My 100 Portraits in 2013/14 project
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I have had an interesting evening torn between two shots I took today. Same subject and almost the same pose but one with what may be considered too shallow a depth of field but which I prefer. It is testing my artistic integrity – pompous though it sounds. I have “it doesn’t have to be in…
Read More How shallow can you go
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Over the last year my main project has been photographing the people involved in reconstructing the Botanic Cottage. This is Sutherland who is the organiser of community stuff associated with the cottage and also the catalyst for me making the photographs. I’m getting close to finishing photographing people but still not sure how the final set of…
Read More Botanic Cottage: Sutherland
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I’m just back from a week at Plum Village. I’d hoped to do some portraiture but didn’t really have time. Retreats are busy places what with all the meditating and the Mindfulness. My working meditation was in the vegetable garden with Sister Coa Nghiem. She is from Thailand and speaks Vietnamese but not much English…
Read More Sister Coa Nghiem
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Paul is curator of Inverleith House gallery at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh a (surely THE) leading contemporary gallery in Scotland.
Read More Paul Nesbitt: June 2015
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Final day of the Wiston retreat.
Read More Josephine: May 2015
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Just having received the 5 Mindfulness Trainings.
Read More Jerry: May 2015
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Is this Roland? Looking out the door at the end of the Wiston Retreat.
Read More Roland: May 2015
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In this case maybe colour.
Read More Joscelyn: May 2015
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I’m amazed I pulled this image out of the series I took of Mia as she was larking about – like usual. Always making people smile. The shot kind of captures her a bit but I hope to photograph her again.
Read More Mia
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At the end of a retreat at Wiston Lodge.
Read More Bernadette
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Many of the subjects in my 100 Portraits Project were at my place of work (The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh) so I have continued making portraits of people around the gardens and have worked these into a separate “Botanics People” project. I’ve been producing prints on Epson Archival Matt paper with my R3000 printer and…
Read More Botanics People
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Had a lovely couple of hours doing the Pedal On Parliament ride today and took the opportunity to spend the time photographing people. Everyone was in a good mood and, although there were a few people who didn’t want their photos taken, most were up for it. I had a couple of out of focus…
Read More People @ Pedal On Parliament 2014
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Andy has worked at the botanics for over 25 years and is actually a lot more cheerful than he appears in this photo – but I like the shot. He was working with Norman on the organ donor memorial.
Read More 100 Portraits: Andy
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Norman was working with Andy to build the National Organ Donor Memorial in the gardens. He is a drystane dyker by trade but many years ago he was a student at the botanics. A fascinating guy to talk to.
Read More 100 Portraits: Norman
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Finally got around to photographing Reuben. We had just been having a meeting about putting children’s drawings on line and generally sorting out the problems of the world. At the end of the chat Reuben stepped outside for a smoke and let me take his photo. He is tall so I had to stand on…
Read More 100 Portraits: Reuben
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Greg runs the education programs and is such a nice guy. We talked about work whilst he ate his lunch and took a couple of calls then sat quickly for a portrait. Multitasking whilst remaining totally unflappable. The sun has been shining but Greg’s office has a window that faces another building and fire escape…
Read More 100 Portraits: Greg
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Colin works in estates and although I walk past his office every day we have rarely spoken. I caught him “vaping” outside and he was very easy about having his photo taken. The light was picking up today so there is actually some shadow to use. Really annoyed that his collar is caught on his…
Read More 100 Portraits: Colin 2Martin runs the conifer conservation project and, as conifers don’t have flowers and are considered ‘lower’ plants he is located in the basement along with David. The windows are almost below ground level but provide just enough light through the foliage.
Read More 100 Portraits: MartinDavid is one of our senior scientists who is just about to leave (partially retire?) to live abroad. He works on Diatoms which are considered ‘lower’ plants and so his office is in the basement. The sun had come out briefly and provided just enough light into the room.
Read More 100 Portraits: DavidNumber 63 in my series. Colin was very relaxed about coming to be photographed. The day was overcaste again I stood him by the window with the heating pipes behind. In another shot we had gone quite a way into the building but the light became too ghoulish.
Read More 100 Portraits: ColinI have known Mark for 25+ years so it is actually quite odd photographing him. The days continue to be overcaste and dull so light is very low contrast even using windows.
Read More 100 Portraits: MarkWI think I have found myself a new studio. There is a staircase with a very tall window that I thought would give light too soft but if I move people up and down the stair I can change the lighting quite a bit. Check out the keylights in Bhaskar’s eyes. The window gives cat-like…
Read More 100 Portraits: BhaskarI had liked the light in Lorna’s office when I had been in for meetings but when I went in this time it was pretty dismal. I ended up getting her to stand on the window ledge (on the inside!) The next obstacle was that she kept laughing – maybe because I was asking her…
Read More 100 Portraits: LornaThe dreek weather and short days continue. This shot was taken at 1:10pm and that is a South facing window! I decided to use the interal lighting in the library rather than the window light and stood on a kick stool to try and get some light on Graham’s face. Graham was really good to…
Read More 100 Portraits: GrahamThe light over the last week has been really rubbish. Although most of the shots I have been doing have been indoors it is surprising how dreek weather can also ruin the window light. I tried photographing Elspeth at her desk under artificial lights but the shots just weren’t working. It is amazing how horrid…
Read More 100 Portraits: Elspeth
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David is leaving to work at another institute at the end of the month so was in a hurry to put things in order. I’m beginning to notice that when people feel rushed portraits don’t work so well but I’m really pleased with this one. You need to step outside time for a few moments…
Read More 100 Portraits: DavidI had warned Stephan I might catch him for a photo and he was very relaxed about it. He seems comfortable in his own skin. Stephan’s office is quite narrow with a massive North facing window so the contrast was low. This B&W conversion was done in Silver Efex. I can’t decide if I am…
Read More 100 Portraits: StephanI was looking for David but found Louise – someone I had wanted to photograph but not warned yet. She has been getting into photography so was keen to be a victim. I dragged her away from her desk in a cluttered lab into the herbarium for a few minutes. The herbarium is a wonderful…
Read More 100 Portraits: Louise
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I finally managed to get talking to Jimmy when he was free and I was free and the light was OK. We stepped outside to a covered area with soft light. Still a bit top heavy but not bad. I took about ten shots. There were two shots I liked, one with hat and glasses…
Read More 100 Portraits: Jimmy