http://www.rubberduckdoes.com Matt Bristows project 52 http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Happy Xmas all. Set myself a task that was to get an interesting reflection in the bauble without me in it http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Quite simply the legend that is Clyde, my pup! Strobist info: 1 580 to camera left and up shoot through unbrella set at 1/16 http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Ever thought you would get more done if there were more of you? well its not true there's just less room! I have seen this effect before so I thought I would give it a go. Its a mixture of 4 shots then comped together in Photoshop then I applied a 'Dave Hill' type post process to it. Strobist info: 1 x 580 EXII high camera left shot through a shoot through unbrella. The same to camera right, Both on about 1/4 power. I dragged the shutter as well so that I could get the garden exposed nicely as well. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Thanks to a suggestion from Jeff a few weeks ago my first foray into macro photography is complete. Even Flies have bad hair days! although I suspect its carpet fluff as he was dead. Shot info: 18 - 55mm kit lens reverse mounted using an adaptor ring (more of this in the blog). So its poor mans macro! 2 x 580 EXII's camera left and right set to 1/32 and defused. Loads of patience as the depth of field is minute and the slightest movement and your subject is miles away! http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp I thought it time to dable in a bit of HDR and whilst out exploring Dover decided to go and checkout Shakespeare Beach, Dover. Somewhere I have never been in the 6 years I have lived here! It was just after a massive storm and the place was deserted somewhere I think I'll be returning to with the camera. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp This week I have mostly been playing at God! Tilt and Shift madness at the Port of Dover, Thanks to Will for the inspiration. A dreadfull copout I know, but its satisfying when you set out to achieve an effect and get what you were aiming for http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Strange the kind of things you see around Halloween time! Strobist info: The image is made up of 4 different images then blended in Photoshop. Each shot has x2 580EX II's both high to camera left and right each set to a wide burst at 1/1. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp A mate of mine suggested '52' as a theme. It took some time but here it is, too clever? probably. Theres a slight Homage to a portrait photographer named Dave Hill who has developed a quite incredible method of post production, so some pixel work went on. For those interested the strobist info 1 x 580 EXII high to camera right with snoot set at 105mm at 128th power. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Sunset over Dover Castle. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp A trip to rainy Devon, we grabbed a walk inbetween showers at Belstone on Dartmoor. I've been meaning to take a blurry water image for a while now. About a 2 second exposure, handheld with the help of a branch as I left my tripod in Kent!. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Wanted to get outside and try some off camera flash in the wild, well in the garden! Stobist info 1x 580 EXII camera left at 1/128 set wide the same to camera right F2.8 to get the bokeh. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Bleak week kinda somes up this week, so for week 4 the title is 'half full or half empty'. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp This week is as much about the processing as the image itself. Shot at Cowgate Cemetery, Dover. Should I start to worry at spending my spare time in a cemetary? Its actually a nature reserve these days in the middle of the town. More shots from the shoot on Flickr. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Week 2 and another studio shot I'm affraid. This time water splashes. I will go outside next week I promise! Strobist info: 1 x 580 EXII at camera left 1/32 at 28mm fired at backdrop (out of shot). Colours created by adding wrapping paper to the backdrop. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Thought I would start things off with a self portrait, something I have never done. For those interested the strobist info is 2 x 580 EXII's one each side with home made snoots set at 1/128 at 28mm. The back light is a cycling led set on red aimed at the wall. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp A bit more drunken festive fun catching out Santa! Stobist info 1x 580 EXII at 1/4 power right infront of Santa and one off to the right set at the same. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp A trip to Port Issac in Cornwall I could have been in the 70's! Famous as the place where they film Doc Martin, sadly another place ruined by its fame. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Just back from Spain, where on the 6th they celebrate 3 Kings Day (which is a big thing for them) I spent the evening of the 5th in central Malaga watching the parade. The entire route is lined with seats! and everyione in the parade throws sweets, most of them hard boiled at the crowd! http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Whilst the UK was gripped in artic conditions, we spent the last couple of days walking along the beach at Torre del Mar. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp You can't beat a pair of boots that fit your feet exactly! More than a passing nod to the artist Magritte this week, oh yeah along with quite a bit of Photoshopping ;) pretty simple to work out how its done but if you really want to know drop me a line and I'll tell you. Strobist Info: 2 x 580s set to 1/16th with shoot throughs one each side to the front and slightly above 2 x reflectors immediate left and right. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Pointless...... (see what I did there? LOL!) no other reason than I thought it would make a good shot, I was experimenting with some lighting in the studio. Strobist Info: 1 x 580 EXII at 1/8th with shoot through slightly behind the subject to camera left. 1 x 580 EXII at 1/8th with shoot through infront of subject to camera right. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp The Creature - Its not everyday that I take something and just fall in love with it. But this is one of those only a little post cropping and the smallest bit of cloning out but here it is the creature and I love it! Strobist info: 1 x 580 EXII to camera right gobo'd front and back set to 16th at 105mm. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Its a small 'Drop Redoubt' World. Taken during a recent visit to Drop Redoubt. A Napoleonic Fortress on the Western Heights, Dover. Its made up from a 360 Panorama and not a proper Polar Panorama or mini world as I didn't take the zenith and base of the view for some reason. The 360 'unwrapped' version can be seen on my Flickr pages http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp What else could this weeks image be but snow! when I took this I was standing in about 6 inches of the stuff, as it had drifted quite badly. This is an HDR image made up form 3 exposures, then worked on a little on Photoshop. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Dunstanburgh Castle Panorama. Owned by English Heritage. Located along the coast from the pretty Northumberland fishing village of Craster. This one is pretty much straight out of camera, and stitched together in CS4. It was a beautiful day I think the splatter of snow made a difference. The sea was really quite rough with large swells. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Wow a real milestone, halfway through!! This week The Stormy North Sea. Taken at Minnis Bay on the North Kent coast. The colour of the sea isn't far off a cup of tea! Needless to say when I was finished I was soaked to the skin and couldn't feel my fingers! http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp I wanted to create more of a feeling this week and thanks to a willing model and some spare time here it is. I think this extract from a peom by Miguel Pinero is fitting: RUNNIN' SCARED, listen to the echoes of your shadows, wishin' for easy tomorrows, talkin' into the dead phones of yesterday. Strobist info: made up of 2 shots the first 1 x 580 gelled red outside the door on full power and 1 x 580 on the stairs to illuminate subject and cast righhand shadow on the wall. The second shot 1 x 580 gelled blue to colour the forground bannisters. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp To mark the final arrival of spring heres a still life. Strobist info: 1 x 580 gelled and snooted camera left and behind subject. 1 x 580 defused camera right and below subject. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Ice Cold Salad - I remembered a project I did at art college (back before the invention of microchips) and wanted to recreate it. once I had shot this and finished the PPing I went to the aladins cave thats our loft to find my old college portfolio. I should have left it where it was the memory was much, much better than the actual piece of work! I had plans on showing it side to side with this but I dont think I'll bother.Strobist info: 1 x 580 EXII set to 105mm at 16th under the glass shooting table I set up. The tomatos and cucumber were frozen in water in a tupperware tub.If theres enough interest I'll do a how to on the blog, the possibilities are endless I wanted to do one with our cats weekly mouse kill but the powers that be said it wasn't going in our freezer. I'll work on that one perhaps there will be a new image in the future! http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Botany Bay, Kent - Found this place completely by mistake, never even knew it was here! a little subtle HDR treatment made up from 3 handheld images http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp A Smashing Easter - Hope everyone had a good Easter weekend. Strobist info: 1 x 580 EXII snooted above and behind to camera right using the multi setting at 1/32 cycling at 2 Hz http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Singledge Woods - About a mile or so form where I live are these wonderfull woods, nothing close by just fields. I walk my dog here most days. At the moment its a white carpet of Wood Enenamies which will change over to Bluebells on a few weeks. Sadly Dover council have taken leave of their senses and passed a new house building plan that will see houses built right up to the edge of the woods, sadly I cannot see the woods surviving. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Bandit at 9 O'clock - we have a cherry tree in the garden that is over loaded with blossom and if you stand by it theres a real buzz about the place. This one is pretty much as I took it just a little bit of processing to pick out colour. OK there were alot of 'no good' ones http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Spanish Startrails - I have been meaning to try my hand at startrails for a while now. This is my second ever effort taken while in Spain. I managed to forget a tripod as well so had to botch up a secure way to keep the camera still using a deckchair and some towels!! Its made up of 144 seperate exposures each of 30 seconds at f5.6 ISO 200. I'm pleased with the result given that I was stuffed as to where I could take it! http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Bluebells http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Henry Elston - Thought I would try my hand at a little still life this week.

