The Templepatrick Mausoleum

A visit to the Mausoleum at Templepatrick (Co.Antrim) requires some diligence and persistence – just to find it!  It is signposted from the road opposite the Templeton Hotel, and the passage to the site lies within the historic Castle Upton Estate.  Nowadays the monument is owned by the National Trust.  A visit is rewarding though, for the site is historic, including not only the Templetown Family mausoleum, but also the grave of the first Presbyterian Minister of Templepatrick, Rev John Welsh, the grandson of John Knox.

The approach to the graveyard is by way of a tree lined pathway, which lends itself to the ‘spooky fog’ treatment in photoshop!  (Don’t worry, you can see the ‘untreated’ image in the next montage.  Images were made with the Fujifilm X-T30 and a standard zoom, 18-55mm lens.

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The Gate to the Mausoleum – Spooky! F=39mm, f/4 @ 1/60th sec on ISO800

 

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Pathway and gates F=39mm, f/4 @ 1/60th sec on ISO800
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First view of the mausoleum from the gate.F=28mm, f/11 @ 1/60th sec on ISO400

The Mausoleum was built by the Scottish architect Robert Adam for the Upton family in 1789.  It contains memorials to some of the family members.  On the day I visited the monument was open and access to the inside was certainly interesting.

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The Mausoleum Interior. F=18mm, f/2.8 @ 1/60th sec on ISo3200

The best shot of the Mausoleum is from the far side of the graveyard.  Although the ground is uneven and the graves squashed close together, the graveyard can be crossed with care for a rewarding photograph.

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The Templeton Mausoleum at Castle Upon Estate F=18mm, f/13 @ 1/60th sec on ISO400

Fujifilm X-T30, 18th August 2019, 6pm, overcast/patchy clouds – daylight.  Average reading was f/5.6 @ 1/250th sec on ISO200, 

 

Saturday Studio Sessions – 10/8/19

Great studio sessions today, mostly involving babies! (Of one sort or another!)

First in was newborn baby Alex, who posed eloquently in the baby hammock, with mummy and daddy holding him safe at each end.  And if you think he’s going to roll out, don’t worry, and please don’t have nightmares – the hammock is safely resting on a table!

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Baby Alex

Continue reading Saturday Studio Sessions – 10/8/19

Mummy and Me Photoshoots

Our ‘Mummy and Me’ photoshoots at Dundonald are GREAT FUN, and give you a unique opportunity to grab some memories that will endure for a whole lifetime!  Yesterday evening (Thursday 8th August) we had a lovely mum, Martine, and her daughter Tori.  Here’s just one of the amazing images we made at that session:-

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Tori – trying to decide what to do with her hand!  Having FUN at Dundonald 

Want to give it a go?  It’s a great way to celebrate a birthday or a graduation or any other happy event – or just for the fun of it!  To book your session ring 07802 466302, or text ‘MUMMY and ME’ and we’ll get in touch.

The Rotolight NEO

In my last video-log from the studio I was demonstrating how I did a ‘Photo-Noir’ selfie with one light and a reflector, and someone later asked why I’d referred to it as an ‘experiment’ when its a well known studio technique! 

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Photo made with a Rotolight and a silver reflector

Well, what was experimental about it was that I was using a single rotolight, instead of a flash.  So, what’s a rotolight, and what makes it different from a standard studio flash?

Continue reading The Rotolight NEO

Red Sails Festival 2019

Portstewart’s annual ‘Red Sails Festival’ is held each year during the last week of July each year.  With entertainers, singers, children’s competitions and amusements, exhibitions and a fireworks display – the festival attracts great crowds into the seaside town each year, filling the cafes, coffee shops and restaurants, and giving plenty of opportunities to meet friends and enjoy the company.  this year it was a week of high temperatures, pleasant breezes, and beautiful sunsets, and great opportunities for photography.  Here’s a snapshot of the week…

MONDAY.

 

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Sunset over Portstewart Bay

 

Continue reading Red Sails Festival 2019

How to Make Silhouettes

How to Make Silhouettes.

There’s something really intriguing about human silhouettes, – they excite the mind.  Perhaps it’s the sense of mystery they evoke.  Who are these people?  What are they doing,  and why are they here?  In a moment of time, they have been captured forever against a background of light.  It’s evocative, – silhouettes make the brain work, trying to piece together the missing information, stimulating those little grey cells and producing the chemicals that trigger our emotions.   Continue reading How to Make Silhouettes

The Fujifilm X-T30

Ok – I’ve decided to become a trainee Vlogger.  Here’s my first effort.  If it’s successful I’m going to do some talks on image composition, gestalt theories in imaging etc, – stuff that will help beginner and novice photographers.  My plan is to post the videos on the Facebook group, Bob’s Photography Forum with links to this blog for images, text etc to accompany the lessons, and asking those who are in the group and who wish to participate, to post their images in the group.

We’ll see how it goes!  Here’s my test video…

Fo those who are unable to speak or comprehend Norn Iron, – here’s the (rough) English translation:-

Continue reading The Fujifilm X-T30

Commercial and Family Photographer