Claudia Kappenberg - still for Slow Races

An early morning assignment paid for in coffee on the running track for this publicity still for artist Claudia Kappenberg's performance of her multi-generational participation project 'Slow Races', due to take place at the De la Warre Pavilion on the south coast in July,

The shot needed to afford the conventional idea of racing so that the gnome figure's contrary intervention was clear.

Technically, the shot would benefit from a hairlight  - which we had but couldn't position without risking the structural integrity of runners, one or two of whom were going quite fast.

Our appreciation goes to the runners who welcomed us with smiles and their generous tolerance this morning.

Primrose Hill had its early summer street fair today in bright sunshine.

Infra-red photography is the technique of using a deep red glass filter on the camera. In bright sunlight trees and plants strongly reflect infra-red light. When converting the photo to b&w reflected infra red light from foliage appears white and even snowy. 

Because the filter cuts out so much normal light, a long exposure is needed blurring anyone that moves. 

The colour photo of the fair in this slideshow was taken with a neutral density (ND) filter. Like the IR filter this also cuts out light but it doesn't affect the colour. I used the ND filter to achieve a long exposure to blur moving figures and maintain normal colour.

The picture where the tree looks like candy floss is from an earlier year taken on Primrose Hill also in May. It was taken with an infra-red filter and colour adjusted to get as much polychromatic information out of a shot that starts out looking monochromatic red.

If you like these images you can select and order prints.

See more photos from Primrose Hill and surrounding areas.

Tulip for day 20,089

I like counting my age in the number of days old I am as well as in the number of years.

It's very hard to keep every day feeling as special as an annual birthday.

This tulip, 21 today, is managing to keep it special.