Here is another Macro in the Home shot.

I have been playing with Corel Painter and the Wacom tablet and have gone over the Bear photo from the other day and made this painted version. If I can get more practice with this tablet I really think there is no limit to what can be achieved.

Scally, my friends from back home, who now lives in Brighton, has to get one of these. Bringing a Wacom tablet and him together is just meant to be, and I shudder to think of what masterpieces he could make (but at the very least when you try mine and get hooked I expect a piece for my wall!).

Here is a doodle I made playing on the tablet. Its not very good but shows even an out-of-practice illustrator can knock somethiing up, all-be-it a little macabre.

I keep screwing up my days when I am posting. I mean, how hard can it be.

It IS the 30th today, right?

New pics over at Rock Shape & Minty's at the Menagerie gives us the 'heads-up' on who is gona win at the Oscars. Way to go fellas!

I got my nice, new Wacom A4 Intuos 3 graphics tablet today. I wish I could sum up just how natty this piece of tech is. Straight out of the box it is easy to use, feels great in the hand and instantly allows you to do SO much more than a mouse. My only real worry is that if I use it too much I will lose some ability with a mouse.

To practice using the pen I have redone the bear image I took the other day. I really like this make-over with the subtle colour changes and enhanced shadows and highlights - courtesy of manually burning and dodging, which I could not have done before without masks using a mouse. See what you guys think.

I also have a new macro image here (more playing with the pen!).

I am not really sure what the new months photo theme will be. Ian if you read this and you still want to choose one let me know or, if not, I will choose something in February.

Ian (from work) and Jo had a little girl Maya last night. So from Nik and me congratulations you two, and welcome to the world Maya.

"Aren't you clever? You made a baby", Niki has just said in a baby voice, and then promptly carried on about shopping in baby GAP.Uh oh!

I think today's photo is better titled simply '...in the home' rather than 'macro...' I am really happy with this shot which is more than I can say about the last few macro photos I have taken. Then again it's no surprise. It is seldom I am truly happy with any of my work or hobbies, which are all creative.

The sign of a perfectionist or a talentless human being? Somewhere between I think, and preferably toward the former side than the later. Still, how do you judge ability? Financial success? Fame? or is it simply better to satisfy ones self? Hmm, not sure about that. Maybe it is enough to do anything (creatively) but an added bonus if it feels really satisfying to do it?

I know, I will bring it up with the guys next time we are sucking back a few 'brewskis'. That's usually when we feel we can answer all of life's questions.

Here is another shot of the sun blasting through the third bedroom's door. This one better shows the light coming through the door as it is further away, even though it is still taken with the macro lens.

A huge 'GOOD LUCK' to Jo and Ian expecting their second child. Not long now Jo and then you can have red wine again! Not long now Ian until you once again can clean industrial waste poo from you son/daughters bottom (delete as and when you know the sex). Well, should keep you out of mischief!

You can see why I can wait until I am a dad, (Actually don't say anything, but I can't - and this from the guy who never wanted to be a parent. Wow, how things change).

Considering it was so cold today with a touch of snow, here is an warm macro image of the hot sun making a knot in the wood of one of our bedroom doors glow red.

A while back Scally and I were discussing graphics tablets. He as a bloody good illustrator should have a decent one and I notice more and more areas of my work that would benefit from me getting one too (note: Look Luce, I typed the right 'too' so there!). So I have been looking into it and the front runner seems to be the Wacom Intuos3 A4 tablet at the moment. Upside is it allows for more precise control for illustrations and photo-retouching. The downside is they cost a lot of money. I must ask Scally if he ever got one.

My friends from back home are coming to stay at Castle de Stokesy. They are live in the big city so how do I keep them all amused with my simple country ways? I guess I will have to try the usual (booze!).

Ian at work is getting ready to be a father again. His wife Jo is due tomorrow, so any time now will be 'B' day. Jo, I hope he is making himself useful? Good luck with the delivery, when ever it is.

