I recently stumbled across a great Photostream on Flickr. Not only where there a lot of very interesting shots on there, but I was really drawn to the post processing of the shots, and the colours and tones of the images. I’ve seen a lot of photographers over recent months that have been achieving really nice, almost vintage, style effects to their photographs, and I’ve been intrigued as to the post processing work which has gone into them. It turns out, that on NellyNero’s profile, she has very kindly uploaded a series of Photoshop actions which are free to download, to add these sorts of colours and effects to your shots. I duly downloaded them, and I have been experimenting quite feverishly to see what I can get from them. It’s been a bit hit and miss, but the success rate has been high enough for me to pursue it. I’ve posted a comparison of the first shot I tried the ‘Whipped Cream’ action out on, and I think it’s really strong. Obviously, it’s all a matter of taste, but I think the light and colours in the that particular photo lend themselves well to the results produced from the action. One of the things I really like about the action set, is that all the adjustments on non destructive, adjustment layers which can be tweaked and turned on or off to get the image looking just how you want it. You can see another comparison and break down of the layers below to get an idea how it works if you’re not familiar with batch actions and/or Photoshop’s adjustment layers…

I think the key to using these actions is to know when and where to use them. I’m still trying to find a really good one for skin tones, but I think it’s just a case of further experimentation. I’ll keep you posted.

Another up shot from this discovery, and the acquisition of my new(ish) flash and diffuser (more on that soon) is it’s really give me a kick start to start taking more photos again after a couple of month lull. It’s nice to be getting creative with the camera again and I’m gonna make sure to take it into the new year! If you do end up downloading and using NN’s free actions off the back of this post, please share some of your work in the Flickr Pool, as it’s always interesting to see what results people get!

I hope that everyone has had a nice Christmas, and you’ve got some exciting plans for the new year! All the best…

Santa, originally uploaded by Ben Grubb.

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Last week I had the honor and privilege of seeing The Tragically Hip live in the UK. I managed to make it to two shows, one in London and one in Manchester. Throughout their nine month 2009 tour across Canada, America and Europe they have been playing what are known as ‘Evening with…’ style shows, which consist of two sets, and around two and a half hours of fantastic live music! I was fortunate enough to see them in San Francisco earlier in the year when they performed an extended show, and I was worried that they might have ditched this format when they returned to the UK. Luckily that wasn’t the case – and what’s more they seemed to be on fire! Gord Downie especially was at his theatrical best with lots of trademark mimes, dance moves and rants being pulled out of the bag. It was a true site to behold!

I recorded both nights, and recently released them for fans to download on The Hip Tracker. Both shows came out really well which I’m happy with. I’ve also designed some accompanying artwork to go with them. I wanted something in keeping with what I designed for the SF show, but still different. I was pleased with what I produced, especially as it seems to sit quite nicely with the artwork from the latest album which they’ve been promoting – We Are The Same:

One of the highlights from the shows was the duet that the band did with special guest Kelly Jones from the Stereophonics. It was a real shock, and something pretty special to witness. Kelly joined them on stage at the Forum to do a version of the really beautiful track Fiddler’s Green. There were sadly no special guests in Manchester, but possibly this superb version of the classic track At The Hundredth Meridian with Gord ranting away made up for it. I’ve been pretty much listening to them non stop since, and I really can’t wait until the next round of live shows – Whenever that may be…