 marks.<br />
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Yep, a self portrait of sorts. I usually ask my models to pose for a shot with me at the end of the session. Recently I have been trying to make these humorous and, more often than not, self-belittling. We had set up two versions. This one was the one I went with - me pretending to wipe off a smudge on her latex.<br />
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So I'm a bit confused. No I'm not arguing that I should have come first. I think the people who did deserved it. What compounds my dilemma is I very recently gave my 'judge's comments' on a selection of photos that a friend of mine is considering for entry into his local camera club competition. If I am so far off the mark with my own, how can I advise another?<br />
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If I was a woman this would be time for chocolate ice cream!!! :-D<br />
<br />Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-40692237624696711532012-11-11T19:42:00.001+00:002012-11-11T19:42:48.479+00:00A BIG rant!To put in a short sentence - I am disgusted! I don't make blog entries often enough and I try to make them positive and photography related so I am not happy that this is a rant but ....<br />
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Today I went from a very pleasant visit to Fusion Sunday in Newmarket Square where I had the pleasure to talk to very nice friendly people to an appalling display of rudeness and shoddy organisation.<br />
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I went to an event that is known as "The National Shield". This is a competition under the direction of the Irish Photographic Federation (IPF). The <a href="http://irishphoto.ie/index.php/national-shield-2012/">website defines it</a> (kind of) but it is essentially submissions from camera clubs around Ireland that are panels of colour and monochrome prints selected from their amateur members. The definition of what constitutes an amateur is also listed on the website page.<br />
The judging is usually done by visiting people (usually the UK) who have some recognised standard.<br />
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So .... there are individual awards and best panel awards but the premium accolade is the "National Shield" which is the best camera club. It is regarded as being an important event to do well in.<br />
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I arrived about 3:45pm, went in the front door and was 'accosted' by a man who wanted me to fork over €5 for raffle tickets. Nothing else was mentioned. From my years of experience when I was involved on various committees, I know that raffles can be one of the main sources of revenue so I coughed up. It was only when I had walked away that I noticed there was an admission ticket to the event stapled to the three strips of raffle tickets. I don't know if it was free to get in and I bought raffle tickets or there was an admission fee and I got free raffle tickets thrown in. No matter. I would have ended up with the same rubbish in my hand and €5 lighter anyway but I realised I might have had an option that wasn't given to me.<br />
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I went straight to the panels and came across a couple of my pet irritations. The first was "d'expert". You know the type - holds court in front of the pictures you are trying to view but you are 'mister cellophane' and can't be seen. He extols the virtues and faults of the pictures and seeks agreement from his followers that they understand. Understand how wonderful he is rather than whether what he has said is good or bad.<br />
I usually plant myself somewhere irritatingly close to these people so that they get the message that other people want to view the pictures.<br />
The second irritation is people who choose to hold conversations unrelated to the panels of pictures they are standing in front of! There were a lot of these! A firmly placed hand on their elbow or a fairly heavy nudge with an angelic "So sorry!" usually clears the way but usually to the panel on the far side so repetition is required but at least they have been 'trained' and are easier to move.<br />
My memory may be fooling me (it does often these days) but I think there was enough room to space out the lines of panels so there was less crowding so why didn't the organisers do this?<br />
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Anyway ..... The judges came back and were giving comments on the panels while they were being projected (badly) on a wall. This was my third irritation. Around the area everybody was talking at their normal decibel levels. To each other. On mobile phones. There are a few people in the Dublin Camera Club who are equally inconsiderate. The HAVE to make comments on whatever the visiting person who is making a presentation has to show and say. It's not always easy for people making presentations. They can be nervous for a variety of reasons - first time, insecurity about a new subject, intimidated by the status of the audience, etc. To have people in the audience making comments that are 'stage whispers' will not help and certainly are sending out the message that what the presenter is saying is not worth listening to. Apart from this rudeness I hate to have one of these gobshites sit beside me because now he is breaking my concentration with his inane remarks. I have made it clear on occasions I'm not interested and have on more than one occasion told them to shut up.<br />
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I can't be sure what the judges from the UK made of the people there but the message seemed to be clear. We're not interested in what you have to say. We have no intention of showing you any respect. Just give us the results.<br />
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My fourth irritation was that when the medals were being awarded they quoted the person (where appropriate) and the club and the picture title but if you wanted to see what had merited this award then you would have had to dash around the panels and by this stage the area between the panels were stuffed full of people so that wasn't going to work. Since the organisers had files of the pictures I would have thought it would be a small extra step to project these on the wall for all to see and nod approvingly?<br />
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I gave up and retreated to a back area of the venue to see if I could get a coffee. There was a place. It looked more like one of those places you see in a house on a building site where there are two tables thrown together and all the bare necessities are thrown on the table. I wasn't sure if that was for the public or for the organisers but I gave it a miss.<br />
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Then came the raffle! Okay, I might win something. One of my strips won!!! I headed towards the woman in charge and proffered my strip while someone else also did the same. Luckily she spotted that his strip had the wrong serial number so my strip was deemed to be legitimate and hieroglyphics indicating their veracity were scribbled on a piece of paper and I was given 'documentation' to give to the people looking after the prizes. Oh yes, the prizes weren't there. They were in a different area. So off I went. No queues here - you're in Ireland pal. We don't do queues. A mad throng! The stuff I did see was rubbish. Fireguards that Hector Grey would have given away! When it came to me, I gave her my strip and she seemed confused. It was then I realised all the prizes were gone. She went off and came back with a Photo Ireland book. On reflection it was probably a far better prize. I don't know what I would have done with the other stuff. They had 12 rubbish prizes. What I'm wondering is why didn't they spend the money on one decent prize?<br />
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So my lasting impression from a supposedly premier event had nothing to do with photography but with the bad organisation, cheap impression and the rudeness of Irish people. That's one I'll be giving a miss next year. On another note I only saw one other DCC member there.<br />
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<br />Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-50512992319717380042012-08-10T12:27:00.001+01:002012-08-10T12:29:35.139+01:00Back in the saddle ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yep, it's been a while. Again.<br />
