Kim Ayres Portrait Photography

The Challenge of the Self Portrait

2012-01-20T17:01:00.000Z

Last year I was asked by The Stewartry Camera Club to give a talk to their members about Portrait Photography. It seemed to go down well and I was asked back this year to talk about self-portraits and to set a competition, which I did on Wednesday.

In some ways, self-portraits can be seen as one of the most challenging forms of photography for most photographers, because there are significant obstacles to overcome on 2 levels.

The first is to do with the technical difficulties in getting the exposure, composition and focus right when you can’t actually look through the lens – at least if you want to avoid the cliché of just standing in front of the mirror with your camera in front of your face.

So you have to try and get everything set up then either set the timer, run round, get into place and adopt the right posture and expression before the camera goes click, or you need something like a cable or remote release that allows you to trigger the shutter from a distance – at least if you want to avoid the other cliché of holding the camera at arms length and just pointing it at you.

However, in many ways the far bigger challenge is in deciding how you wish to portray yourself to the world.

It’s one thing for other people to take your photo – it is their interpretation of you in that moment. But if you are taking it yourself, you have to make the final decision about how you want to appear. Intelligent? Sexy? Cool?

However, the problem with trying to look cool, for example, takes us back to those dilemmas from our teens. Cool people seem to be effortlessly cool. People trying to be cool are inherently un-cool. So how do you make yourself look cool without looking like you’re trying to make yourself look cool? The risk of ridicule if you get it wrong is gut-knotting.

The reality is that while most people are wary about having their photo taken in case they look awful, most photographers feel this even more intensely. Indeed, for many, one of the primary advantages of holding the camera is precisely so you don’t have to be in the image. So to tell an audience of camera club members that I wanted them to turn the device on themselves was never going to be an easy sell.

However, I did my best to try and fill them with enthusiasm for the idea, primarily pushing the notion of photography as storytelling. It can be like having your own dressing up box – you can pretend to be whomever you want.

And once you move away from the suggestion that it has to be some kind of accurate representation, and into the idea of performance and play, then the possibilities for creativity and fun open up massively.

I don’t know how many will enter the competition. I know it will push almost all of them completely out of their comfort zone, but I feel the experience of doing it will be all the more rewarding because of that.

In about 3 weeks I’ll be given the submissions to look through and judge, and in the 2nd half of February, I’ll be going back to announce the winners.

Although anyone who is brave enough to overcome their reluctance and actually enter is already a winner in my eyes.

And if you have 5 minutes to spare, below is a video about the making of the Lavazza (coffee) 2012 Calendar, where they asked 12 famous photographers to create self-portraits. Each had a very different take on the concept.

The LAVAZZERS 2012 from Eugenio Recuenco on Vimeo.

Photographic Challenge

2011-12-12T23:22:00.000Z

In one of my biggest challenges yet, a couple of weeks ago I not only had to photograph a group of pro and semi-pro photographers, but I had to be in the shot too.

I recently teamed up with half a dozen other photographers in the area, with the idea to pool resources, expertise and marketing power. The theory is we could help make this area an attractive place for those interested in photography (buying prints or taking workshops) to visit.

It’s early days yet, and the aim is to officially launch next Spring, but things are slowly taking shape. The constitution is written, executive posts filled, bank account opened and the website is under construction.

It was decided it would be useful to have a group photo to go on the website, and to use for publicity purposes once we launch. As portrait photography is my speciality, the responsibility for the photo fell on my shoulders. Inevitably this presented several challenges.

An initial idea of an outside shot of us all against a backdrop of a beautiful Galloway landscape was quickly dismissed. It’s hard enough to negotiate a time and date to suit 7 self-employed people, let alone rely on the weather in Scotland, in winter, to be pleasant. We needed an indoor space large enough to fit everyone plus lighting rigs, and while my wee studio is fine for one or two people – three at a push – it’s not designed for groups.

Fortunately Allan Wright leapt to the rescue and we were able to use his gallery – a large white painted room – after he’d removed his framed prints from one of the walls.

But while composition and lighting are tricky enough, in order to be in the photograph myself, I couldn’t just click when everything was perfect. I had to keep setting the timer then run round to get into position and hope no one was blinking, or looking in the wrong direction, or leaning in front of anyone else, or pulling a silly face.

And when photographing more than about 4 people, crowd control becomes an extra necessary skill...

Even then, it’s one thing to photograph the general public – group shots are usually family gatherings where they expect to follow the instructions of the professional with the camera. But to photograph a bunch of people who make money from their ability to use a camera means the sense of scrutiny is cranked up to the nth degree.

Still, somehow I survived and below are the final images. One where we look very serious and professional, and one where we, er, don't...

As usual, feel free to click on the images for larger versions.

Left to right-ish (click on names for links to their websites):
Morag Paterson and Ted Leeming
Roger Lever
Phil McMenemy
Allan Wright
Kim Ayres
Ian Biggar

Who's watching who?

2011-12-01T20:03:00.001Z

I much prefer taking photos where the subject is staring straight into the camera. It means the viewer of the photo gets the feeling they are being watched while they look.

In this case, however, a TV cameraman was filming me while I was taking a photo of the director. So the viewer is not only being stared at, but is being filmed too.

For a bit of extra fun, I overlaid an image of a piece of glass that's been sitting in the garden for several months. Finally, giving it a sepia tint makes the photo look a few decades old rather than the few weeks it actually is.

As usual, feel free to click on the image for a larger version

The Geese at The Mill Sessions

2011-11-27T21:37:00.001Z

The Geese are a local "indie-folk" band, who I’ve photographed on previous occasions. In fact one of my photos graces their first CD, back when they were just a 3-piece band.

They were performing at The Mill Sessions on Friday past, so we needed a photo of them for the collection.

My comfort zone is photographing people one at a time. Once numbers start becoming plural, the difficulties multiply exponentially. The more people there are, the more chance one of them will be blinking, looking the wrong way, obscuring someone else or pulling a dodgy face.

Time was limited as there’d been a mix up in communication, and I had far less than I’d have liked, as they had to go and sound check with Marcus, who was recording the session.

The upshot of all this was when I got back home to look at the results, I discovered I didn’t have a single shot where they were all looking at the camera and no one was laughing, moving, or obscuring someone else.

Fortunately over the years I’ve become reasonably adept at using Photoshop so was able to take different heads from different shots and merge them together. This final image, then, is actually an amalgamation of about 4 photos. However, I know from talking to other professional photographers, this kind of thing goes on all the time. At least I wasn’t removing wrinkles or making anyone look slimmer.

Filming proved to be a bit problematic too. I was sitting only 4 or 5 feet in front of them - which is great for an intimate live performance, but not so good trying to fit all the band members into the screen. So I had to have the wide-angle lens on the camera, set at the most extreme I could. Unfortunately, the result of this is everyone’s somewhat distorted.

However, if you can forgive the visuals, this song is one of my favourites, and does give quite a good sense of the style of The Geese. It’s called “Trade Not Aid” and is about a man who is drowning but when he calls for help, the person on the shore who can throw him the lifebelt tells him helping him for free could set up a culture of dependency, so he should trade something for the help instead.

For more info about The Geese, visit their Facebook page here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Geese/168328679870494

Finding Albert at The Mill Sessions

2011-11-07T00:21:00.002Z

Finding Albert are a rather talented, up and coming band who played at The Mill Sessions last week.

As in previous performances this year, I set about photographing the band before the gig started.

Up until now, I’d been photographing people singly, or in pairs, so with Finding Albert being a 4-piece band, it took a bit of shuffling about to fit them all into the shot. There’s also the problem that the more people in a photo, the more chance one of them will be blinking, looking in the wrong direction or getting lost in a shadow cast by one of the others. It took a bit of time, but I got there in the end.

Finding Albert: left to right -
Chris (drums), Rob (vocals and keyboard), Neil (bass), Michael (guitar)

An additional difficulty, however, lay in the fact the summer has now long since passed and it was dark, so there wasn’t the option of photographing outside. And the empty space I’d used in the first 3 Mill Sessions earlier in the year wasn’t empty.

