Checking in.

Not posted in a while.

I've been reasonably busy.

Working lots. Had a few projects on the go also.

One of which was some product photography for climbing equipment distributor Beta Climbing Designs. They manufacture the Beta Stick, which, for the benefit of non-climbers, is an ingenious device for pre-clipping bolts on sport climbing routes.

These shots, along with some others that have appeared in the last couple of issues of Climber Magazine are to go into my product photography gallery, which should be up soon.



Work aside, I've not been out as much as I'd have liked. I think I'm too lazy sometimes, and lacking motivation..... however I realise that I'm just impulsive with my camera. I do best when I go out on a whim...

Having said that, my recent forays have disproved this formula. My friend Adam and I organised a trip to a derelict warehouse for a crash course in HDR photography, which turned out this:

Which I'm reasonably pleased with...

Whereas an off the cuff outing one night after work turned out this:

627.6s @ f/8, Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye, Nikon D90 DSLR, Colour Balance and Levels in Photoshop.

Which I'm deeming as a failure.... I've been meaning to do some star trails for a while, yet I went out Thursday night ill prepared. I had no plan of where to go, and was lacking an essential shutter release cable....

So the ten minute exposure is a little wobbly. My only bit of good fortune was that a sports car whizzed by in the last 30 seconds of the shot, which not only lit up the foreground, but also added a bit of interest to to something which was, otherwise, uninspiring.

I must try harder. Watch this space.

Busy busy.

Yep.

Seem to be a bit scatty at the moment. I have multiple projects (? if I can even call them that!) on the go....

First. Darkroom.

I love it. I really do. Even when it goes wrong. I'm a bit hit and miss with prints. Trying to get my head around contrast filters and the like. I've done some ok prints. I think I need to focus on trying to present them now...

My friday was awesomely eventful. I won some large developing dishes on ebay, as well as a film changing bag. They were from the same ebayer, and in the listings, she noted that people coming to collect items would also be able to raid her darkroom for bits and bobs that weren't worth listing.

Soooo. I drove to Retford. Which took me an hour. This place was properly back o' beyond. Turns out she worked at a farm, and had (years ago) a darkroom set up in one of the out-buildings.

I picked up my items, along with (for free!) a contact sheet printer, focus finders, thermometers, a developing tank, film clips and a darkroom timer. And some more chemistry.

Awesome. Time to start developing my own film. <--- Watch this space --->


Second. Website.

Made loads of progress this week. Got the night gallery up and running. Looking ok. Had people ask about it, share it with others etc. This makes me happy.

Click here to view my urban gallery

Also updated urban and abstract galleries.

The climbing, product photography and 'other' galleries are still pending. The climbing one is ready to go I suppose.


The product photography one will be a while (I'm in the process of completing a job for a local distributor.... room is full of cheap studio gubbins as I type!).






Other is..... well.... unknown. So far there's only my hawk shot in it. I guess one photo doesn't constitute a gallery.

Watch this space! (please)

I'm late!

So much for being up to date.

Website went properly live on Sunday night .... [Monday morning].

Had good feedback so far.

The only galleries viewable atm are 'urban life' and 'abstract'. Climbing and product pages are ready and raring to go....

This is getting exciting.

Please to visit! tom-napier.co.uk

Up and Running

Website is now officially (ish) websiting.....

I've only left a teaser page accessible at the moment...

.. but the rest of the site is looking nice.... just lacking a bit of content!

baby steps...


www.tom-napier.co.uk

Socks and cardboard.

Mental week. 

Finally sorted out stuff for a darkroom..... in.... well... my room. Thwarted on Sunday, due to a blown up safelight. Monday night was round two.....

It went badly. ish. *May* have set my safelight on fire. 

Anyway. The point is, I realised that something was wrong when the orangey light was kicking out a shaft of white light.

Finished the evening in complete darkness. Managed ok. Despite having a messy room.. one soon learns to navigate around it.

By the end of the night I was ending up right at the developer tray with my paper and chucking it in with remarkable accuracy.

However. The chucking was probably a bit too lacksidaisical. I damaged a few of the prints at some point. I can only assume in being a bit heavy handed in sliding them into the trays...

Soooooo....

Had another stab tonight.

Sorted out safelight issues (sort of...)

And was much more organised and methodical. It's all starting to flood back.....

washing prints in the bath - this really isn't the way to do it!

..... or more to the point....

.. what's a blog without a website?

Setting up the site is proving troublesome.... head is full of div's and rollover's and bleurgh.

Looks nice though! Hoping that it will be a decent showcase for my work.

Not really thought on that much further.

Figure the first step is getting it out there. Figuring out what to do next will happen, in time.


First post. Ugh. putting it off. [not that anyone's reading!]