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  • POTD 1 Apr 2008: Tape Measure x3 1 April 2008


    Tape Measure

    I was in town today looking for three identical tape measures.  I’m not going to say why… just yet.  If all goes to plan I’ll explain in the POTD later this week.

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  • POTD 2 Apr 2008: Guess What? 2 April 2008


    Guess What?

    An attempt at a “Guess what this is?” photo – fairly easy I reckon.

    If you can’t work it out… put the kettle on make yourself a cuppa and then come back and take another look at it.  I’m sure by that time you’ll have worked it out.

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  • POTD 3 Apr 2008: Model Shoot 3 April 2008


    Cooling off

    I had a great photo shoot today with a Manchester model who models under the name Blueraven.

    Here’s a small selection of images from the shoot.  And as you can see this was the reason I was searching Stockport two days ago for tape measures.  One of a series of images to do with body measurements.

     

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  • POTD 4 Apr 2008: Giant Daffodils 4 April 2008


    Giant Daffodils

    After family portrait session in the studio shoot this morning it was off to Marple for the afternoon to take a few shots.  Including this “giant daffodils” shot.

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  • POTD 5 Apr 2008: The Doctor is Back 5 April 2008


    Doctor Beni

    Doctor Who returned to for its 30th Season today.  We had friends round to watch it.  Beni (see http://beni.imb.biz) once again dressed as the Doctor to mark the occasion.

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  • POTD 6 Apr 2008: Cast Photos 6 April 2008


    I was taking the cast photos for Stockport Garrick’s production of “Dealing with Clair” this morning.  It’s a chance to proces them in a different way to normal.  I wanted to achieve a stark look to the images.  So firstly I took the photos with very direct harsh light to create maximum contrast in the image.  Then I used the threshold tool in Photoshop to convert to this very stylised black and white.

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  • POTD 7 Apr 2008: A cold spell 7 April 2008


    Hot water bottles

    We appear to be going through a cold spell in the UK.  So that’s my inspiration for todays POTD.  I was looking at my Alamy stats the other day and discovered that quite a number of things I have photographed for the POTD have been found on searches by potential customers.  I just hope some of them turn into sales.

    This POTD image sold the other day:

    http://www.imb.biz/page.php?pg=diary&d=06-01-16


    Country: Russian Federation
    Usage: Editorial
    Media: Consumer Magazine
    Industry: Retail books/magazines/newspapers
    Sub-Industry: Business
    Print run: up to 10,000
    Placement: Inside
    Image Size: Spot size
    Start: 04 April 2008
    End: 04 May 2008

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  • POTD 8 Apr 2008: Envelopes 8 April 2008


    A very small selection of the Barclays deposit by post envelopes

    Barclays have really surpassed themselves this time!  I’ve been trying to get a few envelopes to pay in cheques at the Post Offices or by post for the last 5 years.  I’ll not bore you with the details about how I have been told contradicting stories about this over the years.  But suffice it to say that at last I got the envelopes I need.  They arrived by currior today.  A large and heavy box containing no less than 500 envelopes!!  I was expecting a couple of dozen.  A quick bit of maths: even if I use one envelope a week.  It will take 10 years to get through them.  What’s the chances that the process will be different long before then and require a new set of envelopes?

    Oh yes, and get this, there is an dispatch note with the box (which barclays tell me is just for information and not something that I have to pay).  The dispatch note says the cost of the 500 envelopes and sending them out to me?  £56.88!

    Just crazy!

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  • POTD 9 Apr 2008: PC Rebuild 9 April 2008


    Computer memory chips

    This POTD is being posted 1 day late.  The reason for that is because my PC died.  Well to be strictly accurate a memory module failed which caused the blue screen of death and repeated reboots.  This in turn caused Windows to become corrupt which in turn meant I had to reainstall windows and all the applications I use.  Which in turn meant that I couldn’t process my POTD…. which in turn means it is being posted 1 day late.

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  • POTD 10 Apr 2008: Focus Stacking 10 April 2008


    First attempt at a Focus Stack

    While rebuilding my PC today, I stumbled across a photography technique I hadn’t heard of before.  It is called focus stacking.  It works like this… you take a series of photographs with identical settings, except that you change the focus slightly each time.  The technique is used to extend your depth of field, particularly in macro photography.

    This photo is my first attempt at doing it.  It is a very crude attempt and really I should have used more than three images for it.  The first image had Sue Richards (invisible girl) in focus, the second had Reed Richard (Mr Fantastic) and Jonny Storm (Human Torch) in focus and the third image had Ben Grim (the Thing) in focus.  The completed image isn’t perfect (note that Sues hair is out of focus) but it proves the technique.

