WrightPhotos - The Blog

Simples!

2011-12-19T16:54:00.006Z

Photography is simple. There, I've said it and I know the professionals will not thank me for it, but it really is true. The basis of a good photograph is to get something interesting in the frame, not too much of it and not too little. Everything else is unimportant compared to this. The main reason why photos fail it that people forget this simple rule - or they can't apply it. I am certain however that if you strive to apply this rule then your photos will work more often than not.

This seemingly simple rule is of course not quite so easy in reality. It does require a fair amount of work. The main thing is to look at a lot of photos critically. It is important to look at other people's images and to think through why they are successful, or otherwise in terms of what is in the frame. Then it is equally important to do the same with your own photographs, especially those images that nearly make it but don't quite hit the spot. There is no doubt that you can learn far more from mistakes than from success.

Only once you are consistently putting interesting subjects in the frame do the other aspects such as exposure, choice of aperture, focal length, etc come into play.

So there you are. Simples!

Dorset

2011-06-18T15:42:00.000+01:00

I spent a lovely few days in South Dorset earlier this month in during a few days of warm sunny weather. When the weather is so good and the souroundings so welcoming there is no need to go far. Both of the photos that I am showing have a link to water. The photo above shows a tranquil mill strwam and the pic below is of the beach huts along the front at Swanage.

Marram Grass

2011-05-05T20:45:00.000+01:00

I recently spent some time in North Devon, camping and having fun in the surf. In the dunes at Woolacombe I came across this marram grass which looked very striking.

Music Making!

2010-10-30T17:01:00.005+01:00

I've just seen the latest issue of Photoworld and I'm pleased to say that they have printed my illustrated article about photographing musicians and music making.

Poppy Appeal 2010

2010-10-28T21:40:00.003+01:00

The Royal British Legion has launched it's annual Poppy Appeal in aid of British service men and women, 70 years after the Battle of Britain. The appeal forms the basis of the organisation's fund raising and is especially vital with our forces continuing commitment in Afghanistan. I have a gallery of photos associated with the theme of Remembrance on the site.

But most importantly, please give generously to the appeal.

221b Baker Street

2010-10-15T21:53:00.005+01:00

I went to a meeting in London earlier this week. My journey took me through Baker Street tube station. The photo shows the legendary lodgings of Sherlock Holmes, the Consulting Detective, at 221b baker Street, made famous through the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As you can see the building is now a mini Holmes Theme Park and the policeman looks as though he has been on duty since Holmes was in residence. If you look closely you can see Mrs Hudson, Holmes's housekeeper, in the window of the restaurant.

Brittany

2010-09-06T21:51:00.002+01:00

I have recently returned to Somerset from Brittany. I have to say that the weather was not that great, but better than they had in Somerset so it's not all bad. While I was in Brittany i visited the medieval fortress town of Fougeres. As you can see from the photos, the castle is very imposing as it was built on the top of a cliff. I pity anyone who had the task of assaulting it.

While I was in Fougeres I had to have a galette. This is a speciality of Brittany. A savoury pancake made with buckwheat flour. Mine was filled with ham, egg, cheese and mushroom. Delicious!

RAF Museum

2010-08-15T20:14:00.002+01:00

I have just come back from the RAF Museum in Hendon, North London. They have a tremendous collection of planes including all the iconic types from World War 2. It is only when you stand up close to a Lancaster, for instance, that you really appreciate its size. I really enjoyed my day their, and best of all it is free. I'm sure Ill be back.

The shot above shows the 'Milestones of Flight Hall'. The photos below shows the nose art from the P-51D Mustang which is in the foreground of the shot above.

Roman Baths

2010-08-02T21:46:00.002+01:00

The Roman Baths in Bath are remarkable. They are the best preserved set of Roman Baths in existance. The shot above shows the main bath in the the complex. The surroundings were built in Georgian times to show of the ancient bath.

The shot below shows the overflow from the pool supplied by the hot spring itself. The overflow still empties into a Roman drain almost 2000 years later.

TankFest

2010-07-04T15:09:00.003+01:00

I went down to the Bovington Tank Museum with the family for TankFest last weekend. If you are interested in military vehicles it is great. We saw several tanks both old and new in full running order, including a World War II Sherman and a modern Challenger 2 from the Second Gulf War. The tank in the picture is a Chieftain which served in the British Army from the 1960s through to the early 90s.

Maybe, Just Maybe

2010-06-06T21:32:00.002+01:00

No prizes for spotting who these people support. It just goes to show the effort that some people will go to show their support their team. And who knows - Maybe, Just Maybe...

Going Around Again

2010-02-12T22:00:00.002Z

On 6 June I'll be doing it again - a 50 mile lap of the Somerset Levels on my bike to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

My sponsorship page is up and running and you can sponsor me here.

The Road to Nowhere

2010-01-07T21:49:00.002Z

There is a road under there, honest, and it's clear that some brave souls have ventured out on it. Yesterday the road was covered in about 10cm of snow. Now it is a sheet of ice, which carries on for about a mile until you reach the nearest main road. At least the sun was out today, but it did not bring much of a thaw.

Poor Hens!

2010-01-07T10:21:00.001Z

My hens have had a rough time recently. Not only has their run been covered in snow but their drinking water has frozen on them and this morning their pop hole was frozen shut. They have not been happy ladies. But they are still popping out eggs at a good rate!

Snow Day

2010-01-06T16:17:00.000Z

We enjoyed a great snow day today - snowball fights, building snowmen and sledging. But the forecast for tomorrow is ice which won't be nearly so much fun. Oh well, it could be worse!

Stock Pictures

2009-12-17T21:31:00.000Z

Recently I posted about Camera Club pictures. None of my most successful photos in photographic competitions have been successful in the stock photography field. In fact, my best stock sellers would not figure in club competitions. In the main, photos that do well in camera clubs are either 'pretty pictures' or they are technically difficult pictures. Successful stock pictures are different. The main thing is that they must illustrate something. This can be an idea or simply be a picture that illustrates a point. Often the photo's artistic merit is secondary to its content. Perfect lighting is not necessary for a successful stock shot although it must be technically spot on. The picture that accompanies this post has sold several times recently. It shows a small boy (my son) putting money into a charity bucket. I am certain that it would not be in the frame in any respectable club competition but in the stock field it works.

Photos for the In-Crowd

2009-12-09T19:17:00.002Z

This is my most published picture yet. It has been printed several times but only in camera magazines. It has also done well in photography competitions within camera clubs and those run by larger organisations. I have to say, I am very proud of this picture.

It is the type of picture that does well in the 'club' environment, and let's face it, camera magazines are just an extension of this environment. It is a photographer's photograph. It is all about light and using light to make an otherwise boring subject into an interesting image. And it is all about technique. It is not the kind of picture you could take without significant input from the photographer.

