Multiple Exposure Flowers

I wanted to test out the in-camera multiple exposure function of the little Fuji X100vi. So I spent a couple of hours in the walled garden at Wimpole, trying various combinations of flowers. The Fuji has a better multiple exposure function than my Olympus. It allows up to nine images to be combined, compared with a paltry two for the Olympus. The Fuji also has four blending modes, the Olympus just one. The Fuji requires the user to accept or reject each image of the multiple set, after it is taken. The positive of this is that it give more control in building the final combination. The negative, is that it slows the taking process, meaning that a multi-exposure action shot is just not possible.

  

Light Painting at Paxton Pits

During the week, I attended a light painting workshop at Paxton Pits, organised by the Friends of Paxton Pits, and run by Peter Wood.  Peter started with a talk in the visitor's centre.  He showed us some of his work and talked about the equipment he used.  Once it was dark enough, we headed out to the meadow behind the visitor's centre.  Peter first did a couple of demonstrations of what he can achieve. Rather irritatingly my remote release came loose just as Peter was starting his second painting, by the time I was reconnected I had missed part of it. Hence the odd gap in the right hand side of the second image.

 

 

We then spent the rest of the session, seeing what we could achieve on our own.

Southbank Lights

 A few suitably festive iPhone shots, taken in London whilst walking back from the theatre.

Gamsey Wood - Multiple Exposure

Gamsey Wood is a little BCN Wildlife Trust wood between Ramsey and Sawtry.  It is not well known and access is via a farm (which seems wrong as you are doing it). Consequently, it is extremely quiet.  I visited in the afternoon on May Day, when the likes of Brampton and Waresley woods would have been heaving with people.  I didn't see a soul.  The downside is the amount of undergrowth.  There were a few nice patches of bluebells, but in much of the wood they were being choked out by cleavers.

There was enough good patches for what I wanted to do, which was in-camera multiple exposure.  The images below are 8 shot multiples, with slight movement between shots.  For some of the shots I also tilted the camera down a little during exposure.  I know this kind of image doesn't appeal to everyone.  Those who hate them included all three selectors for this years exhibition.  But I like the impressionistic result.

Pinhole Lens

I recently bought a pinhole lens for my Olympus.  I know it is possible to make a pinhole lens fairly easily.  But I have heard that, unless you are very precise when making the hole, the results can be disappointing.  So I prefer to have someone else do the construction.  I have a Holga Pinhole lens for my Canon.  It's all plastic and the pinhole is a little large.  I have never been that happy with the images it produces.  When searching for a new one, I wanted something a little better.  I found it thanks to a company called Thingyfy.

The Thingyfy Pinhole Pro is series of interchangeable pinholes ranging in size from 0.1mm to 0.8mm.  It's made from aluminium and has a pleasing weight.  The different sized holes are selected by turning a ring and engage with a very subtle click.  It can also take a 58mm filter, which might be useful for very long exposures.  Thingyfy do versions for all camera mounts and also have a single pinhole version and a multi-hole version with a zoom ring.  Their website is US based, so I ordered from Photospecialist.  It took about a week to arrive.

I tried it out for the first time while at Madingley Hall.

When testing the full range on the same scene, and aiming for the same exposure, the sharpest images seemed to be at 0.15mm.  At 0.5mm or 0.8mm the images were very impressionistic.  Not sure how often I will take photos at this end of the range, but the bigger pinholes were very handy for composing a shot.

0.1 mm, 5.0 seconds 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 0.15 mm, 2.0 seconds                                                  

0.20 mm, 1.3 seconds

0.25 mm, 1.0 second

0.30 mm, 0.6 seconds

0.35 mm, 0.5 seconds

0.5mm, 0.25 seconds

0.8 mm, 0.1 seconds

Glasshouse Windows by iPhone

Once I was bored of taking IR shots, I decided to try some photos of the steamy glasshouse windows, using my iPhone and the Hipstermatic app.

In Search of Autumn at the Botanic Gardens

On a sunny Saturday, I visited the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge, to see what Autumn colour I could find.  There wasn't much.  A few tress had changed, mainly the acers, but even they weren't quite at their best.  Most of the big trees were still very green.  I found one decent specimen that had just enough room around it to try a Pep Ventosa style image.  I also found a clump of sulphur tuft fungi on a fallen log, plus the odd interesting leaf.

Bluebells - Multiple Exposures

I visited Waresly Wood toward the end of the bluebell season.  Rather than take straight images, I decided to try some in-camera multiple exposures.  Each image consists of 8 shots, moving very slightly between captures.