allmyfriendsarejpegs.

Old pals are the best. I’ve known Gina about ten years, and just saying that makes me feel...

Sun, 20 May 2012 17:39:39 +0100

Old pals are the best.

I’ve known Gina about ten years, and just saying that makes me feel ridiculously old.

We met through a mutual early uptake of the internet back when you had to dial up on a 28k modem. Whilst normal kids were out riding bikes and drinking in the street, we were coding websites and spending Friday nights on IRC.

Sure, that may not have seemed like a great idea at the time, but now we get paid to do cool internet shit for a living. Hooyeah.

The sad part is that despite living just across the Central Belt from each other, the last time we actually spent any time together was over a year ago. I’ve seen people in America more often than that! This is something that will have to be rectified.

Cathouse 12-05-12 There’s an unspoken rule amongst the Cathouse staff that no matter what...

Sun, 13 May 2012 21:57:50 +0100

Cathouse 12-05-12

There’s an unspoken rule amongst the Cathouse staff that no matter what happened the night before, that every day is a new day. No matter how much of a wreckage someone might be, it could always be you next week… ‘One big fucked up family’.

It’s a good way to work, and something which has probably saved me on more than a few occasions.

DJ Muppet probably put it best:

“and the hilarious thing is, we actually get paid to do this! Hahahahahaha”

My sentiments exactly.

The Jager bar has new lights, which is always fun for a photographer.

I like lights.

Andrea was out. She’s awesome.

Uhmmmm…

Cathouse 06-05-12 - 80s Night My memory of this night is fairly hazy. Here’s Kirsty....

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:04:44 +0100

Cathouse 06-05-12 - 80s Night

My memory of this night is fairly hazy.

Here’s Kirsty. She’s a legend.

Every so often my 5D does this stupid digitising thing… It’s pretty odd. Had a look online but haven’t seen anything about it. Any ideas? It’s only once every few months on one picture.

Aw, how cute.

It wasn’t till the following day I realised that I had managed to drop my camera and smash yet another flashgun hotshoe. This is like the fifth time… luckily I learned how to repair the bloody things myself to save money.

This shows exactly why you should pay somebody who has backup equipment… because you never know when things are going to go tits up. You could well hire somebody else that didn’t trash their gear as much of course, but where’s the fun in that?

Cathouse 04-05-12 - Star Wars PartyMay the fourth be with you. Dunn Dunn DunDunDun DUNN DUNN…...

Sun, 06 May 2012 16:30:04 +0100

Cathouse 04-05-12 - Star Wars Party
May the fourth be with you.

Dunn Dunn DunDunDun DUNN DUNN… etc.

It’s May the 4th, so cue a host of cheesy puns which of course lead to nothing less than an entirely Star Wars themed night at the Cathouse.

For reference, here’s me showing how it should be done:

Nice.

Who knew that there were so many Star Wars fans kicking about.

and more light sabers than you could shake a… well, light saber at.

cue compulsory photo-bomb.

Probably the best night I’ve had in the Cathouse in a longlong time.

The place was rammed, people were giddy and drunk, and for a while the back bar had as charged an atmosphere as I remember from my days milling about in the Arches. Awesome.

Here’s Robyn.

I like Robyn.

Old faces are the best faces.

I want some ridiculous coloured contact lenses to wear in every day life and throw people off guard.

Zoe and Rachel. The stories that we could tell. Probably just as well nobody ever finds out about them.

Roll on Sunday (tonight now) for more delightful times.

I’ve written and re-written what I’m trying to say here a few times, and decided just...

Fri, 04 May 2012 06:43:00 +0100

I’ve written and re-written what I’m trying to say here a few times, and decided just to spit it out rather than give some elongated introduction.

I hate the fact that we live in a world where the benefits and inevitability of globalisation are preached throughout our entire culture, whilst the complete opposite is true for those of us who do not have the luxury of owning international corporations.

I hate how we are expected to buy into an idea of a ‘world society’ which allows massive (and predominantly American) companies to rack up massive profits across the world, whilst denying the same rights of cross-border communication to regular people in practice.

I hate the fact that it’s okay for shareholders and businesses to jump headquarters in order to avoid tax liability at the drop of a hat, yet it is almost impossible for people in different countries to make any meaningful connections with each other without jumping through bureaucratic hoops.

I can’t stand all this rhetoric of a ‘global village’ when I’m not allowed to stay in the USA for more than 3 months. I can’t stand that I can’t spend more than a tiny part of a year with people I really care about purely because they were born somewhere else in the world than I was. Most of all, I can’t stand the fact that whilst I’m left scrabbling to find ways to connect with those I love around the world, corporations are touting their wares irrespective of borders in the name of the ‘free market’.

Something about all of this is fucked up.

The cool thing about having a place like this is that I can put up pictures that don’t really...

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:37:29 +0100

The cool thing about having a place like this is that I can put up pictures that don’t really do too much on their own, but that let me ramble around about them.

