Countryside/wildernessI chose to take these images on a wide angled lens as i felt that this method would give a wider angle so that the image would capture as much of the scenery as what i wanted to include in my final image as possible. I did also take my medium format Baronica camera; however; with the day being as miserable as it was with the rain it was difficult to take this camera and large tri-pod out with me so i left it in the car. I feel that the angles work well against the context of the subjects e.g, depth of field.
I have finished the images in colour as i feel that the dullness of the day adds to the mood and the natural lights captures the tones of the colours. I feel that the images have been captured in sharp focus and this helps the viewer walk through the picture and past the objects.
Urban /City SprawlI chose to take these images on both a wide angled lens and a fuji fine pix s2 pro DSLR, i felt that the wide angled lens would capture the widest view of the sprawl and the Blackburn images is what i used the fuji camera for. I felt that this worked as the sprawl images have a longth depth to the viewers eye and the Blackburn images look more up close and personal, all of the images were taken using natural day light.
I finished most of my images in colours as i feel that this has created a perception of realism to the viewers eye, although i did finish a couple of images in black and white as i liked the sense of mood that they created. I feel that that the focus of the images is sharp and that the editing works well in terms of further sharpening the overall finish of the images, for example, the starightening of the walls of the building all editing was done in CS4 lens correction filter.
Significant PlacesI chose to take these images on portraiture lens as i felt that this method of photography would give a more finer detail to the images as i wanted to include as much detail of significant objcts that belong in my significant place as possible. I used f/1.4 so that i could get close up to the objects to include the angles and close up ranges gaining a true representation of why this place is significant to me.
I have finished my images in colour rather than black and white as i feel that colour adds purpose to each significant object, I used a studio tungsten bulb to take my photographs to brighten up the garage. I feel that the images have been captured in sharp focus and that this helps the viewer walk through the image and past the objects, i edited my image so that it would be a montage of leading lines.
Alien/Foreign Landscape I chose to take these pictures using a short tele photo lens as i felt that this would work for the images and capture a lot into the final image, in realtion to the perception of depth which was what i was trying to portray. I took the photographs using the tunsten light that was aleady in the tunnel which was a cool blue colour. This photo opportunity was spontanous as the blue lights made me think of an alien space ship and i feel that this is portrayed in the image.
I finished my images in colour as it works well in making the image stand out and i feel that if it was done in black and white then it would be a completely different image. I feel that the image is in quite sharp focus and leads the viewers down the tunnel which i am pleased about.
This is a photograph of the train pulling away that's a memory in all children's minds of an epic journey that they once had, I like this because it brings back childhood memories.
This image was taken using a DSLR 700, ISO 800, 1/160 sec at f/7.1, focal length 24mm.
This is a photograph of a small tender coming up the tracks to pull the carriages, I like this image because the steam creates movement it looks like an old dinosaur working.
This image was taken using a DSLR 700, 1/100 sec at f/8.0, focal length 55 mm, ISO 4000.
This is a photograph of an overall shot which the curator allowed me to go on the mescaline floor that is closed of to the public to take this shot. I like this image because it shows all the different types of tenders and I think that the colours contrast well making the tenders stand out.
This is a photograph of the engine name plate that has just been restored showing that the steam engine was built in 1948 in Newcastle by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd. I like the image because the actual name plate is a piece of history highlighting when it was made and the number 7458 is it's registration number. 
This is a photograph of a fully restored engine I like this image because it shows the finished product after work has been carried out on it which in some cases takes years.
This is an external view of the fire tender that is to be restored, this shows the external dilapidation of the paint work and the project to be getting on with.
This is a photograph of the inside of a tender which is to be restored. I like this image because it show's the workings and the pipe work of the boiler before its restored therefore it is in its dilapidation.
I took this picture as i like how it show's the elements of the wheel, the emphasis of the image is to show that steam trains run on steel wheels.
