Lately (about a year or so) I've been taking break on the blog, not really knowing what to do with the website, but here's a blog post or two.

I have been here and there in my photography so far, little bits of that and more little bits elsewhere. I'm the same as everyone out there, just want to get noticed and get a break.

Pinterest has been of great inspiration and I have always admired some of the most well known and respected photographers out there, recently I have been researching for various fun, personal and potentially commercial projects on my ideas and concepts - something to take inspiration from so to speak.

From this I have taken interest in what are known as the "masters of photography", such as Rankin, Helmut Newton and David Bailey amongst a whole host of others, to which a select few appeal to me in their work's subject matter and the technique used which is certainly how I would like to adapt my own work to emulate their results.

Here's my list of inspirer's as pinterest search criteria, certainly interesting works by all.

David Baily

Helmut Newton

Lillian Bassman

Cindy Sherman

Herb Ritts

Rankin

Norman Parkinson

Nick Knight

Nadav Kander

Horst p. Horst

Bill Brandt

Cecil Beaton

Ansel Adams

enjoy :)

Starting to clear the backlog and start up my blog again - concentrating on my photography these days. This little lot are from a visit to the Metrocentre to take a few shots around at the Christmas decorations.

Trying to be creative with Christmas decorations and in b&w walking around a shopping mall....it was, well fun. I've done this long enough now to ignore or even laugh at the strange looks you get - sometimes even take photos lol.

So, here you go, a sample of black and white Christmas decorations in our Gateshead Metrocentre:











Ok, this is one is not a Christmas decoration....but you can't ignore Betty now can you? :D



And then there's always time for a cosplay shot,

Here's me sitting wondering what to do, forgetting I have a blog sitting there rotting in the state of non-updatedness. Only reminded of this fact due to looking at a friends blog - "hmm, blogger, that reminds me...." as the thought train goes.

Yes, indeed, a backlog of stuff going on in photography and life - this is what happens now I'm back in work, no time or can't be bothered lol. Here's holding a glass to getting the act together :)

So continuing my journey through photography unto greatness (guffaw and a giggle) I've changed and what with more cosplay shenanigans and a venture into the inevitable dabbling in the world of models and various trips to try and hone some styles, I'm coming along.

I must say I love the dark side, no, not just that side of photography but the Black and White. I have dabbled, but I am becoming more and more engrossed in using it instead of colour and love it's possibilities - especially with models and fine art photography, this being an early attempt

Then there is Street Portraiture, which I think B&W is great for, as below, some of my favourite shots from a few trips - more to work on with B&W from me.

Stay tuned, more to come of the backlog :)

ttfn

Saturday (the 18th of July) just gone was one busy and fun day, strengthening contacts and making a load of new ones. Initially it was the day of Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk - second annual that is - which I was taking part in by joining the Newcastle Upon Tyne contingent of the event along with Dave my usual tog buddy.

We, being people that want to fit as much as we can into a days photography, decided also to get in some more shots and become more known amongst the North East Cosplayers who were doing gay pride in their own way (see below).



These guys are hilarious and we were able to spot Wally from "Where's Wally" outside the station.



We followed as they marched on their well trodden path around the anime shops with their gay pride banner.



The Photo Walk

Leaving the cosplayers to do their stuff, we headed to the quayside for the meet passing some buskers who were pretty good and took a snap - they posed too while playing :D



Hard to think of different ways to take photos of a subject like the quayside that you have done times before, I ventured for the abstract mostly...



...which seems to work as "different" plus a bonus on the Millennium Bridge opening up to let a boat through.



I didn't take much else of worthiness from that point, sky was awful spoiling shots and to be honest I'd done the quayside before but happy with the few I did get. The group ventured onto the Gateshead side and the Sage which I hadn't been in before, so another bonus.







Then tried something really abstract in the Baltic Art Gallery entrance (and yes I know, it's not straight because I took it at an angle on purpose).



And we came to the end of the Photo Walk event and people went their ways. A great day and great to see new faces and meet new photographers - and not just from this area as a couple had come down from Glasgow.

...But Our Photo Walk Continued...

I had some experimentation with a sinister looking underpass shot (and yes that's Dave, he's the sinister bit :D)...





...investigated a graveyard...



...found an alien on a wall...



...and finally a space invader to finish the day.



Can't wait for the next one, let's hope this one is as successful as last years or more and gets into the record books.

Orkestra Del Sol are a group I saw at the Mouth Of The Tyne Festival, they have a varied mix of influences from Russia and the Middle East to South America putting together with brass to create a unique performance. One of the best, if not the, of this type of musical performance I have seen and thoroughly enjoyed.

I am however slightly annoyed with myself, as with such great opportunity for photos I still haven't grasped the use of my manual focus lens and lost some potentially great shots due to what should be the main focus of the photo being out of focus. But one struggles on and to be fair to myself I did get some some really good shots considering I was shooting between heads and shoulders.

Partners in crime, Dave and I, went down to to Tynemouth or a look around the Mouth Of The Tyne Festival for some photo opportunities - and boy did we find.

I personally took over 450 shots, needless to say most were binnable, but with the set I came out with at the end it was well worth the effort. Of course the entertainment was great too.

Street Performances













Musical Performances



http://www.jimithepiper.co.uk/




http://www.chicagostompers.it/index-en.php




http://www.orkestradelsol.co.uk/


I didn't really know what was going on with the street performers - but they provided some good photo opportunities. I was into the music though and bought Orkestra Del Sol's CD (which is unlike me at festivals :D), but Chicago Stompers and Jimi & Sam were also great. Unfortunately I wasn't around long enough to take in the other two jazz bands but maybe I'll see them some other time.

Cosplay - short for "costume roleplay", participants dress up in outfits that portray a specific character usually from various Japanese manga, anime, comic books and fantasy movies.

As just by chance, a week ago, the last of a cosplayers meet were in Newcastle station. A great spectacle and opportunity for photographs they were more than happy jumping into poses naturally for some shots.



They also also invited us to along with them on their meet this weekend gone in Newcastle, with opportunity for more cosplayers and opportunity for a greater set of photographs. We, me and my friend Dave over at Deliciously Dave, gladly obliged the opportunity to get them some event photographs for their sites and thoroughly enjoyed the day as a welcome experience shananigans a plenty worthy of documenting.

The group on the day



Some of my favourite shots from the day













An interesting part of culture to be around, a fun group of folks who meet to enjoy the company of like minded people. Not all that different from us togs to be honest, meet up for company, a laugh, food and share an interest.

The people we met up with have various sites themselves, listed below, so if you are interested check them out.

North East Cosplayers specific links

North East Cosplayers - Deviant Art
North East Cosplayers - Myspace

Related links

Anime League