Taking a wider view ------------------------------------

Ringing the Changes

2012-01-27T18:59:00.003Z

One of the amazing things about digital imaging is how easily the same scene can be changed in appearance with the minimum of processing, and was doing that a little today, Not the most amazing photographs,one is a general Welsh landscape taken from the tram that goes up to the Great Orme in Llandudno, and t'other a shot from my walk around Sheffield's woebegone industrial area, somewhere I would like to some more work on.

Initial shot

Combination of 2 layers

Monochrome, weird how this almost looks like snow.

Original Working

Fine Art Border, think I will alter the light a bit more on this

As usual Viveza 2, and Silver Efex provided the tools, I don't think I could do it so easily in Photoshop, though expert Lightroom people could do this and more.

As usual the four "L"s come into play, Learning, knowing how to do something, Location, being in the right spot, Light being right for the photograph you want, and a considerable amount of Luck, being able to have the first 3 hands in play.

Another look back

2012-01-26T20:39:00.000Z

In some respects I have been quite idle in processing images as soon as they are taken, I think I like the process of visiting new places and taking shots, so I have a big archive. For some reason that I cannot quite figure I used to retain both Jpeg and Raw files, consequently taken up more space and double the work in reviewing. So I have deleted all the old Jpegs, as I always prefer the processing workflow with Raw files, particularly with later versions of the Adobe Converter.

So with that done I will be deleting all the double entry files that are not quite there, and have an easier selection job. I have invested in the latest version of Nik Silver Efex Pro, and Viveza 2, which are both astounding, so much quicker with the Control Points to treat particular areas. Loads of reviews around so I won't do that, but just say they offer easy and complete control.

Discount code here, saving 15%

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tools/plugins/nik-silver-efex-pro-discount-coupon-nik-silver-efex-pro.html

I am doing an evening at Cambridge Camera Club in April, and that has given me a reason to get new work together, and get a few prints prepared, as well as the digital projected images. A few of the images are here, always good to see how they look online.

The merging of the old and new here, with the spectacular The Deep building located in the old dockland area.

The Prow of The Deep

Excellent architecture, the observation deck shown here

Care taken in hard landscaping here, with the walkway, and these great benches.

This is the same shot as above, but has had a Silver Efex monochrome conversion. Interesting how this has a different atmosphere.

A little day breakfast diversion.

2012-01-24T08:46:00.000Z

My morning web read is the Guardian and in Travel they published some travel videos, such kind people.

This is my favourite

Mindrelic - Manhattan in motion from Mindrelic on Vimeo.

Ready for B'rum

2012-01-16T20:17:00.001Z

Planned another "Urban Safari" which will take me to Birmingham for 3 days, well 2 travel days, and 1 full day around the city. Dubious weather forecast, but have a few indoor targets. More on that later, as will try a blog record of it.

Couple more fun edits of old stuff. just to see how they work. The first is one from Villefranche, became rather obsessed when I saw it and took a lot of shots,and this is one.

The Old Stairway

This is a Barcelona shot, in my current mode of monochrome. the sharp light is wonderful there.

Above Barcelona

A couple more from the image bank.

2012-01-15T15:41:00.006Z

A Rainy Day in Nice, France

The Gallery Walk

A bad habit I have is that I don't delete files once they are on the drives, but do delete a lot on the camera preview, so in theory they should all be good, which is half true, as some are always better than others in terms of composition. I habitually take a lot of shots of what I see, just altering angles, portrait and landscape mode, plus varying exposure. This means a lot of near dupes, but in practice one always stands out. However "street photography" meaning interplay of the people with the environment is a different case, and then I have less to deal with. These I looked at yesterday, and thought it worth doing something with.
I process with the fantastic Nik Silver Efex Pro2, the answer to a monochrome fan's prayers.
The gallery walk I liked as it is seen so many times, a group with only one or two interested.

The Listmaker

I recently bought Elliot Erwitt's book Snaps, with over 500 wonderful photographs, the best street photography I have ever seen, and how he managed to amass such a body of work is amazing. If I ever have a tenth of his work in comparable shots I will be a happy man.
Would recommend it to anyone who likes or wants to try streetwork.
The publisher Phaidon has it on sale for half price at the moment. Snap it up...
http://uk.phaidon.com/store/photography/elliott-erwitt-snaps-9780714843308/

A couple more from the image bank.

2012-01-15T15:34:00.000Z

A bad habit I have is that I don't delete files once they are on the drives, but do delete a lot on the camera preview, so in theory they should all be good, which is half true, as some are always better than others in terms of composition. I habitually take a lot of shots of what I see, just altering angles, portrait and landscape mode, plus varying exposure. This means a lot of near dupes, but in practice one always stands out. However "street photography" meaning interplay of the people with the environment is a different case, and then I have less to deal with.
I bought Elliot Erwitt's book Snaps, with over 500 photographs, the best street photography I have ever seen, and how he managed to amass such a body of work is amazing. Would recommend it to anyone who likes or wants to try streetwork.

A Cold & Frosty Morning

2012-01-15T15:19:00.002Z

Yesterday we had an overnight frost and fog, so took my Canon G12, a camera I have yet to fully like in comparison with the Sony Nex5, but it has a zoom lens and is pocketable, so took it out with me.

I do a daily walk along a public bridleway, as part of my recuperation, lasting an hour or so. Just listen to music normally and think but wanted a few shots of the frost, which I have processed to black and white, and was reasonably happy with a couple.

The Frosty Track - 2

The one with the figure was the only person I saw in over an hour, like having a whole world to yourself, so quiet too. The other I moved off track, glad I did as the grass detail is lovely. I have worked another edit, altering the composition from the origanal one, and it maybe works better.

A little day in London viewing architecture

2012-01-09T20:33:00.000Z

Had one bright day last week so I scooted, well toddled more like, down to London on the train. I had spotted the new Canada Water Library in the press, and felt it worth a look. Really interesting inverted pyramid, as the space available was limited and the architect Piers Gough of CZWG devised this shape to give more square footage, and provided a memorable public building.

Photographically not that good a day, as the hard landscaping has yet to be completed,which limited the viewpoints a little. The usual railings and yellow jackets there.

Did have a wander around Southwark & Bermondsey and came across this Underground station vent, designed by Ian Ritchie Architects. The green is actually patinated copper. There are two more somewhere apparently so will go back to have a look for them.

Back to King's Cross and up to King's Place, & impressed by the interior, mix of galleries, hall and offices.

The Sounds of Jazz

2012-01-09T17:51:00.001Z

Slightly different tack today, looking again at my Nice Jazz Festival folders, and edited a Christian Scott file, and wondered where he was now, so did the inevitable Googling and found this film, set in Cuba.

Back to Black, Well Almost

2012-01-04T13:47:00.002Z

Been sorting through the image bank again, it is interesting that this process does give them another look, and discoveries are made. I have been to the Chinese New Year celebrations in London several times, and they always have a great set of stage acts, plus the wonderful parade through Chinatown. Usually packed so a has a great atmosphere.

Fresh Looks

2012-01-03T09:46:00.003Z

Looking at Ann's Blog today, I commented that her trademark is white space, and it occurred to me that mine has been predominantly black, as Architecture looks so good with high contrast monochrome.
So I thought I would dig out some images which rely on colour to tell their story, just to ring the changes.

Simple abstract from London's St Giles development

Windblown grain with a single poppy attracted me in this Hertfordshire landscape.

Spring's colours, the yellow of Forsythia against a blue sky. Added a frame action to see the impact.

Big juicy red, and I liked the way the shadow is so much thicker .

Someone with a liking for yellow here !

Graphic of cladding at the FirstSite Gallery in Colchester.

Just an alley but so full of colour, so had to take the shot, would have liked a chair in there somewhere.

Rust and red works for me.

Loved the abstract painting look on this building wall. I think I will do a gallery frame on this !

New Year - New Website

2012-01-02T10:22:00.005Z

One of the things I have been looking at for some while is a new website, so images are shown in the way I best like, and are given maximum coverage. As usual, researched a few, Photoshelter, Zenfolio and a couple more, but eventually decided on the curiously named SmugMug. There are 3 packages and I went for the Pro one, as I hope to get a few sales and I like the extra onboard facilities.