I’m in this weird nether space of transition between different stages in life, and I wish it would hurry up and switch over rather than drag the whole process out quite so much. There’s a whole theory about identity that says you form who you are through a two-way interaction between you and the world. If that’s true, it explains why it’s so easy to lose a bit of a handle on your own sense of self in times of change. As much as routine can seem dreary, it helps position your compass and work out where to go next.

My flatmate Alex is back in the country after a month abroad, so the flat is already full of this sort of flighty atmosphere from our combined situations. It’s exciting, but also pretty disconcerting. It’s incredible how both so much and so little can change in the space of a few weeks.

Whatever happens, I had this vivid realisation the other day that irrespective of what changes around about, as long as you’re still here, then you’ll still be here. That might not make much sense, but to put it another way: Whatever happens, the music is still going to sound the same.

There’s something in that I think.

Glasgow, March 2011
BeLomo Vilia - some pure expired crappy Konica ISO 200 film.

December 2011, GlasgowHasselblad 500CM - Polaroid BackFuji FP-3000b

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:25:00 +0100

December 2011, Glasgow
Hasselblad 500CM - Polaroid Back
Fuji FP-3000b

Someone come and do my exams for me, then find me lots of nice...

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:41:50 +0100

Someone come and do my exams for me, then find me lots of nice people to photograph please.

In that order.

Mugdock Castle, April 2012
Hasselblad 500CM - Kodak Portra 400UC (expired 2007)

So it’s a Monday… what are we going to do? Drink Hendrick’s gin with cucumber in...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:34:00 +0100

So it’s a Monday… what are we going to do?

Drink Hendrick’s gin with cucumber in the park and take some pictures obviously.

Me and Charlee have been talking about hanging out and doing just that at somepoint for ages, and finally got round to doing it. The current screwed up schedule that my life keeps can be pretty tough to keep a handle on, but it means you get to do ridiculous things like drink expensive gin in the rain.

This is Glasgow after all… a little bit of rain isn’t going to get in the way of having a really good time.

These are some of the last Polaroid 669 films I have left, and they’re way way expired, so these are just a taster of what the medium format shots will be like. Embrace their imperfections.

Mugdock Castle, April 2012Hasselblad 500CM - Kodak Portra 400UC...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:39:51 +0100

Mugdock Castle, April 2012
Hasselblad 500CM - Kodak Portra 400UC (expired 2007)

Here’s a nice photo of me taken by pal Charlee yesterday...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:59:03 +0100

Here’s a nice photo of me taken by pal Charlee yesterday when I was hiding in a tree out of the rain.

Aww.

Dear 6x6, Please forgive me. I’ll never cheat on you with that slut digital...

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:44:03 +0100

Dear 6x6,

Please forgive me. I’ll never cheat on you with that slut digital again.

Yours,

Stephen McLeod Blythe.

Mugdock Castle, April 2012
Hasselblad 500CM - Kodak Portra 400UC (expired 2007)

Cathouse 20-04-12 Another night, another ridiculous amount of Jack Daniel’s. These girls were...

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 01:13:52 +0100

Cathouse 20-04-12

Another night, another ridiculous amount of Jack Daniel’s.

These girls were nice.

This band played the worst DJ set I have ever heard. I don’t usually notice the music too much in clubs one way or another… it all fades into background noise after a while, but it was truly woeful.

Luckily the punters were as awesome as ever.

This guy’s friend was convinced that we were long lost brothers.

I’m not in working for two weeks now; I think I’ll miss it.

I haven’t taken ‘proper’ pictures in ages, for lots of reasons… bored of...

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 23:35:22 +0100

I haven’t taken ‘proper’ pictures in ages, for lots of reasons… bored of chasing people up to ask if they’d mind me taking their photo (and feeling like a creep); too much going on; pish weather; laziness in using digital a lot; more convenience for blogging purposes; and most of all… because I am so deathly bored of developing and scanning film.

Either way, my long suffering muse Kirsty came out of retirement to help break me back in. I almost forgot how to load film in the Hasselblad, but not quite. Either way, here’s some extremely soft-focussed shots on extremely fucked up old and expired Polaroid film. It wasn’t in the box anymore, so I’m not entirely sure if it’s 669 or 667, but it looks like the former. Not that it matters when it’s out of date by 7 years anyway.

There’ll be tidier, and hopefully better focussed shots to come when I eventually develop the other rolls. For now, these are kinda nice.

Time to make a triumphant return to film I think.

Cathouse - 11-04-12 - Jäger Tour Afterparty (and unofficial bar launch) Know what? I really love my...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:59:00 +0100

Cathouse - 11-04-12 - Jäger Tour Afterparty (and unofficial bar launch)

Know what? I really love my job, and nights like this remind me why.

The Cathouse have re-done their ‘spider bar’ (or bar 4 to those stuck in the past) to become the first officially branded Jägermeister bar in the UK. To help kick it off, the Jäger music tour rolled into town and out afterwards to celebrate.

Since it wasn’t quite ready to be opened yet, the guys at Longfox who had drawn up the designs on the walls found some bits of white-space that hadn’t been varnished yet and kept on drawing stuff in the middle of the chaos.

Look at those happy faces.

