Twitter Part 3.

One Phil Adams (of Blonde) and family are now proud owners of one of my Shadow Nudes. Phil won the print in the raffle run as part of the recent Twestival here in Edinburgh which raised £3500 for CHARITY:WATER. Enjoy it Phil.
The total raised from the Global Twestival stands at $250,000 USD on 18 February 2009 - confirmation from over 80 cities is still pending. Not bad for something conceived and delivered in just one month.
And what's this? A photographers blog page without a photo? That's a first.

Twitter or Twestival part 1

You'll have been stuck in a jungle somewhere or you'll have heard of TWITTER. It's one of the simplest and greatest of the Social Networking devices currently available. And at less than 3 years old it is having it's first global festival or TWESTIVAL next Thursday, 12th Feb, 2009. Moving from the virtual to the real, faces behind the avatars will meet and greet in person at over 175 different venues throughout the world and all in aid of CHARITY:WATER.
In Edinburgh it's happening at 19:00 at Hawke and Hunter, 12 Picardy Place, Edinburgh EH1 3JT.
And one part of the evening is an auction that I've been persuaded to contribute to. So if you want a print from my Shadow series (normally £150 at Bohemia, Dundas Street, Edinburgh) get on down there.
(Further images and info on next post).

Twitter or Twestival part 2

Here's what Bohemia Design have to say about me and the images:
This series of archival quality limited edition prints are made on a heavyweight watercolour paper with natural pigment inks.
An elegant play of light, form & shadow in gorgeous rich tones describe the enduring mystery of the female figure.

Brendan MacNeill is a graduate of London Central Polytechnic & now works from his studio based in Leith, Edinburgh.
With a portfolio of portraits which include David Bailey, Terence Conran, Mohammed al Fayed, Jimmy Boyle, Hugh Collins, Carol Smillie & Murial Gray, MacNeill's photographic skills are in constant demand. He shoots for a wide range of clients across the editorial & design industries.

Limited Edition of 25 copies

Image size: 53cm x38cm
Paper size: 61cm x 43cm

Supplied unframed

Printer's darkrooms

The digital revolution has certainly given us all a huge degree of added freedom along with a bigger and more complex workload. And just as the hot metal boys disappeared from Fleet Street (and Albion Street if you're going all Weegee) in favour of digital type setting, so too the darkroom giants are fast disappearing.
And to document these usually unseen working spaces Richard Nicholson has managed to gain access to many of the unique and personal spaces of top London printers to produce 'Last One Out, Please Turn On The Light'. Worth a look if you've too young to have been in one or you want to invoke the smell of hypo again. Featured here is Debbie Sears enlarger at Metro in Clerkenwell. And no that's not an early AppleMac.
And talking of another Weegee... he worked in 30's and 40's New York shooting crime scenes and victims and the dead. Frequently arriving before even the police (he had permission to listen in on their frequency) he shot fast with a handheld 5x4 inch camera and processed the film in his car as he drove back to the paper. Who needs digital?
Thanks again to JM Colberg at Conscientious - always available on the sidebar.

Remembering summer

Sitting in a drafty studio I started to dream of summer. And to remind myself of what I'd shot when I last wore a pair of shorts I hit Apple+F and found these timelapse movies. All a little over crunched by Bloggers processing they nevertheless make me yearn for a bit of heat. And the forecast? More snow!

FEBRUARY

That's January gone then!

Test

Tomas from the Stolen Agency. Sometimes simplicity counts.

Working for the Company Store

Well RBS actually. This was shot for a customer profile for RBS Business Sense magazine. The location was the Hub at Glentress near Peebles where Tracy and Emma run an amazing set up of forest trails, bike shop, cafe and bike wash. Well worth a visit if you're thinking of getting into off-road cycling.
Wonder if I can get a discount on my banking charges?

Interactive Panoramas

Early days yet..... Over the break I was shooting and putting some QTVRs together. See them here (will open in a full screen browser) GlenCoe, Cramond and Leamington Lift Bridge. As you see I've still one or two issues to work through. Look out for linked tours in the future. Quicktime required..... download it here.

