1st shoot of the year

So I had my 1st shoot this year with katie Dobson. Always a pleasure never a chore to work with her. The shoot came about after another photographer kept letting her down for one reason or another. So I decided to offer to do it for her instead. I just couldn't handle someone struggling to get photos done in front of me and not get involve. With this shoot it was a chance for me to see how the yashicamat would fair up for me to use for future vintage shoots. I didn't just want for it to gather dust as I would know in my hart that I was not pushing my craft forward to where I want. The quality of my product is where I'm heading and 120 still holds it own when it come to high quality imagery.

Planing for the shoot did have its set backs as choosing location proved tricker than intended, due to the cold weather and lack of funds to produce the shoot. All good stuff though as its a great refresher and reminder of the importance to keep shooting. It brings back the addiction to keep shooting. When in uni it was almost a forced given to shoot, shoot, shoot. But outside its my desire to produce at a higher level that makes me hold off from just shooting for the sake of it. Professionally the work comes and goes, which I am happy with. Creatively??? Am not worried? I have felt a new project coming on for ages now and it will be done when its ready.

What surprised me about the shoot was that I worked myself up. I wouldn't say it was nerves or apprehension, but it was along those line. I just didn't get it. I was in the car traveling to the shoot feeling sick, contemplating finding something to use as a sick bag. I just was not feeling myself. Really bizarre. All because I had worked myself up, over thinking the shoot I reckon. I just got to get out and shoot more. But I love the feeling regardless anyways because its all to do with photography.

The location we used for the shoot was Salisbury hall. A really fantastic location that I wouldn't hesitate to use again. We had 1 hour to work with but for me I can create a whole shoot with in that time, no problem. I was using both the 60d and yashicamat as I wanted to have at least some digital pics as insurance and for instancy. I was using the 60D as an exposure meter as I wasn't going to rely on the exposure meter for the 1950's yashicamat. It likely needed calibrating and I just don't have the time for that just yet.

 It was so delightful working with the yashicmat. Its square frame just give a different perspective to an image and thing looked great through its focusing plate. I conducted the shoot be hand holding the camera at about 1/40 sec. Had I have not been so distracted by getting myself worked up I would have the good sense to just have used the tripod regardless. I only thought this after the shoot when reflecting on my performance. I still feel that I should be ok regardless but will rectify this when using the yashicamat again.

I am currently waiting on the results from the yashicamat images as the have been sent off for processing. In the mean time bellow are the digital images that I took on the shoot.

 

Ambition

With a new year comes new ambition. My latest is the most ambitious yet. While talking over what myself and a friend wanted to achieve in life. I brought up a life time ambition of leaving my mark on the world. Creating something to be remembered by. Something that others can look back on, something that could be studied from a hardback book for years to come. I want to be one of those greats who create something memorable. Photography is going to be my key to achieving this. I wished to create an image that can be seen from outer-space! Wow, exciting or what! Why the hell not think big? If you don't then you never achieve big.

So the question is what type of image do I produce to be seen from outer-space? I came up with a message of world peace as this would be most worth while doing. I want to create a large image of a hand peace sign gesture as I felt it also was a reflection of my own personality, as its something in which I do from time to time. Thinking about the whole idea made me so happy, even chuckling to myself about it. I absolutely would love to create this image and I will.

Although I would not like to give too much away just yet on how I am going to achieve this. I did have a look at existing images that can be viewed from space. There was a number of results that came up which can be seen from the link below.