Elffinarts

More often there than here.....

2009-01-05T08:15:24Z

Just a quick post to let you know I'm best contacted via my own site Mark Greenmantle Photography: [link]

I blog more often on my news page which is fairly new and I'm about to really get my teeth into it now that the software is working smoothly so please subscribe to the RSS there: [link] I'm developing a soon to be regular HOW TO blog for both photography and Photoshop use.

If you're in the following communities, please do come and catch up via the following links:

Facebook (personal): [link]
Facebook page (photography): [link]
Model Mayhem: [link]
MySpace: [link]
Redbubble: [link]
LinkedIn: [link]

I hope you all had a great New Years and have enjoyed your festive season.

Un souffle court avant de plonger la profonde

2008-07-03T14:32:36Z

So much to get sorted in such a short time and after a day of fighting with the pc's here and at my business partner's home, I just want to chill and take time out. Mais il ne doit pas être! No chance, Friday will be retouching/deep etching fifteen shots, sorting out what the malware on this beast pc is, buying a new HDD and installing that before returning Khrys's WD640GB with fresh tunes and a big thanks, then wrapped up with *hopefully* a shoot with Imogen Green.

I would love for anyone who has heard of engaged couples looking for photographers to contact me. My calendar is wide open after the Abbey and call me odd but I do enjoy that kind of work!

work

2008-07-01T23:37:40Z

waiting in town for commercial job to start... have to love finding unsecured wireless at Eagle Street. ;p

I'm booked through today, my first major commercial client. pity most of this will only pay bills instead of scoring me new gear.

Image Retouching for your shoots....

2008-06-04T16:50:08Z

So far I've had no bites at the cheap portrait sessions I am offering. It has been a fair while since I posted eye candy here, and I hope this is what is needed to remind people of the degree of work I put in to post production. Now, the following shot was taken with the old D70 I worked with till last year when, at 62000 shots, decided to call it quits. The Nikon D3 I now shoot with is capable of even smoother gradients and much higher resolutions.
Model: Imogen Green

Click on the image for a higher res version.

It would be remiss of me to neglect to credit Marnie Rappell for her make up and styling.

On the Prowl.......for work. Recap on the last 7 months

2008-05-31T13:49:50Z

I haven't really done a proper update since I started at APN seven months ago. So, my contract with Australian Provincial Newspapers ran out on Thursday last week and now that I have finally upgraded to the new Nikon D3, I am seeking new leads to photographic, design or image retouching work. Any and all help would be appreciated and so I am opening the following offer. If you send me three paying clients you get a free portrait shoot (normally $300). The information for my shoots is all posted on my site, www.greenmantle.biz

I'm currently doing retouching for two advertising agencies but I'm looking for more. I'll be catching up with the APN Adservices creative director (then beers with the rest of the team at Portside) next week to get insider info on how to get a foot-up in the field of commercial advertising photography which is where the real money is. There's good reason full time fashion photographers are getting to shoot with medium format digital gear ($25,000+). Last week was the first time I left a job and felt really good about the time I spent there for more than "it's paying the bills". There's nothing better than landing a job that drives you on a really steep learning curve the whole time you are there and all the while gives you peer respect and freedom to have fun at the same time.

My only regret is that I landed that job through an agency and their fees cut deeply into my pay and into the budget that my pay had to come out of. I was really very lucky that for the time I was there, the studio growth was such that I started off with a 31hour week for two weeks and then ended up averaging about 55hours a week for the rest of the seven months. I had to pull the pin on one week as it hit 67hours and a migraine took its toll.

The time I spent with APN has really opened my eyes to better advertising standards in terms of both photography and in design and copyrighting. I made great use of the seven months there to get quality feedback on both my photography and design from some of the best designers in the country. (couldn't ask for a nicer studio team either - they rocked - and we're all likely to network on collaborations outside APN over the long term)

I went to the PMA Australia photo imaging technology show on Friday (open day to pros and trades) and ran into a fair few familiar faces. One of these was Troy Hansen, a mate I used to work with at Chris Hall Photography. Troy just scooped a multitude of prizes and scored the International Photographer of the Year 2007 at the British Assoc Professional Photographer awards. He's now freelancing again in Brisbane and you can be sure his shots are going to start landing magazine covers all over the place.

