Ferry Cross the Mersey-A Few Snaps from Liverpool

FERRY CROSS THE MERSEY-A FEW SNAPS FROM LIVERPOOL 

                   

                                                                                           The Liver Building 

Last August I spent a few days in Liverpool. It was a city I had never been to before,

but had heard nothing but good things about it from friends. I wasn't really sure what 

to expect, but was more than pleasantly surprised by the easy going nature of this city, 

the incredible architecture, and of course, the never-ending photo opportunities.

Liverpool celebrated it's 800th year in 2007 and was named joint European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Several areas of the city have been granted World Heritage Site status, and Liverpool currently has the

largest number of listed buildings in the UK outside London. The city centre is easy to navigate and small enough to walk around- full of street performers, amazing independent shops, bars and restaurants.

(If you're planning to go, the East Avenue Bakehouse on Bold Street is a must!)

So.....the photographs....

Jukebox

Liverpool's culture was ingrained into almost everywhere we visited. When visiting

a new city, especially one that's a tourist destination I think it's easy to get carried 

away taking the 'usual' postcard pictures. Photos that are nice enough but are merely 

just a record of your time. Everyone wants a 'Beatles' pic when theyvisit Liverpool, 

but with this I was struck by the vibrant colours of the jukebox next to the black and 

white photograph of John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe-it seemed like a past and present thing. 

When photographing architecture I try and look for sharp angles, light and contrast. Although the sky 

is pretty bland in this shot, I didn't play with it as it was enough of a contrast against the building to be ok, and to keep it simple.

Triangles 

For this trip I took my Fuji XE 1 with me and it's 18-55mm kit lens. It's a great camera to travel with as it's so much lighter and compact than more heavy duty dslr's and can also be much better concealed for street shots. Great for when you don't want to let your subject know what you're doing!

Girls

Stairs

and for when you don't mind......

Street Performer

The area around the Albert Dock and it's skyline is a pretty iconic place where there is loads to see and do, including The Tate Liverpool which I think I spent over 2 hours in, completely mesmerised . Everywhere you turn there is a new angle to see, and we were lucky on the first day we had a very sunny evening that cast a great light over the water. And there were cranes.... a personal favourite of mine!

Cranes

Royal Albert Dock 

The great thing about Liverpool city centre is the way you can walk around the main streets and attractions really easily-everything is close together. The architecture is stunning, from the traditional buildings such as the Liver, The Port of Liverpool building and the Cunard to the more untraditional almost futuristic buildings like the Metropolitan Cathedral and the building below, One Park West, completed in 2008 and designed by Cesar Pelli. It's a brilliant building to walk around to view different aspects for photo taking. 

One Park West

And if you prefer the more traditional-the spectacular Liverpool Cathedral 

Liverpool Cathedral 



As always I like to dabble in the abstract. With the picture below I tried to frame the two people having a drink inside the pane of glass in the door. I like to try and create a picture within a picture. 

Red Door

I'm also really into the use of negative space. If the photograph will suit, I'll try to let the main focal point of my image only take up a certain amount of the frame-usually using the rule of thirds. It allows my subject to breath a bit more, and sometimes an incidental happening within the space (the seagull in this shot) can add a certain charm 

Big Wheel

All and all Liverpool was a friendly, creative and invigorating city to visit. I took around 450 photos in 2 days-there was certainly no lack of inspiration!
We hope to go back again later this year to explore further and spend a bit more time there.

 But before that we have a trip to Iceland to look forward too....

Through the Barbour Shop Window 

Reflection Photography-an adventure with puddles!

Reflection Photography

Green Umbrella


Last year I was attending a weekly photography course when I embarked on a project of my choice. I had never given myself a 'photography project' before. I tended to take pictures of subjects I liked-mainly wildlife up to this point. I had never thought about shooting the same sort of themes over a few weeks or months that were all in some way connected. For ages I had been seeing a reflection on the street I work on in Edinburgh. Every time it rained a hollow in the the pavement would swell up with water and show a great domed rooftop in it's reflection-something that made me keep thinking-'I need to take a photo of that'

Royal Edinburgh Society 

Sometimes it can be hard to decide what kind of topic to pick . It needs to be original, keep you interested and not be twee. You might want to ask yourself what you hope to achieve from completing the project and also what you want to learn. A good starting point can also hold your attention for a longer time-although I took this picture over a year ago, I still walk past it now. and look to see how it changes at different times of then day, depending on the light.

