Heath Robinson-inspired zoom bursts

WEEK 8

Technical: Zoom Burst

By changing the focal length during long exposure you can add movement to your frame, producing leading lines within your frame.

The 8th week challenge was a technical one I thought would be impossible to achieve as a self portrait once I figured out what I had to do.
Initially, I thought it was to create a photo using a still subject but showing movement by using a slow shutter speed so I thought of using the shower and capturing the motion of running water.. but it wasn't that at all.
Eventually realised what the challenge meant and realised I had to physically zoom in or out while the photo is taken.. somehow whilst being the subject of the photo too, staying true to the self-portrait project.
So I used a 16-35mm zoom and put the tripod above and near to my head on the bed, making sure the window light was behind me so I wouldn't be uplit. Practised the motion of zooming the lens during the exposure first on 'Flump,' a rather inanimate polar bear and in the beginning there were quite a few photos like the following:

When I got the hang of it, I set the camera to take a photo every 5 seconds, set a whole second shutter speed, and first of all started taking photos by manually zooming the lens with my hand behind my head. This didn't look great obviously because my arm reaching for the camera was in the shot, and heavily distorted, so I started thinking about some sort of pulley system / string, (channelling my inner Heath Robinson) to tie around the lens to zoom it in & out without me needing to have my hand on it.

This is where Simon came in handy, (hoorah for prop guys!) because he made a stick from an old wooden spoon, gaffataped it to the lens and I tied some string from the end of the stick to act like a lever. Had to wind the string round another light stand so the physics worked and I didn't just pull the camera on top of me.

I honestly didn't know whether it would work or not - was quite scepical, but it did! And any string that was in the shot in my hand was blurred in the zoom burst, so I don't think you could really see what was going on from the photos alone.

Was very hard to keep my face still to keep it sharp while pulling the string, but I'm really quite happy with these. They're creepy and a bit weird, especially the last shot.

Introducing The Hacienda

I have quite a bit of blogging catch-up to do!
The week before last, I spent a bit of time in London doing various things including modelling jobs and attending birthday parties. When I'm with Simon, we mostly stay with his sister in Sutton, but occasionally we hang out at this glorious place called The Hacienda.. this time it was just me as Si was working elsewhere.
Anyway, I modelled for a studio day and ran a bath that evening to relax.. but ended up doing a selfie.. because I'm clearly obsessed. No, when I saw the brief for this week's Dogwood challenge and that I'd be staying here at that time, I knew it had to be a bath shot as it's quite honestly the most enjoyable and relaxing experience. The Hacienda bathroom is beautiful and spacious with a beautiful free-standing roll-top bath and always full of lit candles - you can always get genuine quiet time here. I decided to try shoot in the candlelight.

WEEK 4 Creative: Quiet Moment. Peace. Serenity. Tranquility. Convey a quiet moment.'

I'm finding myself using the 35mm a lot more than I ever have.. mainly because I keep forgetting we have a 60mm, but that would have been too long for this shot. 

My camera was on the tripod up as high as it goes, tilted down and the main light came from the candles placed on the side of the bath, (swapped the tea lights for big church candles) but I added a bit of fill light, by..... umm.. tying my phone with the flashlight app on to the bathroom door with my pants. There was a little bit that stuck out at the top of the door - phone was balanced on that, torch shining down with my pants being used as an elaborate elastic band.

I guess I could have asked Sean for some tape or something more practical, but he was in the living room watching a film, and by this time I was starkers and wet from getting in and out the bath so many times to test the composition.. plus the camera & tripod were completely blocking the door, so thought it best to leave my improvisation as it was.

I started by doing shots where my hands were together in Namaste and the shutter release was between my knees in the bath, (sat on my bum, knees up) and pressed together to get it to fire.. but there was a more flattering photo in the end.

The shutter speed was ridiculously slow, so any movement saw photos completely blurred.. the trigger squeezing between my knees wasn't an option in these circumstances, lol. 

I love the mirror opposite the bath and whilst there were some composition issues in the beginning, (before I tilted the camera) I found the composition I wanted which showed both me and my reflection quite quickly.

The biggest issue as ever was focus. I still had not read up on all the stuff this new camera can do and at the time didn't realise I could get the auto focus to actually track my face.. the ISO was right up, but I had no option but to have a slow shutter speed and a wide aperture.. a nightmare really.

Anyway, it ended up focussing on the right hand side of the mirror frame. I'm annoyed as it should have been on my reflection, but I'm pleased with how the photo turned out overall and I think it portrays a quiet moment well, which is the main thing.

I managed to get the shot before the water got cold so I could enjoy a relaxing soak as well. I didn't feel like fiddling around with studio lights for the shot.. I can use them and feel more confident by the day, it just takes me decades longer to get it all together and I knew I'd struggle keeping the feel of the ambient light.
<3

Had a great night's sleep and I shot some more stuff the following morning before Simon came to meet me for lunch.

I set up in the main room, which has gorgeous natural light from huge windows.