Partly because of some turmoil in my personal life and partly because writing about shoots that I do or other photography related subjects usually involves mentioning people and it's not always positive or of interest to those of you who read this blog and speaking about people in less than glowing terms can also attract more turmoil! But enough of this. I don't live in Syria. I don't have a mortgage. I have a few genuine friends. Etc. So happy days.<br />
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The photograph above has been in the planning stage somewhere in my complex brain for over a year. It's probably not art or acceptable by those whose photography seeks to represent something esoteric but it's mine and I'm happy with it. Could it be improved? Of course, but first let me tell you about it.<br />
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I had the idea in my head (as I said) over a year ago. The idea sprang from me falling into the trap of 'judging a book by the cover' on a few occasions - something I always tried not to do had felt like I had let myself down when I did. I have judged a few people without actually knowing the truth. However, to my credit I hope, I had allowed that my judgement might need to be adjusted and it had, and I did.<br />
I wanted a way to show this in a photograph and a humorous version of it germinated in my brain where the people who 'judge' would be represented by pink, clean, elegant ballerinas and the person being judged would be the antithesis represented by a Goth or a punk who had a desire to dance but retain their individuality.<br />
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I had lined up a number of 'girls' (anyone younger than me is a lad or a girl) to do the shot. Unfortunately whenever I tried to organise the shoot there were always a list of excuses - not reasons - for not doing it. I couldn't get them to let me know what leotards, tutus, ballet shoes they had so I could co-ordinate the colour. Organising everyone to be free at the same time was almost impossible. Looking for a place to shoot was similarly almost impossible. So after several failed attempts I decided to stop frustrating myself and park it away for another day.<br />
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Recently, a girl I know (Rebecca Flynn) who is not only a ballet dancer but also teaches ballet asked me if I would take photographs for her website. We agreed a deal part of which involved me being allowed to take my 'ballet' photo at the shoot. We discussed what kind of shots she and I wanted from the shoot and then the logistics began.<br />
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A shot like this is 90% technical and logistical and 10% photography.<br />
We knew the shots we wanted. Some were rejected because they relied to a large degree on the beautiful location for effect. The ideal setting for the shot would have been a dance studio with white walls and dance bars and maybe mirrors. The reality was that the ones that were available cost more than we were prepared to pay or were too far from the majority of the children's homes. So, eventually, Rebecca found a school hall that more or less met our compromise of the ideal.<br />
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Next was my gear. I needed a white background. Luckily I have a Pro360 kit that consists of two stands and 4 interlocking poles that form a bar that a large background roll can fit on with room to spare. I also had a cheap roll of whit background purchased from Poland that is a curious material. I haven't quite figured out what it is but it looks like a weave material that has been plasticised. It behaves more like a bed sheet than paper or vinyl but at about €10 a roll I can afford to throw it out and get more if it tears or gets too dirty.<br />
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I have 4 Bowens units. 1 x 750, 1 x 500 and 2 x 250. I also have a range of umbrellas and softboxes as well as a few other reflectors. For this shoot I used the 250s with shoot-through umbrellas to light the background. I pretty much crossed the units - aimed the flash at the opposite corner of the background to provide more even illumination. The use of the brollies gives soft even light but the position of the brolly on the unit is important. If you install it too far away from the flash tube you can get direct (harsh) light spilling forward onto the floor and your models. You can see this in the picture below.<br />
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Moving the brollies nearer the flash tube means the tube is more or less behind the brolly and most of the light that is important to the shot is diffused. You can see the difference below.<br />
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I also use the 250s at full power. I set my camera at ISO 160 and want to have my background almost at complete white (255 in binary). That is assuming I am shooting at f8 to f11. If I take a reading with my flash meter at the background it should read f16 which is about 1.5 to 2 stops overexposed in relation to the aperture I'm going to shoot at. I have two ways of checking my background exposure besides using the meter. One is a feature on the Canon camera that, when switched on, will flash alternately black then white if it's overexposed. This can be useful even when you've used the meter because there may be a hotspot you haven't seen. The second way is more related to the model. I ask him/her to hold a piece of white towelling, make an exposure and check it on the view screen on the back of the camera, zoomed in as close as it will allow to see if the towelling has texture. If it's overexposed the texture will be missing. If it's correct it will be white but with texture. Simples!<br />
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So the two units at the back are lighting the background and some of the forground. Now I use either the 500 or 750 with an octobox. Because of its size it gives a lovely soft light and virtually no shadows but I don't normally use this as a key light. I treat it as a fill. My key light will be either the 500 or 750 with a beauty dish. This reflector is somewhere between a harsh reflector and a softbox. It consists of a slightly matte surface (probably sandblasted) reflector but also has a second small reflector that is situated in front of the flash tube. This prevents a hot spot and harsh light getting to your subject and reflects the light into the matte surface of the larger reflector. I sometime use this on a flash unit in front of a large softbox when I'm doing a portrait. The combination gives me soft light with areas like the nose, cheek bones, collar bones, etc., given a 'pop' by the beauty dish. So the octobox and beauty dish are both set to give me f8.<br />
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This arrangement worked well for me. I also got a bonus from the setup. Because I had 4 units all pointing at a white background I now had a giant softbox. I didn't realise this until I turned around and found a group of the children were lined up along the opposite wall watching what I was doing and interacting with each other. I wondered ..... I increased the ISO to 400, took a quick shot and, based on the histogram, increased the aperture to f5.6. Later I adjusted the exposure in post processing by 1/3 stop but not bad.<br />
The shots have a warm tone to them that I like (luckily) and I think it might be a reflection of the wooden floor. Extra bonus.<br />
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So, my shot.<br />
