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Graham Warsap Photography

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Betty Banzai grunge style poster

Had a photo shoot at Sugar Mill Night Club in Hull. This is from the second shoot of the day. Model feature is Betty Banzai from Model Mayhem. I want to do a grunge type poster similar to this Dirty Grunge Poster and Simple steps to create impressive illustration. Also this list of 450+ grunge brushes helped.

Original image

Background cut and left white

Duplicated layer, then Filter -> Artistic -> Cut Out. Set blend mode to 60% opacity.

New layer render clouds then blur, add radial shape in new layer

Build up layer with grunge brushes and changing layer blending styles, altering graduated blend mode

Continue with other brushes

Show all layers

Then text layer with graduated layer style.

Ganton School Charity Fashion Show and Pamper Night

Attended a Ladies pamper night at Willerby Manor Hotel, East Yorkshire. It was a fund raiser for Ganton School  to raise money for special bikes for the children at the school.

Ganton special school has around 190 pupils aged 3-19 with severe learning difficulties, at Ganton they have been raising money to buy some special cycles. they are along way from the £15,000 needed

The event raised £571. Around 150 people attended. With 30 local business stalls.

Here are a few photos from the night. More can be found on my Facebook Page

Day 181/365 Holmpton HDR

Day 181/365 Holmpton HDR, originally uploaded by Graham Warsap.

Had a ride out to Holmpton, near Withernsea and the East Yorkshire coast.

3 exposures -/+1 at F8.0

Film Noir Shoot At Sugarmill Night Club

Attended a group shoot with Hull photographers and models Facebook group.  We took over Sugarmill night club for the afternoon. All models and photographers shoot for free. An entrance was charged and the money was given to cancer research. £131.80 in total was raised.

Before the shoot I had discussed with Shaz (the model below) shooting a film noir set. She was very enthusiastic and keen to offer suggestions for the shoot.

I had read on the Strobist Blogspot on using hard light for a Film Noir Effect.

A single 430exII was used. I used a cable to trigger the flash, i used this because there was other photographers working around me using similar triggers. Cable is old school but it works.

I used a Rouge flash bender as a snoot. The a reflective umbrella partially opened to give a more concentrated directional light.

Thanks to Lou Watson and Abbie Towse for organising the shoot, Sugarmill for the venue and all the models, makeup artists and fellow photographers for their help and support of a worth while charity.

Day 8,9 and 10.

Day 8 Song I know all the words to:

Twinkle, twinkle little star. As demonstrated by Amelia my grand-daughter. Close contenders where, wind the bobbin up, two little dickie birds, and New York, New York By Frank Sinatra.

Day 9 song I can dance to:

Aerosmith, I dont want to miss a thing.

Played at my wedding for the 1st dance. About month later broke my foot and never danced the same again. Not that I was much cop to start off with.

Day 10 song I can fall asleep to..

Craig Armstrong: Rise. (Theme tune to The Negotiator)

Day 7/30 a song that reminds you of a certain event…

The Paddingtons: Shame about Elle.

Smile for the nice man,

smile for the camera,

smile for the nice man,

wont you do it again

Taken at Hull Freedom concert 2009. The Paddingtons performing to a crowd of 20,000 local fans.

The song reminds me of the very 1st open air concert that I ever photographed. It was also the 1st time I had heard the Paddingtons perform live. They did a fantastic set, which ended in a mic stand thrown in my direction and the guitarist been dragged off stage by other band members

Day 6/30 Song that reminds you of somewhere….

The Killers: When we where young.

We're burning down the highway skyline
On the back of a hurricane that started turning
When you were young
When you were young

Had this playing when we drove of the English/Scottish border. I had always thought the line was “burning down the highway, Scotland”. Thank you twisted lyrics.

Day 5/30 Song that reminds you of someone…

House of Pain: Jump around.

While going through my music collection I had several songs that reminded me of different people. My favourite is Jump around by House of Pain. This fits with my life at the moment because if I did jump I would be in a world of pain, due to the surgery I had done on my ankle.

