Strawberry Field - Nikon Zoom-Nikkor 43-86mm

Strawberry Field, Liverpool - Tim Irving

This is the Salvation Army children's home in Liverpool, near the house where John Lennon lived. As a child John attended the garden party each summer, and played in the woods you can see through the gates. His aunt said that you could hear the Salvation Army band from their house. The graffiti on the gates and walls began appearing in 1967 after the release of "Strawberry Fields Forever". When you get close you can see the recent graffiti is partially covering older faded graffiti. Messages, lyrics and names are beginning to cover Linda B 2011, making her the background for this years artists. It would make a great time-lapse project. 

The lens used was a Nikkor Zoom 43-86mm (The lens with the built in flare), used off the camera. My particular example has so many idiosyncrasies that Nikon could have marketed it as a specialist lens. Probably Nikons most un-loved lens, but personally I love it, it's a lens of great character. I know of no other lens that produces such a distinctive vintage, 60's look.

My Photographs available at the Bluecoat Gallery Liverpool

Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool - Tim Irving

I'm pleased to announce that a selection of my photographs can now be seen and purchased at the Bluecoat gallery in the centre of Liverpool. The photographs which span the years 1984 to 2010, are available from Nook and Cranny who run the print and framing section in the main courtyard. Like a proud father, I visited my prints in Liverpool over the weekend, just to make sure they were comfortable and settled. I also spent time in the main gallery viewing the current exhibition, "Galapagos" a group show by twelve selected artists. The show was indeed excellent and deeply inspiring. As it runs until the 1st of July, I may take in another viewing.

My first customer

On Sunday morning I arrived at the gallery early and was delighted to see a rook waiting pariently at the door. I have no idea if rooks are lucky, but I took this as a good sign that my prints will sell out. The rook seems to be a resident at the Bluecoat, I saw her knocking on doors and windows with her beak.

Granada, 1998 - Tim Irving

Nikkormat EL with Olive Bespoke Strap

Black and Olive

This is the latest of my bespoke straps. I couldn't resist a photograph before I ship it to its new owner in Sweden. The olive and black make a handsome couple. I was forced to use this camera and lens over the weekend because last Friday my regular camera developed a fault. The fault turned out to be a mixed blessing, in that I got the opportunity to use the old warhorse above. I'll show you some examples of the photos when I have them back from the lab, tomorrow. The lens on the camera is the infamous Zoom-Nikkor 43-86mm. A few people have claimed this to be the worst lens ever made by Nikon. Again I'll put the images up and you can make up your own mind.

Apple Quicktake 100 Camera

Apple Quicktake 100 Camera

The camera above is one of several vintage digital cameras I own. I bought my first digital camera, an Apple Quicktake 200, in 1996, the one above dates from 1994. It was the first digital camera to be launched by Apple and was in production for less than a year. The camera was very expensive, plus you needed a Mac to get the images out of the camera. Not suprisingly, theses are rare cameras.

I used these camera to make images for web sites and print during the nineties and I still have the original files on hard disks. It occurred to me that the images from these early cameras are very rare, so you may be interested to see what photographs from an early digital camera look like.

Original full size image from Apple Quicktake 100

Original full size image from Apple Quicktake 100

The photos above are about average for the camera, I'm sure many people would find them unusable, but you have to work with what you've got. By reducing the size, they look good and by uprezzing it's possible to make 20x30 inch prints.

Thumbnail Image from Apple Quicktake 100

Spanish Landscape taken with Apple Quicktake 100. Image up-Rezzed to make 20x30 Print

It still works!

Camera strap evolution

Improved canera strap

I'm pleased to report that my camera strap continues to gather interest around the internet. As a result, the orders are trickling in at a pace I'm happy with. Because the straps are so labour intensive a trickle is preferable to a deluge. As I work on each strap I'm constantly seeking to improve the design and finish, and this week I made a small but significant improvement. I now tie the entire strap with a single piece of cord! It's a simple idea, but very difficult to do when working with over fifty foot of cord.

When the strap is fitted to a camera you have the option of using the leather sleeves, these hide my workmanship but protect the camera. So you might ask, what's the point? The point, or reason for the change is simply to refine the design, plus I like to show off. My original strap had two finishing knots, the new straps have one. The other end still spliced and finished with a celtic knot, to allow for adjustment and to bring the owner luck.

The other end

Catcopter

The Dutch artist Bart Jansen makes his dead cat Orville fly, after having him stuffed and mounting propellers to his legs. The 'Orvillecopter' is exhibited at Amsterdam's KunstRai, the city's annual art show.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Diamond Jubilee - Tim Irving

One more day to go before the holiday is officially over. I'm finding the diamond jubilee holiday very intense. I can't remember when the Queen's diamond jubilee officially started, maybe three or four days ago, but it seems a longer to me, like three or four months. The weather, which is cold and wet, hasn't dampened the  celebrations, but driven them indoors to town halls, church halls and scout huts where British senior citizens are gently celebrating in front of big screens.