tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78685224336907272562024-03-14T03:17:45.613-07:00Short Sights at NoonTales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.comBlogger259125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-18423349626227227632019-05-17T11:23:00.002-07:002019-05-17T11:23:29.366-07:00Graffiti On a Wall in Dublin, Ireland by Shane Sutton <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r7BUdR5N_7w/XN77oNyg5cI/AAAAAAAABO0/zolh3URvPksJI5ILqyGZSq65idZbLAeBgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3682.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r7BUdR5N_7w/XN77oNyg5cI/AAAAAAAABO0/zolh3URvPksJI5ILqyGZSq65idZbLAeBgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3682.CR2" width="320" height="213" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1067" /></a></div>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-37952363795908368662017-08-21T08:07:00.000-07:002017-08-21T08:07:51.048-07:00A Day Out In Kilruddery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2_ONhDvzuhI/WZr3NuXWS8I/AAAAAAAABNU/WsC_JsWIcC45erkdreC6aNFXjEFpG_MPQCLcBGAs/s1600/Bobby%2Bin%2BKilruddery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2_ONhDvzuhI/WZr3NuXWS8I/AAAAAAAABNU/WsC_JsWIcC45erkdreC6aNFXjEFpG_MPQCLcBGAs/s320/Bobby%2Bin%2BKilruddery.jpg" width="320" height="213" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="533" /></a></div>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-6539373517262623302016-10-26T22:23:00.002-07:002016-10-26T22:23:47.657-07:00Sculpture by Catherine Greene<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3nHFDXttkD8/WBGPUMISeOI/AAAAAAAABMs/aonGMjC5pX8QhIjVyELlCtPNAlr69oZBwCLcB/s1600/Sculpture%2Bin%2BBlue%2Bby%2BCatherine%2BGreene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3nHFDXttkD8/WBGPUMISeOI/AAAAAAAABMs/aonGMjC5pX8QhIjVyELlCtPNAlr69oZBwCLcB/s320/Sculpture%2Bin%2BBlue%2Bby%2BCatherine%2BGreene.jpg" width="320" height="213" /></a></div>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-45520252814248875272016-04-03T14:01:00.002-07:002016-04-03T14:01:25.081-07:00Niall in Greyscale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SnJDZsp8-hU/VwGEmmV-4GI/AAAAAAAABMQ/HFs8sqklYOwF9Ap0yfkDNrGBhSEfcW6ag/s1600/Niall%2Bin%2BGreyscale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SnJDZsp8-hU/VwGEmmV-4GI/AAAAAAAABMQ/HFs8sqklYOwF9Ap0yfkDNrGBhSEfcW6ag/s320/Niall%2Bin%2BGreyscale.jpg" /></a></div>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-13330208450069686832016-03-04T05:28:00.000-08:002016-03-04T05:28:30.731-08:00Maria Buckley's PortraitThis photo was taken at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Kilmainham, Dublin.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Rsb3nv5GRM/VtmNbrdlNnI/AAAAAAAABL0/rKduIWsRn9k/s1600/Maria%2BBuckley%2Bat%2BImma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Rsb3nv5GRM/VtmNbrdlNnI/AAAAAAAABL0/rKduIWsRn9k/s320/Maria%2BBuckley%2Bat%2BImma.jpg" /></a></div>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-64302451249814443232015-10-15T11:45:00.000-07:002015-10-15T11:45:18.835-07:00Portraiture and the Joy of CommunicationPhotography, rather than writing, took over for the past year.
I have finally become more relaxed about taking portraits of strangers
on the street and am struggling to offer to take photos of people I
actually know.
The pleasure of making an image that the person in question will
enjoy is what spurs me on most.
I like when people look themselves and are not strained so the skills
of communication needed must be thought through.
Many people do not actually enjoy having their photo taken.
