October updates, get well Mum and the Saga of the missing McDonalds sausage meat ?

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Welcome back to my little corner of the World wide web.

My Mum has not been very well of recent and spent a night in Hospital. I cannot remember the name of her medical problem, but it sounded bad and gave her a great deal of pain. She is out now and taking life easy, as she should. Its just not nice to hear about these things. Have a speedy mend Mum.

It has been a busy month this month. We have got to do some Still life images and new look galeries stuff for the flowers. I am running a month behind with publishing the model pictures as this October we shot Manchester's finest, Fern Thompson. All of the pictures have been edited, but I will wait until the end of this November coming to show you all as I still have not shown the Septembers Munira Model work. Also I have no shoots at all in November, so it will be a catch up. You can see Muniras pictures and slide show below.

So I have picked a fight with a local branch of McDonalds. So the story goes that once a month, when I go out to collect the flowers to photograph, I treat myself to a McDonalds Sausage and egg McMuffin meal. For the last three months that has not been a straight forward task. On the first occasion I discovered when I got home that they had forgotten the sausage meat and was a bit disappointed. Never the less I had already got home and figured it was a one off and shit happens as they say. To my shock and horror the same happened again the next month and this time they also forgot the hash brown. I was livid. I telephoned the branch of McDonalds and complained, to which the manager made a note of it and said next time I was in the restaurant I could have a free McMuffin meal. This brings us up to date. When I claimed my free McMuffin meal from them, only to find when I got home that they had once again forgot the sausage filling. Now is it just me? Or am I just the worlds biggest bad luck bastard? Maybe they have a vendetta against me? Who Knows? One accident … okay that can happen. A second accident looks suspitious but a third time in a row must mean they have serious issues and I cannot help but wonder how many more customers have had this experience with McDonalds? I did call the restaurant again, but was met with a belligerent, attitude by the management. This only served piss me off more, So I called the head office in London. They did not take it to serious either, but promised to send me a complaints form via email. That was last Friday. Its now Tuesday and I am still waiting. Now in the big scheme of the universe its a petty matter, but the principal is not that its a piece of missing sausage – So what, who gives a shit ! Its the fact that it keeps happening to me, And I am not getting what I have paid for. I don't go out often these days, so I look forward to the visit to my local MacDonalds only to find they keep short changing me every time and do not seem to give a toss.

So I shall have to call the head office again and take it all the way up to Ronald McDonald the smiling clown himself. Watch this space.

Please enjoy this months blog and always check your order when you visit your local McDonalds.

Still Life – Chiffon and cling film

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New additions to the Still Life / Fine Art gallery are some images not centred on an object like a flower or a vase. Here Amy and I have created two different style using everyday items to give an abstract look to them. First is the orange coloured pictures of what was simply cling film covering my drink I have for breakfast that Amy makes me. The colouring is from the tungsten lighting in the room and not Photoshopped. That just as it was in the camera. The lines and patterns of of the cling film being stretched across the cup.

The second set of Still Life pictures were easily created by slowing down the shutter speed on the camera and Amy waving a few chiffon scarfs from Amazon in front of the lens. It was no more complicated than that, but I think quite effective, giving them an etherial aesthetic. Please enjoy.

*NEW* Still Life - Minimalism

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'Minimalism' is a section of photography that strips every picture down to its base component and subject matter. No clutter, no distraction for the eye that more regular images may contain. The pictures are often turned Black and White so it not only becomes stark, but makes the viewer think more about the shape and texture of the subject, not distracted by colour. So that is what I have gone for here I have done similar before but having read up on it, I wanted to dedicate a gallery on its own to it.

Two for the other site

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Just a couple of off the wall snaps I took of Amy posing and gave a Photoshop retouch to make it look a bit Pop Art, for the other site.