My solution was to bring along a light, a reflector and an extension lead and use the stairwell.

The gig itself was superb. With room only available for 50 to 60 people max, the venue allows a real sense of intimacy. It feels like barely a step up from having a band perform in your living room. Stripped back from their usual big amps, the drummer even used a cajón, as a full drum kit would have over-powered everything else in this smaller space.

As well as the obvious advantage for the audience, for the performers it also feels like playing to a group of friends, creating a mood that is both intimate and relaxed.

Sitting at the front with my camera on my knee, I put on the wide-angle lens so as to fit everyone in at such a close distance. There’s no fancy camera work, but the videos below should give you a flavour of the evening.

Back to Rome

My Friend Jack

For more about Finding Albert, visit their website here:
http://www.findingalbert.com/

or their Facebook page here:
http://www.facebook.com/findingalbert

Photography Fun

2011-10-08T00:25:00.003+01:00

During my stint as Artist in Residence for the Wigtown Book Festival, I found myself reflecting on the fact it often feels I’m part photographer, part psychotherapist.

When upward of 90% of people use the opening line, “I hate having my photo taken…” the majority of my time is spent not using the camera, but reassuring, explaining and trying to build a sense of connection and trust with the person in front of me.

So when I encounter a rare individual who is perfectly comfortable in front of the lens right from the start, it’s a pure delight – especially when they are then up for playing.

One such person I discovered during the festival was Peggy.

When I photographed her for the wall of The Hut I was immediately struck by her appearance. With short dark hair, and large rimmed glasses she had an almost iconic look, and when I converted the image to black and white, I was reminded of a kind of 1950s Beatnik style.

Of course one of the things about having such a striking outward style, is people will fix on it as the key identifying trait. So if Peggy was to remove her glasses and change her hairstyle, the chances are she could walk right past most people who know her and they wouldn’t even realise it was her.

With my love of faces, I found myself wanting to photograph her without her glasses. She was up for the idea, but we didn’t then get the chance until the very last evening of the Festival. By then it was dark and the only available light was on the stairs, and that wasn’t particularly great. However, black and white gives more options under these circumstances, so I felt it was still worth going for.

What’s great about Peggy from my point of view is she instantly understood photography is all about storytelling. So no need to be shy in front of the camera – rather it was a chance to play. She fished out some bright red lipstick and between us we came up with the idea of having it smeared, but with an unapologetic, even aggressive expression.

Within a few short minutes we’d created another almost iconic image.

Such fun!

Peggy is also the Programme Director of the West Port Book Festival in Edinburgh, which this year is happening from the 13th to 16th of October.

Visit www.westportbookfestival.org for more information, and if you go along and bump into Peggy, do say hello to her from me.

And... rest...

2011-10-07T21:47:00.002+01:00

As I stapled the last of the photos to the walls of The Hut at 1 o’clock in the morning, a few hours after the Wigtown Book Festival had officially closed, I realised no one was going to see all the images on the walls for another 8 months.

Normally you finish putting up an exhibition, and then people view it, but because this was an ongoing installation, visitors only saw it in progress.

The room I was given as a studio space in The Hut, while I was Artist-in-Residence, will now return to use as a place to catalogue the books destined for the shelves of ReadingLasses café and bookshop, until the first weekend in June 2012. It will then be opened up again to the public for the extended bank holiday weekend as part of the Spring Fling Open Studio Event.

It’s difficult to believe it was only 10 days. Thinking back to at time before the festival, it feels more like a couple of months have passed rather than less than 2 weeks.

There have been disappointments and delights, new friends made, opinions revised, lessons learned, skills enhanced, and seeds for potential futures have been sown.

I started off with naïve enthusiasm, fell into despair, adjusted my expectations and grew in confidence.

There’s a saying I love, which goes, “experience is something you gain immediately after you needed it the most”, and the experience of being artist-in-residence has felt a lot like that. At the beginning I didn’t really know what to expect or what was expected of me. I made my best guesses, but it’s only when things go wrong, and you have to revise your ideas and expectations that you really learn.

As the Festival drew to a close, I knew how I should have handled it from the start. I could see clearly when I should have acted differently, when I should have been bolder, and when I should have been more subtle.

So now it’s about finding a way to allow all the experiences and lessons to settle in and let them become part of the fabric of who I am and who I will become.

And trying to catch up on some sleep…

To view the full set of 174 portraits taken over the 10 days of the Wigtown Book Festival, visit my Facebook or Flickr albums:

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.292506957430682.93692.114749591873087&type=1

Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimayres/sets/72157627752630956/

Artist in Residence at the Wigtown Book Festival

2011-09-23T17:11:00.000+01:00

For the next 10 days - 23rd Sept to 2nd Oct - I will be in Wigtown as Artist in Residence at the Book Festival.

I've created a separate blog specifically for the event, which will be updated most days.

The intention is it will track my progress from a workspace of empty walls to hopefully a room full of faces.

And from a nervous photographer wondering what the hell he's let himself in for to a confident artist able to hold his own in among the big boys.

Please visit "Artist in Residence" - http://kimayreswigtown.blogspot.com/ - and "Follow", "Share" and leave comments.

See you over there!
.

Facing The Weekend - The Book

2011-09-22T19:35:00.001+01:00

Back at the end of May this year, I was involved in the Open Studio event, “Spring Fling”, where for 3 days I opened my doors to the public and took photos of anyone who wanted to join in the fun (see – Facing The Weekend).

I knew from the start I wanted to make a book out of the event, but rather a lot of life has been getting in the way this past summer. However, it is finally complete and available to be viewed and purchased on Blurb.com in Softcover and Hardcover formats.

Below is a promo video I’ve created for it – the soundtrack coming from the superb Sean Taylor, who some of you might remember I photographed for The Mill Sessions back at the beginning of the year (see – Sean Taylor and the Mill Sessions)

Underneath that is the Blurb widget, which allows you to look at the pages online to decide whether you it’s something you might like for your coffee table.

Facing The Weekend by Kim Ayres

For those viewing this in their RSS feed, or n Facebook, there’s a chance neither the video nor the Blurb widget will appear, in which case, please follow these links:

YouTube Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vq6AR9PR-A
Facing The Weekend on Blurb.com:
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2488930

And for those who like the sound of Sean Taylor’s music, visit his website at:
www.seantaylorsongs.com

Artist in Residence Blog

2011-09-20T09:41:00.002+01:00

I have set up a blog specifically to follow my progress as Artist in Residence over the Wigtown Book Festival.

http://kimayreswigtown.blogspot.com/

Do go and take a look and leave a comment or ask questions.

And feel free to "Follow", share on Facebook, Tweet or spread the word in any other fashion.

Wigtown Book Festival - Artist in Residence

2011-08-11T22:13:00.003+01:00

With over 150 events across 10 days, Wigtown Book Festival is one of the largest art events in Scotland, even though it is located in a remote town near the Southern tip of Scotland.

Over the past couple of years, they have teamed up with the organisers of the open studio event, Spring Fling, to install an Artist-in-Residence for the duration of the Festival.

And this year they have chosen me!

So from September 23rd to October 2nd, I will be taking photos of residents, visitors and attending authors – in fact anyone who will allow me to point my camera at them.

I’ve been given a space in "The Hut" behind ReadingLasses café and bookshop, where I will be printing out the photos and pinning them to the walls. As the festival progresses, so the room should fill up with faces.

Unlike my participation in Spring Fling back in May, I won’t be confining myself to a studio space to take the photos, but will also be out and about on the street and venues, photographing whoever I can, and hopefully engaging in conversation with people about what I’m up to, and what books they are reading. Indeed, my hope is to be able to scribble on the photo of most faces going up on the wall, "Currently reading…" or "Favourite genre..." My guess is there will be very few people who will conform to stereotype.

It’s going to take a fair amount of planning to ensure I can fit in taking photos, editing, printing and pinning them to the wall, as well as attending events, having The Hut open for a couple of hours each day, and finding time for an afternoon nap...

