- POTD 1 Mar 2008: PC Upgrade 1 March 2008
PC InsidesI could stand the slowness of my PC no longer. Today I started the upgrade. It was all going well, a lot easier than previous upgrades (either I’m getting better at this or manufacturers are making components ian-proof) then I hit a snag. My ATX motherboard, in my ATX case, with an ATX power supply has 24 pins on the power connector socket… the aformentioned ATX power supply has only 20 pins on the corresponding plug. May be it’s not that ian-proof after all. Tomorrow I have to buy a new power supply.
Just a quick tecnical note about the photo. Taken using my flash gun, ETTL mode and bounced of the ceiling to reduce the shadows in the case. The show could do with a greater depth of field but because the flash was being bounced this was the smallest apperture I could achieve.
Continue reading → - POTD 2 Mar 2008: A good day 2 March 2008
Cast photo from Time and ConwaysIt has been a very full and busy day, but a good one none the less. I was doing photos at the Garrick this afternoon – these are one which will be used as the cast photos in the foyer. All the photos for this play “Time and the Conways” by J B Priestly were taken in Act 1 and I have to say I really enjoyed what I saw. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the play when I do the production shots on Thursday.
The PC upgrade has happened – I really need to re-install the operating system to get the full benefit of the upgrade, but already I can see that it is a great improvement. In fact it was so fact processing todays POTD that I ran the processing task twice as I didn’t believe it had done it the first time.
Continue reading → - POTD 3 Mar 2008: Going at High Speed 3 March 2008
GP4 GameToday I finished the PC upgrade. More by accident than by design, the installation of the software went so quickly that I’d finished the basic windows installation and major software instalation before I’d realised it.
I’ve discovered two problems with the upgrade. The first is that I keep doing certain tasks twice – simply because I’m not used to them completing so quickly and I keep assuming I must have hit the cancel button instead of the OK button. The other problem is more serious – I don’t get half as many tea breaks now!
After all installing all the work related things during the day, I decided to have some fun this evening and loaded GP4 a formula 1 game I bought a year ago but was never really able to play properly before the upgrade.
Technical note for the photographers – the POTD photo had to be taken as two different shots. Firstly I took a shot with the monitor display correctly exposed (no flash used) because it would reflect off the screen. Secondly I used a flash to correctly expose for the game wheel and combined the two photos in photoshop. Because the screen was in focus in it’s shot I added a little bit of gausian blur to the screen to make it look as though it was just slight out of focus (like the keyboard is).
Continue reading → - POTD 4 Mar 2008: Garrick Foyer Display 4 March 2008
Time and the Conways displayAfter a few minor problems with some cables on the upgraded PC, I completed the Garrick foyer display for “Time and the Conways” today. Preparing this POTD image also gave me a chance to tryout the the latest version of PTLens. If you are a photographer and are not familiar with PTLens you really should take a look at it http://epaperpress.com/ptlens/ – it allows you to correct for barrel./pin-cusion distortion, vignetting and now persepective distortion.
To reduce the flash glare on this image I took the photo from one side and used PTLens to correct the image to make it look as though it was taken straight on. (OK so the angle of the photos is not the best to show off how good the tool is, but believe me it is very good and accurate)
Continue reading → - POTD 5 Mar 2008: Sensor Cleaning 5 March 2008
Looking at a camera sensor through a Sensor Loupe.This strange photo is actually a photograph of the sensor on my camera! The six white lights surrounding it are LED lights to illuminate the sensor. The purpose of the device is to be able to see what dust is on the sensor, and thus to make it easy/possible to clean.
The main tool I use for that actual cleaning of the sensor is an Actric Butterfly with a HDF sensor brush (both made by Visible Dust)
For more information on the sensor loupe and other products by “Visible Dust” take a look at http://www.visibledust.com/products.php
Here is what the sensor loupe looks like when it is sitting on a camera….
