Week 14

Err, dismal failure, as I didn’t get an opportunity with the camera.

Week 15 – Jakesaurus

Friends son 1st birthday “smash the cake”, they’d had a din0sour theme for the party, including for this, a dinosaur nappy. Of course, the old adage of never work with children being true here, as he totally failed to grasp the smash the cake concept, and just proceeded to eat it instead.

Week 16 – Uprising

Already seen in a dedicated post, this a copy of the Muse Uprising cover by Storm Thorgerson who passed away this week.

Week 17 – Furby 19

Another album cover copy, this time of Adele’s 19.

]]> http://jonbradbury.com/2013/04/52-week-project-april/feed/ 0 http://jonbradbury.com/2013/04/rip-storm-thorgerson/ http://jonbradbury.com/2013/04/rip-storm-thorgerson/#comments Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:41:05 +0000 Jon Bradbury http://jonbradbury.com/?p=1407 To my shame, it wasn’t until recently I knew Storm Thorgersons name. I knew his work, I’d been surrounded in my youth by his work, but under the name of Hipgnosis, their artwork all over my dads Pink Floyd & Led Zeppelin collection. When, as part of my 52 week project I decided I’d like to mix in “Gizmo” versions of album art, Hipgnosis was there as some target work. Well, if you’re going to set yourself a challenge, may as well make it proper. It was then, when I started researching ideas, I realised of course, Storm Thorgerson was one of the key designers, and still churning out work I was putting on my shelves.

This week of course, we all know the big C caught up with Storm, so, as a tribute to some of his great work, here’s my Gizmo take on Storms Muse Uprising cover…

In case you’re wondering, here’s the original

Week 9 – Another Place

Visiting the west coast, took the opportunity to make a detour over to Crosby, and Anthony Gormley’s Another Place installation. The light decided to bugger off for the morning, but, it’s still difficult to come away from this place without a photo you’d be happy with. Good start to the month.

Week 10 – Morph

I’d been given a Morph kit for Christmas, so decided it’s about time had a go at making him, and taking a picture. Hopefully he’ll be back in some later pictures and I’ll get better at actually making him.

Week 11 – G5

One of the bits of kit I’ve really underused lately is my Macro lens, which has hardly got a look in. Even less of a look in has been the extension tubes & ring light that go with. So I dug them all out, slapped on the 100mm, 1.5x Tele converter, 31mm extension tube, put the ring light on, and went looking in the other world that exists when things are magnified. This, is the top edge of an Apple Mac G5 aluminium casing that I’ve got kicking around.

Week 12 – Spring Lamb

To be honest, this one wasn’t actually shot till middle of the following week, waking up to yet another blanket of snow, which had drifted and cut off much of the surrounding roads to anywhere of interest, so this was shot at “Our Cow Molly” a few days later once finally went out wandering.

Week 13 – Brrrr!!

Pretty neatly sums up March 2013, the coldest on record since 1962. Shot whilst wandering round Chatsworth grounds, do wish they’d hurry up and take the scaffolding down, even with snow it stands out like a sore bloody thumb, hence no pretty shots of the house.

The pros are it gives the car a second look, you can run “frameless coupe” mode, which you can’t in the actual coupe, and unlike the cabrio roof, it has a glass & heated rear screen. However, I have neither a garage, nor the space at home to keep it, which runs a few compounded issues. Before the fabric roof is stored for any period of time, it has to be dry, the roof is a two person’d job, and again you want it dry before you take it off to stash it in the house. As I don’t really have room to stash it at home, this means dads, which means this also has to be planned. This means last year it went on mid September 2011, just as we witnessed a lovely heatwave at the start of October, and didn’t come off till near the end of March, so that was nearly 6 months with a convertible I couldn’t use.

So this winter I decided to run without the hard top, after the crazy wet summer we’d had, it sounded an even crazier idea, and for much of the winter it’s remained steadfastly up. But then you get a crisp February lunch time, you’ve an errand to run, you drop the roof, go the back route, and let her rip, and it’s all suddenly worth it again, turning a boring run into something a lot more fun. And then there’s snow..

Of course, like the photographer of this shot, who put this on flickr with the caption “look at this bozo, 12″ of snow & driving with the roof down” must be a frozen idiot [1]. Well we’re not. You see, the common misconception is that it’s bloody freezing roof down, but, with that wind deflector in place, even with heaters off, it’s warmer in the cabin, than it is stood outside, if it is windy, it’s a LOT warmer in the car.

