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Ever since I was knee high to a tripod I have always been interested in photography and yes, I was one of these people who started off with a Kodak Brownie, shooting black and white photographs on 127 roll film and getting them developed by the local chemist. In the 1980s I was lucky enough to work as a professional photographer concentrating on Industrial, Commercial and Audio Visual commissions. As we handled the whole process from shooting the image to producing a finished print or transparency I got a thorough understanding of most things photographic. In those days we mostly used Nikon F2 photomics for 35mm work, Mamia C330f roll film cameras for 2¼ ins square work and a 5x4 ins sheet film camera. (5x4 cameras were hefty devices and with one over your shoulder, attached to a tripod you most certainly did not look like a tourist when you walked along Princess Street in Edinburgh to take a photograph of a building!). In 1981 I became an associate member of the Institute of Incorporated Photographers (now the British Institute of Professional Photographers). Digital photography makes it so much easier (compared to conventional wet photographic processes) to control the final image as any editing adjustment can be seen on the computer screen immediately. A thorough understanding of light and colour is still required but I am glad to replace the darkroom with a PC, printer and scanner even if I do miss the smell of photographic chemicals. Old habits die hard, though, my wife Cathy grins at me when I change a memory card. I just can’t get out of the habit of shading the camera from direct sunlight (as you used to do to prevent fogging when changing a film!) However, I have always had a passion for Landscape photography and with the ascendancy of digital imagery; this has allowed me to do what I really want to do ~ capture the colour, light, tone and mood of the outdoors in all its glory. I particularly like photographing very wide angle landscapes. I live in Scotland and this is where most of my work is done. Advertising blurb used to say that it (Scotland) was “The best wee country in the world”. This certainly, is still very true particularly in the case of landscapes. Scotland has many stunning vistas where weather conditions and lighting can change rapidly; sometimes by the minute. This is the origin of the name Approaching Blue. I have spent many hours watching the sky waiting for the sun angle to change or a patch of sunlight to move into the ideal position for the photograph I have in mind. That patch of sunlight means there is an area of blue sky approaching and if there is dust or moisture in the air, the resultant beams of sunlight (which I have always known as God Lighting) can have a dramatic effect on a landscape, particularly if there are several of them. Cathy and I like to travel and our cameras are always with us no matter where we go. While Scotland is the largest gallery on this site, there are also galleries resulting from several visits to France, Barbados, Italy and India. No doubt, more will be added as the opportunity arises. Many years ago, I rescued a number of black and white photographic magic lantern slides from being thrown on a rubbish tip. (if you are not sure what a magic lantern is have a look at www.magiclantern.org.uk). Recently I scanned these then edited them in Photoshop to remove the worst of the scratches and dust marks. The resultant images are shown in the Vintage gallery. I’m really pleased I have been able to preserve these wonderful old photographs of the Ayrshire and Clyde coast, particularly as I grew up in that area. Inspiration to build this site came from a number of sources. The first was encouragement from friends, colleagues and the local gallery which does my framing work. The normal reaction of someone who sees a wide angle landscape photograph for the first time is “Wow! That’s fantastic. When are you going to start producing these commercially?” The professional photographer came out in me again and I thought, well; why not? Secondly, several sites on the web not only feature marvellous photography but also have some very useful tutorials. These mines of information, combined with many hours of book research helped me combine my conventional photographic skills with digital techniques. Needless to say, because of the breadth and depth of digital photography and processing, I am still learning – and always will be. Earth Bound Light and The Light’s Right Studio are both excellent and worth many visits. However, in my humble opinion Sean T McHugh’s Cambridge in Colour stands head and shoulders above the others and is one of my inspirations. It’s my turn to say “Wow!” Thanks Sean. |