It’s also going to be something of a psychological trial, as I will have to overcome a natural reluctance to go up to complete strangers and ask if they mind having their photo taken.

Scary?

Of course.

Challenging?

Without doubt.

Exciting?

Absolutely.

For a copy of the Wigtown Book Festival brochure, which includes a list of all the events, the times and the venues, either click on the following link or right-click and select “Save link as…” to download it to your own computer:
http://www.wigtownbookfestival.com/pdfs/WigtownBookFestival2011.pdf

Cover Art - Prole Issue 5

2011-08-08T23:30:00.000+01:00

Towards the end of last year, the poetry and prose magazine, Prole, used one of my images for their cover of Issue 3 (see - "Cover Art on Prole Magazine")

Well, they've done it again, and chosen another of my photos for Issue 5. This time they've gone for one of my more iconic images, that of my friend and poet, David Mark Williams.

If you fancy submitting your own writings for consideration in the magazine, then you'll find their submissions page here - http://www.prolebooks.co.uk/page3.html

Building and Burning The Wickerman 2011

2011-08-01T19:53:00.001+01:00

The Wickerman Festival is not on the same scale as T in the Park (Scotland's most famous music festival), but it does have 2 distinct advantages over other, larger music festivals. The first is it’s less than 15 miles away, and the second is it has a giant willow sculpture that goes up in flames at midnight on the Saturday.

And it is damned impressive both before and after it does.

Because I know Trevor Leat, one of the sculptors of The Wickerman (built by leatrigg.com), last year I popped out one day during the building of it to take photos (see - Building The Wickerman), then went along to the festival and took photos of it burning down (see - Burning The Wickerman).

This year we planned it a bit more and I went out on site half a dozen times so I could create a sequence of photos showing it being built at several different stages.

The steel frame was still in place from last year’s sculpture, but they repositioned the arms, removed the bow and this year added antlers to create a stag-headed man design.

Below are a few taster photos of the complete sequence, which can be found by following the links at the end of this post to my Facebook or Flickr albums.

As always, feel free to click on any of the images for larger versions.

Starting at the bottom of last year's frame and working upwards

The arms are repositioned

The scaffolding gets higher

The brave photographer scales the scaffolding to see the head being built.

Admiring festival goers give the completed sculpture a sense of scale

One food stall taking full advantage of bonus publicity...

Going up in flames

Because of the direction of the wind, one arm and one antler remain long after the rest has burned away

Links:

The full set of images on Facebook
The full set of images on Flickr

Trevor Leat's website
Alex Rigg's website
Leat-Rigg website

Appearances...

2011-07-29T14:07:00.001+01:00

“Oh, I know who you mean,” said Maggie. “He works in the Co-op. Lovely man. Always so friendly and helpful.”

Richard is tall, covered in tattoos and has a spiked up Mohawk. At first sight you might assume he was likely to knife you if you looked at him.

And yet, everyone you talk to who knows him comments on what a lovely guy he is.

In a recent debate with the management at the Co-op store where he works, about whether his Mohawk should be flattened, such was the outcry from local residents (including many of the grannies the management feared might be intimidated by his appearance), they backed down and his spikes were allowed to remain.

I first saw Richard at the Midsummer Music Festival a few weeks ago as the new drummer for the band The Geese, and immediately started thinking he might be interesting to photograph. When a chance encounter presented itself a couple of weeks later, I asked him if he’d be up for it. The upshot of that is I now have a couple of new photos, which are among my all time favourites.

So I thought I should put them up online.

As usual, click on the for larger versions

Qiku at the Mill Sessions

2011-07-18T19:02:00.003+01:00

I have been photographing the headline performers each month for “The Mill Sessions” – a mostly acoustic venue at The Mill on the Fleet, in Gatehouse – a town about 15 miles from here (see Mill Sessions Posts).

Last week's headline performers were Qiku (pronounced kee-koo). Usually based in London, these sisters are in fact half Scottish and half Japanese. They were warm friendly and a delight to photograph.

The rain was threatening, but fortunately held off just long enough for me to get the shots.

As usual, feel free to click on any of the photos for larger version

Clare

Rosa

Qiku

They were previously part of a 5 piece band, but are now performing as just the 2 of them, which means there's virtually nothing online about them yet.

So I recorded a couple of their track using the video function on my camera. Almost all of their songs are in English, although the 2nd video here has the one song they sang in Japanese.

When they make it big, you can say you saw them here first.

For more about Qiku, visit their website here:
http://qiku.eu/
or find them on Facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/qikumusic

Photographing the Midsummer Music Festival

2011-06-22T00:43:00.001+01:00

I was invited along to the Midsummer Music Festival in the nearby town of Gatehouse of Fleet to take photos of the bands performing last weekend.

In the studio, I can interact with the sitter, ask them to move this way or that, adjust the lighting and alter the background. But when it comes to musicians on stage, I have no control over any of these things. They move about, the lighting is often poor and constantly changing, the background usually interferes rather than compliments, and when there are more than one of them on stage, they tend to either spread out – leaving huge uninteresting spaces between them – or obscure each other with bits of instruments or entire bodies.

Performance photography, then, is about as far removed from portraiture as you can get while still pointing the camera at people.

In fact it was at the Midsummer Music Festival this time last year, when at I first tried out photographing musicians on stage and discovered these difficulties. Since then I have photographed The Sex Pistols Experience and Cash From Chaos playing live, but I’m hardly a pro in this department.

Still, I have learned a few tricks over the past year. For example, taking photos from closer to the side of the stage will help bunch up spread out musicians. If you move about a bit and use a zoom lens, sometimes you can isolate the head of a singer against a less busy part of the background. And when the lighting is poor you can compensate by increasing the ISO setting on the camera. Unfortunately, this has a side effect of making the photos “noisy”. However, if you drop them into black and white and play with the contrast levels afterwards, the photos can take on a “grainy” quality, reminiscent of old music-press photos, which add mood and atmosphere.

For me, then, it seemed a reasonable exchange. I get a free pass to the event and the chance to develop my skills in this area, and the organisers get some free photos for publicity if I manage to get anything halfway decent.

I had also been asked if I could supply the local paper with any halfway decent photos for post-publicity purposes, which, if they took, would also get my name spread a little further. And while this seemed like a great idea at the time, it ended up interfering with my photography.*

For the first 2 bands on the Friday night – The Ideal Crash and Sweet Relief - I was thinking about camera angles and shots that might make a reasonable newspaper image – nothing too fancy, just something that reports what’s going on.

It was about half way through the third band – a superb group called The Inflictors – that I stopped thinking about the newspaper and started thinking about what kind of images I would like to see. And then everything changed. I started enjoying myself much more, I tuned into the rhythm and movements of the musicians so I could start to predict where they were going to be by the time I clicked the camera, and the quality of the photos improved.

By the time I was onto the 4th act, John Otway, I was in my element and I shot some of my favourite performance photos to date.

The following night I started warming up with the first guy on, Dave Sutherland; I got into my stride with Quirkus and carried that through with The Geese (now a 5 piece band – they were only a 3 piece outfit when I photographed them for their CD cover last year), again, producing photos I was dead chuffed with. However, by the time King Creosote came on stage, my CFS tapped me on the shoulder to remind me it was there and my energy deserted me. I took a few photos, but my heart was no longer in it and I had to leave before the end to ensure I could make the 15-mile drive home in safety.

Below are a handful of my favourites from the evening, but you can find the full set of 50 or so images on my Facebook or Flickr pages.

As usual, click on any of the images for larger versions.

Cameron of The Inflictors

The Inflictors

John Otway with his 2-headed guitar

John Otway

Nicola of Quirkus

Blue of Quirkus

Michelle and Richard of The Geese

Links of interest:

The complete set on
Flickr
Facebook

The Bands
Friday line up
The Ideal Crash
Sweet Relief
The Inflictors
John Otway

Saturday line up
Dave Sutherland
Quirkus
The Geese
King Creosote

* and it turned out the newspaper weren’t interested in the photos I submitted after all, because they were all black and white and the paper prefers colour images

Facing The Weekend

2011-06-05T13:02:00.000+01:00

Photo taken by Rogan

Over the next day or two I will start taking down the 130 or so photos stuck to the walls of my studio from last weekend's Spring Fling Open Studio event (see previous post).