The secondary fact is it’s these trips you remember, trundle round the peaks in the sunshine, they’re all fun but they blend together in the memory. Snake Pass in the rain, yep, that’s a sticker

Cat n Fiddle in the snow, oh yes, I’m going to remember that too. I’ve put as many miles on the clock these last few snowy days having some fun runs in the peaks, as I would mid summer, and loved every second of it.

Right, chuck me the keys, I’ll be the grinning bozo, I’m off to get the car dirrrty…

[1] Strange, and scary powers of the internets, I didn’t know Sam, but within 1/2 hour of him posting the image, someone he knew said “I know who that bozo is”…

Week 5

I wanted to do some ‘product’ photography of my Lego Mercedes Benz Unimog for a blog post on it. Whilst I was relatively happy with this shot I wasn’t with many of them

Week 6

So for the following week I re-shot much of it…

This time a lot happier with the results. Green rug handily filling the place of grass, some old hard drives to create some terrain, and some cloud backdrop paper I hadn’t got round to using yet… 

Week 7

Pleasley Vale Mills Reflected

En route to a friends, but with some time to kill, I decided to visit Pleasley Vale, if it were in the middle of Derbyshire I’d probably visit regularly, but, I grew up a mile away from here, we used to go down regularly on the bikes when every single window was broken, and it was a dump, so you write it off as a location. Now though, they’ve regenerated the mills, filling them with businesses & office space, the old managers house has finally been demolished & rebuilt as swanky houses, and the mills look rather nice reflected in the water.

Week 8

Jump

I do quite a bit of volunteer photography for the British Heart Foundation, this is from the “Take the Stairs” challenge at the Sheffield Arts Tower. All the actual ‘action’ can be a bit random, and happens in a small time window, so it’s a tough challenge to grab the reportage shots the BHF want, whilst at the same time also trying to sneak something in fun for yourself.

More next month…

Weighing in at over 2000 pieces, 5 manuals, and a completed length of around 55cm, this is not a kit you fling together in an hour, so I’m glad I’d already done the Supercar kit last year, at least a slight introduction before jumping in to the full hog of the Unimog.

Small nags at this point? The bags are separated & numbered suggesting some order, if there was I never found it and it wasn’t long before every bag was open and the whole lot tipped in to the box, though I guess making sense out of the disorder is half the fun of Lego.

Several hours & one book down gets you as far as the central gearbox & rear diff assembly. The gearbox allows the single motor in this kit to either power the front which, the rear arm turntable, or the pneumatic pump to power the rear arm.

The complete build actually took around a week based on a few hours each night. I’m sure an eager youngster would have flung it together in a weekend though.

The detail in the kit is pretty impressive, whilst not 100% accurate, it has portal axles for raised ground clearance, working front, centre & rear diffs, suspension, steering, the pneumatics work, the cab tilts…

There are, however, two issues, with the “working” engine…

There’s the pedantic, it should be a straight six, not a four, but the major issue is it doesn’t actually work. On the Lego Supercar the engine is driven off the propshaft from the back. No issues. On the Unimog however, it’s driven off the central differential casing. However this only rotates when the front & rear axles aren’t in equilibrium. In other words, it only moves if a wheel, or pair of wheels isn’t turning. Lift an axle up & it works. All four wheels on the ground and the engine is stationary…

There are problems with the steering too, a lot is covered in this youtube post that’ll point out various inaccuracies in the steering for eg, but essentially, you can feel the steering struggling with the weight, put the snow plough on and there’s so much weight on the front end the steering pretty much gives up.

Of course non of that really matters, the important thing is, does the winch & claw arm work?

Oh? Did we mention there was drive & pneumatic points front & rear?

To which of course oh yes! Much better than expected in fact. The controls are fiddly but it’s capable of lifting items much heavier than I anticipated

and can it off-road like a Unimog?

Neatly demoing the suspension articulation. Of course we’d expect nothing less.

Of course as with any Lego kit there is scope for “more”, a search on the net soon finds those adding remote control, and various new power attachments. With the Supercar there are downloadable instructions to build a hotrod, with the Unimog, it’s to convert the arm & deck in to a snow plough. As this post sat in my drafts for a fortnight, and we got more snow, so I quickly built the snow plough…

Conclusion

At nigh on £140, it’s a hard kit to justify, but, you get a lot of Lego, and a lot of build time for your money, before of course you even take in to account the end result, it’s educational, it’s tough (it’s been accidentally drop tested), and of course you can then use the guts to rebuild it in to whatever your imagination will let you, or your 8 year olds, if you ever let them near it

or of course you can just keep on truckin’.