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Looking at a camera sensor through a Sensor Loupe. - POTD 6 Mar 2008: Time and the Conways 6 March 2008
Time and the ConwaysNormally, when I’ve been doing production photos I post as my POTD one of the photos from the show. Tonight it is slightly different. This is the set for time and the conways. It is a remarkable set and an unusual photograph.
The set is remarkable because it was put up and pained overnight after the previous show, “My Face”. So kudos to the stage crew for managing that.
What is unual about the photo? It is a 20 second exposure taken durring a vertual blackout at the start of the play, to the human eye there is only the light from the arch and a faint glow through the windows. But the camera captures it as an atmospheric shot.
Continue reading → - POTD 7 Mar 2008: In print 7 March 2008
Time and the Conways press clippingOne of my Garrick photos was in the local free newspaper this week. I knew the theatre was going to send it out to them. Sadly they paper forgot to put the photo credit on it.
Continue reading → - POTD 8 Mar 2008: Party Girls 8 March 2008
C3 Party GirlsC3 Photography group met today to do some portrait photography. We had two models for the shoot, Jo and Laura. My thanks to both of them for their time. This photo was from the final set up of the day with Jo and Laura as a pair of party girls.
Continue reading → - POTD 9 Mar 2008: Rainy Day 9 March 2008
Umbrellas and rain dropsThis photo is why I do the POTD. I would never have taken this photo, had I not been searching round the house for something to photograph at 10.30pm because I’m still trying to ensure that this year each of my POTD images was actually taken on the day it is posted.
As I write this POTD entry the images have been processed, keyworded and are on there way to Alamy to go on sale. The POTD is what has encouraged me to make that happen.
For the photo geeks who want to know how the image was created… the photo was taken using a soft box behind the umbrella to give the glow to the umbrella. An on camera flash gun bounced off the ceiling to illuminate the front of the umbrella and to help make the rain drops sparkle. The rain drops are of course generated by a plant sprayer. The whole thing was photographed in our kitchen!
Continue reading → - POTD 10 Mar 2008: Idea 10 March 2008
Light bulbI had no idea what to photograph this evening. I’d intended taking a photo at the Witness for the Prosecution rehearsal, but I never got round to it.
I was searching for an idea. Racking my brains. Then a light came on over my head…. it was a low-energy light, so I took a picture of it.
Continue reading → - POTD 11 Mar 2008: Note to self 11 March 2008
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Note to self - POTD 12 Mar 2008: Two damaged street lights 12 March 2008
Damaged Lamp postI was accused of being desperate for ideas today, and I guess today’s POTD will only confirm that theory. Actually, I’m not lacking ideas, just time. Add to that the fact that the weather has been very poor this last week. So, it hasn’t encouraged me to go out shooting.
Todays POTD is all about two damaged street lights, the first, the main POTD image, is the light outside our house. Ann found it was missing it’s cover and had wires exposed. (Before you critisise this photo remember that although I didn’t go very far to take the photo today, at least I took it during daylight hours, which is more than I have done for the last three).
The other photo is more interesting. It is a sale that came through yesterday, a damaged carving on a menorah in the Jewish Quarter (a.k.a the Ghetto) in Rome.
Country: Italy
Usage: Editorial
Media: Trade magazine
Industry: Travel and Tourism
Sub-Industry: Travel Agents/Operators)
Print run: up to 25,000
Placement: Inside
Image Size: 1/8 page
Start: 11 March 2008
End: 11 April 2008
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A wall mounted relief of a Menorah found in the Jewish Ghetto, Rome. - POTD 13 Mar 2008: Walk 13 March 2008
WalkI did go out today to take some photos! I went to the shops, took my camera with me and looked for something to photograph. I photographed the pedestrian crossing lights.
Then with the help of Adobe Photoshop, I ended up with this “Walk” image.
In case you are wondering – I did do the “Don’t Walk” figure too, and here it is:
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Don’t Walk - POTD 14 Mar 2008: Urban Decay 14 March 2008
Urban decay in New MillsWent to New Mills with fellow photographer Matt Couper today. The weather was dull and overcast, but at least in Torr Vale (a gorge/valley) there are sufficient tall feature to hid the white sky behind.
