The Tradition of Freedom
The beginning of the summer camping season on the Piémançon beaches in the Camargue region of southern France.
Pingoes in the Camargue
Seeing wild flamingoes for the first time, in the south of France.
New programming techniques in my daily workflow
While my main hobby in my private life is photography, I earn my living through programming websites. Since moving to !frappant back in April last year – has it really been a year already?! – I’ve been striving to learn as many new techniques as possible.
It’s been a particular goal to get out of the technical lull which came about due to an excess of concept work and a lack of programming at B-M, and I’ve already found that the long hours I put in last year – in particular for the Bike To Work project, which is currently running at full pelt – have paid off. I’m up to speed with TYPO3 development, although upcoming newer versions and new core concepts are going to mean more time re-learning the basics. That’s one of the great things about the job though; you’re never “done”, there are always new things just around the corner. Read post »
Free lighting and portraiture day
After a break of almost two years, and a handful of small lighting courses both on location and in the studio, I’ve decided to organize another free day of photography and learning in the style of the Swiss Strobist days.
The Buttermere Tree
A photograph of one of the most photographed trees in the English Lake District in the truly appalling conditions I encountered this January.
Wedding photography for fun
I gain a lot of pleasure through photographing the most important day of a couple’s life, and have spent a lot of time honing my skills to make sure that my subjects don’t just get a standard set of photos, but a unique visual documentary of the day through special moments.
Wonder and reflection
I wonder, sometimes, about the nature of photography and why I spend so much of my time engaged in it. A snapshot, recovered with the use of Photoshop, garners the appreciation of hundreds and hundreds of people, whilst a series which I return to again and again gains less views than I can count on my fingers and thumbs.
I do this for me, not for anyone else. I take photos because I enjoy the process; even if the photo disappears into my archive to be lost for months or longer. The act of creating a visual reminder of the experiences I have, to be able to re-live them in my memory when I return to the photos later, and being able to capture unique moments of unexpected synchronicity: that’s why I do it.
Parade of Fire
A procession of some serious fire through the narrow streets of Liestal, near Basel, to mark the approaching end of winter.
The Clootie Well
Travelling, even in my own country, has given me much more interest in the places which many pass by, giving them little thought as they are so familiar. A small Forestry Commission car park at the side of the road not far from Inverness offers a place to stop at one such place: the “Clootie Well” at Munlochy. Read post »
Remembering the floods from 2005
I drove through Brienz this weekend for the first time in a couple of years, and roadworks near the office where I used to work reminded me of the terrible events of August 2005. Read post »