It was a success on every level I can think of - in terms of response, feedback and keeping up my energy levels. Before I began, I thought perhaps I might be able to photograph 80 people over the 3 days. Secretly I hoped for a hundred. As I closed the door late on Monday afternoon, I had photographed over 170.

Amazingly, more than half of all the visitors who walked through the door agreed to take part. And the feedback and enthusiasm I received was wonderful.

This is what the first ones faced as they entered my studio (click on any of the images for larger versions):

KEY
1 - PHOTOS - not wanting the first visitors to face a completely empty wall, I figured having a few photos up first might help encourage people to take part. This included one my daughter, Meg; two of my son, Rogan - before and after his dramatic haircut; one of me, taken by Rogan, and 4 photos of friends who helped me 2 days before when I decided to dry-run the system - Graham, Danny, Mark and Ken. Andrew also helped, but the printer started playing up so I didn't get a photo of him up until later.

2 - REFLECTOR - the back of the reflector used to bounce a softer light on to the other side of the face - see below for more details.

3 - COMPUTER - bridging the photo between camera and printer, allowing me to convert the image to black and white and email a copy to anyone who wanted it.

4 - CHAIR - in order to minimise energy expenditure, I spent most of the weekend sitting down.

5 - OLD PRINTER - ready as back-up in case the new one failed. After all the hassle I'd had with it on the dry-run, when I discovered the new printer would only use the black ink cartridge if I lied to it, I thought it was wise to have one in reserve. Fortunately I didn't need it.

6 - STACK OF BLACK INK CARTRIDGES - I had no idea how many I would need. In the end, I only used about half the number I bought.

7 - OLD LAPTOP - used for displaying a slideshow of photos. However, it became clear quite quickly that no one was bothering with it - partly because it was too low down to see, but as there was no room anywhere to put it at a higher level, we didn't use it on Sunday or Monday.

8 - STEPLADDER - used as a seat for my assistant (my wonderful friend Mark, until about 3.30pm on Saturday, and Rogan the rest of the weekend), or for sticking the photos on the higher parts of the wall.

9 - CUPBOARD - stuffed full of miscellany not intended for display, so hidden behind the assistant/stepladder.

10 - TABLE WITH FORMS - so I could use the photos of the people, I had a Model Release Form for each of them to sign. It's a legal grey area, so this covered my butt. It also allowed people to leave their email address if they wanted more information about the book I'm going to create (see further down the page).

11 - VISITOR COMMENTS BOOK - and a bowl of sweets to encourage people to leave nice comments. However, only 16 visitors left a comment in it, and one of those was my daughter.

THE PHOTOGRAPHY AREA

Those who got their photograph taken would sit in the chair with their body facing the window, which acted as the main light source, then they would turn their head back to me and look into the camera. The textured backdrop worked as a background more interesting than white and not as ink-heavy to print as black. The reflector cast a softer light on the other side of their face, lifting it out of the shadows.

This set up allowed me to be at the right height to photograph them while sitting in my chair, and it removed the need for lights, which would have taken up more room and run the risk of getting knocked over, or bulbs burning out.

It was all about trying to keep things as simple as possible.

Below are a couple of photos of the studio after the weekend, with all the photos on the walls.

The exhibition was intereactive and grew as the weekend progressed. At 5.30pm on Monday, it was all over. However, this is not the end.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be putting all the images into a book called "Facing The Weekend", which I'll be publishing on Blurb.com for anyone who's interested. More on that when it's complete.

2011-05-23T10:57:00.000+01:00

Most of my energy lately has been taken up with preparation for this coming weekend’s Spring Fling Open Studio Event

For 3 days (28th-30th May), along with more than 80 other artists and makers across SW Scotland, I will be opening my doors to visitors.

To make a more interactive event out of it, I will be taking photos of anyone interested, printing them out and pinning them to the wall. As the weekend progresses, the walls of my studio should steadily fill up with images of the visitors.

In order to survive 3 days of intensive interaction, I am trying to create a system to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible – from getting people to sign a model release form (so I can use the images in a book of the event later), through to sitting and posing, taking the photo, printing it, emailing it to anyone who wants a copy and pinning it to the wall. All this needs to be done within a few minutes per person.

If, for example, I take 15 minutes per person, then I can only do a maximum of 4 per hour, even at the busiest times. What I want to do is streamline it so I can get up to 10 per hour. Not every hour of the weekend will be packed, but going from previous experiences of Maggie opening up for Spring Fling, at it’s busiest, you can have up to 40 people or more in an hour poking their heads into the studio, and I want to miss as few people as possible.

My biggest hair-pulling frustration at the moment is the printer. I bought a new one especially for the event. It even has a wi-fi option so I don’t have to connect cables to it. However, for some bizarre reason it won’t print black and white photos using the black ink cartridge only – it insists on using some of the colour inks too (thereby increasing the ink cost). It also only has one photo-printing setting – highest resolution, maximum ink and soooo slow to print an A4 sheet (approx 30cm x 21cm).

Hewlett Packard – you suck!

The style of portrait I’m going to shoot will just be head and shoulders. A light background doesn’t go with the mood I’m want to create with the images, so my original plan was to use a black backdrop. However, given the ink problems in particular, a completely black background would have me changing the cartridges in the printer every 5 photos.

I figured a textured background would be better and could add an extra level of interest, so yesterday Maggie and I went in search of some material. Unfortunately, almost every material available had a regular pattern and I wanted something a bit more random.

Luckily Maggie spotted one my eyes had skimmed right over. The reason I hadn’t registered it was because it was purple – not a colour I would use in a colour portrait. However, as Maggie pointed out, I’m doing black and white portraits, so the colour is irrelevant.

Below is a test shot I took of my son, Rogan, using the set up I plan on using throughout the weekend.

Original with dodgy colour scheme

Cropped and converted to black and white

If you’re in the region this weekend, do come along and get your photo added to the wall.

View Larger Map

Cash From Chaos

2011-05-08T14:25:00.002+01:00

When my son, Rogan, and I went to the Scottish Tattoo Convention in Edinburgh 6 weeks ago, we got in courtesy of Skid, the lead singer in the punk band, Cash From Chaos.

We first met Skid and his band last November at the Sex Pistols Experience gig in Bathgate. They were playing again at the Tattoo Convention, so I took a few photos.

The light was low which meant I had to have a high ISO setting. What that means, for those who don’t know, is it allows you to take photos is lower light without so much blurring of movement, but the downside is the images get “grainier”.

For photographing a punk band, however, this isn’t such a handicap, as it just makes the images look a bit grungier and more fitting.

Below are a few photos – the rest can be found in my Flickr and Facebook pages

Skid

The Band

Lizzie the drummer

When someone with big hair stands in front...

A wide variety of audience members

As always, feel free to click on any of the images for a larger version

Links:
The full set on Facebook
The full set on Flickr
Cash From Chaos website

Farino at The Mill Sessions

2011-04-23T10:19:00.004+01:00

The 4th of the Mill Sessions this year took place on Wednesday, and this time featured accoustic guitar duo, "Farino".

As with previous sessions (see Sean Taylor, Beth Fouracre and Becc Sanderson & Graeme Stephen), I was given time to get some photos of them before the gig started.

Unlike previous sessions, however, the seasons have moved on, and it is now light in the early evenings. Additionally, with The Mill on the Fleet open again for the tourist season, the empty gallery space I used for the last 3 photo sessions is no longer available.

So I turned up early to try and find another possible area. After searching inside and out, I was directed to a closed off, derelict part of the complex, which had plenty of space and light.