How to encourage them is my new job in hand.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xHih5QaOOXQ/Vh_0KzsJ3II/AAAAAAAABLk/8i-M-bAfUrA/s1600/Tommie%2BLehane%2Bat%2Bthe%2BCopper%2BHouse%2BGallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xHih5QaOOXQ/Vh_0KzsJ3II/AAAAAAAABLk/8i-M-bAfUrA/s320/Tommie%2BLehane%2Bat%2Bthe%2BCopper%2BHouse%2BGallery.jpg" /></a></div>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-3781265563041515712014-10-04T09:49:00.002-07:002014-10-04T09:49:22.935-07:00A Friendly Encounter on a Saturday Afternoon in Town<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/15438027312/player/630e931f17" height="333" width="500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-11849768411212974892013-11-13T07:12:00.000-08:002013-11-13T07:12:02.179-08:00Portraits on the Street<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/10463221504/" title="Three Happy Friends by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3829/10463221504_8d80a386a2_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="Three Happy Friends"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-38551008601194917782013-10-23T06:16:00.001-07:002013-10-23T06:16:36.340-07:00Back in ActionThese men were very pleased to allow me to upload a photo of their Honda Goldwing motorbike to the Internet.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/10401840043/" title="Goldwing Men SOOC by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2851/10401840043_f115328504_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="Goldwing Men SOOC"></a>
The sun is shining in Dublin, Ireland, this week and street photographers are to be seen at every turn. Yesterday I had my photo taken by an Italian visitor. It made a nice change from peering at the world through a lens.Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-74846606629524219252012-03-27T04:49:00.001-07:002012-03-27T04:49:01.276-07:00Portraiture AgainI have decided to just label my street photos of people as "Portraiture". <br />
This somehow takes the sting out of wondering about all the legislation now ruling the taking of photos in public places. Another blast of information has been posted in the Photography Forum in Boards.ie, decrying the death of candid urban photography.<br />
<br />
I think I'll just make a simple Rogue's Gallery of the most pleasant moments shared while travelling. <br />
No point in getting in a wax...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/6874426548/" title="A Pensive Moment in Venice by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7261/6874426548_03679049a5_z.jpg" width="426" height="640" alt="A Pensive Moment in Venice"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-3938346310062127502012-03-03T01:48:00.000-08:002012-03-03T01:48:43.479-08:00Photo EditorsThere is so much to learn.<br />
<br />
For some time I have been getting good use from Harry's Filters in Irfanview. The burn tool can be very strong, so it is worth looking into the Darken feature, using BW Limiter Pro. It enhances textures in bark and stone.<br />
<br />
The dramatic toning in this Sunflower was made with the Canon software that came with my Digital Rebel. Learning to use levels and to gently tweak the colour lines in a photo can help pastiche makers a lot.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/6106852842/" title="Sunflower by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6187/6106852842_8d357405f5.jpg" width="500" height="326" alt="Sunflower"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-29301016200599918682012-02-15T05:08:00.000-08:002012-02-15T05:09:06.035-08:00GreyscaleGreyscale photos can be flat and lack sparkle.<br />
<br />
Post processing is the secret to improving dull images and Irfanview is quick and easy to<br />
use. <br />
<br />
Rather than hit the greyscale button, better effects can be achieved by first using the "Color Corrections" function.<br />
Choose settings that make the photo more vivid and using the contrast and gamma functions help to find a more balanced<br />
effect.<br />
<br />
Then hit the "Auto adjust colours" button followed by "convert to greyscale"<br />
<br />
Here is and example of Before and After...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/6880647813/" title="Verona Archaelogical Museum, SOOC by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7041/6880647813_6f0d16deb1.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Verona Archaelogical Museum, SOOC"></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/6880650053/" title="Verona Archaelogical Museum by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7042/6880650053_8f9c905b6a.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Verona Archaelogical Museum"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-76424846220781050962012-01-05T13:51:00.000-08:002012-01-05T13:51:47.760-08:00Film EOSA great advance has just been made in using film as well as digital technologies.<br />
I bought a Canon that did seem nicely made and which the friendly sales person assured me<br />
had been a well regarded EOS slr in its day.<br />
<br />
Several days of research and three rolls of film later I'm really pleased with the fineness of the<br />
effect the Canon RT camera ensures. For anybody interested in the history of cameras there are plenty of sites that explain <br />
how the use of a fixed pellicle mirror means a shutter speed that was astonishing in 1989, the date it was launched.<br />
<br />
It is very like the EOS 630, which became much more popular, but although I don't shoot sports events, and probably won't<br />
get the best use out of my new gem, the fixed mirror means that flower macros should be very clear and sharp as there is no<br />
mirror slap to cause the slightest ripple.<br />
<br />
This has been a steep learning curve as, at last I took bracketing by the horns and set the camera to take<br />
three photos in a row, forgot how to undo it and so found myself with the machine having taken over for a while.<br />
