Highlight: Learnt some Advanced Origami
Lowlight: Due a mis-understanding of deadline ended up staying up past midnight making paper butterflies then getting up at the crack of dawn to photograph them.
Fill in: I recently got taken on by Image Brief, an agency where pictures editors can submit picture requests and photographers are emailed the details, and can submit suitable images. The deadlines are usually tight as the picture editors have obviously scoured the existing stock libraries for what they want and drawn a blank and this way of doing things is not the norm. It means that most briefs you do not have time to get a picture unless you have it instantly at your fingertips or are free that day to shoot it. Having been a member for over a month most of the briefs I could have submitted too I was too busy at the time to get it together. However a request for an Origami butterfly in black shiny paper came in with a Wednesday deadline and I was free Tuesday night and all Wednesday. I am pretty handy at making useless craft type thingies thought I; tons of time to buy some nice black shiny paper thought I, tons of time to learn to make a butterfly thought I; and tons of time to shoot it thought I.
I made up my mind to do it and told my long suffering partner I was off to Hobby craft to buy some shiny black paper and post off my latest job at the same time. He decided to keep me company. Two hours later, having scoured WH Smiths (only black shiny paper had multi-coloured spots on it - damn those spots), Hobby Craft (NO black shiny paper at all - damn useless shop) Sainsburys (only had red, white or blue shiny paper - damn the Jubilee) Birthdays (closing down sale - no paper at all - damn the recession) I had to admit defeat as it was nearly time for the school pick up plus I wanted to have a go at actually making the butterfly having never made anything more complicated that a paper hat before.
I got back home only to discover to my dismay that the deadline was 10 am Wednesday morning so there was no time to lose. I had a job to do in the early evening, which left me with only the late evening and early morning to get the paper, learn to make the butterfly, shoot it, Photoshop it and upload it.
Post-job at 20.00, Keith and Kyle came with me so they had to suffer the post-job sprint across town through heavy traffic to get to Paperchase at Westfield before it closed. The sat nav indicated that it was only 30 minutes away so just enough time to get there before the shop closed at 21.00 thought I. But we hit two major jams and got into the car park at 20.50. Still ten minutes thought I. But I got into the wrong lift and ended up at the Casino, yelled 'SH!T' to the surprised doorman who came up to usher me in, closed the lift doors in his face and went back to where I started in the car park and had to run up the escalators to get to the second floor to Paperchase. Got there 20.55 and roared 'Got any black shiny paper' to the poor guy who was just contemplating the end of his shift. I got a roll of shiny-ish black paper. Hurrah for Paperchase - 1st part accomplished and 11 hours to go before the deadline.
Got home, and found that cutting an exact square from a roll of wrapping paper is no easy task and it took several attempts and lots of expletives before I got a reasonable one. Then it was on to the internet to follow the on line instructions. Paper was torn, fingers were cut, but eventually two reasonable butterflies were hatched...and it was only 00.45. 9 hours to go. I decided to go to sleep and wake up early the next day to shoot the butterflies.
Overslept and got up 6.15. Luckily the conditions were perfect and got the shots pretty quickly. A bit of pruning on Photoshop and finally got the shot in by 9.30 - along with over 200 other photographers!!!! A veritable swarm of butterflies were on there so chances are mine will not make the cut! Oh well - I can get a job making Origami butterflies now...
I made up my mind to do it and told my long suffering partner I was off to Hobby craft to buy some shiny black paper and post off my latest job at the same time. He decided to keep me company. Two hours later, having scoured WH Smiths (only black shiny paper had multi-coloured spots on it - damn those spots), Hobby Craft (NO black shiny paper at all - damn useless shop) Sainsburys (only had red, white or blue shiny paper - damn the Jubilee) Birthdays (closing down sale - no paper at all - damn the recession) I had to admit defeat as it was nearly time for the school pick up plus I wanted to have a go at actually making the butterfly having never made anything more complicated that a paper hat before.
I got back home only to discover to my dismay that the deadline was 10 am Wednesday morning so there was no time to lose. I had a job to do in the early evening, which left me with only the late evening and early morning to get the paper, learn to make the butterfly, shoot it, Photoshop it and upload it.
Post-job at 20.00, Keith and Kyle came with me so they had to suffer the post-job sprint across town through heavy traffic to get to Paperchase at Westfield before it closed. The sat nav indicated that it was only 30 minutes away so just enough time to get there before the shop closed at 21.00 thought I. But we hit two major jams and got into the car park at 20.50. Still ten minutes thought I. But I got into the wrong lift and ended up at the Casino, yelled 'SH!T' to the surprised doorman who came up to usher me in, closed the lift doors in his face and went back to where I started in the car park and had to run up the escalators to get to the second floor to Paperchase. Got there 20.55 and roared 'Got any black shiny paper' to the poor guy who was just contemplating the end of his shift. I got a roll of shiny-ish black paper. Hurrah for Paperchase - 1st part accomplished and 11 hours to go before the deadline.
Got home, and found that cutting an exact square from a roll of wrapping paper is no easy task and it took several attempts and lots of expletives before I got a reasonable one. Then it was on to the internet to follow the on line instructions. Paper was torn, fingers were cut, but eventually two reasonable butterflies were hatched...and it was only 00.45. 9 hours to go. I decided to go to sleep and wake up early the next day to shoot the butterflies.
Overslept and got up 6.15. Luckily the conditions were perfect and got the shots pretty quickly. A bit of pruning on Photoshop and finally got the shot in by 9.30 - along with over 200 other photographers!!!! A veritable swarm of butterflies were on there so chances are mine will not make the cut! Oh well - I can get a job making Origami butterflies now...
Tech spec:. Black shiny paper! My paper was more silky so not quite such a challenge. I was lucky the dawn was overcast with sheet white clouds so the sky was at the biggest soft box ever and lit the butterflies perfectly to get an even sheen and no shadows. This showed off the texture of the paper and made it easy to do a clean cut out. I shot it on a white lightbox. I did try shooting with studio light with a large octagonal soft box but the daylight shots were best.
Related links:
Great instructions for origami butterflies
Great instructions for origami butterflies
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