The thoughts and musings of David Muscroft during his lifetime in photography...

The Hug

2nd March, 2009

Getting closer than I intended!   This Hug isn't the friendly cuddly kind by any means ! In fact, I REALLY didn't expect or intend to get this close to a seething mass of raging testosterone like this ! The event is the annual Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football match, where the 'Up'ards' and the 'Downards' compete in a permanent rugger scrum to get the ball into the opposition goal (the two goals are at opposite ends of the town). Normally I wouldn't expect to have the strength or the guts to get this close to the Hug, as the mass of bodies immediately around the ball is traditionally called....... but it just happened to come my way. Holding the camera over my head and firing blind got me a shot to remember !

Subjects close to home.

6th February, 2009

Icicles   Once again I'm not having to move more than a few feet to create an image.The chilly spell of the last few days has produced some lovely effects, just waiting for interpretation.

Boxing Day Hunt

29th December, 2008

Seasonal events can provide splendid photo-opportunities. Being aware of whats happening locally, and a little forethought on viewpoint and timing make the creation of a winning image so much easier. This shot was taken just half a mile from my home, though the rest of the shoot involved some serious cross-country hiking through mud and over many fields to keep up with the hunt !

Capturing the Languedoc

20th November, 2008

Fellow photographers compare images   In recent years I've been shooting more and more in the Languedoc, southern france. And then, while showing a few friends around the area, it was suggested to me that I should be passing on my passion for capturing the flavour of the Languedoc in images. So here they are....... Bill, Martina and Dennis , my most recent Photography Workshop guests. They are comparing camera screens at Millau, and the Canal du Midi, both subjects appear on earlier blogs. For the techies out there, the pictures are shot at 17mm wide angle, and 200mm telephoto, on AV auto setting with a little exposure compensation as appropriate. camera is Canon EOS 1D Mk11, 17-40mm and 70-200mm Canon L-series lenses. We continued soaking up the flavour of the region by collecting some local wine on the way back to base !

Riber Castle, Matlock, Derbyshire

30th October, 2008

Close to home   Then again, sometimes you don't have to be far away from home to create a satisfying picture. This shot of Riber Castle near Matlock is just a few minutes away. And while it doesn't have the grand scale of my previous image at Millau, I still count it as being one of the most powerful architectural images in my portfolio.

Millau

21st October, 2008

Awesome architecture at Millau   Sometimes its worth driving for an hour with just one shot in mind. This is one of them. The visually stunning bridge at Millau is an hour on the A75 autoroute from my house. We had driven across it many times on the way to and from our family holidays in the Languedoc. I had seen many pictures of this architectural icon, and so I came to the conclusion that it was about time to see if I could find a different enough viewpoint of the huge edifice. Driving towards it from the south on a typically sunny day, my minds eye was scanning the landscape which the bridge springs out of. The view I eventually arrived at was certainly worth the effort involved,I think. If you want to find out where it is, come and join me on one of my workshops !

Languedoc Autumn

15th October, 2008

Languedoc Autumn   Inspired by Rick Steins' culinary journey on the Canal Du Midi,I knew I wanted to express in colour and texture the tastes of the Languedoc cuisine and wine I had been experiencing. So when I saw this typical canalside autumn scene,I knew that I could transform it into an artwork that would convey the intense,complex and challenging flavours of south-west France. I came across this image at around this time last year, and it was taken on a mere compact camera in a few seconds (on auto setting) while I was en-route for a more 'interesting' destination. But it is the perfect reminder of just how rewarding it can be to take a few moments to look around and take advantage of what may be familiar or otherwise overlooked.

Pocket rocket

9th October, 2008

PILOT MAGAZINE COVER   Well,thats what the Editor of Pilot Magazine called it anyway. In fact its a 1960's Folland Gnat jet training aircraft,as originally flown by the RAF's Red Arrows. Point is,dear reader, thats where it all started for me ; looking up at a blue sky full of flashing red jets. I was hoping for it to be the start of a career flying these things,but that wasn't to be (the RAF pre-selection team at Biggin Hill failed me on every count !) . Instead,and fortuitously as it turned out, I also got hooked on taking pictures of 'planes, and then of absolutely anything that took my fancy. But its still my dream..........to walk out to the jet, strap in, do the checks, call the tower for clearance, and then burn away an awful lot of the tax payers money on aviation fuel ! I got a pilots licence at the end of the eighties (Cessna's not jets). I played around with other peoples 'toys' in the early nineties (hence this magazine front cover image shot from another Gnat). But its not quite the same as strapping in for real.

Carnival Masks

3rd February, 2008

The Fecos at Limoux   Limoux Carnival, or 'Fecos' to use its traditional French name, is staged in the small market town of Limoux between Carcassonne and the Spanish border. Dating back centuries local Guilds don elaborate costumes and parade through the town at weekends from January to March. This kind of local event is what travel photography is all about for me.The challenge of extracting the true flavour of an event and seeing it in print has always driven my work. Another interesting speciality of the town is its 'Blanquette'......the original sparkling wine which was invented here well before the Champagne regions' own version was invented.Certainly a bottle of this local fizz is a wonderful way to celebrate another satisfying days shooting. Somebody has to do it !

Floods have always been around.

th February,

Wellies waiting for the bus,South Yorkshire 1977   This was a best selling picture of mine at the time, it appeared in all of the national newspapers and subsequently in magazines in the UK and worldwide. I really can't remember whether or not I had been commissioned to go out and cover the flooding,or whether I was just on the road and got lucky. it's not as graphic as some of the current scenes on our TV screens, but does go to show that extreme weather has been with us pretty much all the time.

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