I needed a small group of scared ballerinas reacting to the presence of a scary ballerina and one of the little girls pushing her somewhat reluctant adult teacher to make her leave. The first hurdle was the background was not wide enough but I knew that I had figured on making two exposures. The point to watch out for here is perspective. If you shoot the two shots from the same point it will be wrong. The brain will know it is wrong even if it doesn't understand why. If the people in the shot are 20-25 feet apart (about 8 metres) the angle you shoot the people on the left will be significantly different from the angle you shoot the people on the right. So when you're doing two exposures you need to compensate by shooting the 'left' people from the right and the 'right' people from the left. Confused? Take a look at the diagrams below.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lDqQrhsM-vBCInS-WK_b00z3oMreMZFOY7KuI7GXpX8z-iKDwD9OhHK8DJtuk4wkdiSeiXhdEosi5nbJo4E6TObI6v567B_t03mr8HD3OCBsbl-oJkt-RAsjxhpcKDfJb1I0yQXeba2h/s1600/Perspective.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lDqQrhsM-vBCInS-WK_b00z3oMreMZFOY7KuI7GXpX8z-iKDwD9OhHK8DJtuk4wkdiSeiXhdEosi5nbJo4E6TObI6v567B_t03mr8HD3OCBsbl-oJkt-RAsjxhpcKDfJb1I0yQXeba2h/s400/Perspective.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ideal situation</td></tr>
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The diagram above shows the ideal situation. I'm using cubes with a groove in the top surface in place of people. The background they are sitting on is as wide as I need and the three views below the camera show what the camera would see. from the viewpoint of the camera, the groove face of the left block is on the left and the right block is on the right.<br />
But unfortunately my background paper is not wide enough so I must shoot in two stages. To maintain the correct perspective above I must shoot to maintain the point of view the camera had above.<br />
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So with the real size of background I shoot the left and centre block from the correct angle to mimic the ideal setup and ......<br />
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shoot the right and centre block from the opposite angle.<br />
That means when I put the two photos together I have the correct angles of the subjects that obeys the laws of perspective.<br />
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<br />
The second hurdle is to NOT rely on your subjects understanding the technical logistics of what you're attempting to do. Explain - yes. So I needed interaction between the children and the baddie. So when I was shooting the children and the adult ballerina (Rebecca) I asked Kay to stand off to the side of the background so as to give them something to react to. Similarly when I was shooting Kay, I had Rebecca stand in so Kay had somebody to play to.<br />
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Posing and knowing when to stop is the next hurdle.<br />
Originally I had the child pushing Rebecca and Rebecca was stepping forward as though she was really being pushed. I changed that to her being anchored to the floor as though she too was a little scared of Kay and was resisting being pushed into a confrontation. Rebecca (I believe) is used to taking direction and was a pleasure to work with. The little girl doing the pushing was brilliant.<br />
The other girls were grouped in a circle (my instruction) and it looked static so I asked them to pretend they were afraid of Kay and hug each other in fear. Born actresses!<br />
Kay is performer and also a model so is used to posing. She listens to what I say, takes it in and gives me more poses than I ask for. All I had to do was tweak the pose I wanted and she nailed it. Attitude!<br />
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I later took the two selected shots, put them together separated by space I wanted and then blended the hard edge using a layer mask filled with a black to white gradient.<br />
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No, it's not art. It's a picture that has produced raised eyebrows of delighted surprise and smiles. It's an original idea (for me) and it took planning, expertise and hard work. Could it be improved? Of course. I'm satisfied ....... for now.Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-3538579363076846502011-11-16T21:25:00.001+00:002011-11-16T21:25:58.270+00:00Imitation or InspirationAs many of you know already, I am a big fan of <a href="http://www.vincentobyrne.com/index.html" target="blank">Vincent O'Byrne's</a> photography. His fantasy images prompted me to experiment in Photoshop (Elements) and produce images of my own.<br />
I first saw him in Drogheda Camera Club where he gave a presentation. His opening words (and I paraphrase) were something like: "If anyone has any problems with nude images or images portraying religious content then they should leave now." Nobody left and I was intrigued.<br />
<br />
He showed us a series of stamps he had created that he used as a cathartic tool to purge his angst about the religious community and his school time. On their own, the images were incredible. When he explained that he had hidden relevant texts and symbols in his images and went thorough some of them, I was blown away.<br />
<br />
He was also generous with the technical aspects of how he had produced his images.<br />
He showed how he extracts a subject from his original image for use in other backgrounds. He also showed a simple technique for creating a glowing mist around a person in an image. I did some searching on the Internet after that and learned more about him.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0v2I1dF9kjYE-SEUVoTHwOMlw5JLPwYz0gR50eerA2wfnjkET-vgXvI6cUyI7OELOGPqVBF5bd9ax2840tJwqLqPWh7DJcuytd8FSRlhxEFmOTcNqfTQe3YLvnkZBiIBvxt1Uk07bcBS/s1600/7850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0v2I1dF9kjYE-SEUVoTHwOMlw5JLPwYz0gR50eerA2wfnjkET-vgXvI6cUyI7OELOGPqVBF5bd9ax2840tJwqLqPWh7DJcuytd8FSRlhxEFmOTcNqfTQe3YLvnkZBiIBvxt1Uk07bcBS/s320/7850.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The first image I created from scratch is the one above. It was the first time I had imagined an end image and planned how I was going to do it. At the time I was aware of several guys I knew who had been dazzled by new girlfriends. They had changed completely. It was almost like they had been infected by the love bug. And that was my inspiration for the photo above.<br />
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I bought a mannequin head, borrowed the daughter of a friend of mine and went to work in my kitchen. Then, days later I emerged from my computer room with a print in my hand and a proud look on my face. In hindsight, the photo is not brilliant but I had used a myriad of new techniques I had never used before including making the mannequin change its expression to fear and inserting my own eyes in place of the blank ones he had.<br />
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I printed it, mounted it, titled it "Love Bug" and entered it into a competition in Drogheda Camera Club which was judged by no less a person than Sean Casey. All the photos were arranged around the meeting room while he went from one to the next and made his comments on what was right and wrong and how improvements could be made. When he got to mine, he stopped, paused for a while and said "I have no idea what is going on this photographer's mind", scored it low and moved on.<br />
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Yep, I was a bit deflated.<br />
<br />
In the years to come I did more in the lines of stage, portraits and art nude photography but I always hankered to do some fantasy work. I don't know why I didn't. It might have been that remark that Sean had made - I don't really know. I did some setups with models but nearly always fell short of producing anything because of lack of backgrounds or ability.<br />
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Earlier this year, I was asked by a member of the DCC Council who I would have on my wishlist of guest speakers. Vincent O'Byrne was top of my list. In May my wish was granted and Vincent made his presentation about how there was a formula that guaranteed success in creating winning photos. It was a brilliant night. Superb images, witty conversation and a great insight into the creative process he uses. From that night on, I had in the back of my mind to 'do' a VOB fantasy photo. So recently, a friend of mine Lily Greibere who works as a MUA but also works with me to produce some art nude images was happy to pose for this shot I wanted to do in Vincent O'Byrne style. The photograph was based on one of his classic images - you can view it on his <a href="http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/18966836#18966836" target="blank">Model Mayhem page</a>.<br />
