I may not be a film director or a director of short films, but sometimes something comes along and you wish you were one, just so you could have had the chance to create something so amazing.
A while ago I came across this post which just made me stop and stare. Not necessarily because what is being shown is (on the surface) amazing, but because of how it's being shown, because of what went into the video. Everything looks so ... as it should and beautiful, that you'd be forgiven for missing the detail that went into it.
Sometimes the best things (from imagery, to help from others) are the ones that just feel right. And the reason why they feel so right, is simply invisible to most people.
Enjoy your weekend.
:-)
ADP
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Saturday, 14 May 2011
I think I've found my peace
Today is a difficult day for me. Believe it or not, I have been trying to replace my front page image for quite some time. I've lost sleep over the issue. But nothing else gave me the same feeling as that image. So, in a moment of clarity, over a little rum, I decided not to replace it with an image that gives "more of the same" feelings.
Don’t always try to be better. Be different.
Don’t always try to be better. Be different.
I had planned another image in The Strength in Women project, and simultaneously did some serious mental sweating, to make sure that this image is going to be the one. The one that would take the mantle. The one would carry my website forward. The one that would bring world peace! ... Ok, maybe not world peace, but at least peace to me. :-)
After an image change and a tweak to my main logo, I think I've found my peace. (And anyway, Holly gave me her vote so it must be right!)
After an image change and a tweak to my main logo, I think I've found my peace. (And anyway, Holly gave me her vote so it must be right!)
ADP
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Women on top - hold 'em down!
I think I've been listening to Adele's "Someone Like You" too much recently. It's a very calming track. It soothes the fire within. It can make you look at your partner with a new or renewed deep appreciation. A deep emotion.
And then Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)" comes along... Them thar seem like fightin' words!
"Who runs who???"
"Who are you talking to like that?!"
It's like a battle royale. You try to stand up, someone grabs your ankles holding you back. "It's YOUR turn to wash!" You turn, free your ankle, grab him with a pinch. He whimpers like a puppy. "It's YOUR turn to wash!" His eyes light up. Uh-oh... No no no..! His hands dive for your ticklish sides... Screaming... You struggle to breathe through your laughter. "I. Did. The. Cooking!"
"Ok ok ok ok ok ok!!!!"
He releases. He relaxes. His mistake.
He turns his back to you with a smile. You jump him, and quickly move to blindfold him or tie him up with the towel he didn't spot you grab. Looking down at him,
"Now, who is going to wash up?"
:-)
(P.S. I've just started my facebook business page! Woooo! But I need support. Please hit the "Like" button over in the facebook box on the right. Thanking you kindly.)
And then Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)" comes along... Them thar seem like fightin' words!
"Who runs who???"
"Who are you talking to like that?!"
It's like a battle royale. You try to stand up, someone grabs your ankles holding you back. "It's YOUR turn to wash!" You turn, free your ankle, grab him with a pinch. He whimpers like a puppy. "It's YOUR turn to wash!" His eyes light up. Uh-oh... No no no..! His hands dive for your ticklish sides... Screaming... You struggle to breathe through your laughter. "I. Did. The. Cooking!"
"Ok ok ok ok ok ok!!!!"
He releases. He relaxes. His mistake.
He turns his back to you with a smile. You jump him, and quickly move to blindfold him or tie him up with the towel he didn't spot you grab. Looking down at him,
"Now, who is going to wash up?"
:-)
(P.S. I've just started my facebook business page! Woooo! But I need support. Please hit the "Like" button over in the facebook box on the right. Thanking you kindly.)
 |
| Click on the image for more in the series |
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Easter - a day early and no chocolate egg
Recently I had the pleasure of going to Sweden to do a bride and groom shoot. I won't go into it now as I'm sure I'll have a separate post for that. What I will go into is the different way I found out that Swedes celebrate Easter.
For a start, Easter is celebrated on Saturday and not Sunday. Why? To be honest, I haven't fully understood. (If anyone can fully explain it to me I'd be more than happy to listen.) It is someone linked to the fact they also celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December.
Secondly, the Swedish Easter egg and English Easter egg are slighty different. In the UK we get a lovely selection of chocolate eggs with indulgent treats "oh I shouldn't, but I will" inside. In Sweden however, you get an egg. An actual hard boiled egg. And a brush. And some watercolours. And a smile. You all sit round the table, and paint whatever Picasso, Monet, Hurst, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air design comes into your creative mitts. Not my usual Easter, but great fun all the same.
The Swedish do have their version of a egg full of treats, but it's more like your own nest egg - you fill it with your own pieces of sugary gold.
I love experiencing different cultures. Just don't ask me to drink påskmust!
For a start, Easter is celebrated on Saturday and not Sunday. Why? To be honest, I haven't fully understood. (If anyone can fully explain it to me I'd be more than happy to listen.) It is someone linked to the fact they also celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December.
Secondly, the Swedish Easter egg and English Easter egg are slighty different. In the UK we get a lovely selection of chocolate eggs with indulgent treats "oh I shouldn't, but I will" inside. In Sweden however, you get an egg. An actual hard boiled egg. And a brush. And some watercolours. And a smile. You all sit round the table, and paint whatever Picasso, Monet, Hurst, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air design comes into your creative mitts. Not my usual Easter, but great fun all the same.
I love experiencing different cultures. Just don't ask me to drink påskmust!
Friday, 15 April 2011
How to look good... working. And trying to be serious!
In my period of blogging silence, I was asked to do something unusual (for me) - I was asked to take images of company staff.
Corporate imagery. Interesting....
To top it off, I was asked to work for a company I've never heard of, in a place I've never heard off (apologies to all people of Corby), millions of miles away. In England. :-) As with any photographic job, I did a little research and found out the company is kinda massive in more ways than one. Well, if a company has billions of dollars in turnover, maybe I could get paid one of those billions...?