Through the Looking Glass

            So I had decided on reflections. What now? My main interest was in puddles I became obsessed (and still am). While other people complained about the wet weather- I was checking the forecast-hoping it would rain on my day off so I could go out and try and find some interesting reflections to capture! On the days where it was dry and sunny I                     would turn my interest to glass. I particularly liked this shot. It felt slightly                                                    surreal and had a little of the Renee Magritte about it. 

Leith Reflections 1

                                                                       

When trying to capture reflections in water it's also important to wait until there is little wind and your reflected image is clear and reasonably sharp. Obviously this might not always be the desired effect if you want to show the way water can distort the images reflected.
With the pictures of Leith I took another more cropped image and then turned it upside down to show pretty much the same scene but only the way it was presented in the water. This can almost make the images look like paintings.  

Runner

    During the project the were some images that were very considered. A few of the images I had passed by many times and I had a strong idea about how I wanted to capture them. Other images were taken by complete chance like the one of the runner caught in this enormous puddle. Other images were taking using zone focusing -that is focusing your lens on a particular area and waiting for something or someone to come into the frame. 

This is how I managed to get the image at the top of the post of a shopper with a green umbrella caught in the reflection of a wet pavement. 

House and Post

         You may also come across things that look ordinary at first but when captured in a reflection can look very different. The house and post picture is of the gable end of a house caught in a puddle but flipped to make it upright, but the grid for the drain is now round the wrong way. The composition may look slightly straight forward at first until you look at it more closely. The other thing I have learnt from this project is to not care about those around you. Some people will be genuinely interested in what you are doing, but if it's taking pictures of random things in puddles be prepared for some awkward glances! Don't let it concern you-just be immersed in what you are doing. 

I had great fun with this project. I managed to get some shots that I had wanted to take for ages and also some surprise ones too. Deciding to take a series of photos for a certain reason can be a really rewarding thing to do. It may be something you have been thinking about for a while. or an idea may just hit you one day. Here are a few ideas to get you started!

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2015/01/06/52-photography-projects-a-photo-idea-try-every-week-2015/

Rainy Junction

                                                                  

Self Portraits-how I take a selfie

Self Portraits-My Kinda Selfie!

National Museum Of Scotland 


Last year I did a project on reflection photography. This came about due to a reflection in a  puddle I saw every time it rained in the street I work in. This is the kind of stuff that fascinates me, and the way that water or glass can distort an image became a complete obsession. More about those pictures at a later date-the self portraits in today's blog came about as I hunted Edinburgh for reflections for my project. In 2013 the word 'selfie' officially entered the Oxford Dictionary, but photographic self portraits-the act of taking a photo of ones self-have been around for many years. Photographers have been posing for their own cameras since the invention of the photographic process in 1839. 

Early Self Portraits

Man Ray was a prominent figure in the Dada and Surrealist movement and worked in many media including photography. The picture below was created through a technique called solarization where the print was exposed to a quick flash of light in the darkroom creating the eerie halo effect on the finished image. 

Man Ray 1931


Another photographer that comes to mind when thinking about self portraits would be Vivian Maier. A very private and reclusive woman during her life time, Maier was only recently discovered when American John Maloof found her undeveloped films at a garage sale in Chicago.  Prolific in making images, Maier's self portraits are staggering and original-something that can be at times very hard to achieve

Vivian Maier Self Portrait 

                                                       Vivian Maier Self Portrait

Maier made use of whatever she had in front of her-windows, mirrors, hubcaps, bowling balls, and would often capture something else in her picture-not just her own image. By day she was a nanny and would trail the streets of Chicago with the children she cared for, taking pictures with her Rolleiflex camera. 
A deeply secretive person, most of her work was produced in the 50's where Maier recorded her own urban history. She had an affiliation toward the poor and destitute and struggled to get by herself towards the end of her life. Not able to pay for processing costs, the vast majority of her work was never processed during her lifetime. Vivian passed away still unknown, in a nursing home after having a fall.  

                                       

Back to my own self-portraits....

When looking for a reflection to take a picture in, I try to look at what's going on around me, what other subjects might be included in the photograph, and if I want to make my self obvious in it or not-is the main subject me, or am I just taking a reflected scene that I'm accidentally in.

