Sunset and dune, Sable Island

Sunset and dune

This shot was taken just before the sunset exploded. It was one of the best sunsets I have seen on Sable. I will post more of it later. Here, I am looking east. There was a nice warmth coming from the dune.

Damian

Here I am

Hi there,

I have returned from Sable and am slowly re-adapting to life on the mainland. It was a good season in terms of the work and the weather: we had every weather imaginable which make s photography a lot of fun.

I took far fewer photos this year compared with other years. Just a handful each day. I hope to post some of these in the coming weeks.

Hope you all had a good xmas and new year....

Grey seal pup.

Damian

Lights out!

Hi everyone!

I felt I was overdue for a post so I decided to throw a couple up. For these pictures we have Nova Scotia Power to thank. If it wasn't for their rickety distribution grid, I would not have had the opportunity to take a few long-exposure shots under unusual lighting conditions.

The first is Sherri, sitting cooperatively still near the candles and LED flashlights. I rather like the resulting colours in this one; the walls are normally white. The second is Alpha (one of our cats), doing what cats do best: nothing at all.

(This preview picture is annoyingly blurry.)

Two Up

Happy New Year, folks. I had a panic last night when Ivan reminded me that the deadline for the last projected image competition was at midnight. So I've jumped in and plucked out two images from a recent conference I photographed at work. I really don't think the judge is going to like them, but I don't really care!

This first is called "The Conference Begins". The context (which the judge won't have, of course) is that this is Dr Paul Shellard, just preparing to open the plenary session of a conference featuring the biggest names in world Cosmology. I love the fact that the delegates will be discussing the most intricate details of their models of the Very Early Universe at a level of understanding which is unavailable to the overwhelming majority of the population (myself included) and yet, like the rest of us, he's mainly preoccupied by getting the OHP in focus.



They're going to hate this one. Obvious camera shake. This one's called The Philanthropist. It's an image of Dennis Avery, who has provided a large amount of money to set up a new Centre for Theoretical Cosmology. I shot it during the speeches launching the centre, at the point where he was being thanked for his generosity. I think it shows a warmth, a humour and an excitement in the guy's face. Like I say, it'll probably get tossed aside because of the camera shake...

oops

sorry, this should make it easier

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/800557508-USE/Canon__Super_Telephoto_1200mm_f_5_6L.html&BI=212

The ultimate telephoto?

Check this piece of glass out. go to the link then click the specifications tab.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/800557508-USE/Canon__Super_Telephoto_1200mm_f_5_6L.html&BI=212

Now where did I put that spare $99k?

Goals for 2007 - the final appraisal = met most expectations, development required on others!

Before I think about goals for 2008, here's a review of my 2007 goals and progress...

1. To be a regular attendee at CCC - Have been to all bar two sessions in 2007 CCC season.

2. To complete the population of my website and to build in the purchase prints facility - Decided not to progress this, since not in a position to launch any print sales just yet...

3. To have one or more of my prints available for sale in a local outlet in/around Cambridge - Failed! (Didn't try, though).

4. To sell some of my prints to paying punters (this could be linked in to number 2). Again, no sales. Have not really tried, though.

5. To have some more "success" in CCC competitions and perhaps inter-club competitions too - this has definitely been achieved. Came third overall in the serial projected image competition, and won the Creative section of the Annual Digital Championship (as well as the 2nd in the same category). Also got a commended in the Creative section. In 2007/8 season, got a First in the first print competition, and a HC in the first projected image competition.

6. To enter one image in this year's CCC Annual Exhibition - Yes, achieved this.

7. To enter, and hopefully be placed in at least one round, a national photo competition (e.g. a magazine "Photographer of the 8. Year" type competition - I did enter one competition, but was not placed. Did not enter again!

8. To obtain Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) status in Photoshop - This didn't happen, but didn't try/have time, and also don't have CS3!

9. To begin the process of obtaining another photographic "qualification", through CCC - I am going to attend the Aperture group in 2008.

10. To stop buying as many books and magazines, and start doing more photography!! - alas, failed on this so far; have done very little photography, although no new books have been purchased. Magazine purchases down greatly too - only really buy 2 a month.

So, achieved some of the goals and some were - in retrospect - not achievable without more time and effort!

Must think of achievable goals - but still stretching - for 2008.

Ivan