Munira Model sixth shoot

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Muniras back and looking as lovely as ever. She is a great model and such fun to work with. So good infact that she is coming back for Decembers Christmas shoot with Mercybongo at the studio. On this shoot we had a few props like the jewel face mask that was made of old silver coloured coins as well as a battered up old piano, left on sight at the studio by a previous client. It had been painted with a big flower design, but had seen better days as it had been left outside in someone back yard for a while and the weather had got to it. That said it added by chance to the flower them we had so good timing. I would then like to thank Shadrine at Kavour for her makeup magic and to Phil at The Boardroom, in Derby for all his help. Thank you also to our amazing model Munira, who smashed it again !!!

*NEW* Flowers – Oil On Canvas

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Whilst surfing through Youtube online a while back, I fell upon a tutorial that showed one of the new tools in Photoshop that I had not come across before. It turned images into pieces of artwork like oil paintings or watercolours. Its Photoshops answer to AI. Now I have very mixed feelings about the subject of AI. I can see its obvious potential, as well as see the damage it can possibly do to peoples jobs and livelihoods in the long term. That aside, the genie is out of the bottle, and I did like the results. So here are the starter pictures for a new gallery simply called 'Oil on Canvas.' I hope you enjoy it?

*NEW* Flowers – White Box

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This is the second of our new galleries starting this month called 'White Box' and its just that. A white cardboard box with a flower in it. The box was from and packaging of a Toshiba portable hard drive and I thought it looked good for the new gallery. Its still work in progress, but I am enjoying it. Although it is sad to cut up a perfectly good flower, the art justifies itself in the end I hope.

October Flower Updates and the Black and White Section hiatus

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Some changes in store for the flower images, but I shall get to that in a bit. I would like to say a big thank you to Chris and all the staff at Bramblesflowers and Flowers to yours for once again getting a great selection of flowers for Amy and I to photograph. It was also great to Chris at the shop again, mending after his accident. He showed me some images on his phone of the many pins he has in his leg. I am a bit squeamish about such things and its not easy to see them. Still it was good to see him again. Take care mate.

So changes. I have decided to put the Black and White section on a hiatus as I think that section is now better served by the Square B/W gallery. I may make a collective 'best of' page and am toying with the idea to start a High Key gallery. What do you think?

So that is it for this month. Thanks for dropping by and be sure to come back next month.

Bye

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September update and a day out at the gallery with Mercybongo

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Welcome back to my little corner of the World wide web.

Can you believe its only two months until Christmas? Where did the year go? I can not believe how things just seem like they are all speeding up. So its been another reasonably quiet month again with no other trip out but to the Art Gallery to do a location shoot with model Mercybongo. We could not shoot in the galleys this time, but they allowed us to shoot in the rest areas and stairwells. This might sound much, but it is still a great locations with colourful posters and concrete slab walls.

Amy and I have had a shoot with Munira Model a few days ago and the results are still being edited. They are too late for this months update, but will be published at the end of October So we are a month behind at the moment.

There is a light hearted poke at a certain toilet paper those of an age would remember. The dreaded Izal loo rolls are no longer in production, but their memory lives still in my mind and always a good source of humour when it gets brought up in conversation.

So please enjoy this months blog update and see you all again next month.

X

Still Life

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So something a bit odd this month for a still life subject. Amy showed me a half dead leek that she had in the kitchen. Some of its leaves were still green the others a cream colour and all withered. The two together created and interesting variety of textures and visual confusion. I photographed it in my light tent, choosing to go close up on many shots with a few in the larger picture of a vase. I think the closer ones work best. Have a look yourself and see what you think? I gave the leaves a red tint in post processing.

A tribute to Izal toilet paper – Digital Art

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Who remembers Izal toilet paper? Who could forget it if you do?