We spent the first part of our visit photographing the urban decay of the derolict Torr Vale Mill. This photo shows some of the broken, and boarded up windows. The strange colour effect is courtesy of Adobe Lightroom and as some free presets by US Photoshop/Lightroom guru Matt Kloskowski (This is using his orange colorizing (he means colourising!) preset). If you use Lightroom you can download the preset here: http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/2007/monday-presets-colorizing/
If you are a photoshop user or a lightroom user and haven’t come across the www.lightroomkillertips.com website, or http://www.photoshopusertv.com/ you should take a look at these sites because there is treasure trove of useful information and tutorials on how to use both programs.
Continue reading → - POTD Fri, 14 Mar 2008: Derelict Torr Vale Mill 14 March 2008
Derelict Torr Vale MillWent to New Mills with fellow photographer Matt Couper today. The weather was dull and overcast, but at least in Torr Vale (a gorge/valley) there are sufficient tall feature to hid the white sky behind.
We spent the first part of our visit photographing the urban decay of the derelict Torr Vale Mill. This photo shows some of the broken, and boarded up windows. The strange colour effect is courtesy of Adobe Lightroom and as some free presets by US Photoshop/Lightroom guru Matt Kloskowski (This is using his orange colorizing (he means colourising!) preset). If you use Lightroom you can download the preset here: http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/2007/monday-presets-colorizing/
If you are a photoshop user or a lightroom user and haven’t come across the http://www.lightroomkillertips.com website, or http://www.photoshopusertv.com/ you should take a look at these sites because there is treasure trove of useful information and tutorials on how to use both programs.
2015 Update – The Lightroom Killer Tips website has undergone a change recently and Matt Kloskowski is no longer running it. It is still a great resource for Lightroom news and information.
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: FA0314A-E02360
Continue reading → - POTD 15 Mar 2008: C3 Games Evening 15 March 2008
Settlers Game BoardSettlers of Cataan. I didn’t play this game, but photographically I liked the pattern of the playing board. (That’s really sad isn’t it??)
Continue reading → - POTD 16 Mar 2008: 360 Degrees 16 March 2008
C3 at S3I’ve been experimenting with 360 degree panaramas. I’ve got two on a test web page: http://www.imb.biz/page.php?pg=pano – you really need to go to that page to see today’s POTD!
The first image on the page was created this morning at church, just after lunch and is pretty seamless.
The other image on that page was my first attempt at doing this last Friday at New Mills. It has loads of errors in it. Mainly due to the fact that I wasn’t using a tripod for large sections of it and so I got a lot of paralax errors.
More experimentation needed. Also a great deal of market reasearch also needed. Is there a market for such images (I believe there is) is it worth investing the time and and equipment needed to do these sorts of images? Don’t know.
Continue reading → - POTD 17 Mar 2008: Not a panorama 17 March 2008
St John’s Heaton MerseyI went out today to take photos for a 360degree spherical panorama. Sadly I haven’t been able to stitch it all together as I had some of the settings wrong on the camera! You’ll just have to make do with this reference shot of St. Johns church as the POTD.
Continue reading → - POTD 18 Mar 2008: Panorama! 18 March 2008
Spherical Panorama test – St John’s Heaton MerseyI went back to St John’s today and redid the photo I was trying to take yesterday. It worked this time. So, to see today’s photo of the day you need to follow these instructions:
Firstly read all the instructions and then click on the this link:
http://www.imb.biz/dswmedia/pano.php?pano=StJohnsPano2.jpg&bgColor=#000000
The browser MAY ask you to install the Macromedia Shockwave plugin, you will need this to view the images.
Once the image is displayed you might want to press F11 to put your browser in to full screen mode. (Use F11 again to return to normal viewing the image).
Click in the middle of the image and hold the left mouse button down, now slowly drag the mouse left or right to rotate the image. You can also try draging up or down to look up to the sky and down to the floor.
