Vanilla Sky

Vanilla Sky
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

An experimental picture.

I have listed this in a few flickr sites to see if I get a bad rap or not. Although these sites say nothing of image editing pictures, they probably don't mean alterfication to this extent.

it's amazing what a few variations and gradiated fills can do

Look No Hands

Look No Hands
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

I went to the Lake to take some pictures and there happened to be this bloke having fun.

The Mercury Lake

The Mercury Lake
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

This photo was taken on the roadside of Gosfield Lake (about 3-4 miles from where I live)

The water in this shot looks so viscous and reflective that it almost looks like liquid metal.

They are Coming from the Sea

They are Coming from the Sea
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

I used to see the all around when I was a kid and found them fascinating.

For those who don't know what they are, they're guard shelters, to watch from if the Germans attack from the sea (this is in Walton).

Just to show how bad erosion is, these were on the cliff side, but have fallen when the cliff had collapsed into the sea.

The Naze

The Naze
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

You can walk all the way down the Naze, but you have to be careful that the tide is not coming in.

From this picture you can see the amount of erosion over the last 60 / 70 years, the guard shelters are on the right hand side.

From Here to Eternity

From Here to Eternity
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

Well not quite, if Burt Lancaster was rolling around on this beach and the sea came in, he would be out of it faster than a speeding bullet.

This photo is taken on the sands on the Naze in Walton (or just outside)

Life out of Balance

Life out of Balance
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

I love photo's that have a message (even though that message isn't always clear). I had to take this picture of the gull on the caution sign, with Bradwell powerstation i the background. Where i'm taking the photo from is a beach (on Mersea) where people play and relax, right infront of this monstrosity.
For an even more powerful image, watch Koyanniqatsi, and the Americans getting a tan on the beach about 50 metres from a powerstation, absolutely shocking.

We Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

We Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

Here's more phot's of my "About in Essex" lot.

Although these photo's are a little old (taken with my old camera). I think they are still worthy of being blogged.

This Photo was taken on a sunny day in Mersea. The reason why the gulls were focking is because someone off camera was throwing them bread)

IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD

My remake of my very first video about industry / ecology.

I started by matching actions to the lyrics, then fade off of it into industry / ecology.

The majority of this video is new (or used off of other videos), very few shots are from my original Mad World, even as far as the music using the Donnie Darko version (which annoyingly became a christmas hit that year and everybody knowing it) rather than the orginal.

it's a progression of style for me, but not as good as my Gorecki video (in which the original was made before this)

WHEN AN MUSICIAN HAS HIS MUSE

My favourite video so far. It's basically a day in the life, rounded by day break and dawn using the same footage.

My muse was the song, it's an absolutely fabulous track by Lamb (written about a Polish Composer, Henryk Górecki - pronounced 'HENrik gooRETSki')

This version is not really a remake of my 2002 / 2003 video Gorecki but more of a directors cut.

I changed the complete start also I replaced some footage between the sand and car transition to fit in with the theme.

Changed some jumpy footage when in the car doing the suicidal roundabout, it now shoots to the back view of a roundabout (and from a focus to a clio 172), later on some multiples passes of horses, rather than the camera just carrying on and bumping around and I also just tightened some of the scenes up.

The video now uses the complete song (rather than the mixed version I used before) and because of this the tone is very dark at the end.

LET ME BE YOUR FANTASY

This was my first premiere video (but not my first video).

It was primarily a test of transitions and effects to see what there was and how easy it was to do. Moreover I tested the flexibility of Premiere to match music keys to the footage. It's an OK start to editing with Premiere, but yet again I had limited footage.

The music is by Danny Elfman and is out of Edward Scissor Hands.

VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR

Like I said I would do, I thought I would Blog some of my videos I have put together over the years (est 2001).

Although this is not 100% what I wanted it will do for now until I find a way I can show the video on my blog page (I used http://www.freevlog.org instructions to do this).

I thought I would start with my unfinished project ANGEL.