<br />
However, it got sorted out and photos of architectural details in particular are very pleasing.<br />
<br />
There's a link in the title bar to the photos uploaded so far.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/6641978821/" title="Flowers in January Light by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6641978821_123ac8ae2d_b.jpg" width="536" height="800" alt="Flowers in January Light"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-49681004956593748382011-12-19T10:10:00.000-08:002011-12-19T10:10:28.377-08:00Christmas FareDublin is ablaze with Christmas colour at the moment.<br />
<br />
In the title bar is a link to some of my Chrismas photos on Flickr, going back several years.<br />
<br />
And, it goes without saying, there is the food...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/2137353853/" title="Breakfast Time by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2143/2137353853_9012dd2c13_z.jpg?zz=1" width="640" height="427" alt="Breakfast Time"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-27576977471931973542011-09-07T09:03:00.000-07:002011-09-07T09:03:58.261-07:00Bright ColoursSo many of my photos from this Summer are dull, due to lack of bright sunlight, that I took to making pastiche "fine art" photos, flattening the tones even more and using contrast to the best effect. <br />
<br />
These are not photos that will be of commercial interest ever, I expect, but the exercise of learning to play with gamma and contrast in Irfanview has brought several benefits. Most of all, it helps to learn about using negative space in a photo.<br />
<br />
However, I still prefer the gaudy flowers and insects captured during a bright May when I first bought a zoom lens with built-in macro function.<br />
<br />
Here's to more colour from now on...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/2483442107/" title="In the Interest of Scientific Veracity, This Is how The Wasp on Tree Peony, Hand Held, Photo Looked Before it Was Sharpened in a Graphics Editor by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2279/2483442107_3b171863c5_z.jpg?zz=1" width="640" height="426" alt="In the Interest of Scientific Veracity, This Is how The Wasp on Tree Peony, Hand Held, Photo Looked Before it Was Sharpened in a Graphics Editor"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-56130365979633848742011-08-30T10:02:00.000-07:002011-08-30T10:02:16.909-07:00BotanicalDubliners are fortunate to have a very beautiful and well stocked botanic gardens. There is great pleasure in seeing plants grown to the highest standard and to walk in a fine arboretum where the trees are loved and well tended. <br />
<br />
The flat light that makes everything seem so sombre at the moment is actually helpful when it comes to flower photography. Whites, in particular, do not get bleached out in macro photos.<br />
<br />
Shots of flower borders and wider landscapes are less successful, however, as there is less sparkle on a dull day.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/6096687013/" title="Daisies by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/6096687013_d15ffeeafd_b.jpg" width="800" height="532" alt="Daisies"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-30241864393769641612011-08-26T11:40:00.000-07:002011-08-26T11:40:13.929-07:00Sunshine?Well, it's in short supply in Dublin these days.<br />
<br />
Wonderful clouds, dramatic and eerie colours in the sky abound, but the fine sunlight that encourages insects to fly from flower to flower is simply not here.<br />
<br />
September may be brighter... or so it's to be hoped.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/4383458901/" title="Late Spring in Ireland by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2535/4383458901_701fd19095_z.jpg?zz=1" width="640" height="426" alt="Late Spring in Ireland" /></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-77425081819154974692011-07-20T09:09:00.002-07:002012-03-27T10:09:55.962-07:00Stepping Out in StyleStreet photography is my least favourite activity.<br />
<br />
As a result, I have practiced more than usual, shooting casually as I walk along, capturing streetscapes usually, and not trying <br />
to make too many individual portraits. Photographing people from behind gives an insight into current fashions, without having<br />
to seem like a hunter.<br />
<br />
There is such a body of work and analysis about the voyeuristic nature of street photography that I was put off<br />
for a long time by what I read. Thinking that shopping centres would offer a more comfortable experience, I started<br />
with them some years ago. The reality of the new gated city was quickly pointed out by security guards in some malls. <br />
They are private spaces, not public like the street itself, and each place makes its own rules. The Powerscourt Centre in Dublin city centre<br />
welcome photographers and there are some lovely architectural details there for anybody who likes Georgian Dublin.<br />
<br />
Several years reading have made me quite choosy about where I travel. France and Quebec are non starters, due to the<br />
draconian laws in operation there. Italy seems, so far to be very welcoming and since Italians are friendly in general photography<br />
seems to be a good way to make new acquaintainces. <br />
Some people on the street in England can look a bit grim when caught within my photos, so they don't tend to make<br />
agreeable images for uploading on the Internet. An exception is the delightful face painter in York who was really pleased when asked to post specially. <br />
I shall never become a true street photographer as the candid aspect of the<br />
true practitioner, where the subjects are in situations where they are outside their comfort zones make me feel uneasy, never mind<br />
how the people in question might feel about being exposed to public scrutiny. Couples walking hand in hand, while charming,<br />
are never uploaded, as they relationship might not last... or worse, they may be in an illicit relationship. It is not my <br />