    If you want to try the technique out the free software can be downloaded from:

    http://hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZM/combinezm.htm

    and a tutorial can be found here:

    http://www.digitalgrin.com/showthread.php?t=61316

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  • POTD 11 Apr 2008: Garrick at Lancaster 11 April 2008


    Royal Kings Arms, Lancaster

    I’m up in Lancaster this weekend with the Garrick Theatre for our weekend away.  Nice hotel, but shame the lift isn’t working!  Not too bad for those of us on the 2nd floor… those on the 4th floor aren’t too happy about it!

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  • POTD 12 Apr 2008: Lancaster 12 April 2008


    Ashton Memorial, Lancaster

    This is Lancaster’s famour Ashton Memorial, which dominates the city skyline and is visible to anyone travelling past Lancaster on the M6.  I walked up to the memorial this afternoon and spent quite a while trying to get this photo of it.  I returned to this spot several times as the light and sky changed, trying to photograph it and to capture the image as I wanted it.  This shot is pretty close to what I wanted.  The forground is lit with a fill-in flash.   The saturation of the image has been boosted in Lightroom and I’ll be removing the lamp post in Photoshop when I get home.

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  • POTD 13 Apr 2008: Lancaster 13 April 2008


    Alms houses in Lancaster

    Monday14 April 2008: This is posted one day late due to the fact that when we got back from Lancaster I had a migraine and had to retire to bed to clear it. 

    Before leaving Lancaster we had a tour of the Castle – a working prison and working court.  (No photography allowed) and had a quick look at some unusual alms houses right in the middle of the city. (A couple of photos taken).

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  • POTD : Mon, 13 Apr 2008: Dafodils 13 April 2008


    Dafodils and blue sky

    Out in Bramhall park. This is a classic worms-eye view of some daffodils. One of the many ways you can make an imae stand out is to photograph the subject from somewhere that the average person doesn’t see it. In this case I put the camera on the ground and shot the flowers looking up!

    PLEASE NOTE: This is not a source of free photographs.
    This photograph is (c) Ian M Butterfield. All rights are reserved. No use Is permitted (including non-commercial use) without prior permission. If you wish to use any of my photographs please ask first.

    Image Reference: FB0413A-E01302

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  • POTD 14 Apr 2008: Second Post 14 April 2008


    Post box

    Migraine gone, back to work today.  One set of images I was processing included a photo of this post box… unfortunately I realised I had camera shake on it.  Fortunately the post box is located outside the church where Woodford Players rehearse.  So before tonights rehearsal I retook the shot.  And here it is as my POTD.

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  • POTD 15 Apr 2008: Keywording 15 April 2008


    A bunch of keys.

    I’ve spent the day beta testing some keywording software for Alamy.  Not impressed with it I’m afraid – I certainly can’t see myself using it in a ‘production environment’.

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  • POTD 16 Apr 2008: T-4-2 16 April 2008
  • POTD 17 Apr 2008: Map 17 April 2008


    Map

    I’ll explain this photo, tomorrow!

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  • POTD 18 Apr 2008: HDR 18 April 2008


    Norcliffe Chapel, Styal

    I said I would explain yesterday’s POTD today… well… I was meant to be in Telford today for a shoot of a model and her horses.  It got cancelled due to bad weather.

    Instead I went to Styal and to Manchester airport viewing area.  Todays POTD is Norcliffe Chapel in Style.  The photo was created by combining 7 different exposures to create an HDR (Hight Dynamic Range) image.

    The software used to combine the images is “Qtpfsgui” and it can be downloaded from http://qtpfsgui.sourceforge.net/index.php

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  • POTD 19 Apr 2008: Set Building 19 April 2008


    Set construction for Witness for the Prosecution

    This morning I went over to the barn in Woodford where the set for Witness for the Prosecution is being created.  The team are doing a fantastic job and the set is looking really good.

    BTW If you want to come to see the play – please call the box office (0161 439 7535) and don’t leave it too late, Woodford players have been known to play to sell out audiences!

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  • POTD 20 Apr 2008: And the winner is. . . . . 20 April 2008


    Printer

    For the pize of most frustraiting pieces of technology today.  The nominations are…

    My PC for crashing with a blue screen in the early hours of this morning
    and
    My printer for repeated print head clogging and wasting valuable ink and photo papers.

    And the winner is….

    A dead heat!  So the prize of a POTD photo is awared to both.  Cue one blue effect photo of the printer!

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  • POTD 21 Apr 2008: Buxton 21 April 2008


    Buxton Opera House

    Went to Buxton today to do a ‘reccy’ for the C3 Photography group get together there this coming Sunday. 

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  • POTD 22 Apr 2008: BSOD 22 April 2008


    BSOD

    Blue Screen Of Death – seen a lot of them today, usually each slightly different from the previous.  The quickest way to note down what they say is to point the camera at the screen.  Thus the only thing I’ve photographed today is blue screens of death!

