Photo of the weekend - Soaring

Hamilton - Soaring
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

If I hadn't captured the last of the flock of birds I would not have chosen this as my "photo of the weekend".

Photo of the weekend - Everton Falls - Mill Pond Shadows

Everton Falls - Mill Pond Shadows
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

A difficult choice this weekend. Only because there were few candidates.
The majority of Sunday's photo's were made with Shanghai GP3 shot in my Bronica. The development left an ugly grain so I wasn't to pleased with them.
The Fuji Acros has promise but I need to let them 'mature' for a while before I revisit them. So I picked one of the very few digital shots as my favourite.
Why? The shadows scurrying back across the frozen lake to hide in the woods until the sun went down really caught my eye.
That plus the juxtaposition of the warm palette of tree's and reeds vs the cold blues of the shadows. Makes this image.

Photo of the weekend - Flash Practice

Flash Practice - 2
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

I spent hours on Saturday playing with my new 'light shapers', shoot through umbrella and a 20" square soft box plus a few other bits and pieces.
After borrowing a couple of wireless triggers I set out to see if I could tame the shadows.
This is one of my favourites a book of essays by Francis Bacon and an old pair of glasses that I picked up as a prop. I am quite pleased with the light on the pages but less so with the overall, front to back, lighting.

Practice Practice Practice !

Photo of the weekend - Mug Shot

Mug Shot
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

C'est moi
Last week we were fine tuning a portrait lighting workshop we will be putting on.
Grant and Dave were the teachers, Doug and I the pupils.

I took some of what I learned and made this shot. It came out exactly as I had envisioned! So it had to be my choice even if it is a mug shot of yours truly.

Photo of the weekend - Barber Mill

Barber Mill - Toothpicks
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

Why this one?
Well, recently I was given a 100' roll of Kodak Kodalith Ortho 6556 film, ISO 10.
It was unopened and in the original packaging, date of expiry 12/1985.
My first test roll was, shall we say, a little short of the mark. I learned quickly that the emulsion on this film is very sensitive and pin holes and scratches were everywhere.
This was my second attempt.
With help from the flickr group "I shoot film" I found a new developer recipe and routine.
The results? Well I really like them.

Developed in Xtol at 1+1 dilution
6 min at 20 deg c

Photo of the weekend - Hark what light through yonder window breaks!

German School - Hark what light through yonder window breaks!
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy
A freezing cold weekend but that didn't stop the intrepid explorer's.

On Saturday Doug, Andrew and I visited the abandoned Speyside school. Seeing two police cruisers waiting at the foot of the driveway when we came out was a little off-putting to say the least. As it turned out they were not interested in us :-)

Today I met up with Jay, Chris and Jeff to visit the German Rd School nr Brantford.

The early light poured in through huge, south facing windows. Of course it had to be captured in Black and White :-)

First Light 2010

First Light 2010
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

Another year over and a new one just begun - Imagine, John Lennon.

The challenge continues, this year the First Light Challenge gauntlet was picked up by Grant, Doug and Cathy, the few who were up and out before dawn. This has become somewhat of a tradition for me and I welcome the company!

This shot was taken in Galt (now part of Cambridge), Ontario and, by the clock on the wall, at just about sunrise, although the sun didn't actually make an appearance.

Happy New Year !!