Shaped Bokeh

Evening All... I say all, its probably just me lol!

Anyway tonight my dear wife is out for someones birthday and my darling daughter is in bed. I thought I would take the opportunity to try create some bokeh having read some threads on DPS.

I went to the stationers today and bought the only craft punch available which hapened to be a love heart. Whilst listening to my beloved Leeds Utd get beat by Southend (booo) I began my blue peter task of making a disk to cover the lens and a mechanism to fit it over the lens.

I cut a long rectangular piece, as deep as the lens and run it around the outside of the lens, then stuck the disk on the front ensuring very little light could enter from the joints. I guess its like a cup with a heart shaped hole in the bottom!

I got the christmas lights out but as usual they didnt work, as time wasnt on my side and dinner was calling me I decided to take the shades off the lamp in the corner and photograph that instead.

The result was quite pleasing although the colour was not how i had seen it. I adjusted the colours using the colour channels in CS3 and added a vignette.



Another bokeh picture is below, I took it at some traffic lights and managed to capture the red and my sat nav!

Bold colour and Legs!

Like any other red blooded male I am a great fan of womens legs!

When I was shopping with my wife we came across some red heels which i thought would look great in a picture. She bought them and in teh wardrobe they sat, getting more use from my 18 month old daughter. Weeks later we then passed some tights which she decided would enable he to wear the heels with a skirt... then she recalled she had a ridiculously tiny skirt that he had never worn! I added the three together and this is what i got!!!



I took this in the kitchen, she was stood on a box covered with a table cloth and i fired the flash at the wall. I had a few issues and used some tools in CS3 to fix the background, which i have since noticed isnt perfect.

I thought it had quite a devil wears prada look to it and quite like the image.

I like the colours moreso, bold reds against the black starkly contrasting the white of the flash. I did have some issues with stray light from teh flash and have a lot to learn about off camera lighting.

Fifty Two

Soooo, sorry I havent updated for a while things have been a little hectic.

I should have some time now and begin to update as I try new things.

I have to make an effort to photograph because I have signed up for a fifty-two set in Flickr. This means i get to concentrate on lighting and self portraits a hell of a lot more.

I had an idea for my first, actually thought of the idea before signing up but if the cap fits and all that. Some of them arent perfect but the gist of the item is there.



Just me having a shave (after specially going out to get shaving foam which i dont use!!).

I thought it came out well...

I'm home!

As you were aware I have been counting the days away until my honeymoon and my chance to have a rest... that and the chance to take millions of pictures of Malta!

Well hence the delay since my last post I got just that.

Not quite as I had imagined mind, my daughter takes a lot of looking after, especially overseas where there are added dangers of crazy roads, swimming pools and heat.

Still, I think I managed to get some keepers and varied styles away from standard holiday shots.

Here are a couple of my favourites, the rest are on Flickr under my Malta set;







As you will see from my set, i spent quite some time on long exposures and night shots. Mainly to capture the movement of the waves to create the 'misty waters' effect however I also had in mind the star shaped lights too.

Anyway I hope you enjoy looking and I will post some How To processing tips later.