Guitar duo, Farino

There was also a great old weathered area of wall that added a wonderful texture in the background for close-up portraits

Graeme Wrightson

John Shepherd

Farino

When we were heading back over to the main building, I realised we were in the "golden hour" where photography is concerned - when the sun is low in the sky, giving everything a golden hue.

Sunlit

Like last time with Becc Sanderson, I recorded one of their songs on my camera. It was a close run thing - the memory card would have run out if it had gone on for another 15 seconds.

If for any reason the video isn't showing above, you might need to click on this link:
http://youtu.be/svw-f0se0LI

I should also mention the support act, warming up and getting everyone in the mood, was talented local singer-songwriter Marcus S Wright, and I also managed to squeeze a quick photo session in with him too.

Marcus S Wright

The room was packed, and the atmosphere and playing were superb. It was a great evening.

You can hear more of Farino's music on their MySpace page, here
And Marcus's music can be found on his MySpace page, here

Scottish Tattoo Convention 2011 at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange

2011-04-02T19:09:00.001+01:00

When Skid (the lead singer from Cash From Chaos) asked if I’d be interested in attending the Scottish Tattoo Convention in Edinburgh, I knew it was too good an opportunity to miss.

As a portrait photographer, I love faces and the way people inhabit them, so to get the chance to go to a place where many would also be highly decorated with tattoos, piercings and more unusual hairstyles, was a dream.

Of course I had to overcome an extreme reluctance to ask complete strangers if they would mind having their photo taken – normally people come to me, not the other way round – but as it turned out, not a single person refused or even seemed the slightest bit irritated.

The experience was about as far removed from normal portrait photography, as it was possible to get.

Usually when I photograph someone, I spend time with them to establish a rapport and trust. I arrange the background so it’s uncluttered, and the lighting to help generate the mood I’m after. I take many shots, showing them as I go, so we can work together towards achieving an image we are both going to be really happy with.

At the Tattoo Convention, however, I could do none of these things. The backgrounds were busy from any direction; the lighting was very low and mostly coming from straight above, so cast dark shadows over the eyes; and I only had 30 seconds to a minute with them to try and get something worthwhile.

Because I handed a business card to nearly everyone I photographed, and told them if they contacted me I would send them a copy of the photo, it meant the challenge was immense.

I have spent most of the past week working on the best of the photos, making adjustments to compensate for the poor lighting and background conditions.

Finally I have a collection I’m ok about displaying. Below are a small handful. The rest can be found on my Flickr Account, or on my Facebook Photography page

As always, you can click on the images for larger versions

David - the very first person I asked to photograph

This guy was getting an eagle head tattooed on his neck

Laura had problems keeping a straight face

Originally from Borneo, this guy does traditional tattooing by hand - not an electrical appliance in sight. A much slower process and certainly not for faint hearted

Sakura's "horns" are silican implants. Despite appearances, she was a very warm and friendly person to chat to

Nonchalant expression. To look at her you might be forgiven for thinking she was being drawn on in felt pen rather than having a needle jabbed thousands of times into her thigh.

Becc Sanderson & Graeme Stephen at The Mill Sessions

2011-03-25T00:05:00.000Z

The 3rd of The Mill Sessions was last week, and this time featured jazz singer, Becc Sanderson with guitarist Graeme Stephen. As before (see Beth Fouracre at the Mill Sessions and Sean Taylor and the Mill Sessions), time was set aside for me to take photos.

Both were quite relaxed in front of the camera, but Becc knew how to play to it - which was fun for me, as usually I have to spend quite a bit of time getting people to a point where they stop looking like a rabbit in the headlights.

As usual, click on any of the images for a larger version.

Graeme and Becc

Jazz guitarist, Graeme Stephen

Becc Sanderson relaxed in front of the camera

Taking this photo I was practically lying on the floor on my back to get the angle I wanted.

In every photo session, there's always a time when the person cannot keep a straight face.

Becc's dress, by the way, is a genuine vintage from the 1950s.

I am a photographer, and not a film maker. However, the camera I have does have quite a good movie capability on it, so I recorded one of the songs to give you a taster. This is "Cry Me a River". I especially love the breathy quality as she begins to sing.

If you're up in Scotland for the Edinburgh Festival this summer, then do keep an eye out for Becc who has is doing a show this year.

Meanwhile if you would like to experience more of Becc's singing, then visit her MySpace page, here. And you can discover more about Graeme on his website, here.

Tawona and Ernest - Seeds of Thought

2011-03-02T18:15:00.002Z

Continuing the arrangement with The Bakehouse, in Gatehouse of Fleet (you might remember me writing about it when I photographed Bashabi a few weeks ago), on Saturday past I was invited to photograph guest poet, Tawona Sithole, and his brother, Ernest.

The brothers are based in Glasgow, though they’re originally from Zimbabwe. Along with artist, Tarneem Al Mousawi, they founded a group called "Seeds of Thought" combining poetry, music and art.

They took to the camera well, quite quickly overcoming any apprehension.

Although, they didn’t always find it easy to keep a straight face

They also play mbira (sometimes known as a thumb piano), which has quite an amazing sound.

Between The Bakehouse and The Mill Sessions, I’m getting to meet some really interesting people. It’s just as shame I only get to spend an hour with them.

For those on Facebook, you can find more out about Seeds of Thought here:
http://www.facebook.com/seedsofthoughtglasgow

Beth Fouracre at the Mill Sessions

2011-02-12T19:28:00.001Z

The 2nd of this year’s Mill Sessions was on Thursday past, this time featuring singer-songwriter, Beth Fouracre. As before, a bit of time was set aside for me to take her portrait to build up images for The Mill, and my own portfolio.

Although she was a bit uncertain to begin with, it didn’t take long for her to relax and quite quickly she connected with the camera.

Unlike Sean Taylor’s request for Dark and Moody (see Sean Taylor and The Mill Sessions), Beth wanted a slightly lighter mood.

In fact, I have a whole folder full of blurred images where she found it impossible to keep a straight face and collapsed into laughter.

I’d decided the “house style” for the Mill Sessions would be black and white with a hint (18%) of sepia overlay. However, I have to say on only the 2nd photo shoot I found myself quite torn. What doesn’t come out in black and white is the fact Beth had vivid red hair, which really was quite wonderful.

Eventually I decided I would stick to my original idea, but here’s one to show you what I mean.

Until the evenings get lighter, I'm limited with the space and lighting I can use for these photo sessions. I have to bring along one of my lights and a reflector and I can use a room in the Mill that's currently empty, but only until it opens up again for the tourist season.

Light with umbrella diffuser - Beth - reflector, side on

As usual, click on any of the images for larger versions.

For those interested in her music, and Beth really does have a lovely voice, then you can hear some of here songs on MySpace, here:
http://www.myspace.com/bethfouracre/music

Sean Taylor and the Mill Sessions

2011-02-01T12:30:00.002Z

As well as hosting my Staring Back exhibition, last year the Mill on the Fleet (in the nearby town of Gatehouse of Fleet) trialled the idea of becoming a venue for small, acoustic performances by local and up and coming artists, using the space in one of its galleries. It went well and plans to have monthly sessions are now underway, collectively known as The Mill Sessions.

In a similar vein to my arrangement with The Bakehouse (see last post), I will now be taking photos of guest artists prior to their performances to build up a “hall of fame” collection.

On Saturday, fresh from his concert at Celtic Connections and interview on the Bob Harris Radio 2 show, was Sean Taylor, an amazing bluesy singer and guitarist. His live performance at the Mill was superb.

A day or 2 before he came down I spoke to him on the phone to see if there was a particular style he fancied when we did the photo session. “Dark and moody” was his instant reply. This suited me fine – I like dark and moody.

As usual, click on any of the images for larger versions

You can hear songs from his album, Walk With Me, on his website. My personal favourite is “Hold On”

Life behind the eyes

2011-01-28T09:47:00.000Z

Far too much portrait photography is little more than product photography featuring people instead of objects. Just like photographing a pewter plate, a necklace or a dressing gown, the idea is to create an image of the best achievable version of the subject. And any flaws still there after lighting the product as perfectly as possible, can be conveniently removed afterwards in the digital editing process.