The big plus for me is the way the galleries are shown, with the option of a full screen show as well. Now the task is putting appropriate content online, which will keep me busy for a while.

The Empty Chair Gallery

2011-12-28T09:30:00.002Z

The Empty Chair Gallery, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Spotted this design classic chair in a London Gallery and always wanted to do something with it.
Processed via PS Elements 10 which has this amazing resize brush, by running it over the chair I was able to resize the background wall. Converted to BW and a mask used to retain the colour.
Then thought a gallery picture might be fun too.
I bought the Elements 10 as my CS does not have the updated Raw Conversion for ARW files, and I was having to use the DNG Converter, which is a timewasting step.

Finding images in your library

2011-12-22T12:00:00.002Z

One of the things that I have picked up on now that I am revisiting old files is that my photo editing has improved immensely ( as it should have, with all the products and advice around)and that naming was something that should have been standardised early on. Mine wasn't in my early days, so I just gave files a title, and shock-horror didn't save as, so some early original files weren't saved. No big deal as it was a quick crop and that was it, as they were not the gems I hope I have now.

So as my image library has increased and I wanted to index better, both on original and backup folders, and on the edited images I decided on the workflow system I have now.

All my imported files go into separate folders for the different camera's I have, and are dated with location as well, thus 2011-11-16_BEXHILL_NEX5_2. This mean I can search in Picasa for all Bexhill folders, Nex images or by date. The Raw conversions stay in the same folder for convenience.

When I select potential shots they are edited in Photoshop and saved as PSD files, named thus, _MG_9761_LONDON_ARCHITECTURE_BW_V1, and subsequent JPEG versions for web would be the same, named _MG_9761_LONDON_ARCHITECTURE_BW_V1_RS, the RS is a resized version for web use.
I can then search in Picasa for files with any naming characteristics and sort through quickly for a particular file.

My PSD edited files go into a separate folder "NEW EDITED IMAGES" which is continually backed up to another drive.

If destined for sending to a printer I would append "Canvas" or somesuch on the end of the flattened file.
For my own printing I use Q-image, which is fantastic, and that will grab full size PSD files from the New Edited Images" folder and use that for my prints.

I adhere to this regime for all complicated edits, saving a full layered version. They are really big files but External Drives are not that expensive now.

The Presentation Quandary

2011-12-19T09:35:00.003Z

Photographers take a lot of pictures digitally, and only a few of the good ones get seen, I feel. These go into Camera Club Competitions, Exhibitions, Photo books and the like. I wanted to get a few more of my shots seen by people, apart from my websites, and decided to start putting a few pictures on our walls at home.

I decided on a format of 30 x 40 frames in black for 1 wall set (frames from GreatArt), and 40 x 50 Birch frames from Habitat for others. This has worked out well, I can print A4 prints and put in the black frames, with a loose theme, at the moment French Shutters, very colourful against a terracotta wall, and easy on the eye.

Recently I have tried a couple of canvas print suppliers, and am pleased with the results. They are costly, so watch for special offers from Photobox, who market aggressively, and some bargains can be had. They do make a picture look special, and there is no frame cost, which for the large frames can be more than £20.00 each, so a saving on that.

I have a Logan 450 mountcutter, which is useful, and buy sheet mountboard from GreatArt, who ship it well packed in large boxes, specially made for the purpose, and quickly, plus if you place an order of more than £40.00, free carriage, which seems a very good deal. That takes care of mounts for competition & exhibition entries, and the odd sale.

However I have a mind to maybe market prints in more volume, as some people have suggested it, and then the home mountcutting is impractical, and costly in time, so I have been looking around for a solution. I have come across a supplier who can provide most sizes of cut mounts, and lots of frames etc. They are Moonshine Framing , based in Penzance, and their website is very informative on all framing matters. I am going to get a set of various mounts and see how easy the process is, using factory processed prints. Then I can decide on the value of it as a way of making revenue.

On the presentation front, Picasa from Google, which I use for indexing and selection of images, as it is so speedy, much faster than Bridge or Lightroom, and easy peasy for my old brain. One of the gadgets on it is a collage maker, simply select a few images and it will process them in a random order. If you don't like the first arrangement they can be moved around or a new collage made. Obviously not as good as a multi-layer Photoshop one, but very easy and not time consuming.

I had two made on a 45" x30" poster from Photobox and mounted each half in large frames I had around. They look pretty good, and I now know how to produce them with a couple of amendments to make a worthwhile print. I think collages suit a number of themes, flower close-ups, seaside, building details and the like.

Curvaceous

2011-12-18T11:34:00.003Z

Newcastle Millenium Bridge

Curvaceous, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Shoredith Overground Bridge

Via Flickr:
Detail of the new bridge at Shoreditch Overground Station

The Hub, Sheffield

These shots are fun to do, relying upon the right light, a decent subject and a touch of Photoshop.

.

"What's in my bag"

2011-12-18T11:21:00.007Z

A continuous dilemma for photographers is what to take on photography days, balancing the constraints of weight, handiness, getting the best shots, and sheer practicality. A backpack loaded with tripod, long lenses and all the other gubbins will not be well received in a busy city centre, travelling on the underground and just being in crowds, but is perfect for long walks in the countryside, providing one is fit enough.

A lot of us will have a number of bags, acquired over several years, updated when the equipment changes or a personal style evolves. Street photographers need unobtrusive cameras that react fast and are usually wide angle, (the camera of choice is probably a Leica), whereas Nature photographers need long lenses, a big tripod and wet weather protection.

Holidays with others demand yet another set, so the holiday itself is not spoilt for non-photographers, and the new mid range compacts seem to suit here. Sometimes we are all three, and then the permutations need a bit of thought.

My own preference is Urban work, which encompasses Architecture, Street, Record and Events, and I have developed a set of equipment that covers these pretty well, I think. I am lucky to be able to spend a lot of time on Photography, but is marred by health issues, so weight and portability are of great importance, but I want to have a varied set of images when I go out to take pictures.

This set below is the general day set, Festivals demand a different set, with the heavy 70-200 F2.8L IS lens and 580EX flash, extra batteries.

The images show the bag I use, a National Geographic Earth Explorer Large Shoulder Bag, which costs around £90.00 or so. It can take a laptop in its separate compartment if you want, I don't often take a Netbook with me, but handy sometimes. This has lots of pockets, padded sections, good secure strap, and accessory loops.
Looks good too !

For the gear side I use Canon 5D and Sony Nex-5, which I really love, plus the very useful wide angle and fish-eye auxiliary lens, which attach to the front of the 16mm pancake lens. Makes it very versatile, particularly interiors. The Nex also works pretty well in low light, as it has a special low light mode.

Not that cheap a camera, but I have very worthwhile results from it.

So to the extra's, I wasn't a Boy Scout, but I do like to be prepared, so there are a few items I am never without, and these items are all packed in the bag, miraculously.

Travel Pillow for train journeys. Wrist straps. Pad and Pen. Facial wipes.
Hand cleansing gel. Paracetomol. Optech Rain Cover. Cheap Poncho .
Small umbrella.
Optech Camera Strap.
Pro-Brolly Camera Umbrella.
Walking Pole. Monopod. Mains/Usb plug. Shower Cap (wet weather solution). Flask. Optech Reporter Strap for 3 cameras. Batteries. Cards.

2 Sony Nex-5, (1 with zoom, 1 with 16mm plus auxiliary lens.
Canon 5D with 24-105 L lens.
Canon 40D with Sigma 10-20mm or Canon 70-300 depending on locations.

On the outside of the bag I use the ThinkTank Shoulder Harness for carrying as backpack, till I arrive at my destination and kit up.

Life Force Magazine. Free online photography magazine.

2011-12-18T09:09:00.000Z

Life Force Magazine. Free online photography magazine.

Portfolio work of great quality

"The City Limits" Time Lapse Video

2011-12-17T09:35:00.001Z

Timelapse - The City Limits from Dominic on Vimeo.

Superb atmospheric film by Dominic Boudreault, a motion photographer.

Sit back with sound up, full screen view and enjoy.

http://www.dominicboudreault.com/

Urban Scene 3

2011-12-17T09:24:00.002Z

Urban Scene 3, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Another "made" shot, saw the lady and waited for the moment. I showed a selection to the Aperture Group of Cambridge Camera Club, including these 3, which were well received. Great way to see them, projected onto a 6' screen, with other people. CCC is a great motivator for getting the best images you can.

