Friday 31 December 2010

Happy New Year!

Thursday 30 December 2010

Matt Stuart Photography

Matt Stuart is one of those annoyingly gifted photographers who achieves remarkable results with nothing more than a Leica Rangefinder camera, patience and a keen eye for an excellent shot. His work, viewable at http://www.mattstuart.com/, is "street photography" at its finest.

According to his own preamble, Matt Stuart does not use contrived or posed shots, but uses a mixture of spontaneity and patience. Most of his shots are taken around my home city of London, especially focussed on its many varied people. I especially enjoyed the division of his work into colour and black & white.

Wednesday 29 December 2010

Flickr Gallery - First World War in the Air

Concluding my little theme of late, I have created a Flickr Gallery of some of the most interesting WW1 aviation photos I have found on the site.

Tuesday 28 December 2010

WW1 Colour Photos

French soldiers receiving a haircut, c.1916
Colour photography was first invented in around 1903, and by 1907 the Lumiere brothers had were able to produce reliable colour images that were almost every bit as good as their monochrome equivalents on the first ever colour film. Unbelievably, a small number of colour photos were subsequently shot on this new film. They are - to my knowledge - entirely French in origin.
There is a remarkable archive assembled at http://www.worldwaronecolorphotos.com/ where the author has painstakingly collected together colour images from the First World War. None of them are "action" photos (indeed, few WW1 photos are) but they are striking images of the conflict as I had never seen it before. One of the most poignant images I found in the archive is this:


Senegalese and other French African Colonial Soldiers

That these men should have been photographed at all is quite remarkable - I find it even more so to see such an image in colour.

Monday 27 December 2010

WW1 Aviation Photos


First World War aviation is a particular historical interest of mine. It's a niche interest, but I find the development of early fighting aircraft to be fascinating, and I find stories of the first pilots equally interesting and exciting. One of the primary reasons that aircraft were developed for military purposes was their capacity to take aerial photographs of the enemy; as long-range scouts, aircraft were unbeatable, even in 1914. Nobody really considered them as capable of actually fighting until mid-1915, and it wasn't until early 1916 that they became truly effective at fighting each other, mounting ever more guns and becoming ever more agile and manoueverable.

Perhaps even more strangely, it took around the same time for cameras to be mounted on aircraft, despite the fact that photography had existed for over 80 years in all of the warring countries - early scouting missions were often completed by observers drawing sketches of enemy positions while they were flying overhead.

Allied Aircraft over Airfield - c.1917 - Unknown Attribution

The cameras mounted on early aircraft were basic by today's standards, but they were among the most advanced of their day. In order to overcome the many problems posed by taking images from an inherently unstable platform, a camera with a fast shutter speed was required -as fast as could possibly be produced. One such model used was the Graflex "Speed Graphic", which had been acquired and manufactured by the Eastman Kodak company since 1905, though by no means would this have been the only camera used. The most remarkable aspect of the Graflex was the shutter speed for its day - as fast as 1/500. Designed primarily with sports photography in mind, the Speed Graphic used a very small slit, exposing different parts of the film at different times in order to achieve a sharp result - something that simply wasn't possible on lesser models. In order to get the shutter to fire at such a speed, a small key had to be cranked on the camera in order to build up tension - this was released when the shutter was fired - and it was enough to counter the vibration and unsteady platform of the aircraft. The end result was remarkably clear images of front-line trenches and fortifications like this:

If you look closely, you can see craters in the ground from shelling, and the distinctive square-tooth shape of the trenches below - so designed to minimise the effects from blasts and also to prevent aircraft strafing down a straight line. With photographs such as these, generals were able to plan attacks and see the damage that the enemy had suffered following a bombardment. WW1 aerial photography had such a remarkable impact on the army, it was deemed too important to leave it to a particular regiment of the army; in 1918, the Royal Air Force itself was formed. It would not be an understatement to claim that aerial photography changed the course of the war.

Very few photographs exist of WW1 aircraft actually in the air - their cameras were for reconnaissance, not for frivolities, but some observers used a frame or two for their own personal reasons. It is these images that I find the most remarkable of all, such as this one:

Rumpler C1a Dropping Bomb, Unknown Attribution

Even more strange - in this particular photograph, the picture appears to have been taken by the pilot, as the observer seems to be sitting perfectly still in the back. It seems more likely that the pilot had turned the mounted Graflex (or similar) camera back towards the tail and used the opportunity to photograph his colleague dropping the bomb.

There is an infinite amount I could write on the First World War in the air, but there are several websites out there with plenty of excellent information. I particularly recommend the following:




They are all well worth a visit, and contain many other remarkable photographs from this fascinating era.

Sunday 26 December 2010

Mr. Tilling's Hansom

I particularly enjoyed this image of a 19th century Hansom Cab, waiting outside Greenwich station in London. Notice the "First Class Ladies Waiting Rooms" in the background.

The photo itself isn't of any great merit, artistically, but even simple photographs from the 19th century can say so much about how our ancestors lived.

Saturday 25 December 2010

Christmas


last christmas...
Originally uploaded by ansik
Merry Christmas one and all!

I'm at work today, so we had most of our Christmas yesterday... we haven't quite finished with all the presents yet, though! We'll see if my fiancee will let me use her new netbook soon...

To illustrate this time of year, I found this lovely little snapshot on Flickr - the perfect snowy capture, showing just what is possible with a little compact P&S camera.

For those who can't be with their families this year, for work or whatever other reason, I hope you find some relaxation somewhere and get back to them soon. For those service men and women overseas, especially, there are plenty of people back home - here - thinking of you all.

See you soon!