Given the nature of the beast, there are all sorts of hidden easter eggs that you can find buried in the walls. Duncan Sweeney is leaving the Cathouse parent company CPL after years of loyal service, and ehh… wait a minute… what’s that say on that Jäger bottle!?

Cheeky blighter.

People have often mistaken me for being of the homosexual persuasion whilst at work, or effeminate at the very least.

I can’t imagine why.

Below is me, Martin Baker, Richie, and Stew Bryden. (L-R)

Three photographers in one place is always a dangerous thing.

Guess who Johnny is trying to be here.

The scary thing is that he’s doing a pretty good job.

Cathouse - 15th April 2012 - 90s Night Who doesn’t love the 90s? It’s probably better...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:45:46 +0100

Cathouse - 15th April 2012 - 90s Night

Who doesn’t love the 90s?

It’s probably better not to ask that actually.

No matter what people thought of that particular decade, people seemed to love Daz in a morph suit.

Personally, the 90s nights in the Cathouse are some of my favourite. The music of that decade was some of the most formative in shaping my tastes, and influencing the bands I like that came afterwards. As well as that, there’s always a good atmosphere.

Oh, and girls in crop tops.

The decade itself wasn’t exactly a brilliantly happy one, or incredible in one way or another; there just seems to be some weird attachment to it given that that’s when I remember most of my thoughts coming together as a bairn.

I got an upside down parasol umbrella decoration thing in my drink from Ricky, because I’m special.

Take that, world.

I can’t work out if Gemma is wearing one of those hats with a propellor type thing on it or not. Know the one I mean?

When I was wee I always wanted one of those hats with an umbrella on top. I thought they were amazing, but my dad wouldn’t let me get one. Just because he was too embarrassed about my extreme practicality.

Cathouse 14-04-12 This past week has been pretty crazy… I’ve been in the Cathouse about...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:25:24 +0100

Cathouse 14-04-12

This past week has been pretty crazy…

I’ve been in the Cathouse about seven times out of ten days; ended up pulling more than a few all nighters; and now have a fair whack of photos to upload. Prepare for a slew of clubbing photos for the next few posts.

Some guy saw me walking to work and tried to find a quick fire insult to hurl because I wasn’t wearing trakkies.

When he couldn’t find anything appropriate, he opted for the classic of saying that I look like Keith Chegwin. Apart from his high pitched voice, I’m not really sure where that came from.

Faslane Somewhere I’ve become fairly familiar with over the years… the Faslane base on...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:40:31 +0100

Faslane

Somewhere I’ve become fairly familiar with over the years… the Faslane base on the mouth of the Clyde, where the UK’s nuclear weapons are kept.

No words this time, just pictures.

Cathouse 10-04-12 - A Little Bit of Variation. I was down to work last night at the Angels and...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:18:00 +0100

Cathouse 10-04-12 - A Little Bit of Variation.

I was down to work last night at the Angels and Airwaves aftershow at the Cathouse. It wasn’t as busy as I’d hoped, so I decided it was best to take the night off and just have a few drinks instead. I’m always hyper-aware of harassing people with a camera, and think it’s important to be able to read the atmosphere and know when to relax a bit.

I took the opportunity to stick on the 50mm f1.4 and shoot some more available light stuff. It’s something I’m way way more comfortable doing in the other areas of photography, and would love to be able to do it more in clubs… however, as others have found out, the Cathouse simply doesn’t lend itself to doing that kind of shot all the time; it’s too bloody dark for a start!

It was a nice change from the all-guns-blazing flash approach though. I’ve toyed with the idea of taking two camera bodies in before, but it’s a bit of a faff. I might have a bash tonight as there’s an after-party for the Jager Music tour…

…maybe I just need a second shooter/apprentice. Any takers? The pay and working conditions will be terrible, but you can get drunk ;)

Just kidding. I’m too much of a control freak for that.

Crail Birthdays are good, but they also come with a whole lot of pressure to do something worthy of...

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:29:31 +0100

Crail

Birthdays are good, but they also come with a whole lot of pressure to do something worthy of such a momentous occasion as marking another year on this mortal coil.

The traditional method of celebration in the West of Scotland is to go out with a bunch of friends and consume ridiculous amounts of alcohol. Since I do this for a job, it doesn’t have quite the same significance as it may do for others.

Luckily my old friends Hannah, Charlotte and Paul were long overdue a visit to the homeland, and they offered to come up for the weekend of my birthday. Nothing much better than seeing people you rarely see on an important date.

Along with Keith, we headed up to Crail to drink on the beach. It was ridiculously sunny, and the BBQ got whipped out. It was the battle of the sausages… there were Scottish Aberdeen Angus ones, and ‘British’ pork and apple. I’m afraid to report back that the sausages from the south of the border won the taste test. Blast.

Paul sat on the rolls, so we ended up having burgers in some sort of pitta bread type thing. Hannah also managed to saw through her hand.

If you’re ever in St. Andrews you should make a trip to Bibi’s Bakery. They make some awesome cupcakes. I went for the gluten free option, but next time I think I’d suffer the pain and have one of the banoffee ones. Mmmmmm