Urban Scene 2

2011-12-17T09:23:00.001Z

Urban Scene 2, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Sometimes elements come together in the frame to "make" a picture. I differentiate between "taking" and "making" . One is easy, the other not so much.

Urban Scene 1

2011-12-17T09:21:00.001Z

Urban Scene 1, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

New shot from a trip to London on a Winter's day. Monochrome favoured now.

Those excellent book people Phaidon have a new store opening in Shoreditch

2011-12-02T14:44:00.002Z

Not the usual bricks and mortar, but in a shipping container, as part of a new shopping experience BOXPARK SHOREDITCH, which sounds worth a look if around there.

Should also mention Telepopmusik, who are the soundtrack music people. "Breathe" was a track I played and played a while back, still on the player now, from Genetic World album.

Boxpark Shoreditch from Roger Wade on Vimeo.

A Movie Not To Be Missed

2011-12-02T08:58:00.003Z

Nostalgia maybe, but any cinema fan will know of this film's roots. Monochrome means much, beautiful.
(I didn't know till today about embedding, this internet thingy is brilliant !)

Windows and Doors Medley

2011-12-01T18:10:00.003Z

Windows and Doors Medley, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Playing around with Picasa which I use for my library archive as it so rapid and versatile. Made this collage in about ten minutes. Can play around with layout in quite a number of ways. Thinking of getting a poster print of it.
Back to more serious stuff later.

Beautiful Bexhill - A photographic gem

2011-11-24T18:14:00.000Z

A few of the things I saw on my visit to Bexhill-On-Sea, still lots more to explore on that stretch of the coast.

Looking all white and new

The new Wind Shelters, that have caused a little controversy amongst residents, if the comments to me are anything to go by.

A second visit to this lovely seaside destination, 3 hours or so by rail, a truly comfortable way to travel.

The Colonnade area on my first visit was still being finished, so I was anxious to return and see the results. A look at the weather forecasts gave me half a day of sunshine so off I went.

These are a few of the shots taken, more on my Flick'r galleries, and a mention should be made of Duggan Morris Architects who designed the shelters, which I love, and HTA Landscaping, responsible for the Promenade landscaping, with a mix of hard landscaping, a brilliant planting scheme, and plenty of play potential for younger visitors.

More of Bexhill on Flick'r

De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Sea: 'A dash of foreign innovation' - video | Art and design | guardian.co.uk

2011-11-24T17:48:00.000Z

De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Sea: 'A dash of foreign innovation' - video | Art and design | guardian.co.uk

My current obsession, frankly, is Bexhill-on-Sea and the De La Warr Pavilion, which is so much more than a building, it defines a style of architecture that is both functional, and beautiful.

This is an interesting video.

Bexhill Pavilions Renovation

2011-11-22T18:26:00.001Z

Bexhill Pavilions Renovation, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
The Colonnade and Pavilion area around the De La Warr has been spruced up considerably with great results. Caught all three flags flying well too.
Taken with Sony Nex 5 with wide angle converter.

http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/author/stevemccurry/

2011-11-10T13:27:00.000Z

http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/author/stevemccurry/

As usual Steve provides us with an opportunity to see the human condition in many places, where emotions are still the same.

Bridlington Beach

2011-11-02T20:31:00.001Z

I am not a landscape photographer per se, but do like the coastal environment, and spend many a happy hour on the beach photographing sand patterns, piers etc, and occasionally a shot I like comes into view, as this one did.Obviously I tweaked the tones a little, but it seems to produce a good aura to the picture. Will try a print, which is always a test.

Londons Trafalgar Square webcam for planning your holiday holiday and travel

2011-11-02T09:45:00.001Z

Londons Trafalgar Square webcam for planning your holiday and travel

I use this webcam to check the weather in Central London.

Architecture Assortment

2011-11-01T17:10:00.001Z

Architecture Assortment, a set on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
My urban photography, including structures and buildings

“A Tribute to Architecture's Best Photographer, Julius Shulman” Slideshow | Fast Company

2011-10-28T16:50:00.001+01:00

“A Tribute to Architecture's Best Photographer, Julius Shulman” Slideshow | Fast Company

Steve McCurry's One-Minute Masterclass | Photography | Agenda | Phaidon

2011-10-28T16:47:00.000+01:00

Steve McCurry's One-Minute Masterclass | Photography | Agenda | Phaidon
One of my favourite emails comes in from Phaidon, always full of interesting and astounding images and news. The Steve McCurry videos are very good viewing, I love what he says about knocking on doors to see if you can photograph from their rooms or terraces !

Bulldozed

2011-10-26T18:19:00.001+01:00

Bulldozed, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Relics of the fishing industry on Hastings beach.
Fisheye adapter on Nex5 used, no distortion correction.

Sometimes one stumbles upon a place that just has a lot of potential, and that I found on the beach at Hastings with these old "dozers" and boats.

Albarobello, Italy 1947, by Alfred Eisenstaedt | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2011-10-25T17:31:00.000+01:00

Albarobello, Italy 1947, by Alfred Eisenstaedt | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Examples of a Life cover, probably one of the best magazines produced.

A Pigeon Perched

2011-10-25T17:19:00.001+01:00

A Pigeon Perched, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.I am really beginning to like the square format more than the conventional 35mm frame.
This one I like, the high contrast light is so good with architecture.

Via Flickr:
Seen on the roof of the MAMAC museum In Nice, France

Since processing this I have come across a fantastic collection of photographs by Lucien Herve, who worked with Le Corbusier photographing his buildings.Lucien Herve, Photographer.

trntbl - crashinglybeautiful

2011-10-24T18:09:00.000+01:00

trntbl - crashinglybeautiful

Companion to the Mosaic Viewer, an audio tool, with great playlists. Brilliant way to hear new and old tracks, Miles Davis, Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison, classic greats.

Mercedes Museum Interior 2

2011-10-23T09:20:00.001+01:00

Mercedes Museum Interior 2, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Delving into my archive I came across the Mercedes Museum files. As my photography focus has changed I was able to grab a few more shots for editing and posting to Flick'r galleries.

Via Flickr:
Looks like a spaceport, incredible building.

Caught in the Frame

2011-10-21T09:42:00.001+01:00

Caught in the Frame, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

A recent shot, from my trip to the fine town of Hastings, where there are some marvellous examples of seaside architecture, including this fine shelter. Lurked there, the only word to use, waiting for the right people to come into view and hoped to get something. This was one of the results and was given a Third In the Cambridge Camera Club Digital Competition, which pleased me immensely, against such huge quality there.

Via Flickr:
Playing around with the Fisheye, liked the angles here.

Diwali In London Stage

2011-10-21T09:10:00.001+01:00

LONDON-DIWALI -2011 - 119, a photo by FestivalFotos on Flickr.

One of the great performances I saw on Sunday, as part of The Diwali In London Festival. It is an annual event, and for the last two years I have been, photographing stage and audience.
I just love the colour and energy of the performances, they move so fast it is a challenge to get really good shots, & you have little control on lighting either.
A hard day, but so enjoyable, and by sharing the images I feel I make a contribution, however small to the causes and groups involved.
I used the following on the day, Canon 5D with 70-200 f2.8 L IS lens which is the perfect one for these shoots, focusing fast, and very amenable in the way of camera shake from my hands, which are not as strong as they were. I did think of ebaying this a while back, but so glad I didn't. Canon 40D with 24-105 L IS lens which gives me a reasonably wide angle field of view, plus the Sony Nex5 with 16mm pancake lens (my favourite) for crowd and full stage shots. No flash, as it really kills the atmosphere and is irksome for the performers.
As my main Flick'r account is much more random, and not suited for a volume of images from one category, in this case 377, I have opened up a new account for past and future festivals. Day ones I will try to continue with for the present.

Colour in Architecture - YouTube

2011-10-18T18:29:00.000+01:00

Colour in Architecture - YouTube

Good WAN film on the movement towards more colour in buildings.

One of the locations mentioned I have been to, the St Giles project in London.

London's first festival for amateur photographers - Telegraph

2011-10-18T16:18:00.000+01:00

London's first festival for amateur photographers - Telegraph

Nice to see photography getting more media attention, must now be one of the most popular activities/hobbies. Will take a trip down, that area of London is a good target for photography anyway.

Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion Staircase - Monochrome

2011-10-16T08:58:00.001+01:00

Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion Staircase Monochrome, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

More or less a pilgrimage to see the Pavilion, as I have seen it so many times on websites etc.
This is the most usual shot, and I used my Sony Nex5 Fisheye attachment for the pancake lens to take this. Only took internal views, the Shell and the fronatge were all fenced off for a refurb, so will go back again.
Also want to see Marine Court in St.Leonards, which is from the same era.

Bradford Odeon Window

2011-10-14T08:39:00.001+01:00

Bradford 10, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Window detail on the derelict Odeon bulding. For some reason it reminded me of a spider. I liked the patchwork of panes too.

It is great how many potential images are out there, just waiting for our eyes. Whether they please others is another matter, but for me the main criteria is enjoying taking the shots. A few will have a little more "X Factor" to generate an interest from others, and a small number be worthy of a Cambridge Camera Club Competition, which is a very high bar, with such a multitude of superb photographers in the club.

Bradford's Industrial Decline

2011-10-13T11:36:00.001+01:00

Bradford 9, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Milestone on Flick'r, 800 images (did cheat a bit by putting a lot of the Diwali set on the Photostream, as it is Diwali this month.

Via Flickr:
Abandoned industrial building, gave it a gritty, grainy look, for the atmosphere, hopefully.

Bradford 6 - No escape for this building

2011-10-13T09:14:00.001+01:00

Bradford 6, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Daytrip to Bradford for the Photography Festival and a wander round. As usual tons of images to edit at some point. I now wait a while before going into editing mode on a set, get a better idea of being any good to work on.
Lots of old City Centre factories and warehouses derelict, some will be converted to apartments, increasing City Centre population, which is a good thing for Bradford, I guess.
But this Urban Decay makes an interesting subject for now.

LONDON-DIWALI 2010 -080

2011-10-12T16:08:00.001+01:00

London Diwali 2010

One of the many dancers

LONDON-DIWALI 2010 -080, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Taken at last year's Diwali Festival, been shying away from these a bit recently as it not often I will be able to go to Festivals now. However as Diwali is on again this Sunday I thought I would spend a little time pulling out some images for Flick'r viewers.
So much colour and beauty involved in the dances, hand movements are very delicately done.
Makes a great change from the recent Monochrome mood I have been in !
Stage shots taken with Canon 5D and the superb 70-200 f2.8 IS lens, and crowds with the Olympus Pen and pancake lens.

Caught in the Frame

2011-10-10T17:52:00.001+01:00

Caught in the Frame, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Living in a black and white world.

I was wondering why we prefer so many images to be in black and white, is it subsconscious coaching from the old masters, or lost long ago darkroom techniques. Or, for my money, the "story" of some images is much clearer in black and white.
Hard to imagine a sunrise or sunset in monochrome but as part of a bigger picture I guess it could work.

Most natural history is in colour, but I spotted a set in Telegraph online today, all in BW, and some definitely do have a power. Great work by Heinrich Van Den Berg. Link below.

Wildlife in Black and White

Eastbourne Pier Promenade - Time For Tea

2011-10-09T08:37:00.001+01:00

Eastbourne Pier Promenade - Time For Tea, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

A summer visit to Eastbourne, under a bright sky with a bit of cloud for more effective monochrome. Will go back next year

Must say I like the interaction between Blog, Twitter, Facebook and Flick'r. I really enjoy sharing my pics, and this helps so much.

The Monolith at the Gustav Vigeland Sculpture Park

2011-10-08T16:01:00.001+01:00

Oslo Opera House

Head to Head

The Monolith at the Gustav Vigeland Sculpture Park, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Visited Oslo in October 2009, with Trevor and Rebecca Lee on a one dayer. We had a great day, maybe go back one day. The main objective was the marvellous Opera House, but so much else to see.

Harwich Calm

2011-10-08T15:09:00.001+01:00

Harwich Calm, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Picture taken in 2005 and nestling in the dark recesses of a hard drive. Good to go back and assess the shots.

Colchester on a warm September day

2011-10-02T18:03:00.001+01:00

Little train trip to Colchester last week (3 changes) on a day of 70plus temperatures and the clearest blue sky. I thought I would have trouble as we photographers like a less bright light, sun and scattered clouds is great. However I really wanted to see the new Gallery in Colchester, named Firstsite, and designed by Rafael Vinoly, clad in warped copper sheeting. Firstsite has the air of a boat that has somehow run aground off Colchester High Street. One lady I spoke with said she called it the "Golden Titanic", hope it doesn't sink without trace).
It is impressive, in the centre of Colchester, next to the bus station and the Priory, on a compact site, but with some good landscaping and public space.
I took the wide angle shot with my Sony Nex5, with 16mm lens and fisheye add on lens, which gives an amazing field of vision, and not too bad in quality.
Good selection of initial artworks, and certainly room for more, http://www.firstsite.uk.net/
Colchester has some interesting area's so will go back for more.

Barclaycard Free Running Championship, London

2011-09-19T13:35:00.001+01:00

Free Running Championship, London, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

These guys amaze me, so precise with control, perfect landings every time.

Would love to photograph more Street and Extreme sports.

Travel: travel guides, insurance, holiday news, hotel reviews and short city breaks - Telegraph

2011-09-16T08:29:00.000+01:00

Travel: travel guides, insurance, holiday news, hotel reviews and short city breaks - Telegraph

Always a good cross section of articles.

Caught in the Act

2011-09-13T10:28:00.001+01:00

Caught in the Act, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

A real joy getting the Flick'r library filled, as I am finding so many shots lurking, not necessarily "Exhibition" or Competition standard but I like them a lot.
"Doing something with them" as my wife says.
Working harbour at Bridlington

Via Flickr:
Spotted by the guy there, working harbour at Bridlington.

Lincolns Inn, London.

2011-09-11T19:36:00.001+01:00

Lincolns Inn, London., a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Taken with the Sony Nex 5.

Really pleased with the results I have so far.
One of the big advantages is the freedom not looking through a viewfinder gives, low angle or leaning over with the view from the tilting screen is so handy.

Dockside Cabin, Liverpool

2011-08-31T20:52:00.001+01:00

Dockside Cabin, Liverpool, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Another reason to go through old work, it sometimes comes in useful. Currently posting images to Flick'r, I want to reach a thousand, all of reasonable quality photographically and interesting. This is from a trip to Liverpool, and shot on an old Canon Powershot A620, the maxim being always have a camera with you.

Joan Miro Museum, Barcelona

2011-08-27T13:16:00.001+01:00

Joan Miro Museum, Barcelona, a photo by Davidh1947 on Flickr.

Playful edit for this artwork

Flick'r Galleries

2011-08-04T16:59:00.004+01:00

Click to see the efforts so far :

Finally getting to grips with editing again, and putting images up on Flick'r. Being in a Camera Club has meant that my ideas on images get a little geared towards those styles, where the quality and content is of a particular type.
The photo record work is not so popular and the quirky elements of life are not as prolific as on Flick'r. My particular likes, street photography, festivals, architecture, shutters and doors, groynes, shopfronts and the like are well catered for, and specialist groups exist for so many things.

LLandudno last year

It means that my digital "boxes" can be looked at, and some use made of the stock. I would like to put a couple of new photobooks together, as so many companies are offering special deals, good old Photobox, in particular.

The Festival of Yoruba Arts

2011-07-25T17:58:00.003+01:00

Spent a lot of Saturday in North London, photographing at the Festival, held in Clissold Park near the Arsenal Stadium. Not a brilliant sunny day, but at least no rain, unlike the previous Saturday, where we were drenched.

The Festival was designed to celebrate the Yoruba culture, which it certainly did. Sadly the weather kept many away, so a smallish crowd enjoyed the music, food and entertainment.

The East Enders cast member Bunmi Mojekwu presented the prizes for the Gele Competition, a head wrap, very ornate and colourful.

Took my trusty Canon gear, and was glad I did, as the dull day made the stage a little dark, so the 70-200 F2.8L lens plus fill flash was essential. Used the Nex5 with zoom around the Park, and really pleased with it again.