Week 1 – Padley Gorge

From the proceeds of selling the backup  30D & swapping the Canon 24-70 F2.8 for the Canon 24-105, I had some change, and going out over new year yet again my old Giotto annoyed me. So I invested in a Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 tripod, so more on that soon, but made the first weeks mission easy. Go test it taking some long exposures somewhere…

Week 2 – Gremlins II

Classic Album Cover Project:
This idea has been mulling in my head for a while, take classic album covers, and do them “Gizmo” style. Here’s the first…
Hopefully it’s close enough don’t need any hints as to the original cover…

Yes I’m sad enough that is the same font too! There will be more of these over the coming weeks

Week 3 – Whee  

The country covered in snow it made this weeks choice easy, headed out quite a few times with the camera to capture snowy scenes, but the sledders made for the best scenes with the poor light we had to go with the snow this year.

Week 4 - Who needs the sun for the roof to go down…

Another fresh fall of snow for the weekend, but this time with blue skies the roads were clearing fast, I decided to be brave and dig the car out & head to the peaks. The car decided to have a flat battery instead, so this very nearly didn’t happen. However a helpful neighbour and some jump leads and we were off, by the time we got to Hope the best of the skies had gone, so no epic landscape shots, but it was still good to blow some stress out the window roof. Bizarrely after a years drought in Flickr explore, this is my first shot in explore since September 11, not what I expected.

A Foers Ibex (no I didn’t know without checking the internet either)

and some not

although even without ensuring all the glass is clear the old french snail should have no issues getting anywhere the 4x4s can on it’s skinny old tyres.

Whilst the bottom of the hills were alive with the sounds of sobbing BMW drivers, the tops & middles were alive with sledders…

Young..

Old (and young)…

With skills…

and not so skilled…

the rebel without a clue…

or the downright cheats

The dogs of course loved joining in too

Whereas the cat thought that was far too daft and sat inside in the warm watching the pigeons

Oliver on my office chair, watching pigeons & dreaming of my lunch (that’s not a mistake, he’d rather eat my food than own)

Some more spots whilst out this week…

Contradiction

Walkers Cafe

Love this sharp art deco font on the run down 60s (guestimate) shop front. You can probably already guess that you don’t want to check the Food Standard Agency rating if you plan on ordering here.

Mayfl wer

Wonderful murals hidden away on bridge supports in Queens Park Chesterfield

For the techno geeks, all shot on Canon EOS 5D & Canon 24-105mm F4L IS USM

As previously discussed, the decision between the two was one I’d never really cemented, both have pro’s and cons, discussed thousands of times on the forums. The F2.8 basically being it has 2.8, and looks the business, but is heavy, then the F4 that it has IS, more range, is lighter, and cheaper*. So much cheaper in fact, that even after eBay & paypal had raped me for £100 in fees on the £900 sale price, I had some change. On top of this, and the key to why I’d decided to make this decision, having paid £750 for the 24-105, Canon were also running a further £80 cashback promotion just to sweeten the deal. Oh and because both have 77mm filter threads, I also hung on to the protective filter off the 24-70 to use on the 24-105.

*Traditionally the 24-70 mk1 was about £200 more than the 24-105 (and still holding that & more used on eBay), the 24-70 mk2 is of course currently nearly £1300 more expensive than the 24-105, and so wouldn’t be subject to the same sort of comparisons.

On the downside, this must make the record for the soonest after I’d bought a Canon product a replacement was announced though, as the Canon 24-70 F4L IS was announced within the week. However I’m much happier with the choice of the 24-105.

First task out the bag, was a shoot for my day job, in a marquee by the Thames

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 24-105mm F4L @ 60mm F5. ISO 800 1/60th

with no time to test,  as I sold the 24-70 quicker than expected, so the 24-105 was called straight into duty. It helped confirm it’s sharp though, I can’t publish the text on the back of that pass, but I assure you it is readable at 1:1! (I’ll admit it is a little pixelated out of the mk1 5D though)

The next few tasks for the lens were some quick impromptu living room shoots of my mates little lad Jake

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 24-105mm F4L @ 70mm F5. ISO 800 1/100th

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 24-105mm F4L @ 58mm F5. ISO 640 1/80th

and of course maintaining the Santa theme, it’s also been out on the annual British Heart Foundation Santa Jog

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 24-105mm F4L @ 24mm F5. ISO 100 1/125th