They stopped producing it about twenty years ago, but the memory of it sites heavy in the minds of those that came into contact with it. In the days before Andrex and Cashel you would find this stuff in the grandads bathroom or toilet. I have many a memory of going outside in the howling wind and rain to my grandads outdoor privy. The shit house door banging in the wind. Peeling white paint on the walls and the sound and smell of a paraffin heater. My pants around my ankles, cutting one off and then to top it off the inevitable battle with the Izal Medicated Toilet paper. This stuff took no shit from anyone …. literally ! It was awful stuff that was like a mixture of tracing paper and sand paper.

So here is a little nod to its memory. The paper in this picture I purchased from Ebay as you can not get Izal any more. Its actually a rival paper called Bronco, which I am informed was just as dire. I photographed it on the back of our living room door using a coat hook to hold it up. The writing was added in Photoshop.

So here is to the memory of Izal …. where are you now … and thanks for the memory.

Mercybongo at the Art Gallery

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This months model shoot was with our old friend and regular Mercybongo, but this time on location at the Art Gallery. Mercy wore a fetching orange wig to this shoot and a few woollen costumes that stood out against the bleakness of the grey concrete walls. Sadly someone graffiti the wall outside the building and it was inturn painted over. Yet it stands out as the colours do not match and it looks ugly.

As it was a location shoot and time was against us we did not have Shadrine to do the makeup in this case. So Mercy did her own and it still looks nice. So thank you then to model Mercybongo and to Amy for her help on the day. Thank you to the Art Gallery for the great location.

I hope you all enjoy it.

September Flower Updates

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Thank you as always to the staff at The Bramblesflowers and Flowers to yours for once again getting a great selection of flowers for us to take in our little home studio. This month we had a thistle with several heads on it. While maybe not the prettiest of plants, it does have form and texture that looks good in photos. Get well Chris … being out of action is frustrating I know well. So here wishing you and your leg a speedy repair.

That is it again for this month. Thanks as always to Amy for her help and be sure to drop by at the end of the month for Octobers updates.

Bye

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August Blog Updates Liver fat and a quiet month

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Welcome back to my little corner of the World wide web.

Its a bit of a quiet one this month, even though we did two shoots this time, Although one of them is not completely edited yet. This is because of the roasting hot weather we have been having every time I go sit in front of the computer I sweat like a pig. Its horrible and even worse when its humid. Thankfully now the worst of Summer is over and I can crack on with the editing. Emily Bajic is the star of this months effort and can be found below.

I had my second CT scan on my liver completed this month and had the results a few weeks back. There is a small build up of fatty deposits on my liver, but the Hospital does not think its worth doing anything about at this point in time. So I am pleased at the results, but wish I had not have to go through the ringer and all the aggro I went through to get this result. Still look at the bright side …. I do not have cancer and my liver is still working.

So that ia about it for this month (like I said, a quiet one), but I would like to thank everyone for their support and kind words recently with the cancer / liver scare. Love you all.


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Projects – Architectural Metaphor

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These Architecture images were taken on a recent visit to Nottingham when I was going to do a location shoot with Mercybomgo. We had some time to kill and got the camera out to snap the tram station, the lace market square and the Nottingham Contemporary Art gallery.

Emily Bajic Fashion Shoot

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This was a shoot that nearly never happened. I had originally booked asian model Supple Suki for this Augusts event, but I screwed up. I failed to confirm it with Suki and so she took another booking elsewhere. I had to scramble around for another model who was size six dress and was lucky to find the lovely Emily Bajic. She was perfect for the job and a delight to work with. We did quiet a bit of the blurred look I like doing, many of which you can see here on this blog. The shoot took place at The Boardroom, and Makeup was provided with grace by Shadrine at Kavour

Thanks then to Phil and Shadrine as well as model Emily and Amy for her help.

August Flower Updates

Bumper selection of flowers this month with three from the shop and two Amy picked up in a hedgerow, including a yellow berry display. As always thanks to Chris and thanks the ladies at The Bramblesflowers and Flowers to yours A thanks also to Amy of course for her ever needed help and flower arrangements. Also I would just like to say I hope you mending Chris … take care mate.

That is it for August, see you all again in September.

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