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Not sure if can get much worse than this. had to photograph a man dressed as Santa today, with two goats, and a red setter...
The goat tried to eat his beard. While i tried to get its attention for a picture, and stop the dogs trashing my bag and knocking stands flying... Farmer Christmas, I hope we never meet again....
Im amazed by the camera in my new phone. I've used it a couple of times now, for pics for the paper, as much to amuse myself as anything else. You wouldnt know when you see it on our toilet news paper anyway. Snapped this pic whilst stopping for a wee coffee yesterday, 5mpxls of Nokia..
...now, how can i get it to trigger a flash????
Were doing a story this week about a guy who believes hes being victimised for driving a subaru, and being treated like a 'boy racer'. I felt pretty sorry for the guy, as i really believe that what you drive and how you look should have zero bearing on other peoples attitudes towards you.
He's a working Firefighter, so i needed to include an aspect of that in the picture, and as my usual problem of pics being printed to small, is always at the forefront of my mind when im working, it has to all be shown in a compact an area as possible.
so here he is. with i think enough of a graphic representation of the car, his fire sign, and him having to look over his shoulder...
quantum q-flash fired through the window camera left on 1/4 power, fired with radio trigger as the 580ex and ste2 wouldnt work with all the reflective glass.
Seems to be every Christmas, there's massive job losses. Maybe they only hit the radar near xmas as its such a spendy time of year. Covered news today, where 200 haulage drivers and workers were suddenly made redundant, with the prospect of having to chase up their wages, never mind any sort of redunancy settlement.
Theyve barricaded the depot, and are determined to stay night and day, to see it sorted out. It will be a bleak xmas for some this year, unless payments can be sorted out asap.
Was getting to my first job of the day, when I noticed two guys dragging something along the riverside at a local park. Council workers as it turned out, removing dead sheep from the river.
I was watching them through the 300mm, when one of them ran back for something, and the other had this annoyed look about him, so i took the picture. makes me smile. "For gawds sake, Flossie will you hurry up"
I always appreciate a cuppa, and its great when you arrive for a booking, and are met with, "are you in a hurry, do you want a wee cup of tea??" they also offered me some wine, but i declined...
Had to put up with the usual jokes about expecting wet weather, when setting up a stand and brolly, but my warm cup of tea had mellowed my disdain, so i just did a quick 'singing in the rain' thing and ignored it.
anyhoo, flash on the table behind for the paintings, and a flash bounced in a brolly for the guys. I almost always set my background speedlite on manual, and my brolly light on ettl, as its pretty fast, and i only ever have to chimp the backlight to get it right.
Was in at the local Fire Station this morning,to get pics of a Primary School class who were visiting. Typical job for me.
I spent a while just tagging along, and have to say, I enjoyed the tour as much as the kids. The guys showed them things like their breathing apparatus, and told them to remember what they looked like with the masks on, so if they were ever in a fire, and they saw the guys coming, they didnt need to be scared....... That really blew me away. I photograph terrible things regularly, like the cut up remains of all sorts of cars involved in fatal accidents, and the burnt out shells of family homes, and something like that had never crossed my mind. The human element, but on a really personal level.
They talked about their tools, and the small things they use for checking under floorboards and cavity walls for fires still burning. Its given me a much deeper respect for the job the guys do, and the knowledge they have.
The guys are shown here with one of their lifesaving bits of gear, the 'Jaws of Life', huge mechanical scissors and pliers, for extracting victims from smashed cars and the like. Really brought home to me the jobs these guys do. So I'd like to pass on a huge word of thanks, to all of them.
Was asked to go shoot some PR pics of a local Rally Driver the other day, to advertise an upcoming event in Belfast. There was to be a couple of PR girlie models coming, but they didnt show, for some reason. The driver, not to be dissapointed spied two girls watching proceedings, and asked if i'd get them for a picture instead........
So, here they are! if you dont ask, you dont get.
Getting back into the swing of things again. Have had endless amounts of really dull jobs, with impatient people wo dont care what the pics like, etc, but im trying to approach things now with a PMA, and try a bit harder!
Shot these guys today. thought id keep the whole thing a bit tongue in cheek, and have a bit of fun. Decided to use the background even though it was too small, and kept in the guys holding it up for me. Got the lead guy in front to give me a kind of heroic look to the brolly camera left. I wonder will their mates think they were serious?
anyway, they are starring in a school production of 'Joseph' , and as is the norm, there was no props or costumes etc.. I had fun, though.