Street Style

2011-07-13T18:42:00.008+01:00

Getting a lot of attention, with the London Street Photography project and loads of websites to look at, and it is one of my favourite styles of photography.I do what I call an "Urban Safari" around London or other major places, basically with one Gallery or something to visit and then mooch around the area, looking for that quirky moment, that both is visually interesting and has some sense of humour, or is a comment on City life.
Some days are better than others, bright sunlight is best to give shadows that can form part of a story, but on the other side rainy days give good situations, it is just keeping eyes open.

Running Late - Location - Brick lane - London

I'm Watching You - Location -Eastbourne

Colour Suits - Brick Lane - London

Big DSLR camera's are conspicuous but people are used to them and a wide angle lens gives a leeway on the focal point, looking at something adjacent is a good trick, as if taking that and sometimes the reaction to that can be a shot in itself. A little go anywhere compact is useful inside buildings, stations etc, and yes I know the terrorism thing is a concern, but I have had no hassles from anyone, maybe just because I am an old guy plodding about.

Perseverance

2011-07-12T17:59:00.001+01:00

Shame on me, I have been really remiss with this blog, and stopped at the first hurdle, just I suppose a lack of inspiration and to some extent having a time out from photography, something we all seem to have need for at some stage.
Anyways, back on track now (I hope) and am taking and making images that I am reasonably pleased with, and hold up to critical review, which is the scary thing. My health situation has worsened, and it is unlikely that I will do many trips abroad, but have discovered the UK has much to offer, even if the climate can be more erratic. The plan is to visit and scour as many places as I can manage, amassing a bank of architecture, scenic and quirky images that can be looked at in depth at a later stage, as Camera Club, Exhibition and Competition shots, both print and digital.
A major concern has been the actual weight of the gear I carry, a 5D and 70-200 F2.8 IS is a big lump to travel with, and I use a Canon 40D, sometimes two, with assorted lenses, altogether a backbreaker, whether in backpack, roller case or shoulder bag. Me going on a trip for a day or so is something to behold, I have a large 4 wheel case fitted with heavy duty castors, a shoulder bag and other clutter, plus my walking stick. Will have to get a shot of all that and post.
After thinking a lot I have come to the conclusion that the Quality component of the equipment has to be sacrificed for actually producing work, so have looked at the top end Compacts and tried the Olympus Pen P1, lovely camera but just too slow for me, both in processing and focus. The Sony Nex5 has produced work I am happy with, not Canon L quality, but sufficient for my needs. Coupled with a 16mm lens and the zoom, it covers city scenes very well, and 2 secret weapons for the pancake lens, a wide angle converter and fisheye attachment, both well priced, have made it a good system for me.
One thing is of concern, the lack of a quick zoom and the loud clatter of the shutter, which for interiors in museums, libraries and churches is noticeable, so I have a Canon G12, which is a go anywhere solution. Fitted in a case and looked after it will serve for many years, with a few modes that I can use now and again.
So the solutions should be okay for me to keep on with photography for a while, Festivals and Music things are a little different as gear can be stowed, not carried around, which is a salvation.
So I am going to work backwards from the present images, and earmark likely candidates, and run the blog for active projects and visits.

Place for coffee and a snack

2010-10-05T12:27:00.006+01:00

I have been to Trafalgar Square many times, and always walked by St Martin's & noticed the Crypt there, so finally ventured in for a rest and a drink. Very impressed with it, good surroundings and reasonable prices for Central London, they even have free wi-fi in the morning.

Save Now

Going back through archives

2010-10-02T17:59:00.002+01:00

I have amassed way too many pictures, never wanting to let them go when I first started photography about 6 years ago, so I am going through the folders, and have decided to theme a few batches, so as not to completely waste the time. Three themes came to mind for Venice, the bridges, mask close ups and the deserted squares and back streets. So a little bit of time will result in a couple of wall galleries, if no "serious" images come from it.

Back in the Game Again

2010-10-01T14:09:00.012+01:00

Music is now my first love in Photography and to get a definitive moment is a skill that it takes a while to get, but well worth the effort. Individual musicians seem to work best in monochrome, with the full stage shots in colour to give the live set appearance.

Like many people (so they tell me) a horrible time comes when there are many more questions than answers in life, and in the creative process, whatever the pursuit, spoken, written, photographed, drawn and so on. This I found happened during the Summer, and I was not able to settle to much at all., although I don't think of myself as that creative. Visited many great places, festivals and had masses of opportunity to "take pictures". I felt they did not have much to say, and then one wonders is the effort worth it.
Luckily that phase has passed, I have made some changes in the way my life is, "standing down" from being Group Leader of the Cambridge Camera Club Freshers, which I have been part of for 5/6 years, a hard decision, but one I made for the benefit of new members and myself. A new man is "at the helm", a great friend and photographer, Chris Wray, and I know he will do a brilliant job, and make a difference in the incredible Cambridge Camera Club.
So new pictures have started to emerge, the methodology of taking pictures has changed a bit, and I have entered the world of social networking via Facebook, which from the outside looked insubstantial, and a little silly, but in a few weeks I have found it both interesting and very useful. The whole world seems to be in a Group or with a special interest, and my philosophy of sharing really fits with it.
That little "F" sharing button can be used to put anything you see online on your wall, as both a reminder and a news item for others, much better than bookmarking.

Standing Still against Moving Forward

2010-03-24T10:27:00.007Z

Not much activity on the blog front, had some interesting trips, but somehow the images not quite how I wanted them to be, which meant I have left them alone, a little disturbing for an image addict. However after the "standing still" I recognize what I need to work towards, and the next few weeks should be interesting.
One thing I have discovered is that I like Museum and Gallery interiors, they produce interesting shots. Will pop a few pictures up as soon as I can, together with lots of other shots.

Video here (I love being able to do this) of a new Campus style building, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York. Superb shapes in there, would love to know how the students view the building. Maybe if I ever get there I will go and ask !

Taking a wider view - Random Photographic Musings: Photo Print Mounting

2010-02-06T16:05:00.000Z

Taking a wider view - Random Photographic Musings: Photo Print Mounting

Photo Print Mounting

2010-02-06T15:38:00.007Z

I recently give a demonstration of my personal method of mounting photo prints for competitions at the CCC, and wrote a fairly lengthy instruction sheet on it, which I thought might be of more general appeal, so posted here, as it is supposed to be a Photo Blog. I mention some products and companies, but please do your own research as well.
Photographic Print Mounting for Competitions and Exhibitions.

After we have taken the photograph, spent time (sometimes a lot) with Photoshop, anquished over our choices, and have a finished print the final stage is the presentation.

The standard format for the full mount is 50 x 40 cms, and the actual print size is a matter of choice, A4 (21 x 29.7) or thereabouts. The print can be a square, a landscape or portrait format, whatever suits the image.

There are several ways in which the print is actually presented within the cutout aperture, either with the cardboard mount up to the edge of the print, so there is no border, or with a white border, which you have planned when printing, in which case there is a white surround. In this case the print usualy has a thin black keyline to differentiate between the print whites and the white border. The print programme will often do this or you can add it with the "Stroke" feature in Photoshop.

The colour of the mount is a matter of choice, but colours are not favoured, and the most popular would be a shade of white or cream, and occasionally black, when the image will suit it. The mountboard manufacturers, primarily Colourmount and Daler-Rowney have lots of choices, and the decision can be made to vary the colour for each piece of your work, or standardise, which has advantages when you are showing multiple prints, giving a uniform look.
There is a further choice to make, as board comes with white or cream core, so the bevelled edge on a white board with cream core will actually look yellowish, can be noticeable. So Cream core should be used with a cream shade of mountboard.

Another decision is whether you have a standard aperture cutout, in terms of the distance from the top or bottom, so multiple prints look balanced. For newcomers to print mounting a play around with positions and colours is the best way, as it is your work, and the presentation is your choice. Look at other prints in regard to how they are presented, as well as the image itself, of course !

Now for the hardware needed, mountboard can be bought locally, as can fully prepared mounts, with your specified cutout. Than means time and travel, and you have don't have as much control. My personal method is to have it delivered to me, and I use a company called Greatart, www.greatart.co.uk who offer Free delivery for orders over £50, have mountboard from the above companies, plus backing board, which I will explain later, and lots of other useful things too. The board is extremely well packed and arrives in perfect condition, in 4-5 working days, all the way from the main warehouse in Germany.

