February 25, 2008 by cat
I’m not completely sure of it, but I thought I’d post what I got. These sweets came home with Kian from MIX 07 – a Microsoft conference held in London back in September. I’ve had them hanging around (unopened) ever since just for this shot!
Any ideas on how to make it look better I’d rather like to know – so drop me an email at cat (at) catashton (dot) co (dot) uk
Category Product Shots | Tags: | No Comments
February 25, 2008 by cat
For the past few weeks I’ve been lacking in creative juices. This has meant that I’ve done very little work for Uni. So on Saturday I thought “What did I used to do when I couldn’t get work done??” I had a rather useful idea of painting. I haven’t painted anything in a while.
For my materials and process project I’m looking at the effects of Bi-Polar Disorder on the visual perception. I started with the title “loss of insight” – words chosen at random from a conversation with my mother over my sister’s recent mental health troubles (asking whether it was loss of insight or realisation of needing help).
So today I present to you my latest painting!
The image that I used to paint from was one I took at the Imperial War Museum North (in Salford Quays).
The painting has really got my head into gear. I now need to get some sketchbook work done!
Category Abstract, Fine Art, Painting, Projects, University | Tags: | No Comments
January 28, 2008 by cat
Yesterday I spent the day binding a book. It took about 12 hours – first attempt at a multi section fully bound book.
I found the fabric at the mill down the road for £2 a metre. I saw it and thought it would make a great book cover. Its a rather stiff cotton print – so well suited to being a book cover.
The guide book to making this book was rather confusing and I’ll be finding another at the university library to help with the next project (which I start asap – got the brief today).
If anyone is interested I’ll write up a how-to bookbind in this style. Its simple once you work out what the book is trying to say/describe.
Category Book Binding, Projects, University | Tags: | 2 Comments
January 19, 2008 by cat
So yes, this is the first photograph of myself on this site.
I’ve been promising some people that I would show what colour my hair has changed to for months. So I finally got around to it.
For this I had the main room lights on (3 gang in the centre of the room and 2 in the alcoves) and a lighting stand with a ‘brolly and Vivitar 285HV behind the camera to the right pointed to the right side of face (when looking from behind the camera) set to 1/4 power (manual) directed straight into the ‘brolly.
I took the ones of myself with the self-timer function. While I had it set up I thought I should get the shots Kian wants for his own site done.
Category DIY Lighting, Lighting Experiments, Portraits, Self-Portraits | Tags: | No Comments
January 19, 2008 by cat
For Christmas I was set a project to “capture” moments of meal times over the Christmas period. We were restricted to using only disposable cameras. Instead of leaving it to someone else to process and develop my films/prints I decided to use and abuse the machines at uni. This did, however, have one drawback – the deadline! I was meant to present this to my class on the first Monday back rather than a week later like I thought…
On the Monday morning I processed the films and took the book I had been making to keep my Polaroids of the family. I was going to keep that to myself, but I needed to present something! I’ve still to finish making that book – the housing is built and the pages are all together, but the stuff I want to write in it hasn’t made its way onto the pages.
By Wednesday I had colour paper so I could do prints from my films. My friend, Nat, showed me how to start making prints and I managed in 2 hours to produce a contact print and a final print that were colour balanced and ready to be shown to people!!
I even managed to focus the negative myself!! (I sometimes struggle with it if I do it myself – at home I get Kian to check it for me!!)
So this next week I’ll be printing up to 6 more prints from this one roll (Christmas Day at my parents’ house).
Category Book Binding, Portraits, Projects, University | Tags: | No Comments
January 15, 2008 by cat
So this morning I have come around to getting my photos from New York on-line. The gallery is here.
This was taken from Brooklyn Bridge on my final day there.
In the gallery there are photos of my tutors, classmates (first and second years), Philadelphia (day trip to Kyle Cassidy’s house), busy streets, museums, artefacts, light shows and much more.
I do intend on going back next year with my year group. It was a fantastic trip – even if Kian wasn’t with me! I’ve still to got my film images to get processed (need a new film scanner for that!) and on-line.
Category Travelling, University | Tags: | 1 Comment
January 2, 2008 by cat
This morning I have been making a book to hold my Christmas photos and feelings. I thought I’d share it with you.
The paper came from the selection that my mum had for this year’s wrapping (I would have used the paper I got on my presents, but that was thrown out! Twice!!).
Later I shall be filling it with my images and art from Christmas at my parents’ house, Kian’s parents’ house and New Years party.
Category Book Binding | Tags: | 1 Comment
December 19, 2007 by cat
My class trip to “Whitby” – really we were in Robinhood’s Bay. We stayed at the Old School House. Almost all of my year group went. I ended up putting my back out after a day there – damn those beds! I’m rather glad I went. Even with the bus stopping about 50yards from the brow of the hill when we were leaving!
Category University | Tags: | 1 Comment
November 20, 2007 by cat
Today I had a one day project at university. Our brief was to take a fork, apple and a digital camera to work with Composition.
I took my camera (Canon 10D with Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 lens), tripod, flash gun (Vivitar 285VH and sync cable), flash metre, apple, fork, the rest of my lunch and some tissues. With that jolly list I created 12 images, some of them are good, some are bad and some are just plain ugly!
This image is simply called Fork.
This is the gallery for the rest of the collection.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. As always I’d love some comments and or critique.
Category Abstract, Fine Art, Projects, University | Tags: | No Comments
September 15, 2007 by cat
Today I went to Chester Zoo. The day started later than I was intending. I got to the train station in time to watch my first train disappearing and then there was a 20 minute wait to get a train that got me into Manchester in time for my second train to just be leaving too and the next one wasn’t for an hour!
Thankfully I was travelling with Kian and Nikki G (and Jenni), so we went for coffee (well they had coffee I had Orange Juice).
Eventually we got the train to Chester, eat on the way to save time and tackled a few buses to get to the Zoo.
At the zoo we headed straight for the “Twilight Zone – Bat Cave”. Sadly none of the photos turned out well (above the size of my LCD on camera), which is a shame, but expected.
This is a rough order of what we saw: deer, rhino, peacock, bats, tapirs, llamas, Common Rheas, llamas, bear, zebra, deer, small monkeys, peacock, monkey house, camel, donkey, lions, tigers (though we couldn’t see any!), penguins, flamingos, jaguar, ants, snake, giraffe & elephants.
All today’s photos have been shot with a Canon 10D Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 (throughout) in P mode (with various ISOs). Hit rate has been 1:~2.6 (used to unused photos).
Kian was also shooting today. His work will be up in due course.
Category Animals | Tags: | 1 Comment
