This journal records the detail of my mastery of fine art photography through ten thousand hours of deliberate practice
Hours: 9,108 to 9,205
31st October 2024
Hours 9,204 to 9,205
(1h) finding and editing images for a friend’s funeral order of service
(1h) producing and ordering the Stoke Poges 2025 calendar containing images from the Stoke Pokes Photographic Club
30th October 2024
Hours 9,201 to 9,203
(1½h) Amersham coffee club where my images were discussed – various processing options discussed, in particular:
- lightening the background of the “Conversation”
- warming the foreground colour balance of “My Study” so that the hall looks as though it is lit my the warm daylight beyond the door
(1½h) implementing the above changes and creating a new version of the “Sunny Conversation”, right
29th October 2024
Hours 9,199 to 9,200
(½h) updating this journal with the images from the last couple of days
(1½h) preparing, practicing and presenting my “100 Years of Surrealism” presentation to the Stoke Poges Photographic Club, Charles Harding Cup competition – I didn’t win
28th October 2024
Hours 9,197 to 9,198
(½h) creating a cutout of new people for another version of the Conversation image
(1½h) Amersham Photographic Society – external competition by zoom: Rosebowl round 1, which we comfortably won
27th October 2024
Hour 9,196
(½h) Sean Tucker YouTubes:
- “When can I call myself a ‘Photographer’?” – the issue of imposter syndrome
- “Portrait Photography and your Mental Health (feat. Paul Hutson)“
(½h) shooting the background of the “Sunny Conversation” image, left, at Langley Park
26th October 2024
Hours 9,193 to 9,195
(½h) creating a slightly revised version of the “Conversation” image, right, in which the protagonists are flipped horizontally, making it look more as though they were walking along the path. A subtle change that I think makes a big difference
(½h) updating this journal and Flickr site
(2h) writing a presentation on “100 Years of Surrealism” for the Stoke Poges Photographic Club’ Charles Harding competition on Tuesday of this week
25th October 2024
Hours 9,189 to 9,192
(½h) creating “In the Sea with Max Ernst” based on a photo shot yesterday at the LAMPADA art fair
SERGE POLIAKOFF, 1954, “Composition abstraite”
(½h) updating this journal
(1h) researching Serge Poliakoff, whose abstract, shown right, was Gallery V’s most expensive exhibit at £320,000 (twice the cost of the Ernst above), yet I had never heard of the artist. So clearly an omission on my part but:
- he’s not on ArtFact’s top 100 (does make the top 10,000)
- ArtPrice rank 178 in the world
- 2024 turnover £3.2M
Russian born but member of the post-war New Ecole de Paris movement
(1h) identifying potential images for my Updating Magritte portfolio:
| 1966, Decalcomania |  |
| 1935, The Human Condition |  |
(1h) creating an unsuccessful new version of my “Time Transfixed” image with the train coming out of the fireplace, this time with the track removed – needs a new, real train
24th October 2024
Hours 9,187 to 9,188
(1½h) private tour of the LAPADA art fair in Berkley Square by the fair’s organiser Gillian Pinkham
MICHAEL GOEDHUIS Gallery, specialists in contemporary Asian art
Emilie Pugh’s, 2021, “Anthropic System II”
6 layers of burnt kozuke paper
Ironically by a British Artist and the only non-Asian they were showing
Several interesting works being shown by Gallery V, including those below
Max Ernst, 1925, “La mer”
with an unexpected reflection of me taking the photo on my iPhone
Joke: I will call the image, “Self-Portrait in Max Ernst’s Sea” – that will give a judge something to talk about
another sea painting, this time:
Yakoi Kusama’s, 1952, “The Sea”
[No intrusion by me]
LÁSZLÓ MOHOLY-NAGY, 1946, Watercolour No 2
(½h) updating this journal
23rd October 2024
Hours 9,183 to 9,186
(2h) Amersham Coffee club
(1h) updating this journal
22nd October 2024
Hours 9,180 to 9,182
(2h) editing potential images for the Stoke Poges calendar
(1h) Stoke Poges Photographic Club
21st October 2024
Hours 9,177 to 9,179
(1h) preparing images for the Stoke Poges 2025 Calendar
(2h) 2nd group of the North West Fed competition: Stoke Poges vs Amersham and Ealing and Hampshire House SPPC came third. However, my images were respectably reviewed:
20th October 2024
Hours 9,174 to 9,176
(1h) updating this journal and Flickr site
(½h) preparing and ordering prints for this week’s Amersham Coffee club
(1½h) creating “Uncertainty”, right
19th October 2024
Hours 9,172 to 9,173
(2h) creating the Magritte inspired “Conversation”, left
Most of the time was spent blending the separate images of the figures with their feet
18th October 2024
Hours 9,169 to 9,171
(2h) shooting images of Fran and my backs in Magritte era costume, from a low level, to give the impression that we’re floating for a “Conversation” inspired image. Also the bottoms of our shoes
