Sunflower
Photography / March 11, 2011

Sunflower

This shot is totally out of season, I know. I took it last August (2010), but I only got around to processing it recently. Sí loves Sunflowers, so she grows a few every year – I thought this one looked particularly fresh faced after a shower of rain.

One 540EZ to camera left.

354
Photography / November 15, 2010

354

Another from the challenge set by ivansantry – “A car at night”.

A HUGE thank you to Kevin – he answered at least one hundred questions from me while he explained the positioning and power of all four strobes used in this shot.

The car is a BMW E36 M3 as run in the National Hillclimb and Sprint Championship. The post title “354” is a reference to the class that I race in and the position I finished in last year. The 35 stands for Class 3B (unlimited saloons – anything goes power-wise) and the 4 is where I finished in the class in 2009. As it happens, after managing only five rounds of the championship this year, I finished in the same position, so I will be in Car 354 for 2011 again. Fingers crossed I’ll get out for a full season next year and finish a little further up the field.

M Power
Photography / November 11, 2010

M Power

The second in a series of shots from a challenge “A car at night.” set by ivansantry.

The Hot Seat
Photography / November 09, 2010

The Hot Seat

A few weeks back I did a series of shots based on a challenge set by Eyeblinks about “The street where I live” . Shortly aferwards, I was set a new challenge by ivansantry – “A car at night”. It took some time, but I finally got around to taking some shots of a BMW M3 as run in the National Hillclimb and Sprint Championship by my dad and I.

So this is the first in the series of shots, taking in the best (and only) seat in the house. And this is what the action looks like from the seat:
[tube]GFIT9_HfC4g[/tube]

Credits:
– Ivansantry for the challenge.
– There was a lot of learning involved in this one – a huge thanks to Kevin for the instruction and all the strobes, stands, transmitters, etc. Not alone did he provide everything, he also made it interesting, I have a major urge to buy another flash or two now. Damn you and your strobist ways!

365
365/Photography / January 02, 2010

365

Jan 2 2010.

What a year. I can’t believe I’ve actually done it! I haven’t always managed to take a photo each day, but I have one photo for every day in 2009.

I don’t think the quality of my photos has improved very much, but I learned more in 2009 than I have since I left college. Most definitely worth the time and effort.

Thank you all for keeping an eye on the blog and for all of your comments. Thanks to everyone in the Limerick Camera Club who gave me advice since I joined in September.

Thanks to my family and friends for putting up with me and my “having” to take photos all the time. Particular thanks to my parents and Síofra – without whose patience there wouldn’t have made it past day five!

Finally, a huge thank you to Kevin. It was Kevin’s work that prompted me to learn about photography in the first place. He gave me a serious amount of time, help, advice, knowledge, encouragement and inspiration. I owe you lots of pints!

You’d swear I was accepting an Oscar or something. But you all need to be thanked!

It’s not all over  – I will still be posting photos here, but not as regularly. I will take a break for a few weeks and then get cracking on the next project.

About the photo:
I know it’s a cheesy last photo – but it shows the first photos I had printed since getting the DSLR – all from 2009! You can see two of my three regular lenses (18-55mm and 75-300mm). And a raffle ticket (No. 365) in there too. I picked it out one night at a club meeting a few months back. I’ve been holding onto it with this shot in mind!

Hard day at the Office
365/Photography / December 18, 2009

Hard day at the Office

Dec 18.

It’s great to kick off the boots after a busy day at work. Before anyone comments – that’s not a visual representation of the smell…. it’s smoke because I’ve been working so hard!!! 🙂

I love these boots. I’ve had them since I was seventeen (thirteen years now). Originally I’d only wear them when I knew they wouldn’t get wrecked. But over the years as more and more marks appeared, I started using them in the garage and at races. They’ve been covered in motor oil, brake fluid, ATF, Grease and dirt so many times that they are now fully waterproof to the ankle (verified). They’re still comfortable and warm. Now that’s value.

Timberland – we salute you.

How:
I put insence into each of the boots  – propped up on a folded tissue (which is highly flamable by the way). One flash to camera left (full power as far as I could tell – need to download the manual and give it a read). Simple as that!

Thanks:
Thanks so much to Kevin for the loan of the flash and trigger. As usual, it’s his fault for making me want to buy more equipment. Before I attempted to take this photo, I wanted to get a flash…. now I NEED to.