Artist: Mel Brackstone
Mrs Mel Brackstone EFIAP FAPS: I'm married, and have a lovely supportive husband and am mother to two wonderful children. After a severe head injury, and subsequent long recovery, I decided I'd like to find another outlet for my creativity. Gardening and bonsai helped, and so I thought I'd like to take photos.....Enter my number one obsession!
I'd seen some macro images of plants somewhere, and so in 2004 I bought a second hand Canon G2, and joined a camera club. Competition there spurred me on, and in Oct 2004 I bought my first DSLR - a Canon 20D, with 15mm fisheye and 28-135mm.
I shot in P mode with both cameras until I bought a lensbaby in 2005. With lensbaby I just soared. I love the randomness of it, and the beauty of the blur. Needless to say the camera club judges were not impressed with blur! I have continued with my obsession though, to the extent that I own every lensbaby released, so far, apart from the latest one! LB Original is still a favourite, however Lensbaby composer is very much the go-to lens when a little more precision is required. (Precision is not a strong point in my life, I must add!)
Meanwhile I'd been talking to a gentleman on the lensbaby forum, who sold me some hand made lenses with holga optics. From there a friend and myself adapted those, so now I've a few special hand made bendy lenses that I use for nudes.
In 2008 I started to shoot nudes more regularly, both male and female. I find it a challenge, because I'm not a particularly social person. I do love seeing the joy on their faces when they're asked to do silly things though! I sometimes get my best shots that way.
Random, chaotic and unplanned is my modus operandi. I have to say I've been very lucky to have been able to feed my obsession, because it doesn't feed me! Still, the people I've met along the way, who've helped and guided me, along with my need to keep learning new skills have been the reason I'm able to produce a nice picture every so often!
Thank you for reading this far, I hope I've answered some questions about who I am and what I'm about! Oh, and I have a short attention span.... did I mention I have a short attention span?
I'd seen some macro images of plants somewhere, and so in 2004 I bought a second hand Canon G2, and joined a camera club. Competition there spurred me on, and in Oct 2004 I bought my first DSLR - a Canon 20D, with 15mm fisheye and 28-135mm.
I shot in P mode with both cameras until I bought a lensbaby in 2005. With lensbaby I just soared. I love the randomness of it, and the beauty of the blur. Needless to say the camera club judges were not impressed with blur! I have continued with my obsession though, to the extent that I own every lensbaby released, so far, apart from the latest one! LB Original is still a favourite, however Lensbaby composer is very much the go-to lens when a little more precision is required. (Precision is not a strong point in my life, I must add!)
Meanwhile I'd been talking to a gentleman on the lensbaby forum, who sold me some hand made lenses with holga optics. From there a friend and myself adapted those, so now I've a few special hand made bendy lenses that I use for nudes.
In 2008 I started to shoot nudes more regularly, both male and female. I find it a challenge, because I'm not a particularly social person. I do love seeing the joy on their faces when they're asked to do silly things though! I sometimes get my best shots that way.
Random, chaotic and unplanned is my modus operandi. I have to say I've been very lucky to have been able to feed my obsession, because it doesn't feed me! Still, the people I've met along the way, who've helped and guided me, along with my need to keep learning new skills have been the reason I'm able to produce a nice picture every so often!
Thank you for reading this far, I hope I've answered some questions about who I am and what I'm about! Oh, and I have a short attention span.... did I mention I have a short attention span?