(1h) editing and processing the above images and starting on a composite
17th October 2024
Hours 9,167 to 9,168
(½h) updating this journal and Flickr site
(1h) creating new versions of the images that were criticised on Tuesday
New version of “Magritte Hat Pipe Flower and Cloud” with the cloud brightened and the sky generally looking more vibrant
Experiment using BlendIf in Photoshop below. The solid colour, red, is masked out by the specified luminosity ranges in the underlying layer, i.e., the most dark and light bits. Splitting the pointers enables a graduated transition
(½h) editing the “9,000 Hours – 90% Review” post
[Amersham PiC Group – Cancelled]
16th October 2024
Hours 9,163 to 9,166
(½h) updating this journal
(1h) creating a new/ combined version of the “Man and Woman” image, left, which I think is much better
(½h) 3 ways of reducing the smudging criticised on the “Moving Clouds” image yesterday. Cause was a blur layer that I selectively applied over the white fringe around the man, together with a darken layer:
- us a blendif style to that the adjustment is only applied where the underlying layer is white or almost white
- select a solid blue colour matching the sky, rather than a blue/grey smudge to substitute for the white fringe pixels, this means that the surrounding sky cannot get any darker
- adjust/ smudge the mask around the man to remove the white line
(2h) Amersham Coffee group – good discussions including the observation that my “Man and Woman” first looks like a bite has been taken out of the man’s head, i.e., the woman’s face is insufficiently obvious
15th October 2024
Hours 9,157 to 9,162
(1h) working on the “9,000 Hours 90% Review” post
(1h) shooting more images for another version of the Magritte “Man & Woman” image created yesterday
(½h) watching the PiXimperfect YouTube: “Remove UGLY Skin Shine – EASY Photoshop Fix” and practicing on the overly shiny self-portrait I produced yesterday for my role in the “Man and Woman” image
(1½h) creating “Man and Woman II”, right
(2h) Stoke Poges Photographic Club – first PDI competition of the season – my entries below
| Image | ….. | Comment |
 | “Driving Success” 17 | |
 | “Old 12 Speed Cassette 16 | |
 | “September” 18 Didn’t understand title or shadow, which he thought might have been painted on the wall | |
 | “Chameleon Catching Worm” 20 Top place |
Simultaneously, I was on a zoom call first round of the Rosebowl, which Stoke Poges actually won, but my images did quite badly. In particular:
| Image | ….. | Comment |
 | “Magritte Hat Pipe Flower and Cloud” 18 Shadows/ reflection in the foreground too dark and dominant Cloud could be brighter | |
 | “Moving Clouds” 18 Back of man’s jacket a bit smudged |
14th October 2024
Hours 9,152 to 9,156
(½h) updating this journal
(½h) working on the goals and revised goals of the “9,000 Hours 90% Review” post
(1h) shooting and …
(3½h) processing the “Man and Woman” image, right
13th October 2024
Hours 9,148 to 9,151
(1h) updating this journal and Flickr site for images created over the last couple of days
(½h) editing and processing last night’s moon shots
(½h) shooting other versions of rooms from which I can remove the walls for Magritte style composites
(1h) editing these photos and creating the “My Study” image, left
(1h) revising my “Feet & Clouds” image:
- boots tidied up
- slight reflections in the windows removed
- shadow on window ledge reduced
- secondary ground shadow added to feed/ boots
12th October 2024
Hours 9,144 to 9,147
(3h) creating the “Seville Alcazar Rearranged” based on an image shot in Seville, Spain 30 March 2018. Creating the composite was a labour intensive activity involving several techniques
A little bit of time shooting the moon
11th October 2024
Hours 9,141 to 9,143
(½h) processing last night’s Aurora Borealis images. “Aurora Borealis Over Hastings Meadow” below
(1½h) shooting and then processing ( time mainly spent processing) “Missing Wall I”, left, which is a composite of the corner of my study (wall colour changed!) and the sky over Hasting’s Meadow opposite my house
In this image the walls are in soft focus, I might make a version that’s in sharp focus throughout
(1h) researching other Magritte images to create including:
- ‘Man and Woman‘ – overlapping heads of a man and woman with the sea and sky
- The Lover’s – kissing in a room like that left
10th October 2024
Hours 9,137 to 9,140
(1h) creating a print competition friendly version of my “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” image for the forthcoming Book Titles set-subject competition at the Stoke Poges Photographic Club
Original image created on 22nd September
Print images are generally better if high key