This is why there are so many complete make-over and photo sessions around (do your hair, make-up and soft lighting), and why every model on every magazine cover now looks like a computer-generated, plastic doll.

What all these things lack is a real, human, emotional connection with the viewer. I find them flat, boring and, ultimately, sad.

However, getting someone to relax with you, trust you and buy into your vision as a photographer looking for something deeper, is no easy thing. Fears, insecurities and reservations all have to be overcome in a very short space of time. Months of psychotherapy are not available: at best I have a couple of hours.

Last weekend I had less than one hour to photograph Dr Bashabi Fraser before The Bakehouse event, at which she was the guest author.

I’ve begun an arrangement with The Bakehouse, where I will be taking portraits of their guest poets/authors/performers before the events, and over time this will build up a collection of images for a “Hall of Fame” for the venue, while it gives me the opportunity to photograph people who invariably have an interesting background and/or take on life.

Bashabi was the first of these and, given the time constraints and less control over the lighting arrangement than I would have in my own studio, it’s fair to say I was feeling the pressure.

Fortunately all my instincts and experience kicked in at the right time, and although I over ran a little, everyone felt it had gone well.

Rather than a bland, plastic, soulless portrait, I hope this hints at the intelligent, fascinating person she is.

(Click on the image for a larger version)

The Geese - CD Cover

2010-12-16T18:45:00.002Z

The Geese are a local 3-piece “Indy-folk” band, with Alan on lead vocals and guitar (usually), Michelle on fiddle (mostly), and Harry on banjo (pretty much always).

Alan is one of these people I kept sort of half meeting on and off over a few years. Enough times to think, “he looks familiar” when our paths crossed, but not quite enough to remember his name.

A little over a year ago, I started seeing his band playing here and there, and discovered he was working on placement as a teacher at my daughter’s school, so thought I should make more effort to properly establish a connection. I consciously started making a point of saying hello when we were in the same places and loitering nearby in the hope of someone mentioning his name out loud.

Eventually it paid off and I felt quite pleased the first time I was able to say, “Hi Alan,” as my opening words to him.

Earlier this year when I realised I needed faces to photograph for my Staring Back exhibition, I asked him if I could do some shots of him and the band and in return, if any of them worked out, they could use them for publicity.

I took quite a few, although eventually the stand-out shot for me was one of Michelle, Alan’s wife and fiddle player of the trio. This found its way into the exhibition and, more recently, on to the cover of Prole magazine.

However, the other shots didn’t go to waste, and this month The Geese have brought out a 5 track EP on CD called, Cursory Rhymes One of my photos adorns the sleeve, with another on the back and the CD label.

My favourite track is the first one, Ariel, which opens with the wonderful line, "It was a dark and stormy night. I’m sorry, but it was." Alan is also a Storyteller and poet, so his attention to lyrics construction always makes for fun listening.

I did ask if it’s possible to buy the CD online, but at the point of writing the only options are to either turn up to one of their gigs with £5 at the ready, or to contact him through his MySpace page and in return for a cheque he’ll post one out to you.

Here’s a version of their track, Undiscovered Scotland, which will give you a bit of a flavour of their music, although Michelle is running a piece of pipe over a ridged metal thing rather than playing the fiddle.

I'm not sure if this will work in all browsers - I've just cut and pasted the code from MySpace.

However, more about The Geese and their music can be found here:
http://www.myspace.com/alanmcclure

Cover Art on Prole Magazine

2010-12-07T12:06:00.002Z

Prole is a magazine publishing prose and poetry, where the aim is that all submissions are high quality and accessible.

I have to confess I rather enjoy the statement on their website, “Anything that sniffs of literary elitism is highly unlikely to make it through the editorial process […] Obscure references and highly stylised structures and forms that exist only to aggrandise the writer and appeal to the coffee lounges of our older universities are not welcome.”

And what I particularly like about Prole is they have used one of my images for the cover of Issue 3.

It seems they found me via a blogger friend of mine, Mary, and after a few email exchanges we decided to go for a closely cropped, black and white version of my photo “Michelle”, which originally appeared in my Staring Back exhibition last May.

You can buy printed copies or PDF downloads of Prole.

And if you take out a subscription they like you very much.

Prole Home Page
Prole Submissions Page

December Song

2010-12-02T12:50:00.001Z

Jim Hamilton has released a single, “December Song”, in time to try and grab that Christmas Number 1 slot. His name might not be that familiar to most of you, but back in the 70s he was signed to EMI, toured extensively round Europe, and even had a Number 1 hit in Denmark with “Rock n’ Roll Marionette”.

So why am I mentioning this?

Well, Jim Hamilton is also the father of Richie, the lead guitarist in a fledgling band I’m in (we meet once a week on a Tuesday evening and are still working on what songs we want to play. We’re also looking for a drummer/percussionist who lives locally and ideally has a space we can practice in if you’re interested/know anyone).

Last week Jim and Richie came round for a photo session, giving me the chance to try out the new studio space. Jim’s a warm and friendly guy – the kind who shows interest, and makes you feel good about yourself. A fun time was had by all, especially when the sun came out and they discovered the venetian-blind effect.

One or two of my photos from that session are getting used in the publicity for the single, so if it goes truly viral and takes over the world, it will look good on my CV/résumé. So if you're feeling supportive...

You can download “December Song” at cdbaby, iTunes and other such sites:
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/JimHamilton1
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/december-song-single/id407350576

You can view the YouTube video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWVsv3qcXT0

You can add the "Jim Hamilton for UK Christmas Number 1" Facebook page to your “likes” here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim-Hamilton-for-UK-Christmas-Number-1/144277205623721

And here are a handful of photos I took that morning.

Jim Hamilton

Richie Hamilton

Father and Son

The photographer having fun

The Sex Pistols Experience

2010-11-30T08:55:00.001Z

I am an anti-christ
I am an anarchist
Don't know what I want but
I know how to get it
I wanna destroy passer by
Cos I...
Wanna be...
Anarchy!

Just over a week ago my son, Rogan, and I were up in Bathgate, Central Scotland, backstage with The Sex Pistols Experience - a tribute band to perhaps the most well known of all punk rockers.

Rogan with "Paul Crook", "Steve Clones", "Johnny Rotter" and "Kid Vicious"

As Dave, the drummer and founder of the group was keen to point out, the difference with a “tribute” band over a “cover” band is the effort is made to perform in the style of the characters of the original group as well as the music.

I’d noticed this when we saw them back at the Wickerman Festival in July (see Burning the Wickerman). We’d been impressed not just by the quality of the playing, but by the theatre of their performances – swearing at each other, goading the audience and the attention to detail in their clothes and sneers.

Dave had found my photos on the web and, as the band had recently acquired a new guitarist, and most of their photos featured the previous guy, he wondered if I’d be ok if they could use my images on their website and poster in exchange for being credited and a link to my website.

After a few email exchanges with images attached, I suggested next time they were in Scotland they should let me know and I could take some proper photos of them. And so it was, in the middle of November, Rogan and I found ourselves invited to join them in Bathgate.

The backstage area given over to them turned out to be a barber's shop just round the corner from the gig (owned and run by Skid, the lead singer in the support band, Cash from Chaos), as the only available space at the venue was too small to fit everyone in. It was warm, dry and had mirrors so was ideal.

Relaxing before the gig

Getting the expressions right

No holding back

Faithful renditions

I don’t know if I should say they’re a great bunch of guys, as that might appear to undermine their stage personas, but we had a wonderful time. And for a brief moment, at least, I think I managed a small amount of “cool dad” in the eyes of my son for taking him along.

I took quite a few more photos both backstage and at the gig, the best of which can be found on my Flickr account, here, or my Facebook page, here.

Photos in "Woodlanders"

2010-11-16T10:01:00.001Z

.
Woods and forests are magical locations - places of mystery and faerie tales; wildlife and free food; pleasant walks and sustainable resources.

