Loads of news, all at once!!

[downhillbiker]

Well then...

Been a busy time for me recently - and no, not more bikey photos before you say anything!

Last month, I entered the Times / Tabasco Young Photographer of the Year Award, with these three photos, in three categories:

Entertainment/Food:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frighten/471164685/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/471164685_f5b2367641.jpg" width="500" height="331" alt="Times1" /></a>

Action:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frighten/471166435/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/213/471166435_0d0597e3eb.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Times2" /></a>

Portraiture:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frighten/471173051/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/471173051_6e7aefd6be.jpg" width="334" height="500" alt="Times3 (Filtered)" /></a>


From this, I was selected as one of 6 people to be shortlisted for the prize, which meant I had to go down to London yesterday, to have an interview, and present my other work.

In addition, in the week prior to the interview, I had to shoot a project that I thought was newsworthy - so I arranged some time with Alex Salmond, with the angle that he's probably about to become First Minister. In the end, I selected this photo as my personal favourite, and my entry for the final stage of the competition:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frighten/494141037/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/215/494141037_56ffc163ee_o.jpg" width="514" height="800" alt="Not a silhouette..." /></a>


Anyway, the interview went really well, and the three picture desk guys who were interviewing me liked my work a lot... I know it sounds vain, but having three guys who clearly know what makes a good photo, tell you that you're good at it, was one of the best things ever! Unfortunately, I found out today that I didn't win, as although they thought the images I presented were great, they felt I lacked experience, and the prize (a 6 month contract with them) wouldn't really be at the right time in my life to have the best impact.

However... I also got equally epic news - they took the Salmond photo off me yesterday, and today, it's been used as a 1/3 page shot in the Times Scottish Edition! So my first published image is in the Times (page 7, for all you Scottish readers), and I'm getting paid for it too!

So, although I feel a bit bombed out about the competition... I'm finally a published photographer - and it's in the mother****ing Times!!!

[JOV]

Congats - top photo as well captures a MOOD a sort of nervous expectency

[rh67]

All in all it sounds like a pretty good week, well done. May it be the first of many:thumbs:

[Highlander]

Nice one downhillbiker.:thumbs:
Not sure if I want to read the mother****ing Times!! Is that some kind of incest mag :D

[1966]

Well done mate, must be a great feeling! And the money's probably quite nice too :D

[simonmac]

Happy Days!

[silverpenguin7]

Congrats mate :thumbs:

[Art Vanderlay]

Congrats - I really like all 4 photos. Well deserved to be shortlisted, and well done for getting paid and published :thumbs:

[wizbowes]

Good result! And great pics. Maybe you didn't win first prize but you've clearly got something if you get shortlisted and published.

Take it as confirmation you're doing things right and don't be bummed about the 1st prize.

[Matholwch]

Awesome news fella :clap:
Gotta say, all three of those entries are simply excellent. And the portrait of Alex Salmond is superb!! :notworthy
How did you manage to swing the photo op with him? Did you take along your own lighting or were there some good light sources there?

[Boink!]

That. Is. Superb. News. :notworthy

Shows you have <s>some</s> real talent for photography.

:thumbs:

[downhillbiker]

Cheers guys - Obviously I would have loved to win, but it would mean me moving to London for 6 months, and I don't know how I would have felt about that... this is a different result, but one I'm happy with.

The Salmond photos were done on a spur of the moment thing - I phoned his constituency office, they said I could come to one of his constituency surgeries, and do the photos there - when I turned up, he let me shoot candids all through the surgery, which was unexpected. After that, I set up my speedlight on remote, on a light stand, and put it above and to the side of his face, with the built in reflector pulled out, to stop the background being illuminated. Sat him on a chair, and experimented with the placement of the speedlight.

[Boink!]

What a nice guy to allow you to do that considering the amount of work he must be going through at the moment (the cynical side of me suggests as a politician he will accept any good publicity). Still, his 'people' could have easily have said no from the outset.

[danek]

All four of those shots are fantastic - well done! :thumbs:

[Nana]

Terrific week you've had, and well deserved. Shame about first prize, but to be in the final 6 is an achievement to be proud of, congratulations!

[mnementh]

:clap:

[Sam]

Brilliant! Well done! All 4 shots are excellent and to be published in The Times is fantastic :notworthy

[NickG]

Excellent, well done, love your portraiture shot in the bar.

[hongkong_uk]

All excellent shots. What an experience it must have been! Well done! :)

[Professor Abronsius]

Nice one mate!

Great photos. :thumbs:

[RobDickinson]

Well done mate, cracking photo's too.

[t00thless]

awesome news matey, really really well done. Its a lovely feeling to see your work in print.

And what's wrong with london anyway ;)

[Brozyniak]

that's incredible news and they are fantastic pictures. Huge credit to you for the effort you've put in, it really shows :thumbs:

[downhillbiker]

And what's wrong with london anyway ;)

Not wanting to sound like a stereotypical Scotsman, but: ££££!!! I went to the cinema when I was down - £7.50 for a student ticket?! Rental prices for flats are also absolutely insane when compared to up here...

Cheers everyone, I'm still grinning about it! :D

[Radiohead]

Awesome news James. Well done mate.

[weirdo109]

Very well done, cracking images. All impressive.

[Pheonix]

Fab news. Bit odd they put the food and entertainment section together.

This is reminding me more and more that I've not taken any photos in ages really (not proper ones). Its also bringing up that I want to learn to shoot portraits, but don't really have anyone to practice on. You've obviously been expanding out of your traditional areas...great stuff to see.

[t00thless]

Not wanting to sound like a stereotypical Scotsman, but: ££££!!! I went to the cinema when I was down - £7.50 for a student ticket?! Rental prices for flats are also absolutely insane when compared to up here...

Cheers everyone, I'm still grinning about it! :D

Yeah i know what you mean matey, it is a bit of a joke down here. Hoose prices are crazy, eating out, living. :(

[Chef]

Absolutely superb photos Dhb and really pleased for you on the Times publication. You must be absolutely buzzing atm.

P.S. glad you got a biking pic in there too ;)

Chef. :clap:

[queeg500]

Top stuff! I think the drummer is my favourite of the four :thumbs:

[Roy]

Sounds like a fairly typical week :D

Excellent shots DHB.

[rh67]

This shot just appeared in our database at work, thought it might be one of your shots but its date stamped as yesterday (though that has been known to be wrong). If not then someone cheeky man seems to have copied your shot as published the day before!

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/3293/astq7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[downhillbiker]

Cheeky ****! That's not my photo though...

[Nana]

downhillbiker, yours is miles better. Looks like this guy has just copied the effect without a lot of thought behind it. Yours, with the nice desaturation and the Scottish mug shows tons more character.

[Mr Silly]

Well done fella

[JOV]

downhillbiker, yours is miles better. Looks like this guy has just copied the effect without a lot of thought behind it. Yours, with the nice desaturation and the Scottish mug shows tons more character.

Not sure you should be calling the First minister a Scottish Mug

[downhillbiker]

Not sure you should be calling the First minister a Scottish Mug

I came out the door of the place I was taking the photos of him, and some old chap asked me about who I was taking photos of... When I told him, he fired back, with real vehemence:

"I'm sorry I spoke to you... The man's an arsehole!"

[JOV]

Lots of older Scots are not in Favour of independence - not sure the monies add up unless the EU was in support. rather the Jocks had the money than the eastern block countries.