Ship in a Bottle

Next up on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square is "Nelson's Ship in a Bottle" by Yinka Shonibare MBE - one of the first sculture to give a direct nod the the adjacent monument.

 Here's what it looked like on May 23rd, the day before it's unveiling  -

and a few days later (note the clouds ... we had over summer in London, in 23/5 and its now over for another year ...) -

I wasn't expecting very much beforehand but now that I've seen it, I like it.

I may try to photograph it again, from a different angle. Whilst I enjoyed the bright May sunshine, it does make photographing a "bottle" a little more difficult,  with refections and hot spots. What looks interesting also
is capturing Nelson's column through the Bottle - you can the effect in one of the above.

Some More InfraRed

Out yesterday morning to the park, tryting for some more InfraRed photos. For most of the last week the mornings have been quite sunny, early on, before clouding over later on - and as I wanted some blue skies (which turn dark in black & white infrared) it was as early start.

Here are some more of my digital efforts -

 

An issue I'm finding with this technique - see my previous post for this - is that my exposures are a few seconds. Which means if there is a wind I'm getting movement/blurring in some leaves and clouds. Perhaps I could make it feature ?

I also shot a roll of Rollei InfraRed film - all 36 exposures. Must get around to processing it. One day.

InfraRed

Back in my film days I used to use Kodak HIE (black & white infrared film) - and liked it. Not for every day use, but probably for some landscape work when it is at its most most effective, at this time of year, ie late spring/early summer when the vegetation is freshest and reflecting lots of infrared light.

Unfortunately HIE film is no longer being manufactured (shame !) and so I'm trying the Rollei version - there is a roll in my film camera now (and more awaiting usage are stored in my fridge) - more on that later. I'll have to get back into film processing and I'm not looking forward to that.

Anyways, in the meantime I'm trying to get an infrared effect with my digital camera. I've got a Hoya R72 filter - its almost black (VERY dark red, you can't see through it with naked eye), with a screw thread. This makes for quite long exposure times - in seconds - so my tripod is getting good use, as hand holding the camera is not on.


Here are some initial - digitial - results.

 I had to do some processing in Photoshop later with the Raw digital files - but nothing like the processing needed if my source files were ordinary colour, and the effect I'm getting is closer to what I want. So far, think I prefer HIE. But I'll be taking some more digitial over the next few weeks and trying out what Rollei has to offer. As I said earlier, more on that later.

TOTP

Yet another visit, this weekend, to a photographic exhibition featuring 1960's musicians - on this occasion to see Harry Goodwin's "My Generation: the Glory Years of British Rock" which has just opened at the Victoria & Albert in London. Harry Goodwin was resident photographer for the TV show "Top of the Pops" from its beginning in 1964 until 1973, and photographed the acts -  most of the major rock acts of the era including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix (the photo of him playing the guitar with his teeth is here) - which appeared on this show.

Also on display were two of the cameras used, a Yashica and a Mamiya, both twin lens reflex cameras. Which means 120 film was used - probably the norm at the time - but you can see the result of using this format in the quality of the prints (and the square format  which seems to very suitable for portraiture) - and  all in glowing Black & White. Who needs colour ?