But outside of the photographic community it is of limited value. It is not great 'wall art' because it does not in fact print well as there is a huge range of contrast in the picture. It is also difficult to see it being used in many editorial contexts. This is the trouble with a lot of club photography. These images have limited, if any appeal outside of the photographic community. They may well be beautiful pictures displaying great control of the photographic process but they may not really illustrate anything tangible. You may well ask if this matters, and to an extent it does not. If the photographer wants to win praise from his fellow photographers, that's great. If his aims are wider then he may have to think again.

Photographer?

2009-12-08T20:01:00.007Z

These days almost everyone is at it - taking photographs that is. Even the humblest mobile photo has a built-in camera. Social networking sites allow you to upload your latest happy snaps and have your very own online gallery. So, is everyone a photographer?

I do not really think that the average Jill in the street regards herself as a photographer, and neither do her friends and family. She just enjoys taking snaps. When the urge takes me I will bake bread from scratch, but does that make me a baker? No!

To be a photographer (I will not worry about amateur or professional), the first requirement is that you think of yourself as a photographer. This must mean that you care about the images that you are making and you will have some idea of how to control that image in terms of camera settings, light, angle of view and the million and one other things that can affect on image. Eventually, if you stick at it then others will also regard you as a photographer. When this happens, there is no doubt about it, you are a photographer.

Swine Flu

2009-12-01T20:23:00.000Z

One of my sons has flu. It seems that everyone who has flu these days has 'swine flu'. The online assessment decided that he was authorised for anti-virals so he is on the Tamiflu.

Tennis at the O2

2009-11-25T21:34:00.001Z

On Wednesday I had to go to the O2 in London. This happened to coincide with the ATP World Tour Finals - what planning! I ran into Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic on the practice court. This was really well thought out because the practice court was accessible to anyone visiting the O2, for the tennis or not. The pics were only grab shots so that are not great quality.

HMS Bristol

2009-09-17T21:56:00.003+01:00

The sun sets over the Falklands veteran, HMS Bristol. The destroyer is now permanently moored at Portsmouth and she is used as a training ship. For many members of the Sea Cadets, a visit to HMS Bristol is their first taste of life on board ship.

St Malo

2009-09-08T22:08:00.004+01:00

The medieval walled city of St Malo was our port of arrival and departure in France. It is well worth a visit in it's own right today. In days gone by it was a hornets nest of corsairs. Maybe that is why there was a customs launch in the harbour.

Mont Saint-Michel

2009-08-30T22:03:00.003+01:00

I've just come back from a wonderful family holiday in Brittany. We did make a short excursion into Normany to mont Saint-Michel, the magical monastry and village set appart from the mainland on a tidal island. I first visited Mont Saint-Michel as a school boy and it still retains the magic I felt then - despite even more tourists than ever.

@Bristol

2009-08-14T21:26:00.001+01:00

I visited @Bristol with my sons today. It is a great interactive science centre. We all had a really good time - and I think we all learned something.

The photo above shows the outside of the Planetarium from the complex. I was drawn to it by the reflections. Those of you who have been following my blog for a while will know that I am a sucker for a good reflection.

Before the Rush

2009-07-15T22:02:00.000+01:00

This it what it looks like before the shoppers hit town. I was attracted to this by the light on the wall to the left of the image. Not long after this picture was taken this area would be busy with shoppers.

Last night on BBC1 I saw a documentary in the Imagine series about William Eggleston. It is well worth a look. Catch it on the BBC iPlayer while it is still available.

Good Luck Jenson!

2009-07-10T20:06:00.000+01:00

This is the banner on the side of the Crown Hotel in Frome. The whole town wishes local boy Jenson Button the best of luck in this weekend's German Grand Prix.

Go Jenson!

Who Took the Building Away?

2009-07-07T21:08:00.004+01:00

I love scenes like this. They are so bizarre. Looking up at a wall with a door in it well above street height is just so odd. Obviously part of the building has been demolished leaving this door suspended in mid-air. And the steps leading from it have vanished. In fact it looks as though the rest of the building is being renovated. It will be interesting to see what eventually happens to this old doorway. One thing is for sure, Health and Saftey rules will mean it can't be left as it is.

St Catherine's Artisan Market

2009-07-05T22:26:00.003+01:00

St Catherine's Artisan Market is held on the first Sunday of the month throughout spring and summer in Frome. It is well worth a visit. Many of the interesting shops on Catherine Hill and Stoney Street are open, along with several street stalls selling all sorts from antiques to sauage baps. On a sunny day like today it was great!

Tradition!

2009-07-01T21:43:00.004+01:00

Topol famously sang about tradition in the musical, 'Fiddler on the Roof'. A few days ago, I was lucky enough to see a display of people who still keep alive traditional crafts. I did not realise until I saw it, that the 'flowers' in the picture above are carved from solid pieces of wood, as you can see. The man in the photo has been doing this since he was 8 years old.

The picture below shows pegs being made. These hazel pegs are used for thatching. They are bent in two and then hammered into the thatch to keep it in place. It is fantastic to see that that traditional crafts are still being put to good use. Let's hope that the next generation can still see them in action.

To Microstock or not to Microstock?

2009-06-10T21:44:00.006+01:00

OK, I confess. I have sold images through microstock sites. But not anymore. For me the effort involved far outweighed the benefit. As you know, I do now sell photos through Alamy. Most of my images are sold 'rights managed' but a few are 'royalty free'. These 'royalty free' images are the ones that were previously available through microstock. I have only had a few sales from these images since they have been up on Alamy. But the value of these sales far outweighs my total sales from micros.

Having said that, I am sure that this is a reflection of the type of image I have on Alamy. I am certain that if I shot objects isolated on a white background then those images would not sell well on Alamy because they are freely available through micro outlets. If I had these images then a mirco would be a reasonable choice to host them. But is it worth the effort? For me, a resounding NO!

On another subject entirely. I did complete the 50 mile Somerset Levels bike ride and I feel good! It is not too late to sponsor me here.

Stax is Back!

2009-05-28T20:08:00.004+01:00

A few years ago I used to ride for the 'Stax in Style' mountain bike team. It was a bit of fun with a few mates. Well Stax is back! On Sunday 7 June I will do doing a lap of the Somerset Levels on my bike to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. It is a great cause and deserves support - and money! You can make a donation and sponsor me by following this link.

The Stax in Style logo that accompanies this post was designed by a friend and so I do not hold the copyright for it.

Grot is Back!

2009-04-21T21:42:00.004+01:00

Reggie Perrin is back on our screens this week, so Grot is back!

I jet washed my patio this week. All the mud and other debris collects at one end of it and takes several days to dry out. After it is thoroughly dry, a stiff brush finishes off the cleaning job nicely. After the dirt had time to dry out, some of the 'grot' peeled from the paving stones to make some interesting shapes and, as you know, I really cannot resist making photos of texture. So there you have it, 'Grot - the Return'.

Fresh Green Growth

2009-04-19T20:45:00.002+01:00

As some of you will know from my post last summer, I really like sweet peas. Well, I am pleased to say that this year's plants are growing nicely and will soon be planted out in the garden - out of range of the hens!