Thursday 23 December 2010

David Pattinson

Posting under the Flickr username "travelight", I have recently discovered the photography of David Pattinson. I can't tell if Pattinson is a pro or not - he doesn't seem to have his own website, and all his images seem to be posted straight to Flickr. What is not in doubt is that Pattinson is a hugely talented photographer.

Pattinson uses a Leica M8 - a stunning camera that is far out of my price range, especially with a wedding to pay for - but camera does not maketh photo. It does, however, allow him to "travel light" and no doubt keep his camera on him in situations where I'd have to leave mine at home.

Have a look at his range of noir photography, portraits and amazing control of light.

Wednesday 22 December 2010

J F Rauzier - Hyper Photo

Jean-Francois Rauzier is a multi-award winning French photographer whose invention of "hyperphotography" is truly amazing.


Rauzier achieves his particularly unique style by shooting hundreds or thousands of photographs of a particular scene, then painstakingly cutting out and rearranging elements into pictures full of almost infinite detail and complexity in a fantasy surreal setting. His images have to be seen to be fully appreciated - be sure to check out the full screen option in order to get the best out of his images. It is amazing just how far it is possible to zoom in and explore in such amazingly sharp detail. I particularly recommend "Voyages Extraordinaires".

It is curious to consider if Rauzier is more of a "digital artist" than a pure "photographer", as Rauzier's technique does not extend to the printed page very well - unless it were onto a truly huge photographic canvas. That being said, every single element in his pictures is taken from a genuine photograph; is Rauzier a "missing link"? I think so. It is an amazing body of work, and Rauzier deserves a place at the forefront of modern French photography.

Saturday 16 October 2010

Ice Hockey 2 - Choosing a Shot

Once you've got your camera set up, the next challenge is to choose your shots. The official NHL togs are able to capture moments of explosive action from any angle in the rink, thanks to banks of remotely-triggered cameras in positions that you and I could never get to. That doesn't mean I can't get good shots, though.

Vantage point is very important, and what you can achieve will depend on what the rink allows. I find the most effective shots come from next to the glass. Don't worry about smudges and smears (generally) on the glass - your f/2.8 (or similar) aperture will shoot through them with barely a mark on your image.

I find that the most effective shots tend to fall into distinct categories - for my own purposes, I call these "explosive action", "on the puck" and "players". I always try to capture the puck in shot.

"Explosive Action" are moments that show intense activity in the game - like the shot above. You can see the failed attempt to take the puck away from the forward, and you can see that he's really struggling to stay on his skates as he drives forward hard. Players crashing into each other also make good "explosive action" shots, but so do shots even as simple as one player turning hard on the ice, frequently sending up a cloud of fine ice spray behind them. "Explosive Action" shots are always the most difficult to achieve with great accuracy, and it will take plenty of practice to capture the "decisive moment" when everything comes together. Don't be afraid to spray & pray with your shots when the action comes close to you, and don't check your shots until there's a break in the game - I've lost count of the number of times I've lost perfectly good shots because I've been reviewing my images instead of watching the action.

"On the Puck" shots are those that show players in the normal course of the game - perhaps like a standard press shot - where the player is skating with the puck. I try to keep these shots as interesting as possible and sharp - I'm far less forgiving than I am with "explosive action" shots.

"Players" shots are not necessarily on the puck at all. I reserve these for close-up shots of the players themselves. Framing is all-important, and I find it crucial to have the player almost full-face onto the camera..

In terms of framing, always try to get as much of the action as large in the frame as possible. Unless you're using a 400mm or 600mm lens - which means you're probably a pro - you'll end up cropping the finished result to achieve this. 200mm or less will end up with too much junk in the image, and most British rinks look pretty poor and shabby.

Next time, I'll have a look at the post-processing steps I usually go through to get my finished images.

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Ice Hockey

Ice Hockey is one of my favourite sports, and the season in the UK runs from September - April. I used to be able to get to see Elite League matches regularly (albeit I could never get a good enough vantage point to take photographs), but since the drop of Basingstoke Bison into the English Premier League, I have contented myself by being a regular visitor to the Guildford Flames.

Ice Hockey is a tricky sport to photograph. A quick trip to the galleries hosted over on NHL.com show stunningly clear images, shot by the best photographers in the business, with access to press boxes and team benches that amateurs like me could never hope for. Unless you're armed with a D3 and have negotiated a special vantage point, you're going to have to "cheat" your shots.

The first problem in Ice Hockey is the light; without exception, games are played indoors in artificial lights. The crowd are usually kept in semi-darkness to enhance the brightness of the rink. Secondly, there is a great big white rink in the way, throwing your exposure settings and white balance into chaos. This gets even more fun when you consider that many teams play in largely-white kits as well. Combine this with a necessarily-fast shutter speed, telephoto lenses and a requirement to hand-hold the camera, you have all the ingredients for a sports photography nightmare.

I tend to use these settings for my shots, which I find time and again give me reliable output - they may not always be perfect, but they work more often than they fail, leaving me with the important business of seeing the action and grabbing the shot.

Camera Mode: Aperture Priority. You don't need to be fiddling with manual settings while working at high speed.

Aperture: f/2.8. Anything more and you'll lose the shutter speed you need.

Shutter: 1/500. You can get away with slightly slower, but hockey is a fast moving game. 1/200 will frequently give you blurred pictures.

ISO: 1600.

WB: Auto. I have never found a WB setting that accurately captures the colours of an ice hockey rink, but I find that a colour temperature of somewhere around 4800 - 5100 generally works well.

You will have to adjust your vantage point depending on the rink you go to. I find that the best views can be obtained by standing up to the glass at the corners of the rink - usually a handful of supporters are allowed into these positions, so you have to arrive early and be prepared to stand for a long time in order not to lose your place. It doesn't generally matter which end you stand at, as there will usually be a fair share of action all over the rink. As a solo photographer, you won't be able to "chase" the action all over the arena, so don't try.