I enjoyed a lecture by Marcus Bell at PMA, as he explained a few things about colour profiling that I knew the basics of but hadn't seen it described in such a clear way before. There's a good reason Marcus is so well regarded in the photography world. He comes across as being exceedingly intelligent, very friendly and patient and he seems to love sharing knowledge. I'd love to work with him and so I will be sending an application to him to do retouching work. He had a position going for a portrait shooter but honestly I felt so daunted by the calibre of his work that I abandoned my application. I'm good at what I do but that is one of - if not THE top photographic studio in Australia.

I picked up a several month old edition of Better Photoshop Techniques and recognised the cover image as being shot near Brisbane. It turned out to be about a shooter one of my clients uses, and whose shots they now sometimes get me to retouch. It's been a while since I last landed a magazine cover so I hope that if my retouching keeps improving I'll soon nab another. =)

Oh, and I am looking to see if any accountants need shoots. I may be able to work magic with light but that talent falls far short of accounting paperwork. I don't like my chances but if any accountants are reading this - please contact me.

Much needed recharge - advertising refresh - iiNet bashing

2008-03-29T16:20:45Z

So, work didn't slow down after Easter as I'd hoped. Rather, it kicked into overdrive and when my co-worker tweaked her neck badly I found myself doing a 50 hour week in a crazy four days. I'd planned on getting out this weekend but kept falling asleep anytime I'd let myself relax even a little. I figure it's my body telling me I'm at the precipice of burnout when I suddenly get such low blood pressure that I was getting blackouts very easily this morning.

I'd spent last night redesigning some of my advertising material in preparation for when I get back into the swing of running MGP as a business. (and replace my camera of course) I'll just upload the tiny low res versions below for you to peek at.

I hope your weekends are as interesting as mine has been sleepy! On that note, I'm off to bed.....
Tomorrow I have more ads to design, more photographers to recruit for the Abbey Medieval Festival Photo Team (so far very few have bothered to apply and I can only assume previous team members who hadn't already done so couldn't be bothered), and a home to clean.

I still have a huge Abbey gallery to compile and upload but with my modem only staying connected for scant minutes at a time due to a huge iiNet fuckup (read: Mark's going to demand refunds on his business account) I cannot upload a full gallery anyway.

I might have to build it locally and take the ext HDD somewhere else to upload it. I'm appalled that I've made literally dozens of calls about the connectivity and only in the most recent call did I FINALLY get a techie who actually knew what he was doing.
My modem keeps connecting to their secondary DNS server that is not even supposed to be publicly accessible and that server keeps restarting my service as it keeps telling my modem to take a new IP address. So, I'm pissed off. The 12 - 16 or so calls before him all tried to say that the length of copper cable from my wall to my pc was to blame and nothing else, completely ignoring that I'd never had this problem with my old Optus ADSL account, or that for 5 days while their secondary DNS server was down my net worked perfectly a couple of weeks ago. I'd like to know why I'd told iiNet employees their secondary DNS server was killing my connection for three months and for three months not one of them would admit that they even have a secondary DNS server!

Below are the promised images of my refreshed logo and an ad I mixed up last night.

click on the ad for the higher res version (full res is 600dpi A4 print in CMYK colour

La Luna Interrupted

2007-09-21T02:53:29Z

I had been trying to capture images of Mercury Rising the other day, using the camera with the dodgy shutter, focussed on the moon and got interrupted by VH-601. (at least that what I thought its number was) I'm surprised my D70 caught anything but blur with this shutter speed, approach speed to BRIS must be fairly slow. (unlike the roller coaster ride that is landing in Cairns - trust me)

larger version is here: http://www.elffinarts.com/pic/albums/userpics/10001/QANTAS%281_of_1%29_copy_sml.jpg

Rightio then, I should be working on my application to get back to working at the newspaper - this time as a photographer!! I had an encouraging call with the new pictorial editor who I have been mates with for a decade and I have a week to nail this updated resume and folio for submission.

