A little bit more effort in this week’s photograph. To follow up on my intention of using this project to refresh and improve my photography skills, I purchased some new gear this week to increase my creative options. The two significant purchases that made this shot possible were a cheap flash unit and a remote trigger.
Using a flash off-camera opens up a world of possibilities but it’s not something I’ve done for several years. In the past, I had quite a collection of flash photography equipment but I let most of it go when I traded in my DSLR for my current micro-four-thirds setup.
At the moment I don’t have a shoot-through umbrella to soften the light so I decided to embrace the constraint and create a little bit of drama by placing the flash unit up on the landing above me and casting some harsh shadows through the bannister and across the wall and carpet.
I quite enjoyed shooting this. The flash unit I bought was cheaper than I remember them being. This may be because I’ve not purchased big brand names but they seem to work well and have more features than I’ll likely need. I can see myself getting another and playing with some more complex setups later down the line. Let me know what you think of this effort in the comments section.
Work had some notable moments this week but nothing that’s easy to share or that I want to write about - I’m sure I won some, lost some and ended the week on a draw. No real complaints.
Running life has continued strong. I’ve managed about 21 miles this week across 5 runs. Today I ran 8.6 miles which made me feel like a proper runner! My legs feel like I ran 16 miles and I’m a little worried the next few days I’ll be hobbling about like a very old man.
This post was written by Stuart Mackenzie
Stuart works at TPXimpact (previously known as FutureGov) changing and improving our public services. He's also known for being a father, husband, runner, photography nerd, podcaster and excotic disco dancer!
