Martin 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.

David 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.

Number 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.

I 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.

I 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…

I 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…

The 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….

The 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….

I 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…

I 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….