As usual the image from the shoot was left in cold storage for a while but I dug it out and started work.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeD7g1GnhTOFeW6NEWCJBGuF6qmBznZ1LIjEHpVqjklCAMS9eDqv-1pH7yqtLnMTRxubLxIV0bJbdRw7T50Zn6lrYAxykWnc4AzfDyM8IVw2E7g2P1XOxDG6S9R3ujKNIncUZZ77SX3Dr/s1600/_MG_0617Nom2aFB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeD7g1GnhTOFeW6NEWCJBGuF6qmBznZ1LIjEHpVqjklCAMS9eDqv-1pH7yqtLnMTRxubLxIV0bJbdRw7T50Zn6lrYAxykWnc4AzfDyM8IVw2E7g2P1XOxDG6S9R3ujKNIncUZZ77SX3Dr/s640/_MG_0617Nom2aFB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Lily was shot in the Dublin Camera Club studio on a black background, a hard floor (sorry Lily) and a large softbox on a boom (mine) directly over her. In the original her hand and her feet project beyond the paper and there are two light stands plainly visible. The background is a shot taken from my bedroom years ago with my Canon 10D of a sunset.<br />
I used a slew of techniques to produce the final image that are too complicated to explain here but they included masks, gradients, dodge and burn, 'screen' layer blending and more.<br />
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I also did a version in monochrome with a warm tint:<br />
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Yes, it will definitely be going into the Dublin Camera Club monthly competition (December 2011). The only question is which one - colour or mono?<br />
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I wanted to make it viewable to a wider public but because I have more or less imitated Vincent's photo I felt it would be unfair to make it public without reference to him. Making reference to him required me to contact him and let him know my intentions and ask his approval. Recent acts of plagiarism that I am aware of have generated severe reactions and a lot of debate. I would say it would be almost impossible to take thousands of photographs and not find someone somewhere else in the world had a similar idea. <br />
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So I sent him a link to the photos and an explanation and asked for his approval.<br />
Then I sat back and waited ......<br />
But not for long. A couple of hours later I checked my Facebook mail and got the following:<br />
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<em>"Hi Paul, no problems whatsoever. Delighted that some of my images in some way inspired you to create ths image. It is quite beautiful. Off you go...the very best, Vinnie"</em><br />
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So with Vinnie's approval .....Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-32357853589085770062011-10-26T08:29:00.000+01:002011-10-26T08:29:43.421+01:00Jerry Springer the Opera part IISo ........<br />
Last Sunday I went to the Helix to the Jerry Springer the Opera rehearsals.<br />
I had been asked to take a photograph of the cast and not to make it look like a school hall group shot. It turned out to be a long day. The rehearsal went on and on and on and on .....<br />
Eventually at about 7pm (5 hours later) and the exhausted cast had just finished a half hour later than they were meant to, I got to set up my photo. Hmmmm.<br />
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It was quick. Helped by Lily Greibere, I set up two shots. They weren't quite what I had envisaged but time wasn't on my side. I set up a large octagon in front of the stage and set the power to give me a meter reading of f16 so as to get enough depth of field. I was using a 24-70mm lens but couldn't be quite sure what focal length I'd be using because of the number of people that would be in the photo.<br />
I had Lily hold a 'speedlite' set manually to a narrow angle and at a power to produce f16 to add a little extra punch to Simon Delaney (who plays Jerry Springer) who would be the centre of attention.<br />
In addition I put two more 'speedlites' on either side at the back to give some lighting to the heads.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I asked the chorus not to look at the camera but look at Simon but to give me some attitude hence the facial expressions and the single and double-finger salutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The shot was not how I had envisaged it. I had figured Simon to be more prominent in the photo and the chorus to be all behind him. Logistically this was almost impossible in practical terms due to the number of people - luckily some of them were missing! If I had tweaked it the way I wanted it I probably would not only have lost more the chorus but also Simon as well, but to be fair everyone was very co-operative.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Having shot the chorus, I then wanted a setup with the principals.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Again, time had its way and one principal had to leave early. I quickly tried to set up the characters to represent something of what they did in the opera but without any help from anybody knowledgeable this was kind of sketchy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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The picture is far from perfect. There is little dimension to it - flat lighting. The trio on the right are much nearer to the camera than the group on the left and so dominate the photo instead of Simon. It can be hard to manhandle people!<br />
I did have flare from the two 'speedlites' in the shot which looked okay on the back of the camera but there was a significant gap between the one on the left and the girl which made the shot look unbalanced so I had to crop the one on the left out of the shot.<br />
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So what did I learn?<br />
When I'm asked to do a shot like this by another group I will ask to have the shoot put in the schedule with time alloted. I do shoots for two other companies and they always treat my photography as part of the production. Time is needed to do the shoot and modify it until it's right.<br />
Discuss the ideas for the shoot beforehand so that there is a definite plan of what the pictures are to achieve.<br />
Get the producer (and maybe the choreographer) to lend assistance to organising the people.<br />
<br />
And to finish, here are some of the other pictures I took of a previous rehearsal .....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdDVNhgliuvUTCffYMBgUgeYm-2w0isgxMli-1aj-6I6wZaiwckz5MgOWMiXCe2HB0JDVah-g6FclWhAb8idmZS5qfTitAYPwNXdUM7G4kXn8hIjKkdck5qOdD1W8zuoF-utZlIhoABP8/s1600/Panorama1LoRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="37" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdDVNhgliuvUTCffYMBgUgeYm-2w0isgxMli-1aj-6I6wZaiwckz5MgOWMiXCe2HB0JDVah-g6FclWhAb8idmZS5qfTitAYPwNXdUM7G4kXn8hIjKkdck5qOdD1W8zuoF-utZlIhoABP8/s320/Panorama1LoRes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-67627195645195084722011-10-22T21:58:00.001+01:002011-10-22T22:16:48.221+01:00Jerry Springer the OperaI've been taking photos of rehearsals for the production "Jerry Springer the Opera" over the last couple of weeks. This is a controversial 'show' based on the Jerry Springer Show that caused enough outrage in the States when it was first aired and is still generating anger amongst some since the program is still running.<br />
The script of this show is set in Hell and there are appearances by (people playing the parts of) Jesus, Satan, God and Mary to name a few. Needless to say the four-letter words and their relatives are sprinkled liberally throughout and even mixed in (comically) with music.<br />
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The first session was in the 'Blue Room' at the Helix. First impressions? There was virtually no light. There were some lights but they seemed to directed towards the walls so the lighting on the people there was reflected. I like to blend into the background when I photograph rehearsals and flash is out of the question. So I was left with no choice but to shoot at high ISO speeds. I started at 1600 ISO and found I was running out of aperture or shutter speed. In my attempts to keep on top of the changing lighting situation I gave up shooting manual, bumped the ISO up to 6400, set the shutter speed to 1/125 sec, changed to mono (still in RAW tho') and let the aperture float.<br />
