I thought I'd be selfish and go on holiday for a week - first time in a year...it's been pretty full on. So Mrs Spoony and myself went to the Isle of Skye for a well-earned break. The weather was typically Scottish - changeable with a bias on rain...and more rain. During the week we ventured over to Elgol, the landscape photographer's mecca. I'm not a landscape photographer particularly, but there was something quite therapeutic about standing in freezing cold water, braving the wind and rain to shoot atmospheric images like these. No mobile phone signal, no email connections, and no work related hassles. Bliss....
For the photographers out there, these were taken on a Nikon D700 with 20mm lens.
OCTOBER - EDITORIAL COMMISSIONS
In the November issue of Digital SLR User magazine, there's an article I produced about shooting flowers at home, demonstrating a variety of lighting effects. Using only a couple of Gerbera bought from the local supermarket, it was actually good fun working in my kitchen, because outside it poured down all day...and I almost got the cover shot again. But the top right hand corner isn't too bad!
Here's the opening spread, plus the original image...
Here's me 'hard at work' painting the flower with a small Maglite, using an exposure time of around 15 seconds. This gives me plenty of time to 'paint' areas with the torch, leaving darker, less exposed areas...
...plus a couple of alternative looks - grainy mono and a bleached out effect...
OCTOBER WEDDINGS - Beccy & Leon
Beccy & Leon were married at Cutlers Hall in Sheffield. Cutlers is a great old building, a sort of Masonic Hall, steeped in tradition with the steel cutlery industry over the years - and still a well-kept secret for many! I couldn't even get a sneak look around some of the rooms, no matter how I tried to charm the security guard.
Beccy and the girls' preparations were around the corner at Leopold's Hotel, so walking to the ceremony was easy....for them. I had to run backwards for 200 yds! Still, we got some great shots from the day, featuring landmarks and areas of the city that were special to both Beccy & Leon...
OCTOBER WEDDINGS - Kate & John
October was mostly busy with magazine work...plus a well earned holiday - first week off in a year! Kate and John were married at Sale Town Hall; an intimate wedding, held at the Station Hotel in Altrincham. These are some of my favourite images from the day...
