I was originally going to launch this in September but I have had some good news over the weekend that is likely to clash with the launch.

So here goes

The idea behind the project came about after hearing that Preston Bus Station is going to be demolished to make way for the Tithebarn project. I once hated this building, I thought it was ugly and smelly and old fashioned. How my ideas have changed. As readers of this blog will know I am a huge fan of 1960’s architecture, not all of it ,but there are some gems out there that are works of art. They have been unloved for years and are looking grubby and as a result people want to get rid. Preston Bus Station is one of these buildings, lets us not be too hasty in destroying what we consider ugly today which we will no doubt regret in years to come. I realise that towns and cities have to move on and there is no use in preserving the past just for the sake of it but when something is clearly unique then surely it warrants preservation.

Admittedly Preston Bus Station is not looking its best, it has been neglected, some might say deliberately to call for it demolition. It just needs a bit of TLC, not a lick of paint but a sympathetic renovation. This was once a brave vision of the future, clean modern, efficient albeit in the wrong part of town. Lets keep it.

I hope my pictures show some of the wonderful shapes this building creates against the skyline.

Here is the link

http://www.padams.co.uk/preston-bus-station-lancashire-photography

Any comments would be very welcome

I think there is a realisation that to get good photography takes time and money. It is worth it (well I would say that). Give the photographer space and time to develop ideas and you will get much much better quality images. Expecting photography to be done as quick and therefore as cheap as possible is counter productive, we are not plumbers on an hourly rate. One thing I am now indicating to clients is that they are not buying my time but buying a license to commercially exploit the images I produce. There has to be a time element involved but that is worked into the fee along with usages and any expenses.

So long may this busy time continue. I hope mentioning it has not brought about it’s demise.

Bye!

PS Just had a job cancelled on me, damn!!

As you may well know Coventry Cathedral was devastated during world war two. A decision was made to build a modern cathedral alongside the ruins of the old as a reminder. The new cathedral was designed by Basil Spence and the foundation stone was laid in 1956 and finally consecrated in 1962.

I have to say this cathedral is magnificent and on a par with the Metroploitan Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool (Liverpool Catholic Cathedral). It is a fine example of modern post war architecture and interestingly sandstone was used to unify the two buildings.

Anyway this is not a history lesson you can find more about the cathedral online. This is about the photographs I took. Whilst I was exploring the building the organist was rehearsing, so I had a dramatic sound track to my visit.

Here are some of the images from my visit.

I have know Carlton for around 15years and we have worked on projects together many times. Carlton is a photographer in his own right and runs the his succesful wedding photography business and produces personal work for his website Skin Storm.

The idea behind this shoot was to ‘balance’ his head in the bottom right hand corner of the frame. As you can see the only light source is window light from the right hand side. I already had planned that it was going to be in black and white.

When I first shot this I was not entirely happy with the result and set up another set of images which I was very pleased with, however I revisted this image and started to prefer it.

Often is the case that images can look better weeks after the shoot, at the time you can be too close to the image and not see it for what it is.

Here are the alternative rejected images

Right lets get to the point. I have taken a few photographs of the Bus Station because as you probably already know I am one of the few people who actually like 1960’s architecture and I intend to revisit it again and again and get some more.

Here is what I have done, I would love some comments etc. (good or bad!)

When it snows I often get asked “Being a photographer, I bet you go out and take loads of snow photographs”. Well I don’t because everyone is doing it, I don’t want to do the same as everyone else. However a very good client of mine asked the same question and when I replied no they said “You could always do it just for yourself”. They where right, I rarely go and do photography just for myself, so I gave it some thought and decided I would got out and photograph some snow scenes, they way I want to.

The Christmas break gave me a great opportunity to give it a go, so I decided to concentrate on the local golf course, I am not a golf fan but I do like the weird man made landscape that a gold course is. I spent quite a bit of time on the course and I have posted a few of the results below. Also is was great to photograph something on my doorstep, it just goes to show you don’t have to travel miles and miles to get interesting results. I will let you be the judge of that, comments very welcome.

Oh by the way Happy New Year

It has been an interesting few weeks, I have not sat in fornt of the telly watching Jeremy Kyle, I could not do that,  I need to be doing stuff. So it gave me a great opportunity to look at how I run my business and how I price jobs and where I want to take the business over the next five years or so.

It has also given me chance to actually think. This is very rare, and I have to say I will in future incorporate thinking time into running the business. You can get so wrapped up in the everyday aspects of running a business that you get no chance to actually reflect on what you are doing and why.

Following on from this theme of “thinking”,  I read a blog whilst convalescing and for the life of me cannot remember who it was who wrote it so I apologise in advance (please get in touch if you read this and I will credit you). The premiss was that “you need time to think”. Constantly taking photographs for the sake of taking photographs is not a good way to develop your skill. You need time to actually put it all into perspective and find out what you have learnt and more importantly learn “to see” not snap.

I have to say I was dreading not working (earning) for a few weeks but this time has been very valuable and it has been a eye (mind) opener.

If you have any insights into “thinking time” I would love you to get in touch.

Some of you will  probably already know that over the past few weeks I have been recovering from surgery. Well this has given me a rare opportunity to play, which is a very important and necessary part to growing as a photographer.

Years and years ago when I first started taking photographs I was always interested in infrared photography, especially the false colour infrared. Well at the time I could not afford the film and specialist processing so I never got around to trying it out.

This past couple of weeks have given me the perfect opportunity to finally experiment with infrared, albeit digital infrared. I am not one for overly photoshopped images and I was a bit worried that it may be a bit gimmicky but I think it lends itself very much to my style of photography. I have tried to keep the images as simple as possible with minimum photoshop work.

I will of course be experimenting further with more interesting locations  once I am fully recovered, which should be in about a week.

Do you think it’s gimmicky or do you think it works well? Here are a few examples and as usual I would love some comments.

I had some time to spare whilst waiting for my subject so I captured a couple of photographs of Manchester, one of the CIS building and the other of the Arndale and big wheel.

Here they are. I would love some feedback.