Photo Speak

Has been a gorgeous sunny cold weekend, managed to rise earlier enough to snap this yesterday morning before the sun melted everything.

And here’s a 100% crop of the shot, I love the crystals, I really have to get a proper macro lens instead of pretty much lying down in frosty grass using my 18-55.

 

Now for the nerdy photography bit.

The 5D MkII has started arriving in shops around the world and some of the stuff is looking amazing, especially the video footage, (Link).

There’s also a few shots at really high ISO floating around the web that look brilliant, which I would love in this stupid dull country (apart from this weekend )

I have provisionally decided to start saving for a MkIII, I say provisionally as I have no money to start saving with yet

 

I went to see The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D last night. It was cool I hadn’t seen a 3D movie before so that was cool but I think I was too tired for it, a lot of the stuff that came out of the screen seemed really blurry to me unless I concentrated really hard (maybe I just need to get glasses), but there was loads of depth to the in screen stuff which was pretty cool to watch. Plus that movie is pretty awesome anyway, such great songs in it, from the guy who did the music to the Simpsons as well, Danny Elfman, who wrote the fheme tune and sang the fheme tune.

The All Seeing Eye

Apparently Ireland has entered a cycle of wetter summers and drier, colder winters. Which is fine with me because that usually means clear skies and light winds. However being so close to the real start of the new year (Winter Solstice) all the sunlight is really angled and generally weak, or so it seems to me.

I hate these days where you look outside everything is bright and nice but my shots never seem to turn out the way I can see it in my head.

That is the thing that annoys me more than anything, being able to picture something and not being able to capture it in the way I want to. It usually pushes me into a downward spiral of not even wanting to take photos of anything.

 

Anyway there should be some swell around for most people on the west and north west coasts so get out there and enjoy it.

Blue Skies Bring Tears

Well if there were tears, they’d be tears of joy for pretty light.

On a completely non-Smashing Pumpkins related note, 

I often find myself in the impact zone watching a perfect clean up set roll through on the outside usually accompanied by some phenomenal surfing. This happens an awful lot at Crab. Crab is definitely my favourite wave to shoot, it’s rarely worth the swim for me, but I have gotten some gems out there, most of the photos of good rights are from Crab. 

Nevertheless it’s probably the place I have shot most frequently and as a result I’m very comfortable out there though. I’ve gotten to know the wave fairly well and I’m pretty confident of being able to hook up with riders in the right place for at least some the waves. This means being right inside in the impact zone and as a result I always got smashed by the clean up sets. Which means I miss absolutely smokers like damo in a seriously heavy shack.

 

But sitting on the inside is usually worth it as well. This was my first DPS, so stoked on it still.

 

On another unrelated note the tv show The Wire, is bloody awesome.

Come Fly With Me

Just a selection of Damo’s airs

This first one was one of the first I got, I was so stoked until I realised that his front foor wasn’t on, perfect position and light. Nice and sharp, no droplets on the port just that leg.

But he gets better

 

Here’s one that’s a bit too far away and a bit too splashy.

Then the final big one I got recently.

I’m pretty sure he actually landed this one, which is sick because it’s huge.

 

I’ve gone for smaller images because the full size images aren’t showing properly on all screens, so just click on the shot to see the full version.

 

I’ll try get a new layout setup at the weekend.

Non-Surfing Fun

Hey all, I have been not surfing or shooting for the past week, but that doesn’t mean an end to fun times.

First off is some reminiscing with Zig & Zag, I’m definitely getting the DVD.

Here’s the video to Them Girls, and something I hadn’t seen before Zig & Zag covering The Beasties Boy’s  Sabotage as Elvis. There’s loads more stuff on youtube.

The there is the new Star Trek trailer to get excited about, it looks bloody awesome.

In more movie news we watched Zack and Miri Make a Porno the other night, way over the top with ridiculously crude language and crazy amounts of boobs and balls, but kinda funny. I guess I just like Kevin Smith’s stuff anyway.

Hopefully will get around to sticking some shots up before the end of the week.

 

Thanks to everyone who’s been in touch about the magazine. Cheers.

Tonnta Issue 2 Out Now

Hey there guys and girls. i guess it’s time I declared my interests. I’m now the photo editor for Tonnta the newest (and bestest) Irish surfing magazine. Issue 2 has just been delivered around the country by the tireless Mr Graham Collins and shold be in most surf shops now and hopefully a few newsagents as well. The South coast will probably get theirs over the next few days. So go check it out and let me know what you think.

Hot off the presses

Here’s a shot from yesterday.

How’s that for response time. It’s Fergal cranking one off the bottom and setting up for a run down the line.

The black dots are a dirty sensor which I will get around to cleaning sometime this week, you can see them so clearly because it was shot at 1/50s and F22. Myself and a few friends are having a competition to try and get a good speed blur shot, this was my first real attempt so I’m pretty happy.

One from the archives

Tom Doidge-Harrison last summer. 

I think this was one of the first decent barrel shots I got, it’s a little out of focus, but looks OK reduced for the web. I saw Tom has a new Patagonia ad on the back page of Surfers Path or maybe Carve. Sick shot of Mickey’s from West Oz. It’s awesome that someone can be recognised for their ability without having to go out and look for it. Tom’s also got a sweet little board factory at his place just outside LA. Might ask him for one after I save for 1DMKII, 24-105L, 80GB MP3, Asus 901 and probably a new game for my wii.

Donations welcome

The sun will have to go, it’s too big and it’s too slow

Two pretty sweet barrel shots that for one reason or another didn’t make the cut.

First is Stephen Kilfeather. I really shuold get up to Bundy more often.

Hugh Galloway on a sneaky inside one.

Halloween Frolics

Sorry for the break in transmission, been pretty hectic at work.

Here’s a few from last weekend.

 

Myself and my lady as Richie and Margot Tenebaum

Couldn’t believe it when I got there and there was another Richie Tenebaum, and he had a real beard, and he ended up winning the prize for best costume. grrr.

I did manage to make my costume into Horatio from CSI Miami and a pimp during the night though. Fun.

 

 

Top Quality Slash

 

Poisin Ivy with sparkler

 

Stormtrooper and Sparkler Rifle

Garry has an amazing talent for remembering where things are in space, managed to go over this a few times while writing it. I definitely would have madea mess of it, look closely and you can see individual sparks and Garry’s face.

 

Garry had a load of people fooled with is old man costume, very realistic in bad light.

 

 

 

 

Old man on the back porch

Group Pic

You stay classy

John Hurt & Smoking Chest Burster

Not standard Roman issue?

 

Batman unmasked by a girly sailor?

Emo

Heaps more photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/paudiescanlon/Halloween08#

 

PS why is picasa so stupid that even though I have Google Chrome installed it still uses IE to upload to the web?