- NOT 1/365 – Another day in paradise? 1 January 2011
NOT 1/365 – Another day in paradise?, originally uploaded by Ian M Butterfield.
Continue reading →1 January 2011 : Palm trees on the beech, Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote, Spain
I’m NOT doing a 365 challenge this year! ….but if I was this would be Day 1 of 365.
For the best way to see this image please press F11 and View in lightbox
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: FD0101A-E00008
- POTD Tue, 4 Jan 2011: Fantastic Four 4 January 2011
Fantastic Four (Image Reference: 20110104A-E00092)
I keep telling people that I’m not doing a 365 challenge. However a “4 Challenge” well I suppose that *IS* possible…. and I thought I’d better create a fantastic image to conclude my “4 Challenge”. So here it is the final image: 4/4 – The Fantastic Four!
Geeky stuff…. two off-camera flashes front camera left, and rear camera right. The rear flash has a blue gel on it. Each flash metered independently to f/11. A reference shot of all four figures in a line taken, then each figure photographed independently so that the lighting is the same across each figure. Using the reference image as a guide the four shots merged together in photoshop and “Fantastic Four” wording added underneath.
Settings: 1/125s, f/11, ISO 100. Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @100 mm.
You can see the other images from this shoot here: http://photos.imb.biz/tabletopmisc
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a source of free photographs.
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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. - POTD Mon, 10 Jan 2011: Cola on the bar 10 January 2011
A glass of cola on the bar.In 2011 I wrote…
First night of the current run of my “Introduction to Digital Photography” course tonight. A break time I had my usual glass of coke from the bar. ISO 1600, 50mm 1/40s @ /f1.8 Handheld. I want a narrow depth of field with just enough in blurred background to show it was at a bar.
If you are interested in the 2015 version of the “Introduction to DSLR Photography” course – you can find details of it here: http://www.ians-studio.co.uk/events/introduction-to-dslr-photography-course-6/ – still time to join the course – it starts tomorrow night!
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: FD0110A-E00185
Continue reading → - POTD 17 Jan 2011: Remember This? 17 January 2011
A roll of 35mm film. 36 exposures. ISO 160. (Image Reference: 20110117A-E00316)
I still have a couple of them knocking around the house. I was doing a couple of minor tweaks to my “Introduction to Digital Photography” course notes this afternoon ahead of tonight’s lesson. Realised I needed an image of a roll of film for the notes and decided to photograph one of the ones I had in the garage. I did a straight ‘product shot’ version for the course notes and this more arty version as my NOT 365… darn it… I am slipping into bad habits here I’m starting to think I might actually be doing a 365. Argh! I’m not, I’m not, I’m not!
January 2020 update: I still have a couple of rolls of film knocking around the house – one day I will use them! The images I shot 9 years ago have been used a couple of times in my training since I created them. And that 365 challenge (create and post a photograph every day)? No, I didn’t do it, it really was a NOT 365 challenge!
Settings: 1/40s, f/2.8, ISO 100. Lens: 105.0 mm @105 mm.
You can see the other misc images here: http://photos.imb.biz/other/misc
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a source of free photographs.
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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. - NOT 18/365 – Bath time 18 January 2011
NOT 18/365 – Bath time, originally uploaded by Ian M Butterfield.
A small plastic duck in the bottom of the bath with soap and loofer.
Today’s NOT 365 image was taken in the bath! Well the camera was in the bath along with the duck loofer and soap. Couldn’t get to look through the viewfinder so this was all trial and error.
The whole thing is a complete set-up. The bubbles were created in the wash basin using washing up liquid and then carefully placed into the bath tub. No bath was run in the creation of this image.
Continue reading → - NOT 19/365 – Plans and designs 19 January 2011
NOT 19/365 – Plans and designs, originally uploaded by Ian M Butterfield.
I met this evening with two friends from Stockport Garrick Theatre who have offered to help and advise me with the layout and set building in my studio. I took along plans for three different configurations. My aim is that any of these configurations can be used. I want to keep the space a flexible as possible.
I was given some great advice. And will be taking up their suggestions on how to make the corner area much more flexible. I’m really looking forward to getting this all operational and working.
