I am pleased to announce that as from today, a selection of fine art monochrome images are available as prints from the fine art print collection.
All photographs will be printed by a professional lab using the Giclee process on Hahnemuhle fine art papers, of which I am currently offering two types:
Hahnemuhle Pearl - A bright white slightly textured 285gsm paper holds excellent detail, enables impressive contrast and depth while giving a beautiful pearl semi-gloss finish.
Hahnemuhle German Etching - A heavyweight 310gsm paper which is silky smooth with a fine surface texture, giving a matt finish and the attractive warm white shade of the traditional artist's board.
Both print types are available in sizes ranging from A5(5.8" x 8.3") right up to A2(16.5" x 23.4").
In the near future the option to have the prints mounted and matted for framing will also be available.
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Abstract Smoke images
With the weather being unpleasant again this weekend and me itching to get some camera action, I decided to try my hand at more abstract photography, only this time with smoke rather than ice.
As with images of water droplets, you will see quite a few examples of this type of abstract photography on various photography websites the Internet.
These types of images are actually quite easy to do. All you need is a camera on a tripod, an off camera flash, a black back drop, some incense sticks and a bit of patience!
Once the images are captured all manner of things can be done in Photoshop such as inverting the image, hand coloring the smoke trails and compositing different smoke plumes together.
As with most abstract work of this nature, big prints look really amazing and make excellent center pieces in the living room, dining room or several hanging along a hall.
If you are interested in detailed instructions on how these types of shots are done then please go to my Digital Photography Tutorials site where a tutorial will be available soon.
As with images of water droplets, you will see quite a few examples of this type of abstract photography on various photography websites the Internet.
These types of images are actually quite easy to do. All you need is a camera on a tripod, an off camera flash, a black back drop, some incense sticks and a bit of patience!
Once the images are captured all manner of things can be done in Photoshop such as inverting the image, hand coloring the smoke trails and compositing different smoke plumes together.
As with most abstract work of this nature, big prints look really amazing and make excellent center pieces in the living room, dining room or several hanging along a hall.
If you are interested in detailed instructions on how these types of shots are done then please go to my Digital Photography Tutorials site where a tutorial will be available soon.
Saturday, 20 June 2009
Recommended Photography Sites
There are literally hundreds of photography websites out there, some great one's and some mediocre one's, so I'm recommending a couple here that I visit on a regular basis because they are very informative, entertaining and may even help you improve your photography.
First up is The Mindful Eye. Until recently this was the Radiant Vista which is run by professional photographer and teacher Craig Tanner.
Craig is an outstanding photographer who really has a passion for teaching and photography in general. This site is really about helping photographers improve their craft for amateurs and pros alike.
The site offers a daily critique where you can send in an image and if you are lucky, Craig will post a video of him analyzing and then editing your shot in Photoshop. These videos offer great insight into how a professional photographer can see the final shot before editing and then the work flow involved in getting the shot there. This is an invaluable source of information if you are struggling with editing in Photoshop or any other image editing software.
There is also a large community forum where the users actively encourage each other and offer positive criticism and help on all aspects of their photography.
The second site I visit regularly is by photographer John Beardsworth. John is one of my favourite black and white photographers and has an excellent book available on the subject which I highly recommend.
His site offers a very entertaining blog which covers a wide variety of subjects including Photoshop, Aperture, Lightroom, color and monochrome photography, DAM, the visual arts and even computing tips.
Many of John's black and white images are also available to view on the site and I would highly recommend that you take a look.
First up is The Mindful Eye. Until recently this was the Radiant Vista which is run by professional photographer and teacher Craig Tanner.
Craig is an outstanding photographer who really has a passion for teaching and photography in general. This site is really about helping photographers improve their craft for amateurs and pros alike.
The site offers a daily critique where you can send in an image and if you are lucky, Craig will post a video of him analyzing and then editing your shot in Photoshop. These videos offer great insight into how a professional photographer can see the final shot before editing and then the work flow involved in getting the shot there. This is an invaluable source of information if you are struggling with editing in Photoshop or any other image editing software.
There is also a large community forum where the users actively encourage each other and offer positive criticism and help on all aspects of their photography.
The second site I visit regularly is by photographer John Beardsworth. John is one of my favourite black and white photographers and has an excellent book available on the subject which I highly recommend.
His site offers a very entertaining blog which covers a wide variety of subjects including Photoshop, Aperture, Lightroom, color and monochrome photography, DAM, the visual arts and even computing tips.
Many of John's black and white images are also available to view on the site and I would highly recommend that you take a look.
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Fine Art Photography
What is your definition of fine art photography? The Wikipedia definition is "photographs that are created to fulfill the creative vision of the artist." This is the definition that I like. To me it is also any piece of beautiful artistic photographic work that is non-commercial that can be a landscape, a portrait, an abstract image or a macro image of some kind.