Chicken Run

2009-04-13T21:41:00.003+01:00

Much as I like my hens, they have made a mess of the garden. I am growing some salad crops this year and I was starting to wonder who they were for, the chickens or the humans. So the naughty girls had to me contained in their very own bespoke chicken run. Although this is not as good for them as roaming free in the garden, it has to be better than what the hens they were reared with are now enduring.

Somerset Bike Ride

2009-04-03T18:56:00.002+01:00

I have signed up for the Somerset Bike Ride, 50 miles to help the British Heart Foundation. This could be interesting as I have only been on my bike once in the last year. I better get some miles into my legs!

You can sponsor me here .

Eggs

2009-03-16T22:32:00.002Z

A trio of eggs from my three lovely ladies. I am pleased to say that the hens are now in full production, laying three eggs most days. My wife's cake production has gone up too!

New Arrivals

2009-02-22T20:11:00.002Z

We celebrated some new arrivals this week, in the shape of three hens. They are Lohmann browns and they are enjoying scratching around the garden. I think I'll have to put in place some protective measures for some of the young plants came spring time - now there is a thought!

Now the Melt

2009-02-07T21:36:00.003Z

Today the snow that has fallen during the week started to melt. I have lived in Somerset for the last twenty years and this week we have had more snow than in any of the previous nineteen winters, possibly more snow than in the previous nineteen combined! My sons have really enjoyed it. Their school has only been open for two days during the week. Roads have been blocked; lorries have got stuck on the many hills around here and the buses stopped running. For us adults, a couple of days of snow is still fun, but after that the novelty wears a little thin. Anyway, I'm sure that we will all remember this winter.

Fiddling!

2009-02-05T21:52:00.003Z

There is nothing like a good bit of fiddling! As you can see I have returned, after along break, to my 'Making Music' series. This time I have shot a frind of mine who is a fiddler - and he makes a great sound! I have really enjoyed this series because, besides making some interesting pictures, I have had the pleasure of listening to some great music at the same time. Oh, by the way, there is more to come.

Snow Day

2009-02-02T14:39:00.003Z

For the first time in years we have had a reasonable amount of snow in my corner of Somerset. OK, we are still struggling to make a snow man, but for us it is a lot. Other parts of the country have had it far worse than us, but it's white and it's cold and it looks like winter.

Update: When my sons got home from school they could not wait to play out in the snow. They enjoyed throwing snowballs, especially at me. And they made their first ever snowman.

Burns Night

2009-01-25T22:21:00.001Z

Burns Night or Chinese New Year? Which would you celebrate? A friend of mine could not decide, so he had sweet and sour haggis!

Burns Night always reminds me of my student days in South Kensington. My friends and I would go to the Crown, a pub just off the Fulham Road, which was run by a patriotic Scotsman called Dave. He certainly knew how to run a Burns Night Celebration!

Here's to the Diggers Club and Imperial College. Happy days!

All Tied Up!

2009-01-24T16:08:00.003Z

Lighting and texture are both vital to successful photos. If these are both well handled then quite mundane subjects can be made into successful photos.

Freezing Frome!

2009-01-10T17:51:00.001Z

This post shows the rooftops of Frome in the grip of the freezing weather.

Freeze!

2009-01-10T10:37:00.002Z

The freeze continues. This morning I put out some water for the wild birds. I poured the water into a brick as I had nothing else to hand. The water froze over very quickly. The birds must be having a very hard time finding water at the moment.

Update: We had a thaw at lunchtime today but it was short lived. As darkness falls it is freezing again.

Still Cold

2009-01-09T22:06:00.003Z

It is still very cold here in Somerset. The temparature hardly got above freezing today, which is quite common at the moment. I spotted this frozon spider's web and snapped it this morning. It was still frozen as night fell - very unusual for southern England.

Usually I enjoy shooting in cold weather but this last month has been so unrelentingly cold that in the main I have kept my camera inside. The weather we have had would be unremarkable in many parts of the world but it is certainly colder than the norm in this corner of the planet.

It's Cold!

2008-12-07T22:43:00.005Z

It's cold here today. There was a sharp overnight frost that made the ground as hard as concrete. One of my roses - The Fairy - is still trying to flower but it got caught out.

There and Back Again

2008-11-15T21:34:00.005Z

I had to go to Birmingham for a meeting this week. As usual, I took my camera with me. I didn't get much time to see the city. I got the train from Somerset up to Birmingham then took a taxi to the hotel where the meeting was being held. Going home was the reverse. So this entry's photos show the taxi rank at New Street Station and a train waiting at a platform.

Poppy Appeal

2008-10-29T19:50:00.001Z

The Royal British Legion has launched it's annual Poppy Appeal in aid of British service men and women, in the 90th year after the end of the First World War. The appeal forms the basis of the organisation's fund raising and is especially vital with our forces continuing commitment in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I have a gallery of photos associated with the theme of Remembrance on the site.

But most importantly, please give generously to the appeal.

Upgrade?

2008-10-11T10:03:00.004+01:00

Deciding when to upgrade can be a difficult question. The shelf life of new cameras seems to be ever decreasing as manufacturers release new models and try to seduce consumers into parting with their hard earned cash with promises of increased performance.

Having a shiny new camera in your hand is always a nice feeling and, let's face it, the idea of new equipment giving better images is attractive. A lot of people get drawn into this upgrade cycle, when their system manufacturer brings out a new model they have to have it. This can get very expensive and

Maybe a better approach is to look at the equipment you have and if it is delivering the goods, stick with it. Don't fix what isn't broken, as the saying goes. If, on the other hand, there are things that you are having trouble with, first of all check your technique. Is that hint of softness down to a poor lens or a badly supported camera?

If your technique is solid, then go for it. Buy the shiny new camera or lens, after doing the necessary research. If you get it right then your images really will improve.

This is why I have just upgraded my mandolin. I was getting frustrated with the old one. It was a beginners model, the tone was not great and the set up wasn't too clever. So I upgraded. Now I know that any problems are down to me and not my equipment. The new instrument features in the photos that illustrate this entry. They were taken with my aging DSLR.

Colour Space

2008-10-01T20:27:00.003+01:00

Eventually all digital photographers have to decide which colour space to use for their imaging. So how should you decide which is best for you from all the options available?

Many people will start off using the sRGB colour space and for the majority of users there is no point in changing. This colour space has a relatively small gamut but it is adequate for many purposes. Most web browsers do not look at an image's colour space before displaying it on the screen. sRGB images will be shown as the photographer intended but those in AdobeRGB will often appear pale and washed out. Many online printers use the sRGB space. Certainly, when I check with mine, Photobox, they said they wanted images in sRGB.

Many people find out that AdobeRGB has a larger gamut and then assume that it will automatically be a better choice. As we have already seen, it isn't for web display and for online printing. You many get better results on your desk top printer or you may not. You will have to check with your printer manufacturer. Another downside of AdobeRGB is that your monitor is unlikely to be able to display the extended gamut properly.