“Woodlanders” is a new book all about life in Britain’s forests, with writings and photos about the use of wood in ancient and new eco-buildings, the people who live and work with wood, and the community projects replanting native species and introducing new generations to the wonders of the woodlands.

With sections on everything from craft workers to compost toilets and even a recipe on birch sap wine, it’s the kind of book that makes you want to surround yourself with trees and breathe in moss, leaves sweet sap.

Featured in this book (pages 150-154) is an article about willow sculptor, Trevor Leat, whose amazing creations I’ve photographed several times (see Burns Light Festival and Wickerman posts, for example). And to accompany the article I was asked if some of my photos could be used.

Although you have to search through the small print of the Acknowledgements at the back to find my name, it is there, meaning I’ve not only had my images in magazines, I’ve now got some in a book that wasn’t even produced by me. Which is rather nice.

For anyone interested, it can be found on Amazon here.

Or for a peek at some of the pages and an interview with the editor, visit the publisher's pages here.

.

Spring Fling 2011

2010-10-26T17:24:00.000+01:00

Spring Fling is an annual event in SW Scotland where, over the last weekend in May, artists across the region open their doors to the public.

My wife, Maggie, has been in it for the past 3 years, but this coming May I will be too.

Maggie recently took on a her new studio space in Kirkcudbright, so her previous workspace, the front room of our house, has been freed up for me to develop a wee photographic studio of my own, so I started thinking about whether it might be possible for me to get involved in Spring Fling myself.

Getting into Spring Fling is not a given - there is a selection process. But following the success of my exhibition earlier this year (see Staring Back), I thought it had to be worth a go.

However, rather than just have another exhibition layout, I thought it would be fun to create a sort of art installation event.

The idea then, is across the Spring Fling weekend, anyone who comes in will be invited to have their photo taken, which will be printed out and pinned to the wall. Over the course of the three days the walls will steadily fill with a wide variety of faces and expressions, as the visitors become the exhibition.

I’ve worked out how to connect the camera to the laptop so the screen effectively becomes the viewfinder and the computer becomes the memory card. This should mean that if I connect a printer as well, it will be a relatively fast turnaround time to go from camera click to printed photo. If people want, I can always print 2 copies – one to stick on the wall and one for them to buy and take away with them.

At the end of the weekend, I will put the best images into a book, similar to the one I did for the Staring Back exhibition, which will be available for anyone involved or interested.

If the visitor numbers even vaguely approach the levels Maggie’s had over the past few years then I could have several hundred people through over the weekend, although I’m assuming only a percentage of them will actually want their photo taken.

So if you're about in SW Scotland next May, make sure you come along and become a part of the exhibition.

Burning the Wickerman

2010-07-29T19:31:00.001+01:00

.
My son, Rogan, suddenly found a signal on his mobile phone. Thumbs moving close to the speed of light he updated his Facebook status.

“Right beside the Wickerman. Gonna go up in flames in a matter of minutes. Dad knows guy who makes Wickerman”

---

I’m too old for festivals.

I’m too squeamish to go near festival toilets.

I’m not used to the idea that not just my ribcage, but even my kneecaps could vibrate because of the sheer force of the sound coming out of the speakers.

I have to admit, if it wasn’t for the fact I’d got free passes for me and Rogan because I was accompanying Tony Bonning in the children’s tent with my bouzouki, then I probably would not have chosen to spend my weekend at the Wickerman Festival.

However, standing only a few metres from the 30-foot high willow sculpture as it was lit at midnight made up for everything, both for me and Rogan. The rest of the festival goers, including all the press photographers were much further back, with marshals ensuring no one could get too close.

Trevor, one of the builders of the Wickerman (see - Building the Wickerman) managed to get us in with him when he went up to light it. Apart from his partner, and the guy in charge of the accompanying firework display, the only other person allowed up there was a woman who had won a competition to be the one to set fire to the Wickerman.

Once the flames started to lick around the base of the legs, we headed down the field to get enough distance to be able to watch it go up in a blaze of glory with the fireworks exploding behind and above it.

It was all over in about 15 minutes, but they were a spectacular 15 minutes and my finger didn’t stop clicking the camera the entire time. For some reason it stirs something deeply primal watching a huge figure going up in flames.

Below are a small handful of images from the Festival, but there are plenty more at my recently created Flickr account and can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30923607@N07/sets/72157624579088912/

Rogan with the Wickerman in the background

The Sex Pistols Experience tribute band - pure theatre as they swore at each other and goaded the audience. Better musicians than the originals too.

Trevor prepares the base of the Wickerman with a last coating of straw

Heading up with the lighted torch ready to set fire to the Wickerman

Fireworks as the Wickerman blazes

Soon little more than the steel frame remains

.

Building the Wickerman

2010-07-17T19:26:00.003+01:00

It might be the middle of July but with a damp wind blowing in from the sea at a strength to make the whole structure noticeably sway it feels more like November. I zip my coat up and pull my woolly hat down over my head as far as I can to offer some protection for my ears and neck.

I’m 30 feet off the ground chatting to Trevor Leat who, along with his construction partner, Alex Rigg, is in the final stages of several weeks of work building a giant figure in willow. The entire thing will be burned at midnight on Saturday 24th July as the culmination of The Wickerman Festival, held every year in this corner of South West Scotland.

Not on the scale of Glastonbury or Scotland’s T in the Park, The Wickerman doesn’t attract quite the same headline bands. While I have at least heard of The Charlatans, many of the acts I haven’t, and I don’t think it’s just because of my age. I can’t imagine U2, Coldplay or Eminem playing here. However, I'm told by some who regularly go this makes it more intimate and accessible than many of the bigger festivals.

By contrast, earlier in the week the tickets for next year’s T in the Park went on sale. As they have a habit of selling out within hours, I was under strict instructions from my stepdaughter to be sitting at my computer at 9am with my credit card ready to buy 2 tickets. One for her and one for my son, Rogan, who will be 16 by then. At £200 each, I’m hoping it’s not too long before they can pay me back. Mind you, if they don’t, then I’ll be able to sell them for more than twice the price nearer the date of the event.

Oddly enough I’ve never been to a Festival before. For some reason these cultural experiences seem to have passed me by even though everyone I’ve ever met has been to at least one. However, I will be attending this one.

Storyteller and children’s entertainer, Tony Bonning, has asked me to accompany him on my bouzouki & mandolin in the Children’s tent. In return Rogan and I get weekend “artists” passes to what will be the first Festival we’ve both been to.

I find I’m more excited at the photographic opportunities than I am about the music and other events.

And with the chance to photograph the Wickerman as it goes up in flames, I thought it would be good to get some “before” shots while it was still under construction.

Fortunately I’ve known Trevor for a few years as he plays the fiddle at some of the folk sessions I go along to, and last year I photographed him and Alex building and setting fire to the Willow Tam O’Shanter in Dumfries as part of the Burns Light Festival.

There’s no doubt it’s seriously impressive up close, just as it is at a distance, and I feel privileged to see and touch this amazing creation right up at shoulder and head height.

Fortunately I remember not to ask him how he feels about several weeks’ worth of work going up in flames as he’d be likely to throw me off the top of the scaffolding. It’s one of Trevor's most hated questions because it’s the one everyone asks, and few seem to understand that the whole point of building these giant willow sculptures is their fleeting life and dramatic exit.

Click on any of the images for larger versions

Photos in BBC Countryfile Magazine

2010-05-17T19:09:00.004+01:00

In the May 2010 edition of the BBC Magazine, Countryfile - based on the TV show of the same name - willow sculptor, Trevor Leat, is featured in an article.

They wanted some photos to accompany the write-up so looked to his website. Several of the images they thought had potential were ones I'd taken, so they contacted me for high resolution, print quality copies. I wasn't going to get paid, but I would get a credit.*

This all happened a couple of months ago, around the time I was asked to do the exhibtion at the Mill on the Fleet, so I'd forgotten all about it. Maggie hadn't though, and found the article today when she picked a copy of the magazine off the shelf.

