Flickr Photostream Online

I have posted a lot of recent images onto a new Flickr photo gallery. The images are a random assortment of my better pictures from last year and recent trips. I will now put most of my images here as I really like the site. There are so many talented photographers on there and I enjoy discovering their work. The sheer volume of photography on here is mind blowing. If you want to know about an obscure lens, camera or film/developer chances are someone has some samples on Flickr to see. It really is a great resource and I am glad to be a part of it. Please feel free to leave comments as I love to hear feedback good or bad!

 

Go to MJH Photography Flickr Site

I am a part of the universe, the universe is a part of me

 

King Protea (Protea cynaroides)

I picked up this amazing Protea from the Old Bus Depot Markets on Sunday. I had been looking for a good subject to use my 21mm extension tube with and this looked perfect. The King Protea is a BIG impressive flower indeed! Close up photography has always interested me and being without a macro lens just did not feel right. I really enjoy seeing what's going on beyond our normal field of view. The details and patterns of nature that become evident when magnified or viewed from space. From macro to microcosm it gives a new perspective to things. There is a saying we learn in Tai Chi training along the same lines "I am a part of the universe, the universe is a part of me". Yin and Yang. I think the aim here is to destroy the belief of a fixed or separate self by gaining a new (and more realistic) view of our place in the world. Hopefully these pictures of nice flowers will give someone a deeper insight into the workings of the universe and reality as a whole :)

 Shot on Fujifilm Provia 100 film with florescent lights and tungsten lamp

New Portfolio of Recent Work Added

I have added a small portfolio of images shot around the NSW South Coast. There is a bit of a sea and ships theme that I am hoping to expand on soon. They are all shop using my Hasselblad on Fuji Acros 100 and developed in Ilford Ilfosol 3. I really like this combination but will keep experimenting...

A long exposure shot at dusk. Click image to see more

Trek for Tibet and India Pilgrimage

Stone Marker, Lower Himalaya Mountains

Charmer, Delhi

Festival Night, Benares

Here are a few samples of my trip to fantastic India. Scanning all the negatives takes a considerable amount of time! It is exciting to look at these results as my memories of all the places and people were fading. This trip was a real adventure, I am very glad to have been a part of the Trek for Tibet. More images to come soon...

Developing the Darkroom

After many long months I now have a working darkroom at last! The old storage area out the back of the garage that was once a home for many spiders and random items has been transformed. It took a long time as I had to fashion some items from scratch and convert or paint others. I had a small room 2m by 4m to work with and a small budget. I wanted a nice clean area that was as dust free as possible (to save time spotting later on). This darkroom is for developing film only so that made things simple.

First thing to be done was to clean it out and give it a coat of paint. After reading some internet forums I painted the walls matt white and not black as I assumed would be the best. This makes it a nice light space to work in and since there is no light getting in there is no problems with the film being fogged. The floor was scrubbed and coated in a clear concrete paint to seal it. I built a small wooden platform over the open drain that also saves the feet from the hard concrete. A well connected friend got me some tables and safe lights for free (thanks Tristan).

All set to get to work!

Next step was to make the room completely light proof. This turned out to be not very difficult to do really. I covered the window with a scratch built box that allows air flow but blocks the light. It looks odd from outside but does let air in without any fans or complications.

This light proof box covers the existing window.

I sealed around the existing door with a rubber weather strip and made a lip to stop light entering from under it. A second door that fits very snugly into the outer edge of the door frame stopped all light leaks.

The second inner door is matt black (chalk board paint) to stop reflections.

To dry the films I visited the ex government furniture outlet and found a steel locker. After removing the shelves and internals it was the perfect size for a drying cabinet. I laced some elastic cord through the top to hang film from and gave it a stylish paint job. I heat the unit with an oil filled heater that sits next to the locker, that does the job well. 

The film dries in 1 hour and holds around 10 35mm films.

 Getting this darkroom working was a bit of work but well worth it. I have processed my Indian trip that has been sitting in the cupboard since I returned in November 2009. That was about 26 rolls of TMAX 400 (35mm). I have also developed about 15 rolls of Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 (120) from two trips to the South Coast. I will post up some examples of this work in the next few days.

The red light is for atmosphere only :)

New look Blog

I have done some cosmetic changes to my site. The work that I have online is now linked and easy to get to. The design has sort of evolved and looks a bit more inviting. The information is now in a more logical space with everything together. Enjoy :)

"Whitewash" Book Complete!

I am very happy to present my new book called "Whitewash". Whitewash is a collection of 65 monochrome photographs of Greece. This is a visual tour or photographic document of the people and places I encountered on my 2009 trip. A journey from the idyllic Cyclades islands to the Metropolis of Athens. Behind the superficial exterior lies the simple beauty of truth. Reality as it is, yet to be covered over with a fresh coat of whitewash. It really is a satisfying feeling to have created this.

To view the preview please click the image below.