Local Press Life

Cliche...

Theres some pictures, that you really have to have certain elements contained. a thing and a person, and they have to be connected. And in a small amount of allotted time you have to supply that image. So, in this case, its yet another person looking out of a broken window! 

I often wonder about cliche's and how to avoid them, but things are cliche for a reason....

For this pic i had to have two people in the shot, victim of the attack, and his local political representative. Used a bare 550ex as a slave on ttl, and set for the ambient light outside. I was forced to light the shot, because of the contrast between outside and in, and the dificulty of filling with flash on camera from outside, and the obvious implications of it bouncing back from the broken glass. Also it allowed me some extra depth in the picture, rather than having them come and peer right out of the hole!

Alas poor Yoric...

Here's Harry Greg, legendary Manchester United and N.Ireland Goalkeeper, and the man who played a huge role in the saving of lives during the Munich Air disaster, in which so many of his team mates died. He was given an Honorary Doctorate yesterday at the University. He rarely smiles, and told all the photographers there, that none of us were being sucessful in getting him to do so...

He's a refective man, and perhaps a smile in a silly gown wouldnt have really suited him anyway. Someone gave him a Man U football as a prop. Got a few snaps of him throwing it in the air, but i nipped round to the side and managed to get this shakespearean kinda vibe. I had my usual flashes set up, and the Uni tog had lights set up, but i ended up using the ambient from his modelling lights.

Congrats, Dr. Gregg!

Brass Quartet..

Ahh, a cool job, in a beautiful setting! Doesnt happen very often, so you make the most of it while you can..

Got sent to Mussendun Tmple on the North Antrim Coast, to cover the National Trust midsummer concerts. I arrived to find the musicians outside, waiting to go in.  Got a few shots like this....  Didnt want to do 'posh'. They did one run up the hill, and i could have done with a few more passes to get just what i wanted. Seeing them again tomorrow, for a few more pics .... :-)

So here they are, the Trillium Brass Quartet.  Thanks Guys!

 

nice ass..

Heres my fave shot of the week. Was out at a local 'Open Farm' to get pics of a school visit... jeez. Couldnt resist this portrait opportunity. on camera flash at f16 for that surreal sharp look that i really must play with some more...

yeah, right....!

Was out to cover the visit of Irish President, Mary McAleese today...

Due to some comments she made some time ago, about N.Ireland Protestant parents, there was a protest at the gates, and what should have been a great day for what is a really successful and progressive school , was  spoiled by narrow minds. 

Comments shed had made likened N.Ireland protestant parents, with their continual teaching of children to hate Catholics, to life in nazi germany.......   "Go home ya fenian b**tch" they shouted as she arrived.

She apologised for her "clumsy" comments a long time ago, im not sure she should have bothered....

 

 

Summertime...

Was out to cover a local agricultural show today. Was a blistering hot day too, and im feeling a bit knackered with the heat. Nothing a little Guinness wont fix though.  I'm always torn at events like this, because im not interested in the agricultural side of it, more the people involved, and try and look for quirkier images than the paper would normally use.

Didnt have much time today for the quirky, but managed to get a few shots i was happy with, outside of my coverage for the paper.  This 1st pic just reminds me of teenage summers, back in the day...

Five blondes... :-P

   

oh well, better luck next time...

Went to Windsor Park to day to photograph the Irish Cup FInal. Coleraine vs. Linfield. We lost 2-1 after a fantastic first half going 1-0 up, and then giving away 2 goals in the 1st 5 mins of the 2nd half. :(

quick portrait.....

Went for a job this evening, to photograph a football team in the sauna......  Thankfully it didnt happen!
a: because its so damn steamy, its nigh on impossible, and
b: there was the possibility of slipping towels......

Anyway, as is the norm, I got asked to shoot some different pictures "seeing as i was there already"  It was a shot of  Steven Carson, Coleraine FC player, who just been  crowned player of the year, amongst other awards.

I found an empty red wall, and cleared away a bit of clutter, lined up the trophies and sat him down. this was the 2nd shot. 1st one was to chimp the lights with my hand.  550ex on a shelf behind, and a 580ex through a shoot through brolly camera right.  Backlight flash, as always is set to manual, in this case 1/16 power and the Brolly light just on ettl. 125/f8. handy.

Cozy pub...

I do loads of advertising feature photographs. Makes up a large proportion of my day to day work at the paper.  Have to say that i probably enjoy that area of the job most of all.  Its a good excuse to get away from the usual grip and grin cheque presentations, and groups of schoolkids.

Its also a great excuse to play with lighting.

This was a tricky one, as the conservatory at the back was in full sunshine and the interior section was lit only by a small stained dusty window, and the fireplace...  I decided that as long as i could clearly see the furniture in the sun room, the windows could blow out. this let me get a large enough aperture to record the flames in the scene. final exposure was 1/80 @f5.6. This left the room totally dark, with just the flames visible, but the sun room as i wanted it.

the room was then lit with two flashguns, one through a shoot through brolly at the fireplace, and one 580ex sitting on the stairs, set to bounce of the ceiling beside the light fitting.  The bounced light gave me some nice highlights on the leather seats. Was pleased with this one, and so was the Pub!   

load of rubbish...

Theres times I get called about a 'story' and just groan. The same old stuff seems to come up again and again, and it can be hard to get motivated.  You just have to remember that the 'story' is actually very important to the people involved. 

Had to go get a shot of some rubbish, that the council is refusuing to clean up, and blaming everyone else. (as usual)  ....As is the norm, in things like this, its never as bad as the people in the story make it out to be, so in order to make them feel like it was worthwhile, I have to make it look impressive........

....or at least i try. :)