Later, I will discuss shooting tips and then move onto post-processing.

Saturday 9 October 2010

Too Much Sport

Having gone from a fairly quiet summer of sport, I now find that I'm totally overloaded with a crowded football and hockey fixture list. I've got a huge backlog of photos to upload, and tonight I'm off to yet another event down in Guildford. I believe the phrase is "workflow management" but right now I'm suffering from a classic problem - too many photos, not enough time!

Thursday 7 October 2010

Antonio Goya


Viki
Originally uploaded by Antonio Goya
Every so often, I stumble across some amazing images on Flickr. One photographer who has really caught my eye of late is Antonio Goya. His portraits, shot with nothing more than a Nikon D90 and a 50mm lens, are a true lesson in stunning photographic work. They knock my efforts into a cocked hat.

Goya shoots what I would call "everyday" portraits - images of normal people, in normal poses. They are timeless, expressive images, and most are simply a joy to look at. Do check out his body of work - if he isn't already a professional tog, then I'm sure he soon will be.

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Boring Photographs


Old Caravan @ Chertsey
Originally uploaded by Gary Shield
As well as highlighting some of what I consider the best of photography, every so often I think it's good to have a look at some of the worst. I have no axe to grind with Gary Shield - by the looks of things, he's a regular tourist snapper who takes shots to remind himself of where he's been - which is all absolutely fine.

But I do have to wonder, what the hell is this a shot of? It's a broken caravan, half hidden out of shot by a tree. Why is this photo even taken? Who wants to look at it? Who would want to be reminded of this, except for an insurance claim for a holiday gone badly wrong?

Ironically, the image has around 270 views, numerous favourites and several comments - more than any single image of mine that I've ever taken (apart from one where some AFC Wimbledon fans started debating over which of their number was wearing a wedding dress in the crowd). It is also one of the first images that appears when you type "Chertsey" into the Flickr search.

Sour grapes? You bet!

Saturday 25 September 2010

Penton Hook Lock


Penton Hook Lock
Originally uploaded by Photo Plod
Despite the chilly conditions, I spent this morning wandering over Penton Hook Lock, an island on the edge of the river Thames at its western end.

Photo opportunities were quite limited, but I tried to make the most of the scenery. This was my favourite shot of the day - I quite like the way that the river winds round and leads the eye into the boat moored in the centre. It's a bit of a postcard shot, but not everything has to be arty, does it?

I dithered this week over buying a second-hand Nikon D3 - but then went against it. I can't afford it at the moment, with a wedding to pay for. This morning, though, it was an absolute pleasure to just grab my trusty D80, go out & play. Not everything needs expensive kit!

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Brian Duffy

Brian Duffy was one of the major photographers of the 1960's and 1970's, and is the subject of discussion - briefly - in this week's Amateur Photographer magazine. Duffy famously burnt most of his negatives in 1979 during a breakdown, destroying some of the most famous fashion and biography images ever taken. However, much of his work has been restored and some of his most famous images are on display until 19th November at the Lucy Bell Gallery in St Leonard's On Sea, near Hastings in East Sussex.

Aspiring fashion or personality photographers should take note of Duffy's work; he was at the forefront of his craft at the height of the swinging sixties. In many ways, Duffy shaped the work of "celebrity" photographers for the years to come. His style is very clean - plain white backgrounds, simple objects - and relaxed poses, often with the sitter caught mid-way through doing or saying something.

Duffy passed away this year, and this is the first major exhibition of his work since his death. Admission is free.


Saturday 18 September 2010

James Stone Photography

James Stone, a contact from Talk Photography, has just been awarded his Associateship of the British Institute of Professional Photography - a distinguished achievement indeed. I had never visited his website before - at http://www.jamesstonephotography.co.uk/ - but having done so, I can honestly say that he is one of the most refreshing documentary photographers I have seen in a long time.

I particularly admire the clarity and boldness of his images, and his use of colour - even in gritty "urban" shots. One to watch, I feel.

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Put Him a Good Slap in the Balls

The title of this post reflects Google translate's rather poor attempt at converting a simple French comment on this very image over on my Flickr stream. I'm not sure that the poster really meant to say this!

I'm all for the power of the internet to reach a global audience, but why has nobody invented a simple translation program that actually works? Surely, if a search engine can be designed that can process billions of queries, predict entries and rate webpages according to relevance, someone somewhere should have invented some language software that does the job.

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Twitterati

Everywhere I go, everything I read, the world seems to have gone Twitter mad. So far, I've resisted any urge to join them. How many people could really be interested in @Photoplod? Do people really want to know what I'm up to every minute of every day? I don't think so.

However, this morning, I actually saw Twitter being of some use. I travelled in to work during the middle of a general Tube strike - which, as anyone familiar with London knows, causes chaos everywhere. The BBC ran a very helpful "Live Strike News" feed, with people Twittering all manner of live travel updates, mainly coming from people on the ground with their phones.

I can imagine if I had an iPhone, it could be quite fun to post up random images of my daily life (nothing secret and work related, of course) - but with Facebook and Blogs, is Twitter just another virtual obsession pandering to a self-created need?

Sunday 5 September 2010

Bizarre Visitors

Yesterday, I uploaded around 136 images from last weekend's Chertsey Town vs Dorking football match. As is often the case, I received a spike in the number of visitors to my photo stream, but I also received dozens of "Favourite" notifications. Had I been discovered by some photo agency, earmarking my images for future attention?

No. Bizarrely, I'd been invaded by a Sock Fetishist. I had a look at his collection of "favourites" on Flickr - expecting to find sports & football images - but instead found numerous pictures of men...in socks.