If you want to see the plans in more detail you can see them here:
1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianbutty/5370851065/in/photostream/
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2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianbutty/5370851145/in/photostream/
3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianbutty/5370851233/in/photostream/ - POTD 21 Jan 2011: Broken Railings 21 January 2011
Broken, distorted, rusty metal fence at the end of Grenville Street, Edgeley, Stockport, Greater Manchester
Broken, distorted, rusty metal fence at the end of Grenville Street, Edgeley, Stockport, Greater Manchester (Image Reference: 20110121A-E00795)
When I was a child there was a very steep cobbled road that I used to walk up and down with my parents. It’s called Grenville Street and it connects Edgeley to Brinksway at the side of Hollywood Park in Stockport.
I know the lower part of this road has been built on because I often drive past where it used to come out. But I’ve wondered for a while whether any of the cobbled sections still exist. Today I went to look. It doesn’t. What does exist is some of the old metal railings. But after 40 or more years they have seen better days. I’d like to think that these are the same railings that 40+ years ago I dragged a branch along to make a noise as we walked home along Grenville Street. If they are, let me state now… that 7-year-old boy bashing the railings with his stick is not responsible for the damaged state they are now in.
Photographically, I deliberately chose a shallow depth of field and focused on the broken edge of the railing. I have desaturated the image a little and applied sepia split tone effect in Lightroom to dive a brownish colour cast to the image.
January 2020 update: Nine years later, I haven’t returned to these railings so I don’t know if they are still there and if they are what state they are currently in. Perhaps a return visit is overdue.
Settings: 1/60s, f/4, ISO 100. Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @105 mm.
You can see the other images from this shoot here: http://photos.imb.biz/travel/uk/Stockport1101
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a source of free photographs.
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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. - NOT 21/365 (Bonus Entry) – Two for the price of one: Sunset 21 January 2011
NOT 21/365 (Bonus Entry) – Two for the price of one: Sunset, originally uploaded by Ian M Butterfield.As I’m not doing a 365 challenge (honest), I don’t see why I can’t post a double entry today.
I had already worked out what my photo was going to be today. It’s called broken, and I’d taken the photo. That’s when I got a phone call from a photographer friend: “Where are you?” Eric asked, “Are you photographing the sunset? I’m out without my camera.” I explained I was at home, I wasn’t photographing anything. The view of any sunset here isn’t great. “Oh well,” my friend replied, “I’ll just have to try to remember it.”
After hanging up, I did grab my camera and tried to find a suitable place to photograph the sunset from. It wasn’t ideal but I get a little bit of it.
So this bonus (NOT) 365 image is for you, Eric. Enjoy. I hope it helps you remember the sunset.
Continue reading → - NOT 22/365 – Home-made pizza 22 January 2011
It was Ann’s home-made pizza for dinner tonight. It was delicious. We ate most of it before I had a chance to photograph it. So, I’m sorry, all you’ve got here is the left-overs!
Continue reading → - NOT 23/365 – Joseph's Dreamcoat 23 January 2011
At C3 we looked at the story of Joseph. Here’s out attempt to create an amazing technicolou dream coat. Modelled by Caitlyn.
Continue reading → - NOT 24/365 – Rubbish Photo 24 January 2011
I think I must be getting a 365 addition. I came home from leading my digital photography course and suddenly I realised I hadn’t taken a photo today. Before I could stop myself I’d grabbed my camera and rushed out to take an image. The only saving grace is that at least it is a rubbish photo!
Rain on the wheelie bin. ISO 3200, photographed under orange sodium street lights and colour corrected in lightroom. Vignette and a slight split-tone also added in Lightroom.
Continue reading → - NOT 25/365 – Objects in your mirror may be bokeh-er than you think 25 January 2011
NOT 25/365 – Objects in your mirror may be bokeh-er than you think, originally uploaded by Ian M Butterfield.This image didn’t quite work the way I’d hoped. Firstly it was not the image I set out to create. The plan… yes… I do sometimes plan my photos… was to photograph some lights through the windscreen of my car while focusing on rain drops on the glass. Unfortunately I realised I needed to move the car, turned the key in the ignition and found out I’d left the windscreen wipers switched on… bye-bye raindrops. I then hit up-on the idea of doing the same idea but using the wing mirror. Saddly I couldn’t find anywhere I could pull up with enough lights behind me for it to work as I envisioned. However, the lights I did have did provide me with a bigger bokeh effect in the finished image than it appeared through the viewfinder.