These next photos aren't really for any purpose, I just saw the soft low sunlight and knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity to shoot.

The bokeh (below left) is from a pretty standing lamp which was on and just in shot in the foreground.. settings are F5, 1/100th, ISO250 shot on 85mm.

The Hacienda mask..

Apparently no-one shoots this, perhaps because it's so heavy and wide but I love it. The added bokeh is from Creative Commons and used as an overlay.

My other weekly photographic challenge from Alley for week 4 was:

"The doorway to your soul - this week, I want you to photograph a door.. this door is going to tell me all about you as a person.. so for example, this could be the door of the church that you got married in, this could be the doorway to your home. It could be a door you drive past every day on the way to work.. it could be a piece of architechtural beauty, but I want this door to be passionate. So shoot the door and then edit it to describe the doorway to your soul.. change the colour, change the texture, edit something onto the door, age it, contrast it, brighten it, darken it.. make this door reflect who you are. This door, after all, is the deep soul within you, the person I might not yet know.."

Phew - thanks Alley! But this wasn't hard because again, I knew it had to be The Hacienda. This place is SO special to me. The studio is no ordinary studio; it was opened pretty much exactly a year ago just off Brick Lane, London as a non-profit studio where all proceeds go towards Shelter From The Storm charity for the homeless.

Over the past 10 months, this place, Sean the owner, the 12 resident models and all the creatives who have created work here have collectively raised almost £6k, hopefully with another successful year coming up in 2018.

The Hacienda is a beautiful creative hub for all people in the industry to come and make stunning work, whilst supporting the cause.

Being a socialist and an artist in a few various forms, I have never felt more passionate about anything in my life. It's heartbreaking to see so many people homeless; many of whom never thought they'd be in the position of no longer having a roof over their head. I believe if you are in a position of fortune to help others who are without sufficient food, drink, shelter and warmth, then you must step up and help - The Hacienda is the angel which provides a slight comfort to those many millions in need.

It takes just £16 to feed, water, clothe and give shelter to one homeless person for one day.. this is the link to the new Hacienda Just Giving page set up for 2018 if you would like to donate to our cause. We would be very grateful.

This innovative and unique space is my second home.. I feel very lucky.. I will continue to walk through these doors to work there, create, invent, socialise, and raise money for those less fortunate than I for as long as I am welcome and it continues to run.

Here are the doors to my soul.

Now for the boring technical bit, ha.. I used 35mm on the D850, F15, ISO 100, 1/125th sec.. had a Bowens octabox on full power set up 45 degrees to my right, camera on tripod in front of me, and a fan at my feet which was blowing my chiffony gown up.. ooh la laaa.

Thanks to Sean for letting me use his place 

Experimental spontaneity

Earlier this week I went to visit my friend Jess and shamelessly used her place to take selfies, as well as photographing her as she's stunning and photogenic.
I ran out of natural light in the end and these really are just snapshots. I only had my camera, tripod, remote shutter release, speedlight, and stupidly I brought an 85mm lens to use. That's a pretty long lens to use in someone's home; I need to remember a 50mm is much more versatile.
On a side note, I discovered yesterday that the 50mm lens is broken.. it endlessly tries to find focus but with no luck :(
Anyway, on to the photos.. thanks to Jess for letting me use her home!

This has quite a lot of Lightroom slider pushing because I didn't increase the exposure compensation in camera, (on aperture priority) but didn't want to completely blow out the background either. I tried using flash, but didn't have full gear with me only a speedlight & no modifier and it ruined this backlit effect even on minimal power. Not much learning was had from this.. only to bring a modifier & stand for more flattering light next time, ha.

The second shot is my favourite from this set of experiments.. Jess has a mirror-top coffee table in the living room, so I sprawled over it with an open copy of Vogue.. camera was on fully-extended tripod on top of the sofa, angled down and I used natural light as there was a large window right in front of me with beautiful light coming through.

Wish I'd used more of the mirrored effect in hindsight.

Feel free to click on these to see them larger..

There was a random single armchair in the hallway which looked pretty amusing, but photogenic.

The first shot is an accident when I got up to look at the back of the camera, I pressed the shutter by mistake, setting the speedlight off which was just in front of me at the time.. on the floor, pointing up. Not technically okay in the slightest, but I kind of like it.

The actual photo aim was me in the chair. The speedlight was in the same place on the floor just out of shot, bouncing light around the white walls. I didn't want to face the window on the left of this photo because that would have been my 'bad side,' haha. I did try this, but the difference in exposure value was too great to use natural light alone.. the highlights on my face were blown out, but the lower half of the image was too dark..

Not particularly what I set out from this shot at all.. the focus is completely out and I was rushing time against ambient light. Again, bounced speedlight off ceiling, but I do want to include it in this set because I love all the mad dress textures against the symmetry & plainness of the sofa. Taking the colour out makes it clearer, but although the colours are mad I like the clash. Originally this was a colour shot in my head anyway, with a retro feel.

Which one do you prefer, the B&W or colour version?