The guys at work were howling over this video at youtube of a narcoleptic dog, although second time around I felt really sorry for the dog who is now on human antidepressants!?. To go with that here is a video of a breed of goat that faints when surprised. Brilliant!

I am posting a shot I took walking back tonight. I fancied a silhouette but couldn't get one other than this photo of my street as the sun when down.

In the absence of new photos from me here are some sites sent to me by Mr Kelly, of which one is a beautiful collection of shots of homes at night, interiors, landscapes and portraits from Todd Hido and the other, a significantly more serious and disturbing collection of photos from the war torn regions of the world from James Nachtwey.

Makes you want to pack it all in and go and live on some other planet.

In honour of Bubbles, here are some of my own along with a smokin' gun. The images are actually of my glass of Jack and coke and cigar smoke blown up an old curtain rail in the garage.

Here is another shot similar to last nights. This one looks like a magic fountain as I tweaked the colour a little bit.

Ok, ok, so Bubbles (see last post) is probably a nick name, (which honestly didn't occur to me until the guys in the studio explained it to me - jesus I can be really naive), but I think it was worth posting my comments from yesterday. I just love that name.

I am typing this while watching Big Brother. I haven't watched any of the series so far, it simply is on after 'My name is Earl' tonight on one of the digital TV channels and while I am doing this web update I can't be bothered to change it. I have maintained that this is such a shit program, and it is up against some pretty strong competition, (you may guess I am not a fan of reality TV), but what I can't understand is how the program can exist with all the editing they have to do to stop any publicity or inappropriate comments coming through. I mean, is it really worth it??

Engelbert Humperdinck lives near me in Leicester. I just found out today that he has a sister and her name is Bubbles!? What IS the world coming to? This naturally had the studio in stitches.

Ok I have thought of some pretty way-out-there names. Hey, sue me, I am imaginative. But for the love of all that is good and holy. Bubbles!?

Hang on a minute. This DID come from the parents that named their son Engelbert.

That said I am sure he doesn't care being a bit of a sex symbol. Who would have thought it? Ol' Engelbert has literally thousands of woman lusting over him.

Wow, sometimes life just baffles me.

Ok apart from all this ranting, which hardly seems fair really. I mean I don't have anything to say for ages then (dear reader) you get a tirade of Bubbles and Engelbert Humperinck. God damn!

Apart from that here is another macro (well close up) in the home shot.

Wasn't the weather insane today? I was afraid that my fencing may come down and guess what? It did! Three panels came off or rather two panels came off and I removed one that was quite rotten. This was the one I had added some support to the weekend so it was nice to see it held out but it was falling to bits and would had to have gone sooner or later.

Can I also add I hope everyone is doing ok after the storms? I am not complaining over the fencing considering some people lost their lives today. To those families out there, for what its worth, my condolences.

Just a quick word concerning Hans Zimmer again. Just for the record, apparently Gladiator is commercially the most successful soundtrack to date. Wow!

Another close up from around the house here - here we get up close and personal with a pepper! Isn't it great what you can find to shoot in the house.

I was thinking about painting with light tonight but, as usual, other things got in the way. Maybe I will have more luck later in the week.

Here is another photo from my holiday as I fancied posting something other than small things from around the house. I took it near Teide against the desert terrain that looked more at home on Mars than Earth.

Here are a few more macro shots from the home. I shot this while it was tipping it down on thursday. This one I made after reading a tutorial in a photomag. This shed photo I shot in the garden before the rain got going on thursday along with this bird feeder.

Poker was excellent fun on friday and the results for the game play are in.

Minty, as usual, is keeping up his blog posting his film choices for the new year. Some good stuff coming along there.

I have watched the Da Vinci Code again and much preferred it this time around. I don't think it's Ron Howard's direction but rather the subject matter and film score that got my juices flowing (so to speak!) this time. Hans Zimmer, who scored the Gladiator, is just fantastic. I will check out more of his music when I get a mo, (and he has worked on quite a few projects).