Polaroid SX-70

Changed days according to the Lens Culture blog as apparently Polaroid cease production of instant film products this month. And thanks to them for unearthing this wonderful promotional film on the legendary SX-70 camera.. think Bowie's Camera in The Man Who Fell To Earth. Having viewed the corporate promo Lens Culture asked what's missing with current advertising. Admittedly it's from a bygone era but I'm left wondering how such a relentingly optimistic piece could ever be made these days.
The still is my take on the system.

It's 2009!

Happy New Year. Enlarge image.

Turkeys

Christmas in the UK churns up all sorts of music industry oddities. And this year is no exception with the talent contest winner's version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Thankfully the song is strong enough to survive this attempt on it's destruction. And what of all the other versions? Well my favourite was the live version as seen and heard and performed by himself at Edinburgh Castle in June.
But the alltime great Christmas song has to be The Pogues Fairytale of New York. I found this version on YouTube. Shot in Black and White it's got a gritty noirish feel that compliments the near dereliction of the characters and their situation. One can't help but feel that someone from eastern Europe could be writing a modern version set in London. And who's that playing the copper in the opening scene?
And if you're fed up of writing cards and stuffing your face you could shoot a few turkeys here. Or if you're a vegetarian or guns ain't your thing you could hurl the fat red man here. Beat my 330 meters anyone?
Have a good yule.

New Year

With the year fast drawing to a close one of my last tasks was the creation of a 2009 calendar. I've included my favourite shots from the year plus one or two with lasting appeal. It's a CD case format and alas a very short run. Please let me know if you'd like one.

Christmas Ba Hum Bug

According to yesterday's Observer we are very much in 'thrift' mode. And how appropriate that Douglas at z360.com sent me this little ditty by Paddy Roberts from 1962. More 'post rationing' than Ba HumBug perhaps it never the less hits a spot.
(Opens in a new window. And if any one can tell me how Blogspot accepts .mp3 and .mov files I'd be very appreciative).

Carol Coulter Framing

Thursday, 11th December, saw the hanging of my 'Shadow' series of nude images at Bohemia, 31 Dundas Street, Edinburgh. It was also the occasion for their shop warming and Christmas shopping evening. And a grand time was had by all.
Picture framing was by Carol Coulter Framing. She wins my (and others) praise for her beautiful work which so wonderfully enhanced the images and brought them to life. Thanks Carol.
The prints are available online or instore, framed or unframed, A2 in size. Editioned at 25 each.
Thanks to Mike Coulter for the pixs.

Your Party Invite

Enlarge

New Town Nudes

Edinburgh's New Town that is.
My friends at Bohemia are about to add to their stock lines by selling original art. And they've asked me to kick it off by reinterpreting a series of 8 nudes (6 shown here) that I shot a little while ago. Sized at A2 and editioned at 25 each these are on sale at their Dundas Street, Edinburgh shop and also online. Printed on heavyweight archival art paper and framed by Carol Coulter Framing.

Smoked Salmon

I don't get to Aberdeen that often so when I was asked to head there for Waitrose Food Illustrated I jumped at the chance. And what a welcome we got at John Ross Jr. Their smokehouse is a listed building and the fish sides are smoked for a minimum of two days depending on the weather, temperature and humidity producing what I can only describe as the best smoked salmon that I've tasted in a long time.
It's all in Food Illustrated this December with words by Sue Lawrence.

Freud on Titian

Interesting report here from C4 on a Lucian Freud visit to view Titian's 'Diana and Actaeon'. Much in contrast to recent opinion pieces wondering if the appeal to save these masterpieces isn't at the expense of support for our contemporary grass roots arts scene. Now what's that rhyme about Titian up a ladder? Thanks to Conscientious.

It Support

I was shown this by another photographer on the Pro Imaging list and immediately thought of the gap between my perception of technology and that of my kids. And do you know YouTube used to be a derogatory remark here in Scotland?