Both sRGB and AdobeRGB, for the same bit depth, can display the same number of colours. With AdobeRGB there is a wider variation but each individual colour is further from the next one. With sRGB there is less variation but the individual colours are closer together. Imagine two ladders. Both have the same number of rungs but one is taller than the other and its rungs are further apart. AdobeRGB is the tall ladder and sRGB is the shorter one. Then there is ProPhotoRGB which has some of the advantages of each colour space. There is a good description of it on the Luminous Landscape.

So, how should you decide which colour space to use? I suggest looking at the problem from the end. What colour space do you need for you output? Once you have answered this question then the answer becomes easier. If you only want to show your images on the web and use online printers then there is little reason to leave sRGB, especially if you edit using 16 bit files which you should be doing anyway.

My workflow is based on AdobeRGB however. A large proportion of my images end up with Alamy who insist on images submitted to them being in the AdobeRGB space. As this is my most common output, my workflow is based around this requirement. When I want to display photos on the web or send them to my online printer, I convert (not assign) the colour space to sRGB. It is certainly better to go from a larger gamut to a smaller one, especially if it is done at 16 bit before reducing to 8 bit for delivery of the final image file.

I have tried ProPhotoRGB but it is not for me as it introduces even more complications to the workflow. But it may be the best choice for you.

Did the Earth Move for You?

2008-09-28T15:21:00.003+01:00

This is what I saw yesterday when I was driving down a country lane in Wiltshire. It was a pair of rhinos trying to make a baby rhino. OK, the lane was in Longleat Safari Park so I did expect to see the rhinos but I was surprised by their antics.

If you can think of a better caption than mine, then I'd love to see it as a comment.

Webs We Weave...

2008-09-26T20:12:00.004+01:00

Autumn is a great time for shooting spider's webs. Often the morning dew really makes the silken threads stand out. So I took this shot in the evening! I noticed the female spider sitting in the middle of its web, spot lit by the warm light from the Sun. I used a large aperture to concentrate attention of the spider.

Speed!

2008-09-16T20:30:00.001+01:00

For the picture above I selected a fast shutter speed which has frozen the stunt rider's movement. There is a certain drama about the photo and movement is implied because the rider could not be in the position he is in without being in flight.

In the photo I selected a far slower shutter speed which has blurred the rider. There is definitely a sense of motion but the focal point is a little unclear. You can decide which is the more successful shot. There are many factors to take into account when deciding on the shutter speed to use for a shot. The speed of the subject and the amount of blur that you can tolerate - or actually want - has to be a large factor in your final decision.

Glorious Mud

2008-09-13T21:06:00.003+01:00

The summer of 2008 has not been one to remember. There has been a lot of rain and the sky has been unrelentingly grey. I visited my local agricultural show today. Usually it is a time for tee shirts and sun cream. Today we put on our wellies. The unseasonable weather had turned parts of the show field to mud. In places it was like walking on plasticine. Hopefully we will enjoy better weather next summer.

Bang!

2008-09-12T20:08:00.003+01:00

I have only dropped a camera onto a sold surface from a height once, even then I didn't really drop it, the lug for the neck strap broke and down it went. Bang! Luckily the camera still worked because it was a once in a lifetime shooting opportunity.

I was at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. It was several years ago, just after they had started constructing the LHC which they fired up for the first time this week. There is no doubt that this is the most eagerly awaited physics experiment of my life.

Amongst other things, they are searching for the Higgs boson - nicknamed the 'God particle' - which gives everything in the universe its mass, according to current theory. One thing is certain, whether they find it or not, physics will not be the same again after the experiment has finished. If it is there then the current theories are confirmed. But far more exciting, if they don't find it then physics needs a rewrite. Exciting times!

Set Up or Found?

2008-08-24T22:45:00.002+01:00

Which gives you the most pleasure in photography, a picture that was snapped very quickly or one that was planned well before the shutter was pressed? Is there more intrinsic merit in one type of photo or the other?

I enjoy both types of photography. My Making Music series of pictures fall squarely into the second category. I thought hard about each image long before I talked to the musician about what I wanted him to do. Whereas most of my Waste series fall into the first category. I had to react to an opportunity that presented itself. I had to identify the image, set up the camera and shoot very fast before the image disappeared for ever. My Wonderful Water set fits in between. Some of the images are grab shots and some where thought through before hand.

In order to make a set up shot, the photographer has to take into account everything. This includes the subject itself; any supporting objects; the background; the lighting and of course setting up the camera. If he gets any of this wrong it is obvious in the end result.

For a found shot, the photographer has to react to the scene in front of him and identify that a photo opportunity exists and then set the camera up appropriately. Certainly, the more you do this, the better at it you become. Then there is the question of how spontanious is a 'found' shot anyway. A landscape photogrpaher will wait a long time for the right light to fall on a scene in the right season. It could be many months or even years before the shutter is released to record a composition that has already been identified. The photo at the top of this post was about four years in the making. I realised all that time ago that the stream lines made as water drains from a beach after high tide can make interesting patterns. However, I am not a frequent visitor to beaches so it took me a long time to make the shot but I knew the sort of thing I was looking for.

When all is said and done, does it actually matter if it took the photographer ages to set up the photo or it was a grab shot? There is certainly a great deal of skill in both approaches, just the skills are different. Surely the most important thing is the result. If the photo stands up on its own merits, that is all that matters.

Washed Up Waste

2008-08-23T21:17:00.003+01:00

I took this photo earlier this week on Sandown beach on the Isle of Wight. It is amazing how much plastic waste gets washed up with sea weed by the tide. At least this lot will probably be cleaned up by the machines that clean the beach but it could so easily have ended up elsewhere, inside a sea bird or fish.

Style?

2008-08-15T21:27:00.001+01:00

Do you have a recognisable photographic style? Do I? Certainly those who see my work will be better able to judge than me. The latest edition of Amateur Photographer (UK photo magazine) has been good enough to publish my thoughts on the matter. It's in the shops until Monday.

More Waste?

2008-08-14T22:21:00.003+01:00

Those of you who have been reading this blog for some time will know that I have been working on a series of photos on the theme of waste. Certainly the picture above has a lot of rubbish in it but really it shows that the local recycling facility is too small to cope with demand. At least people are not just dumping their waste in land-fill. As the saying goes, "Reduce, reuse, recycle."

Iconic Britain?

2008-08-08T11:33:00.005+01:00

Microsoft have managed to cause a stir amongst the photographic community. They have launched a competition to find images of 'Iconic Britain'. The competition is designed to promote their LiveSearch search engine. Using LiveSearh, people had the opportunity to enter pictures that they had found using this facility. The only problem was that the thumbnails did not link back to the pages they came from and the photographers who owned the copyright were not consulted. Not surprisingly these photographers objected to their images being used to promote a Microsoft product. At least the picture included in this post will not be in the competition as it has not made the deadline!

