It's a Stitch Up!

Some images I stitched together and altered with the help of my friend Photoshop 

(click on the image to zoom in)

Polaroid PX600 Film

Here are the first few shots I've taken with the Impossible Project's  PX600 Film. The colour on the first one was altered  a bit from scanning. The other two came out a bit more accurately though.

1. The Dublin Wheel

2. The Poolbeg Towers

3. Me! Waiting for a train. 

If I Were a Filmmaker...

...the two videos below would be the type of films I wish I had the talent to make.


WORDS from Everynone on Vimeo.


Wait For Me (3 Minute Documentary) from Red Light Films on Vimeo.

A Beautiful Mess

There's nothing I like more than messy art. Not a mess that detracts from an image but a mess that enhances it. Art where emotion is just as important as technique. Here are a few images I came across that I think fit into that category.

by Lora Bananca

by Theresa Handy

by Angela Fraleigh

Week 1: Photographer Elena Kalis

I've decided to do a weekly post featuring a photographer that has inspired me or that I think has raw talent. I'm going to start with the wonderful Elena Kalis. She is an underwater, conceptual photographer living in the Bahamas. I adore the dreamy, magical feel all her photos have. It's evident a lot of thought has been put into each image, however this never detracts from the genuine emotion expressed by her models.

All images © Elena Kalis


For more of Elena Kalis' work visit her website.

Luminance

The final image was taken on my friend Rob's Android hence the rougher quality.

Sunset City

When Old Becomes New

I was thinking recently about song covers, recorded ones specifically. Cover bands and songs musicians cover at gigs is a different story. I generally don't have any issues with a song being covered if it's adapted in some way to make it a little bit original. Otherwise, I just don't really see the point in it. So I've compiled a playlist of 10 cover versions of songs that I feel have transformed the original into a familiar but still unique piece of music. In no particular order...

Original by Modest Mouse

Original by The Shins


Original by Metallica


Original by Massive Attack


Original by NIN


Original by The Velvet Underground


Original by Nina Simone


Original by Smashing Pumpkins


Original by Dolly Parton


Original by Daniel Johnston


For the record, I'm not claiming any of these are better than the originals!

Photo Collage

I spent part of today assembling this collage. It's made up of about 40 photos mounted on an A2 foam board. (click on it to zoom)

Thanks to my lovely friends, John Balfe and Aoife Mc Donald who modelled for me.

Life through a plastic lens

Eddie Rockets Chocolate Malt. Mmm...

Pearl Jam

                                                 During the making of 'Attack of the Killer Swans'

                                                           Queuing for Pearl Jam

                                                                      Famine Statues

At this point I started suffering from shaky hand syndrome

My SLR took over. The weekend consisted of Movies.......and rain!

Todays Self-portrait

'His & Hers' Review

As you may know from my previous blog post, I was pretty excited by the success Irish Documentary 'His & Hers' has been receiving since its release. Last night I eventually got around to seeing it. 

'His & Hers' is a feature length documentary by Ken Wardrop consisting solely of women, from young to old. It features 70 women from the Irish Midlands and documents their relationships with men who are close to their hearts -be it their father, son, boyfriend or husband. 

I think the documentary's biggest triumph is making a story that is visually restrictive i.e. talking heads, look interesting. The arrangement of shots and meticulous framing undoubtedly achieves this. It is no wonder Sundance picked cinematographers Kate Mc Cullough and Michael Lavelle to receive the World Cinema award. My serious/lame love of symmetry was satisfied as much of the framing abides by this carefully planned out positioning. In addition to that, there is a regular pattern of somewhat voyeuristic 'out the window' (the very technical term) shots. These scenes capture the subtle sense of each woman's character going about their daily routine. The beautiful mix of imagery and stories told by the women made me care for them despite the fact that each woman only ever makes a brief appearance. 

'His & Hers' is consistently paced however it may be criticised for being 'a bit slow' but for me it was engaging throughout. Wardrop's talent shines through as every aspect of the filmmaking process is taken into consideration, not least it's editing. He skillfully assembles the footage with perfect comic timing. The filmmakers take a back seat in the documentary abstaining from narration and audible questioning. In this case it absolutely works. The women are left to ramble or sit in silence, this way we catch glimpses of their personality rather than a contrived version of themselves. 

The story is simple but addresses more than the women's relationships. It highlights the journey from youth to old age. From the thrill of finding out a boy fancies you to the grief of losing your soulmate. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me reflect on love and men. It was beautiful and I'm so glad it didn't disappoint me. Maybe it won't change your life and it's probably not for everyone but who can deny it's originality and the genial sentiment behind it. I'm delighted and so proud Ken Wardrop's work has been internationally recognised, it deserves to be.

8/10

Drifting Away

Nolan's Cheddar

This is a short/commercial by the very talented sculptor and filmmaker John Nolan. I find the majority of TV commercials fairly uninspiring, Nolan's piece however is both clever and visually impressive. More of his work can be found on his website.

Life in a Day

Director/producer Ridley Scott and director Kevin Mc Donald have recently teamed up to make an experimental documentary film. The project will be composed of 20 people's perspectives of their lives in a day. They are offering anyone with a camera the opportunity to submit a film of their day on 24th July 2010. The winning entrants will be credited as co-directors and will be sent to Sundance to see a screening of the finished film. Pretty sweet!



 For more information on rules and submission details visit their youtube page.

Stop the Violence

Swiss born photographer Francois Robert has created a powerful series of photos entitled 'Stop The Violence'. What's so unique about these haunting images is that he has assembled real human bones to express his potent messages.

To check out more of Robert's very impressive portfolio visit his website  

Canon Wonder Camera

Fast forward 20 years when lugging around numerous lenses for your DSLR's will be no more. At this years Shanghai World Expo, Canon revealed what they envisage to be the future of professional photography, the 'Canon Wonder Camera'.

The Wonder Camera is still a very vague concept. It will apparently have a focal range from macro to 5000mm without ever changing lenses.

Also, what's so unusual about this camera is that the idea is not to take photos (bizarre aay?) but to shoot video and later select a still from the video as your picture. The image stabilisation and accurate focusing captured on video produces high quality stills; photos just as good, if not better than your own DSLR's pictures. No specs are out at the moment, so bear in mind much of what it does is hearsay and from the demonstration at the Expo (as shown in a rather mundane video below)

If this is what lies in store, as a photographer I'd be apprehensive about it's implications. Does it mean that the creative control of the camera is lost if it takes 'perfect' shots every time? Does it mean a lot of hassle picking and choosing one image from lots of video stills? Hmm...well I do have a Canon camera I love...and I believe the Canon people are smart. So I'll put my trust in them. Roll on 2030!

Photo and Youtube video  by Gizmag

Sunny Sundays

Light and Dark

Easily Led

Dusky Dublin