Continue reading → - POTD 19 Mar 2008: Four Seasons 19 March 2008
Four SeasonsThese four images were all taken today. They were all taken on the same road (Briars Mount for those that know Heaton Mersey), they were also all taken within the space of just four minutes.
What are the chances of that – to get four seasons in four minutes? (Ok, given what global warming is doing to the UK climate the odds are that high, I suppose).
Continue reading → - POTD 20 Mar 2008: Library 20 March 2008
LibraryYou can learn a lot from looking at the books in a person’s library. In my case you learn that I was running out of time for something to photograph today!
Continue reading → - POTD 21 Mar 2008: Eyes 21 March 2008
Eyes with a zoom blurThis morning C3 (the church we belong to) met at our house to watch the film “The Miracle Maker” and to have a chippy lunch. During various conversations I was asked by one member of C3 about a particular photographic effect.
In photographic terms it is what’s known as a zoom blur. You can do it in camera but these days it’s much easier to do it in photoshop. It is also more effective as you can control the effect better and you can force certain areas of the image to remain unblurred. To show the effect James agreed to have a photo taken of his eyes. Today’s POTD is the result.
Continue reading → - POTD 22 Mar 2008: Windswept Daffodils 22 March 2008
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Daffodils - POTD 23 Mar 2008: White Easter 23 March 2008
Frozen in timeWoke up early this morning to watch F1. Was very surprised to see the ground covered in snow. F1 went on pause for a short while I got a few shots of the snow.
Continue reading → - POTD 24 Mar 2008: Martin Mere 24 March 2008
Cape Baren GooseC3 Photographers outing to Martin Mere Wildfoul and Wetland Trust. I’m a little disappointed with my photos. Too many were blurred, it was a bit cold and so I tried to hand hold when I really should have been on tripod.
This Cape Barren Goose was probably the most interesting bird I saw all day. I had a lot of trouble photographing it as it wouldn’t go far enough away for me to get it in focus!
Continue reading → - POTD 25 Mar 2008: Testing, testing 25 March 2008
Check your smoke alarm!Went out today to go to the bank and to get some material for a studio backdrop. As is usually the case these days I took my camera with me to take some photos while I was out. But today the light was poor, it was trying to rain and it was cold. So I came back without taking a single shot. (And that is very rare for me).
On the way back I drove past the firestation and saw a reminder poster about checking smoke alarms. So I thought that a photo of a hand (Ann’s not mine!) checking an alarm might make a suitable stock image.
Continue reading → - POTD 26 Mar 2008: Photo shoot 26 March 2008
I had a photo shoot today with a male model called Mike. Here are a handfull of shots from the shoot. They are really the ‘rushes’ I’ve not done the final processing on the photos yet, but these give a reasonable indcations of the type of photos we got.
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- POTD 27 Mar 2008: Grater forms of photography 27 March 2008
Inside a graterNo it isn’t a spelling mistake in the POTD title (for once). This evening I decided to photograph the inside of the cheese grater. Two version with and without cheese.
For those interested in the technical aspects. 30sec exposure, F22. Extension tube to enable me to focus this close in. Camera lying on its back, with the cheese grater balanced on the lens hood!
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Cheese Grater - POTD 28 Mar 2008: I can see clearly now…. 28 March 2008
A pair of reading glasses resting on a book of Longfellow poemsHighlight of the day. I got some new specs today!
Continue reading → - POTD 29 Mar 2008: Clocks Forward 29 March 2008
British Summer Time begins tonightDon’t forget to put your clocks forward tonight…. if you are in the UK that is.
Continue reading → - POTD 30 Mar 2008: Don't Blink 30 March 2008
Don’t Blink!You need to be a Doctor Who fan to understand the title of today’s POTD. (See http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2007/310.shtml)
This angel is in the graveyard of Woodford church where I was rehearsing earlier today.
Continue reading → - POTD 31 Mar 2008: Witness for the Prosecution 31 March 2008
This POTD is purely to do with Witness for the Prosecution. The defendent in the courtroom drama is called Leonard Vole. So couldn’t resisit this newspaper headline from a few weeks ago!
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