I WANT....

2007-09-20T17:28:49Z

http://www.cafepress.com/xmortis.171542359

that is all. :p

Leigh - aka Token Boi - Dance Folio shoot

2007-09-09T16:52:40Z

Despite my camera dying in what is likely to be its final commercial shoot - we had some success! (HUGE thanks to Steve for loaning his camera on the fly so we could wrap up the shoot) Right then, I've done as much editing as I can focus through for one night! gota get up early to seek more paid jobs and somehow pay bills.

If anyone is still wanting to take advantage of the half price shoots I am doing currently, step the hell up now or you may lose your chance for a $150 portrait shoot, $300 commercial shoot or $500 band shoot!! Prices go back to normal in a few weeks and it will likely be another year before I go crazy and offer this again.

Forcing myself to .......

2007-09-05T04:50:22Z

Forcing myself to retain a positive work flow, and keeping busy whilst waiting for an expected call of whether I have a new job as a photographer for the government is really draining. If I have it I want to party (not so much I cannot make it in tomorrow though) and if I don't have it, I want to turn my attention elsewhere but - not knowing is just killing me!

The interview went really well. It was utterly informal, probably the most informal government interview I have heard of. It was an EOI and basically only for an initial three month contract but the interview was great. The questions thrown to me were exactly what I expected, the job fits perfectly in my skill set, was just enough of a challenge to keep me learning at the rate I enjoy, and the three interviewers absolutely GUSHED over my folio. (which was SUCH an ego boost :p ) The chief photographer there called my shots inspiring and at the end of it all they were all beaming like cheshire cats and promising a call on Tuesday...... So 1440hrs Wednesday is here and I am all but climbing the walls. I phoned them this morning and the reply was a promise for a call back but that was four hours ago.

**face ↨ desk**

If not for a calming whisky and some Type O Neg loud enough to bug the entire block, I'd be going barking mad and out chasing trucks on foot in the middle of Sandgate Road.

I had a folio shoot planned for this evening but the model had to postpone by a week.

Perhaps I should do some paperwork -even make a early start on this quarter's TAX BAS statement - hrmm a no activity one, that should take all of 3 minutes. grrr

edit: got news back right on 5pm, I missed out and was the second choice for the job. I'm on their short list at any point now that they need a shooter but this doesn't pay the bills I have due now.

Modified Nikon flash

2007-09-05T04:34:57Z

Modified Nikon SB-24 flash
Originally uploaded by pixonian.

I'm dead keen to use this idea on my old SB600 flash unit that didn't bounce well enough (as in off the floor when it landed)
I now have one SB600 flash unit that failed to properly latch onto its mount and one that was knocked over attached to a very heavy tripod by a drunk at a nightclub.

The one linked to is an old SB24, now sporting an external flash tube which makes it possible to connect it inside softboxes while (if using my SB600) retaining the iTTL functionality. It's a low power studio option that would really suit my preference to get back to shooting studio shots at very wide open apertures.

I do need help with soldering though - I'm so out of practice and no longer even keep a soldering iron. That and I am trying to track down some usable specs for the wiring and if different capacitors may be required for the different flash tube.

I forgot to blog my eclipse shots!!

2007-08-30T08:26:15Z

Click on the image for a larger resolution version and if you want a print, then visit my Redbubble page where it's available in anything between postcard size and 600mm framed prints.

Photography - continued discount and up and coming shoot

2007-08-30T08:16:29Z

Cross your fingers for me as I've just been interviewed for a government job doing both photography and photographic archiving (much like I used to do at the Courier-Mail newspaper). Too few people are taking the chance to make use of my half price offer of $150 model folios or portrait sessions and I've had to seek work elsewhere. If I do get the job ( I find out on Tuesday) then I will still offer those very competitive priced shoots after hours and on weekends.