Update: It appears that Microsoft have abandoned the competition. All votes were meant to be in by today (14 August) but there are no pictures to vote for.

Update 2: It now looks as though the competition is still on - the deadline has been extended.

A Different Perspective

2008-07-30T21:35:00.003+01:00

Sometimes looking at things from a different perspective can get the creative juices flowing. An unusual viewpoint can make an ordinary object seem just that little bit more extraordinary. It is worth pointing the camera up or down simply to see what will happen. Shots taken from anything other that between five and six feet from the ground are actually fairly uncommon because most photos are taken by adults who are standing up. Try looking at the world from the point of view of a ten year old, for instance, and you will see that it is a different place.

ISPs React to Illegal Music Downloaders

2008-07-28T21:50:00.004+01:00

I heard the news recently that Internet Service Providers in the UK will be sending people who illegally download music letters warning them that if they continue they will have their internet access blocked. What about people who download photos from the web of their own use?

I guess the difference is that the music industry is 'big business', photography is effectively a cottage industry with most photographers being one man operations. This means that the collective might of photographers counts for very little when compared to the giants of the music industry.

It's very unfair but what can we do to change this and get equal treatment? I think most people who download 'free' music know they are doing something wrong, but most people who save a picture from Google Images at add into their party invitation, for example, do not even realise that they are breaching copyright laws. In fact, is there a legitimate use for the 'Save Picture As...' function of web browsers?

Sweet Pea

2008-07-24T21:59:00.005+01:00

I love sweet peas. They are so easy to grow and give a nice splash of colour in the garden. Not only that, when you cut them, more flowers come. As a cut flower they fill a room with scent very quickly, and it's a delicate, sweet scent; not the overpowering smell of a lilly. Overall, they are great value.

Update: The sweet peas are now growing for 2009. You can see the green shoots here.

Off The Beaten Track

2008-07-08T21:57:00.002+01:00

Today, I got away from my usual haunts. Not too far and certainly not to anywhere I haven't been before, but far enough away from my well worn track to notice new things. I took the shot above today because I was drawn to it the unusual roof line and the interesting sky.

Maybe your own shooting could benefit from a change of routine. Perhaps you could take a different route to work. Leaving the car behind and cycling or walking can really give a different view of the world. Just change something and it may well shake up the way you look at the world and it could well result in some interesting pictures.

Close Enough?

2008-07-04T20:14:00.002+01:00

Back to what this blog is all about - pictures.

Shape and form is very important in my photography, especially texture. When you get in really close to an object you can often reveal features that are not apparent from a longer shot. The great war photographer Robert Capa said, "If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough." I am sure that this is true in most areas of photography. Photography has the power to make you look at the world anew.

The shot in this post shows the petals of a rose flowering in my garden. It is Rosa "English Garden" if you are interested, and I would recommend it.

New UK Photo Restrictions

2008-07-01T19:38:00.005+01:00

Another post without a picture. I really am sorry. And another political post too. When I first started this blog I did not think that I would be making any posts about photography and politics. This will be the third post in recent months about exactly that. This is not what I want to talk about but it is too important to ignore.

According to an article in the British Journal of Photography, the Home Secretary has given the green light to the police to ban photography in public places wherever they like and whenever they like - but only if it is reasonable. You can read the original article here.

Orphan Works

2008-06-17T19:47:00.002+01:00

I'm sorry to say that this is my second post in a row without a photo - I will make it up I promise.

You may or may not have come across the Ophan Works Bill that could become law in the USA, This Bill threatens to take away copyright protection from any work that is not registered with a commercial registry in the States. This beggars belief.

I urge all readers of this blog to sign this petition to oppose the Bill.

If you want to find out more about this unbelievable rights grab, have a look at this video on YouTube.

Alamy and Novel Use

2008-06-13T20:41:00.003+01:00

Those of you who read this blog regularly will know that I contribute images to Alamy, the stock agency. The first phase of their Novel Use scheme has just been released. They are going to sell images for educational use and for bloggers from 60p. As they say, they currently do not get sales from this market. They are opening up a new market catering for them.

On the face of it, this scheme does have some merit. It would lead to new income but it also opens up a new threat of image misuse. The target audience have little or no knowledge of image licencing and intellectual property rights. Selling images to this audience is an invitation to image abuse, not necessarily through design, more likely due to ignorance of the law. Also, other users could easily pose as students, for example, and get their images on the cheap for uses that are not covered by the terms of the licence.

As I have already said, the target audience are not up to speed with image licencing. This is especially important with the unbelievable Orphan Works legislation that is being put in place in the USA. The target audience are very likely to create orphan works. If the proposed legislation makes it, I certainly do not want my orphan images to be out in the wild.

I have no doubt that I could earn a few extra pounds by signing up for this but the potential risks are not worth it.

Spider Nursery

2008-06-02T20:34:00.003+01:00

Earlier today I saw something unusual on the box bush in my garden. To start with I though it could be a flower, but I have never seen the box flower. Then I thought it was an infection, but it wasn't. When I looked closely it turned out to be a colony of newly hatched spiders. A fresh bunch of bug hunters for the garden. Great!

Water in Photoworld - Update

2008-05-03T19:10:00.002+01:00

Back in January I posted that I had an illustrated article about photographing water published in Photoworld. Well, that issue of Photoworld is now available online. So you can read my article here!

Happy reading.

Opportunities

2008-04-23T19:45:00.001+01:00

Some of you may remember that last summer, one of my images was misused on a teenager's social networking page. The matter was resolved in the end and the image was removed from his site. As I have mentioned before in my blog, not only am I a photographer, but a writer too. This incident gave me the idea to write a couple of articles for publication. I used different angles for different markets. I am pleased to say that I have now made far more by writing about the incident than I ever would have done in fees for licencing the image. The trick was to turn a mishap into an opportunity. It also inspired me to make the image above which I hope will be successful as stock.

Here's Looking at you Kid

2008-04-08T21:51:00.003+01:00

Another photo for my series on waste.

Setting the Right Tone

2008-04-04T20:35:00.006+01:00

I am lucky enough to live in a town with a lot of listed buildings. It does have a great deal of character and the centre of the town still follows the medieval street pattern of narrow streets winding their way up the hills away from the market place that is next to the river. Not surprisingly, like every other town in the country, there are areas that are not quite so picturesque. This post is about a set of images that I have made of one of these areas. It shows a footpath that leads up a fairly steep slope. Unfortunately the path is surfaced in an ugly patchwork of concrete. There is also an unsightly hand-rail that runs up the centre of the path. If this was closer to the heart of the town this street nightmare would not exist. It would be paved or cobbled with a wrought iron rail or two.

The first picture, at the top of this post, shows a colour image of the scene. It is in fact a blend of two images, one exposed for the sky and one for the foreground.

The next version is a black and white rendering of the same picture. I created this version using the Channel Mixer in Photoshop which allows you a lot of control of how the scene is rendered.