business to cause trouble.<br />
<br />
In some Eastern countries, I make sure never to upload photos of people who are speaking in public. Since I don't know<br />
what they are saying and since they may be there without official permission, this is probably a safe measure.<br />
<br />
Up to last week I happily uploaded the occasional shop window display, thinking that owners might be flattered. <br />
However I had a strange experience while just snapping a particularly pretty display when a sales assistant rushed out<br />
to ask what I was doing. The tone and general sense of suspicion, not really cured by my puzzled explanation that I was<br />
just photographing shop windows, now ensures that, not only will that shop be avoided like the plague, I shall not feel<br />
confident about uploading these sorts of photos in future. I could be breaching some trade copyright or other that I have not<br />
heard about. This is linked to an experience of being at a fashion show years ago where photographs were not allowed.<br />
This did not stop a lively visitor snapping everything on the catwalk, probably to rush with the prints to some warehouse where<br />
the designs would be copied.<br />
<br />
In years to come, people will think that we live today in some sort of ghastly Pied Piper's nightmare, childless and<br />
without any sense of joy in the friendlieness that photography is meant to bring. <br />
Sometimes children get stuck in my line of view, but uploading photos to the internet is now such a touchy subject that<br />
I have now come to pick up on the frightful paranoia that surrounds their iconography. I have been soundly criticised by some<br />
for giving in to the current practice, as the freedom of expression that professional photographers value so much is being<br />
eroded just as much by my lack of courage as it is by new laws. However, a long lecture by one matron on an Italian street<br />
makes me remember that life is short and that I can't spend hours placating the fears of the seriously frightened parents who<br />
now people our public spaces. I don't tend to photograph them much either, as they look so gloomy.<br />
<br />
Street riots are out of the question. I did not get my hair cut for a year in order to be able to buy a good 50mm lens. <br />
Professionals can get their cameras replaced on insurance and one excellent news hack I met explained that it was no tragedy <br />
as covering street disorder may actually lead to a useful camera upgrade.<br />
<br />
Australia remains the most pleasant country for street photography in my experience and I can't wait to get there again.<br />
The atmosphere is less neurotic than Europe and the buildings are very much to my personal taste. People don't take much<br />
notice of cameras in general and the Brunswick Music Festival is well worthwhile for anybody who wants to get in on <br />
Melbourne life.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/5467360059/" title="The Hula Hoop by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5294/5467360059_5918aed33d.jpg" width="500" height="463" alt="The Hula Hoop"></a><br />
<br />
A prize for good humour has to go for the three friends I met while walking in County Wicklow a few months ago.<br />
<br />
They even offered to pose again, so that I might get a better shot. I thought that the spontaneous sense of fun they had<br />
displayed when they first saw the camera could not be bettered and their's is one of my favourites, proving that all the effort <br />
and discomfort was worth it in the end.<br />
<br />
<br />
However, its back to flowers, statues, architecture and trees.<br />
I can well understand why the very diffident Monsieur Atget used get up at dawn in order to photograph a world<br />
devoid of people, which is why his work has a mysterious timelessness. Frocks and carriages are set firmly in a verifiable time. <br />
People in future centuries may find us a dull bunch but all this ensures, please Heavens, that nobody will ever want me to take photos for money on the street.<br />
<br />
The effort could prove fatal.Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-52175941278143027922011-07-19T05:16:00.000-07:002011-07-19T05:16:22.057-07:00Stoned<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/5953938552/" title="Stone Head in Dublin by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6011/5953938552_9bf89f76c1_z.jpg" width="470" height="640" alt="Stone Head in Dublin"></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Dublin is thronged with visitors at this time of year.<br />
<br />
One of the treasures here is the Chester Beatty Library and there is plenty of interest to photograph on the way in.<br />
<br />
This stone head is by Edward Smyth (1749-1812) who worked with his son.<br />
<br />
Searches for the history of the Chapel Royal in Dublin Castle will yield hours of reading on the subject.Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-52348964159290959662011-07-08T02:25:00.000-07:002011-07-08T02:25:06.614-07:00The Garden PhotographerTelevision programmes always favour bright colours, flower macros and many, many bees when they send their photographers out. <br />
<br />
This has set me thinking about the fact that I love, above all, photographing statues and hand crafted details in any garden I visit.<br />
<br />
The Giusti Gardens in Verona posed a challenge.<br />
For some reason, I found it took several hours to get my mind settled to finding angles that were not edgy and disturbing. The sculptures in this fine, formal garden are somehow not aligned in a way that easily calms the eye. I found myself jumping from one spot to another in an effort to take in views that did not make the statues look ill at ease.<br />
<br />