Different people have different definitions of what fine art photography is, some say it has to be black and white or monochrome, others say that the print has to be matted for framing before it can be called fine art. I do not subscribe to these at all. In truth fine art can be black and white / monochrome or color but I must admit that I do prefer black and white. My own fine art images are exclusively in black and white as I prefer this format for printing and framing. To say though that the photograph must be matted is a little obscure in my view. Surely it is about the image at the end of the day?
One thing I do see on a regular basis are personal photography websites touting themselves as fine art photographers and offering so-called fine art prints. Unfortunately many of these lack any artistic quality whatsoever and are merely record shots or snapshots. I doubt very much if they will see many sales of these! At the other end of the spectrum I also see truly fantastic photographic art on display in photography magazine reader galleries, that the photographer is not promoting or offering for sale or for print from their own site. I'm pretty sure this is down to lack of confidence from the photographer in their own work.
Different people have different definitions of what fine art photography is, some say it has to be black and white or monochrome, others say that the print has to be matted for framing before it can be called fine art. I do not subscribe to these at all. In truth fine art can be black and white / monochrome or color but I must admit that I do prefer black and white. My own fine art images are exclusively in black and white as I prefer this format for printing and framing. To say though that the photograph must be matted is a little obscure in my view. Surely it is about the image at the end of the day?
One thing I do see on a regular basis are personal photography websites touting themselves as fine art photographers and offering so-called fine art prints. Unfortunately many of these lack any artistic quality whatsoever and are merely record shots or snapshots. I doubt very much if they will see many sales of these! At the other end of the spectrum I also see truly fantastic photographic art on display in photography magazine reader galleries, that the photographer is not promoting or offering for sale or for print from their own site. I'm pretty sure this is down to lack of confidence from the photographer in their own work.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Abstract Ice Images
I love abstract images and photos, particularly those that allow the viewer to see different images and shapes every time they are viewed. For me they also have to contain lots of detail and layers giving an illusion of depth.
One subject that makes great abstract art is ice, especially if there is a dominant color or tone through it. Given the right color and the right light the ice can be made to look metallic or like liquid metal or mercury.
Removing all color and only using black and white also produces excellent images that enhance the liquid metal effect even more. It's also possible to produce images that almost have an 'H.R. Geiger' quality to them.
Ultimately these type of images are best viewed at large sizes so that the detail can really be appreciated. Framing A2 size images and hanging them in a living room or lounge will really add impact to a place and also provides an interesting talking point!
One subject that makes great abstract art is ice, especially if there is a dominant color or tone through it. Given the right color and the right light the ice can be made to look metallic or like liquid metal or mercury.
Removing all color and only using black and white also produces excellent images that enhance the liquid metal effect even more. It's also possible to produce images that almost have an 'H.R. Geiger' quality to them.
Ultimately these type of images are best viewed at large sizes so that the detail can really be appreciated. Framing A2 size images and hanging them in a living room or lounge will really add impact to a place and also provides an interesting talking point!
Monday, 18 May 2009
Greencastle and Narrow water castle
Northern Ireland like Scotland, has its fair share of castles and ancient monuments, two of which are around an hour's drive from my home and are both around seven miles apart. Like most ancient monuments and castles these are extremely photogenic due to their good condition and outstanding surrounding northern Irish countryside.
About five miles outside of Rostrevor (a place known for its folk music and fiddler's green festival) lies Greencastle royal castle which, I decided to visit first. built in the 13th century the castle is basically large rectangular keep with three vaulted chambers at the ground floor level. Access is free however it is only open two months of the year namely July and August, so if you want to get up close you will need to climb the fence and sneak in like I did!
Did I mention the weather? Saturday was one of those days forecast as 'changeable' which can produce some amazing skies for photography. Wind and torrents rain lashed down all the way there except for the odd two or three minutes of blue sky and amazing cloud formations. I was hoping to catch one of these pauses in the weather when I got to my chosen location. Just as I arrived at Greencastle the rain stopped for about ten minutes giving me just enough time to jump the fence, run up to the castle, fire off a few shots then dash back to the car again! amazing luck! Just as I got back to the car the weather closed in again with a torrential downpour.
About seven miles west of here just outside Warrenpoint, where the Newry river meets Carlingford lough, lies Narrow Water castle keep. This is a tower house building which was built originally by Hugh deLacy, Earl of Ulster in 1568.
The castle is in extremely good condition and is situated in a really beautiful spot, infact this whole area is outstanding with the Mourne mountains only a short distance from here.
Access for photography and general viewing is excellent, given that it is right beside the main A2 road. Access to the inside however is again restricted to July and August.
As before I was amazingly lucky with the weather as it briefly cleared as I got there for around another ten minutes, allowing me to get a few shots in the bag before the rain finally returned!
More images can be viewed in the Kingdom of Mourne and Irish countryside gallery and the Monochrome landscape gallery.
Bye for now.