This image was taken using a DSLR 700, 35mm focal length, ISO 4000, 1/125 at f/6.3. I shot this image as it shows the team of the museum all of which are volunteers.
This image was taken using DSLR 700, ISO 4000, focal length 27mm, exposure 1/100 sec at f/10.
This image was taken using a DSLR 700, iso 400, 1/11.0 sec at f/7.1 focal length 48 mm.
This is a photograph of the Duchess of Sutherland which was in its special customised livery for one year only it is in the customised specially made paint (burgundy) as opposed to its original colour of black.
This image was taken using a DSLR 700, iso 1600, focal length 24 mm, 1/320 sec at f/2.8. This image shows the stoker at his working position stoking up the boiler. This I feel is a great action shot.
This is the fire tender were they put the coal, this is taken using DSLR 700, ISO 1600, 1/100 SEC AT F/10. This coal bunker can hold over 200 tons of coal, i like this image as you can see the contrast of the darkness of the bunker to light of the opening.
This image was taken using ISO1600, 1/80 SEC F/4 with the image being taken on the inside by using the ISO 1600 it was able to capture any available light.
This image was taken using DSLR 700, iso 1600, focal length of 60 mm, exposure was 1/125 sec at f/18. This was to show just how dirty the train drivers get.
This image was taken for the pecha kucha brief, I chose to do steam trains as it is a great passionate hobby and interest of mine. This is one of the portraits I took of the steam driver, he is in his 80,s and he was the chief driver of the Duchess of Sutherland he does this as a volunteer, there are no longer any steam train drivers that are paid employees any more.
I took this image on a Nikon D80, 
I took this photograph on a Nikon D80. focal length 18mm -55mm, 1/160 SEC f/6.3ISO 125. This photograph was took because i thought that the composition was interesting with the tractor in the background. It shows the image running down the side of the dilapidated farm in the Dales the sun flare was left in the image as i feel that it adds to the overall finish.
I took this phot on a Nikon D80, focal length 18-55mm short telephoto, 1/160 sec f/6.3 ISO 125. The reason that i used a Nikon D80 for these images is because it was convenient on the day and with the lenses that i had available i could cover alot of options for example, wide angle, telephoto or zoom lense. I did take a medium format Borinica s2 camera and a large tri-pod with me on the trip out, as it is always recomended that you use an Ansel Adams style approach when photographing the countryside or wilderness, however, due to the weather conditions on the day it was not possible.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=ansel+adams+photography&meta=&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=ansel+adams&gs_rfai==.jpg)
This was taken in Blackburn, using a Fuji Fine Pix S2Pro Digital SLR, on ISO 800, F/ 13 and 1/750 second shutter speed focal length 79mm lens 35-80mm . I used a Polarising filter on the lens to enhance the deep blue sky on the day.
These are my Contact Print Sheets for the City or Urban Sprawl unit. I went out around Blackburn town centre and took random candid shots using my fuji finepix nikon 35-80 mm short tele photo lens, which was the most suitable for different focal points when you don't have the opportunity to keep changing lenses. I also used a polarising filter to get deeper sky colours as it was good sunny day. When you use a Polarising filter, you need to adjust your aperture by a couple of stops for non sky work as otherwise your images will be under exposed.
FOCUS ON IMAGING exhibition and show at Birmingham NEC, March 2010.
This is the first bike I bought with my first wage packet, which cost me £21, 32 years ago!
As part of my garage series of images of a familiar or significant place, this is a boat that I built as a boy. Throughout this brief I am using connecting lines to create images from a collection of other images. This leads the eye to different places within your image.
I used a Nikon D80 SLR here, ISO 1600 to capture any light trails and give a grainy effect because it is more sensitive to light capture. I used an 18 - 55mm short telephoto lens to allow me to alter my focal length depending on the image I wanted to create, and also this gave me a wider angle in some instances. The shutter speed throughout was 1/25th of a second, at f/5.6.