Monday afternoon should find me shooting with Brissy band iNation and I'm sure that's going to be a hell of a lot of fun :)

Model Folios

2007-07-26T04:41:04Z

I'm still shooting modelling folios but not at TFP or TFCD terms unless there is something outstanding in the shoot I simply must add to my folio. I am interested in shooting more classical and contemporary dance by professionals preferably in their own dance space. A Tokyo dancer is going to be adding to my folio on Monday though in a sunset beach shoot. Should be a fun challenge, and I'm hoping the weather and lighting will be as good as my last commercial shoot at that beach.

Click here for terms and conditions and booking details for a standard Model folio shoot, booking fee included, two hours of photography, all images delivered on DVD with ten shots retouched - $300
The prices available are far below what most studios offer if they provide all shots on DVD and do in house retouching. Each shoot is provided with an on-line gallery if desired hosted on my servers until clients wish otherwise.
Other options are available as well, please contact me directly with any questions via my email

The image below is a collaboration between model Imogen Green, Asylum7 Corsets, After Dark Jewellry (Houston Texas) and myself. Weapons supplied by fight-master Damien Fegan of Lion Rampant

This was only forwarded to me yesterday but: Vamps!

2007-07-24T03:51:20Z

To: brisbaneauditions@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 9:15 PM

Subject: [brisbaneauditions] Specific Character Extras required for Film

Extras are being sought for a specific type of character as background movie extras on a Apocalyptic film called "DAYBREAKERS"

We require people who have to have the appearance of gaunt, skinny types of characters as this is a semi-Vampire film and will need to be able to fit into potential costumes etc.

The production company are after character people and not necessarily "beautiful people" (The age range can be between 15 -100 as long as the person meets the casting requirements above) .

What I require is a bodyshot and a headshot, so when the next round of casting are put out I can put you forward, also the people have to be reliable and able to get to Warner Bros Studios at short notice as sometimes shooting can be early morning call or late night finishes up to 1am.

There is usually food and drinks and the catering is fantastic.

Please submit your Jpeg photos to darrell_dower@hotmail.com and your contact details.

This is paid movie work. The shooting dates are between July 16 - Sept 07.. with a chance for ongoing work, cannot guarantee steady work as the film industry can be fickle, but once you are in for continuity sake the
likelihood of regular work is possible.

For the Ekky poppers out there

2007-07-24T03:46:09Z

I'm not going to preach my anti drug thoughts at you but with this new threat to my risk taking friends read on.
PMA is being pushed by some dealers as an enhancer to MDMA but if offered reject it and here's why: http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/176_10_200502/bya10720_fm.html
(courtesy of the Medical Journal of Australia)

In far lower doses than E, PMA kills. It drives your core body temp up above 41*C so you'd have a fairly quick and fatal case of stupid.

Combichrist Brisbane Gig Gallery Uploaded

2007-07-02T02:07:11Z

I've just uploaded the bulk of the shots that had enough stage lighting from the Combichrist gig last week.
View it here: Combichrist Live at The Globe, Brisbane

It includes quite a few social pics, fun promo shots and Neotokyo who played a wicked set in the foyer of the Globe as well. I have yet to edit the main stage support band's pics as the lighting was less effective and a large proportion of the shots suffer from motion blur due to slow shutter speed.

Below: Neotokyo and Andy LaPlegua at the turntables. :)

cues Drummer exploding!!!

2007-07-01T02:56:49Z

full size:
http://elffinarts.com/pic/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pos=0

Combichrist live at the Globe theatre 2007

Combichrist's singer Andy LaPlegua backlit by the drummer reaching critical mass and exploding!!