                                                       Rainy Day Self Portrait 

Self portraits don't always have to be a reflection. A shadow can also work depending on what direction the sun is facing, and what other 'props' you may have at your disposal-see Maier's shadow portrait above. 

                                                                                   Shadow Self Portrait

Shooting self portraits can pose endless opportunities, ranging from ideas you may encounter everyday to those that present themselves when you least expect it 

Thinking outside the box is vital-what else do you want to include-is there something else in the frame that should be the main feature? Can you still draw attention to it in a more subtle way such as this Nastia Sokolova shot below.

                                        

 

                                                                           Nastia Sokolova 
                                                                             Self Portrait 

Taking your self portrait with a self-timer can also lead to a great shot and allows you to plan, set up and execute the shot in your own time scale and environment. However, the candid shots are still my favourite. Even if you don't have your camera on you, a camera phone pic will still capture a moment that you may not have again. 

Enjoy those selfies!

   

Tube  Self  Portrait

Metallic Self Portrait  

                                           Find more self portrait inspiration here-http://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2014/03/beyond-selfie-how-photographers-take-self-portraits

Bangour Village Hospital

Bangour Village Hospital-photographing abandoned places 

The Shop

The History 

 One of my many geeky passions is that of abandoned sites. Houses, churches, bus depots, anything that is crumbling or standing still in time fascinates me. To think of these buildings once bustling with people and serving a purpose is really intriguing. One of my favourite places to visit is Bangour Village Hospital, a 220 acre site just outside the village of Dechmont in West Lothian.

The hospital was opened in 1904 as one of the first village -plan psychiatric hospitals in Scotland, an idea that was brought over form Germany. The site included a shop, recreational hall, workshops, cricket pitch and later a church which patients themselves helped to build. Patients were homed in villa style buildings which could accommodate around 30 at a time.

Outside the 'Day Centre'

                                                                       
The hospital was taken over by the War Office during the First World War and treated the many hundreds of wounded while the mentally ill were displaced to asylums around Scotland. The hospital returned to it's original use  between the war years and after 1945. Over it's time, buildings were added to the original site, one of them becoming Bangour General Hospital which offered general services to the whole of West Lothian. A world famous burns unit,  plastic surgery unit and maternity ward were also added. I have quite a few friends who were born here.                                                                           

                                                                          

                                                  Taking Pictures

Lock 

Taking pictures at Bangour does not pose as much of an issue as you may think it would. Although I must stress there is NO access to the buildings-they are in very poor condition and are extremely dangerous. Security patrols the site at all times as there are many who will try and gain access to 'ghost hunt' or steal anything of worth left in the buildings. However, the site is open to the public to walk round freely and on any given Sunday Bangour can be pretty busy with families and dog walkers out for the afternoon. 

Football Pavilion 

Every time I visit Bangour it's overcast. It can
feel like quite a bleak place but is extremely atmospheric. There is not much colour in the buildings and it can be quite difficult to get good contrasts. A grey graduated filter may be useful for some shots, but I choose to shoot mostly in black and white when I'm there. Colour can be nice when you are trying to capture some sort of decay like in the shot above of the lock. 

Church 

A lot of the buildings are white and I found this tricky trying to get the correct exposure to show and detail of wood or brick work. The picture above of the football pavilion was shot at ISO 100, 5.6 app, 1/640 shutter speed. I've brought the contrast and the highlights up every so slightly but apart form that its pretty much straight out the camera-one of my favourite shots of the day. There is something new to be found with every corner you turn or with every new building you encounter.

One of the villa's 

Walking around Bangour can feel a little creepy. You can often still find objects belonging to one of the wards or even a patient- I have passed the same flattened pram every time I have been. But before our imaginations run away with us it is important to remember that Bangour was a real place which treated thousands of patients through the years with a mixture of therapies and which also gave patients opportunities to work in the grounds, in the various workshops or in the nearby farm. Having had the pleasure of listening to the stories of people who have worked here it seemed to be a happy place that was full of life. 

Villa 

After the opening of St Johns Hospital in nearby Livingston in 1989 the General Hospital at Bangour was closed and eventually demolished. With different treatments for mental health becoming available and a greater emphasis put on 'care in the community' Bangour began to wind down with the last patients being discharged in 2004. The following year it was the filming location for the film 'The Jacket' staring Keira Knightley,

                                                                    

                                                   The Future

Laundry 

Currently there are plans to re-develop the site into a thriving new community. Although a Conservation Area which boasts many listed buildings there has been discussions of both housing and retail developers going into the site. The listed buildings would be re-used as homes, while there will be new buildings added. Historic Scotland are working with both the NHS and West Lothian Council to produce plans which should be released later in the year.