 
The reason the song reminds me of two of my friends is it was playing on the radio when we where driving back from Robin Hoods Bay. We had spent all day driving two Toyota Hi-lux pick-ups off road. The best part of the day was driving over a five foot high sew-saw. Glad to say that I am still good friends with both of them.

This was shot was taken at one of the motocross events I photographed on 35mm in the early nineties. Here’s Jase and Nige.

Day 4/30 Song that makes you sad: Abba- Hasta Manana

Would have been my mums birthday today. She was a big Abba fan. I grew listening to all their songs. Now when I hear them I always think of my mum.

Missing you Mum.

Where is the spring and the summer
That once was yours and mine?
Where did it go?
I just don't know

Day 3/30 Song that makes you Happy

ELO: Mr Blue Sky.

Photos taken pond on main road in Keyingham, East Yorkshire. All day have looking out the window, looking for blue sky and only just got shoot before sunset. And just after a downpour.

Radio announcer (spoken) Warning!

Today's forecast calls for blue skies.

Sun is shinin' in the sky, There ain't a cloud in sight

It's stopped rainin' Everybody's in a play And don't you know,

It's a beautiful new day.

Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why,

You had to hide away For so long (so long)

where did we go wrong.

Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why,

You had to hide away For so long (so long)

where did we go wrong.

Day 2/30 least favourite song: The Offspring/ Pretty Fly (for a white guy)

The Offspring: Pretty fly (for a white guy)
Find this a really irritating song. And one of the reasons I won't get a tattoo.

The world loves wannabes

Hey, hey, do that brand new thing

Now he's getting a tattoo, yeah,

he's gettin' ink done He asked for a 13

but they drew a 31

Friends say he's trying too hard

and he's not quite hip

But in his own mind,

he's the, he's the dopest trip

Day 1 Favourite Song

Mumford and Son: Little Lion Man

Day One of the Facebook song of the day challenge

I have played Mumford and sons album endlessly over the last year. I had not heard of the until they played at Adelphi club. I had the chance of getting some tickets. Unfortunately I had not heard them and never bothered. It was a couple of months later that radio one had them as the artist of the week. Then I could have kick myself.

Rate yourself and rake yourself,

Take all the courage you have left

Wasted on fixing all the problems

That you made in your own head.

I love the lyrics on the entire album. Folksy with a dark edge to it.

Chocolate and Photography

This year I had set a goal that I wanted to get back to enjoying my photography. I have started a 365 day project

All though I have missed a few days due to work pressure and working nights I am still enjoying it. Been creative and unique every day I have found challenging. I have looked at several websites for inspiration. One I have enjoyed is Don GIannatti @wizwow

He runs Project52.org and gives a weekly assignment and a deadline. The one I wanted to do I missed the deadline because I want to take my time and do it while I was off work on annual leave.

The assignment was to shoot for a local cafe with the theme chocolate and the finished image was to be square.

So here is the basic set up. 430exii on sync cable. Shoot on manual. Shoot at between 1/4 and 1/8 power. A Jessops 360afd on slave, At 1/4 power for background. And a vivitar 285hv camera right for fill.

Last Live Hull at Street Life Museum?

Managed to get to another Live Hull gig at the street life museum in Hull. Unfortunately this is going to be the last one. But I'm sure this won't be the last we will see of Live Hull. There is to much talent in Hull for it to fall silent.

I watched the 10 o'clock show a couple of weeks ago and it made comment on how for every pound invested two are made. They also stated that during the second world war Winston Churchill was advised to cut founding to the arts he said "what are we fighting for" (quote from http://supportthearts.co.uk/).

 
This point is made in a museum. We can learn from history. During this recession more and more kids are struggling to find work, or a creative out let. The Warren project does this and more. Over the last two years I have seen young adults working their arses off to make these free concerts work so they can showcase their talents on stage. And take pride in themselves, their work and also their city.
These concerts cannot stop. There is to much talent out there going to waste.