About five miles outside of Rostrevor (a place known for its folk music and fiddler's green festival) lies Greencastle royal castle which, I decided to visit first. built in the 13th century the castle is basically large rectangular keep with three vaulted chambers at the ground floor level. Access is free however it is only open two months of the year namely July and August, so if you want to get up close you will need to climb the fence and sneak in like I did!
Did I mention the weather? Saturday was one of those days forecast as 'changeable' which can produce some amazing skies for photography. Wind and torrents rain lashed down all the way there except for the odd two or three minutes of blue sky and amazing cloud formations. I was hoping to catch one of these pauses in the weather when I got to my chosen location. Just as I arrived at Greencastle the rain stopped for about ten minutes giving me just enough time to jump the fence, run up to the castle, fire off a few shots then dash back to the car again! amazing luck! Just as I got back to the car the weather closed in again with a torrential downpour.
About seven miles west of here just outside Warrenpoint, where the Newry river meets Carlingford lough, lies Narrow Water castle keep. This is a tower house building which was built originally by Hugh deLacy, Earl of Ulster in 1568.
The castle is in extremely good condition and is situated in a really beautiful spot, infact this whole area is outstanding with the Mourne mountains only a short distance from here.
Access for photography and general viewing is excellent, given that it is right beside the main A2 road. Access to the inside however is again restricted to July and August.
As before I was amazingly lucky with the weather as it briefly cleared as I got there for around another ten minutes, allowing me to get a few shots in the bag before the rain finally returned!
More images can be viewed in the Kingdom of Mourne and Irish countryside gallery and the Monochrome landscape gallery.
Bye for now.
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Water droplets part II
Last time I talked about shooting natural water droplets on rainy days when the weather is not to your liking for landscape photography, and with this weekend being another wet and windy one I decided to take the topic indoors and do some experimentation with man made ones!
I know some people think this subject is somewhat cliched but I love it! Each image is unique in its own way and there are countless variations that can be tried for some amazing effects.
Rather than go for the usual clear water into a clear pool I wanted to try and get a CG or computer rendered effect with bright bold colors, so for the shoot I used natural blue and red food dye.
Capturing the water droplets is not as hard as you may think. I know that some posts on this say that you need to be prepared to take a couple of hundred shots but I found this not to be the case if you setup carefully. The most important things are using an external flash ( I use the Canon Speedlite 430), preferably off camera to control the direction of light, a reflector of some kind to stop under exposure and a macro or telephoto lens to allow you to fill the frame but stay a safe distance from water splashes.
After some experimentation I found the following setup works very well:
External flash - set this to manual mode and set the output to 1/32 or lower. This doesn't affect the amount of light from the flash but rather the flash duration and allows you to freeze the drops in motion.
Reflector - Use a reflector or white card placed opposite the flash. I found that not doing this resulted in vastly under exposed images.
Camera - set this to manual mode and a shutter speed of 180. this isn't too important as with these kind of shots the flash duration is now your effective shutter speed. For focusing, place a ruler where the drops will fall. Frame and focus on this.
Once everything is setup it is just a matter of releasing water drops and firing off shots at different times, before and after hitting the water.
Once you have your shots why not try black and white conversions like the shot above. More images are available in the Macro images gallery on the website.
If you want to see some really amazing liquid sculptures and get some inspiration check out Martin Waugh's site at http://www.liquidsculpture.com/.
Have fun!
I know some people think this subject is somewhat cliched but I love it! Each image is unique in its own way and there are countless variations that can be tried for some amazing effects.
Rather than go for the usual clear water into a clear pool I wanted to try and get a CG or computer rendered effect with bright bold colors, so for the shoot I used natural blue and red food dye.
Capturing the water droplets is not as hard as you may think. I know that some posts on this say that you need to be prepared to take a couple of hundred shots but I found this not to be the case if you setup carefully. The most important things are using an external flash ( I use the Canon Speedlite 430), preferably off camera to control the direction of light, a reflector of some kind to stop under exposure and a macro or telephoto lens to allow you to fill the frame but stay a safe distance from water splashes.
After some experimentation I found the following setup works very well:
External flash - set this to manual mode and set the output to 1/32 or lower. This doesn't affect the amount of light from the flash but rather the flash duration and allows you to freeze the drops in motion.
Reflector - Use a reflector or white card placed opposite the flash. I found that not doing this resulted in vastly under exposed images.
Camera - set this to manual mode and a shutter speed of 180. this isn't too important as with these kind of shots the flash duration is now your effective shutter speed. For focusing, place a ruler where the drops will fall. Frame and focus on this.
Once everything is setup it is just a matter of releasing water drops and firing off shots at different times, before and after hitting the water.
Once you have your shots why not try black and white conversions like the shot above. More images are available in the Macro images gallery on the website.
If you want to see some really amazing liquid sculptures and get some inspiration check out Martin Waugh's site at http://www.liquidsculpture.com/.
Have fun!
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