The shape is supposed to resemble a computer chip
Maybe too warm, bluer and colder for a cyborg
Revised, colder version of “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”, left
(½h) choosing images for a potential Stoke Poges 2025 calendar
(½h) formatting and sending SPPC images to Amersham for the next round of the North West Fed Competition
(1½h) Amersham Mono Group – no skin in the game myself but some cracking images from other members
(½h) first attempt at trying to shoot the Aurora Borealis. In Stoke Poges! Really quite ironic given yesterday’s conversation – picture above
9th October 2024
Hours 9,134 to 9,136
(1h) organising and creating Flickr albums for “Turner Prize“, “Tate Britain” and “Self Portraits” collection and updating links across this web page
(1½h) Amersham Coffee meeting discussing:
- Statement of Intent for my “Updating Magritte” panel
- my recent “Self Portrait” images shot at Tate Britain
- images from other members
Discussion about photographing the Aurora Borealis from a cruise ship, which I hope to be attempting a few weeks time when in the north of Norway:
- wide angle lens
- tripod – even when or a ship
- up to 3-5 second exposure – need to be reasonably fast due to movement of ship
- focus set to manual, infinity – check that infinity actually is infinity
(½h) processing images for next week’s “Bicycle/ Motorcycle Parts” set subject competition
8th October 2024
Hours 9,130 to 9,133
(1h) selecting images for the next rounds of the North West Fed competition
Some slight updating of my Magritte Poster image, right
(1h) updating the Statement of Intent for my potential Magritte inspired fellowship submission to the contemporary group of the Royal Photographic Society
(2h) Stoke Poges Photographic Club – Zoom lecture by Darren Pullman – lots of good stuff about using HDR
7th October 2024
Hours 9,127 to 9,129
(1h) updating this journal
(2h) Amersham Photographic Society – PDI competition
6th October 2024
Hour 9,126
(1h) updating this journal with images from the Turner Prize and Tate Britain in General
5th October 2024
Hours 9,124 to 9,125
(2h) processing images shot at the Tate Britain including:
- “Three Figures by Delaine Le Bas and Me” above
- “Self Portrait with a Philosopher”, left
- “Gilbert, George, Someone Else and me”, below
When ordering prints the latter two will be on gloss paper
4th October 2024
Hours 9,121 to 9,123
(1h) processing images from the 2024 Turner Prize Exhibition
(1h) watching the Getty Museum discussion: “Anselm Kiefer: The Shape of Ancient Thought“
“Art is the combination of: feelings, intellect and will. These things make it real.”
Anselm Kiefer
+ “Art is not aesthetics.”
(1h) processing some of the images shot at the Tate Britain
3rd October 2024
Hours 9,115 to 9,120
(1h) creating a new version of the “Magritte Hat Pipe Flower & Cloud” image based on Martin Patten’s comments during Tuesday’s inter-club competition
(½h) curating my “Magritte Portfolio” Flickr album
(½h) at the Phillips Auction House’s Gallery on Berkley Square where there were a number of interesting and famous works on display prior to sale including 2 Anselm Kiefers
(½h) at the Turner Prize exhibition at Tate Britain
Jasleen Kaur
“Her work explores what is out of view or withheld.” same sort of sentiment as Magritte’s contention that we always want to see what is hidden by what we see
Delaine Le Bas
Her work combines universal myth and lore with personal histories
(my image “Delaine de Bas and Imposters”, right)
Pio Abad
His work examines the theft of the Benin bronzes and the fate of Philippine heritage.
Her work reinvents art history tropes in portraits of Black women, children, and men.
(1h) enjoying the rest of Tate Britain including discovering Balraj Khanna, 1987 “Out of the Blue” right
he is an example of modern metamorphic surrealism in the style of Joan Miro
(½h) updating this journal with some of the images shot today in the various galleries I visited
(2h) Amersham Beyond Group
2nd October 2024
Hours 9,112 to 9,114
(1h) updating this journal with links to the Flickr site and comments from yesterday’s inter-club competition
(1h) Amersham Coffee meeting – discussing my Magritte images and Statement of Intent with Laurie Turner
(1h) revising the Statement of Intent
1st October 2024
Hours 9,108 to 9,111
(1h) updating this journal – including all new month admin
(1h) selecting, preparing and submitting PDIs for next Monday’s competition at Amersham
(2h) Stoke Poges Photographic Club – hosting the first round of the North West Fed competition against Amersham and Ealing
| Image | ….. | Comment |
| “Magritte Hat Pipe Flower and Cloud” – cufflinks and dress watch good details – too much light on watch and cuffs – shadow/ reflections in the foreground too dominant – cloud should be an inch or so further right |