Castlerigg Stone Circle

Now available as a special edition canvas at http://www.discreetphoton.co.uk

Saltwick Bay

Now available as a special edition canvas at http://www.discreetphoton.co.uk

Dalmahoy Hill

Now available as a special edition canvas print, at http://www.discreetphoton.co.uk

Fairfield Horseshoe

Now available as a special edition canvas print, at http://www.discreetphoton.co.uk

Quick fix for loose lens hoods...

If you use lens hoods with plastic fixings, eventually, the bayonet fixings will start to wear down, loosening the lens hood. Obviously, this is bad, as it increases the chance of your hood falling off, and leaving the lens unprotected from all those nasty pitfalls that can befall lenses (like that time I closed a sliding van door on a friend's 70-300).
Rather than replacing the hood, take a bog-standard elastic band (I used a red one here), and wrap it where the hood meets the lens barrel. The extra friction will hold the hood securely, and stop it from rolling off. Job done. Just watch out for van doors.

the launch of pogo shooter

I've just started another blog here, to track my progress on a new project of mine. Cross a sniper scope with google maps, and you're almost there. Please have a look, and don't be shy. I'm looking for some challenges.

Lurking in the shadows near you...

A fellow photographer friend, James Burns of the 4togs blog, is currently working on a challenge of his own, entitled "Twitography." Please take a few minutes to drop by the twitography site, where can find out all about the project, and donate a few quid to Macmillan Cancer Support while you're at it.

I met up with James in Gateshead yesterday by a bit of last-minute location posting via Twitter. We crossed the river and dodged the rain under one of Newcastle's many bridges. It was an entertaining couple of hours, and while I was the intended subject, I felt the need to get in on the act myself with a bit of reciprocal shooting.

On the subject of networking, it's to be encouraged. Eventually, we all get into our own little ruts, and sharing ideas can often lead to something a bit more creative to rekindle the sparks again.

Bonsai ! Place your bets now...

Lately, I've been trying to find new ways to challenge myself, photographically speaking (I can't handle too many challenges at once, so I've moved over to lace-less shoes for a while). I've been doing an awful lot of panoramas to try and avoid producing too much in the way of formulaic work, and this kept me happy for a while, but I've been itching for something that would make me think on my feet.

This came last week in the form of a request from my local Bonsai growers group. If you think photography takes training and dedication, you should talk to some of these guys. Some of the trees I shot were over seventy years old, and have become a cross between family heirlooms and pets.

The set-ups were different for most of the trees, and I was surprised by how much it felt like portraiture. Each tree had it's own distinct character, and had to be lit on a different way. After shooting several of the typical six-inch trees, I was faced with this monster, a 'miniature' yew at a whopping three feet tall! I ended up using four remote speedlights in various combinations, all triggered from the camera by infrared. If you're looking for something a bit different, I can recommend it. I had an average of five minutes per tree, and a constant audience. Great for keeping the pressure on.