The final version - the finished photograph - is how I previsualised the scene. I have toned the black and white version to give a sepia look to add to the feeling of desolation and decay.

Making Music

2008-03-26T21:27:00.008Z

Those of you who have been reading this blog for while will know about my 'Making Music' series of images. Well, finally I have a selection of images form this series on the site. The 'Making Music' gallery is here!

Making music is dynamic. Music does not exist in a moment in time, it exists through time. This series of photographs captures the dynamic process of making music. The photograph above shows a bodhran which is an Irish hand drum.

Which Camera?

2008-03-24T20:55:00.001Z

Once friends and colleagues get to know that you can take half decent photographs, they start asking you about what you use. An old favourite used to be, 'What film do you use?' as if changing the film that they used would make all the difference to their pictures. It was a bit like asking a painter which brushes he used. The question misses the point by a mile.

One of the most frustrating things about photography forums is the constant, 'My camera is better than yours,' nonsense. To be honest, if you buy a camera from a decent maker, you are going to have a decent camera.

Anyway, cameras are not good in all situations. Like many things in life, camera choice is a compromise. In some situations a 10x8 view camera is probably still the best choice, in others, a camera phone is perfectly fine. And of course for most photo opportunities neither of these is appropriate.

Most enthusiasts and professional shooters choose a DSLR. The image quality they produce is very good and they are also very versatile. With the correct lens you can take shots of the head of a wasp or the craters on the Moon - or anything in between. Having said that, a DSLR with a collection of lenses and other accessories can be a pain to carry around. If you haven't got the right lens with you then shot is lost.

Another choice is a digital compact. These cover a very wide range from high quality products that will shoot RAW and produce images suitable for stock agencies to cameras only suitable for happy snaps - which is just what many people want.

The choice that you make has to be a personal one. The best thing to do is first decide what sort of images you want to take with the camera and then go from there. Also, will you be going out to make photos or will the photos be incidental to other pursuits. When you have answered these questions you can start to make a choice. It is only then that brand decisions should be even considered.

Food for Thought

2008-03-19T20:00:00.003Z

Some of you may know that I enjoy taking photos of food. Setting up the lighting for the shot above was a little tricky. The main light is from the right with a white reflector to fill in the shadows. I also used a piece of card to stop the base from being illuminated. I recently bought a handheld lightmeter from ebay - at a very good price - and this was useful in establishing the exposure. I'm sure it will get a lot of use in the future.

Calling all UK Photographers

2008-03-13T20:34:00.004Z

No doubt you will have heard about photographers recently being challenged by 'officials'. Sometimes they have been asked why they are taking pictures in a public place, sometimes they have been detained and sometimes they have been asked to delete images from their memory cards. These stories of photographers being harassed have become quite common.

Austin Mitchell MP, who is himself a keen photographer has proposed an Early Day Motion to help to stop all this nonsense. It would be great if you would contact you own MP and urge him to support Mr Mitchell's motion. You can do this through Write to Them.

Edit: Thanks to all those who have responded to this one. The list of MPs who have signed the motion continues to grow. If you have not contacted your MP yet, please do so soon.

Another Reflection

2008-03-08T20:59:00.003Z

I have always had a soft spot for photos of things reflected in water. The movement of the water's surface breaks up the usual outline of the subject into something new. The trick is to get just the right amount of movement in the water. If there is too much the reflection is too broken up and becomes unrecognisable. Too little movement and the reflection is too much like the original subject.

If there is water around, I am always on the look out for reflections to photograph.

I Love Coffee...

2008-03-07T19:50:00.001Z

The shape of the cup and saucer is the only subject in the photo above. I used a white background for the white subject using fairly flat light to emphasis this shape.

In fact I'm just off to pull a shot of espresso right now.

Early Morning

2008-03-01T19:53:00.003Z

I got early the other day and got this picture of a tree that is leaning over a field gate. The daylight white balance helped to keep some of the warmth of the light at that that time of day. If I had taken a custom white balance all that warmth would have been lost.

Even so, the warmth of the shot does not really reflect the feel of the time of day. In Photoshop I added an 81 series filter to really bring out the warmth of the shot. Here is the result.

Early in the morning at this time of year, especially under clear skies, it is cold. So I thought I would have one final go at the picture. This time I used an 80 series filter in Photoshop to put the chill back into the picture. Here it is.

It is interesting to see how the mood of the picture has been changed by altering the white balance. And each of the images evokes a different emotional response in the viewer.

Shape, Texture and Light

2008-02-19T15:20:00.001Z

I have a little place in my heart for this type of image pictures even though a well respected photographic friend of mine dismisses them as 'rusty lock' pictures. I can see his point because non-photographers may not see the point of them as their subjects have little intrinsic appeal. But this is exactly what turns me on to them. It is the photographic process that gives them their appeal.

The photograph gives the subject a new life and forces the viewer to look at it afresh. They are really about shape, texture and light - exactly what photography is so good at capturing. With these pictures it is not the subject that makes them but good light and a pleasing composition that shows off the interaction between light and the subject.

Finally, here's a genuine rusty lock of my own:

Depth of Field

2008-02-15T20:00:00.004Z

I snapped the photo above a couple of days ago. It shows the branches of a tree that is submerged in a deep pool of water but grows well despite this. I used a small aperture to give fro a large depth of field with everything in the frame acceptably sharp.

But I was not convinced that I had made the best image that I could. So I repeated the shot with a large aperture to give a shallow depth of field in the shot below.

This really emphasises the texture of the moss on the upright branch.

I'll let you decide which picture works best, but they certainly show different aspects of the same scene.

Water in Photoworld

2008-01-25T21:10:00.000Z

The latest copy of Photoworld landed on my doormat today. When I opened it I was really pleased to see an illustrated article about photographing water that I had written spread over four pages.

If you have not come across Photoworld, it is dedicated to the Sony/Minolta series of cameras and is published by Icon Publications. You can find out more information about the magazine from the Photoclub Alpha website.

Finding Images

2008-01-19T20:03:00.000Z

"I like this one very much. It spurred me on to thinking that you can find pictures anywhere at all. Wonderful." Lynne.

I was very pleased to read the his comment when I posted this image on one of the dpreview forums. It is true to say that often I do find my images in unusual places. Often my pictures are of fairly mundane objects. I like to think that I capture them in a thought provoking, pictorial way. Key to this is to have the correct lighting - the bin-bags above would not have worked with an overcast sky. I often extract the object from its usual surroundings, often by deliberate in-camera cropping and choice of viewpoint- you cannot see the truck that was carrying the rubbish or the many people around at the time. Other techniques I use are to show only part of the object in a close-up. Sometimes I deliberately use a shallow depth of field so that the viewer has to concentrate on the part of the object that I want them to see.

But the truth is that I cannot find pictures anywhere. As I have said, I do find images in unusual places but there are many potential images that I miss on a daily basis.These are images that I do not even recognise as being potential subjects. I am sure this is the same for all of us. This is only good. If we all made the same images then photography would be very boring indeed.