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Some of the results are below ....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDNBx3sV4nGuxMLPRqTU4W9CYi_ozOBnvoDBBxTw_Jh2n2WVUP470cnpuZDo5SeWUDQiNoV-Q7EQMNZWrakp11w53cYiR6fnibSTsnO38trnCrBHq1WWC25Xs79PxykhOy4ssP8zXXTs4/s1600/_MG_2458-02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDNBx3sV4nGuxMLPRqTU4W9CYi_ozOBnvoDBBxTw_Jh2n2WVUP470cnpuZDo5SeWUDQiNoV-Q7EQMNZWrakp11w53cYiR6fnibSTsnO38trnCrBHq1WWC25Xs79PxykhOy4ssP8zXXTs4/s320/_MG_2458-02.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is one of my favourite shots. I was using the mirrors to reasonably good effect but there were distortions and joints so not perfect. I saw the cast line up in front of the mirror wall and had taken a shot from behind ...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaKzBCZ6N0s8ov_Ht-PnJQOYQR4RzcUCZDQM44zUWMbSVM_TXqVzlR7BxZksJ-UHLZM8r7ILhZOJpVK9Uzp9Fu1x0EmTQ6_iJrIsUFFjMCsEGHL_5zhRnMP-KbiNMfOMHTdILMOTqwwFu/s1600/_MG_2455-03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaKzBCZ6N0s8ov_Ht-PnJQOYQR4RzcUCZDQM44zUWMbSVM_TXqVzlR7BxZksJ-UHLZM8r7ILhZOJpVK9Uzp9Fu1x0EmTQ6_iJrIsUFFjMCsEGHL_5zhRnMP-KbiNMfOMHTdILMOTqwwFu/s320/_MG_2455-03.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.... that I did like but wondered what a shot from the side would look like. Ideally I would have liked it better if the Producer (standing) and the choreographer (ironically sitting) were reversed. This would have had more of the people, including the choregorapher, looking in my direction. Still, I'll take what I can get.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another shot I got involved the mirror and as far as I know the subject wasn't aware I was taking it. The other person in the photo obviously was!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWePMHGq2FqhSWRPwK0wrey8zTgGC6Pa8iMyBkuRsZPox_wbUKPx3pH4pVEy9sFsOh4gXSflPletpqAsctHEzxE8Q2UBJu9bO2bfS-gWVhWxJFI4WUrRgybFyRpgK-fCiOv9wyr1i459g/s1600/_MG_2401-02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWePMHGq2FqhSWRPwK0wrey8zTgGC6Pa8iMyBkuRsZPox_wbUKPx3pH4pVEy9sFsOh4gXSflPletpqAsctHEzxE8Q2UBJu9bO2bfS-gWVhWxJFI4WUrRgybFyRpgK-fCiOv9wyr1i459g/s320/_MG_2401-02.JPG" width="226" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Note the tried and trusted camera hold guaranteed to assist the IS capabilities of the Canon lens. However this requires liberal use of anti perspirant on at least one armpit! :-)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAGL_7NoBoCfbZlfLpXq_yyIOYojCuJQx5kBYfdGuUZPjXXvC9RPI0OfqqRbsrCqOva8lOdHuPvYx3sBWsqHfgwSrgcOhU4RckpMHNnfReM7nqmNZexAiDlTfXGGsqQQJorCN73wvT8su/s1600/_MG_2513-01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAGL_7NoBoCfbZlfLpXq_yyIOYojCuJQx5kBYfdGuUZPjXXvC9RPI0OfqqRbsrCqOva8lOdHuPvYx3sBWsqHfgwSrgcOhU4RckpMHNnfReM7nqmNZexAiDlTfXGGsqQQJorCN73wvT8su/s320/_MG_2513-01.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>And my last favourite shot of the producer (John Donnelly) and 'Jerry Springer' (Simon Delaney) having a laugh together.<br />
More shots are available to view on my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.111635668944052.19089.100002928575817&type=1" target="blank">Facebook page</a>. So how would I judge my own photos? They wouldn't do well in a competition. Blown out highlights, blocked up blacks, high contrast, noisy. All the technical ingredients that would put them at the bottom of the pile. Very few would stand on their own without context. But .... while I was taking the photos for my own portfolio, the style suited what it was - the gritty background to putting on the magic of a stage performance. I'm glad to say that the 'style' also impressed the producer and graphic artist and a selection of photos will appear in the programme.<br />
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More photos to come. I've done a second set of rehearsal photos and I have to take a shot of the whole cast (50+) and not make it look like a 'school hall photo'.Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-67169985577981818812011-10-13T16:09:00.001+01:002011-10-13T16:13:21.763+01:00It's all about me!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU8syDcLJO3MYwIsbaKFxFkF5LmZ4YpRbWwphqB-NLz9o9YmHEAGJ3_hGGt-tnDsILVl9Z-Ky0aZMPikwrvZbomAK4yJykVl_nP6l-R3ELbCPhd_T9p-nr9hAIEXzok7eNCzKsPrs_anr/s1600/_MG_2726-01b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU8syDcLJO3MYwIsbaKFxFkF5LmZ4YpRbWwphqB-NLz9o9YmHEAGJ3_hGGt-tnDsILVl9Z-Ky0aZMPikwrvZbomAK4yJykVl_nP6l-R3ELbCPhd_T9p-nr9hAIEXzok7eNCzKsPrs_anr/s320/_MG_2726-01b.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br />
It's October and in the <a href="http://www.dublincameraclub.ie/" target="blank">Dublin Camera Club</a> this means the start of the Winter League where members are invited to submit 2 colour prints, 2 mono prints and 2 digital images (colour or mono) each month until February. There are three levels - Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.<br />
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In each month, the entries are judged by an external judge and points are awarded out of 50. At the end of the competition the person with the most marks wins! Simples!<br />
The club retains the top 10% of each month for a "best of the best" in March.<br />
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The competition attracts a lot of entries and is keenly followed by all. I have done well in the past especially when I was in the Intermediate section. There's some new blood in the club these days and they are stirring the status quo. It's amusing when some of the judges remark that some entries in the beginners' section would have beaten those in the advanced.<br />
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I was a bit pushed for time this month but still managed to enter in all three sections.<br />
I had one entry in the mono section and two in the digital section. The judging of those two sections was last Tuesday and I scored two 42s and one 47. I wasn't overly surprised at the 42 marks but was secretly chuffed at the 47 since it was a self-portrait.<br />
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I had been in the studio waiting hopefully for my subject to turn up but, because of some communication confusion (mainly my fault), she didn't turn up so I spent a few hours tidying up the studio and 'playing' with the studio flash to educate myself.<br />
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On previous studio session I had been know to use 6 studio flashes - too complicated! I decided I'd go back to the old army adage KISS - don't just keep it simple; Keep It Simple Stupid.<br />
I went back to one light and a reflector.<br />
Here's the setup ....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHg__IP3DHTBXIeQvJe8zHTFSIO4E3vHcnFuL890JinFh4LUPaQw00bKwZlxmFLmxB9tXvXqDadIv0VqY7hay_1ve9TRvxXmsjwUB4O81SwE2535MXKa_NY8T1jZLOSgk2_R8xd8ixDLRW/s1600/_MG_2737-05aWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHg__IP3DHTBXIeQvJe8zHTFSIO4E3vHcnFuL890JinFh4LUPaQw00bKwZlxmFLmxB9tXvXqDadIv0VqY7hay_1ve9TRvxXmsjwUB4O81SwE2535MXKa_NY8T1jZLOSgk2_R8xd8ixDLRW/s320/_MG_2737-05aWeb.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
One Bowens unit on camera left with a 'kill-spill' reflector and a shoot-through umbrella. On it's own there was two much shadow on the far side of my face so I set up a reflector of sorts - in this case a softbox that I positioned pretty close to my face to get the balance between the key and fill to 2 stops difference..<br />
I kept the key light pretty close to me so that the light falloff at the white background was almost black, actually a dark grey.<br />
<br />
I'm not advocating that everyone should adopt this as the standard to use but I'm thinking that it's not a bad place to start to build on.Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-81173239734380762722011-09-08T15:04:00.003+01:002011-09-09T00:42:39.962+01:00Facebook deleted me!I've been a user of Facebook now for a few years. It has been the only social network Internet site that I could relate to and felt comfortable using from an intuitive viewpoint. I had dabbled with Bebo and one or two others but couldn't get to grips with them and the interfaces felt "amateur" - as though I had created it myself!<br />
I became a member of Flickr (still am) but got tired of the constant use of superlatives on EVERY photograph regardless of quality and also found out a few people had deleted "friends" from their lists if they said anything remotely negative. Might be good for some sheep but I'm an individual who doesn't like plámás and likes to speak my mind.<br />
