Lao in Light (Part VIII)
Thursday, June 20, 2024
The eighth portrait in “Lao in Light” brings pale hair and a dark outfit into contrast against a simple background. Working in black and white, I focus on Lao’s presence, the lines of her clothing and the balance between light and shadow.
Lao in Light (Part VII)
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
A quiet expression, softly lit features and a dark background shape this portrait from “Lao in Light”. In this seventh part of the series, I concentrate on the connection behind Lao’s gaze and the small details that give the image its presence.
Lao in Light (Part II)
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Soft light catches Lao’s hair against a dark background, while her gaze gives this portrait its quiet centre. The second part of “Lao in Light” explores a simple composition, the depth of chiaroscuro and the intimacy that can emerge from a restrained setting.
Illuminating Elegance: My First Chiaroscuro Experience
Saturday, June 1, 2024
My first exploration of chiaroscuro, with Soojin in front of the camera. This portrait marks an early experiment in using darkness and carefully placed light to draw attention to the lines and presence of the person being photographed.
The Woman with 1000 Faces (Part 2)
Friday, May 31, 2024
A portrait of Alice from “The Woman with 1000 Faces”, continuing the session introduced in the first part of the series.
The stunning girl with the beautiful eyes (Part III)
Sunday, May 26, 2024
A return in front of my camera for another brief, entirely unplanned session. The third entry in “The stunning girl with the beautiful eyes”.
The Woman with 1000 Faces (Part 1)
Monday, May 20, 2024
The first selection from “The Woman with 1000 Faces” features Alice in portraits given an analogue-inspired colour treatment. These images explore a different mood from my black-and-white work, with colour and texture shaping the way each portrait is experienced.
The Woman with 1000 Faces (Low resolution snippet)
Saturday, May 18, 2024
An early, low-resolution glimpse of my first studio collaboration with Alice. This short preview introduces the session that would become “The Woman with 1000 Faces”.
Tribute to the photographers and models who inspire me
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Movie-star portraits from the 1960s to the 1980s continue to feed my interest in photography. This tribute gathers the photographers and models who inspire me, through the grain of black and white, the colours of an era and the presence of a gaze.
Why not take a selfie?
Sunday, May 12, 2024
A black-and-white selfie in close-up: sunglasses, a hand resting against my chin and a profile turned away from the camera. This self-portrait places me on the other side of the lens, in a quiet, contemplative pose.
The cute girl with the beautiful eyes
Saturday, May 4, 2024
Tidying my home studio turned into an unplanned portrait session, using a single octa softbox and a Godox AD100Pro. I share the story behind these images, their grainy black-and-white treatment and the pleasure of photographing expressions that arrive without a script.
A bowl of pasta
Saturday, February 17, 2024
A bowl of pasta becomes the subject of a modest composite made with my Panasonic FZ300, a macro attachment and Godox flashes. A small still-life experiment with familiar equipment and an everyday subject.
Dietary Supplement box
Friday, February 16, 2024
Returning to my Panasonic FZ300, a macro attachment and Godox flashes for a composite of a dietary supplement box. A modest photography exercise that rekindled my desire to make more images with the equipment already at hand.
A bottle of Cytocore
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
A bottle of Cytocore, photographed as a still-life subject. This short entry presents the image rather than a review of the dietary supplement.
Mastering High-Quality YouTube Video Tutorials: A Journey
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
In 2023, I began rethinking how I produced Pinegrow tutorials for YouTube. This account follows my search for a more flexible recording and editing workflow, with particular attention to screen resolution, readable close-ups and the quality of the finished video.
May 2023: Recharged and Ready – The Exciting Revival of My Blog!
Friday, May 5, 2023
A return to the blog in May 2023, opening the door to more photography, technology and experiments with artificial intelligence. Both the original announcement and its accompanying image were AI-generated, making this post an example of the exploration it introduced.
Using the Ansel Adams Zone System with Affinity Photo
Sunday, August 29, 2021
My interest in the Ansel Adams Zone System led me to explore tonal selections in Affinity Photo. In this 2021 post, I demonstrate a macro-based approach and compare that experience with the Blend-If Machine panel I had built for Photoshop.
Photoshop 22.5.0 failed update with macOS Catalina 10.15.7
Thursday, August 26, 2021
After updating to Photoshop 22.5.0 on macOS Catalina, I encountered display problems that disrupted my work. This 2021 account documents the symptoms, my troubleshooting attempts and the responses I received from Adobe support while looking for a workable solution.
My review of the Retouch Pro panel 2.0 for Photoshop
Sunday, August 15, 2021
My 2021 review of Retouch Pro Panel 2.0 looks beyond its feature list to the experience of using it. Interface, documentation, overlapping actions and customer support all inform a personal assessment of the Photoshop panel and its place in my workflow.
Learn Photography with Karl Taylor Education
Thursday, March 4, 2021
In this 2021 post, I share my enthusiasm after subscribing to Karl Taylor’s online photography classes. A brief, unsponsored account of a learning resource that was helping me explore photography, lighting and retouching as an amateur.