Weird.

Tuesday 24 August 2010

On Photography

I thumbed through a copy of Susan Sontag's "On Photography" today while on my rounds. Although this is considered a seminal work by many photographers - so much so that it is now printed in the Penguin Classics range - I have to say that the few pages I read seemed impenetrable and pretentious.

For someone who "writes" a photography-based blog, I don't much like reading about photography. I don't consider myself an "artist" and I'm not much interested in postulating about this theory or that one. I'm quite a simple creature in my tastes. I approach every photograph with one simple question: "Do I like it?" If I do, then I wonder why - and I try to appreciate the photographer's skill and composition.

Photography is about two things for me: Entertainment or Information. If a photograph is neither of these, then I move on. I'm entertained by skilful landscapes, action-packed sports shots, clever compositions and a myriad other things. What I am categorically *not* entertained by is 400-odd pages of pretentious artistic waffle.

Tuesday 17 August 2010

Fighter squadron in formation

This is a classic image of a Spitfire squadron in formation, straight from the National Archives. I can only imagine at the preparation going into this image - even down to the weather, this shot wouldn't have worked without a cloudy background.

The image comes from one of my favourite sections of Flickr, known as "The Commons" - a place where famous institutions from all over the world upload collections of photographs, in the spirit of sharing and bringing them to a wider audience.

Wednesday 11 August 2010

Cardiff After Dark

Following on from my last post, I noticed a great set of photos on Flickr, posted by Polish photographer Maciej Dakowicz, entitled "Cardiff After Dark". It is a striking set of around 200 images, shot over the past couple of years by Maciej around the city.

The set shows everything I find familiar about a night duty - drunks urinating in the street, people fighting, passed out on the pavement - in effect, turning urban areas into gigantic, uninhibited human sewers after around 10pm. Maciej's photos are like a tragic slice of urban theatre. His photos have gained recognition recently in Amateur Photographer.

If you want to understand some of what is so wrong with Britain today, you could do a lot worse than look through his collection.

Saturday 7 August 2010

Night Shift

I see all manner of things in the course of my job. This week, I've been doing a stint on night duty CID - we only have to do it a few times a year, and it's one of my favourite duties because we have to cover all manner of incidents. The image on the left is the remnants of a typical Saturday night - that broken bottle you see on the floor was smashed into someone's face after a typical drunken brawl. The blood sprayed over the ground nearby was the result of some very deep lacerations that will leave the victim scarred for life. On top of that, over the 7 nights, I've attended a double stabbing, numerous other assaults and a drug-related car crash where the driver had tried to run over and kill some associates.

I've often toyed with the idea of asking for formal permission from the borough commander to do a "photo essay" of various parts of my OCU, just to show people some of the things we police officers face on a daily basis. Until I became a copper, I thought I was pretty streetwise and that there wasn't much I hadn't seen. How wrong I was. I just wish I could share so much more of it with the public. I don't think any images would shock - Hollywood has pretty much taken care of that for us, and nothing really replicates the feeling of "being there". Still, I don't know of any other police officers doing anything similar, and I think it would make a change from all the "Cops on Camera"-type police shows, which, although are fly-on-the-wall in nature, have still passed through the hands of TV editors and producers.

Terrorists 'sick of being treated like photographers'

This made me chuckle!

Terrorists 'sick of being treated like photographers' |

Thursday 5 August 2010

Lewis Hine

The Mill - Lewis Hine

Lewis Hine is another of my favourite American photographers. Hine's early work, around 1905, was concerned with working conditions in the steel industry. As he travelled, he became more interested in child labour, from around 1908 - 1912 - so much so that he left his job as a teacher in order to become an investigative journalist for the National Child Labor Committee.

Hine is now regarded as a master photographer, and rightly so. His images of children, often in terrible working environments, are still powerful today. Occasionally, we see images of sweatshop factories in Asia - but I still haven't seen anything as powerful as those shot by Hine. Some of his images are, admittedly, posed - probably including the example above - but it makes a powerful statement. The girl in this image is only 11 years old, and claimed that she had already been working in the mill for a year. This was unusual - most children told Hine that they were 14 (the legal working age of the time), or that they were just "helping out" casually. It seems remarkable that Hine was able to gain access to all the factories and mills as he did.

Hine died in poverty in 1940, with only one book published in his lifetime, documenting the construction of the Empire State Building. Nevertheless, it is his early images that he is best remembered for. Hine was never regarded much as a photographer within his lifetime - just as a sociologist and campaigner. Today, his images are powerful statements - masterful documentary images in every sense. His legacy was the abandonment of child labour in America. For this reason, Hine deserves his place among the great photographers.

For more of Hine's images, see the online collection held by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where around 5000 of his images of child poverty can be seen.

Monday 2 August 2010

Shorpy

I've just added a link to Shorpy - a historic photographic archive chronicling American life from the 1850's to the 1950's. It's an amazing blog, well worthy of the widespread recognition it receives. The images are largely taken from the Library of Congress archives and cover an extensive range of topics. They also sell prints of the images.

The motto of Shorpy is "Always Something Interesting" - a conclusion I wholeheartedly agree with.

Sunday 1 August 2010

Captured: America in Color, 1939 - 1943

The Denver Post has just added a stunning collection of images from 1939 - 1943, showing (largely) American rural life at the time. The gallery, titled Captured: America in Color, 1939 - 1943, shows just what was possible with colour film long before it became widely used in a consumer format. None of the images would rank as "famous", but they are evocative - particularly those of black Americans living alongside whites. Compare the work in the cotton fields to the 4th of July celebrations, especially, and the "Juke" joint.

