How to Train Your Dragon…….Fruit

The answer is simple!

You buy a fish tank, fill it full of carbonated water, setup your camera and lights, cut the fruit in half and drop it into the water several times before you get a decent shot !

Easy. You’ve trained your dragon fruit.

All of these shenanigans were for my food assignment as part of a studio task. But I didn’t stop at dragon fruit – oh no my cyber chums. I went all exotic and dropped figs, chilis and even lychees into my fish tank! Look at me going all Heston Blumenthal ! What next?  Cheesy Peas? And who knew that chilies were so buoyant? That was money well spent….NOT !

I must admit, high-speed photography is very frustrating and 1 hour in, it seemed as if I had more images for my blooper reel than useable pictures. Timing is everything and my advice to those thinking of giving this a try? I just have two words for you – remote trigger! It will be your best friend when it comes to high-speed photography. I also suggest you have another person to help you. Let me tell you, it is really difficult to hold the fruit above the water, hold your remote trigger and position the flash gun so you get that perfect capture.

Once you have all of this in place, you can start shooting. I would also think it over about what to dunk in your tank. Like I said, chilis were a total failure and every time I dropped the limes and lemons, they seemed to have minds of their own and would only splash skin side up. The tomatoes? Well, the less said about the tomatoes, the better….

The dragon fruit were the best choice and given their colour and appearance, they have created quite vivid images. The figs also worked well as did the lychees and strawberries.

The result of this photographic fruit salad? Well, if you’re a newbie to this blog, I guess I’ll have to take your hand and guide you to the Image Gallery so when you’ve finished reading this, scroll back up to the top, click on Image Gallery and scroll to the bottom and you will find them. You may want to add a comment or two if the mood takes you and so I’ll thank you in advance should you do.

Right so here is your to-do list –

1. Finish reading this post

2. Scroll back to the top

3. Click on Image Gallery

4. Scroll down the bottom of said Image Gallery

5. Stay a while and take a stroll through the colourful fruit and vegetable vistas

6. Leave a comment

7 Feel good about yourself for the rest of the day.

Thank you my cyber chums. Till the next time!

Sorry I’m Late….

Hello chums.

Yes, I’m sorry I’m late. I’ve been back in time you see. To the 1980’s to be precise.

“How have you done that Wayne?” I hear you ask. “Have you invented some sort of crazy time machine powered by sunlight & moonbeams?”

No my fellow bloggers. No time travel or bizarre dream sequence – I’ve simply been immersing myself back in the fashions of the 1980’s. And let me tell you, it’s not a pretty sight.

As someone who is old enough to remember the 80’s, can I just ask “what the hell were we thinking?!”

Bejewelled crop tops, giant shoulder pads and enough denim to cover the land mass of Africa! And not even good denim – I’d happily punch in the face whoever it was who thought stonewash was a good idea!

The fashion was terrible. Researching this project meant finding appalling images such as that one above and immediately wanting to wash my eyes out with bleach (don’t try that at home kids…)

Anyway, all this reminiscing about the 80’s was all for a good cause as it was the basis for one of my final projects for this college term. I wanted to do a fashion shoot but with an 80’s theme (not that one above).

I concentrated on the types of images that the top fashion houses were putting out at that time and looked at pop videos, especially Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” video. They all tended to depict strong, confident women, in charge and in control and I liked that idea so that was my plan.

I am also lucky enough to have both a make up artist and willing model in my family so after a quick trip around vintage clothes shops and local charity shops, a call to my niece and a booking made for the studio, everything was ready for my 80’s style fashion shoot.

I really hope you like the results. I am extremely proud of the images. I’m only half way through editing but really wanted to share some of the images with you now.

I must also say one GIGANTIC thank you to my niece Georgia for modelling for me and doing the make up – she was simply fantastic. I also want to thank Dan for helping with the lighting. He is a complete star!

So you know what to do – scroll back up to the top after reading this, click Image Gallery, scroll down to the bottom and you’ll find the images. And while you’re there, pop a comment or two on them if you feel the urge.

The 80’s eh? Almost makes me want to shave my mullet off….

Put Food In Me….

 

…Or rather take pictures of food, and then put food in me…

That’s what I’ve been up to this week chums. Food photography. And it’s quite a challenge.

Firstly, let me tell you that when shooting food photography, you have to know that your models won’t take direction very well, some of them may smell and worst of all, some of them may even melt before your very eyes.

I was shooting some pics for an “Italian” food theme and before all of my Italian chums start shouting “Mamma Mia!!” and playing the stereotype card, (Oops..double whammy there..) I’ll apologise in advance and say we had a limited budget. But hey, I think we made a pretty good job.

Food photography is big business. How many fancy cookbooks and idiot guides to cookery would Jamie Oliver, Heston Blumenthal & Dame Delia Smith sell without it? Not many let me tell you. Rather than running successful restaurants, you’d more likely find them working in burger vans or greasy spoon cafe’s I shouldn’t wonder. I very much doubt your average truck driver would want a deconstructed bacon & egg sandwich served on a slate tile with tomato ketchup foam or a brown sauce jus….looking at you Heston….

I must tell you though, I quite liked shooting a few food pics. At first, it makes you quite hungry but after arranging and re-arranging and then someone else arranging it and re-arranging it, then spraying it with water and glycerin to give it that “just picked from the field” look and then arranging it some more, it was about as tempting to eat as vacuum cleaner dust.

Anyways, I’ve uploaded a couple of the images into the Image Gallery so you know the drill – when you’re done reading this, scroll back up to the top, click on Image Gallery and scroll down to the bottom and Hey Presto! The food photography images!

Isn’t technology marvellous?

I thank you….

 

“Don’t Stop Me Now…”

Not my words…

The title of the Queen song written by the late, great Freddie Mercury.

But I must admit chums, I think I might just bloomin’ well adopt it as my theme tune!

After yesterday’s photo shoot with the wonderful Talia White and model Hannah Gardner, I kind of feel like nothing can stop me!

The shoot went better than expected, I’m super pleased with my pictures and (so far) the editing is coming along very nicely thank you very much.

I’ve already uploaded some of the images into the Image Gallery – feel free to click and have a look. Oh, and if you could jot a few comments on them, I’d like that.

I must admit, I wasn’t looking forward to shooting fashion pictures yesterday, I really wasn’t. I couldn’t see how I was going to motivate myself to get through it but I guess when you’re presented with an opportunity like that, sometimes it can surprise you and give you a different outlook.

Up to this point, I would have chosen the ‘Street Photographer’ job title and painted all over me but shooting those pictures yesterday and looking them now in the cold light of day, I’m really not sure that I can take that job title and make it exclusive.

So I guess what I’m saying is keep an eye on my Image Gallery; there maybe more than just street pictures appearing in there over the coming months.

So in the words of the great man “Don’t stop me now,  I’m having such a good time, I’m having a ball !”

Thanks Freddie…

A feast for your eyes….

Connie

I did a quick photo shoot yesterday at college under the guidance of the simply fabulous Claire Seville and with the absolutely stunning model, Constance Peach.

I’m still editing the pictures but I thought I’d put a couple of them up on the blog in the Image Gallery for you to take a look at and maybe comment on, if you feel the urge.

I must say, Claire was just fantastic and full of advice and Connie was wonderful to work with.

So click on the Image Gallery at the top and scroll down to see the pics. I’ll be adding more as I get them edited.

I thank you….

Just a quick update…

Just thought I’d better let you all know that I’ve moved all of my images into my new Image Gallery ( at the top next to About ). All new uploads will be in there from now on. You know I do really spoil you, don’t I?

I thank you…