The Hampton Project

When we moved back to the UK in June 2014, we chose a house and a location that would allow me to have an outbuilding in the garden. We'd had one previously when we lived in Twickenham and for the kind of work I do (and for the way I work) it's essential for my business. Now that I'm shooting a lot more film for personal and commercial work I also needed space for a darkroom.

After considerable research, we chose to go with Booths Garden Studios to create a large building that would be split into 2 rooms - a studio and a darkroom. After an excellent first meeting with the very impressive Alex Booth we decided on a 6m x 3m structure that would house two 3m x 3m rooms. The process following the initial consultation went very smoothly and the installers completed all works in 2 days and we now have a solid, attractive workspace at the end of the garden. We couldn't be happier. 

Now is where the hard work starts as I try to convert this shell into a usable space. I've begun documenting the process in a series of videos which are below.

Getting my kicks

A corporate client recently asked me to take some unusual, eye catching images from a Route 66 themed party. As well as the people that make or break the event for a photographer, there was some great set dressing and themed props.

The 'Motel' for the Route 66 themed corporate event

The 'Motel' for the Route 66 themed corporate event

On the way to the Route 66 themed corporate event.

On the way to the Route 66 themed corporate event.

Calculating depth of field for macro photography

I've recently been hired to take some extreme macro shots in a controlled lab environment. To automate the focus stacking process necessary for such small detail work I've invested in a Stackshot by Cognisys Inc. However, in order to use this process effectively, it's important to know what depth of field you are getting at various apertures at differing magnification levels. There are a lot of spreadsheets out there that can help with this but I couldn't find any that suited my exact needs, so I've created one and made it available here: Depth of field calculator for macro photography. This spreadsheet is specifically for Canon cameras with a full frame sensor using various Canon lenses and I'll be adding to it as I run more tests. The first test I ran was of a (very) deceased house spider - a terrible subject but I think it effectively demonstrates that the process is effective.

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