Martin Pettinger Photography: January 2007

That's Amazing

Just processing a print order and here's one of the photographs that has been selected. The wee boy exclaimed "That's Amazing" at the wedding cake as the iced figures on the top of the cake were replicas of his Aunt and Uncle!

Moon Kissed Rock

The 2007 SWPP monthly print competition season starts on Wednesday. Last year I had 8 winning entries in 4 different categories: 4 monochrome, 2 landscape, 1 portrait and 1 pictorial.

This year I hope to do a lot better as I only joined half way through the competition last year. This months landscape entrant will be "Moon Kissed Rock" taken in January 2006.

Breaking the rules

Last Thursday I did a talk at the local camera club about professional lighting techniques. Afterwards I demonstrated various techniques such as bounce flash and wireless flash.

One of the members was kind enough to model for me so I could explain how I set my cameras, he was amazed that I turn all the automated features off and set the camera and flash manually.

Attached is a head shot from the demonstration and I have converted it to black and white using the blue channel. This is normally a no-no but I find it works well with men with rugged looks.

Hopefully the member doesn't mind me posting this portrait but I like it a lot and will be looking at this rule breaking black and white conversion technique for other male portraits

Star Racer

Tonight I tried a technique I have been meaning to try for some time, which is using coloured gels to create nightscapes.

For a proof of concept shot I am pleased with the results. Soon I hope to try the same technique on a local landmark.

Bouncing the light

I am currently preparing for a talk on flash photography which I giving at Kinross Camera Club this Thursday. One technique I use a lot is bouncing light behind me so the image does not look like it has been taken with flash.

At home I have some unwilling models, very unpredictable yet very endearing. Here are a few images from this weekend. I hope you agree that these do not look like they were taken with flash - I assure you it was dark in these locations!

Napier University

Yesterday I met Vicki and Calum for the first time. I am at their wedding at Craighouse Campus in May and all I can say is great couple and a great venue, I am so looking forward to this wedding.

Some images from our meeting follow, amazing how it was blue skies one minute and torrential rain the next. However indoors or out this venue is stunning, expecially the room for the reception.

Curve of Light

I did a slideshow for the rememberance service at Kinross Parish Church on New Year's Eve and since then I have had a few enquiries about purchasing framed limited edition prints of my landscapes.

Over the next few weeks I will be adding some more landscapes to my Kinross-shire gallery. Tonight I added a second gallery here including this dramatic shot of Loch Leven Castle.

A Normal Wedding

Lots of enquiries for 2007 at the moment and bookings for 2008. A lot of couples ask me what a normal wedding's like to photograph. I laugh and say there's no such thing.

An example is Maya and Ian's wedding on one of the hottest day's of the year last year. They had a pagan ceremony at Kirknewton Stables and were married in a stone circle by a high priest.

Some images follow, once they were married they kissed and then jumped over a broomstick. One of the reasons I like wedding photography - everyone has it's special highlights.

Lucy and Martin

Lucy and Martin married last June on one of the wettest days of the summer. They married at Kinross Parish Church and had their reception at Balbirnie House Hotel.

The weather did little to dampen the celebrations. I particularly liked Lucy's crown which she had made herself and the Swedish singing in the church, as Martin was Swedish.