Satin

Satin 1, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

Shot for a client who needed a background like this. It was an interesting exercise in lighting shiny things - the fabric is a lot harder to handle (both with placement and with light) than I had anticipated. But we managed to get some interesting shots...

Blowtorch

Blowtorch, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

Morey Backun at Backun Musical lit up a clarinet key (is it called a 'key'?) for me while I was shooting out there. The blowtorch looked great and I love how it sort of resembles a spotlight.

Mug on Table

Mug on Table2, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

quick shot in one of the very few sunny days Vancouver has had this year. It's supposed to get sunny tomorrow, but we've had two days of unrelenting rain. No wonder I'm drinking so much coffee...

Real Weddings Prada Shoe

Real Weddings Shoe Film.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

Another shot from the Real Weddings Magazine shoot we did a little while ago. The Prada Shoe is from Holt Renfrew here in Vancouver. It's pretty amazing, and I'm not really much of a shoe person. Styled again by Luisa Rino and shot on 4x5 film.

Elise in Kitchen BW2.jpg

Elise in Kitchen BW2.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

The one thing about 4x5 is that it is somewhat cumbersome... Takes a bit of time to get set up...

Tin Cup

Tin Cup2, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

This is a tin cup I found at the Antiques Mall in Fort Langley. It's made of tin, appropriately beat up and I really like it. I shot it on 4x5 with Kodak 160 NC film, and it works for me.

Elise Close BW 2.jpg

Elise Close BW 2.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

A quick photo of Elise, my younger daughter. I managed to catch her in a quick moment of repose before she shot off again. Large format, black and white film... The focus is way off but I still like it...

Olive Oil

Olive Oil, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

We shot this for an article on alternate fuels - it was olive oil in a tank and we sloshed it around a bit. Worked pretty well...

Bouquet V.jpg

Bouquet V.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

This is one of a few different shots I did for an editorial spread in Real Weddings Magazine. Wonderfully styled by Luisa Rino.

Megalomaniac

Megalomaniac, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

I've been shooting some wine bottles recently - this one is from John Howard Cellars of Distinction in Niagara, Ontario. I haven't had any yet but I love the label...

Bowl 1.jpg

Bowl 1.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

I wonder if the super-soft-focus thing is getting a bit stale? I mean, I love it, but that doesn't really mean that I should shoot everything that I can with my 4x5 wide open, does it? At any rate, another shot of another bowl in the cold Vancouver early-spring light. Daylight with a bit of fill, not sure what the exposure was. Shot on Kodak 160NC film and scanned on a Microtek M1 scanner, which does a really nice job, even if there is only about 1/4 inch of the bowl in focus...

Real Weddings

Real Weddings Cover Opt I, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

I was shooting with Luisa Rino. on Thursday for Real Weddings Magazine.. This was one of the bouquets we shot - it was for our 'beach' shot - much less formal and glitzy than the other bouquets we shot. In fact, it's right in front of me on my dining room table. Still alarmingly pretty, three days later.

I shot it on the 4x5 with transparency film - scanned on a Microtek M1 scanner. Takes a long time to get a 4x5 scanned, but it does a really nice job, especially with the Silverfast software.

Bowls 4x5 018

Bowls 4x5 018, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

Another shot with the 4x5 and the Xenotar. I wasn't really expecting this much flatness, but I suppose one should be prepared to not have a lot of contrast with a white bowl on a white surface under diffuse light...

BW Jug

BW Jug, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

I saw a full-page ad in the New Yorker last week (or was it the week before? I can never keep the issues straight) for a show of some of Paul Strand's work. The shot they showed was alarmingly beautiful - it was a detail of a chipped up stoneware pitcher.
I wanted to sort of emulate that, but there were no chipped stoneware or enameled pitchers to be found at my usual antique haunt out in Fort Langley. I was thinking there might be a dumpster outside I could root around in, but then I thought I might draw too much attention to myself.
At any rate, I found this, which is nice - clean, minimal...
Shot on Tri-x 4x5 with the old standby Xenotar 150 F2.8 (thanks Cameron) on a Linhof Technikardin.

Martin Mars

Martin Mars 008.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

I've always heard about these planes - and I've seen them at Sproat Lake on Vancouver Island when I was en-route to Tofino a while back. However, I've never seen one in action until last week. They had a demonstration at Canada Place in Vancouver. It was great - the Mars took off, circled, came in and I thought for sure it was going to clip the Westin Bayshore; scooped up its 7200 gallons of water, circled again, dumped it over the harbour - right in front of us.

Darn cool, especially from a plane built during WWII

Central Motor Policies

Tools 027_prv.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

Card from the toolbox. I haven't the faintest what Central Motor Policies does, insurance, I guess...

Old Stuff I

Tools 009_prv.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

Just digging through my Flickr account - this is actually a square that my grandfather, Walter, used when he was working, possibly from during the War. It actually still has its original box - it's been sitting, unused in a case for years. I recently found it again.

Type 55 016 Pos.jpg

Type 55 016 Pos.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

Another test shot - The Technikardan with Polaroid Type 55. This is Hector Johnson.

Type 55 034 Pos.jpg

Type 55 034 Pos.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

Mya's Tatoos. Gotta love them. Taken with a Linhof Technikardan and an ancient Xenotar lens, on to Polaroid Type 55. Really, a magical combination. I'll have to shoot more. Mojo galore.

Girls May 07 007.jpg

Girls May 07 007.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

One of Elise, when she was sitting still for about 5 seconds at the studio. In one of her more pensive moments.

Shot from last Friday I

4x5 Neg 011 1000 px.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

Last Friday. This is Mya, whom I found on Craigslist. Great place, that for getting great talent. At any rate, she was one of the models I chose, and I was really happy with the results we got. Everyone did a great job (hair and makeup, styling, talent, etc) pulling this off. Best work I've done in years.

Oh, shot on 4x5 film Kodak 400NC with a Xenotar 150mm f2.8. One of my very few mojo lenses. There is no reason to shoot anything other than wide open, but when you do, it's amazing. Just don't sleep with it - it has radioactive glass.

View from the place

View from the place, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

This is the view from the front of our cabin at The Pacific Sands. Not a bad way to start the day. Of course, the day before was biblical rain - rain they way it can only rain on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. But, thankfully, it cleared up.

Soooo, that's a surfboard, huh?

B 0217_prv.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

This was the only time this kid (mine, so I can call her that - try chasing after a 16-month old EVERY time you get anywhere near the water, day in, day out) stood still. I think she was somewhat overwhelmed by what was in front of her. I bet you the next time we go up there she'll be surfing.

On the Ferry

On the Ferry, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

Test with the lovely Elise, on the ferry to Vancouver Island...

Shells at the Beach

B 0301_prv.jpg, originally uploaded by Alastair Bird.

Ok, so it's a bit overexposed, but otherwise pretty good. We ended up in this small cove which was just covered in shells.