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09/05/2016
Paul Strand & The Sony World Photography Awards
Visiting the Paul Strand Exhibition at the V&A and the Sony World Photography Awards at Somerset House on the same day recently proved an enlightening experience.
The diverse and stunning images making up the World Photography Awards exhibition are in themselves inspiring (and perhaps a little intimidating) for the wannabe photographer.
Viewed immediately after, the Paul Strand exhibition is striking not just because of the innovation displayed in his work but because it highlights just how influential he has been. To my eye, there were many Strand influences to be found among the Sony award winners.
I was also struck by the fact that, although I was not aware of ever having previously looked at Paul’s images, their influence was very much present in my own approach to photography.
(The Sony World Photography Awards exhibition ended on 8 May. Images can still be viewed on the World Photography Organisation website: http://www.worldphoto.org )
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27/04/2016
Finding A Path Through Review Overload
You’re looking for a new camera, you have read a lot of reviews and now you are completely confused about what’s best to buy – sound familiar? I would be the first to say that I am no gear expert but here are a few thoughts, based on my experience, that might just help.
When I decided to get more into digital photography, I set out to find the one perfect camera that would do everything I needed. After much searching, I realised that it didn’t exist. Why?
I wanted something that was small enough to carry everywhere, all the time and that could offer both ‘point and shoot’ and full manual control capability, along with the best image quality. Something that genuinely fits in your shirt pocket can’t yet compete with the image quality of a cracking DSLR or mirrorless system camera. That means my one perfect camera is, in fact, two – one to carry everywhere and one for dedicated photo sessions.
Once you know you want the best image quality you can fit in your pocket, the number of camera options reduces to a few key players, so it’s easier to compare specifications and take account of brand preferences.
When looking for a higher specification, interchangeable lens camera, there is probably not one that is genuinely perfect for everything – so why bother looking for that. Instead I decided what I need for my type/style of photography. Then I assessed specifications and performance against what matters to me.
There will probably always be a camera that does at least something better than the one you buy, so once you have made the decision don’t angst about it, just enjoy shooting! It’s also worth remembering that a great camera doesn’t suddenly become a poor one just because a new and updated model is released.
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11/04/2016
The Tale Of The Bristol Whales
The Bristol Whales depict the life-size head of a Humpback and the tail of a Blue. They were initiated by Artists Project Earth, funded by the Arts Council of England and designed and made by the Bristol-based company Cod Steaks (http://codsteaks.com).
Bristol has links to whaling, as local merchants entered the whaling trade in 1750, with a whaling ship moored in Sea Mills. The venture lasted some 50 years.
Although the Whales, in reality, ‘swim’ in the 12 acre Bennett’s Patch wildlife haven (managed by Avon Wildlife Trust) and are woven from Somerset willow, they are so lifelike that it is easy to imagine them in the ocean. The image posted reflects this.
It utilises an original digital photograph with the whales in their true, and unaltered, position in relation to each other. A virtual copy was created to change the colour of the grass on which the whales actually sit from green to blue and blur the image to approximate the appearance of water. The blue and original images were blended to create the virtual seascape, remove trees and other background elements and create the ‘horizon’, while revealing the whales themselves.
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21/03/2016
Cheap Old Lenses, Extension Tubes & Interesting Results
Not so long ago I tried to sell a few ancient manual lenses. Thankfully, there were no takers as I have discovered what they can do when paired with a good modern sensor.
Bird photography is not my bag but I wanted to check out what a Photax 500mm F8 lens might produce. The focal length is a little long to enable me to set up a tripod in my garden pointing at the bird table. I sorted this by adding an equally old Aico extension tube, along with an M42 mount adapter.
The F8 lens doesn’t give much flexibility in anything less than bright light so I used ISO 4000 to get the shutter speed up fast enough to freeze a feeding bird in the rain. I was pleasantly surprised by the result. It won’t stand up to scrutiny at 100% but not too bad, in my view, for a lens you can probably pick up for next to nothing if you can find one.
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25/02/2016
Three Questions To Resist Gear Acquisition
Everyone who takes photographs has a particular view on the equipment needed. It could range from the ‘free’ camera in a ‘phone to camera bodies costing £ thousands, an array of lenses and endless accessories.
Most agree that better cameras and/or lenses do not make you a better photographer. They can, however, enable you to access pictures that would otherwise be ‘out of reach’. They can also provide a massive uplift in image quality – creating the opportunity to crop pictures significantly and still produce great prints.
Conscious of the potential to spend a great deal of money, when re-visiting my interest in photography from a digital perspective, it seemed that by focusing clearly on a particular type of image making, I could both keep expenditure in check and achieve an uplift in quality.
My photography is primarily about walking around the city and capturing what it has to offer – whether on a dedicated ‘photo-walk’ or simply out for a stroll. Along with the ubiquitous ‘phone, that means a separate body with manual control for the dedicated sessions and a really compact ‘go anywhere’ camera that fits easily in the shirt pocket for those more casual occasions. With my favourite 35mm lens, the camera body and a compact zoom stuffed into a jacket with generous pockets, I’m good to go.
Of course, all the latest gear is tempting but I just keep asking three questions: How often will I use it; is it really needed for my type of photography; and can I justify the expenditure relative to the returns my images bring? It seems to me that these are three questions that can save a lot of unnecessary expenditure and prevent costly kit gathering dust on shelves.
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