I can’t believe it’s February already, before we know it we’ll be wrapping Christmas presents again and drinking egg-nog…I’ve never actually tried egg-nog.
I haven’t really shot much this year, so far, I’m preparing for my second project visit to Yellowknife in April. Most of what I’ve shot has been for my own personal amusement and experimentation.
The shot above was the first photograph I took this year, it’s of my good friend, film producer and director, Richard Plumley. Richard is like an engine in a 24 hour factory – constant. Wherever he is, Richard will be on the go, stopping only to light a cigarette or open a beer, then he’s off again. This image, I think, sums him up.
Below is musician and my very close chum, Simon Campbell, I haven’t photographed him enough lately. I took this portrait as an experiment really, trying-out different flash techniques, ironically, this was the only frame on the roll that the flash didn’t fire. It’s the only image I liked. Simon wore a blanket around his neck, for some reason…?
I was in North Wales last week, working out of a crappy rental cottage on Anglesey, I took film, but didn’t return with much material. I’ve always been fascinated by crappy hotels, motels and bed & breakfast establishments though, I think there’s beauty in the ugly and banal.
I took the images below using direct flash, I think it suits the situation and gives them an almost ‘holiday snapshot’ feel.
I feel another project idea coming-on…
The shots above were made using a Mamiya 7II, 80mm lens and Kodak Ektar 100 film. The flash is a Vivitar 285HV, bare, no diffusion.
Below – this is my favourite image this year, so far. It’s my dog, Leica, on the beach at home in Peel, on the Isle of Man. I shot this using a £20 Nikon TW20 compact and Ilford HP5 film.
PHIL KNEEN 
loved all your pictures. specially the last. ” your dog”
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Thanks!
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Yep. Loved these images. Obviously – being a keen photographer of my own dog Sadie Shih Tzu – the photo of Leica is my favourite. But I also love the photo of Richard. Have you ever photographed The Tragically Hip? Gord Downie is a very interesting man. Something in Richard reminded me of him.
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Thanks!
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I really like your portraits of Simon, he makes a good model, with or without a blanket around his neck. The beach shot is lovely and once again I’m amazed what you can do with the most simple/basic equipment. And the hotel pics are interesting in a way, can’t help wondering about you playing puzzle on the carpet though and whether this was becoming a dog or a horse there among the buttercups… Well, never mind.
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Haha! The puzzle was on the floor of a lounge in a guesthouse I was staying in, one of the guests was doing it, I think it was a pony?
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Like everyone else here, I adored that last picture. In fact, I want to take that last picture…
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Your work is great, Phil, I’m totally fascinated by the ‘Bed and Breakfast’ project, even though I’ve only seen 3 images!
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What person with even half a soul wouldn’t love the photo of your pup? I always love your portraits, so there is no voting on them – they’re both great. And I love the shot of the lamp and the picture. Love the sparse sterility. We’ve all spent time in a place like that. It’s as though all the decor was bought at a garage sale.
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More great work mate…
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Reblogged this on Worried Shoes.
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By the looks of it we might have slept at the same establishment in Anglesey. I have quite a few places similar to this one ticked off my list already, and I’m not finished with them yet. My last one was in Inverness. I seem to find them easy enough, even on the days I try to avoid them. I need to do more snaps of them obviously, but the fact that I’m more or less only shoots b&w takes away most of the fun looking at them in retrospect.
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