New Arts Centre : Glasgow

Trongate 103 : A Centre for the Arts and Creativity

A new and exciting arts centre opens its doors this Saturday (12th September 2009) in Glasgow's Merchant City.

Trongate 103 (on Argyle Street) incorporates galleries, workshops, artists' studios and production space. This is the official pitch:

"... a place to see art, make art, enjoy art and just be creative. Trongate 103 opens the doors to individuals from all backgrounds to develop and enhance their creative abilities and interests through access to a wide range of art forms including film, photograph, printmaking, video, painting, ceramics, new media, kinetic sculpture and public art".

Trongate 103 is in a refurbished six storey Edwardian warehouse. It sounds like a fantastic new arts facility and is another must-see cultural centre for visitors to Scotland.

The venue also features Cafe Cossachok (Scotland's first and only authentic Russian Restaurant). I wonder if there's a discount if you say you're from Stepps?

Opening Day : Saturday 12th September 2009
Admission Free

Mon-Sat : 10:00 - 17:00
Sun : 12:00 - 17:00

Trongate 103
Glasgow
G1 5HD

tel : 0141 331 4474

Photography Exhibition : Glasgow

Cold War Neons & Socialist Modernity

In light (pun intended) of the problems over at the Mackintosh Lighthouse in Glasgow city centre, I'm not too sure we'll get to see this exhibition. If they manage to save this incredible (and poorly supported) Scottish venue, the planned photographic exhibition is by photographer/academic Ella Chmielewska. It's billed as an examination of the 'neonisation' project initiated in 1960's Warsaw and on display will be large-scale images of urban landscapes alongside colour studies of neons.

8 September to 4 October 2009

The Lighthouse
11 Mitchell Lane
Glasgow
G1 3NU
Scotland

Tel : 0141 221 6362

Portraits : Family Gage

Last weeks wedding was on Sunday so I arranged a family portrait shoot for the Saturday. The Gage family were terrific fun and the weather behaved itself. We headed to Pollok Park in Glasgow for the shoot and afterwards we had a well earned coffee and cake in the Pollok House Edwardian Kitchen Restaurant. Thanks guys; here's a few images from the day.








Daddy Gage (Darren) runs Purple Horizon (an IT Support and Web Hosting & Web Publishing company) based in Glasgow. Thanks for looking.

Photography Exhibition : Glasgow

Conspicuous Consumption : Various Artists

At the moment there's an interesting (multi-media) exhibition in Montgomery's Cafe (near to Kelvingrove Museum). Montgomery's is one of my favourite places for a cake 'n' coffee.

The exhibition (btw nothing to do with indiscreet outbreaks of TB) features the artistic talents of Helen Shaddock, Deirdre McPhillips and Liz West; it's curated by Ugly Duck Exhibits.

24 July to 31 August, 2009

Montgomery's Cafe
9 Radnor Street
Glasgow
G3 7UA
Scotland

Personal Work : Scotland Lochscapes

Today I thought it was time to take my good old Fuji S2 digital SLR (dSLR) camera out for a photography stroll in the Trossachs. Even though I now photograph with the Nikon D3 dSLR I can't bear to part with the old dear. The S2 camera is over 7 years old and in digital years that makes the "almost-APS-size sensor" camera less cropped frame more zimmer frame.

IMO Fuji never bettered the S2. I liked the Fuji S3's vertical grip and ditching the silly CR123a batteries, but the image difference between the S2 and S3 was as tight as two coats of paint. The Fuji S5's high ISO capabilities were widely exaggerated (IMO) and to say the menu layout is horrible is exactly what I was going to say. The best things about the S5 are the flash commander mode function and of course rebadging the naff Finepix to the rather cool Fujifilm. So with no S6 on the horizon it looks like the S2 is as good as it's going to get (dSLR-wise).

Here's a few photographs I shot at Loch Venachar with the S2 and the Nikkor 10.5mm f2.8 lens.




The highlights on following photograph are a total all f's blow out. But what (new) camera wouldn't do the same? considering the lighlight is the Sun itself ;-)

If you are one of the many who email me regarding digital black & white conversion techniques, you'll be pleased to know I'll blog on this topic in the next few weeks.

Scotland Wedding Venues : Moorpark House

Last Thursday I photographed a fabulous wedding at the equally fabulous Moorpark House Hotel. Moorpark House is situated just outside Glasgow in Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, Scotland. The House has been restored by the current owner Graham Conrathe and is a stunning venue. Here's the outside :



The weather was incredible and I'm looking forward to returning soon. Here's a couple more images from the day.

Photography Exhibition : Peebles

Landscape Large & Small : Dougie Johnston

The Eastgate Theatre & Arts Centre in Peebles is currently showing a Dougie Johnston photography exhibition. It's described as a collection of photographs from "...the most sweeping panorama to the tiniest detail....the natural world of the Borders and elsewhere on all scales". Here's a link to the exhibition link

13 July to 15 August, 2009
Mon - Sat : 13:00 - 17:00

Eastgate Theatre & Arts Centre
Eastgate
Peebles
EH45 8AD

tel : 01721 725785
Free Admission