New blog

Hi, this post is just to say if you have commented on any of my posts I am very sorry as for some strange reason comments are not showing and I have not been able to see them. I haven't even been notified when I have had comments though I do know I have had some as my family has told me they have tried to leave comments. Due to this fact I have decided to make a new blog with WordPress:
http://hduncanphotography.wordpress.com. Please check it out and follow me on there. I will no longer be using this blog.
Sorry again if you have left comments in the past. Please feel free to comment on my new blog.
Thanks :) x

Fairytale Fantasies

Freeeeedommmm! Yes so I have finished my A levels!!! That's why it has taken me so long to post these last photos from my Dreams, Nightmares and Fantasies project. After handing in all my Textiles and Photography work I decided to concentrate entirely on my last Accounting exam but that's done now so here are the last photos.

These photos where taken at the copper works. I concentrated on the fantasies aspect thinking especially about the traits of fairytales such as Rapunzel and Snow White. The tower and grotty buildings were great as settings and as usual my model Megan Davies worked fanatically and looked stunning in her various costumes.

This last shoot was at Penllegaer woods, a real fairytale place where you almost expect the fairies to flit past you. Megan was the perfect Princess of the fairies in her blue dress which became a part of the waterfall background. 

In these last two photos I used a fantastic Photoshop technique called Infrared to give them this snowy dream-like feel. I think it worked well and had a great effect - check it out:

http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-effects/infrared-photo/

A big thanks to Megan Davies who I couldn't have done any of this without. You where fantastic and it would be a pleasure to work with you again!

Aberavon Edits

These are a couple of photos from my Aberavon Beach shoot which I have since experimented with and edited on Photoshop to make more surreal and dream-like.

This first photo is one which I used the zoom technique with a long exposure. I have then turned it black and white and used curves to create the nightmare appearance of the building melting.

To create this second image I printed one of my shots, A4 size, of Megan sitting on the beach with the buildings in the background. I then placed it in my bathroom sink and turned on the taps. This created a fantastic underwater world.

This is a fantastic solution for underwater photography when you lack a waterproof camera and also if you need to wear glasses.

Gas Mask

This is another part of the shoot I did at Margam Country Park with my fantastic model Megan Davies. For this nightmare I asked her to wear a Gas Mask. This idea worked perfectly and I was so pleased with how the photos turned out I had a lot of trouble picking the best ones. 

If anyone is wondering how I created the surreal 3D movement effect in some of these I used a slow shutter speed of about 1/15th of a second and turned the lens, zooming in on the centre of the image, during the exposure. 

Be Careful What You Dream Of

My idea behind these photos was fantasies becoming nightmares. This shoot was done at Margam Park, a perfect setting for a fairytale turned creepy. I was really happy the final outcome of these, the colouring and the scary china doll being the finishing touches. Also I thought my model Megan Davies did a fantastic job again and looked amazingly beautiful as always.

Dreaming

Here are a few more photos from my Dreams, Nightmares and Fantasies project.

I did this shoot at Aberavon Beach, Port Talbot and was focusing on Dreams and the surreal atmosphere they have.

A big thanks to my model Megan Davies as she was fantastic to work with! :)

Nightmare

I've started a new project in Photography. Okay, not true, I've almost finished another project, so it's about time I did another post.

My subject is Surrealism and within this I have chosen to explore Dreams, Nightmares and Fantasies. This is an image from my first shoot. It was taken in my back garden and the model is my beautiful sister Ellen.

This photo has a life and death theme. I have edited it so that Ellen appears almost zombie like, with grey skin and blackened eyes, whilst surrounded by bright roses. I was inspired by Joshua Hoffine's photo "Persephone" - http://joshuahoffine.wordpress.com

Gower College Dance

I'm very annoyed with myself. I sent off for my dance documentary book, received the book, the book looked great, I handed in work all finished and only now am I posting up these photos. I must be more organised!

Anyway these are the last of my dance photos. They are of the dance classes in Gower College Swansea. I really appreciated being allowed to watch and photograph the performers at their dress rehearsal in the Taliesin as it was fantastic to see and a great experience.

So here are a few of my images of their lessons and their dress rehearsal. There are a few extra that I did not put into my book.

Dance Documentary

I haven't been very good at keeping this blog up to date because I have been so busy getting on with this project but now that I've finished all of the photo shoots and ordered my photobook I can finally relax and get on with other parts of my work.
Here are a few of my final photos of from my shoots of the Shirley Rees School of Dance:

Shirley Rees Dance

For my photography project I have chosen to document dance as it is something I am interested in and means a lot to me. From the age of seven I have been going to the Shirley Rees Dance School but just last year I stopped dancing. I am hoping to go back there in a year or so but until then doing this project is a great way to keep my connection with dance and be able to appreciate it in other ways.

These are a few of my photographs of Shirley's classes rehursing for the christmas Bumbles of Mumbles show.