Blackpool North Promenade with Fleetwood, The Lake District far in the background, using Nikon D3, HDR Photomatix
Blackpool Tower and Sandals, I read somewhere, put something in the foreground.
University Canoeing Challenge, I call this, "The Eyes Have It"
After two years with the D3 this was the first time I didn't use single shot. I was getting paddles across the face and varying exposures from sun through the tree-line. I had to up my odds, aperture priority was not quick enough.
Local Dog Training. This is one of my all time favourites purely because it catches this dogs Character.
Nikon D200, because I dropped the D3, cost a fortune in repairs for that and the 70-200 f2.8 zoom.
This image was practice for a marathon job the next day, the guy I was shooting for accused me of deliberately destroying his Rep. because I wasn't using the 70-200m as contracted!!! I tried my best, the images were good, we parted company.
Newcastle upon Tyne. The Millenium Bridge. HDR, still Photomatix, hand-held none of that tripod stuff. Software can handle ghosting now, it didn't at the time..
First real Portfolio shoot using one SB 700 and one SB 800 in CLS, reflected off an old white projection screen in the Guys Front room. The job happened because I was eating where he was singing in St. Annes. Lancashire. He was very good and I told him so and gave him my business card. He contacted me about nine months later.
I just adore water, full stop. Triathlons are great as well, as long as you are watching.
Throw in the odd slug. When I am not allowed to drive anymore I still feel there is an amazing world in Macro photography in the back garden.
With a Shepherd at Loch Awe, he counted his Tup's, The little blighter kept moving as is their want. On the fourth or fifth attempt he was happy. It wasn't until I realised the value of each of these beauties that the count needed to be right.
The first day of my most expensive lens purchase gave me this image. Located outside my kitchen door on the first day of ownership. Owned the 400mm f2.8 for 7 years, people gave me business because of that lens and it never disappointed. The sale of it paid for quite a lot of the current Sony equipment in use today.
One of the advantages of "Professional" Photography is access. On a race day no idiot would stand there, even with the 400 lens with a 1,7 extender. But on a race instruction day just ensure your insurance is up to date. For the third party anyway.
D3 with the 70-200mm f2.8, in Africa , it's a section of Martin Mere in Lancashire. I have lately made a conscious decision to use prime lenses wherever possible. Looking back one wonders why, just OCD I guess..
Sorry, one of my dogs in the fields just across the road from the house. Have two Vizslas and a few more images of them!!
Welcome to New Zealand. This is Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings. Covered the two islands on a whistle stop tour of three weeks. The two regrets are it wasn't three months and it was before I shot RAW for everything.
An interest in light and form. Went as far as Stanley Park in Blackpool for this one.
Respect for all things Triathlon/ all events really. He could have been tucked up in bed this early on a Sunday morning. If he had chosen the latter he would look more like me.
Ambleside Sheep Dog Trials!! Yep that 400mm lens again. There were more people looking at the lens than at these dogs.
Light and form, This is getting serious. The garden at 5am.with just natural light. A magic time of day, so why don't I get up early more often?
I have been told that Stanley Park in Blackpool has the second biggest Heronry in the country.
Waiting for the ferry at Kennacraig. This is three images deep at one stop intervals and 5 or 7 images across, can't remember. I was very pleased because recording no rain and a calm sea is an infrequent event here, it's the west coast of Scotland. Secondly a friend took the same picture and said mine would be better because I was a 'Professional Photographer'... Sent him a copy saying I'll show you mine if you show me yours and never got a reply.
This is my dad..
Ambleside looking out from my sons digs. HDR to cover the light levels in RAW gives options of control in post processing, all you you need is a big processor and software and RAM and time and passion
The result of competitive Mountain Biking at Grisedale.
A very early Photomatix HDR in Turkey, working as a chef at the time and just reading and trying the technique. Other than the leaves the thing that blew my mind was the detail and colour of the local vegetable transport. This I was not expecting. This image, which was on my restaurant wall for some years, was thought to be a painting. This image is probably the greatest influence on me playing with HDR for years after.
Good choice of breed for us.
I think this was my first print sale
Sometimes one just can' t get away from Photoshop. Over the years the move to Lightroom for speed of managing 5000 shots in a weekend and convert to JPEG in sRGB has meant that Photoshop almost became redundant.
"Following Like Sheep"
Vintage car hill climbs are in my opinion the last vestiges of Spitfire Pilots
It's years since I took this image and still I cannot get my head round the amount of money on four rubber bands, to be chased up a muddy hill climb rut.
You hum it I'll sing it
Number two Vizsla 8 weeks old
One of my most successful prints, taken on a Sunday morning at silly o'clock before FCR had started setting up for the morning event. No Photoshop to remove people. It was the middle of Winter.
Edinburgh, a Stag Do.
Out with the Old in with the New, Originally Titled "Respect"
Now you have a Responsibility............. Accepted
Blackpool, a few Photoshop layers on this one. The slide was on the roundabout at the end of the M55, Blackpool. It has since been removed.
My first really worked on RAW file. The print is very good from the Epson Stylus Pro 3800. I look at the original file and am still amazed the information that came out of it. Never kept a record of the work flow and keep trying to duplicate it.
First use of the Nikon 14-24mm f2.8. Have been happy with it ever since.
Timing is everything
First Macro with the Sony A9 and 90mm macro lens. 34 images put together in Photoshop using auto align and blend. I complained to Calumet. My complaint was that I could not hold the camera still because i was giggling due to so much new technology.
The event was cancelled because of ice. Only got a few shots of practice. I made them public and they were copied so fast... it was my first lesson in copyright and protection, not to make them so easily available again.
First use of flash with Pocket Wizards and strobes though diffusers in the Hotel after the wedding ceremony.
Flash the brave new World
The Kite Flying Team
Numero Uno and happy to be so.
Still shooting single shot, could not imagine 5 frames a second when you have 3000 images per event taken singly. Then came Sony mirrorless and Photo Mechanic 5
Event photograhy at 1/2000th of a second can get monotonous. 1/40th a second is more challenging but there is a fine line between covering each competitor and a bit of fun. At Oulton Park they come past 7 times so play away.
I like the two smiling faces.
Razor fish.
Slo-Motion in the tide
New Zealand, The Reflections pool. Too late the wind has picked up but I like the 'almost there'
Symmetry
Christ Church, New Zealand. Before the earthquake
Wedding Flowers in the church
Dog Walk: Lytham StAnnes Beach
Keswick Festival Weekend. Was actually there for the running events Saturday/ Sunday
Of course I'm enjoying this
Islay on a Sunny Day
The Sound between Islay and Jura. Lucky enough to get a lift in a quick boat up to the Lighthouse (3 1/2 miles from the nearest road by Quad), cheers Minty.
Took this image 3 layers deep by 5 long in RAW , handheld, stood up in a small rocking boat. Could be a bit of history because after many years it is gone it is no more and I have the image.
Wood Turning in a workshop miles from civilisation. The lathe is electric, don't know where they get the electric from!
Using SB 900s with Pocket Wizards
Now this a composite of all composites for me. Windsor Castle was my usual HDR panoramic, the guys and girls on the right are Queens Scouts from Lancashire and the guy on the left is Bear Grylls, Chief Scout. At the time of that part of the composite he was talking to a guy in the crowd who had lots of tattoos and a pink Mohawk, so I had to put a different reflection in his sunglasses.