<br />
Two Facebook friends of mine were recently deleted. Both women. Both very nice people. Both very much individuals. Both progressive and positive. One was deleted for having risque photos of herself on Facebook. It was, and is, part of her business and lifestyle but it appears someone didn't like her and her photos and was determined to have her punished. The fact that her business depended to a significant degree on her Facebook page didn't seem to matter. She found out how to contact Facebook personnel and despite repeated requests for reasons for her account being deleted and an appeal to have her account reinstated she was more or less ignored.<br />
My second friend found she had been the victim of a sordid piece of work who hired models for art nude work - mainly for sketching/drawing - but was secretly making videos of them. It also happened to a friend of hers. She used Facebook to warn others. She reported it to the Gardai. Guess what? The Gardai gave her the run-around for a week or so before telling her they "couldn't do anything". And Facebook? Her account was deleted.<br />
<br />
So ...... me?<br />
Every time I photograph a model I ask her to allow me to take a photo of the two of us standing side by side. Initially it was for my private portfolio. I'm 64. I have more days behind me than I have in front of me. At some stage, whether due to age or finances, I may not be able to take photographs of models and this would be a nice collection to look back on.<br />
I give them the option to pose with me me nude or full-clothed. Most have posed fully-clothed. Some have posed nude or nearly nude. Recently I took some of those photos that had a humorous touch to them and started to post them (with permission) on Facebook as my profile pics.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnE9fYHeusAOzcdf4oba4f_3AiO-BJLSKIdSjeS7QAbAHaGbggAyasQTNiWSBe6NxQd803H6TBk3zcjG6EtZolZkl7pHqriapYKGHKPaa0GGFuD-NnKsjFfb8v7G92GSAlhWHd2SwrcQM/s1600/_MG_9917-01RS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnE9fYHeusAOzcdf4oba4f_3AiO-BJLSKIdSjeS7QAbAHaGbggAyasQTNiWSBe6NxQd803H6TBk3zcjG6EtZolZkl7pHqriapYKGHKPaa0GGFuD-NnKsjFfb8v7G92GSAlhWHd2SwrcQM/s320/_MG_9917-01RS.JPG" width="184" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The photo above was one of my first. As usual I poke more fun at myself than anything else.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgNykfHdB0I3zSoclIKnLjLIjIa8zcieYRDFppZ8bcO4wBXTM2t8e573PmAVrBsaM_Fd1NILBdCuboy2l_NOnJ4O-IYQSpB9c_lpqzU2SG4SvrvhgjVVGOu_neDZ0kOtlnl6A-c9E5WOL/s1600/_MG_3439-01aFB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgNykfHdB0I3zSoclIKnLjLIjIa8zcieYRDFppZ8bcO4wBXTM2t8e573PmAVrBsaM_Fd1NILBdCuboy2l_NOnJ4O-IYQSpB9c_lpqzU2SG4SvrvhgjVVGOu_neDZ0kOtlnl6A-c9E5WOL/s320/_MG_3439-01aFB.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next one (above) was a little more daring. The idea came from requests in the Dublin Camera Club (where I am a member) to sit in on my art nude shoots. I felt that these requests were coming from people who were nervous about a naked woman standing in front of a guy with a camera and not getting his face slapped. The atmosphere at these shoots is anything but tense. It's very clinical and relaxed and any sexual tension would come about after the model puts on her clothes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, 2 of the 3 models knew that I took shots of 'me and the model' and I asked if the three would agree to a funny twist on a threesome art nude shoot where they were in the background and I was oblivious to them, on the phone - probably to my wife telling her I was still busy at work. They agreed. We did the shot. I posted it on Facebook. It got a few laughs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tuesday of this week (September 6th) I had a great shoot with a UK model called Ivory Flame (real name Holly) and told her of my humorous 'me and the model' shots. Would she be up for it? I gave her my idea. She gave me hers. Hers was better so we went with it. The idea was that she is famous for being an art nude model and I was being portrayed as being very nonchalant about having her draped on my shoulder. If you had seen the 5 minutes before and after the shot it was no more exciting than watching the news! Holly checked the shots after we had done them to be sure they would be Facebook friendly - no female bits on show.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I posted it (see below) yesterday as my profile picture and got great comments.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNk6UM08v7RvR3jdOiU4L-a-ZHeGtQGozr-hNr_h8Qrpa2sse6dTKU2jxtFBgHvFO4BHQbgfUB1X1myd_wDNXpmY06uPEUVj7tRWQkMwlcV_Zp3tidL0lAN0WnCoIwjkyGqV45mvD1ZXMP/s1600/_MG_2310-01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNk6UM08v7RvR3jdOiU4L-a-ZHeGtQGozr-hNr_h8Qrpa2sse6dTKU2jxtFBgHvFO4BHQbgfUB1X1myd_wDNXpmY06uPEUVj7tRWQkMwlcV_Zp3tidL0lAN0WnCoIwjkyGqV45mvD1ZXMP/s320/_MG_2310-01.JPG" width="191" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This morning I was about to go through 240 photos I had put in a private album for an entertainer to make choices from when my account just disappeared. No warning. Just left me with a login page. I'm kind of used to this. Facebook dumps me out of its pages and I have to log in again. I always thought this was something to do with privacy or security so this time I thought it was the same.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nope.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I got warnings. Optimistically I figured there would be a path to Facebook personnel somewhere along the line where I could question the account deletion and also appeal it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nope.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nothing. No avenues out of the situation. Just dumped. What I found even more disturbing later was that all traces of me seem to have vanished as well. My comments on other's pages - gone! Like I never existed. I'm assuming anyone who used some of my photos for their profile pics will find them gone as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The realisation of what that meant began to dawn on me. I could live with losing all my private messages, friends' list, and most of my photos but some people had based their work schedules on me and Facebook was a big part of that. So my immediate reaction was anger at the arrogance of them. Very dictatorial. Reminded me of '1984' and 'Enemy of the State'. With the lack of responses from Facebook in these situations there lie the seeds of rumour and for people to make unchallenged statements. One of the reasons often quoted for deletion is that someone has complained about a page. I find this more realistic than the idea that there are Facebook police trawling the pages looking for illicit material. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What's bothering me is that I can't find any rules governing what is allowed or not allowed on Facebook. If it's there it is well hidden. I have found a few Internet sites but again, there's a lot of hearsay on forums which is not definitive.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I realised from my two friends' similar situations that there was little point in ranting about it and wasting energy in futility so I took the opportunity to create a new profile and do some friend-culling along the way. Ha ha! Facebook got me again. I added a few friends pretty quickly and that generated a list of possible others. I thought this was briliant. Facebook was making it easier for me to build my friends' list.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nope.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I got a new warning that I was sending unsolicited friends' requests and there was reference to "not knowing them". While I was wondering how I could ask people to be my friend Facebook issued me with a 2-day ban on sending friend requests. I can't be sure - from a fear of causing me more penalties - but I think the ban may also include sending messages. Bummer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So beware fellow Facebookers. They (whoever 'they' are) may just be worse than most people paint those secret government groups. God, I'm turning into a 'anti' person.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Postscript.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What started off as a really bad day got worse when I almost alientated two people I know. Totally unintentional and I put it down to the bad karma that was around. But it got better. My friends rallied around and a particular friend of mine (Jen Murray) started the ball rolling by initiating my friends' list. After that, the word spread and things got better. The cream on the cake was a trip to see a new company called Abstract Theatre Group who put on a musical called "Rent" in the Mermaid Theatre in Bray. An outstanding night. Brilliant show (parallels with La Boheme) and a wonderful cast.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So Facebook, I'm back!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-89781671963707101282011-09-07T03:32:00.001+01:002011-09-07T03:33:05.280+01:00A good dayToday, or to be more precise - yesterday, I had a good day!<br />
