My photographic adventure began when I was 14 yrs old, when I saved up for a Zorki-4, a Russian rip-off of a Leica rangefinder, only better (better = affordable).
My complete rig was: Zorki-4, Jupiter-8 f2/22 50mm prime, a Prinz hot shoe flash and a second hand photo-cell light meter.
Unfortunately by the time I’d finished being 15yrs old I’d discovered sex, drugs, rock and roll and Bruce Lee so my trips to the breakwater to photograph the waves crashing overhead (1/1,000sec shutter speed don’t you know) gave way to other activities.
Thirty five years later and I’m in Jessop’s buying a 6Mpx Pentax to take on holiday to celebrate my 50th birthday (yes its true, I’m over 50).
After a couple of years trying to re-learn all the stuff I thought I’d never forget I joined CCC (on the advice of our very own Lee Owens), as one area I was really struggling with was flash. When I was 14 you set the shutter to the sync speed 1/30th sec (not a typo), told the flash your ASA (ISO), turned the dial to the subject distance and read off the “correct” aperture setting. Simples. Where the hell did all these choices come from?
I thought I had a head start having used Photoshop since V-4 (to enhance the CAD images I was producing in my day job). That’s where the “pimped” images, a couple shown bellow, came from.Unfortunately I soon learned the term “in camera” and suddenly a whole lot of new challenges sprung forth (think Toad “manias” in The Wind in The Willows).
I latched onto the idea of “a moment in time” and I’ve been stuck there since…
“Yes, but what does it look like…right…now.” A lot/most of the images you’ll see below reflect this relish.
Tea Time In Luxor
This is about as interesting as my landscape stuff gets. Never mind, I was there so it's still evocative as it needs to be for me.
One of the first shots in the "Playing With Fire and Electricity" series. PP included inverting original black background and duplicating main image and manipulating blending modes.
Cut Glass
Determined to refine the simple light bulb shot I developed a technique for chopping up the glass without breaking it. Not as easy as it sounds.
Hot Sparkles
One of my all time favourite light bulb shots. It never ceases to amaze me how much colour there is in a bit of fire and smoke (ACR helps a lot too )
Traffic Mayhem
Using the almost patented H.Fino "Slidomatic" glass ramp can also result in some pleasing images.
Solid Liquid
One of my first attempts at freezing time. Even the judge liked it.
Golden Spiral
Using my custom "flip table" in drop mode creates some interesting results. And no, it isn't a stitch up, its one frame/one exposure.
Bonington Does Snowdon (Again)
The fun thing about water drop shots is you never know what you'll get. This is straight out of the camera (bar levels adjustment and crop).
Driving Miss Daisy
An experiment with high speed flash techniques. This image is a montage of just two frames. The chaos part is a single frame with multiple bursts of flash creating a multiple exposure. Blended in to this is a straight shot with a single burst of flash.
The Intruder
Can't remember who sent in original but I added a photo of me sat on the edge of the bath and a shot of some Red Sea Seagulls (should that be Red Sea Gulls?).
I Am Not A Number - By 343
Started life as a photo of a barcode provided by H.Fino esq. Decided everything in final image to be extracted from original image (see curtain pole supports, transformed from two number 5s). Great fun but nearly drove me crazy.