The next thing is the mountcutter, I use Logan products as my choice, but there are others. Two I have used are the Team System, which is a straight rule with a guide slot for the bevel cutter, which costs around £45.00. The other option is more expensive, but is easier to use, with guide rails, measuring scales, a straight cutter to cut the board to 40 x 50 and a bevel cutter. Full instructions are supplied, the big version even has a dvd, so I won't go into that too much. Suffice to say the mount must be a perfect rectangle, do all pencil markings on the rear of the mount, (obvious but worth noting) and accuracy in marking out is necessary to get a good finish. This calculation is important, for example we have a print with 26cm by 18cm to be mounted landscape format. First decide how much board is needed at the top and bottom, general practice is to have a bigger border at the bottom. I do a little sketch, memory sometimes fails, thus we have a rectangle 50 x 40, and need and even border each side, thus 50 minus 26 gives 24cm, and divided by 2 is 12cm each side. We have decided on a 10cm border from the top, so 10cm plus 18cm is 28cm, and the calculation for the bottom is 40 - 28 equals 12cm, thus the bottom marking is 12cm from the bottom. A set square is needed if using a straight edge cutting system, as all corners marked must be 90 degrees for a good finish.

So we have our mountboard, the aperture is cut out and you have checked it against the print,(both before doing the cutting and after) and everything is fine and dandy. The next step is actually the easy part, getting the print mounted. My method is to have a piece of board,can be cutouts from other larger prints, a spare piece of mountboard, or special backing board, I now use 1mm thick board from GreatArt, cut to size, for preference 35 x 45 cms so there is a neat look to the back of the mount.

Position the print on the backing board, making sure it is in the right position to allow fixing the backing board correctly to the mount. Put a strip of tape , I use Scotch tape, on the top of the print (ensure it will not protude into the cutout aperture as it will be seen) and fix the print to the backing board, so you have only one side fixed. This allows the print to stay flat, fastened all the way round thin prints will buckle a little over time, which shows when viewed.

The next stage is to put the mount on the backing board, and as it needs to be exactl I use double sided carpet tape top and bottom, just to hold it in place. That done flip the nount over and carefully tape the backing board to the mount, I use 2" wide masking tape, and Duck brand seems to be good.

That is it done, prop it against a wall and stand back and admire your print.
Links...
Logan 301 http://www.greatart.co.uk/ressources/fichiers/UMA_1333_1_2.pdf
Logan Team System http://www.greatart.co.uk/ressources/fichiers/UMA_5588_1_2.pdf

Colourmount http://www.colourmount.co.uk

Other useful things :
A good ruler (30cm or more)
Cutting mat (A2 or larger)
Cutting knife
Rubber
Set square
Dust brush
(Plus a good deal of patience at first)

Looking Forward

2010-02-06T09:46:00.003Z

One of the things that happens as you age, apart from numerous aches and pains, which can be tolerated, is the tendency to be looking back, as there is so much to look back on, sometimes with pride, and other times horror.
This can impede upon the future way too much, and a conscious effort has to be made to shelve those times, sadly, so the present and the future gain their proper status. On that front the time ahead has to be a little mapped out, for practical reasons, but I want spontaneity back in my life.
So I am taking three trips in the near future, wearing, but will be fun, Off to Venice next week for 3 days, it is Carnevale time, so hopefully lots of lovely people and places to photograph, My visits in the past have been for 1 day, so now I will be able to arise early and get those early morning shots, and after dark too.
Then off to the South of France for Nice Carnival, parades and a beautiful place to be in.
Lastly I wanted to try Eurostar, so a train journey from my local station to Lille, never been before, but it looks very picturesque, looking forward to that experience very much.
Goodness knows how many shots I will have, probably need a new hard drive to cope with all those files ! Image here from Oslo Sculpture Park, I loved the shadow of the dog, and the fact the girl's shadow is longer !
The editing is a tricky one, discarding poor or unusable images, selection of the web ones, and others to take a bit more care on, for competitions, exhibitions or whatever. Haven't made a Photobook for a while, so each of the cities will have one, and an article or two for publication somewhere, hopefully.
A big rest after these trips, sitting in my comfy chair, working on the images, which will be on here as soon as possible. So until Friday 12th no real opportunity to post anything of merit, at the moment not finding much inspiration locally, and I await Spring to start on another project or two. I really love the awakening countryside, with it's fresh start, always seems to come back to that.
Apologies if this seems a little personal but my thoughts get an airing too, as well as the photo side of things, I suppose.
Not really a nature photographer, but film on the "natural world" is something I like, came across this programme on Scottish Isles on the wonderful BBC iPlayer .
http://bbc.co.uk/i/mqlzz/

Fresh Looks

2010-01-30T13:43:00.005Z

Haven't posted for a day or so, others have said the trick is to keep the blog up to date, but if nothing happens what can you do ?
Anyways, I am really pleased that I have become an Alamy contributor, and as they are one of the best "stock" photo sites, it is a real boost. All I have to do now is put a portfolio of saleable images together ! I am a generalist", with a range of images that could be marketed through them. Another resolution ticked off my list for 2010, so three targets achieved, only another seven to go.

I mentioned the Leica a while ago, and one of the big advantages is it's usage as "Street" camera, without the big lens that marks you out in a second. Happened across a fantastic interview with Nick Turpin, a well known urban photographer. The website www.in-public.com has an incredible amount of wonderful street stuff, all those incidental things that certainly make me smile, and wish I had taken it. I recognise that the bad press about street photography will maybe scare people off, but we live here, and have a right to photograph in public places.
Never be able to buy that Leica but am urged on to consider an option or two, so that horrible time combing reviews and prices is ahead. As I am a Canon man I guess they will be the first port of call, but that Pen camera from Olympus is tempting too.

Couple of images here that illustrate the posed moment and the way better unguarded shot. The couple were walking along Carnaby Street arm in arm, and as it was a "Sixties" event I thought they had dressed for the day, but no, they said they always have this style, a fact I loved. The other, which has become a favourite of mine, and other people, was of a chance encounter in Trafalgar Square, and is a success because it is "real" and has impact beacause of that. I thought he looked so miserable that I called it "Turning the world grey" and desaturated the area behind him. Really want to get that improvisation element back this year.

New Beginnings

2010-01-24T13:48:00.000Z

Had an interesting, if tiring day yesterday, when I was at the CCC Interclub Digital Competition, and had the privilege of seeing nearly 200 images, with a wide variety of subjects. One thing was a regular comment, that a bit of "cropping" would work wonders, which I wholeheartedly agreed with, the "story" in an image needs to be as clear as possible, the human eye and brain work together when we look at a real scene, and we find that boat on the shore, or a person walking etc, are zoomed in on, and the rest ignored. So cutting the frame down to give a clearer message in our version of that reality is a good maxim to try. This of course really applies to Pictorial Photography, not image manipulation or Studio work, where the elements are controlled. I hate to throw away pixels, and in truth I do sometimes like space for an image to breathe, as a preference. A fine balance is required to make the best of a shot, and it takes a few tries, naturally, even then it won't be 100% what I wish for.

So I am going to apply a slightly different ethic to my photography, and aim for what I want, not necessarily a marketable or competitive image, as a lot of my favourite work does not sit in those categories, particularly Club photography, which has a fairly narrow frame of reference.
I want to get a lot more marketable images together, as many of us do, but I want it to be with a bit more personal style, so will be looking at what I have, and what I can now do, albeit limited by health and wealth restrictions.
What has this to do with anyone else, you will probably ask, but I believe this re-examination of your output is necessary, so as not to lose the plot, and miss out on why you started to use a camera in the first place.
Projects are often mentioned as a good focus point, and I now have a list of these to tick off...
Some of these are easy, others not so, but all will have a purpose and I hope will be succesful image wise.

We shall see....

Travel Tips For Photographers

2010-01-20T21:15:00.003Z

I thought it might be good to put a basic info sheet on the Blog of my talk, so here is a shortened version.

