308: Emotikeys

Taken as an entry for the BBC 6music MPFree EP cover competition. The subject was Punctuation Marks, on account of the band !!! playing in session today.

Settings: f/5.6, 1/8, ISO 200, 58mm Helios-44M M42, 61mm extension, fluorescent lamp, tripod.

UPDATE: Damn you, 6music. It didn't win - never mind. What were the chances, eh? At least I took part, and I enjoyed the results here. It's quite a sweet picture, really. (despite the old ground-in grime, although it adds a measure of authenticity.)

Speaking of !!!...
This video is quite saucy, in an entertainingly implicit way. And the music's good too, which helps. Never make a video for music you don't like, unless you're being paid a truckload.

290: On the Rear Wheel

Settings: f/8, 1/180, ISO 100, 58mm Helios-44M M42, 1/4 flash, 9mm extension, tripod/

009: Mystery Potatoes

Potatoes, for me, are appealing not only on the plate but also in the eggbox - where they wait to be planted in March. Rescued from a paper bag in the cupboard, these were sporting thin and straggly shoots. Removed of these, they sit patiently on a windowsill while the sunlight assists them in growing some thicker and greener shoots instead.
I wish I knew what variety these were, simply for want of knowing. For another year these will be my "Mystery Potatoes."

I took the photo with a bounce flash at f/5.6 - very close up. The Pentax DA 18-55 AL is good for having a very close minimum focus, but it can display a curious grainy foggyness in out-of-focus areas. It's definitely different to other lenses I have used. This can work as a nice effect sometimes, but in high-key shots such as this one you can see the contrast falling off quickly with the blur.
...But I might be wrong about this, as I've known bounce flash to interfere with contrast at times.