Finally, it came right...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/5906200787/" title="Statue in the Giusti Gardens by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5079/5906200787_7c899ff839.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Statue in the Giusti Gardens"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-78377633916555667372011-06-24T02:00:00.000-07:002011-06-24T02:00:44.475-07:00Out in the CountryDrive-by shooting became a favourite activity when I took to photography first. It passes the time nicely to capture the landscape as it ambles by.<br />
<br />
Also, when travelling in new places, recording roadside landmarks and signs helps to retrace the way one has come. <br />
<br />
In Ireland, the centre of the country is relatively unpopulated, compared with continental Europe. Apart from the little towns with their bright shop fronts and houses which can go back as far as the 18th century there can be little to record that is worth uploading. However the country churches are very beautiful and well built, a joy for anybody interested in stonework.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/4786465183/" title="A Church by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4786465183_4b711a6c63_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="A Church"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-48623781861741352722011-05-19T07:34:00.000-07:002011-06-21T01:22:53.954-07:00SculptureStatues are so much easier to photograph than people. You can walk round them for ages, go back at different times of the day to favourite one and capture them, frozen in time but in a different light.<br />
<br />
I have to admit that I find public art in Ireland, in general, a bit lacking in subtlety and not to my taste. So it was a revelation to find that Italy is even better than France when it comes to statues to fall in love with. <br />
<br />
Italy does not seem to have set off on a gallop to produce outrageous modern pieces like I have seen on the streets of Paris; though this may be seen as a criticism of a country that is still, in everyday life at least, quite conservative in its visual expressions. <br />
<br />
But one thing I did notice is that Italian art, in all its forms, is full of angels. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/5847539957/" title="Angels by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/5847539957_825197b9cb.jpg" width="500" height="384" alt="Angels"></a><br />
<br />
<br />
I had a great chat in L'Accademia in Venice with an American couple about the personality types in one painting, where Cherubim and Seraphim smiled and played music in an eternal daze. It is possibly the sort of painting that made one of our family state baldly when asked to study for his First Communion. "D'you know something... I don't think I would like eternal life. I would find it boring."<br />
<br />
He must have been looking at Italian art.<br />
<br />
But one angel, the most famous of all stands out.<br />
<br />
"The Angel of the City" by Marino Marini is a delight.<br />
He rises to greet the day with the same joie de vivre every morning and is the most famous of the beautiful pieces that Marini made. Not possible, I know, but it would be Heaven indeed if one could photograph him at dawn.<br />
<br />
As for the fact that angels are pure, incorporeal beings I can only assume that this is one of the naughty ones who managed to come down to Earth with success.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/5736314166/" title="The Angel of the City, III by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3554/5736314166_ba6daf5e2c_b.jpg" width="1024" height="339" alt="The Angel of the City, III"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-76755678952898999302011-04-05T09:12:00.000-07:002011-05-18T08:20:32.631-07:00Photographing BirdsMany of the wretched creatures never stay still, but patience pays off.<br />
<br />
If you want absolute success, the frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is the most willing of models. At most this unusual bird will bat its eyelids very, very slowly.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/3408560491/" title="Podargus strigoides by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/3408560491_a6082d712d.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Podargus strigoides"></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/5472495027/" title="Mudlark in Flight by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5472495027_9bed3812eb_b.jpg" width="800" height="338" alt="Mudlark in Flight" /></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-38483817831958061222011-04-05T07:31:00.000-07:002011-04-05T07:31:52.003-07:00Le GolfGolf courses are exellent for photography.<br />
<br />
Composition is easy as everything is so orderly there.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anouilh/5592301050/" title="Le Golf en Irlande by rosewoodoil, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5592301050_1956439795.jpg" width="500" height="335" alt="Le Golf en Irlande"></a>Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7868522433690727256.post-52755067591013498242011-03-30T04:51:00.000-07:002011-03-30T04:51:50.181-07:00Harry's FiltersI've just uploaded some photos that explain how to use Irfanview to desaturate images with a bit more control and subtlety than hitting the "desaturate" button.<br />
<br />
Harry's Filters can be downloaded from the Irfanview site and are easy to use, once one gets the hang of how to access them. There is a cheerful "play" function, where the system moves of its own accord and if you see an effect you like you just hit the "stop" button.<br />
<br />
It's worth noting that freeware programs are very good for amateur use and do not fill hard drives with vast amounts of filters that may or may not be of use.<br />
<br />
The photos in question may be viewed by hitting the title bar.<br />
<br />
Spring has hit Dublin and computing is way down the list of activities from now on.<br />
<br />
Many thanks to all who continue to visit and post friendly comments here.Tales from the Birch Wood.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15427603252937311851noreply@blogger.com2