Saturday 31 July 2010

Joel Sternfeld - McLean, Virginia

McLean, Virginia - Joel Sternfeld

I found this image in a book of modern American photography. Taken in 1975, it shows firefighters attending a blazing house in the background, while another fireman selects a couple of pumpkins from a nearby farm shop. The blaze in the background looks pretty serious, yet the relaxed fireman looks anything but - it is an amusing contrast. I find that the colour guides my eye throughout the image - almost everything is orange, from the pumpkins to the ground, the fireman, the signs and the fire itself.

It reminds me of my own experience of standing on the scene of a major fire in Camden, London, a few years ago. Granted, there isn't a great deal for the police to do while a fire is raging, but the overwhelming impression I got from the fire brigade was one of relaxed professionalism. A blazing building isn't special to them. I've driven with all sirens blaring to the scene of a massive gang-fight involving knives, bottles, metal bars, etc, while debating with the driver whether roast beef is preferable to chicken. It's just what we do. For me, this image sums that up perfectly.

The original is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Friday 30 July 2010

Microglobe

I've added Microglobe to my list of recommended sellers, as I've used them a couple of times recently for cables and bits & pieces. They're predominantly an online retailer, but actually do have a small shop off Bury Place near the British Museum. Microglobe have seemed very competitive in their pricing to me, and aren't in the business of grey imports. However, they do believe in piling it high and selling it cheap. This is good, if you know what you want.

The shop is quite funny - boxes literally piled from floor to ceiling - and it's so crammed, there's about 6ft of space for customers and not much more for the two staff (there is no separate stockroom). I don't suggest it as a model for all businesses, but it lets me purchase a remote cable for £12.50 instead of £25 that everyone else is charging, and £47 for a sync cable that others wanted £85 for. Don't go there for technical support, advice on shooting photos or to peruse the latest kit - just use them for bits & bobs at a reasonable price.

Thursday 29 July 2010

AS11-40-5903

The title is the innocuous official NASA catalogue reference for this image on the left, one of my favourite photos of all time.

It is so iconic, showing Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, on the moon, that it has almost become a cliche. Yet, look at it again with fresh eyes, and admire it from a photographic perspective. It is simply astonishing. The strong light from the sun, the reflection of Armstrong in the visor taking the photo, the LEM nearby, the footprints in the dust, the pure blackness of space around - it all adds up to one of the most powerful images in human history.

I wholly encourage you to look at the large version on the NASA website, even if you've seen it all before:


Tuesday 27 July 2010

Removal of Kingsley Photographic

With some sadness, I have removed Kingsley Photographic from my recommended list of retailers. They haven't done anything specifically wrong to me, but I haven't bought anything there for ages. I now find that their prices are almost always higher than other retailers (and I'm not just comparing with online sellers), and last time I went in there looking for a flash gun, they didn't have what I wanted. A couple of years ago, I could seem to find whatever I needed and always at a competitive price from them - they were my favourite Nikon specialists.

Most recently, I was looking for a Sekonic L308s Flashmate. Typically, these retail for around £135. Park Cameras, Camera World and several others all sell at this price. Amazon sells them for £129.99, and I purchased mine from Digital Meters for £125 including postage. Kingsley Photographic, as of last week, were selling it for £149. I assume this is because of the high cost of having a store on Tottenham Court Road, but Camera World are just off Oxford St and that can't be cheap either.

Grays of Westminster are one of the highest profile Nikon specialists of all, and while their stock is always in excellent condition, I find that they almost always charge a lot more than their competitors. As such, I never shop there; plenty of other camera shops give me just as good service without charging me a premium for posh advertising. I hope Kingsley Photographic doesn't go the same way.

Wedding Photographer Shot Dead

Wedding photographer shot dead after he asked bride and groom to pose with GUNS | Mail Online

I understand it's traditional for guns to be fired at family events in Italy, but honestly - what was the photographer thinking? Guns in wedding photos? Loaded ones, at that?

Monday 26 July 2010

Playing with Flash

I've been playing around a bit more with my SB600 since doing the RPS Studio Lighting course. It's a far cry from a studio setup, but now I understand a lot more about flash, I'm finding that I'm learning a whole lot more about photography overall.

I purchased an SC-28 Sync Cable this week from http://www.microglobe.co.uk in London so that I could start experimenting with off-camera flash. The cable isn't cheap (though Microglobe were pretty good, having it for £45), but worth the money for the flexibility it gives you. I also have a free reflector from a Practical Photography subscription I had last year - it's pretty good and sturdy, considering it cost me absolutely nothing.

I haven't got any results I'd like to show off just yet, but to anybody just starting out with flash I'd recommend purchasing a sync cable. Chris Burfoot said, "The problem with on-camera flash is that you need to get it off the camera". From my little bit of experimentation so far, I'd say he's absolutely right.

Friday 23 July 2010

The End of Section 44

As a serving police officer, I am duty bound to abstain from politics in public. This blog is about photography - and occasionally my job - but some things I can't help but offer a little comment on.

Section 44 of the Terrorism Act drew a great deal of criticism - much of it perfectly justified - because it was disproportionately used to target photographers in public. There have been numerous horror stories of security guards, PCSOs and Police Officers all getting things horribly wrong - deleting photos, confiscating cameras, moving people on - all over the country.

I argued a while back that we needed to refine our use of s44 - now its use has been suspended altogether. Partly, this is due to an ECHR ruling stating that it is against a person's human rights to be stopped & searched when no real grounds exist for doing so. Personally, I think it is a great deal more to do with the active campaign of http://photographernotaterrorist.org/

s44 was never intended to become a tool for harassing photographers, but that's ultimately what it became associated with, and now we've paid the price. I don't mourn its passing. However, the next - and much harder - battle will be in convincing average Joe Public that not every photographer is a paedophile.