The subject matter is of real interest to me. Henry Elston was my maternal great grandfather and saw action in the Boar War primarily but also the Great War.

I was given a rickety chest by my late grandfather that contains all sorts of interesting things. In this picture you can see the box itself its what was referred to as a memory box the 2 portraits in it are of my great grandmother (Henry's wife) and my great great grandmother (Henry's mother) this box was all they had to keep personal belongings in when at sea. The gold and red tin, which still contains the original chocolate with only 1 piece carefully broken off, was sent to every serving serviceman by Queen Victoria at the turn of the last century.

The paperwork is his certificate of service and quite unusally states that he could swim. The medals are basically service medals ranging from the Boar War to WW1.

Finally the picture to the rear is of the man himself.

Stobist info: 1 x 580 to camera right snooted set to 1/16 zoomed to 105mm and 1 580 camera left with a diffuser and gobo'd set to 1/64 pointing at the lid of the box. In another exposure the snooted stobe was moved to light the picture at the rear and dialled down to 1/32. I then blended the two in photoshop and cleaned up and marks the framed picture had. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Study of blue flower - A new full frame camera arrived in the studio this week, so I have spent most of the week playing with it, this study of a budding flower is a massive crop, quite impressive. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Birthday - Its my daughters birthday this week so I am being run ragged organising things. I found the first pair of shoes we ever bought for her, thery barely look worn, now at 4 we are lucky if her shoes last 4 weeks! Strobist info: 1 x 580 EXII with shoot through to camera right and 1 x 580 EXII snooted and gridded at right angles to the subject to camera left http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Do not play with fire - Thought I would have a play with comping something in Photoshop this week. Made up of 2 images. Strobists info: 1x 580 EXII camera left snooted and gridded zoomed right in at 105mm at about 16th If I remember rightly. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Last Minute - I think the title of this weeks image says it all about the kind of week I had! I need week 13 to come true at the moment. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Rain - This week I was charged and ready to go, but assignments kept on coming in. Then on the day I had put aside to go out and shoot an idea for P52 I have had for ages... curse of England struck! http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Bikini Martini lightly splashed not stirred - This week I was unfortunate enough to miss out on a job as I had done any drinks type shots before, which is true but frustrating, so I decided I would shoot tome drink type shots so as not to miss out next time. When I was experimenting with 'Splash' shots I managed to capture this delicate moment http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Summers of Yester Year - As we are in the middle of summer fete season. We went to a local one on Saturday which got me thinking, when I was my daughters age it was all fun and ice creams. I tried to make this one look like those washed out almost crossed processed family snaps in the 70's http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Wasp Factory - Ever wondered what goes on inside a wasps nest? wonder no more here it is complete with pupe (sp?) and lavae! The chap on the right is just immerging for the first time! OK I'll admit its a nest we had spreyed a couple of weeks ago, but that one on the right was moving and so were some of the lavae! Strobist info: 1 x 580 EXii camera left and slightly above set to 128th power. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Yell(ow) goodbye to the Rose - Something a little bit more art driven and a definate step away from my usual offerings, I'd be interested in peoples thoughts on this one. For those interested lots of Photoshop work adding textures and level adjustments etc about 2 hours in all. Special thanks to http://www.flickr.com/photos/playingwithpsp/ on Flickr for the use of his nice texture. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp You got the look - We went to the local steam fair and it was like going back in time which was lovely. Being able to get up close and personal with birds of prey was really a nice experience. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Cornfield - This is a view over the cornfields to the north of Whitfield towards Singledge Woods, its truley beatiful on days like this. I shot this when I was out shooting another project I have been working on which should be finished later on this year for those of you interested. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp A couple of spare hours on a Sunday evening - This is what happens when you sit around and drink beer and talk about photography! made up from over 250 30 second exposures thats about 2 hours or so. My willing models simply struck a pose I then ran round with one of my 580 EX ii's set to 128th and flashed them! wait for the next exposure, repeat as long as required, then retire indoors where the cold beer is kept and wait until my target 2 hours was up! http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp An idyllic English summer - We were out at Deal during the week. About 5 minutes before I took this we were sitting on the beach in sunshine! In the background you can just about make out Deal pier in the gloom. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp The traffic on the M25 was murder tonight - I think I am becoming addicted to night time photography, you just get some really odd results. I have been meaning to do this all year but haven't found the right spot however this week a bridge over the M25 presented the opportunity. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp I told you I look nothing like the one on TV! - We went to Longleat this week so this weeks shot had to be from there. I was quite surprised to find out that they didn't wear nice little smoking jackets! On a serious note though they aren't quite as timid as your lead to believe, this little chap had the right hump about something. http://www.rubberduckdoes.com/Project52.asp Hangover Self Portrait - Well its not over until the fat lady sings, or rather the drunk deeply hungover man does! heres the end of my Project 52 shot the day after my 40th Birthday celebrations. I wanted to end in the same way I started with a self portrait. Strobist info: 1 x 580 EXII gridded and high to camera left aimed at me. 1 x 580 EXII way off to camera right through shoot through unbrella to add slight of fill.