Seriously the two drummers were fucking amazing. You could have powered a suburb for a week just from their kinetic energy alone. Add to that Andy carving up the rest of the stage and it amounts to a bloody wild show. :D

The lighting rocked - I still wanted a big more front of house white flashes to work with but luckily I didn't have the three song rule to stress over and through the set I managed to burn through 7Gig of shots and grab a few frames I'm really happy with.

This shot was actually blown out so badly I thought it would be a throw away but Lightroom's RAW conversion pulled it back with so much more detail than I'd expected and the effect looked much cooler than I thought it would. Good thing I don't shoot JPEG!

The Globe theatre recently upgraded their lights and if the gig had been a week earlier it wouldn't have been worth shooting at all... not without flash anyway.

Model: NIKON D70
Shutter Speed: 1/160 second
F Number: F/1.4
Focal Length: 30 mm
ISO Speed: 1600
Date Picture Taken: Jun 28, 2007, 10:29:26 PM

popcorn hamster

2007-06-30T15:46:42Z

just too cute for me to not repost :) splodey from cute

Combichrist gallery from last night's Brisbane gig

2007-06-29T03:30:04Z

Holy crap that was fun!
Click on Andy to go to the gallery:

Easily one of the most entertaining bands I have ever worked with!

So, ahhh .... Tanks are FUN!

2007-06-17T13:17:32Z

The above is a centurion tank as used by the ADF from the Korean and Vietnam war and still in use in Israel's army. I have more shots of inside it as well. I'm tempted to join the Vietnam War re-enactment group by next year to have more fun with this group but then I'd be shooting an SLR rifle instead of camera. But after nearly catching a spent casing in the face while taking pics of the re-enactment I think I will stick to photography. hehe

I was shocked at how much smoke this thing spat out. Lots more shots of History Alive here: http://elffinarts.com/pic/thumbnails.php?album=78

History Alive recap

2007-06-12T13:24:58Z

Click on the image for a higher res version of what was a very freakin loud bang from a 25pound cannon :)
I'll be uploading a lot of shots to this gallery as I get time. I've deleted a lot of the shots I didn't care for and still have about a thousand to sort through , resize and prep for the gallery which should be fairly pain free if my pc behaves itself.

For the most part I had a great weekend at History Alive, my only complaint being my own mistake of not applying enough sunscreen and now sporting a very lobster red face. History Alive is also using my studio shots on their website and I will likely do a photo-montage for them now that I know what the web-master was hoping to do with the shots.

The performances yielded some absolutely FANTASTIC photographic opportunities and I can't wait to show off some of the other "shots" I captured. I also learned just how freakin small it is on the inside of a Centurion Tank (used by the Australian Army from the 60's till the 80's if I heard right - and I heard still used by the Isreali Army) and will post some pics of that as well.

I was really surprised at the silly things some public do at these events. Who in their right minds, hears that a 64pound cannon has misfired and has a slow burn of a huge charge of black powder but still walks in front of that same cannon? Well, a couple of nutters did! FYI for those not familiar with blank charges, the paper blank wadding they shoot out of large cannon will still rip a bloody big hole through your chest. A blank wadding charge from a rifle can kill a person, imagine the damage a charge bigger than your head could do.

All shots © Mark Greenmantle Photography and not to be reused, reposted or printed without permission. Print sales do not display the big watermark. Contact me through my site for prints or shoot requests.

Dnash Fangs update!!!

2007-06-02T08:24:46Z

FANGS!
Dnash is back!! Either phone 0437 926 929 or click on his link to see details on his Fang Tour and it's not too late to book in for the best made fangs you can buy outside of an orthodontic surgery =] Get booked now so you don't miss him as he flies back to the US on the 18th June. http://www.dnash.com/main.html

6.01.07	Brisbane (was to be Faith)
6.02.07	Coolangatta
6.03.07	Coolangatta
6.04.07	Browns Plains
6.05.07	TENTATIVE Perth
6.06.07	TENTATIVE Perth
6.08.07	Coolangatta, then probably Brisbane - Faith
6.09.07	Coolangatta
6.10.07	Coolangatta
6.11.07	Browns Plains
6.12.07	Browns Plains
6.13.07	Browns Plains
6.14.07	Brisbane
6.15.07	Brisbane @ FAITH
6.16.07	Brisbane
6.17.07	Brisbane