Can we expect to see "Photographer Not A Paedophile" T-Shirts cropping up in the near future?

Wednesday 21 July 2010

20,000 Fake Camera Cases Seized in Raid

Trading Standards have raided an address in Manchester and retrieved hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth of fake camera equipment.

As I so often say, buyer beware...

http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/8244896.20_000_fake_camera_cases_seized_in_Bowdon_raid/

Tuesday 20 July 2010

RPS Studio Lighting Course Review

Just over a week ago, I attended the two-day RPS Studio Lighting course down in Lacock, Wiltshire. The course costs £145, which covers the use of the studio and all equipment you're likely to need, a model and the tutoring skills of Chris Burfoot ARPS.

The venue is a perfect setting for studio photography, taking place in a National Trust-owned barn on the edge of Lacock Abbey. It used to belong to the founder of photography, William Fox-Talbot himself, and is a beautifully restored sixteenth-century barn, now fitted with electricity, a flat concrete floor and a fully working kitchen. The sessions began at 1000 every day, which gave people plenty of time to arrive from all over the country.

There were 11 people in my group - 7 male, 4 female, with a range of experience and photographic interest. Two of the group were established professionals, two were looking to turn professional in retirement, some were looking to break into it and others (like me) were enthusiastic hobbyists. Everybody was very friendly - as is my experience on these RPS courses - and the group was very cohesive and inclusive.

Chris Burfoot began by explaining fundamentals of flash and basic studio setups using only one light and a reflector, but by the end of the course we were setting up (comparatively) complicated four-light setups with high-key white backgrounds. After each setup, we took photos of the model, Laura (sadly now departed for Hong Kong!), and were allowed time to experiment and get the best out of each setup. Chris' teaching was clear, articulate and friendly. The course is sponsored by Elinchrom - who also happen to employ Chris - but without their sponsorship, this course would be at least twice the price. There is no selling on the course (Chris only imports goods into the UK), but there is a fair bit of advertising of Elinchrom products. It's not a bad thing, and Chris spends plenty of time talking about other manufacturers as well.

The village of Lacock is beautiful for those bringing down a partner or looking to meet friends. I stayed in the Old Rectory in the village with my fiancee, which was very reasonable for £85 in a big double room with a fresh home-cooked breakfast the next morning.

I had never set foot in a studio until this weekend. Now, armed with my trusty Sekonic Flashmate L308s, I'm looking to head off to the Camera Club to make use of their studio facilities. I've been bitten by the bug - and it's largely down to the enthusiasm and superb teaching of Chris Burfoot. I highly, highly recommend this course to anyone looking to explore studio work. It will give you a solid foundation and understanding of lighting setups, and by the end of it, you'll be looking at magazine photos and understanding how they made them. Inspirational stuff, and at a reasonable price.

Monday 19 July 2010

Wheat Field


Wheat Field
Originally uploaded by Photo Plod
I shot this panorama yesterday while out walking with my fiancee. I love the bright green of the new crops against the dry brown colour of the field. Apart from the mandatory editing required when shooting panoramic shots, I haven't changed anything with this image - just to keep it as bright and fresh as when I originally saw it.

Monday 19 April 2010

Grey Imports

"Grey Imports" are items that are legally imported and sold in a country, but where the stock originates from a different country. In the photographic example I will discuss here, they usually refer to camera equipment that is bought in from China, Hong Kong and other parts of Asia.

Grey Imports are usually on sale at cheaper prices than UK stock, simply for market reasons; goods simply wouldn't sell in much of Asia for the sort of prices that can be commanded in Western Europe. Sometimes, it can be due to exchange rates - a lot of Asian businesses trade in US Dollars - and a weak dollar can make goods significantly cheaper. This, in turn, makes Grey Imports very attractive to buyers - who will usually be unaware or not care where their goods come from - so long as they are getting a bargain. This is made all the more acute because we are frequently ripped off for consumer goods in the UK, especially when first released (how many American products simply turn the $ into a £?)

Yet, for all this, many photographers will advise you to steer clear of grey imports. Why?
  • Warranty. It is very, very difficult to claim anything back under an "international warranty", no matter how easy your Grey Import seller says it is. Most sellers are, in fact, re-sellers or agents - they don't hold any stock, and they don't want to. They certainly don't want to be receiving non-working cameras back to their office to then have to post them to China and act as your go-between. Nikon and Canon UK will not recognise a so-called "international warranty", so you will have no choice but to try and get the item back to Hong Kong or whereever. Camera equipment is very technical and a lot of it still goes wrong from time to time, so be warned.
  • Import Tax. One of the reasons Grey Imports look cheaper is because they don't have any taxes applied to them. Every item in the UK is sold with 17.5% VAT on top of it, and it is illegal to display goods for sale without adding all applicable taxes. Not so in the rest of the world. If you're bringing expensive electronic goods into the UK, HM Customs & Excise may well class you as an "importer" - even for a one-off purchase - and sting you for import duties. They can do this, and it's perfectly legal. The amount you will pay in duties varies according to the value of the item - the higher the value, the more likely you will get stung. Usually, when delivery and taxes are added to Grey Import goods, they become much dearer than if you had just bought UK stock from a UK dealer in the first place.
  • Contact. When dealing in Grey Imports with foreign retailers, information can be very hard to come by. Contact is usually a very hit & miss affair, and most won't deal with you by telephone. This can make returning items a nightmare - even just checking where your goods are can become a hassle. Also, don't ever expect to be able to visit the premises of a Grey Importer to be able to try out the equipment first.
  • Non-UK Parts. If your equipment needs to be plugged into the mains, it won't be shipped with a UK adaptor. Not a major problem, but I wouldn't like to be running a full studio setup that wasn't properly rated and designed with UK voltage in mind. Also, don't expect an English manual - most supplied instructions (if any) will be in Chinese.
Grey Importers have also been linked with scams and murky business practices. One Stop Digital, for example, deliberately mark down the items they ship as being "Gifts" of a lower value than they actually are to try and avoid import duties. A noble aim, perhaps, but it could bring you some unwarranted attention if HMRC open your parcel and find out that it isn't a £10 garden gnome inside, but actually a £3500 Nikon D3s. I believe Evasion of Tax Liability is a civil offence. The ubiquitous Camerabox are also Grey Importers, but at least they actually have items shipped to their warehouse in Oxfordshire. However, several people have reported fraudulent credit card payments being made on their accounts soon after shopping at Camerabox. While there is no suggestion that Camerabox are directly responsible, it just seems that murk and Grey Imports go together. You could even find yourself becoming a victim of Crazy Cameras, who have already been shut down once before after posing as a UK seller. They are, in fact, from the USA. So why hide as a British company? Again, look around the net - hundreds upon hundreds of negative reviews, claims of scams, goods never arriving, no refunds, "restocking" charges, and so on.