It's a moody somber piece, the theme to this video was to have a closed claustraphobic feeling, whilst out in the open. The song Angel by Massive Attack was the key to getting that feeling, with the addition of the tall skinny trees that all look the same, almost maze like. The reason it never got finished was that I wrote off my car, and couldn't get anymore footage, when I got another car, I had got bored of playing with the same footage and moved on. I do like what I have, although I would have edited a bit tighter now (and played with the contrast).

Click on the picture to load then click on play (please be patient the video may take a while to load, and ANGEL starts off quiet and dark)

WHO LIVES IN A HOUSE LIKE THIS?

WHO LIVES IN A HOUSE LIKE THIS?
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

I knocked and knocked but I guess nobody was home.

GLADIOLI

GLADIOLI
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

The Gladioli in full (well half of it at least)

THAT LOOKS RUDE

THAT LOOKS RUDE
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

Isn't amazing how rude nature can look (or is it my own mind).

The nature of the flash lighting makes this look like a studio shot, but I assure you it's taken from outside in the garden

DEEPER INTO THE MOUTH OF THE GLADIOLI

DEEPER INTO THE MOUTH OF THE GLADIOLI
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

I was trying to highlight the stamen of the flower (relying on the flash to provide light).
I think this shot work fantastically well (I could have image edited the photo to even the picture out, but then again nature is not perfectly symmetrical)

COME ON! GROW UP!

COME ON! GROW UP!
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

This is the first photo of the out in the garden set.

Here is part of my Mum's Gladioli and this little sod is refusing to open even though the summer so far has been fantastic.

The flower is slightly out of focus because I was balancing the stem with my knee whilst using both hands to operate the camera, probably not helped by fading light (I used the flash to get the light)

DO YOU WANT RADIOACTIVE ICE WITH THAT?

DO YOU WANT RADIOACTIVE ICE WITH THAT?
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

The complete Baileys glass with the Baileys bubble, I love the subtle light refraction on the bubble.

BY THE LIGHT

BY THE LIGHT
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

Although a bit blurry, there is more glass in this shot to reflect the light.

FEW AND FAR

FEW AND FAR
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

This was a test of DOF (Depth of Focus), whilst playing with the shadows and lights (some of the photo's may have a different brightness on the ice cubes because they were flashing, as to create different light patterns)

THE OLD BAILEY

THE ORIGINAL BAILEYS
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

The original photo

THE NEW BAILEYS

THE NEW BAILEYS
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

I decided to play around with shadows and light to see how well the camera picked up certain details and aspects. Although this image is slightly image edited (by playing with the contrast and brightness) I think it worked out quite well

Felsted School

Felsted School
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

A very posh school in Felsted (i.e. the middle of nowhere), I just loved the way that the ivy had grown over the building and also that the building in the distance was lighter than the foreground, so your eye is attracted there helped by the framing of the posts

The Old Grey Thistle Test

The Old Grey Thistle Test
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

A massive thistle by itself in the middle of a load of wheat.

I don't know why I took a picture of it probably just because

Sign 'O' Times

Sign 'O' Times
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

Which way next?

These sign post are the biggest pain in the arse to find out where your going. generally you can't read them until you have gone past them, but at least they are a part of history.

Fields of Gold

Fields of Gold
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

Most of the fields in the summer are either rape seed oil (which looks lovely, but stinks to high heaven) or wheat (which has a beautiful golden glow, but when it's being cut it goes evrywhere).

I was lucky to find a field with wheat still in it, as most of it has been cut now

There Once was an Ugly Duckling (OR TWO)

There Once was an Ugly Duckling (OR TWO)
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

A fantastic place to visit is Finchingfield. The main centre has a stream leading to a pond which seperates the two halves of the centre, on one side a green and the other some parking spaces, linked together by a humpback bridge. In the summer it is quite an amazingly beautiful place, and the pond has an whole activity of water fowl.

Driving in Essex

How can you be deaf, with ears like that!
Originally uploaded by Telstar2000.

I decided to go driving around the other day around the twisty and turny roads, where I live.

I also decided to take my camera, because there have been many times i have regretted not taking it, as the Essex countryside can be most beautiful.

So here are a section of photo's of Essex.