Continue reading → - NOT 26/365 – It's Clobberin' Time 26 January 2011
NOT 26/365 – It’s Clobberin’ Time, originally uploaded by Ian M Butterfield.
Decided to do another Marvel superhero based image today. Ben “The Thing” Grimm was an obvious choice because of the stone skin texture is just made for creative lighting effects.
I have a collection of about 50 different Marvel heroes and villains. If anyone has a favourite character from the Marvel universe they would like me to have a go at please feel free to suggest someone.
For the record I’ve already done. The Fantastic Four (group shot):
And Spider-man:
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- NOT 27/365 – Hulk Smash 27 January 2011
I wanted to have a go at another Marvel figurine today, but I wanted to do something different from the split lighting/black background set up that I’ve used in the past. Having chosen The Hulk as my subject the obvious background colour just had to be green. I also wanted to see if I could create the image with just one light. I’m pleased to say I was sucessful.
Here’s the set-up:
www.flickr.com/photos/ianbutty/5393132262/One Speedlight/flash gun camera right: The speedlight has a stofen diffuser attached and pointed the flash upwards so that the light falling on the figurine came mainly through the side of the defuser – an attemp to soften the light just slightly.
To the left of the figure I placed a white envelope to bounce back just a little bit of the flash and fill-in the shadows slightly. I move the reflector back and forth until I got just the right amount of light bouncing back.
The green background is a green ring-binder. The ring binder was place sufficiently far behind the figure to ensure that the textured surface was out of focus. The second envelope next to the speedlight is to prevent the flash from fully illuminating the ring binder and to make sure that I didn’t get an totally even background.
The ring binder has a slight sheen to it. This gave a hot spot from the light that was falling on it from the flash. I then angled the ring binder to make the hot-spot fall behind the Hulk which makes him stand out from the background.
Very little done in post production. White balance adjusted to ensure the Hulk was green. AWB really didn’t know what to make of an all green image! Very slight vignette added hardly necessary as the hotspot gave a really good vignette effect without me having to add one in. Saturation boosted – because the Hulk is a comic book character he looks better with highly saturated colours as you would see in a printed comic book. Final export to Photoshop to add the “Hulk Smash!” words.
Job done.
Continue reading → - NOT 28/365 – ANIMATED Doctor Octopus 28 January 2011
Animated Doctor Octopus
I’m trying to improve my skills at doing product photography and wanted to show that I can do those 360 degree product shots. Doc Oc is a good subject, as he rotates it looks as though his mechanical arms are moving!
To create this image I had to first make my own turn-table (four sheets of mount board and a drawing pin!), take 32 separate images of Doc Oc process them in Lightroom, create photoshop layers and a photoshop animation out of them. Which could then be saved as an animated gif.
Continue reading → - NOT 29/365 – Knock Here! 29 January 2011
This image was inspired by a facebook post made by a friend, Laura, who posed the following: “since when were doorbells so expensive!?” – my response is simply that there IS a cheaper alternative.
Continue reading → - NOT 30/365 – Trouble in Toyland 30 January 2011
Looks like there’s going to be war in Toyland. Beni, the travelling bear has stolen Monkey’s new Christmas top.
If you’ve never met Beni before you can see some of his travelling adventures here:
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianbutty/sets/72157625815438893/detail/ - POTD Mon, 31 Jan 2011: Welcome to Stockport 31 January 2011
Boared up shops at one of the entrance points to Stockport’s shopping areaI was in town today. I parked up at one of the main car parks in the centre of town and walk into the shopping centre. Today’s photo is the view that greeted me. Three boarded up shops. I know councils can’t legislate against businesses closing in a time of recession, but it did strike me that this was not the first impression of I want visitors to my town to get. It’s sad, very sad.
POSTSCRIPT 2015: 4 Years on overall in the town not much has changed… but at least the council has plans to redevelop some parts of this area.
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: FD0131A-E01014
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