As I had a day off today Ian said I should post a few photos for the monthly theme so here they are – (fire, beads, glass, teeth (yes, mine. My old wisdom teeth. Disgusting I know), TV grill, a Light, the Queen's head, on demand, text and spiral). Ian has posted loads of new photos himself so check those out.

I tried using Capture One Pro on the mac and Raw Developer (from Ians suggestions) to develop my raw photos today. I like Raw Developer and its results but, as Ian says, there are so many controls it can be intimidating at first to use and time consuming there after (it reminds me of Aperture which just keeps getting more and more controls). After using C1 Pro mac for the photoshoot with Mark I think I will use it more again. The mac interface is much better than the PC one and I like the results, plus I know how to use it. I also prefer this slick interface over RD.

Back to work tomorrow which seems weird after having today off.

Out of the blue we are playing poker this week, which is kinda funky! There are also updates to the player profiles with changes to both Sneak (myself) and Nasty Dave (Rich) to Scrat and Le Chiffre. We also are going back to stud poker by the sounds of things so check the board for the results.

I have been over at Mark Enstone studios helping with the shooting of the Collar Company photos and I haven't had time to do anything (other than process a quick macro shot from the weekend).

There's heap plenty o' rain at the mo' so I thought I would snap a drop or two on the washing line.

I got tired last night and couldn't elaborate on what I was saying about Eastwood as a director, and after reading the short snappy reply I made below, I thought I should at least give reasons why I don't think he is that over-rated as a director.

Eastwood may not be of Spielbergs calibre as a director, but I do find myself thinking of Eastwood films (behind the camera) and thinking of a good few films which are fantastic. As you mentioned Minty, Unforgiven is a masterpiece. How about High Plains Drifter? Mystic River? Million Dollar Baby, (I know, I know. A sentimental but unusual tale - and Hilary Swank kicks ass!). Now, I do like others like Dirty Harry, Firefox but I wouldn't class those as great movies and he has done some real stinkers. I don't think I even got all the way through Heartbreak Ridge (years ago) and some new movies like Blood Work, Space Cowboys I simply got bored with.

So, as I said below, like other directors I can think of, Eastwood has directed a few great films with a couple of masterpieces thrown in. All-be-it he is flavour of the month in TInsel town at the mo' (over flags) which can lead to a natural revulsion but over-rated? He's no George Lucas!

I was mucking around in the kitchen with my camera when I fancied a wee dram. After pouring some Glenmorangie I noticed the beautiful golden colour there-in and took a wee snap. Here is a rather abstract shot of the bottom of my glass.

Chris has put up some more great illustrations over at Rock shape.

Minty has been out watching more films and gives Eastwood a bit of a grilling. Some of what he says I agree with, but I don't think he is that over-rated. He is like a lot of directors out there, (including Spielberg), who sometimes just don't get it right.

Here is a photoshoped image I took with the new lens on Sunday. I played around with this quite a lot, (just in the mood). I have also been looking at my imagi logo too, (after spending all day designing logos for work; you would think I would have had enough). I never did finish it properly but instead I put together the one above as a filler until I got around to spending more time on imagi and guess what. I never actually got around to it!

This is one of the rare nights in when I get some time with my Nik and what happens? Her mate calls up so I have just been blown out in favour of a long chin-wag. It's ok though as now I have time to post this image I just took in the bedroom. I quite like this one but see what you think.

Going back to work wasn't too bad. I have a feeling everyone was struggling a little to jump back into the fray. However, I am sure It won't be long until we are back up to full speed, just in time for a catalogue shoot next week for the Collar Company.

It's quite funny but these catalogues actually have a fetish fan base who love the clothes, not for the clothing itself, but for the stiff collars the models wear on some of the shirts. Also if the collars are pulled up they go crazy! James at work found a newsgroup dedicated to the subject. Unbelievable! But hey, if it doesn't hurt anyone and it blows your trumpet I say go for it.

Well that was that. The Christmas holiday is over so quickly and New Years has flown past in a drunken haze. I really can't believe I have been off for 10 days and tomorrow it's back to work. It's so depressing (and I like my job, most of the time - God help the masses who don't).