I've put off updating this blog for some weeks now because it was to part of my website reconstruction (a big thank you to Bonnie Cullen) and also because I was so busy and didn't want to dash something off just for the sake of putting words here.<br />
<br />
Early morning saw me up at 5am-ish. Takes me a while to get up and even longer to wake up. It takes 2 hours and a bit for me to approach human status where I won't take your head off. :-)<br />
Visited my new Urologist in Beaumont - a long story that would bore you and gross you out at the same. Suffice it to say that everything is working pretty well and there will be a few (unreported) tests in the coming weeks to verify that status. The reason I mention him at all is that my experience of consultants (and I've had a few in the last 20 years) have been quite negative for the most part. This morning was an exception. Friendly, courteous, not patronising, helpful, educational. So the day bode well.<br />
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My next event for the day was a photoshoot with a girl called Ivory Flame (real name Holly) who is just exquisite. Her name describes her perfectly. Red hair and alabaster (perfect) skin. Holly is a very experienced art nude model from the UK who is very aware of how lighting works and how her body works with the lighting and camera. I had photographed her once before at a workshop and was bowled over by how relaxed she was with 6(?) guys in the studio with her and how pleasant and friendly she was, on top of how she seemed to defy physics (including gravity) with her poses.<br />
<br />
She had sent me an e-mail letting me know she was coming over to Ireland for the week and I jumped at the chance to book her for a 4 hour session in the Dublin Camera Club. I was not the only one!<br />
I had also had a chat with my friend Lily and asked her to come with a special makeup for Holly.<br />
Did the session go well? I don't know if most photographers have days where the images in their heads refuse to translate into images in their cameras and studio flashes seem to produce results that are completely foreign to what they had expected. It seemed that was happening to me. I persevered on a few shots and stopped altogether on others because they weren't working and I didn't want to get frustrated and have it affect Holly.<br />
The amazing thing was that Holly actually guided me on a number of occasions into getting the best shots of the day. This should be one of the reasons any photographer who is considering art nude shots should get a professional because, like the ad says on TV, they're worth it.<br />
Lily did an amazing job on the special makeup. I'm amazed at innovative she is and a lot of other virtues that I won't mention here 'cos she will be embarassed and then not talk to me. I'll stop now before I start gushing.<br />
The shoot ended with me having several serviceable shots for the future competitions in the club and my portfolio. Happy chappy.<br />
<br />
The last part of the evening was somewhat special as well.<br />
I had been asked on a few occasions by members of the club if they could sit on one of my art nude sessions. Afraid not. They asked about workshops. Thought about it, discussed it and said no. I wasn't trying to keep secrets but it seemed to me (and another member in the club) that an art nude shoot was 80% about the model and 20% about the photography. Unlike portrait photography there are no defined lighting setups (that I know of) and it's a question of deciding what your want and figuring it out. Also, you don't just take a girl, professional or amateur, and plonk them in a studio, tell them to strip and shoot away with a camera. You will just record a naked model. If that's your bag then you're set but you will become know as the "guy with the camera" not a photographer.<br />
<br />
You need to do your homework. Choose the model to suit what you want to do. Approach the model (usually via email) and ask if she works with amateurs, where she is located, is she available, what her rates or conditions are, etc., etc. There can be pre-shoot meeting where you can show her the types of shots you want to do and she can show you her work and both can discuss what's on and not on.<br />
Communication is important. The day of the shoot has its own protocols and so the list continues.<br />
<br />
I felt that the reluctance of a lot of members to organise their own shoots might be down to fear of the unknown. When you think about it, asking a girl who is a relative stranger to take her clothes off in front of you will probably get your face slapped. Nakedness is also associated with sex - strippers, Page 3 girls, etc. Remember the model is putting herself into a vulnerable position and it is the photographer who has to instil confidence in her (or him) that he (or she) is trustworthy and serious.<br />
<br />
I had a chat with Sarah Burns who is not only a great model but I like to think is a friend of mine. I wondered if she would give a presentation to the Dublin Camera Club about what it's like to do art nude from a model's perspective. We worked on the skeleton of the presentation together and Sarah created a well thought out presentation and gave a friendly and warm talk to the members who in turn had plenty of questions for her. I was delighted on two counts - I'm hopng more will venture into art nude shoots now that they realise the models are human and they have seen the ptifalls that can befall the careless photographer and that the shoot is normally quite clinical and does not reek of sex!<br />
I was also delighted for Sarah to have a wider audience to see the great standard of work that she does.<br />
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Yes, I know. There are no links and no photos. It's late. The adrenaline that was keeping me going has started to fade and I think I might be able to go to bed now and sleep. Links and photos will probably appear over the coming days but don't hold your breath. I still have a lot of work to get through.Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-19492167837208547412011-04-23T22:55:00.000+01:002011-04-23T22:55:17.261+01:00A day in the studio ......I was helping a friend of mine, Eimear, about a week ago with a shoot. I had met her on a fashion photography course I was on (briefly) and she was fretting a bit because she had to produce 5 framed A3 colour fashion photos from scratch. I said I would give her a helping hand from the technical side and bring along some gear she might need if she provided the models and ideas.<br />
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The day was a reasonable success and I was impressed with one of the girls (Thabi) who had agreed to model. I asked her if she would consider a photo session in the club studio and she agreed. Eimear, who had provided all the clothes and shoes for the shoot and whose real passion is to be a stylist asked if she could style the shoot. Now I'm a bloke. I'm Irish and, like the majority of men, have a red/green deficiency in my eyesight as well as an inability to recognise what's fashionable or what colour-coordinates with what. So a girl offering to do all this for me was great.<br />
<br />
We shot a few e-mails back and forth and met up last Thursday afternoon, albeit a bit late, in the studio.<br />
Having seen Thabi in action for Eimear's shoot I wanted to do a high key fashion shot myself and then do some low key which is what I like most.<br />