Villa

Window 

Although many will be relieved to see the site redeveloped, I can't help but think it will be a great pity to see this incredible place go. As a photographic opportunity it is a gift no matter what you are into-landscape, documentary, abstract- and is accessible while still feeling almost forbidden. Although it can be a challenge to photograph such a place I would urge anyone who has not yet visited and who lives close by to go there with your camera and record as much as you can while you still can. You wont regret it.

                                                   Click here for an aerial tour- Bangour Aerial Tour

                                                   Until next time.....

Bus Stop

THE BIGGER PICTURE

THE BIRDS AND THE BEES-WHERE IT ALL BEGAN-SHOOTING WILDLIFE

Small Tortoiseshell

To those of you who know me personally-you will be aware that I love animals and am wildlife crazy. From ladybirds to red kites and butterflies to badgers I get over excited about wildlife of any kind. It was this love that first drove me to purchase my first camera, a Canon 550d with a Tamron 70-300mm zoom for shooting what I wanted to shoot most.  

I remember being initially disappointed having graduated from a bridge camera with a very strong optical zoom. I was taking pictures of the birds in my garden-but I wanted to be closer. My lens just wouldn't make things BIG enough for me. I remember naively going back to Jessops grumbling about my kit and the assistant assuring me that I could get great results from what I had. I Googled images taken with my kit. The issue it appeared was me.

                      

Tufted Duck

I think one of the main frustrations when you are new to photography is that you want to know everything yesterday. You want to create perfect images quickly and are baffled as to how others seem to do it so effortlessly. I soon began to realise that it really is trial and error. You can study photography books all day, have ready made tables set out for what settings are best for different situations and drool over lenses you can't really afford but nothing will get you to where you want to be unless you get out there and practice. That said there are some brilliant YouTube tutorials out there that are really informative. I used to (and still sometimes do) take a notebook out with me to write down anything I learnt on an outing, whether it'd be positive or negative. Obviously you can make use of your cameras histogram but I'm a bit of an old fashioned girl and love a bit of pen and paper.   

Now, back to the wildlife......

Coming into Land 

When I started getting into photography about a couple a years ago I was quite determined to do everything 'properly'. Straight out the box I switched my camera onto manual thinking this would be the best way to learn. I kid you not it was quite a while until I realised what aperture and shutter priority were. I only used manual focusing and all the pictures on the blog today are taken completely on manual settings. By no means are these 
perfect pictures-they are not tac sharp and in some cases lack some detail but they are just a little example of making the most of what you have at your disposal. The Tamron 70-300mm has a good macro function on it if you are into insects or flora. I've also been reading recently that if you mount your bog standard 18-55mm kit lens back to front this can make quite a reasonable macro lens and some of the results I've seen have been great. This is something I've yet to try but will keep you posted!

Red Squirel

How we all take images is completely a personal choice and as photographers, be it complete beginner or pro, we are constantly discovering new things. For me, shooting wildlife is challenging enough so why make it more difficult by manually focusing everything? We often have a split second to capture a fast moving or elusive creature so we need to have as much on our side as possible. Higher shutter speeds are preferable to try and freeze the action therefore it will be necessary to push the ISO up to compensate for this. Before you start, get to know your camera's limits. How high can you push your ISO to achieve acceptable results? How low can your shutter speed go until objects become blurred? A good rule of thumb for this in day to day shooting is using your focal distance as a guide. If you're shooting at 300mm then your shutter speed for hand held shooting shouldn't be set below 1/300. For wildlife  you will more than likely be using a higher setting than this to capture your image. It also helps if you know the behaviour of your subject. Is it a diving duck that's about to dip in or out of the water? Be ready for that classic behaviour you're trying to capture.

Whopper Swans

Another obsession with wildlife photography is to get as close to your subject as possible. This seems like something you should be focusing on but it can be nice to take in the environment of your subject and not make it too detached. Using a wider angle to show the habitat of what you're shooting is also important. A lot of the time the environment you are shooting in can be just as beautiful as the animal you are photographing. 

Final words of wisdom - be patient. With your subject and with your equipment. We are all limited no matter what kind of kit we have, but try to get to know not just its limits but also its potential.

Until next time......



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