Even this morning I was answering questions about Froomoo, who also trade under the name of Fizi. A typical Grey Importer, Fizi / Froomoo are run from a rented office in the back end of Birmingham, but their identikit website gives an impression of sleek corporate functioning - a "world class operation" - to use their own hyperbole. In the real world, there is no warehouse, no team of "customer service advisers", and no "technical support". Froomoo is probably no more than a couple of people and a desk. They act as agents to Asian distributors, while appearing to undercut British retailers. They are nothing more than middle men looking to make a quick buck by creaming off the profit of selling Asian-market priced goods at slightly-cheaper-than-UK priced goods. It's not a scam, and what they're doing is legal. But do you think you're just going to be able to drop into Froomoo's office when something goes wrong? Like hell you are, even if they're around this time next year.

My advice? Cut out the middle man. Grey Imported goods aren't always bad - I bought a genuine Nikon HB-7 lens hood for my 80 - 200mm lens for £15 off a Hong Kong eBay seller, which was a lot cheaper than the £40 it was selling for here in the UK. But that's a piece of plastic. It's not likely to go wrong. If you want to dip a toe into Grey Imports, my advice would be to do the same (though beware of the millions of fakes on eBay and always read the small print). Don't give money to shady middle men who seek to destroy genuine British retailers. Yes, the genuine goods are dearer. That's because British retailers have to pay for their premises, staff and stock - those same premises where you can visit, try out camera kit, ask questions and even send it back if it all goes wrong with a refund or a replacement. With Grey Imports, you get none of that.

Friday 16 April 2010

Tackleberry

In the police, "Tackleberry" is a moniker given to new officers who spend far too much money on gadgets, in honour of the equipment-overkill character from Police Academy. Recently, in photographic terms, I have become a bit of a Tackleberry - though with the best of intentions.

Firstly, I bought a Manfrotto 680B Monopod, for use in my sports photography. It's a wonderful, sturdy piece of kit - great for panning shots, and it really does help take the weight of my 80 - 200mm f/2.8 lens. This was quickly followed by purchasing the Quick Release Head, to allow me to quickly snap my camera on and off.

Then, our old Sony Cybershot packed up. My girlfriend wanted a replacement, so, another trip to Amazon later, I'm now the owner of a Sony Cyber-shot DSCW180, and thankfully for only a fraction of what Amazon are charging for it at the moment. A new memory card was also in order.

As I'm starting to get into studio photography, it was time to update my Nikon SB-28, which no longer allows TTL-metering capability on my D80. I'm not going to get rid of it - it can still be used as a slave flash as part of Nikon's CLS system - but I do like being able to meter automatically. Eventually, I managed to find an excellent second hand model in mint condition from MPB Photographic.

By now considerably poorer, I vowed not to spend any more money on equipment. With my birthday coming up, I decided I wanted to enrol on the Royal Photographic Society's Studio Portraiture weekend course in Lacock, Wiltshire. Birthday money was duly spent on this and I'm due to travel down in July. The Documentary Photography course I completed last year was excellent, so I have high hopes for this one as well.

Now, severely out of pocket and with a very angry girlfriend (now fiancee) I resolved not to spend any more money. And then, last night, while practicing my recent studio reading, my tripod literally fell to bits. I had it repaired last year, but its gone again in the same place. The leg has fallen off and the locking mechanism has fallen to bits. So, secretly, I've snuck out today and bought a replacement. Buying a cheap tripod seems like false economy - I'd rather have a good quality model that will last - so, after moving some savings around (and shoving the rest into an ISA so I can't touch it!) I trotted off to Park Cameras in Burgess Hill, Sussex. I am now the proud owner of the Manfrotto 055CX3 Carbon Fibre 3 Section Lightweight Tripod, and the Manfrotto 322RC2 Heavy Duty Grip Ball Head. I'm going to hell.

Monday 29 March 2010

Old Dog New Tricks

I have been following a trend for the past couple of weeks where I'm trying my hand at different sports. I've had quite a bit of experience at shooting ice hockey so, over the past two weeks, I've also been out to the football at Woking and gone off to Wimbledon for some banger racing. I've learnt plenty of new sports photography skills - especially moving my camera quickly, fast focussing and snapping in a hurry - and I'm pushing my D80 as hard as I can. Its low light performance isn't as good as the D700 or the D3, but it's just about good enough for me.

The cricket season is about to start in April, and it's rather unlikely I'm going to be able to get my hands on a 400mm lens. I might see if I can get hold of a teleconverter to make my 200mm into a 400mm f/5.6 - it might just be good enough on a sunny day, that way - but I've gone & spent all my money on a new SB600 flash and a Manfrotto monopod. One other thing I've learned over the past couple of weeks - a D80 with an 80 - 200mm telephoto lens on it is *heavy*!