I used to light high key with two lights on either side of the white background at the wall and then light the model separately from the front. I always got variable results and would spend a lot of time in post processing eliminating the shadows and getting the background white again. I went to a free tutorial in <a href="http://www.dml.ie/">DML</a> last year where the most useful thing I learned was how to light a white background with ONE light.<br />
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The setup is relatively simple. I have a photograph of the setup below.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIIfU03_5Lw4eo8iSk-U9KucJ5A81XCztMVai_34k3eUEuhgf6VjJMD2kSQpSkjsFlpefOU_f_WlsPyJcngHfEPIdMQv8O9OFRD0fL5sIfY_hRmTJEI85wwu5k6kfSmSmu55doh-A6V3c/s1600/_MG_9313-00a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIIfU03_5Lw4eo8iSk-U9KucJ5A81XCztMVai_34k3eUEuhgf6VjJMD2kSQpSkjsFlpefOU_f_WlsPyJcngHfEPIdMQv8O9OFRD0fL5sIfY_hRmTJEI85wwu5k6kfSmSmu55doh-A6V3c/s400/_MG_9313-00a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The idea is to bounce the light from the flash at the ceiling which bounces off the veritical section of the background and down and forward onto the floor. A few caveats to this setup are: I have used a Bowens 750 at almost full power. A 500 would be about the lowest power you could go. The second is you need that reflector I have which is described as "A high performance reflector" (Bowens # BW 1878) which is shaped to concentrate the light. The next is a barn door to prevent spill hitting the model's face and/or the top of the background roll. The last is the positioning and angle of the flash. The picture above was my initial position which I changed and moved it closer to the back wall and changed the angle.<br />
I normally set the power to get an incident reading (with the invercone) on the flash meter of f16. I set the camera to f8 (maybe f8 +1/2 stop) and check the histogram and highlight blowout warning on the camera adjusting the flash power if necessary.<br />
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The rest of the setup is probably more easily seen in the sketch below:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrbOipnSu8QBfVFcRKpeSHaxDJD1SLhz_9xHLZjCBa7qHZ15O57Jqm-g19Hb6OTgnFLdadDzXEXAITLQXLEq0X5ufmAE12wrCNpLK0xV4qaD1sG8NwiC5iygHJhsxxO6oqEdj4V_7uK2m/s1600/Lighting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrbOipnSu8QBfVFcRKpeSHaxDJD1SLhz_9xHLZjCBa7qHZ15O57Jqm-g19Hb6OTgnFLdadDzXEXAITLQXLEq0X5ufmAE12wrCNpLK0xV4qaD1sG8NwiC5iygHJhsxxO6oqEdj4V_7uK2m/s640/Lighting.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
You can see the background is lit by the flash angled to the ceiling. I've coloured it yellow to make it distinguishable from the rest. The model is (key)lit by a softbox set to f8. This softbox is set high enough to give a more natural light and create some shadow - a bit like butterfly lighting. Similar to butterfly lighting I use a second softbox (smaller) on the floor to give some lighting to the floor in front of the model, the models legs and feet and to fill some of the shadow caused by the key light.<br />
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And the end result is ......<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpqV5yJqZFFC6q9dEocZzFAS_sVt6Ovzg9yWY4aurDJjHEJY2CAJpkr8UMU5KJJNV2ELDVr2BXvcfDkcWSvzvtf8hFeo5b8Od5pdV230xNRTBgFUiQrKzxvPIG4mpEOOhiarMUuVrnpuV/s1600/_MG_9329-01aRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpqV5yJqZFFC6q9dEocZzFAS_sVt6Ovzg9yWY4aurDJjHEJY2CAJpkr8UMU5KJJNV2ELDVr2BXvcfDkcWSvzvtf8hFeo5b8Od5pdV230xNRTBgFUiQrKzxvPIG4mpEOOhiarMUuVrnpuV/s640/_MG_9329-01aRS.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Model: Thabi Graham Nkoala</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stylist: Eimear O'Reilly.</div><br />
Next time I'll show you some of the other shots from the day and tell you about a phenomenon on the 5D MkII that produces red skin when you underexpose.Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954039055084912461.post-46860178013626396492011-04-06T13:34:00.001+01:002011-04-06T13:37:28.414+01:00A date with a Goth!<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Never judge a book by its cover.</td></tr>
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Earlier this year I was part of a photoshoot in an 18th century manor house. There were three photographers and two models. It was a hectic day and my plan to have time with both models didn't happen. I didn't have a chance to shoot with a model called <a href="http://www.modelmayhem.com/1848790">"Spunky Gore"</a> who is a Goth. So when we talked about doing a shoot together I wondered what kind of shoot I could do.<br />
Daniella (her real name) is a very nice, intelligent girl despite the impression her full-on Goth appearance gives. She has two Goth 'modes' - one for shoots and one for everyday. Her full-on Goth mode is quite impressive and I guess most people's reaction to it would be to take a step back. I spoke to her about ideas I had to contrast the appearance of the Goth 'uniform' with the reality of the 'girl' inside. She was quite taken with that and we spoke at length about ideas. Some time passed and she reminded me (I need reminding a lot) that we hadn't had a shoot. So we planned .....<br />
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Our plan included a small girl, a dog, a librarian and a library. "Never work with children or animals" was echoing through my head and I probably should have listened but .....<br />
The shoot didn't go quite as I had planned but we gave it the best shot (sic) we could. It might be that I can salvage a shot using Photoshop to assemble one shot from several.<br />
Once we had called it a day on the dog/small child shot, I saw an opportunity to show how people's perception of a Goth could be shown to be flawed.<br />
If a Goth and a librarian were going to choose reading material I was guessing that the librarian would have something like the Sunday TImes and the Goth would have a magazine like 'Piercings Monthly' or something similar. My good friend Bonnie went above and beyond the call of duty and bought a copy of 'Nuts' (lad's) magazine for me - the best that could be bought in a Mace supermarket on a Sunday - and acted as second model for the shot.<br />
I shot this in an actual library. I wanted the lighting to look a bit like daylight coming in a window with artificial lighting coming from behind. I also wanted the background to be out of focus so chose my 100-400mm lens at 170mm and a fairly open aperture f5 to get a shallow depth of field and a shutter speed of 1/100 at an ISO of 100. Without using any flash the ambient lighting of the background was dark enough not to be a distraction and bright enough to see some detail. Now to set the flash units.<br />
On this shot I used a 750 and 250 Bowens along with a Chinese speedlite - a YN560 - which has a similar power output to the Canon 580EX II but is manual and not TTL.<br />
I used a softbox on the Bowens 750 and adjusted to the power to give the exposure I needed to match the shutter/aperture/ISO I had set - this was my key light. I used a shoot-through brolly on the Bowens 250 to give a fill about one stop lower than the key light. To finish, I used the YN560 as a hair/back light.<br />
The setup is shown below.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit of banter as we set up.</td></tr>
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We took a few more shots during the day. It was a pleasure to work with Daniella and I recommend her to anyone for her professionalism, enthusiasm, energy and ideas. As is my custom I have a photo taken of me with my new model. Normally I don't show these but I thought this would bring a smile to some faces and confuse others who think my Facebook profile picture is quite representative of my grumpiness.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAf1Ml97pMsYFcRHFrdEnfuCzyQlJOiZKOexg1ELYkiidnjGqFNSA1T0N7ZSbq4DOPo0DvqN7qHHtyUHYUMv4AeRy3RKZMWJfXY5cbxibTcSZJF1K_Lp5d0Q2EcF1thRB56nkHnc5GmUe5/s1600/_MG_7956-01aRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAf1Ml97pMsYFcRHFrdEnfuCzyQlJOiZKOexg1ELYkiidnjGqFNSA1T0N7ZSbq4DOPo0DvqN7qHHtyUHYUMv4AeRy3RKZMWJfXY5cbxibTcSZJF1K_Lp5d0Q2EcF1thRB56nkHnc5GmUe5/s320/_MG_7956-01aRS.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>Paul Timonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09375358216707237116noreply@blogger.com1