Today I’ve finally been out doing some landscape work with it, just a wander around the local Clumber Park, but, still first time out. The size difference has been really noticeable, and backs up my reasons for swapping. Whilst some pros said they wouldn’t swap, as personally I merely “cock about” at this photography lark, the F4 has been lovely. The lighter weight, and the smaller size have both been appreciated. Yes there’s times where OK I admit F2.8 would be nice, but I’m not a wedding photographer needing every bit of light, or studio photographer needing the absolute best. If I was I’d have kept the F2.8. Me, I generally muck about doing landscapes at F8, even if it appears every shot above has been done at F5…

Now I know this has been done a thousand times before, but to be thorough, Image Stabilisation:

Image Stabilisation Demo (click to view large)

In short, it works, superbly. For the demo I took three shots, two with IS on, one off, as you can see the second IS on shot isn’t ‘quite’ spot on, but it’s a million miles better than without. As highlighted by the cyclist entering the first IS on shot though on the left, just reminding you that it can’t freeze motion.

Clumber Bridge – Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 24-105mm F4L @ 24mm F8. ISO 100 25sec

Of course shot with the B&W ND3.0 10 stop filter, but also I believe, stupidly, with IS still turned on, which you’re meant to turn off for tripod shots, but doesn’t appear to have had any negative effects this time.

Triffids? Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 24-105mm F4L @ 80mm F4. ISO 250 1/1250th

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 24-105mm F4L @ 105mm F4. ISO 250 1/200th

Taking advantage of the additional range at last, this was buried deep in the undergrowth.

Is it as absolute bleeding sharp as the 24-70 F2.8? Somebody who spends all day looking at 100% crops may argue it’s not quite. But, for me, a keen amateur producing the odd bits of work it definitely appears plenty good enough as proved above. Before the Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8, I had the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8, which simply wasn’t good enough. That lens WAS letting me down, the focus wasn’t fast enough, didn’t nail it when you needed it to, was soft outside the centre. Particularly on faster paced events I was junking shots I desperately wanted, but the Tamron had failed to deliver. The Canon 24-105mm is helping to save my back, and delivering the results I need.

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 24-105mm F4L @ 60mm F4.5. ISO 250 1/320th

Shots like the above, usual terror shots for lenses, I know it’s desaturated, but you’ll have to trust me on this, there was virtually no chromatic aberration (CA) apparent in the 100% views of these shots.

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 24-105mm F4L @ 47mm F7.1. ISO 100 25sec

Conclusion:
The bones of it is, based on so far, I’m very happy with the decision to swap. The Canon 24-105mm F4L is a bloody good little allrounder lens for the full frame shooter, without being at a price that cripples you.

Canon EOS 5D & Canon 50mm F1.8 @ F2.0

Unfortunately life, work & rain have got in the way of me going out quite as much as I hoped, but even a first expedition lead to a revelation, I enjoyed the lighter weight and that is was a lot less conspicuous. So much so, that one of the next tasks of the 50mm was photographing the big, shouty, heavy Canon 24-70 F2.8L as I purchased the competing lighter smaller Canon 24-105mm F4L to replace it. And I’ve also got ‘change’ leftover to put in the camera/lens pot, which is a bonus.

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 50mm F1.8 @ F5.6

Downsides, well in this particular combo it’s the obvious 50mm F1.8 build and the old slow focus motors, so it suits slower paced shooting. If the build nags you, remind yourself you could drop kick it 15 times before you’d spent more money than the Canon 50mm F1.2L…, and that you knew this anyway when you bought the “plastic fantastic” for all of £60.

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 50mm F1.8 @ F7.1

That slow focus though is good to be reminded to slow down, and also that a cheap bit of kit can deliver the results. Whilst I still grabbed the 24-105L when doing some work jobs where I needed to know the kit would nail the results (essentially down to focus speed/accuracy and being one chance shots), for my personal work either side I’ve been happily using the 50mm.

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 50mm F1.8 @ F5.6

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 50mm F1.8 @ F3.5

Of course I’ve not just used the 50mm for out & about, I’ve also used it for creative shots at home, where I’d have often just used the 24-70 as it would have been the lens on the camera, or closest to hand…

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 50mm F1.8 @ F11

though in the case of my business christmas card, it was partly a necessity, as I wanted to create one of those funky bokeh shots

Canon EOS 5D & Canon EF 50mm F1.8 @ F1.8

 only instead of the usual hearts you usually see on flickr, I wanted  Apple bokeh! Subtle, but I think it’s worked.

So I think we’ll be seeing a change in the bag for next year, think I’ll be more likely to head out with just the 5D & just the 50mm, or maybe a different prime if I get itchy with that ‘change’ from the proceeds of the lens swap.