"It is the mystery and splendour of photography that the essence of the art has little to do with photography itself. The making of the picture is simple and quick. The hard part is everything else: the whole of the photographer's relationship to the world." Peter Galassi, Chief Curator of the Department of Photography, Museum of Modern Art, New York from Henri Cartier-Bresson man, Image, World - a Retrospective.

Directions for 2008

2007-12-31T19:35:00.000Z

Just as the end of the old year is a time for reflection, the beginning of the new year is a time for planning. I achieved a lot in 2007. I wrote articles for several publications - some even included my photos! These included a couple that were fresh for me - great. I had my first solo exhibition which had been a personal goal of mine for a little while.

So, what for 2008. First is to complete my 'Making Music' series and then to get it out there. The pictures have been going onto Alamy as they have been make, but they really belong together as a series. I hope to see them as an exhibition and I have a couple of possible venues in mind. I also have a few magazine articles in mind, some technical, some not. Again, I want to break into some new publications.

Besides that, keep making pictures. I have a couple of ongoing slow burn projects to keep working on. But I would really like to find another fast burner like the Musicians because that has been great fun.

Anyway, happy New Year to all of you. May it bring you success!

Reflections...

2007-12-26T19:45:00.000Z

I hope you enjoyed a Happy Christmas as I did. Time with my friends and family is very important to me at this time of year.

The end of the year is a good time to reflect on the last year and think about plans for the next. At this time of year I like to go through the photographs that I have made during the year and reflect on my successes. This is a very personal journey for me. Sometimes these will include pictures that are not technically perfect but maybe they will serve as memory triggers for years to come. Other pictures could be chosen because I had to overcome particular technical challenges to create them. Having a period of conscious reflection is essential to inform plans for the coming year.

The picture above is part of my 'Music Makers' series and it is one of my 'Pictures of 2007'. This series has taken on a life of its own. I started it in autumn 2007 and it should be finished early in 2008. It has become a real passion for me. This is one of my 'fast burn' projects as it will be completed soon after starting it. Many of my projects are of the 'slow burn' variety. They are fairly open ended and I tend to dip in and out of them over a long period. Both are great as they provide a theme for my work.

Winter Shooting

2007-12-12T20:30:00.000Z

On the face of it, outdoor photography in winter is an unattractive prospect. It is cold! But there are many things that make outdoor winter photography very rewarding, especially when the temperature goes down.

Most landscape shooters know that the best time to be working is in the couple of hours at either end of the day. In winter there is no need to get up ridiculously early to catch sunrise. Also, during the winter, the sun is low enough in the sky to give reasonable light virtually all day - if it is good enough to put in an appearance at all.

The weather conditions at this time of year really transform the landscape. A hard frost or a fall of snow can add a touch of magic to a fairly ordinary scene. Details of frosty leaves or spiders webs can make wonderful shots.

All in all, winter is a great time to be out and about with a camera - providing you keep yourself and your batteries warm.

Microstock or Not?

2007-12-05T20:29:00.000Z

Many photography enthusiasts have a substantial collection of good quality photographs and in the digital age, a substantial collection of image files on disk. Of course, some of these images are printed out and displayed in the homes of family and friends. But most of them are just taking up space on a hard-drive and that will probably be all that happens to them. These people often have a fairly comfortable life-style that is paid for by a conventional job that does not involve photography.

To people in this situation the prospect of earning some money - any money - from their photographic collection must be quite attractive. Why not? At the moment their images are doing nothing. Why not get the pictures to earn some extra income that could be spent on their photographic hobby? Even $1 per image sold is far more than they are getting at the moment. Microstock agencies can have an attraction.

I can certainly see the logic of this argument. However, a microstock site will typically earn $4 for every $1 the photographer makes, which is not a very good commission ratio. Also, full time stock professionals will be very quick to point out that these cheap sales may well be cutting into their business.

There is little doubt that the microstock agencies have created a new market for stock images. This market includes people with small scale websites, publishers of limited circulation newsletters, etc, who could never have afforded to use photos from traditional stock houses. But microstock images are also being used by traditional stock buyers such as newspapers. Mircostocks are taking business away from traditional agencies and from full-time stock shooters. These photographers rely on this business to keep a roof over their heads and put food on their table. Should the enthusiasts be worried about this? That is down to their conscience.

Whatever happens, microstocks are not going away. They have changed the stock photography business for ever. There is no going back. Photographers need to take microstocks seriously and modify their behaviour accordingly.

Digital Film

2007-11-28T14:30:00.000Z

When I shot film, most of the time I would load up with a general purpose slide film. Fujichrome 100 was my choice. It was fine for landscape, architecture, still life, travel and portrait work. But it was probably not the best choice for any of these. Even though I shot a fair amount of film, one roll could contain shots from several of the disciplines listed above. If I knew that I was going to finish a film on a particular shoot I could load my camera appropriately - Velvia for landscape, etc. But this was fairly rare. And portraits on Velvia are interesting to say the least! Hence, the general purpose film.

With digital cameras this has all changed. I can effectively use a different film for each shot. I can increase the contrast and saturation for a landscape shot or decrease the saturation and contrast for a portrait. I can do this on a shot by shot basis. There are two ways of doing this. I can change the in-camera settings before shooting or I can change most of the setting during RAW processing. I prefer the second approach for several reasons. I have far finer control during RAW processing. For instance, in-camera I have five settings for saturation; during RAW processing I have about 100. Also, I can change the contrast, saturation, etc far more easily during RAW processing. If I were shooting JPEGs and selected the wrong settings in-camera before shooting, that could mean a lost shot. This is not the case with RAW. In short, RAW gives far more options and far more control.

Routine

2007-11-25T21:25:00.000Z

I was looking at a photographer's work today. He showed me several nice pictures. There was one in particular that looked great except for excessive noise. I asked him about this and he explained that he had mistakenly left the camera on ISO 1600 from a previous shoot. It was an understandable but unfortunate mistake that could have been avoided with a proper shooting routine.

Whenever I finish shooting, I always reset my camera to my own defaults. I put the ISO to 100, exposure mode to aperture priority and the aperture to f/11, turn the autofocus on, and so on. This means that the next time I pick up the camera I will know how it is set up. I may well want to change these defaults but at least I know where I am starting from. Also, once my shots are uploaded to my computer and checked, I format the memory card and recheck my defaults. This way I give myself the best chance of avoiding the situation descibed above.

With some cameras this is not so much of an issue because they allow you to set your own defaults and recall them easilly. Sometimes these 'presets' take the place of 'scene' modes. Each preset will store the metering mode, exposure setting, exposure compensation, ISO, colour space, etc. In short it stores all the settings necessary to make an image. When the camera is switched on, the presets are activated; it does not go back to the last settings used - which can cause other problems.

