Amport House HDR

Original

Full Colour

Desaturated

Black & White

Edited using Aperture Silver Efex Pro for a nice vintage look

This is my first real attempt at an HDR image. In normal circumstances you would shoot at least 3 images all bracketed to get your start point. For this shot, I cheated a little. I took the shot in NEF (RAW), and then selected various parts of the image & layered them individually. I then had full control over each layer. So after tweaking the levels on each layer this is it. 

It doesn't look too bad for a first attempt.

I decided to go with 3 different looks to see how it worked with each. Full colour, desaturated & full black & white with the original as the first image.

Your thoughts please.

Steve

The Weird & Wonderful

While on the Defence Photographers Course last year, we were sent on many a task within local towns to get portraits. It was a confidence building exercise as much as it was photographic, helping the younger & more timid to lads come out of their shells more.

I popped into a coffee shop in Shrewsbury & met a girl called Ellen. After I gave her the low down on who I am & what I wanted she was more than co-operative. After I bagged the shots I needed we got chatting. It turned out Ellen was heavily into amateur dramatics & was very keen on having some weird and wacky pictures taken of her.

So with several projects looming I called upon Ellen several times to help me out. She was a natural, changing her pose with every "click" of the shutter, & she was not shy to be dressed up, made up & posed to look the part.

Crazy shots, but I love them

Oliver

Just dug out some old portraits of my friends son Oliver as she wants to get him into child modelling. Although these were done when i was in training, i still quite like them, especially the cheekiness of them! Kids aren't great at posing for the camera, but catch them playing around & you've got a great shot!

Area 55 Tattoo Studio

While visiting the Georgian Fair in Blandford this bank holiday, I popped in to see my friend Vikki who runs the local tattoo studio. I thought I would get some portraits of the staff in their Georgian attire, then grab a few shots of them at work. After a quick trip through Photoshop they're done!

Going Urban

During a trip to the industrial estate with Sian on a shoot, Mrs B decided to have some shots done.............very reluctantly i might add!!

So.......after a painful session on the MAC, these are the 3 out of 52 images she likes, and one is of her foot!!!!!

Gotta love women! lol

Biker Boyz!

Went out with a fellow pro phot today for some portraits of us & our bikes! After avoiding the sun with my burnt head we managed to get some mint stuff!

BSB Race Day

In an effort to get away from the mundane chicane, I walked around the circuit today in an effort to get something different! I tried various places around the track & battled with the crowd on many occasions, including all the people that purposely stood infront of me!! lol I got burnt to a crisp in the process too!

A Day at the Races! British Superbikes Thruxton!

Armed with my trusty 500mm again, it was off to Thruxton for the British Superbikes practice day! Got some great shots from the chicane & will be going back tomorrow for race day, complete with a pitt pass courtesy of a contact in the Superstock category!

Watch this space!

Marwell Zoo

THad a very productive day at the zoo today, with a very nice 500mm F4 lens! Could have done with the 600mm from the office to be honest just to get in that little bit closer to some of the animals, but beggars can't be choosers! Was a bit gutted that the snow leopard & tigers decided to have a siesta just as i got to their enclosures, but it has been a productive day nevertheless! Hope you like this very small selection!

For more images please visit the facebook group "Steve Blake Photography"

I Can Do Science Me!!

I took Joe on a day trip to the InTech Science Centre in Winchester for a day out, and obviously had the camera in tow! Got some cracking, natural shots of Joe as he gets baffled by Science! Off to the Zoo tomorrow! Wicked!