Sunday 23 August 2009

Gone Sailing

It's been a couple of weeks since I updated my blog - mainly because of work pressures prior to a short holiday. I'm off all this week sailing around the Solent and the English Channel, and there should be some smashing photo opportunities.

Over the last week I've photographed some donkeys, a couple of bands (by request) and taken some cheesy holiday snaps. Nothing's really inspired me. I've also been reading Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure, and Learning to See Creatively. They're both very good books, well supported with excellent images. They're ideal for a beginner, but in honesty I do prefer Michael Langford's Starting/ Basic/ Advanced photography series, which have a lot more text and explanation. That being said, Amazon have got them at very good prices, so there's no reason not to buy them all - it's a lot cheaper than a photography course!

Thursday 13 August 2009

Rejection and a Silver Lining

Last weekend, I took some pictures of a jousting tournament using my new 80 - 200mm f/2.8 lens. Some of them turned out really well - so well that I decided to submit them to the local newspaper, the Surrey Herald.

Initially, the photo editor said, "We don't pay for photos". He then admitted that he didn't actually have any photos of the event, despite wanting to run a story on it. I wasn't happy about giving good quality pictures away for free to a commercial newspaper (the Surrey Herald isn't a freebie local), so I withdrew my offer. Within seconds, the editor changed his mind and agreed to a price of £35 per picture used. I sent my images over.

Sadly, they weren't used. Instead, the Surrey Herald ran with some images donated by another local amateur for free. I won't knock his work on my blog, since he can't really reply, but I've had a look at some of his images on his website and they're not up to much. Often his images are soft, overexposed and lacking a subject. Nevertheless, I was rejected.

However, I was very quickly contacted by the performers themselves, who had found their images on Flickr. They liked them - a lot. So much so, that they have asked to use them for their portfolio shots as they join the National Stunt Register. This made me very happy, and reinforced my belief that my pictures were not technically or artistically deficient. They may provide more photo opportunities in the future, so I happily let them have a couple of images for free.

I did my bit to try not to undermine professional photography, but it seems that no matter what you do, you just can't beat free.

Thursday 6 August 2009

Annie Leibowitz Crunched

I read this in last night's Evening Standard. Annie Leibowitz, the world's highest-paid photographer, is in an immense amount of financial trouble.

I'm no student of Leibowitz, but I do think some of her work is fantastic. She has taken some of the most iconic celebrity photographs of the last 30 years, and will always be remembered among the photography community for that. Now, though, with her debts being completely unmanageable (which seems to be the result of over-indulging and overspending on luxury properties), she stands to lose the rights to her entire photography collection.

That would surely be devastating news for any photographer - to watch creative control of their entire life's work pass into the hands of lawyers.

Tuesday 4 August 2009

High Dynamic Range Photography

HDR photography is very popular at the moment. I have seen some awful examples, and rarely, I see some spectacular examples. This picture, taken from the Stuck in Customs blog by 38-year old Texas-based photographer Trey Ratcliff, is outstanding. It knocks my Paris photos into a cocked hat. His blog is an outstanding collection of HDR travel photography - probably the finest I have ever seen.

I have never attempted HDR photography, but after seeing Ratcliff's work, I feel inspired to give it a go when I'm next out and about.

Sunday 2 August 2009

Fake Nikon Goods on eBay

Having purchased my new lens, I ordered an HB-7 lens hood - the only compatible hood that Nikon make for the 80 - 200mm f/2.8. I always recommend using one to help reduce flare and ghosting. The trouble is, most camera shops charge over £30 for what is - essentially - a piece of plastic with a screw thread.


As a solution to my problem, I trawled eBay for HB-7 hoods. Most were being sold from Hong Kong with a 2-week dispatch estimate. Not wanting to wait two weeks, I hunted out a UK seller with next-day delivery, with a reasonably priced hood around the £15 mark. Smashing, I thought. I was not so amused when this lump of crap arrived in the post:



It's not even a good attempt at being a fake Nikon hood. The logo is wrong, the box is just plain bollocks, and the hood itself is utter rubbish. It doesn't even stay on the front of the lens or fix securely. On top of that, it lets light in through the side of the lens...which rather renders it useless.

Buyer beware on eBay...