Going on European 1 day trips & Short Breaks

Cheap flights – My 2 local airports, Stansted and Luton are used by several “low cost” airlines, Easyjet (my favourite), Ryanair, Germanwings and Wizz-Air, who between them cover most European destinations. Getting the best price you can from them involves a fair amount of research, but can save massive amounts.
I use www.Skyscanner.net for my initial search, selecting a destination and use a whole month option, and this quickly gives the current prices, from which you can then select a date of travel.

Another website is www.kayak.co.uk with whom you can setup an alert to have the current price emailed to you every day, really useful as the fares can vary greatly.

A word of caution, particularly with Ryanair, is to ensure that some of the extra charges are within your price. Some offers will include online booking fees, and the other fees can stack up, so do be careful. If staying for several days don’t book the hotel with the airline, as you have to pay at time of booking.

For hotel accommodation I use www.booking.com, who seem to cover everywhere, for convenience I try to get a central hotel near the Airport Shuttle drop- off point, so I can get out and about quickly. www.tripadvisor.com is the place to get lots of destination info, and hotel reviews from real people. The amazing Google maps will show the locations, and if you use “satellite” view you can see the area in aerial detail, and “street view” will actually put you in front of the buildings. Sad maybe, but I like to know how the place looks, and what is close by.

Obviously on a “one-dayer” not necessary, but it is still good to explore the city or area. For a trial, I looked at Snowdon on Google maps, and you can see the whole terrain, or zoom in to see actual houses ! For “Nature” guys a look at the coastline/terrain can be interesting I am sure.

Any trip is best with a project in mind, a museum visit, open air festival, architecture style, or a theme, so a bit of research can reap rewards. I have recently been to Stuttgart primarily to visit the Mercedes Museum, a stunning building, and fascinating exhibits, definitely worth a looksee. Research on that included an image search on Google, and their website, to check on what to expect etc. Information is invaluable, particularly with limited time, so time spent beforehand will pay dividends, good old Google again. Obviously when you arrive things may change, an area may just entrance you, and the day is done. Not a problem though, as long as your appetite for new horizons is fulfilled, which is the object of the trip, after all.

Gear to take is of course a moot point, and the one thing to remember is you will have to carry it all day, and with airport limits, make sure with Ryanair that your hold luggage is 15kg, and cabin bag 10kg. Easyjet is 20kg allowance , and no weight restrictions on cabin bags, just the maximum size. I use a bag from Think Tank, the Urban Disguise 60, and various lens cases, straps and belts, and the big question, “to tripod or not to tripod”. For city work your beloved Manfrotto, Gitzo or whatever may be just too large, so I now use a Cullmann Magic 2, not as substantial, but so portable for a day or so.
Many other options available on bags etc, and of course many a website exists for reviews. Endless dilemma for us photographers, for sure !

The Trip

So you have your flight booked, know what to see, and are looking forward to going, still a few things to factor in, for instance weather, so check that on the web, to be prepared. In the case of some, bad is good, with overcast broody skys!

Low cost flights sometimes land at airports a few miles from the final destination, for instance Venice with Ryanair is actually Treviso, about an hour on the shuttle bus (this coincides with flights, so no time wasted), again best to know beforehand. Also make sure you know the time for return shuttle and get to the stop in time, not hard to get carried away and lose track of time, as I have done.

A good map and compass is invaluable, I use a little book from Compass Guides, available from Amazon, of course, with many cities covered. I use City Spots for the others, as it is a manageable size. Very easy to get lost in the Old Town areas of many cities !

Short Tips

 Take a good hat to protect head and eyes.
 Be prepared for rain (take a plastic poncho)
 Walk on the shady side of street to keep cool and get the best lit shots.
 Drink plenty of water.
 Take stock of images as you go along, saves memory space and is an opportunity for a sitdown and snack.
 Look at local postcards to see what you like and what can be of interest
 Try to get a feel of the place, street signs etc help.
 Get money before you go, not at airport, where it has a handling charge.
 Book Speedy Boarding, to get on plane quickly, and rest !
 Keep a lookout for any dangers, though I have never once had a problem.

Ryanair flights from Stansted, ummmm, where to go next ? My answer ; Everywhere !

Places I have been include Palermo, Prague, Paris, Amsterdam x 2, Venice x 6, Bergamo, Barcelona x 2, Turin, Gothenburg, Malmo, Biarritz, Rome, Bilbao, Seville, Stuttgart, Oslo, & Nice x 2, Salzburg, Lubeck and Cork, as I can recollect.

RAIL TRAVEL (Yes, we still have a reasonable network)

For those who don't like aeroplanes, rail travel in the UK and Europe is not a bad option, and has some advantages, no baggage restrictions, as much as you can manage, no need to get to the airport 2 hours earlier, travel from your local station, no huge parking fees. The view from a train window as you whisk through the countryside is much more interesting too.

I have recently returned from Cleethorpes, for a fare of around £22.00 all in, and had a great break there. Reasonable journey, all planned by the ticket sellers, very easy.

I have a Senior Railcard, which gives a big discount in UK, and there are Over-60 fares in Europe.

Again research is the key, I use East Coast Trains www.eastcoast.co.uk to get the fares, as they seem to provide better options, and, very important 2 singles are very often cheaper than a return !

The day of travel will also make a difference, so do have a variable plan if looking for a bargain.

I have sampled two journeys already, was an enjoyable trip.
For those who want venture further, car hire is worth considering, considering the hundreds of miles you save on your own vehicle.

For European Rail Travel the site www.seat61.com is a mine of information, and Eurostar have many good deals.

So to conclude, why are these little breaks enjoyable for us photographers ?

My real impetus has always been to savour the experience of a different country, a lively atmosphere, and have an opportunity to enjoy new sights, tastes and sounds. No coffee ever tasted better than my first one in St. Mark's Square, Venice, okay, a tad expensive, but such a view, memorable.

We obviously want to take as many shots as possible, and it is sometimes impossible not to keep pressing the shutter button, just remember all that editing will take a time, so of course care in framing, light direction and composition will save effort later with Photoshop.

I try to do a mix of people, touristy things and the oddities I spot, doors and shutters, and modern architecture are a magnet for me, so often have way too many of these.

Many people will have a preference on why they go, but I know there will always be something to see, never been disappointed.

Keep an eye on your times, and mostly, ENJOY EVERY MOMENT.

David L Hone LRPS

Important

I have no commercial connection with the sites mentioned, any information given is for guidance only and should be verified by yourselves.

An Evening Out

2010-01-20T19:12:00.002Z

Very dull and grey this week, actually missing the snow, it was great to take my daily recuperative walk on that crisp snow, instead of the muddy footpath now. Feel pleased that I have managed to build up the distance every day, with the aid of my new walking pole.
I was asked by a local Camera Club to give my talk on "Travel Tips for Photographers", in which I show my rather large collection of gadgets and bags that I have amassed, give good travel bargain tips and end with an Image Presentation on European cities.

The latest Photoshow is a variety of the Venice Carnevale shots I went through. It was a really enjoyable thing to do, and the audience appreciated it a lot.

Is it Art ?

2010-01-15T13:35:00.004Z

Still working on my image bank, it is curious how certain things become prominent on a second look, as final usage demands a change. The updating of my stock images, keywording (that takes an age, particularly with my typing skills or the absence of), selecting, upsizing and watermarking etc, has changed my viewpoint on the usefulness of an image.

So that continues, but I did come across these three pictures, which I saw in Barcelona, and they could be called "Shutter Art" as they were on those metal roll down shutters. I liked the message behind them so they are here today. Thanks to that artist somewhere for doing them.....

A few days of snow

2010-01-10T16:59:00.006Z

Once again the snow has caught us napping, I guess it has not been so prolific for a long time. Now thawing here in Hertfordshire, but a long way to go. Picture here could be called "Night at the Museum" , taken on a visit to the wonderful Natural History Museum in London , http://www.nhm.ac.uk/

Spent a while on web matters this week, updating my galleries and deciding which direction to go with them. Personal choice will always prevail, but I want to have images with a universal appeal as well, otherwise there is no point in sharing them. I find a Camera Club is one of the best arbiters of photography, in terms of quality improvements, subjects and presentation. There is a slight bias towards Natural History as a genre, but competition judges will appreciate a quality image, whatever the category, and award it accordingly.

