Moving...

I've decided to move everything to my other blog, the one hosted at griffpics.com instead (which has been mirroring this one anyway).

So head on over there now!! :)

Space Station

I've never really tried to shoot something like this before, not even star trails. But the news that the penultimate launch of the Space Shuttle would send it over our skies as it chased the International Space Station got me thinking. Apparently both the Shuttle Endeavour and it's jettisoned fuel tank would be visible from Dublin as they passed overhead.

So to figure out how I was going to set it up I had a go at shooting the Space Station on one of its passes:



The long white-ish streak in the middle of the shot is the ISS, which travelled in an East-West direction. Just below it, the bright blob is the planet Saturn, a prominent sight in our night sky at the moment.

The setup was pretty simple - I put the camera on a tripod and used the cable release to trigger a number of test shots, but found that a 30 second exposure at f/8 and ISO 100 was best. Using information from the website Heavens Above I knew when the ISS would make it's appearance. In real time it looks like a very bright start or a fast moving aeroplane. the sky chart on Heavens Above indicated that the pass would make the ISS appear quite close to Saturn, so I composed and timed to capture it in this way.

I'm happy with the result - admittedly my home is not in a dark area so I'd give this another go in a more rural setting without street lights.

As for STS-134, sadly the launch was cancelled! It seems unlikely that I'll see it now, the next launch date is on Monday May 2nd, but earlier in they day when it will still be bright here...

Organ Donor

A couple of months ago Trixie Vixen joined me for a shoot we'd been talking about for a little while:



The tattoo reveals something that Trixie feels strongly about and she wanted to record it.

Blue

I hadn't shot with Ms. Blue Ruin for a while so it was nice to catch up and work on something new:



Previously we'd done some vintage/pinup style shoots but this time it was decided that we'd go for a slightly different look. Still with a vintage theme but a slight departure with a suitably urban location (Windmill lane, again).

Sorcha

Time to catch up on recent work, so I'll start here...



This was my first shoot with Sorcha, aka BlackSwanPersona. We arranged a shoot using the walls of Windmill Lane as a backdrop. The graffiti is colourful and ever changing (as I discovered a week later!).

MarieViktoria Makeup did the honours once again, in spectacular fashion! More to come from that lady :)

Belfast

A few bits from a recent trip to Belfast:







I've a few more that I might stick up some time. I also took some shots of the political murals that are found on the Falls & Shankill roads but to be honest, they've been done to death and I can't be arsed posting them.

Would you mind not using the flash...?

"Would you mind not using the flash...?" words that could invoke blind panic in a photographer, especially me. You see, ever since I started taking photos of people a couple of years back I've almost always relied on some kind of flash to light the scene or the model. Whether it's a studio or location shoot I've gotten used to having some kind of flash to help me.

So when Emily Aoibheann uttered those very words I did have a momentary weakness as I realised I was going to have to think differently.

The location was a small dark dressing room in Dublin venueThe good Bits where Emily had just finished a sting modelling as 'Tank Girl' for Dr. Sketchy's Dublin. So the only light I had was a table lamp off to the right of the camera. Luckily I had a 50mm f/1.8 lens on the camera!



I love this shot, it's one of my favourite portraits that I've shot so far. Its very simple, a natural, easy shot with a beautiful model. This 'no flash' thing? Well maybe it's not a bad idea after all!

Getting my arse in gear (again)

Due to a variety of reasons (time, money, work, home decorating) 2011 has been slow so far. Photographically speaking anyway.

But I've started getting into my work for this year with a few shoots lined up, and one more just done (more of that later).

Last week was the February edition of Dr. Sketchy's Dublin with a great Tank Girl theme for the session:



Models for this session were Emily Aoibheann as Tank Girl and Jimmy Trigger as her ever faithful boyfriend Booga.

Makeup & Special effects were provided bySuzanne Keogh.

Bubblegum

I've not been shooting at all so far this year, well not much anyway. So here's another shot from the recent session with Melissa & Marie:



I wanted to get a shot wiht no makep, just to see how it would work. And I was pleased with the result (in fairness Melissa has very clear skin and is naturally beautiful).

I added a little bit of cross processing, but only minimal retouching.

First of the new year...

I had my first shoot of 2011 at the weekend. This was organised by makeup artist Marie Murphy with help from Sherisan Wharmby and model Bubblegum Harley.



A fairly simple setup in terms of light (a single 580ex into a reflector brolly to the right of the camera). The makeup is impressive, the concept being Marie's idea. It was good to be part of it :)

Bowie

Bowie
Originally uploaded by petergriffin_1892.

Bowie is not my dog, but I just loved the colours in this shot from last summer...

Apple

Back in 2009 I picked up a cheap 'mini studio' from a store in Dublin. It folds out into a space about 18 inches high & wide, and has white translucent sides with a small backdrop which is blue on one side and grey on the other. So it's useful for shooting small inanimate objects:



In this example I had one flash outside of the box to the right, with another left of the camera but pointing at the apple itself. The lens was not quite wide open, at f/2.8, although I think f/8 may be better as it would allow greater depth of field and in theory greater sharpness on the apple itself.

This is all part of a 2011 plan to use many of the things I have (props, accessories, even magazine articles & examples) to the fullest in my photography!

Bray

So time to start shooting 2011. For the last day of the holidays (bank holiday monday) I took a trip to the seaside. It's not that far really! ;)

And the cold snap continues...

For the first time in my life I have experienced a 'White Christmas'. Sub-zero temperatures, heavy snowfalls and icy conditions persisting over the holiday period. It's so bad that I couldn't get my car out from where I live and had to get home to my parent's house by public transport.

Apparently a that is coming later today. Anyway here are a few shots...



An icicle hanging from the garden shed.



Snow down to the high water mark on Portmarnock beach.



Ice formations on the beach. I've never seen this before!

Boat

A fishing boat in dry dock at Howth harbour in Dublin. I used a 2-stop ND grad filter over the top part of the image (and a circular polariser). Dec 12 2010.

Still winter...

I'm starting to wonder if this is the beginning of the next ice age. Since I've been living in my current home (a little over two years) this is the third heavy snowfall that we've had.

It looks nice...but we really aren't able to cope with it at all. We need to learn!

Winter...

An early 'big freeze' in Ireland! Normally it doesn't get this cold in November/December...



That was taken on Monday, it has continued snowing while temperatures have dropped. Great fun on the roads! We just aren't prepared for this kind of thing despite the fact that it's the third big snowfall in the space of 2 years...

Protest

Some images from O'Connell street, Dublin, November 27 2010. Thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the planned bailout of the Irish economy & banking system that many feel will actually leave us worse off as the government will end up increasing taxes and reducing public spending. The cuts will impact quite severely on those who can least afford it:

Sketchy's again

Catching up on some old shots from july's dr Sketchy's session:

Sadistic Sedition:


Fizz Sedition:


Kept it simple for both shots with a single flash/brolly setup.

Lime Street Station

It had been a while since my last visit to Liverpool. There was a time when I used to joke that my 'local' pub was the one next to Anfield stadium, but those days are long gone. Responsibility will do that to you!

Anyway, it was with a slight degree of surprise that I exited Lime Street Station to see that the row of ugly shops and the dire towerblock that had been built in front of the old station had been demolished, replaced by a large 'plaza' of steps and ramps leading into the station. So one of the huge arches now fronts directly onto the street:



It's a great improvement, and nice to see the architectural mistakes of the past being rectified in this way.