It's quite interesting seeing the inside of some of these companies. For example, they had a trophy cabinet about the width of a car and taller than me, and I'm 6ft (or 1.83m for my European friends).
It's really impressive to see. The other impressive massive thing was the warehouse. If you've ever seen an end of X-Files, where Smoking Man puts something back in "the warehouse" and walks off, then the camera pans up to show the size of the warehouse, it's exactly like that! The warehouse foreman proudly told me that you can fit a jumbo jet in the warehouse. Maybe it's where they put all their extra trophies for business and customer service.
My job is to take people who are often not usually in front of the camera, make them feel comfortable, and get them relaxed. Sometimes that goes so well, you can't get them serious again!
I had some comments from a few of the thousands of staff that I had to laugh at. "Why would you take a picture of me on the phone?" was the main one. With the exception of the inadvertent nose pickers, no one need have worried. Everyone looked absolutely fabulous.
It was also very tricky to deliver images that are aimed at being more ... utilitarian than artistic. This is a lot more difficult than it sounds. The whole experience for me turned out to be suprisingly fun and educational, but walking through we walked (literally) over a mile in and around the warehouse. Lugging the camera equipment made it like backpacking. So now I'm happier and fitter!
Happy Friday. :-)
ADP
Corporate imagery. Interesting....
To top it off, I was asked to work for a company I've never heard of, in a place I've never heard off (apologies to all people of Corby), millions of miles away. In England. :-) As with any photographic job, I did a little research and found out the company is kinda massive in more ways than one. Well, if a company has billions of dollars in turnover, maybe I could get paid one of those billions...?
It's quite interesting seeing the inside of some of these companies. For example, they had a trophy cabinet about the width of a car and taller than me, and I'm 6ft (or 1.83m for my European friends).
It's really impressive to see. The other impressive massive thing was the warehouse. If you've ever seen an end of X-Files, where Smoking Man puts something back in "the warehouse" and walks off, then the camera pans up to show the size of the warehouse, it's exactly like that! The warehouse foreman proudly told me that you can fit a jumbo jet in the warehouse. Maybe it's where they put all their extra trophies for business and customer service.
 |
| Not everything was serious! |
I had some comments from a few of the thousands of staff that I had to laugh at. "Why would you take a picture of me on the phone?" was the main one. With the exception of the inadvertent nose pickers, no one need have worried. Everyone looked absolutely fabulous.
It was also very tricky to deliver images that are aimed at being more ... utilitarian than artistic. This is a lot more difficult than it sounds. The whole experience for me turned out to be suprisingly fun and educational, but walking through we walked (literally) over a mile in and around the warehouse. Lugging the camera equipment made it like backpacking. So now I'm happier and fitter!
Happy Friday. :-)
ADP
Friday, 25 March 2011
Power plays: who wears the trousers?
In the course of a relationship, there are always power plays. It is often asked "who wears the trousers". But I think that is too simple a way of putting it.
Who runs a country: the head of government or the person they go back and ask for advice as things are getting on top of them and they are having doubts?
Who wields the power in a company? The CEO of course. So how powerful is the PA that organises their busy day?
Who has more power: the person that does what they want because they think they are physically stronger than everyone or the person that gets what they want because they use their mental strength, skills and plan for more than themselves?
Some have figured out how to hold power without wearing trousers. Power is a fluid concept. Like art, like this image, it is in the eye of the beholder.
Where do you see the real power?
ADP
Who runs a country: the head of government or the person they go back and ask for advice as things are getting on top of them and they are having doubts?
Who wields the power in a company? The CEO of course. So how powerful is the PA that organises their busy day?
Who has more power: the person that does what they want because they think they are physically stronger than everyone or the person that gets what they want because they use their mental strength, skills and plan for more than themselves?
Some have figured out how to hold power without wearing trousers. Power is a fluid concept. Like art, like this image, it is in the eye of the beholder.
Where do you see the real power?
ADP
Friday, 18 March 2011
Up for maintenance
My website is going through a few changes. Some behind the scenes. Some you will see. A few important changes will probably affect anyone who I have sent a personal link to - that link, I'm afraid to say, probably won't work at the moment. (I actually am afraid to say it because some of my lovely clients seemed like they can be not so lovely!)
If you have a link to a hidden gallery, you will need to contact me and I will provide you with another link. If you have images in the clients section, you can still access it by going to www.angusdphotography.com/clientarea and logging in to your gallery with your previous password.
On top of that, on Friday 18th March (today), my web hosting elves have whispered in my ear that my site may either be slow or fairly dead between 06.00 and 10.00 GMT. So if you visit during this period and get poor service, I know!!! If you visit after this and get bad service.... That won't be good. Please let me know if this happens. I will have to find out if those elves were actually gremlins. :-(
Sorry about an inconvenience during this period and please tell anyone you know who may not know - mainly wedding guests who are buying images with links you have sent.
Normal service will resume asap (and a better site too)!
If you have a link to a hidden gallery, you will need to contact me and I will provide you with another link. If you have images in the clients section, you can still access it by going to www.angusdphotography.com/clientarea and logging in to your gallery with your previous password.
On top of that, on Friday 18th March (today), my web hosting elves have whispered in my ear that my site may either be slow or fairly dead between 06.00 and 10.00 GMT. So if you visit during this period and get poor service, I know!!! If you visit after this and get bad service.... That won't be good. Please let me know if this happens. I will have to find out if those elves were actually gremlins. :-(
Sorry about an inconvenience during this period and please tell anyone you know who may not know - mainly wedding guests who are buying images with links you have sent.
Normal service will resume asap (and a better site too)!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)