Pushed for time tonight, have been racing about getting stuff organised for next weeks private view, and popping to and fro from work to check the prints as they are getting done by the lab. So tonights' is a 'raid the archive' entry and one that goes alongside a previous entry,

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and both are from way back when I used to spend time 'under the darkcloth' on the backside of a Sinar large format 5"x4" camera peeering through the plate glass at the subject. That all seems like a long time ago now, but I have very fond memories of back then.

Theres no EXIF data for this image as it was a copy job, and to be honest was made up of so many images and layers that it wouldn't be fair to include any. If you have a specific query tho about how it was achieved I am happy to tell all..... csj

Also tonight is the last night for the Blog Book entries and choices toi be made, the book will be my main aim over the next 8 weeks I reckon as I put it all together.... So many thanks for voting, there were hundreds of choices made, and about a third of them were no votes, which for me are equally as important, so thanks again everyone.... csj

A rainy day in Poole, got a head like you wouldnt imagine, thumping, and its too depressing thinking about going into town to battle with a million shoppers all scrambling for xmas wrapping paper and stuff.

Already been to the Xmas School Fayre today with Finlay to see Father Xmas for the first time. Not sure what he made of it to be honest but he didnt cry which I guess is a good thing.

Anyway this is an old school image for you, a film scan from a couple of years back. I liked the image, albeit the composition was a bit out.

I liked the moment in time, and the slightly and I mean slightly surreal element to who, where and why this was going on...Dave at Chromasia has been having bouts of self doubt about posting images that are old, I told him I really dont see a problem, they still stand up if you like them.....its still an image after all.

Well this shot of Suki Dhanda - Photographer was taken whilst we were putting on an exhibition in London. We somehow managed to convice Smith's Galleries in Covent Garden, that we were able to put on an exhibition and meet the deadlines and delivery expectations that they put upon exhibitors.

Anyway that said we employed the talents of our new found exhibition organisor Annie, and she managed to string together the communications in London whilst we pulled together the exhibits from Plymouth and the others involved in the show. Aptly named "Under-exposed" it was a name we all felt resembled our position in the photographic business at the time (no-where).

Anyway from small seeds, oak trees grow, and many of us have become photographers in one form or another.

Still forever optimistic about the future, and I still love my image making and photography.

I miss the darkroom.

Just spoke to Alun, he's on a mission to get his website up and running, said I'd give him a hand.

What are friends for eh!!! - blimey

Under-Exposed, Smiths Galleries 1991 - Apparently now a mens clothes store.

Tudor Morgan Owen - Press Photographer
Alun Bull - Photographer RHCME
Suki Dhanda - Photographer
Simon Green
Craig Judd - This site

In the frantic moments before the doors opened, Suki was running around organising plants, and finger food for the opening night guests..... they were the days!

I've always tried to live by the coast, for as long as I've been away from home I have tried at least.

Anyway 4 years were spent living in Cornwall / Devon and its only in a place like this that you find you have the opportunity to see skys like that.

Of course an element of post porduction was required to get the final image, and it was orignally shot on infrared film.

But the result is non the less pretty much what I saw.

I remember at the time needing to try a few different techniques and altho not overly creative shooting with a red filter at f8 - 1/60th always seemed to give a moderate result on IR Film. The bit that got me, was that you had to shift the focus by a degree or so to counter the fact that IR focusess at a different point. I still cant get my head round that.

The end results were always grainy and to that point were quite soft in their make-up.

There is definately a quality to them that I like.

I think it was in the darkroom, at the point when you went to process the print, you could literally see each grain in the emulsion.

I have never been a grain snob, and will happily push the grain to the max....Sorry Johno ha ha I know you won't approve. C