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  • POTD 23 Apr 2008: PC Woes continue 23 April 2008


    House of cards

    My PC is still very unstable.  It was fine for most of the day and then while I was having tea it went into a blue screen/reboot/blue screen/reboot cycle.

    I’m now into a long drawn out process of “illiminate the impossible and whatever is left no matter how improbible must be the truth.”

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  • POTD 24 Apr 2008: Dealing with Clair 24 April 2008


    28 April 2008 – I’m playing catch up.  The problems with my PC have prevented me from posting my POTD for the last few days.  I think (hope?) the problems are mostly over now and so I’m it’s time to post the photos that were missed.  Photos have been taken for each of the days… just not processed or posted.

    Thursday 24th April – Photography for the Garrick’s latest production “Dealing with Clair” – Ann is prompt for it.

     

     

     

     

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  • POTD 25 Apr 2008: New Motherboard 25 April 2008


    New Motherboard

    Yesterday evening as I was uploading the photos from the Garrick production of Dealing with Clair my PC blue screened again, and again and again!

    Today, I was getting quite desperate and decided to “bite the bullet” and buy a replacement mother board.  I know the other one is only two months old, but I’ve decided on this drastic course of action because a) I can’t actually PROVE it is the motherboard that is the cause of the problem and b) even if I could the warrenty on the old one is now only a return to manufacturer one – which could take 30 days!

    All I’ve managed to do today is get the new board (after some research) and install it.  So far the PC has not blue screened since it has been installed.

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  • POTD 26 Apr 2008: Another Error! 26 April 2008


    Warning!

    Satruday 26th April 2008:  I managed to get the photos for the Garrick processed today, no blue screens since the new motherboard was installed.  However…. this evening my main 1 Terrabye disk – the one that contains all my photos started going ‘off line’ for no good reason.  The system log file is showing errors/warnings on the disk.  Ahhh… solve one problem and get another.

    In an attempt to solve the blue screen problems a few weeks ago I disabled the backup process – just incase that had something to do with the problem. Spent the evening manually backing up all my data from the photo drive.  Finaly got to bet at 2.00am – thats why no POTD was posted today.

    Monday 28th April 2008: Post Script – disk now connected through a different interface/cable and no further problems experienced.  Yet….

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  • POTD 27 Apr 2008: C3 in Buxton – World pinhole photography day! 27 April 2008


    PIN HOLE CAMERA: C3 in Buxton

    C3 Visited Buxton today.  Had a good time photographing the town.  It was also world pinhole photography day!


    PIN HOLE CAMERA: Daffodils in Buxton


    PIN HOLE CAMERA: Buxton War Memoria

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  • POTD 28 Apr 2008: Cutters 28 April 2008


    Pastry cutters

    It was yet another one of those days when I stuck for something to photograph, so I grabbed 3 pastry cutters and photographed them.


    Pastry cutters

    Oddly enough sometimes these “I can’t think of what to photograph” days do actually pay off.  Remember this photo from 27th  Januauary?

    http://www.imb.biz/page.php?pg=diary&d=08-01-27

    One of the photos that I did for that POTD sold the other day.  And it was a good sale too!

    Click here to see the image that sold: http://www.alamy.com/image-details.asp?ARef=ARCYXW

    Country: United Kingdom
    Usage: Editorial
    Media: Consumer Magazine
    Industry: Retail books/magazines/newspapers
    Sub-Industry: Cars
    Print run: up to 100,000
    Placement: Inside
    Image Size: 2 page spread
    Start: 24 April 2008
    End: 01 May 2008

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  • POTD 29 Apr 2008: Drama 29 April 2008


    Conflict

    I’ve been given a small role in Stockport Garrick’s next production “She Stoops to Conquor”.  I attended my first rehearsal tonight and took the opportunity to get a few rehearsal photos.

    This particular photo appealed to me.  Let me state at this point that the processing used on the image is unlikely to be used on the real photos.  “She Stoops…” is a restoration comedy and this style of processing is far more suited to gritty, modern, conflict dramas.  But if you consider this image out of context it does seem to be appropriate for it.

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  • POTD 30 Apr 2008: Replacement Tripod 30 April 2008


    Tripod

    Readers of this POTD with long memories may recall an entry I made back in December last year: http://www.imb.biz/page.php?pg=diary&d=2007-12-01 which described how my travel tripod had failed.  It has taken a long time and a lot of chasing but today I finally got a replacement from Manfrotto.

    The new tripod is the updated model – hopefully it won’t have the same problem with the leg catches.  The only thing I don’t like about the new model is the very plasticy quick release mechanism which I suspect won’t last very long – it really isn’t designed to take a heavy pro spec DSLR.  The previous model had a simple screw thread which meant the tripod head could cope easily with my camera.

     

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