Misty Autumn

2007-11-16T19:33:00.001Z

Late autumn is a time for mist and mist can really transform a scene. Often it will simplify it by obscuring unwanted detail. Luckily mist usually forms at the beginning and end of the day when the light is on the warm side. These two effects combined can be well worth the effort to capture.

Only with Digital

2007-11-08T22:29:00.001Z

There are some shots that you take that are risky. I don't mean that you risk physical harm, I mean there is a high chance of failure. The shot above is one of them. I would love to say that I got it with one frame but that would be a lie. It took more like a dozen. One of the big advantages of digital equipment is being able to review shots instantly.

Using the inforamtion I got from reviewing my efforts I could refine my set up. First I adjusted the lighting until I had a set up I was happy with. Then It was a case of keeping shooting until I had a frame were the guitarist's fingers were in a pleasing position and where there was an appropriate amount of blur. I doubt very much I would have tried this shot on film - let alone got a satisfying result.

Professional or Amateur?

2007-11-05T16:00:00.000Z

There is no doubt that the very best photos that I have ever seen are by a select band of professionals such as Man Ray, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Martin Parr, Elliot Erwitt and Charlie Waite. Beyond this top tier of truly great photographers, the majority of the most compelling images that I have seen have been created by amateurs. I am not talking about the kind of person who picks up a camera at Christmas and during their annual holiday. I am taking about people who don't earn their living from photography, but for whom photography is their real passion. These are the people who exist to make images on their own terms.

In many ways these true amateurs have an advantage over professionals. They are not working to deadlines. They can choose what to shoot. They can take time to develop their own personal vision and it does not matter if no-one else likes what they are doing. In short, they can afford to take risks because they will still eat if they produce rubbish. Because of this freedom they can be truly creative and make original and exciting photos

Of course there are professionals who also create stunning pictures. But often professionals are forced by their clients to produce technically excellent images that are very mundane or even boring. For every National Geographic photographer there must be dozens of pros doing pack shots for catalogues.

The division between professional and amateur is an artificial divide that does not do anyone any good. If someone cares about the images he is making, he is a photographer. That's it, pure and simple.

Remembrance

2007-10-26T21:46:00.000+01:00

The Royal British Legion has launched it's annual Poppy Appeal in aid of British service men and women. This appeal forms the basis of the organisation's fund raising and is especially vital with our forces committed in both Iraq and Afghanistan. It therefore seems appropriate to launch a new gallery of photographs associated with Remembrance.

But most importantly, please give generously to the appeal.

Autumn is Here

2007-10-23T22:24:00.000+01:00

Autumn has arrived in my corner of the world. For the outdoor photographer this has to be one of the most frantic times of the year, trying to capture the fleeting colours before they are gone. There is no doubt that it pays to think about what the season has to offer. It is too easy to be seduced by the sweeping vistas of fallen leaves and the changing colours in the overhead canopy. Often it is the more intimate details that tell more of a story.

Excited by ACR 4.2

2007-10-18T21:17:00.000+01:00

Well I was for a few minutes. I recently upgraded to Photoshop CS3 and ACR 4.2. I was processing the high contrast shot above - taken with the A100 and kit lens. Using previous versions I would have done a 'poor man's HDR' using two RAW conversions to give an acceptable image.

With the new sliders in ACR 4.2 I didn't need to. I increased the Fill Light to brighten the stone of the war memorial and used the Recovery slider in conjunction with the exposure slider to darken the sky. Great!

Until I looked more closely. I had enhanced the fringing (which I could not remove) and there were halos around several edges. Back to square one. I did the poor man's HDR and I had no problems with fringing or halos.

Going Underground

2007-10-17T22:53:00.000+01:00

I spent today in London. One of the characteristic, but least photographed, sights of the city has to be the Tube, as Londoners call it. The station is a lot quieter in my photograph than it would be during the rush hour.

I had thought that I might have had some problems taking photos in London with the current security situation, especially in the Underground. I am pleased to say that I didn't. I was fairly discrete with my camera, setting it up as far as possible before raising it to my eye, and making a real effort to blend in.

Upgrade

2007-09-27T14:15:00.000+01:00

I hate upgrading software. I try to avoid it. Upgrading is a process with many potential pitfalls. Over the years I think I have experienced many of them. Let's face it, my copy of Photoshop CS2 worked the day before CS3 was introduced so it will work just as well the day after.

Unfortunately there always does come a time when upgrading cannot be put off any longer. Earlier this week I did install Photoshop CS3. The upgrade went well and I had it up and running straight away - after a 200MB download of updates.

But it broke my colour mangement. I didn't know until after the installation was complete that Adobe Gamma is no longer included in the package. It maybe a fairly basic colour management tool, but it has served me well over several generations of Photoshop. So now I have to do what I should have done ages ago, buy a hardware colour management tool.

So, from uninstalling the previous version to being up productive on the upgraded version will take several days. Yet another pitfall on the upgrade trail.

Happily, installing the Pantone Huey that I sellected to take care of my monitor calibration was very easy and took less than 10 minutes all told. I am confident that my colour management will now be better than even. So maybe the pitfalls will end up being beneficial.

The Money Shots

2007-09-27T14:05:00.000+01:00

I've been dabbling in the stock photography market for the past couple of years. I do occasionally shoot specifically for stock but most of my portfolio is made up of shots that I have primarily made with other uses in mind. I am not into hiring models and the posed business shots that do very well in this market.

It is no surprise that the shots that I have created with this market in mind sell best. In the main the best sellers are fairly mundane, even boring subjects that have been produced to a high technical standard. The hammer above is the stock shot I have sold the most. In this market 'pretty' pictures and creative work does not bring home the bacon. These can go to other markets such as photographic magazines.

For me, the editorial market is still treating me quite well, certainly better than stock. When I first started marketing my work I learned to write. Selling a package of words and pictures to a magazine is far easier than selling pictures alone. Interestingly, I have been selling far more articles without pictures recently. Either my writing has improved a great deal or my pictures suck. I'll let you judge.

Breakthrough!

2007-09-18T19:57:00.000+01:00

Earlier today I was looking at some pictures by someone who was just starting to take photographs. Her images showed a lot of promise but the composition was not quite right and there were some other problems. I am sure with the right approach she will be able to make better pictures fairly quickly. So I started thinking about what she could do to improve.

One of the main things is to get someone who is more experiecned than she is to look at her work and give constructive criticism. Choosing this person can be quite hard becasue he must be constructive. The wrong kind of criticism can hurt someone, particularly a beginner, very deeply. This kind of help is available in some camera clubs, though by no means all. Some web forums are also helpful, equally some are poisonous.

Looking at other people's work is also important. Sorry, not looking at other peole's work - studying it and working out why photos work and equally important, why they don't. This means looking at as many pictures as possible including those you don't really like. Looking at paintings is useful here.

When she has done this it is time to look at her own work critically. Hopefully she will have learned what makes a good image and be an the way to achieving it. She might even end up applying this process to images in the viewfinder before pressing the shutter - now wouldn't that be good!