I don’t know if it’s just me or do the years seem to be passing by faster and faster? I can hardly believe we’re already looking back over our shoulders at 2011 with 2012  laid out before us.

If I’m honest, 2011 seems to have passed me by. With an increased workload, I think I defaulted to an almost automated method of photography during the middle of the year. Looking back, I think I should have done a lot better with the opportunities that presented themselves. Having had some breathing space over the holiday period, I’ve had the chance to identify key areas which I aim to improve upon in 2012 and beyond. I don’t think my photography was in any way poor last year, in fact I’ve probably taken some of my best shots in 2011. I just think I could have done better is all.

Some of the areas I’ll be approaching differently in the future will be my preparation, process of shooting and post-processing. I’ve quite a rigid methodology in how I shoot – which although has served me well in the past, I’m now looking to change by improvising and taking more risks. My post-processing is strangely the opposite – I’m always changing and modifying how I’ll edit a shoot afterwards. From here on out I plan on doing much lighter processing in my regular coverage and more thorough processing in my commercial work. I want to create two very different styles that somehow can both be instantly recognized as my work.

I’m currently in the process of re-building my print portfolio, something which I’ve neglected since finishing my degree. I also hope to keep this blog more updated with more behind the scenes posts along with my own thoughts on current affairs relating to the photography industry.

Before I finish up my ramblings, I just want to say a huge thanks to all my clients who I have worked with in 2011. I wouldn’t be living my dream if it wasn’t for each and every one of you. Thank you.

I also want to thank my family, friends, mentors and co-workers for their constant support. You rock.

So, let’s see what 2012 has in store …

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Paddy McGrath

I’ve been out of the office for the last week on a long overdue vacation to the United States. Unfortunately, the auto-responder I set-up before departing got knocked off after a power cut so I apologise for any lack of correspondence in the mean time. I’ll be back in the office from Tuesday November 1st where business will resume as usual. I’ll be sure to share some of my favorite sights from my trip with you shortly …

Life can be a funny old thing. One day you can have no motivation or inspiration but with the kindness of friend, this can be turned on its head. Some of you may remember last year I done a shoot of a kitchen designed by Anne Ellard for her portfolio. Just yesterday I got a knock on the front door from her to deliver this as a thank you gift. I’m absolutely blown away by not only the thought and sentiment but the quality of the drawing. There are some more images after the jump but I just want to thank Anne once again ! Now I just need to find the perfect spot to hang it …

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Paddy

Those that know me will testify to my fondness for Liverpool Football Club. I’ve followed the red side of Merseyside since I was a kid and Liverpool itself is like a second home to me. It’s a beautiful city with the greatest of people. After the recent Autosport International show at the NEC in Birmingham, I made the pilgrimage north west to catch the Merseyside Derby against Everton FC. I kept my newly acquired NEX5 close to hand and when I wasn’t getting carried away with the game, I tried to capture the full story of the match day. I hope you enjoy …

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More images on My Flickr page.

Or the 8/6 as our friends in the US and Japan would say.

Happy AE86 Day folks, be sure to keep an eye on Speedhunters for the full feature above along with a host of other AE86 stories !

Just a quick snap from a shoot this weekend gone on Christy Carpenters Nexen 1JZ S15. Keep an eye out for the full feature coming soon …

I had the pleasure of shooting this sublime supercharged E46 BMW last week, keep an eye out it in a future issue of Redline Magazine.

After a brief disagreement with some technology, I’m back in business again. Have a few new things to show you over the Christmas holidays, including the acquisition of a new camera to the family. That isn’t a Canon. Also will be showing this full shoot of my father’s Escort 1300 Executive and will be writing up a Prodrift 2009 season review for the guys on Speedhunters.

Take care and drive safely !

Just quickly cut together the first video I’ve shot using the 5D MKII. Really impressed with the quality and the ease of use. Coming from a photography background it’s great to be able to just jump in and make moving picture with the same tools used for the still ones. No trying to figure out button combinations or exploring a new medium to get the desired effect. The test was more so aimed at seeing how my poor little Macbook Pro would handle the files and to be fair, for a two year old laptop it put on a proud show. The original 1080P files were imported into Adobe Premier CS4, quickly cut together and outputted at 720P for use on Vimeo. There is some minor colour grading using the 5D MKII’s built in picture styles. Lense used was a Canon 70-200 f2.8 L IS.

Now to pick up a mic and start working on some new plans …

View the HD version on Vimeo

Just reached a 100,000 views on flickr, so here’s Remmo doing a burnout to celebrate !