The full page and the small black and white images were taken when Trevor was building the Tam O'Shanter scultpture that was set fire to at the Burns Light Festival in January 2009.

You can click on the image for a larger, just about readable, version, or head to your local newsagent for a copy if you're interested.

*And they even spelt my name correctly

Staring Back

2010-05-02T18:03:00.001+01:00

The launch of the exhibition, Staring Back, took place on Saturday, barely 10 weeks after I was called by The Mill on the Fleet and offered the opportunity to put on a show of my portrait photography.

Photos courtesy of my son, Rogan, who enjoyed being the official photographer for the event.

24 images of people staring intensely into the camera, and thus at the viewers, seems to have gone down well, and I received overwhelmingly positive feedback from everyone I spoke to.

Of course I knew nearly everyone I spoke to, so there’s no guarantee the wider public will be anything like as enthusiastic or tactful.

However, it was a good afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed being the centre of attention and lavished with praise.

I could get used to this…

I’ve had many comments from bloggers, friends and relatives who have said they would love to have seen the exhibition but lived too far away to be able to attend.

This set me thinking about the possibility of creating a book of the event.

I already had all the images in digital format, as well as writings to go with each of the photos.

So using Blurb.com, an online print-on-demand service specifically set up to create photo-books, I put this one together

Staring Back by Kim Ayres | BOOK INFO

I ordered a copy a couple of weeks ago and fortunately it arrived in time for the exhibition. And I have to say I’m very impressed with the quality. I paid the extra couple of pounds to have the thicker paper and it was well worth it.

Unfortunately, the unit price on these things is not cheap, so it is more expensive than an equivalent book you might buy in a store or on Amazon. However, the real advantage is I haven’t had to fork out thousands of pounds in advance to be left with boxes of unsold books. They only print copies when someone orders them, and they are delivered right to your door.

The book is 10x8 inches in landscape format. The postage fee is the same whether you order 1 or 5, and if you order 10 or more in one go (if you’re wealthy and want to treat all your friends and relatives) then I think there’s a 10% discount.

So if you would like a copy of the book, visit
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1314623 with your credit card, or click on the widget above.

And to whet your appetite further, I put together a wee video of it

Stephan Whitlan

2009-11-22T20:37:00.004Z

Musician Stephan Whitlan has released a new CD called Triangulation

In the CD sleeve insert he has used a photo I took of him in back in August.

William Neal

2009-10-22T20:03:00.000+01:00

During the summer, I took a series of photos for William Neal, an artist based out in Wigtown, SW Scotland. For many years he’s painted landscapes of Galloway, but more recently he’s moved into creating large abstract artworks, full of light, texture and colour, but completely flat and smooth.

He was after some updated portraits and new images of his studio, so I was out there last week clicking away.

Part of his fascinating and varied background includes his association with prog-rock giants, Emerson Lake and Palmer, for whom he created the album covers for 'Tarkus' and 'Pictures at an Exhibition'

As we were coming towards the end of the session he mentioned an idea he’d had for a while about having a photo of him sitting outside at his easel, looking like a typical landscape artist, yet having one of his abstract works in front of him. That sounded like too much fun to miss, so we loaded bits and pieces into his car and went down to the harbour. We may have run well over time, but he did make me some rather nice sandwiches for lunch.

Following his direction with regard to colouring and the addition of a full moon he decided to use this image on the front page of his website:

However, to accompany his latest exhibition, Sylvan Droplet Variation, he also created a CD of music with musician Neil Williams. The Artist's photo he decided to use on the sleeve insert was one I took during the shoot of him holding his cat.

I have lot of fun taking photos, and I have just as much fun editing and playing with them in Photoshop. But the best aspect of this job is meeting people and finding out more about their lives, their passions and their world views.

Photos in DG Life Magazine

2009-10-02T19:06:00.000+01:00

“Have you seen the photos yet?” asked Jools when we bumped into her on the street on the way back from collecting Meg’s new glasses from the optician.

“What photos?” Then I remembered. “Have they been published?”

“October’s edition of DG Life. They look good. Better go and get yourself a copy.”

Her voice faded into the distance as I grabbed Meg’s hand and charged off in the direction of the nearest newsagent.

DG Life… DG Life… DG life… “Found it!” said Meg.

And there they were, on page 66 of the October edition

Dumfries and Galloway Life did an article on The Orchard and Wild Harvest Project run by South West Community Woodlands Trust. The project itself is about planting wild fruit and nut trees wherever possible – along cycle and walking routes, school grounds and anywhere else that seems like a possibility (click on the image above for a full sized photo where you can actually read the article if you want).

South West Community Woodlands Trust is based in SW Scotland. Earlier in the year I helped design and build their website, and trained one of the members in how to maintain and update it – see swcwt.org

Jools Cox, who runs SWCWT asked if I would take some photos of children planting trees for the article she knew was being written, promising I would get full credit for any images used. I’d taken scores of images, then whittled them down to the best dozen or so, which I then edited and tidied up before putting them on a disc her. In the end they used 3 of them.

With all that’s been ongoing of late, I’d pretty much forgotten all about it. So it was wonderful to see the all-important, “Photography by Kim Ayres” sitting right there on the page.

They'd even spelled my name right.

Burns Light Festival in Dumfries

2009-01-26T19:15:00.000Z

January 25th is celebrated in Scotland in honour of Robert Burns the national poet, and this year was the 250th anniversary of The Bard’s birth.

Dumfries, home of Rabbie for the last 5 years or so of his life, decided on a major celebration in the town and announced the Burns Light Festival, which would include thousands of people carrying lanterns through the town, live bands, an address from the First Minister and the burning of a giant willow figure of Tam O’Shanter (the man in the Burn’s tale, not the hat).

For several months, lantern making workshops have been going on across the region. In fact my wife, Maggie, has run about ½ a dozen of them.

Here are Maggie & Meg about to set off on the procession with the lanterns they made

Now for a candle-lit lantern procession, you need 2 things to make your lanterns light up – candles and darkness.

Yet someone, in fact many people, as there were countless committee meetings and, I guess, no decent leadership, decided in their infinite wisdom to have the lantern procession shortly after 3pm.

Even in Scotland at this time of year, the sun doesn’t set before 4.30pm.

Rumour has it they wanted the festivities over early because all the high heid yins had a fancy Burns Supper to go to later in the evening.

Also, about 10 days before the festival, someone (or several committees) decided candles in glass jars in the lanterns was a health and safety risk so thousands of glow-sticks were ordered and distributed. Unfortunately it required about 30 of these pathetic little things to equal the lighting power of one nightlight.

But hell, it was bright daylight so it made no difference anyway.

However, the burning of the willow sculpture on the River Nith, was spectacular, and at least the sun had gone down before it was set alight.

I’ve been following the progress of the sculpture, from the welding of the metal frame, through the layers being built up and the transporting it to the river, so I needed to try and find a decent spot to photograph the final burning.

I did find one, but had to stay there for a good 1½ hours to keep the spot.

For those unfamiliar with the tale of Tam O’Shanter, the sculpture depicts a moment when Tam, on his horse, Meg, is trying to escape the witch who has just grabbed hold of the horse’s tail.

Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg,
And win the key-stane o' the brig;
There at them thou thy tail may toss,
A running stream they dare na cross.
But ere the key-stane she could make,
The fient a tail she had to shake!
For Nannie, far before the rest,
Hard upon noble Maggie prest,
And flew at Tam wi' furious ettle;
But little wist she Maggie's mettle -
Ae spring brought off her master hale,
But left behind her ain gray tail;
The carlin claught her by the rump,
And left poor Maggie scarce a stump.

For the full Burns' Tales, click here: http://www.robertburns.org.uk/Assets/Poems_Songs/tamoshanter.htm where there’s also a translation for you non-Scots speakers.

Below is the moment Trevor lit the sculpture, but a full set of images from the start of the build through to the final burning of the figure, are available in the gallery on Trevor's site here:

http://www.trevorleat.co.uk/Galleries/burnslight/album/index.htm

Flares go off as it starts