Saturday 23 January 2010

Scam Photography Retail Websites

In the run up to Christmas, the Metropolitan Police removed 1,219 fake websites set up to scam unsuspecting consumers in the hunt for a bargain. Most of these were run from Eastern Europe or Asia by criminal gangs.

Photography is a frequent target for scammers. It is one of the world's most popular, and expensive, hobbies. Retailers do not have much latitude to cut prices, and unlike other consumer electronics, the prices of cameras and accessories have never really declined much. As such, when a new website pops up offering prices significantly cheaper than rivals, it is bound to attract attention. Unfortunately, a lot of these are scam websites, set up to take your cash quickly and then disappear forever. Enforcement against those behind the websites is weak - police forces in the usual countries are often ineffective and lack the capability to find and prosecute the individuals responsible. From the UK, while we remain very effective against criminals based here, the best we can generally do against foreign e-criminals is to shut their websites down. As such, the buyer must assume a significant responsibility for protecting themselves.
  1. Always buy from a reputable seller. These will usually be linked to from popular photography websites, or recommended by other users. Advertisers in the back of popular photography magazines are also going to be a safe bet.
  2. Be aware. If you know that the latest Nikon DXXX camera is retailing for £4000, but this new (untested) website is selling the same model for £2000, then it's likely to be fake or non-existent. No retailer could afford to sell a £4000 camera for £2000 and make a profit.
  3. Pay attention to payment methods. Western Union is a definite no-no. Foreign scammers usually want credit cards, as opposed to debit cards which tend to be tied to a bank in one particular country. However, using a credit card will give you a degree of protection.
  4. Have a look at the terms and conditions. Often, scam websites use standard templates to produce T & C pages, and they will often be nonsensical in the context of a photography website. Copy & paste a paragraph from the T&C's into Google and see how many other websites are using the same template - if they all look suspicious, then the chances are that your one is too.
  5. Keep an eye out for poor spelling and bad grammar. Foreign criminals frequently do not have a satisfactory grasp of English. Reputable sellers generally take some degree of care with their website.
  6. Check out if there are any contact details for the website. Personally, I don't deal with any camera retailer that doesn't have a contact phone number.
Even if you follow all of these tips, you may still end up being scammed - but following them will greatly minimise the risk. Recently, I was involved with investigating a fake retailer using the name of Rolandtrade (not the one that can currently be found on the internet). It was amazing how people from all over Europe had just handed over bank details or transferred cash with Western Union over to this scam website that was blatantly underselling camera equipment without a care in the world. Lots of people have now lost thousands of pounds between them.

The best advice I can give -

If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Photographer - Not a Terrorist

I am, by virtue of my occupation, expressly forbidden from engaging publicly in politics - so I don't seek to use my blog to forward any personal political agenda. Photography is my concern, and this is what this space is for. However, it is impossible to to ignore the Photography vs s44 Terrorism Act debate that is currently raging.

On January 23rd, there is to be a protest, most likely in Piccadilly Circus or Trafalgar Square. It is organised by Photographer Not a Terrorist. This is a direct result of photographers' anger at recent stop & search tactics under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act.

Since the organisation was founded, there have been considerable policy changes instituted by the new Commissioner, and its use by the Metropolitan Police has been scaled back enormously. I expect the recent ECHR judgment, thought not changing any UK law, will also contribute to it being cut back.

s44 was never intended to be an indiscriminate stop-all power or a return to the days of the 'sus' laws. It *does* remain important, because it allows officers to take action in circumstances where existing powers under s1 PACE or s43 TACT would not give rise to grounds or objects for a search. We know that hostile reconnaissance does go on - I've seen it for myself - but we're limited in what we can release to the general public. On the other hand, I don't believe that it should be used indiscriminately against photographers because of the risk of angering the public. I was arguing for a balance in the use of s44 nearly three years ago. This is now current force policy, I'm pleased to say.

As an aside, it may also be worth pointing out that the incidents pointed out at the top of the Photographer Not a Terrorist web page all occurred within the City of London jurisdiction - not the ground covered by the Metropolitan Police. While we're by no means blameless in the current poor relationship with photographers, I do think we're taking the lead over other forces.

Monday 18 January 2010

Plantation Owner and Field Hands

As I've posted before, I'm quite a fan of American photography - particularly that from the years of the Great Depression. The image below is another one of my favourites, speaking volumes about power, wealth and race relations in pre-war America.

"Plantation Owner and his Field Hands near Clarksdale, Mississipi"
- Dorothea Lange (1936)

The whole image is dominated by the white plantation owner, confidently stood with his hand on his knee, leaning against one of the most potent symbols of American industry - a motorcar. To own such a car was a sure sign of wealth. By contrast, his black field hands are sat, submissively, in raggy clothes waiting for their next orders. Despite the plantation owner being physically the same height (though not width) as the workers, he appears to have a stature of largesse and grandeur. The workers appear thin and malnourished, while the plantation owner is fat and well clothed. He appears like a Roman Emperor - all-conquering and powerful within his own domain.

Saturday 16 January 2010

New Year, New Start

Like so many bloggers, I haven't added any articles for a little while. My real-life job has taken over my hobby for a considerable period, as I've been making the transition from uniformed response officer to detective. Now I'm comfortably settled in CID, I have a bit more time to indulge in my photography.

At the moment I'm searching for a good wedding photographer. I was engaged to my girlfriend, Sally, on December 19th (hooray!), but now the hard work of wedding planning begins. We've decided on a honeymoon location, decided on a church, decided a guest list - but the venue remains elusive.