RNAS Culdrose

These images of RNAS were taken on 21/11/08 on a beautiful day. The location of RNAS Culdrose is south east in cornwall also near RNAS/RAF Predannack. The images are B+W film and taken by me of the aicraft stationed there. Most of these images were processed while I was working at Boots in Truro. I was in the Photography department marking and processing peoples images from film to prints. I was only doing it for work experience at Truro College. That was the days I was doing A-level photography.......

So anyway here are the images I've taken and the aircraft you might reconise.

Jet Stream warming up

 

Jet Stream flying over

Helicopter landing zone

Sqn of Hawks

Hawks rear ends

Check ups

Nealy ready for flying

Side view of the Hawk

RAF roundel

A Merlin helicopter fly by

Merlin helicopter flying towards the sun

RN Sea Kings area

Refueling and Guiding

Airborne Together

Sea Harrier

Dummy Deck Training Area

2 Harriers

Harrier's Front view

The Dummy Deck area was design to training pilots to land on a aircraft carrier which is on the ground. Like a football groung with white lines, the Dummy Deck has the shape of the aircraft carrier's surface so the pilots know where to take off and land.

Re-creation of RAF Davidstow's ATCT

This was the first work I did on photoshop the RAF Trerew was the second part of my work, they're both millitary structures since the second world war. There are 5 stages of work and 1 original stage.

Stage 1 - Take an image of an old structure and it save it on phototshop CS2 or any ohter photoshop programs. Then give the backgorund a new layer to begin re-creation. You can do this on Paint but for me it better doing it on Photoshop. Before processing you need to look at the image and fing out what's it has got.
The structure itself been rust-off in the rain over the years and the wall paint coming off. The windows and doors have completely 100% removed also by taking out some of the bricks. The stairwell outsidde been removed or poles. Note: Now I've came up with an idea to bring the ATCT back as it was since 1942.

Stage 2 - To start use the "Eyedropper" tool to trace the remaining colour texture from the structure's original wall colour if you can find some if not then research the histiry of the building's wall colour. The you can start painting the walls  from light to shadows. To do this you need to relax and stay focus, listen to music it helps.
After hours of filling the walls in it's original colour and shaping out the windows on the outside continue with the filling on the side and do the same.

Stage 3 - To Re-create the structure's windows, doors and poles you need to research the building's window frames and doors to know what they looked like in the 1940's. After the reseach you may start by focusing on the lines where you think the frames are going to be. It's like a game to fill in the missing pices and it could be fun. Don't forget the shadows and the lighting that's coming form the sun on the image or you won't be able to make it look more realistic.

Stage 4 - The stairwell that leads from the ground to the roof was removed after the war and now I've re-created it back as it seems. The stairwell is on the dark side of the structure that means you have to use the darker colours to match to the image, the colours are pitch black and grey. Remenber you can use the colours filter to make the the right darker colours for the shadows and the structure's darkside.


Stage 5 - The Aero dome is the main part of the ATCT. Note: Most ATCT in the UK don't have aero domes so you need to research the blueprint of the building and find out for your self. If there's no record of the aero dome for the ATCT then just leave it, if there is and there's no image of it just look at http://www.controltowers.co.uk/Tower%20Designs.htm this is where I did my research. The aero dome has to be drawn by hand then done on photoshop or by on paint. Once all the fillings are complete Save As to your folder and look how you made a old structure to a new one.

It is completed!

RAF Davidstow Airfield

RAF Davidstow's ATCT(Air Traffic Control Tower) is still there there since 1960's surounded by farm animals. That day taking shots for my Free Form Project was amazing even for my father. He was in the RAF 19 years ago and now he's a civilian worker based at RAF Brize Norton for transportaion. He was so amazed of the airfield itself and we went to the ATCT which was full of sheep crap and mud. The wall have been sprayed on and the walkway on the outside of the ATCT is still walkable. The whole airfield has a main road cutted through the main runway and the trees have fully grown after the 1960's.

Here look at this!

More Contact sheet will be added!

Contact Sheet of RAF Trerew

This was an ROTOR RADAR station of the Royal Air Force. But now this site near Newquay is in a farm land. The bunkers are covered or overgrown with bushes and there's still a way in. That day I took these images where I went to find the owner's land and ask promission to gain access onto their land. The owner's wife said no because there were sheep in that field where the structures are. So I left and took photographs of them anyway and saw no sheep in the fields. The owner's wife was lying just to tell us to go away or leave. Most photographers don't get what they want but if there was a way to get it, you have to do it your way. So I went where the wall is near the road and took some shots of the structures. So always ask for promission to access millitary areas for shots, but don't do the crazyest thing which is "Tresspassing" most people have side arms to defend thier lands.

Contact sheet of RAF Trerew

Re-creation of World War II structures

This work was one of my best pice of art all done by me on Photoshop during Revelations Project. My idea for this project was to take photographs of old, abandoned structures in the UK and Re-create them by using Blueprints and Research of WW2 structures. The design for these structures are in 2D or 3D, even most people belive that once taking an image of the old structure brings back memories from the second world war and those who have used and fallen or survived in them.

The Type of structures I researched and worked on are:

RAF Air Fields
Old Army Defence Pillboxes

Shipwrecks of the Royal Navy

I found out that they're - Abandoned, Destroyed or Overgrowned.

Here are my images........ Also there's some landscape shots!