[b]**Photoshoot Vamp/Were - model call**[/b]
This Sunday night I am wanting to kidnap some of the fanged fiends of Brisvegas for a photoshoot to be featured on Dnash's website. This is an opportunity for you to appear on a site that is viewed by goth's worldwide regularly as Dnash tours internationally. :)
It's only open to those in Brisbane who have Dnash fangs already (or by sundown sunday) and are able to come to the Nudgee Cemetery where we will be getting the hearse in for a sundown shoot complete with studio lights and smoke machine. I'll be offering the models copies of their shots on DVD so they can get them printed at their leisure.
I need interested parties to SMS me their names and contact numbers tonight and tomorrow by about 4pm. My number is 0410 504 757. (and don't bother to tell me posting my number is unsafe - it's on all my websites for commercial reasons already)

and... here's something you dont see everyday. An astrophysicist vamp, aka Mikael Altoff. Going by the mad scientist tag we're guessing he's a Malkavian. :p

image editing

2007-06-01T03:03:49Z

I wasn't able to sleep in as planned this morning so I decided to manipulate some images I hadn't yet edited from a late April photoshoot. The original of this shot had the lantern lit up both from the inside and lit from the studio flashes and the concept I wanted it to show was that the light was from only the lantern so this received a liberal dose of dodge and burn and some colouration to match the red coloured glass windows. Next stage will be to run this through a filter in incremental stages to give it the appearance of an oil painting. :)

Image details as shot:

DateTime Original:	2007:04:28 17:34:54
Exposure Bias:	-0.33333333333333 EV
Exposure Mode:	1
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Time:	1/100 sec
FNumber:	f 7.1
File Source:	Digital Still Camera
Flash:	Flash, Auto-Mode, Return light not detected
Focal length:	30 mm
ISO:	200
Make:	NIKON CORPORATION
Max Aperture:	f 1.4
Metering Mode:	Spot
Model:	NIKON D70
IPTC Copyright:	Mark Greenmantle
IPTC Keywords:	Medieval Fashion

Fiend Fashion shot with Imogen Green and FANGS!!!

2007-05-31T16:40:50Z

Fiend Fashion Shoot

The gorgeous Imogen Green, one of the most shy and modest models I have ever worked with. This shot is one of the images from the Fiend Mag fashion shoot that wasn't published. Order your copy of this magazine from [link]

Model: Imogen Green [link]
Makeup and Styling: Pirate Queen Marnie Rappell [link] and Kat [link]
Clothing: Ari Desmond's EXPERIMENT #99 [link] [link]
Clothing for Swing Kittens and Stray Cats

(This image is not stock, as should be clear by the size of the logo splashed across the base. No use is allowed in any context except by myself, Imogen Green, Marnie Rappell, Katherine or by Fiend Magazine)
©Mark Greenmantle Photography 2007

FANGS!
Dnash is back!! Click on his link to see details on his Fang Tour and it's not too late to book in for the best made fangs you can buy outside of an orthodontic surgery =] Get booked now so you don't miss him as he flies back to the US on the 18th June. http://www.dnash.com/main.html

6.01.07	Brisbane (was to be Faith)
6.02.07	Coolangatta
6.03.07	Coolangatta
6.04.07	Browns Plains
6.05.07	TENTATIVE Perth
6.06.07	TENTATIVE Perth
6.08.07	Coolangatta
6.09.07	Coolangatta
6.10.07	Coolangatta
6.11.07	Browns Plains
6.12.07	Browns Plains
6.13.07	Browns Plains
6.14.07	Brisbane
6.15.07	Brisbane @ FAITH
6.16.07	Brisbane
6.17.07	Brisbane

Currently
Listening
: Transmission
By The Tea Party
Release date: By 19 August, 1997