In my early days of photography, about 2004 I guess, I used an online photo sharing site, where thousands of photographers update their galleries regularly, it is not free, unlike Flick'r, but has many advantages, with CSS editing to make portfolio pages look the way you want, choice of image sizes, and a community feel. I am going to revamp all my galleries, so have stripped out all the current ones, with a view to posting more recent work, which to be truthful, is of better quality in those extra things like colour trueness, composition and interest.

The link for Pbase is http://www.pbase.com/galleries

More news on that later.

Not much photography, but moving on

2010-01-03T17:55:00.008Z

A cold, frosty day, with a clear blue sky. Making attempts to rejuvenate myself, along with the websites, and glad to report some progress made.
Future plans rely on my personal wellness, but as always try to remain on the right side of positivity.
Photo here from a trip I made to Biarritz last year for the Street Entertainers Festival, of which more later, but these guys made me laugh so much, had a job to hold the camera steady.
In the middle of the street, people and vehicles were brought to a halt by these two guys, and you know, we all looked at the false heads. The children just loved it, particularly one little boy, whose pictures I will find later.
Caught a moment of magic today on tv, two heroes of mine on Sky Arts, with a film of the concert in Hyde Park last year, sadly missed by me. Bruce Springsteen performing "Born to Run" with E-Street band, and Neil Young, who still has that lovely brittle voice, sang "Down by the River" a song I wore out on my album, before CD's etc.

January One, 2010

2010-01-01T19:39:00.005Z

Well it came. the next decade of the 21st Century, what amazing changes will take place in the next few years, but so much will remain the same, Noel Edmonds, Jamie Oliver and that guy from Top Gear will still be on TV every day, and it seems sometimes all day.
On the TV front I have become an avid I-Player user, either screened on the pc monitor or through the hdmi socket on the Panasonic, which is actually incredibly good quality.
Caught a glimpse of the New Year's Day Concert, which looked amazing, a perfect amalgam of Music, Dance, Art and Architecture, and the Iplayer has it here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00phmv9/New_Years_Day_Concert_2010/

The section of ballet in the building parts is wonderful...

Been exploring and updating my website, and rolled up a Myspace page, and the slideshow above is courtesy of that, not to difficult to do, thank goodness.

It is sometimes about the crop

2009-12-28T19:33:00.009Z

An owning up here, took a mass of images at the Boardmaster Surfing event in Newquay in August, and had a preliminary look and selected one or two for stock and CCC competitions, then other things hampered anything further, so just now looked at the folders again.

With surf, and indeed any motion photography, it is a matter of getting as many shots in the right position, and one or two will be gems, hopefully. I used a Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS lens, with 2x extender, on a 40D body bought especially for this, with it's faster frame rate than my 5D's. Great camera in it's own right. too. So even with this setup and standing in the sea, (don't ask about my shoes), the shots needed a crop to be effective, and I decided to be adventurous in the format (breaking moulds again). The resulting are a sample of the set, and more can be found on my main website. One or two lack critical sharpness but I like the surf spray in them.

Something a little fisheye here

2009-12-26T13:42:00.015Z

Christmas was a peaceful time, apart from the heating deciding to break down, the ONE day when there was no chance of service or buying some heaters, so we wrapped up warm, and fortunately the weather was milder, so not too uncomfortable.

More Photoshop fiddling, not generally one for this, but I have yearned for a fisheye lens for some while, and suddenly thought that maybe I could do a mockup in PS. Some trial and error, but using the Spherize tool in Filters I was able to do a couple of images. Not the most amazing, mind blowing pictures but on the basis of breaking a few moulds, it was a success. Now I have to decide on getting the proper lens or not.

Not a difficult process so explained briefly here....

Select the image you want to work on (Control+A)

Then expand the Canvas by a few cms (relative + 10cms say)

In Filters select the Spherize tool, one hit will give you an old fashioned TV screen shape, repeat Spherize and you will end up with the result you want in the way of a fisheye effect.
CIRCULAR IMAGE

Another option is to crop a circular image by using Marquee Elliptical and hold down shift as the area is selected, then move circle to where you want.

Select the Spherize tool, and one or two applications will produce a fisheye look.

The cars were seen on a visit to Stondon Transport Museum, near Henlow, some while ago, but they are still there, so with masses of cars, vintage planes and bikes, and well worth a visit if interested in old vehicles.

http://www.transportmuseum.co.uk/

WITH SPHERIZE VERTICALS SETTING

A great little book find

2009-12-23T12:14:00.001Z

Browsing Amazon yesterday I found a book from Taschen in their Architecture section, called Architecture Now! It is an A_Z of prominent architects and contains some great photography, and will be a source book for places to research and hopefully see. Incredible price of £4.79, the Taschen catalogue is enormous and they have books on Man Ray, Weston, Lanting , museum collections (Cologne) and loads more. I know I will be looking at more in the New Year. Nice find and to be recommended.

A little mess-about with Photoshop

2009-12-20T11:34:00.002Z

Saw a tip a while back on one of the many PS sites, a quick and easy toning/ mono conversion technique, which of course is one of hundreds that can do it.

The layers dialogue is used "Add Gradient Map", using the black to clear gradient, and by altering the opacity on this layer one can tune up the image to what you want.

Shot 1 - Zero Opacity

Shot 2 - 72% Opacity

Shot 3 - 100% Opacity

Then a little levels adjustment to finalise the look.

Village Snow Walk

2009-12-19T15:24:00.009Z

Went for a walk around the village, deciding to check out the alloments nearby, really funny walking in quite deep snow, the first time for many years, in fact. Blue sky, with no promise or risk of snow, depending on how you view it, unlike many other areas of the country.

Light set of equipment, my 5D with 24-105 lens, in a padded bag, in case I toppled over, which was quite likely.

Took a few shots, not that brilliant a location for too many, but you have what is put in front of you.

Reminds me of a seahorse face

What if we won the lottery ?

2009-12-18T10:21:00.001Z

Musing about this, what would be the very first thing to buy. I said a few months ago I would love a rangefinder camera, and lo and behold there is a new Leica that is just perfect, apart from being close to £5000.

Ken Rockwell has a good review of it, with comparison shots, and it stands up against the best from Canon and Nikon.

Maybe as with horses, there should be a shared ownership scheme !

Out with the camera today, so much snow, can't drive, so a walk around the village will suffice.

Barcelona - A real city of contrasts

2009-12-17T13:23:00.000Z

Travelled to Barcelona for a day or so in September, with two main targets, the La Merce Festival, with parades, theatre and festivities, and to see some of the architecture there, Gaudi etc. The plan did kind of change when I arrived, as the Architecture part took up most of the time there. I had other Spanish Festivals in my image folders already, so the bright blue sky, the buildings and the surroundings pulled me in. As usual, way too many images, I sometimes think I take as much pleasure in the taking, as well as in the results, which as most are pretty average, is a good thing. Looking at the images one thinks I wish I had taken more there, or waited for the right time, but with so much to see, one becomes driven on quickly.

The city has so many attractions that it is hard to place a list together of must sees, but a little "googling" shows bucketloads of information, and everyone has personal favourites. I liked the look of the front of this building, bright sun causing massive shadow contrast but managed to bring back some detail in both zones, sadly I cannot remember the name of it, so will add later. The monochrome treatment seems to be my treatment of choice at the moment, maybe I will put a colour version here for comparison.

First Day of Blog

2009-12-17T11:16:00.000Z

I have been thinking about a blog for some time, and after looking at a few from friends, decided to take the plunge. I will use it to show some of my favourite images, and ramble on a little, if all else fails.

Surprisingly easy to set up, well done to the Google guys, who have created an amazing number of things, to the most extent, FREE.

My first image has to be a favourite, no other way to go, I guess, so those who know me will find it as no surprise that it is this one, followed by another from the same location. We have some large prints of these on our living room wall, and my wife loves them, for me the ultimate accolade.

Sometimes, rather too rarely, a place is found that really shouts "take my picture" in your mind, and this melancholy, ramshackle courtyard in Palermo, Sicily, where I went on a one day trip, certainly did that to me.

A Judge at the Cambridge Camera Club said he would have liked a lady sewing on the chair, an unlikely event, and to me the place is owned by the cats, and I was just allowed there for a little while.

I used the Match Colour thingy in Photoshop to get the colours somewhere near the same, a useful tool when putting together a set of similar images for a panel.