Awards Success

It was a good night at the Bluecoat in Liverpool at the end of March where I picked up several awards at the British Institute of Professional Photography Northwest Awards. One silver, three bronzes and several merit awards.

Silver and bronze in Environmental Portraiture, an opportunity to use some arty lighting which I always enjoy doing:

A bronze in the Industrial category for these chrome plated handles

And bronze too for this rather nice Jag in the Advertising category:

Handywork

Have you ever noticed whilst you watch the news that a barrage of flash guns go off every time a politician lifts their hands? Simply it makes for a better photo and gives a hint of their character. Whenever I photograph an event I am constantly watching my subject and waiting for that moment. Here's some of my handy work...

Picture of the Week - Lighting the way

Keeping your eyes open will pay dividends because people do the daftest things. So I screeched to a halt when I saw this old-fashioned signpost beautifully adorned with a period lampshade. I wanted to create an appropriately retro image so I gave it a black and white treatment. I wonder if it was the bulb-shaped moulding at the top of the signpost that inspired the anonymous prankster. Perhaps they'll add a switch next time: I'll keep my eyes open.

A sign of winter

Winter has finally decided that it's, well, winter. I went to one of my favourite locations above the Goyt Valley to take this shot. Textbook composition would place the sign on the left pointing into the picture but, rebel that I am, I wanted to include the long shadow cast by the low February sun, daring you to take a different path over the wintery hills.

Holga Photos

We photographers spend a small fortune on the latest digital cameras to get the ultimate quality possible – yet I love a simple £10 toy camera called a Holga! It has quite a cult following. Its cheap plastic lens creates a very soft image, low in contrast and distorting the colours. Somehow this gives the images instant appeal. And it's just wonderful using film in this digital age.

This is Prague station and I love the maze of the criss-crossing rail tracks. Look closely and there is a splash of orange from a railway worker helping to draw the eye to the centre of the image.

The camera is prone to light leaks, hence the slight magenta discolouration at the edges of this shot of the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn in Prague. I love this unpredictability that can bring an extra dimension to a photo. You don’t know quite what you’ve caught until the film is developed. The treatment perfectly suits the muted colours of this scene.

Here’s another, of the Municipal House building, that I took on the same trip to Prague. Again the image is soft with muted colours and the light leaks onto the film have added some interesting border effects. I framed the shot with the curved part of a bus stop in the top corner, to give the image an additional element and mirror the building's wonderful arch. The Municipal House also has a superb art deco interior and is well worth a visit.

And another taken at Canary Wharf. The camera gives a square format on 120 roll film - I love square images, sadly something we see less and less of with digital capture.

Astronomical Clock, Prague

Remember to put your clocks back this weekend.

I'm fascinated by clocks and Prague has one of the best. The Old Town Hall’s Astronomical Clock isn’t something to tell you the time in a hurry; it’s a medieval marvel to linger over. It even shows the position of the stars in the sky. The three circles on the upper dial display Old Czech Time (Italian Time), Central European Time and, should you need it, Babylonian Time. As the hour chimes, the Twelve Apostles pass by and the cockerel at the top crows and quivers its wings. Isn’t it wonderful?

Industrial sky at night

Industrial plants can come alive at night: the trick is to take the shot when there’s still colour in the sky before it turns inky black. This separates the subject well against the sky and creates a far more visually appealing image. I used a long exposure to record the steam as blurred streaks and I got it in time for the fading sun to add its hue, which I then enhanced in post production for added drama.